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US006302660B1
(12) United States Patent ao) Patent No.: us 6,302,660 Bi
Kurita et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 16,2001
(54) TUBE PUMP WITH FLEXIBLE TUBE DIAPHRAGM
(75) Inventors: Muneyasu Kurita; Fukuji Kuwabara,
both of Iruma-gun (JP)
(73) Assignee: Iwaki Co., LTD (JP)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 09/494,958
(22) Filed: Feb. 1, 2000
(30) Foreign Application Priority Data
Oct. 28, 1999 (IP) 11-307633
(51) Int. CI.7 F04B 35/02
(52) U.S. CI 417/383; 417/394; 417/478
(58) Field of Search 417/383, 385,
417/478, 388, 394, 900
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
2,345,693 * 4/1944 Wilson et al 417/383
3,551,076 * 12/1970 Wilson 417/385
3,902,826 * 9/1975 Nagel et al 417/388
3,990,815 * 11/1976 DeVial 417/383
3,999,896 * 12/1976 Sebastiani 417/383
4,439,112 * 3/1984 Kitsnik 417/383
4,474,540 * 10/1984 Bonastia et al 417/388
4,934,906 * 6/1990 Williams 417/388
5,645,407 * 7/1997 Kralick et al 417/383
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
08226384 9/1996 (IP) 417/383
09151855 6/1997 (IP) 417/383
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner—Cheryl J. Tyler
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Trexler, Bushnell, Giangiorgi, Blackstone & Marr, Ltd.
(57) ABSTRACT
As tube-phragm pump includes a pump head (1) and an electromagnetic driver (2). The pump head (1) includes a cylinder (21) having a cylindrical space formed therein, and a cylindrical flexible tube (22) arranged coaxially within the cylindrical space of the cylinder (21). The outer space between the tube and the cylinder defines an actuator fluid space to be filled with an actuator fluid, and the inner space within the tube defines a pump chamber for conveying an object fluid. The pump head also includes an intake valve (31) attached to one end portion of the flexible tube (22) and a discharge valve (42) arranged at the other end portion of the flexible tube (22). The electromagnetic driver (2) includes a plunger (71) arranged reciprocally movable in the axial direction, an electromagnet for periodically attracting the plunger (71) to drive it in the axial direction reciprocally, and diaphragm (52).
7 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
