CENTRIFUGE

• US 20080220958A1
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eppendorf Himac Technologies Co., Ltd. (Eppendorf Se)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi KOKI Company Limited (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroyuki, HAYASAKA, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 494/7
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 7/02 Casings; Lids shock absorbers, vibration dampers F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 7/06 Safety devices ; Regulating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7102 And details of blocking system [e.g., linkage, latch, pawl, spring]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8027 Condition indicators

Abstract

A centrifuge includes: a rotation room chamber for defining a rotation room; a lid for closing the rotation room; a locking mechanism configured by a hook for locking the lid in a closed state; a hook catch; a driving mechanism having a link mechanism which converts the rotary movement of the driving shaft portion into a reciprocal movement; and a detection portion for detecting the engagement of the hook with the hook catch in the closed state of the lid. The detection portion includes a disc member fixed to the driving shaft portion and has a concavo-convex outer peripheral surface and sensors for detecting the concave and convex portions. The driving mechanism moves in an interlocked manner with the rotation of the disc member. The positions of the concave and convex portions of the disc member correspond to the position where the hook engages.

Claims

1. A centrifuge, comprising:

a housing;

a rotor which is rotatable and to which a sample vessel containing a sample therein is attached;

a rotation room chamber which defines a rotation room that is provided within the housing and houses the rotor therein;

a lid capable of opening and closing the rotation room selectively;

a locking mechanism which is configured by an engaging portion which is provided at one of the housing and the lid in order to lock the lid in a closed state and an engaged portion which is provided at the other of the housing and the lid and with which the engaging portion engages;

an engaging portion driving mechanism which includes a driving portion having a driving shaft portion being driven and rotated and a link mechanism which converts a rotary movement of the driving shaft portion into a reciprocal movement and is coupled to the engaging portion; and

a detection portion which detects that the engaging portion moves to a position where the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion in a closed state of the lid, wherein

the detection portion includes a detected member which is fixed to the driving shaft portion and has a concavo-convex outer peripheral surface and at least one sensors for detecting a concave portion or a convex portion of the detected member, the engaging portion driving mechanism moves in an interlocked manner with a rotation of the detected member, and positions of the concave portion and the convex portion correspond to a position where the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion.

2. A centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured by a first sensor and a second sensor which are disposed so as to be separated by a predetermined angle therebetween around the driving shaft portion, and wherein the concave portion is configured by a first concave portion and a second concave portion which are notched over angles smaller than the predetermined angle.

3. A centrifuge according to claim 2, wherein the convex portion is configured by a first convex portion and a second convex portion which locate between the first concave portion and the second concave portion and between the second concave portion and the first concave portion along a rotation direction, respectively, an angle from one end to the other end of the first convex portion around the driving shaft portion along the rotation direction of the detected member is set to be smaller than the predetermined angle, and an angle from one end to the other end of the second convex portion around the driving shaft portion along the rotation direction is set to be larger than the predetermined angle.

4. A centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured by a first sensor and a second sensor which are disposed so as to be separated by a predetermined angle therebetween around the driving shaft portion, and wherein the convex portion is configured by a first convex portion and a second convex portion which are divided by the concave portions along the rotation direction of the detected member, and the first convex portion and the second convex portion are provided over angles smaller than the predetermined angle.

5. A centrifuge according to claim 4, wherein the concave portion is configured by a first concave portion and a second concave portion, and the first concave portion is notched over an angle smaller than the predetermined angle and the second concave portion is notched over an angle larger than the predetermined angle.

6. A centrifuge according to claim 1, further comprising a lid sensor for detecting a closed state of the lid.

7. A centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the engaging portions and a plurality of the engaged portions are provided, and the plurality of the engaging portions are operated in an interlocked manner.

8. A centrifuge according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined angle is set to about 90 degree.