US 4,490,598 AGranted

Blood tubing sealing unit

AssigneeEngineering & Research Associates, Inc.

InventorsStephen C. Minney, Daniel C. Harmony

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A solenoid operated moveable jaw cooperates with a fixed jaw protruding from a blood tubing sealing unit and formed as part of a relatively massive heat sink to effect seals on liquid filled plastic tubing upon transmission of RF energy timed to coincide with a degree of initial mechanical compression of the tubing by the jaws after the movement of the moveable jaw has been triggered by the tubing intercepting and reflecting a beam of light. Dissipation of heat from the exposed part of the fixed jaw is by convection. Dissipation of heat from the enclosed part of the fixed and moveable jaws and that produced by the circuitry generating the RF energy internal to the sealer unit is effected by channeling the heat by conduction from all internal heat sources to the bottom and rear plates of the unit and dissipating the heat from the bottom and rear plates to the atmosphere by convection.

Claims8

Dependent claims

Apparatus including a fixed jaw cooperating with a moveable jaw for squeezing tubing placed therebetween and welding the squeezed tubing by irradiating the tubing with RF energy, said apparatus comprising in combination:

(a) a sealing head having a spheroid surface to provide uniform heat radiation in different directions, said sealing head including said fixed jaw;
(b) a channel extending through said sealing head defined in part by said fixed jaw and in general alignment with said fixed jaw for accommodating flow through said sealing head of any fluid which may emanate from the tubing on bursting of the tubing during welding of the tubing;
(c) a cavity disposed within said sealing head;
(d) a bushing slidably disposed within said cavity for supporting said moveable jaw;
(e) means for attaching said moveable jaw to said bushing;
(f) means for moving said bushing to squeeze the tubing against said fixed jaw by said moveable jaw;
and
(g) means for transmitting RF energy between said moveable and fixed jaws to heat and weld the tubing placed therebetween.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/429,272Filed 30 Sep 1982
Granted: 25 Dec 1984
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

B29C 66/861
Specific machine types or machines suitable for specific applications: hand-held tools
B29C 65/04
By heating, with or without pressure: dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having…
B29C 66/1122
Single lapped joints: single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints
B29C 66/4312
Joining the articles to themselves: for making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles, e.g. transversal seams