A peristaltic pump and a method of operating the same

Abstract

A peristaltic pump including a motor having a drive shaft, a drive plate coupled to the drive shaft, a tube in fluid communication with a fluid, and an actuatable roller assembly having a roller arm and a pin extending axially outward from the roller arm is provided. The drive plate includes a cam slot with a radially inner end and a radially outer end, and the pin is slidably engaged with the cam slot. The roller arm pivots radially outward to press against the tube by way of the pin engaging the radially outer end of the cam slot and the roller arm pivots radially inward away from the tube by way of the pin engaging the radially inner end of the cam slot.

1 . A peristaltic pump for an aquatic application, the peristaltic pump comprising:
 a first drive plate;   a second drive plate;   a tube for transferring fluid, the tube at least partially surrounding the first drive plate and the second drive plate; and   an actuatable roller assembly coupled to the first drive plate and the second drive plate, the actuatable roller assembly including:
 at least one roller arm, 
 a first pin extending axially outward from the at least one roller arm, the first pin designed to slidably engage the first drive plate, and 
 a second pin extending axially outward from the at least one roller arm, the second pin designed to slidably engage the second drive plate, 
   wherein the at least one roller arm moves radially outward and applies pressure to the tube when the pump is rotated in a first direction, and the at least one roller arm moves radially inward and removes pressure from the tube when the pump is rotated in a second direction.   
     
     
         2 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the first pin extends from a first side of the at least one roller arm and the second pin extends from a second side of the at least one roller arm. 
     
     
         3 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 2 , wherein the first pin is substantially orthogonal to the first side and substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the first drive plate and the second drive plate, and the second pin is substantially orthogonal to the second side and substantially parallel to the rotational axis. 
     
     
         4 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller arm is configured to pivot about a pivot axis. 
     
     
         5 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 1 , wherein the first drive plate includes a first cam slot by which the first pin slidably engages the first drive plate and the second drive plate includes a second cam slot by which the second pin slidably engages the second drive plate. 
     
     
         6 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one roller arm pivots radially inward and radially outward via the slidable engagement of the first pin with the first drive plate and the slidable engagement of the second pin with the second drive plate. 
     
     
         7 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 5 , wherein the first pin engages a first radially outer end of the first cam slot and the second pin engages a second radially outer end of the second cam slot when the pump is rotated in the first direction. 
     
     
         8 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 5 , wherein the first pin engages a first radially inner end of the first cam slot and the second pin engages a second radially inner end of the second cam slot when the pump is rotated in the second direction. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a peristaltic pump, the method comprising:
 operating the peristaltic pump in a first mode in which the peristaltic pump rotates in a first direction and a roller arm of an actuatable roller assembly applies pressure to a tube to cause fluid to move through the tube;   operating the peristaltic pump in a second mode in which the peristaltic pump is not rotating and the roller arm of the actuatable roller assembly applies pressure to the tube to cause fluid to be retained in the tube; and   operating the peristaltic pump in a third mode in which the peristaltic pump rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction, or is stopped after having been rotated in the second direction, and the roller arm of the actuatable roller assembly does not apply pressure to the tube, allowing fluid to flow freely through the tube.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the roller arm causes a predetermined volume of fluid to exit the tube in the first mode. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the roller arm pinches the tube to prevent fluid from entering or exiting the tube in the second mode. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising pivoting the roller arm to a radially outward position in the first mode and the second mode and pivoting the roller arm to a radially inward position in the third mode. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a drive plate, driven by a motor, is configured to pivot the roller arm between the radially outward position and the radially inward position. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the roller arm includes a first pin slidably engaged with the drive plate, and the roller arm moves between the radially outward position and the radially inward position via the slidable engagement of the first pin with the drive plate. 
     
     
         15 . A peristaltic pump comprising:
 a motor having a drive shaft;   a drive plate coupled to the drive shaft, the drive plate including a cam slot with a radially inner end and a radially outer end;   a tube in fluid communication with a fluid; and   an actuatable roller assembly having a roller arm and a pin extending axially outward from the roller arm, the pin being slidably engaged with the cam slot,   wherein the roller arm pivots radially outward to press against the tube by way of the pin engaging the radially outer end of the cam slot and the roller arm pivots radially inward away from the tube by way of the pin engaging the radially inner end of the cam slot.   
     
     
         16 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 15 , wherein the pin engages the radially outer end when the motor rotates in a first direction and the pin engages the radially inner end when the motor rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
     
     
         17 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 15 , where in the drive plate is provided in the form of a circular disc, and the tube is positioned to at least partially encircle the circumference of the circular disc. 
     
     
         18 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 17 , wherein the tube has an inlet and an outlet and is configured to transfer the fluid between the inlet and the outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 15 , wherein the radially inner end of the cam slot is positioned further from the outer circumference of the drive plate than the radially outer end of the cam slot. 
     
     
         20 . The peristaltic pump of  claim 15 , wherein pressurized fluid can freely flow through the tube when the roller arm is pivoted radially inward away from the tube.