JPS6133587B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a liquid supply device, and more specifically, to a liquid supply device, and more specifically to a liquid supply device for discharging a supplied liquid using the vapor pressure of a pressurized liquid having a boiling point lower than ambient temperature. Relating to a seed device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Liquid nitrogen is commonly used by dermatologists and other physicians for the treatment of various tumors and disorders. Such treatments are generally accepted and have been employed for many years. Application methods are wide-ranging. For example, some doctors apply this liquid nitrogen by impregnating a swab with sterile cotton, and others use the pressure created by the evaporation of the liquid nitrogen itself, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Some physicians use a more sophisticated approach, employing self-pressurized flasks that utilize Although the methods of these two US patents are effective, they are limited by the relatively small amount of liquid nitrogen that can be contained within the flask. Furthermore, since the liquid to be supplied in the flask is pressurized by itself, there is a problem that a considerable pressure drop occurs during use and it is not possible to connect a supply of liquid nitrogen.

Many larger liquid nitrogen systems, such as those used in neurosurgery, solve this pressure drop problem by inserting a heater into the liquid nitrogen container. However, obvious disadvantages of this method are the need for an external power source and the introduction of separate electrical circuitry within the operating room environment. Additionally, a problem encountered with these relatively large capacity liquid nitrogen systems is that the valves that control the flow of liquid nitrogen are very susceptible to freezing and therefore becoming inoperable.

Furthermore, in some cases, it may be highly desirable to be able to transport liquid nitrogen therapy equipment outdoors. For example, liquid nitrogen has been used with great success by veterinarians to treat several diseases in cattle. Conditions for successful use for this purpose include low weight of the device, relatively large capacity, and no need for an external power source.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention was made in order to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerant that does not require a power source so that it can be used outdoors, and whose valves utilize vapor pressure. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid supply device that is not exposed to the liquid portion of the liquid and has the ability to continuously supply the liquid for a long time.

[Structure of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the liquid supply device of the present invention includes a pressure vessel for storing a pressurizing liquid separately from a liquid storage container for storing a liquid to be supplied, and further includes a pressure vessel for storing a pressurizing liquid. In between, a pressure chamber was provided whose interior was in a heat transfer relationship with the ambient temperature. A first transfer pipe communicates between the pressure chamber and the pressure vessel, and a second transfer pipe communicates between the pressure chamber and the liquid storage container. A liquid supply pipe was provided extending from below the level of the supplied liquid to the outside of the liquid storage container. The end of the first transfer pipe on the pressure vessel side extends below the liquid level of the pressurized solution contained in the pressure vessel, leaving a vapor space. Furthermore, a flow control device for selectively opening the second transfer pipe was provided.

[Function] In the liquid supply device according to the present invention having the above configuration, the pressurizing liquid contained in the pressure vessel is discharged in liquid form from the first transfer pipe extending below the liquid level due to its own vapor pressure. and reaches the pressure chamber. Since the pressure chamber is in a heat transfer relationship with the ambient temperature, the pressurizing liquid introduced into the pressure chamber instantaneously evaporates into a gas. The pressurized gas from this evaporation passes through a second transfer tube to the liquid storage container under the control of a flow control device. The supplied liquid stored in the liquid storage container is discharged in liquid form from the liquid supply pipe extending below the liquid level under the pressure of this pressurized gas.

In the present invention, since the supplied liquid is sent out using the vapor pressure of the liquid cryogen, there is no need for a heating source such as a heater, and the amount of evaporation of the pressurizing liquid is automatically determined by the pressure in the pressure chamber. The pressure on the liquid storage container is regulated by the pressurized gas that is once evaporated in the pressure chamber, and the pressure is adjusted by passing this pressurized gas. No parts of the valves are exposed. Furthermore, even though the pressurizing liquid and the supplied liquid are the same, they are separated from each other, so the amount does not decrease according to the discharge amount of the supplied liquid, and the vapor pressure for pressurization can be maintained for a long time. can be maintained for hours.

[Embodiments] Preferred embodiments will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

1, the illustrated apparatus of the present invention includes a pressure vessel 10 and a liquid storage vessel 1.
2 and a pressure chamber 14 that interconnects these, and is adapted to supply liquid to the spray gun 16 via an insulated liquid supply pipe 18. Liquid supply tube 18 can be manufactured by any of a variety of manufacturing methods. One suitable example of such a method of manufacture is described in US Pat. No. 3,907,339. Pressure vessel 10 and liquid storage vessel 12 are generally identical, and therefore identical parts have been provided with identical reference numerals. Each container is a conventional brewer bottle having an inner flask and an outer casing and a vacuum space 24 defined therebetween. The mouth 26 of each container is closed by a conventional cap assembly 28.
has an inlet 30 and an outlet 32. Pressure vessel 10 includes a pressurized liquid 34 having a boiling point below ambient temperature and a vapor space 36 . Similarly, liquid storage vessel 12 includes a supplied liquid 38 and a vapor space 40 . In the embodiment described herein, the pressurizing liquid 34 and the supplied liquid 38 are both liquid nitrogen. However, it is not necessarily an essential condition that each of these containers contain the same liquid. Inlet 30 of pressure vessel 10
can be connected to a pressure relief valve 44 and pipe 46 via a pressure relief valve 42 .

The pressure chamber 14 interconnecting the two vessels 10 and 12 is exposed to the temperature of the ambient environment and is made of a material with relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, for example. Pressurizing liquid 34 in pressure vessel 10
A first transfer pipe 48 extends from below the liquid level into the pressure chamber 14 . A pressure gauge 50 is disposed in the pressure chamber 14 so that the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 14 can be monitored.

The control pipe 52 extends from inside the pressure chamber 14,
It passes between the outer sheath 54 and the inner tube 56 of the liquid supply tube 18 and connects to one port of an operating valve 58, which is a three-way valve mounted within the pistol grip 60 of the spray gun 16. Activation of the control tube 52 can be performed by a trigger 62. Another pipe 64 is the operating valve 5
8, passes under the exterior 54, and is connected to the operating port of the main valve 66, which is a three-way valve. These control pipe 52, operation valve 58, and main valve 66 form a flow control device that selectively connects the second transfer pipe 68.

A second transfer tube 68 extends from the pressure chamber 14 and connects to the inlet 30 of the liquid storage vessel 12 through the pressure regulator 70 and the main valve 66 . Pressure regulator 7
A pressure gauge 72 is installed between the main valve 66 and the main valve 66.

The liquid supply pipe 74 extends from a position lower than the liquid level in the liquid storage container 12 and is connected to the liquid supply pipe 18.
to form a fluid flow connection with a nozzle 76 on spray gun 16 . It will be understood that the apparatus of the present invention is not limited to use with liquid nitrogen spray guns. For example, the open nozzle could be replaced by a cryosurgical groping needle with a suitable member for venting the exhaust gas.

The operating principle of the device according to the invention will now be explained with particular reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 3. In these figures, parts that are the same as those shown in FIG. 1 are labeled with the same reference numerals. In these figures, the operating valve 58 and the main valve 66 are shown to have approximately the same shape as the slide valve. In the figure, the operating valve 58 is provided with an internal slider 80 actuable by the trigger 62 against the housing 78 and spring 82.
A pair of passages 84, 86 are provided by the internal slider 80.
are defined and are adapted to align with ports 88, 90, 92 within housing 78. The structure of the main valve 66 is also similar, and therefore the same parts are given the same reference numbers. Main valve 66
The main difference between the main valve 66 and the operated valve 58 is that the main valve 66 is adapted to be pneumatically operated within the housing by pressure applied through the tube 64.

FIG. 2 shows the device of the invention in its resting state. In this state, liquid nitrogen exists in the pressure vessel 10, and the vapor space 36 above the liquid
is filled with nitrogen gas. Only nitrogen gas is present in the pressure chamber 14, which is maintained at an ambient temperature significantly higher than the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. Both the control pipe 52 and the second transfer pipe 68 are adapted to be closed by the operating valve 58 and the main valve 66, respectively, so that the pressure in the pressure vessel 10 and the pressure chamber 14 is maintained in equilibrium. The liquid storage vessel 12 also contains liquid nitrogen, but the vapor space 40 above the liquid communicates with the air via the second transfer tube 68 and the passage 84 of the main valve 66.

When supplying liquid nitrogen from this device, the trigger 62 is pressed to activate the operation valve 58 to the state shown in FIG. 3. The pressurized gas reserve in the pressure chamber 14 is now connected to the main valve 66 via the passage 86 of the operating valve 58 and the pipe 64, so that the main valve 66 is actuated and moved to the position shown. In this position, the gas in the pressure chamber 14 is also supplied to the vapor space 40 in the liquid storage vessel 12 via the pressure regulator 70 and the passage 86 of the main valve 66 . The increased pressure forces liquid nitrogen from the liquid supply tube 74 through the inner tube 56 and into the nozzle 76 of the spray gun 16 or other device. The pressure within the pressure chamber 14 is self-replenishing. That is, when the gas pressure therein drops due to the discharge, the pressure in the pressure vessel 10 and the pressure in the pressure chamber 14 become unbalanced, thereby causing replenishment liquid nitrogen to pass through the first transfer pipe 48. It is designed so that it can flow into the pressure chamber 14. Since this liquid nitrogen flashes and evaporates as soon as it flows into the pressure chamber 14, the required pressure is continuously replenished. When the trigger 62 is released, the operating valve 58 and the main valve 6
6 returns to the position shown in FIG. This immediately opens the liquid storage container 12 to the air via the passage 84 of the main valve 66, so that the flow of liquid nitrogen immediately stops.

When the supplied liquid 38 is a cryogen such as liquid nitrogen, the pressure regulator 70 plays an important role of causing the cryogen to flow out from the nozzle 76 in a continuous manner in a pulsating manner. This is a valuable feature as it prevents dripping or spillage of liquids from the work site while improving site visibility. The pulsations are formed by gas bubbles generated in the liquid due to the heat absorbed by the cold supplied liquid as it flows through the liquid supply tube 18 . If the flow rate is relatively high and exceeds the heat transfer capability of the liquid supply tube insulation, the result is that the liquid can form a continuous flow and can be injected continuously. If the flow rate is relatively low, a relatively large portion of the liquid cryogen will evaporate, thus increasing the amount of gas and reducing the amount carried as liquid. By arranging the pressure regulator 70, the liquid supply pipe 18
Since the flow rate of the liquid can be precisely adapted to the heat transfer within, the pulsation conditions can be optimized.

In this embodiment, the pressurizing liquid and the liquid to be supplied are described as liquid nitrogen. However, it is understood that other fluids may be used. In practice, two different fluids may be used, i.e., another fluid with a boiling point below ambient temperature is placed in the pressure vessel 10 to generate the power, and another desired liquid is placed in the liquid storage container 10. 12 and may be used as a supply liquid. Further, although the pressure chamber has been described in this specification as a chamber having a relatively large capacity, it may actually have other shapes, for example, a coiled metal tube may be used. Furthermore, the present device is not limited to internal medicine or surgery, but can also be applied to other applications. Therefore, it is to be understood that various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. The invention is limited only by the scope of the claims.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the liquid supply device according to the present invention has no valves that are exposed to low-temperature, low-boiling point liquids such as liquid nitrogen throughout the device, which has caused problems in the past. The problem of valve freezing can be solved. Additionally, the entire device is completely power-free, which improves safety and makes it portable for field work. Furthermore, the amount of evaporation of the pressurizing liquid is automatically adjusted according to the pressure in the pressure chamber, and since the pressurizing liquid is separated from the supplied liquid, the vapor pressure for pressurization can be maintained for a long time. becomes possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a liquid supply device according to the present invention, and a portion thereof is shown as a cross-sectional view to show the internal structure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the operating mode of the same embodiment in a stationary state.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the operating mode of the liquid supply state of the same embodiment. 10...pressure vessel, 12...liquid storage container, 1
4...Pressure chamber, 16...Spray gun, 18...
Liquid supply pipe, 20...Inner flask, 22...Outer casing, 24...Vacuum space, 26...Container mouth, 28...Cap assembly, 30...Cap assembly inlet, 32...Cap assembly outlet, 34 ...Pressure liquid, 36,40...
Vapor space, 38...Liquid to be supplied, 42...Pressure full valve, 44...Pressure relief valve, 46...Relief pipe, 4
8...First transfer pipe, 50, 72...Pressure gauge, 52
...Control pipe, 54...Exterior of liquid supply pipe, 56...
...Inner tube, 58... Operation valve, 60... Pistol-shaped grip, 62... Trigger, 64... Tube, 66...
Main valve, 68...Second transfer pipe, 70...Pressure regulator, 74...Liquid supply pipe, 76...Nozzle, 78
... Housing of operating valve, 80 ... Internal slider,
82... Spring, 84, 86... Passage, 88, 9
0,92...mouth.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A liquid supply device configured to deliver a liquid to be supplied using the vapor pressure of a pressurizing liquid having a boiling point lower than ambient temperature, the pressure being such that the pressurizing liquid is accommodated while leaving a space for vapor. a container, a liquid storage container for storing a supplied liquid, a pressure chamber interposed between the pressure container and the liquid storage container and having an interior in a heat transfer relationship with the ambient temperature;
a first transfer pipe extending from below the liquid level of the pressurizing liquid contained in the pressure vessel to the inside of the pressure chamber; a second transfer pipe communicating the pressure chamber and the liquid storage container; It is characterized by having a liquid supply pipe extending from below the level of the liquid to be supplied stored in the storage container to the outside of the liquid storage container, and a flow control device that selectively connects the second transfer pipe. liquid supply device. 2. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing liquid is liquid nitrogen. 3. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid to be supplied is liquid nitrogen. 4. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing liquid and the supplied liquid are liquid nitrogen. 5. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the flow control device includes a pressure regulator that maintains a predetermined pressure within the liquid storage container. 6. The liquid supply device according to claim 5, wherein the pressure regulator is interposed within the second transfer pipe. 7. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the flow control device includes a main valve in the second transfer pipe, and the main valve is remotely operated. 8. The liquid supply device according to claim 7, wherein the flow control device includes an operating valve and a control pipe connected between the pressure chamber and the main valve via the operating valve.