A variable displacement oil pump includes: a variable displacement mechanism that is able to change a discharge amount per rotation of an input shaft. The variable displacement mechanism includes a pump housing, an oil pressure chamber provided in the pump housing, and a capacity adjustment member displaced by oil pressure from the oil pressure chamber. The capacity adjustment member is configured to be operated when receiving control oil pressure that is supplied from a control valve to the oil pressure chamber. The pump housing has an oil release hole that is opened to face the oil pressure chamber and that penetrates a wall section of the pump housing to partially release oil.

A variable displacement oil pump includes: a variable displacement mechanism that is able to change a discharge amount per rotation of an input shaft. The variable displacement mechanism includes a pump housing, an oil pressure chamber provided in the pump housing, and a capacity adjustment member displaced by oil pressure from the oil pressure chamber. The capacity adjustment member is configured to be operated when receiving control oil pressure that is supplied from a control valve to the oil pressure chamber. The pump housing has an oil release hole that is opened to face the oil pressure chamber and that penetrates a wall section of the pump housing to partially release oil.

Provided herein are apparatus for independently manipulating the temperature of a plurality of reaction vessels, e.g., for automated processing of nucleic acids present in the vessels. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) comprising a mount area arranged to have mounted thereon a through-hole thermoelectric device (TED) to facilitate independent temperature control of reaction vessels are also provided, as well as methods relating to the same.

An apparatus comprising a magnetic assembly and methods for operating the apparatus are provided. The magnetic assembly may be used to manipulate molecules in a liquid preparation, for example to isolate or separate the molecules from the liquid. The magnetic assembly may be used to wash and/or isolate nucleic acid molecules of interest from a liquid preparation.

An apparatus comprising a magnetic assembly and methods for operating the apparatus are provided. The magnetic assembly may be used to manipulate molecules in a liquid preparation, for example to isolate or separate the molecules from the liquid. The magnetic assembly may be used to wash and/or isolate nucleic acid molecules of interest from a liquid preparation.

A disc valve assembly includes a disc element housed within a housing, the disc element having an inlet facing side and a second side opposite to the inlet facing side, and flow pathways configured as a plurality of different pressure zones with the flow pathways extending axially along a longitudinal axis of the disc element from at or adjacent to the inlet facing side to the second side. The valve housing that houses the disc element includes porting configured as part of the plurality of different pressure zones respectively in fluid communication with the flow pathways of the disc element. The disc element is configured to rotate to control a flow of hydraulic fluid through the disc valve assembly. The different pressure zones are isolated from each other using a plurality of annular sealing rings located on the inlet facing side of the disc element.

A disc valve assembly includes a disc element housed within a housing, the disc element having an inlet facing side and a second side opposite to the inlet facing side, and flow pathways configured as a plurality of different pressure zones with the flow pathways extending axially along a longitudinal axis of the disc element from at or adjacent to the inlet facing side to the second side. The valve housing that houses the disc element includes porting configured as part of the plurality of different pressure zones respectively in fluid communication with the flow pathways of the disc element. The disc element is configured to rotate to control a flow of hydraulic fluid through the disc valve assembly. The different pressure zones are isolated from each other using a plurality of annular sealing rings located on the inlet facing side of the disc element.

A commutator/manifold assembly controls a flow of hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic fluid system. The assembly includes a commutator having an offset design including an inner portion eccentrically encompassed within an outer portion, and offset commutator porting to control the hydraulic flow. A manifold includes manifold ports having a straight configuration by which walls defining the manifold ports run substantially along a longitudinal axis through an entirety of the manifold. The commutator is configured to rotate to sequentially align the commutator porting with differing portions of the manifold ports to control the flow. The commutator porting includes inner ports and outer ports that are isolated from each other by a commutator seal. A commutator ring has a guiding surface that guides rotation of the commutator. The rotation of the commutator provides a timed flow through the manifold ports straight through the manifold and without any directional flow restriction.

A commutator/manifold assembly controls a flow of hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic fluid system. The assembly includes a commutator having an offset design including an inner portion eccentrically encompassed within an outer portion, and offset commutator porting to control the hydraulic flow. A manifold includes manifold ports having a straight configuration by which walls defining the manifold ports run substantially along a longitudinal axis through an entirety of the manifold. The commutator is configured to rotate to sequentially align the commutator porting with differing portions of the manifold ports to control the flow. The commutator porting includes inner ports and outer ports that are isolated from each other by a commutator seal. A commutator ring has a guiding surface that guides rotation of the commutator. The rotation of the commutator provides a timed flow through the manifold ports straight through the manifold and without any directional flow restriction.

A variable displacement pump is provided which better distributes stress across the rotor structure thereby reducing the risk of the rotor cracking and/or failing. The variable displacement pump includes a housing, a vane control ring, a rotor, a plurality of vanes, a slider ring, a biasing means, and a regulator valve. The housing defines an inlet port and a discharge port. The rotor may be rotationally driven by a drive shaft and coaxially aligned with the drive shaft. The rotor may define a plurality of primary ribs and a plurality of corresponding secondary ribs with an aperture defined between each primary rib and secondary rib. Each primary rib defines a primary rib thickness and each secondary rib defines a secondary rib thickness which is less than the primary rib thickness.