JP3825032B2 - Column stopper - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a column stopper used in a liquid chromatograph.

  As described in Patent Document 1, in a liquid chromatograph, a sample dissolved in a mobile phase that is an eluent mixed with a plurality of solvents is passed through a column packed with a stationary phase that is a packing material. Each component in the sample is separated by being passed.

JP 2003-240765 A

  The column has a column body that communicates at both ends and a column stopper that seals one of the column bodies with an O-ring or the like. Although the sealing performance of the column body made of glass or metal by the column stopper is good, recently, the plastic column body having a low cost has become widespread. Since the plastic column main body is easily deformed and expanded by pressure, in such a case, the sealing performance by the column stopper is deteriorated, and the pressure resistance of the column may not be maintained.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a column stopper capable of maintaining the pressure resistance of a column regardless of deformation and expansion of the column main body.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The column stopper of the present invention is a column stopper for sealing one end of a column main body used at a liquid chromatograph at both ends thereof, and a main body having a flow hole through which an eluent containing a dissolved sample passes, A column stopper main body having a flange ring arranged so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion coaxially with the main body portion, and screwed into the main body portion so that the main body portion is displaced in the axial direction as it rotates. A combined ring nut, an O-ring sandwiched in the axial direction by the main body and the flange ring, and the ring nut and the flange ring in a state in which the flange ring is biased in a direction in which the O-ring is pressed And an elastic member sandwiched between the two.

  According to the present invention, since the elastic member always urges the flange ring so that the O-ring is preferably in close contact with the column main body, the pressure resistance of the column can be maintained corresponding to the deformation and expansion of the column main body.

  In the present invention, the elastic member is preferably a coil spring. According to this, even if it does not use a special component as an elastic member, an elastic member can be suitably comprised with the coil spring which is a prevalent product.

  In the present invention, the elastic member is preferably a disc spring. According to this, even if it does not use a special component as an elastic member, an elastic member can be suitably comprised with the disk spring which is a prevalent product.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a column stopper according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
The structure of the column stopper according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the column stopper, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the column stopper as viewed from the A direction. 1A, a column stopper 1 includes a column stopper body 21 having a body portion 11 and a flange ring 12, an O-ring 17 that is in close contact with the column body, a ring nut 13, and a coil spring (elastic member) 15. Have.

  The column stopper main body 21 has a main body portion 11 and a flange ring 12. The main body 11 has a flow hole 19 through which the eluent containing the dissolved sample passes, and a filter 18 that diffuses the eluent that has passed through the flow hole 19. A tube connector (not shown) is connected to the circulation hole 19 by screwing or the like, and the eluent flowing through the tube is supplied to the circulation hole 19. The eluent that has flowed through the flow holes 19 is diffused by the filter 18 and supplied to the packing material packed in the column body described later. The flange portion 26 of the flange ring 12 is joined to a column body described later by a column holder described later.

  The O-ring 17 is sandwiched between the convex portion 24 of the main body 11 and the flange ring 12. When the ring nut 13 that is screwed into the threaded portion 23 of the main body 11 is screwed and the coil spring 15 is pressed and contracted, the O-ring 17 contracts and comes into close contact with the column main body from the inside of the column main body. Further, when the screw of the ring nut 13 is loosened and the coil spring 15 is extended, the O-ring 17 is expanded and separated from the column main body.

  The coil spring 15 is fitted into a spacer 14 provided between the flange ring 12 and the ring nut 13. The coil spring 15 is guaranteed by the spacer 14 so as not to be distorted in the expansion / contraction direction and to be prevented from being displaced. Further, in order to improve the sliding of the coil spring 15, stainless steel plates 16 a and 16 b are attached to both ends of the coil spring 15. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, six coil springs 15 are provided on the same circumference with the circulation hole 19 as the center.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the column 10. As described above, the flange portion 26 of the flange ring 12 of the column stopper 1 and the flange portion 27 of the column body 2 are joined by the column holder 3. Further, the O-ring 17 of the column stopper 1 contracts by screwing the ring nut 13 and comes into close contact with the column body 2 from the inside of the column body 2, thereby sealing between the column stopper 1 and the column body 2.

  The column body 2 is made of plastic. The column main body 2 is filled with a packing material 22, and the eluent that has flowed through the flow hole 19 of the column stopper 1 is supplied to the packing material 22 through the filter 18, whereby the sample dissolved in the eluent. Passes through the filler 22 to separate each component in the sample, that is, a liquid chromatograph. Further, a joining member (not shown) is connected to the downstream side of the column body 2 so that the sample that has passed through the filler 22 is separated into a test tube (not shown).

  The column holder 3 may have not only a function of joining the column stopper 1 and the column body 2 but also a holder function for holding the column 10 upright.

  Next, the operation of the column stopper in the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 2, the column stopper 1 is joined to the column main body 2 by the column holder 3. In this state, a gap is generated between the column stopper 1 and the column body 2. Therefore, the ring nut 13 is screwed in in FIG. As a result, the coil spring 15 contracts and biases the flange ring 12 toward the column main body 2. By this urging force, the O-ring sandwiched between the flange ring 12 and the convex portion 24 of the main body 11 is crushed and contracted, and comes into close contact with the column main body 2 from the inside of the column main body 2. As a result, the space between the column stopper 1 and the column body 2 is sealed.

  Next, the liquid chromatograph is started, and the eluent is injected into the flow hole 19. The eluent passes through the flow hole 19 and is diffused by the filter 18, and is supplied to the packing material 22 packed in the column body 2. At this time, a pressure due to the supply of the eluent is generated between the column body 2 and the column stopper 1, and the plastic column body is deformed and expanded. However, since the coil spring 15 always urges the flange ring 12 toward the column body 2, the O-ring contracts in response to the deformation and expansion of the column body, and the pressure resistance of the column 10 is sufficiently maintained.

  Each component in the sample dissolved in the eluent by passing through the packing material 22 is suitably separated and flows out from the column body 2.

[Second Embodiment]
The structure of the column stopper according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. The configuration of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a disc spring 25 is used instead of a coil spring that is an elastic member. The disc spring 25 is a circular shape without a core and does not require a position guarantee by a spacer. A plurality of disc springs 25 may be used as shown in FIG. Since other points are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

[Third Embodiment]
The structure of the column stopper according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member same as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. The configuration of the third embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that a spring 35 is used as an elastic member. The spring 35 is coaxial with the main body 11 and is fitted into the main body 11. The position of the spring 35 is guaranteed by the spacer 34. Since other points are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the column stopper of the present embodiment is configured such that the elastic member always urges the flange ring so that the O-ring is in close contact with the column body. Thereby, the pressure resistance of the column can be maintained regardless of the deformation and expansion of the column body. Further, the elastic member is not a special part but can be covered by a popular product.

  Moreover, although this invention was demonstrated based on suitable embodiment, this invention can be changed in the range which does not exceed the meaning. That is, the elastic member is not limited to the above-described coil spring, disc spring, or spring, and can be suitably applied as long as it always has an urging force. For example, an elastic body such as an air spring or rubber can be used.

(A) is sectional drawing which showed the column stopper which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the top view which looked at Fig.1 (a) from the A direction. It is sectional drawing of a column. (A) is sectional drawing which showed the column stopper which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the top view which looked at Fig.3 (a) from the A direction. (A) is sectional drawing which showed the column stopper concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the top view which looked at Fig.4 (a) from the A direction.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Column stopper 2 Column main body 3 Column holder 10 Column 11 Main body part 12 Flange ring 13 Ring nut 14 Spacer 15 Coil spring (elastic member)
16 Stainless steel plate 17 O ring 18 Filter 19 Flow hole 21 Column plug body 22 Filler 23 Screw part 24 Convex part 25 Belleville spring (elastic member)
26 Flange portion of flange ring 27 Flange portion of column body 34 Spacer 35 Spring (elastic member)

Claims (3)

A column stopper for sealing one end of a column body used at a liquid chromatograph with both ends communicating,
A column plug main body having a flow passage through which an eluent containing a dissolved sample passes, and a flange ring disposed so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the main body coaxially with the main body;
A ring nut screwed into the main body so that the main body is displaced in the axial direction as it rotates,
An O-ring sandwiched in the axial direction by the main body and the flange ring;
A column stopper comprising: an elastic member sandwiched between the ring nut and the flange ring in a state where the flange ring is urged in a direction in which the O-ring is pressed.   The column stopper according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a coil spring.   The column stopper according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a disc spring.

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