Hybrid rotor for a centrifuge, set comprising a hybrid rotor and a centrifuge container, and centrifuge container

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hybrid rotor for a centrifuge, in particular a laboratory centrifuge, comprising a rotor base body with a receptacle side and a drive side, means for fixing a drive shaft for rotating the hybrid rotor about a rotation axis (R), at least two receptacles with an insertion opening for centrifuge containers arranged on the receptacle side of the rotor base body, a rotary bearing for rotatably mounting a swinging container being formed on at least one receptacle and a fixed bearing for fixedly mounting a fixed angle container being formed on at least one receptacle. The present invention further relates to a set for a centrifuge, comprising a hybrid rotor and at least one fixed angle container. Furthermore, the present invention relates to fixed angle container for use in a hybrid rotor or in a set.

Claims

1. A hybrid rotor for a centrifuge having a drive shaft for rotating the hybrid rotor about a rotation axis (R), the hybrid rotor comprising: a rotor base body having a receptacle side, a drive side, and a lateral wall; a plurality of receptacles arranged on the receptacle side of the rotor base body, each having an insertion opening for a respective one of a plurality of centrifuge containers, wherein the receptacle side is a side of the rotor base body configured for a user to insert one of the plurality of centrifuge containers into a respective one of the plurality of receptacles, and wherein the drive side is a side of the rotor base body located opposite the receptacle side and is configured for a user to fix the drive shaft to the rotor base body; and an open structure provided in an outer periphery of the rotor base body on the drive side and in the lateral wall, the open structure being configured to allow respective free ends of the plurality of centrifuge containers to protrude from the rotor base body, wherein at least one receptacle comprises both a rotary bearing for rotatably mounting a swinging container and a fixed bearing for fixedly mounting a fixed angle container in the receptacle, wherein the fixed bearing comprises a planar support for receiving a collar of a fixed angle container, the planar support being arranged around the respective insertion opening, wherein the rotary bearing comprises two rounded recesses for receiving a respective trunnion of a swinging container, which recesses are arranged opposite each other adjacent the respective insertion opening, and wherein the two rounded recesses are arranged in a region of the planar support of the fixed bearing and sunk into the planar support.

2. The hybrid rotor according to claim 1, wherein the planar supports of multiple fixed bearings are arranged directly next to one another in the direction of rotation such that the planar supports form a ring, the rotation axis (R) being in the center of said ring.

3. The hybrid rotor according to claim 1, wherein the planar support of the at least one fixed bearing slopes down in an inclined manner from the drive side of the hybrid rotor towards the rotation axis (R).

4. The hybrid rotor according to claim 1, wherein the planar support of the at least one fixed bearing is formed in the shape of a trapezoid.

5. The hybrid rotor according to claim 1, wherein the fixed bearing, viewed from the receptacle side, is arranged in front of the rotary bearing.

6. A set for a centrifuge, comprising: a hybrid rotor according to claim 1, and at least one fixed angle container.

7. The set according to claim 6, wherein the at least one fixed angle container comprises a collar which is configured complementary to the planar support of the fixed bearing of the hybrid rotor so that the collar rests against the support of the fixed bearing in a form-fitting manner such that the fixed angle container is prevented from swinging.

8. The set according to claim 6, wherein the at least one fixed angle container comprises a trunnion which is configured complementary to the recess of the rotary bearing of the hybrid rotor and rests in the recess of the rotary bearing of the hybrid rotor.

9. The set according to claim 6, wherein the at least one fixed angle container comprises two locking protrusions, and that the rotor base body on its drive side comprises an undercut on both sides at the edges of the receptacle, the locking protrusions engaging the undercut when the fixed angle container is supported in the receptacle.

10. A fixed angle container for use in a hybrid rotor according to claim 1, wherein the fixed angle container comprises a swinging container having a detachable adapter arranged thereon, the adapter comprising a collar which is configured complementary to a fixed bearing of the hybrid rotor.

11. The hybrid rotor according to claim 1, wherein each receptacle comprises both a rotary bearing and a fixed bearing.

12. The hybrid rotor according to claim 1, wherein the support completely surrounds the insertion opening in a radial direction relative to the insertion opening.

13. The set according to claim 7, wherein the collar is formed in the shape of a trapezoid.

14. A fixed angle container for use in a set according to claim 6, wherein the fixed angle container comprises a swinging container having a detachable adapter arranged thereon, the adapter comprising a collar which is configured complementary to a fixed bearing of the hybrid rotor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. In the schematic figures:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hybrid rotor according to the present invention from obliquely above onto the receptacle side;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a swinging container;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fixed angle container;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a hybrid rotor with a mixture of swinging and fixed angle containers;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a hybrid rotor operated with swinging containers;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a hybrid rotor operated with fixed angle containers;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section through a swinging container in operation with a hybrid rotor; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows a cross-section through a fixed angle container in operation with a hybrid rotor.

(10) Like reference numerals refer to like components in all figures. Not each of the components is separately indicated in each of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) FIG. 1 shows a hybrid rotor 1 having a rotor base body 10. The hybrid rotor 1 or the rotor base body 10, respectively, comprises a receptacle side 16, a drive side 17 and a lateral surface 18. The hybrid rotor 1 can be mounted on a drive head of a drive shaft of a centrifuge motor (not shown) and is configured for rotation about the rotation axis R. Central elements of the hybrid rotor 1 are the rotary bearings 12 with recesses 120 and the fixed bearings 13 with supports 130.

(12) Each receptacle 11 is assigned one rotary bearing 12, which is formed by two recesses 120 located opposite each other on both sides of the insertion openings 110 of the receptacles 11. The recesses are oriented such that the pivot axis of a swinging container 2 mounted in the rotary bearing 12 is a tangent of a circle the center point of which is on the rotation axis R. Furthermore, the rotary bearings 12 are configured such that they securely hold the swinging containers 2 in the receptacles 11 in any swinging position between the vertically hanging position and the essentially horizontal swung-out position. The recesses 120 are configured to be open toward the receptacle 11 in order to be able to receive the lateral trunnions 23 of the swinging containers 2. Furthermore, the recesses 120 are configured as rounded in order to guide the swinging movement of the swinging containers 2 most continuously, smoothly and free of shocks. This way, even sensitive samples can be centrifuged without a negative impact on their quality.

(13) In the embodiments shown, each receptacle 11 comprises a fixed bearing 13. The fixed bearing 13 has a planar support 130 arranged around the insertion opening 110 of the receptacle 11 and completely surrounding said receptacle. In the present case, the planar support 130 is formed as a recess on the rotor base body 10. It covers a maximum possible and particularly even area. By means of the maximum sized counter-bearing for the fixed angle containers 3, the forces to be transferred from the containers to the hybrid rotor 1 are distributed in the best possible manner. The recessed planar support 130 is configured such that a collar 34 (FIG. 3) of a fixed angle container 3 can be placed therein. The planar supports 130 slope down from the receptacle side 16 to the rotation axis R and the drive side 17. A number of supports 130 are located next to one another arranged around the rotation axis R in an annular manner such that there is no remaining interspace between the supports 130. In order to utilize the surface of the receptacle side 16 of the hybrid rotor 1 in the most efficient manner, the supports 130 are configured in a trapezoid form.

(14) The rotary bearings 12 with their recesses 120 are formed in the region of the fixed bearings 13 and their planar support 130. The edges of a recess 120 are thus directly surrounded by the insertion opening 110 of the associated receptacle 11 on the one hand and by the planar support 130 of the fixed bearing 13 on the other hand. Thus, viewed in the insertion direction of the centrifuge containers 2, 3 in the receptacles 11, the rotary bearings 12 are located behind the fixed bearings 13.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a swinging container 2. The swinging container 2 includes a base body 21 and an opening 20 through which a sample vessel (not shown) can be inserted into the swinging container 2. On the end opposite the opening 20, the swinging container 2 comprises a vessel bottom 22. For support in the rotary bearing 12, it further comprises two trunnions 23 configured complementary to the recesses 120 of the rotary bearing 12. The trunnions 23 of the swinging container 2 have a spoke wheel structure in the embodiment shown, which structure ensures high stability on the one hand and low material consumption, light weight and cost-effective manufacture on the other hand. The swinging container 2 can be suspended in the recesses 120 of one of the rotary bearings 12 with the trunnions 23. At a standstill of the hybrid rotor 1, the swinging containers 2 are suspended in the receptacles 11 so as to hang down with their longitudinal axis 25 essentially parallel to the rotation axis R. When the hybrid rotor 1 is rotated, the swinging containers 2 swing outwards into an essentially horizontal position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example. However, the openings 19 in the lateral wall 18 could also be configured shorter, which would reduce the swing angle to less than 90.

(16) A fixed angle container 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. The fixed angle container 3 includes a base body 31 with a vessel bottom 32 and an opening 30 opposite the vessel bottom through which sample vessels (not shown) can be inserted into the fixed angle container 3. Moreover, the fixed angle container 3 comprises a collar 34 by means of which it rests against the fixed bearing 23 of the hybrid rotor 1 when received in a receptacle 11. In the present exemplary embodiment, the collar 34 is configured as a plate arranged as trapezoid and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 36 of the fixed angle container 3. The collar 34 completely surrounds the opening 30 in the radial direction viewed from the longitudinal axis 36 of the fixed-angle container 3. When the fixed angle container 3 is inserted in the receptacle 11, the collar 34 prevents a tilting or swinging of the fixed angle container 3, so that the fixed-angle does essentially not change during the entire centrifuge run. Further, the fixed angle container 3 comprises trunnions 33 which, like the trunnions 23 of the swinging container 2, are configured complementary to the rotary bearing 12 of the hybrid rotor 1. When the fixed angle container 3 is inserted in the receptacle 11 of the hybrid rotor 1, the trunnions 33 completely fill the recesses 120 of the rotary bearing 12. Here, the trunnions 33 of the fixed angle container 3 do not have to completely correspond to the trunnions 23 of the swinging container 2; it is sufficient if the trunnions 33 of the fixed angle container 3 merely entirely fill the recesses 120 of the rotary bearing 12 and do not protrude from the recesses 120 of the rotary bearing 12. By means of the trunnions 33, forces acting on the fixed angle container 3 during the centrifuge run can be transferred onto the hybrid rotor 1 also at the position of the rotary bearing 12.

(17) A swinging container can be generated from the fixed angle container 3 shown in FIG. 3 if the upper region comprising the collar 34 is configured as a detachable adapter 37. The adapter may be detachably connected to the swinging container in any suitable manner, for example, by means of latch, plug, or bayonet connections. The fixed angle container 3 shown in FIG. 3 can thus be converted into a swinging container 2 similar to the one shown in FIG. 2 by removal of the adapter 37. The collar 34 of the adapter 37 corresponds to the collar 34 of the integrally formed fixed angle container 3 described above. By means of using such an adapter, there is no need to acquire two different centrifuge containers 2, 3 in order to be able to use the hybrid rotor 1 in both swinging container and fixed angle container applications. The use of the adapter 37 or the fixed angle container 3 with the adapter 37 thus reduces the acquisition costs for the customer and the manufacturing costs for the different centrifuge containers 2, 3.

(18) The hybrid rotor 1, the swinging containers 2 and the fixed angle containers 3 are preferably manufactured from a plastic by means of injection-molding. For example, polypropylene turned out to be a particularly suitable material. Preferably, a fiber-reinforced plastic material such as polypropylene reinforced with glass-fibers and/or carbon fibers is used for the rotor. Such materials are very durable and can be cleaned in a simple and reliable manner. Furthermore, they are very light, so that the centrifuge has low energy consumption during acceleration and deceleration. The lower rotation energy reduces the safety efforts when constructing the centrifuge which is to use the hybrid rotor, since less rotation energy needs to be decelerated in a case of emergency in a break of the hybrid rotors 1. All in all, safety of the centrifuge is increased. Moreover, the manufacture by means of injection-molding is very simple and as well allows producing greater quantities in a cost-efficient manner.

(19) As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6, for example, the receptacle side 16 of the hybrid rotor 1 comprises receptacles 11 into which, coming from the receptacle side 16, the centrifuge containers 2, 3, i.e., swinging containers 2 and fixed angle containers 3, can be inserted via the insertion opening 110. Rotary bearings 12 having recesses 120 are provided for mounting swinging containers 2 on the hybrid rotor 1. Moreover, the hybrid rotor 1 additionally comprises fixed bearings 13 in each receptacle 11 which have planar supports 130 for receiving fixed angle containers 3. The interplay between the hybrid rotor 1 and the swinging containers 2 and/or fixed angle containers 3 in a set 4 can particularly be taken from FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. As can be taken from the figures, the hybrid rotor 1 can be operated either exclusively with swinging containers 2 (FIG. 5), exclusively with fixed angle containers 3 (FIG. 5) or in a mixed operation (FIG. 4). The figures illustrate the swinging containers 2 in the swung-out, here essentially horizontal position. The trunnions 23 by means of which the swinging containers 2 are rotatably mounted in the recesses 120 of the rotary bearings 12, form a rotary joint 40 together with the latter. The rotary joint 40 enables a continuous and smooth swinging of the swinging containers 2 within the receptacle 11.

(20) As can particularly be seen from FIGS. 5 and 7, the swinging containers 2 swing outward into a swing angle between their longitudinal axis 25 and a parallel P to the rotation axis R. The swing angle is smaller than or equal to 90. Besides the rotary joint 40, the swinging containers 2 have an additional contact on the hybrid rotor 1 at least in the swung-out position and are stabilized by said contact. FIG. 7 shows a vertical longitudinal section along the longitudinal axis 25 of the swinging container 2 in a swung-out position, where the cut portions of the hybrid rotor 1 are also shown. As can be taken from FIG. 7, the hybrid rotor 1 comprises a stop 15, which the swinging container rests against during operation of the hybrid rotor 1 in a centrifuge. Thus, the position of the stop 15 decisively determines the swing angle . It is preferred according to one embodiment of the present invention that the stop 15 is configured such that the swing angle is smaller than 90. Preferably, the swing angle is between 85 and less than 90, and particularly preferably is 88. In said ranges, the swinging container 2 rests against the stop 15 of the hybrid rotor 1 such that a part of the centrifugal force acting on the swinging container 2 can be transferred into the hybrid rotor via the stop 15, relieving the rotary joint 40 or the parts thereof, i.e., the trunnions 23 and the rotary bearing 12. By relieving the rotary joint 40, its service life is increased.

(21) Furthermore, the swinging container 2 comprises fins 24. The fins 24 are located on the same sides of the swinging container 2 as the trunnions 23. Thus, the fins 24 are arranged in the direction of rotation of the hybrid rotor 1 and also of the swinging container 2 thereon. They have a radially outwardly tapering shape viewed from the longitudinal axis 25 and extend from the vessel bottom 22 parallel to the longitudinal axis 25 over the portion of the swinging container 2 that is not located inside the hybrid rotor 1 during a centrifuge run. All in all, the fins 24 extend over at least a third and preferably over half of the longitudinal extension of the swinging container 2. They serve for making the swinging container 2 more aerodynamic. By using the fins 24, the friction loss of the container is reduced by about 20% in operation of the centrifuge, which also requires a lower motor power and reduces air noise development. Even if the fins 24 protrude laterally from the width of the openings 110 and 19, the swinging containers can easily be inserted in the receptacles 11 and removed therefrom by rotating the containers such that the fins stand approximately upward and downward while located in the region inside the rotor. In the example shown, only the swinging containers comprise fins, however the latter can also be provided on the fixed angle containers.

(22) As can particularly be seen from FIGS. 4 and 6, the fixed angle containers 3 are mounted in the receptacles 11 in such a way that their collar 34 (FIG. 3) rests on the planar support 130 at the fixed bearing 13. In said position, the longitudinal axis 36 of the fixed angle container 3 encloses a fixed angle with the parallel P to the rotation axis R. Said fixed angle does essentially not change during the entire centrifuge run but remains constant since the collar 34 prevents the fixed angle containers 3 in the receptacles 11 from swinging.

(23) Furthermore, the fixed angle container 3 comprises locking protrusions 35, the function of which is explained in greater detail in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 illustrates a view of the lateral surface 18 of a hybrid rotor 1 when operated with a fixed angle container 3, which is shown in the cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis 36 here. Undercuts 14 are located on both sides of the edges of the receptacle 11 on the drive side 17 of the hybrid rotor 1. Said undercuts 14 are configured complementary to the locking protrusions 35 of the fixed angle container 3 such that the locking protrusions 35 engage the undercut 14 when the fixed angle container 3 is mounted on the hybrid rotor 1. By means of said engagement, the fixed angle container 3 acts like a clamp to the opening edges of the rotor by means of the interaction of the inclined faces and counteracts a spreading of the hybrid rotor 1 on the receptacle 11. The force acting against a spreading of the hybrid rotor 1 at the receptacle 11 increases along with an increasing rotational speed of the hybrid rotor 1. This measure also increases the service life of the hybrid rotor 1.

(24) While the present invention has been illustrated by description of various embodiments and while those embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of Applicants' invention.