PRESSURE SUPPLY MODULE AND LIQUID SUPPLY SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME

Abstract

A liquid supply system includes a base seat, a liquid storage apparatus, and a pressure supply module. The liquid storage apparatus is disposed on the base seat, and has liquid tanks for containing liquids, each having an entrance and an exit that is used for liquids to flow out. The pressure supply module includes a connection unit having a connection member and first flow valves, and an actuation unit. The connection member has an air intake opening and air outlet openings connected to the air intake opening. The air outlet openings respectively connect the entrances of the liquid tanks. The first flow valves are respectively disposed on the air outlet openings. The actuation unit is disposed on the base seat and connects the air intake opening. The actuation unit is for providing air at constant pressure to the air intake opening.

Claims

1. A pressure supply module applicable for being installed to a liquid supply system, the liquid supply system including a base seat and a liquid storage apparatus, the liquid storage apparatus being disposed on the base seat and having a plurality of liquid tanks used for containing liquids, each of the liquid tanks having an entrance and an exit used to make the liquid flow out therefrom, the pressure supply module including: a connection unit including a connection member and a plurality of first flow valves, the connection member having an air intake opening, and a plurality of air outlet openings communicating with the air intake opening, the air outlet openings being applicable for being respectively connected to the entrances of the liquid tanks, the first flow valves being respectively disposed at the air outlet openings of the connection member; and an actuation unit connected to the air intake opening of the connection member and applicable to be disposed on the base seat, the actuation unit being used for providing air at constant pressure to the air intake opening of the connection member.

2. The pressure supply module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuation unit includes an air cylinder connected to the air intake opening of the connection member, a pushing rod disposed on the air cylinder, and at least one constant-force spring connected to the pushing rod, the constant-force spring being used for providing the pushing rod with a constant force to drive the pushing rod to push air inside the air cylinder to the air intake opening.

3. The pressure supply module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the actuation unit further includes a bottom seat, the air cylinder being disposed on the bottom seat, the actuation unit including two of the constant-force springs, the two constant-force springs being connected between the pushing rod and the bottom seat, the two constant-force springs being respectively situated on two sides of the pushing rod.

4. A liquid supply system including: a base seat, a liquid storage apparatus disposed on the base seat and having a plurality of liquid tanks used for containing liquids, each of the liquid tanks having an entrance and an exit used for making the liquid flow out therefrom; and a pressure supply module as claimed in claim 1, the actuation unit of the pressure supply module being disposed on the base seat.

5. The liquid supply system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the actuation unit includes an air cylinder connected to the air intake opening of the connection member, a pushing rod disposed on the air cylinder, and at least one constant-force spring connected to the pushing rod, the constant-force spring being used for providing the pushing rod with a constant force to drive the pushing rod to push air inside the air cylinder to the air intake opening.

6. The liquid supply system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuation unit further includes a bottom seat disposed on the base seat, the air cylinder being disposed on the bottom seat, the constant-force spring being connected between the pushing rod and the bottom seat.

7. The liquid supply system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the liquid supply system is applicable for installation of a liquid processor unit, the liquid supply system further including a liquid collection apparatus disposed on the base seat, and a liquid transportation module, the liquid collection apparatus having a plurality of liquid collection tanks that are applicable for respectively corresponding to the plurality of liquid outlet openings of the liquid processer unit, the liquid transportation module including a plurality of first liquid transportation tubes, and a plurality of second liquid transportation tubes, the first liquid transportation tubes being applicable to be respectively connected between the exits of the liquid tanks and the plurality of liquid intake openings of the liquid processor unit, the second liquid transportation tubes being applicable to be respectively connected between the liquid outlet openings of the liquid processor unit and the liquid collection tanks.

8. The liquid supply system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base seat has a top wall, two side walls respectively extending downwardly from two opposite sides of the top wall, and an accommodation space co-defined by the top wall and the two side walls and used for accommodating the liquid collection apparatus, the liquid collection apparatus further having an installation portion facing the top wall of the base seat and used for the installation of the liquid processor unit, the top wall of the base seat having a plurality of first connection portions respectively connected between the first liquid transportation tubes and the liquid intake openings of the liquid processor unit, a plurality of second connection portions respectively connected between the liquid output openings of the liquid processor unit and the second liquid transportation tubes, and a plurality of third connection portions respectively connected between the second liquid transportation tubes and the liquid collection tanks of the liquid collection apparatus.

9. The liquid supply system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base seat further has a plurality of sliding rails formed on the two side walls, and at least one first buckle portion, the liquid collection apparatus further having a plurality of sliding portions respectively and slidably embedded in the sliding rails, and at least one second buckle portion used for being registered with the at least one first buckle portion.

10. The liquid supply system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the liquid transportation module further includes a plurality of second flow valves respectively disposed at the first liquid transportation tubes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Other features and effects of the present invention will be apparently presented in the embodying manner with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a liquid supply system of the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment viewed from another viewing angle;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the embodiment;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 3 but with a different viewing angle;

[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, wherein a pushing rod of a pressure supply module of the embodiment is pulled; and

[0013] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the embodiment.

EMBODYING MANNER

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, an embodiment of a liquid supply system 100 of the present invention is applicable for a liquid processor unit 200 to be installed thereto, and the liquid processor unit 200 may be, but is not limited to, for example an organ chip used for conducting pharmaceutical experiments. The liquid supply system 100 includes a base seat 1, a liquid storage apparatus 2, a pressure supply module 3, a liquid collection apparatus 4, and a liquid transportation module 5.

[0015] The base seat 1 has a top wall 11, two side walls 12 respectively extending downwardly from two opposite sides of the top wall 11, a rear wall 13 extending downwardly from the top wall 11 and connected to the two side walls 12, an accommodation space 14 co-defined by the top wall 11, the two side walls 12 and the rear wall 13 and used for accommodating the liquid collection apparatus 4, a plurality of sliding rails 15 recessing into inner side surfaces of the two side walls 12, and two first buckle portions 16 formed on the top wall 11 and shaped in penetrating holes.

[0016] The liquid storage apparatus 2 is disposed at a rear end part of the top wall 11 of the base seat 1 and situated above the rear wall 13. The liquid storage apparatus 2 has a plurality of liquid tanks 21 used for containing multiple types of liquids, respectively, and arranged laterally, and the liquids may be, for example, multiple types of experimental pharmaceutical liquids, respectively. Each of the liquid tanks 21 has an entrance 211 that is used for air intake and is higher in position, and an exit 212 that is used for making the liquid flow out therefrom and is lower in position.

[0017] The pressure supply module 3 includes a connection unit 31 and an actuation unit 32. The connection unit 31 includes a connection member 311 and a plurality of first flow valves 312. The connection member 311 has a main pipeline 311a, a plurality of branch pipelines 311b connected to the main pipeline 311a, an air intake opening 311c situated on a distal end of the main pipeline 311a, and a plurality of air outlet openings 311d respectively situated at distal ends of the branch pipelines 311b and communicating with the air intake opening 311c. The air outlet openings 311d are used to be respectively connected to the entrances 211of the liquid tanks 21, and the first flow valves 312 are respectively disposed at the air outlet openings 311d of the connection member 311.

[0018] The actuation unit 32 is disposed at the base seat 1 and is connected to the air intake opening 311c of the connection member 311. The actuation unit 32 includes a bottom seat 321 removably disposed at one of the side walls 12 of the base seat 1, an air cylinder 322 disposed at the bottom seat 321 and connected to the air intake opening 311c of the connection member 311, a pushing rod 323 disposed on the air cylinder 322, and two constant-force springs 324 connected between the pushing rod 323 and the bottom seat 321 and respectively situated on two sides of the pushing rod 323. Each of the constant-force springs 324 is used for providing the pushing rod 323 with a constant force to drive the pushing rod 323 to push air inside the air cylinder 322 to the air intake opening 311c. It should be noted that, a number of the constant-force springs 324 should not be restricted to two by the embodiment; in other implementations, the number of the constant-force springs 324 may be one or more than three. The actuation unit 32 is used for providing air at constant pressure to the air intake opening 311c of the connection member 311. In actual operations, the pushing rod 323 can be first pulled a preset distance as needed in a direction away from the air cylinder 322 as shown in FIG. 5, to make the two constant-force springs 324 stretched to generate the constant forces for elastic recovery, thereby driving the pushing rod 323 to push the air in the air cylinder 322 to the air intake opening 311c. Since the action force acting on the pushing rod 323 is a constant force (the magnitude of the action force being a fixed value), and a sectional area of the air cylinder 322 is fixed, the generated air pressure is a fixed value. Therefore, the actuation unit 32 can provide air at constant pressure to the air intake opening 311c of the connection member 311. By controlling valve opening degrees of the first flow valves 312 of the connection unit 31, air flow proportions for the air intake openings 311c of the connection member 311 can be adjusted; therefore, supply proportions of the liquids in the liquid tanks 21 can be further adjusted.

[0019] The pressure supply module 3 of the present invention can steadily and uniformly apply pressure to the liquids in the liquid tanks 21 in different proportions without the need of using electricity and without the need of using a plurality of air pumps; therefore, the power (electricity) and space required for experiments can be saved.

[0020] The liquid collection apparatus 4 is removably disposed in the accommodation space 14 of the base seat 1. The liquid collection apparatus 4 has a plurality of liquid collection tanks 41, an installation portion 42 facing the top wall 11 of the base seat 1 and used for installation of the liquid processor unit 200, a plurality of sliding portions 43 shaped in protruding blocks and respectively and slidably embedded in the sliding rails 15 of the base seat 1, and two second buckle portions 44 used for respectively being registered with the two first buckle portions 16, and shaped in hooks. During a process of assembling the liquid collection apparatus 4, the liquid processor unit 200 is first installed to the installation portion 42 of the liquid collection apparatus 4, and then the liquid collection apparatus 4 is assembled to the accommodation space 14 of the base seat 1. In this embodiment, the sliding rails 15 of the base seat 1 are substantially shaped in L-forms, and the liquid collection apparatus 4 should first be pushed rearwardly into the accommodation space 14, and then the liquid collection apparatus 4 is pushed upwardly to make the two second buckle portions 44 of the liquid collection apparatus 4 registered with the two first buckle portions 16 of the base seat 1.

[0021] The liquid processor unit 200 has a plurality of liquid intake openings 201 respectively corresponding to the liquid tanks 21 of the liquid storage apparatus 2, and a plurality of liquid outlet openings 202 respectively corresponding to the liquid collection tanks 41 of the liquid collection apparatus 4.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 6, the liquid transportation module 5 includes a plurality of first liquid transportation tubes 51, a plurality of second liquid transportation tubes 52, and a plurality of second flow valves 53 respectively disposed at the first liquid transportation tubes 51. The first liquid transportation tubes 51 are applicable for being respectively connected between exits 212 of the liquid tanks 21 and the liquid intake openings 201, and the second liquid transportation tubes 52 are applicable for being respectively connected between the liquid outlet openings 202 and the liquid collection tanks 41. The top wall 11 of the base seat 1 has a plurality of first connection portions 111 applicable for being respectively connected between the first liquid transportation tubes 51 and the liquid intake openings 201 of the liquid processor unit 200, a plurality of second connection portions 112 applicable for being respectively connected between the liquid output openings 202 of the liquid processor unit 200 and the second liquid transportation tubes 52, and a plurality of third connection portions 113 respectively connected between the second liquid transportation tubes 52 and the liquid collection tanks 41 of the liquid collection apparatus 4. Portions of each of the first connection portions 111 and each of the second connection portions 112 that are used for contacting the liquid processor unit 200 are resilient, in order to prevent leaking situations.

[0023] Specifically speaking, after respectively flowing out from the liquid tanks 21 of the liquid storage apparatus 2 to the liquid processor unit 200, the liquids flow past pipelines in the liquid processor unit 200 and react with substances in the liquid processor unit 200, and finally the substances that have finished the reaction flow from the liquid processor unit 200 to the liquid collection tanks 41 of the liquid collection apparatus 4, so that further analysis may be conducted. During the operation process, the pharmaceutical experiment may be paused or terminated by closing the second flow valves 53 if needed.

[0024] In conclusion, the present invention, through the connection unit 31 in the pressure supply module 3, is able to transport air at constant pressure provided by the actuation unit 32 to the liquid tanks 21, thereby pushing the liquids in the liquid tanks 21 to achieve the object of supplying liquids; in this way, it is not required to use a plurality of air pumps to apply pressure to the liquids in the liquid tanks 21, and even use of electricity is not required; thus, power and space required for the experiment can be saved. Furthermore, by controlling the valve opening degrees of the first flow valves 312, supply proportions of the liquids in the liquid tanks 21 can be adjusted to fulfill different requirements for various experiments that use multiple types of liquids.

[0025] However, the above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and certainly the scope of the present invention in practice cannot be limited thereby. Any simple equivalent variation and modification made according to the claims of the present invention and the contents of patent specification should fall within the scope covered by a patent to the present invention.