Fluid handling apparatus

Abstract

A fluid handling apparatus 10 has an upper apparatus body 12 on which a plurality of upper fluid handling sections 16 are arrayed, and a lower apparatus body 14 capable of mounting thereon the upper apparatus body 12. Each of the upper fluid handling sections 16 of the upper apparatus body 12 has an upper fluid handling chamber 28 in which a large number of beads 24 are housed, and a valve body 26 which is provided in the bottom portion of the upper fluid handling chamber 28, the valve body 26 being pushed up by a protruding portion 18b when the upper apparatus body 12 is mounted on the lower apparatus body 14.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given herebelow and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiments of the invention. However, the drawings are not intended to imply limitation of the invention to a specific embodiment, but are for explanation and understanding only.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view of an upper fluid handling section of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along line IIB-IIB of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a bottom view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2D is a plan view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2A, except for beads;

FIG. 2E is a plan view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2D, except for a mesh member;

FIG. 2F is a plan view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2E, except for a valve body;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a valve body for use in the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the valve body of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a plan view of the valve body of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3D is a bottom view of the valve body of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3E is a sectional view taken along line IIIE-IIIE of FIG. 3C;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a method for assembling the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 5A is an enlarged plan view of a lower fluid handling section of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along line VB-VB of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2A is mounted on the lower fluid handling section of FIG. 5A to open the valve body;

FIGS. 7A through 7E are views for explaining an example of application of the first preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 9A is an enlarged plan view of an upper fluid handling section of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9B is a sectional view taken along line IXB-IXB of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 9C is a bottom view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 9D is a side view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a valve body for use in the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10B is a side view of the valve body of FIG. 10A;

FIG. 10C is a plan view of the valve body of FIG. 10A;

FIG. 10D is a bottom view of the valve body of FIG. 10A;

FIG. 10E is a sectional view taken along line XE-XE of FIG. 10C;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining a method for assembling the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 12A is an enlarged plan view of a lower fluid handling section of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12B is a sectional view taken along line XIIB-XIIB of FIG. 12A;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A is to be mounted on the lower fluid handling section of FIG. 12A;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A is mounted on the lower fluid handling section of FIG. 12A to open the valve body;

FIGS. 15A through 15E are views for explaining an example of application of the second preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 17A is an enlarged plan view of an upper fluid handling section of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 16;

FIG. 17B is a sectional view taken along line XVIIB-XVIIB of FIG. 17A;

FIG. 17C is a bottom view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 17A;

FIG. 17D is a side view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 17A;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view for explaining a method for assembling the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 17A;

FIG. 19A is an enlarged plan view of a part of a lower apparatus body of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19B is a sectional view taken along line XIXB-XIXB of FIG. 19A;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 17A is to be mounted on the lower fluid handling section of FIG. 19A;

FIG. 21 is a sectional view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 17A is mounted on the lower fluid handling section of FIG. 19A to open the valve body;

FIGS. 22A through 22F are views for explaining an example of application of the third preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 23A is a plan view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 23B is a plan view of a lower apparatus body of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 23A;

FIG. 24A is an enlarged plan view of an upper fluid handling section of the fluid handling apparatus of FIG. 23A;

FIG. 24B is a sectional view taken along line XXIVB-XXIVB of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 24C is a side view of the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 25A is a perspective view of a valve body for use in the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 25B is a plan view of the valve body of FIG. 25A;

FIG. 25C is a sectional view taken along line XXVC-XXVC of FIG. 25B;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view for explaining a method for assembling the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 27A is an enlarged plan view of a part of the lower apparatus body of FIG. 23B;

FIG. 27B is a sectional view taken along line XXVIIB-XXVIIB of FIG. 27A;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 24A is to be mounted on the lower fluid handling section of FIG. 27A;

FIG. 29 is a sectional view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 24A is mounted on the lower fluid handling section of FIG. 27A to open the valve body;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a lower apparatus body used as an exclusive tray for drain in the fifth preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 31A is an enlarged plan view of a part of the lower apparatus body of FIG. 30;

FIG. 31B is a sectional view taken along line XXXIB-XXXIB of FIG. 31A;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2A is to be mounted on the lower apparatus body of FIG. 30;

FIG. 33 is a sectional view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 2A is mounted on the lower apparatus body of FIG. 30 to open a valve body;

FIG. 34 is a view for explaining an example of application of the fifth preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a lower apparatus body used as an exclusive tray for drain in the sixth preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 36A is an enlarged plan view of a part of the lower apparatus body of FIG. 35;

FIG. 36B is a sectional view taken along line XXXVIB-XXXVIB of FIG. 36A;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A is to be mounted on the lower apparatus body of FIG. 35;

FIG. 38 is a sectional view for explaining a state that the upper fluid handling section of FIG. 9A is mounted on the lower apparatus body of FIG. 35 to open a valve body;

FIG. 39 is a view for explaining an example of application of the sixth preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 40A is a perspective view of a water absorptive member capable of being used in place of beads in the first through third, fifth and sixth preferred embodiments of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention; and

FIG. 40B is a perspective view of a water absorptive member capable of being used in place of beads in the fourth preferred embodiment of a fluid handling apparatus according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A fluid handling apparatus comprising an upper apparatus body on which a plurality of upper fluid handling sections are arrayed, and a lower apparatus body for mounting thereon the upper apparatus body, each of the upper fluid handling sections comprising: an inlet for injecting a fluid;an upper fluid handling chamber for housing therein the fluid injected from the inlet;a surface-area increasing means, arranged in the upper fluid handling chamber, for increasing an area of a contact surface with the fluid in the upper fluid handling chamber;an outlet for discharging the fluid downwards from the upper fluid handling chamber; anda valve body for opening and closing the outlet,wherein said lower apparatus body has a lower fluid housing section for housing therein the fluid discharged from the upper fluid handling chamber, and the valve body of each of the upper fluid handling sections is open when the upper apparatus body is mounted on the lower apparatus body.

2. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lower apparatus body has a plurality of protruding portions which protrude upwards from the bottom face of the lower fluid housing section thereof and which are arranged so as to correspond to the upper fluid handling sections, and said valve body is pushed up by a corresponding one of said protruding portions when said upper apparatus body is mounted on said lower apparatus body.

3. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said upper fluid handling sections has a holding member having an opening for inhibiting said surface-area increasing means from passing therethrough and for allowing the fluid to pass therethrough, said holding member being arranged between said surface-area increasing means and said valve body.

4. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said upper fluid handling chamber of each of said upper fluid handling sections is divided into a first upper fluid handling chamber, which houses therein said surface-area increasing means, and a second upper fluid handling chamber in which said valve body is mounted, said holding member being arranged between said first and second upper fluid handling chambers.

5. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lower fluid handling section of said lower apparatus body has a plurality of lower fluid handling chambers which are separated from each other so that each of said lower fluid handling chambers corresponds to a corresponding one of said upper fluid handling chambers of said upper fluid handling sections.

6. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said lower fluid handling section of said lower apparatus body has a plurality of lower fluid handling chambers which are separated from each other so that each of said lower fluid handling chambers corresponds to a corresponding one of said upper fluid handling chambers of said upper fluid handling sections, and said holding member is arranged above said valve body to support thereon said surface-area increasing means.

7. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an outlet for discharging the fluid is formed in a bottom face of said lower fluid housing section of said lower apparatus body.

8. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said valve body is made of a transparent member.

9. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said surface-area increasing means comprises a plurality of fine particles fine particles.

10. A fluid handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said surface-area increasing means comprises a single member.