Bellows pump device

A bellows pump device comprising a fluid chamber to and from which a pressurized fluid is supplied and discharged and an expandable/contractible bellows, the bellows expanding to a predetermined expansion position and a transport fluid being sucked into the bellows when the pressurized fluid is supplied to the fluid chamber, the bellows contracting and the transport fluid within the bellows being discharged when the pressurized fluid is discharged from the fluid chamber, the bellows pump device further comprising:

• a solenoid valve configured to switch supply/discharge of the pressurized fluid to/from the fluid chamber;
• a fluid pressure adjustment unit configured to adjust a fluid pressure of the pressurized fluid to be supplied to the fluid chamber;
• a detection unit configured to detect that the bellows is at the expansion position, and output a detection signal;
• and
• a control unit configured to, before operation of the bellows pump device is started, perform initial control in which the solenoid valve is switched and the pressurized fluid is supplied to the fluid chamber in advance, thereby determining an operation fluid pressure which is the fluid pressure of the pressurized fluid to be supplied to the fluid chamber during the operation, wherein
• as the initial control, the control unit outputs a control command to the fluid pressure adjustment unit so as to gradually increase the fluid pressure of the pressurized fluid to be supplied to the fluid chamber in advance, and when the detection signal is inputted from the detection unit to the control unit, the control unit determines the fluid pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied to the fluid chamber at that time as the operation fluid pressure.