Peristaltic pump
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorBlair Kent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A peristaltic pump includes opposing occlusion surfaces and a rotor between the occlusion surfaces. The rotor carries a set of occluding surfaces. At least one of either the set of occluding surfaces or the opposing occlusion surfaces are linearly movable relative to the other of the set of occluding surfaces and the occlusion surfaces.
Claims59
A peristaltic pump comprising:
- opposing occlusion surfaces;
- and
- a rotor between the occlusion surfaces and carrying a set of occluding surfaces, wherein at least one of either the set of occluding surfaces or the opposing occlusion surfaces are linearly movable relative to the other of the set of occluding surfaces and the occlusion surfaces.
A peristaltic pump comprising:
- a plurality of pump units, each pump unit including:
- a housing having at least one occlusion surface;
- and
- a rotor carrying a set of occluding surfaces.
An imaging forming device comprising:
- at least one fluid dispensing device configured to dispense fluid upon a medium;
- a fluid reservoir;
- and
- a pump comprising:
- tubes in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir and the at least one fluid dispensing device;
- opposing occlusion surfaces;
- and
- a rotor carrying a set of occluding surfaces between the opposing occlusion surfaces wherein at least one of either the set of occluding surfaces or the opposing occlusion surfaces are linearly movable relative to the other of the set of occluding surfaces and the occlusion surfaces.
An image forming device comprising:
- at least one fluid dispensing device configured to dispense fluid upon a medium;
- fluid reservoirs;
- and
- a pump comprising:
- a stack of pump units, each pump unit including:
- a housing having at least one occlusion surface;
- and
- a rotor carrying a set of occluding surfaces.
A peristaltic pump comprising:
- a pair of opposing occlusion surfaces;
- a rotor carrying a set of occluding surfaces between the opposing occlusion surfaces;
- and
- means for repositioning at least one of either the set of occluding surfaces or the opposing occlusion surfaces relative to one another using tube compression reaction forces.
A first pump unit housing for use with a second substantially identical pump unit housing, the first pump unit housing comprising:
- a first occlusion surface;
- and
- a first tube retaining surface along a first side of the first occlusion surface, wherein the first housing is configured to be positioned adjacent to the second housing such that the second housing provides a second tube retaining surface along a second opposite side of the first occlusion surface.
A peristaltic pump comprising:
- a housing including:
- a main wall extending perpendicular to a rotational axis;
- a first rim extending from the wall in a first direction and providing a first occlusion surface;
- and
- a second rim extending from the wall in the first direction and providing a second occlusion service, wherein the wall, the first rim and the second rim are integrally formed as a unitary body;
- and
- a rotor rotatably supported about the rotational axis between the first rim and the second rim, the rotor including:
- at least one post support;
- and
- a plurality of posts extending from the at least one post support in a single direction and carrying a set of occluding surfaces, wherein the at least one post support and the plurality of posts are integrally formed as a single unitary body.
A method for pumping fluid, the method comprising:
- rotating a set of occluding surfaces to compress a first tube portion against a first occlusion surface and a second tube portion against a second opposite occlusion surface;
- floating at least one of either the set of occluding surfaces or the first and second occlusion surfaces in response to unequal compression forces being applied to the first tube portion and the second tube portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.