Fluid transfer connector and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11047515-B2
Application number	US-201916519239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2019
Priority date	Jul 27, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

The fluid transfer connector includes: a plug including a plug body, the plug body including a fluid channel; a socket including a socket body, the socket body including a fluid channel that communicates with the fluid channel of the plug body when the plug is connected to the socket; and a driving mechanism configured to adjust a distance between the plug body and the socket body. The plug body and the socket body can be stopped by the driving mechanism at an initial position where the plug body and the socket body are spaced from and face each other, a connecting position where the fluid channel of the plug body communicates with the fluid channel of the socket body, and an intermediate position between the initial position and the connecting position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid transfer connector comprising:
a plug including a plug body, the plug body including a fluid channel;
a socket including a socket body, the socket body including a fluid channel that communicates with the fluid channel of the plug body when the plug is connected to the socket;
a driving mechanism comprising a cylinder and a piston with a partition ring that reciprocates based on pressure acting on various portions of the piston configured to adjust a distance between the plug body and the socket body when the plug body is connected to and released from the socket body; and
a controller configured to control the driving mechanism the controller comprising central processing unit and a storage medium in which a program to be executed by the central processing unit is stored, wherein
the controller is configured to control the driving mechanism so that the plug body and the socket body can be stopped at an initial position, a connecting position, and an intermediate position, the initial position being a position where the plug body and the socket body are spaced from and face each other, the connecting position being a position where the fluid channel of the plug body communicates with the fluid channel of the socket body, the intermediate position being a position between the initial position and the connecting position.

2. The fluid transfer connector according to claim 1 , wherein
when the plug body is connected to the socket body, the controller is configured to perform sequence control to position the plug body and the socket body at the initial position, the intermediate position, and the connecting position in this order, and/or
when the plug body is released from the socket body, the controller is configured to perform sequence control to position the plug body and the socket body at the connecting position, the intermediate position, and the initial position in this order.

3. The fluid transfer connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the socket includes a plug body holder and a locking mechanism comprising one or more lock balls and a sleeve, the plug body holder being configured to removably hold the plug body, the locking mechanism being configured to lock the plug body to the plug body holder, and
the locking mechanism is configured to operate a lock in response to the plug body being inserted into the plug body holder.

4. The fluid transfer connector according to claim 3 , wherein
the plug body holder includes an insertion port into which the plug body is inserted, and
the fluid transfer connector includes a lid to close the insertion port.

5. The fluid transfer connector according to claim 1 , further comprising a washing liquid configured to be supplied between a distal end of the plug body and a distal end of the socket body, wherein
the controller is configured to perform washing at the intermediate position by the washing liquid.

6. A method for controlling a fluid transfer connector, the fluid transfer connector including: a plug including a plug body, the plug body including a fluid channel; a socket including a socket body, the socket body including a fluid channel that communicates with the fluid channel of the plug body when the plug is connected to the socket; and a driving mechanism comprising a cylinder and a piston with a partition ring that reciprocates based on pressure acting on various portions of the piston configured to adjust a distance between the plug body and the socket body when the plug body is connected to and released from the socket body, wherein
the method comprises stopping the plug body and the socket body at an initial position, a connecting position, and an intermediate position by the driving mechanism, the initial position being a position where the plug body and the socket body are spaced from and face each other, the connecting position being a position where the fluid channel of the plug body communicates with the fluid channel of the socket body, the intermediate position being a position between the initial position and the connecting position.

Assignees

• Surpass Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Imai Hiroshi
• Hirai Kazuki
• Kobayashi Masamichi

Classifications

• F16L55/11

  Plugs {(F16L55/128 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16L37/084

  combined with automatic locking · CPC title

• B67D7/0288

  Container connection means (for dispensing beverages on draught B67D1/0829) · CPC title

• F16L37/32 Primary

  at least one of two lift valves being opened automatically when the coupling is applied · CPC title

• F16L37/23

  by means of balls · CPC title