CN215701976U - Rotary slicer - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a rotary slicer, comprising: a frame provided with a vertical path; a stage movably disposed to the frame and having a receptacle for a sample holder; a handwheel drivably connected to the stage to drive the stage up and down along a vertical path of the frame; a first mass balancing means provided to the handwheel to balance a majority of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and a second mass balancing means for balancing a small portion of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and the second mass balancing means comprises: a spring element having a pretension and being adjustable, a lever which is pivotable to compensate for different inertia forces, a first end of the lever being connected to the spring element, and a pulling means connecting a second end of the lever to the object table, wherein the second mass balancing means is indirectly connected to the handwheel. The rotary slicer of the present invention provides an adjustable counterbalance system that has less stability impact on the rotary slicer.

Description

Rotary slicer

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the technical field of slicing machines, in particular to a rotary slicing machine.

Background

Rotary microtomes typically include a stage. The stage carries a sample holder that holds a sample for cutting. The stage moves along a vertical path on the rotary microtome. During this vertical movement, the sample passes through a knife fixedly arranged on the rotary microtome.

During this movement, the movable mass of the rotary microtome, including the sample and all movable parts of the microtome, alternately and repeatedly accelerates and decelerates. Gravity accelerates these movable masses (downward movement of the stage) during the first half of the handwheel and decelerates these movable masses (upward movement of the stage) during the second half of the handwheel. Thereby, the force required on the handwheel is reduced by gravity during the downward movement of the stage and increased by gravity during the upward movement.

To balance these undesirable accelerations and decelerations, the rotary slicer includes a mass balancing means. One of the mass smoothing means includes an asymmetric counterweight that is integrated into the hand wheel. This is known as a means of counterweight balancing.

A lever means equipped with two lever arms arranged at an angle to each other is disclosed in US 5881626A. The force acting on the stage can be suitably adapted in all positions by the leverage provided by the lever arm and the extension spring acting on the lower lever arm. This is known as a spring balancing means.

In the counterweight balancing means, the counterweight is integrated in the handwheel and is not replaceable. The balancing system is not capable of balancing when the movable mass changes (e.g., a large tissue sample is sliced, or a different accessory is used).

In the spring balancing means, the spring can be adjusted to balance the movable mass when the movable mass is changed. In this system, however, there is always a strong spring force acting on the movable mass support system, which force is oscillating during movement. And this can affect the stability of the microtome. In some use cases, this is not acceptable.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present invention is directed to solving, at least to some extent, one of the technical problems in the related art.

To this end, it is an object of the utility model to provide a rotary slicer which provides an adjustable balancing system and has a low impact on the stability of the slicer.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a rotary slicer, including: a frame provided with a vertical path; a stage movably disposed to the frame and having a receptacle for a sample holder; a handwheel drivably connected to the stage to drive the stage up and down along a vertical path of the frame; a first mass balancing means provided to the handwheel to balance a majority of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and a second mass balancing means for balancing a small portion of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and the second mass balancing means comprises: a spring element having a pretension and being adjustable, a lever, which is pivotable to compensate for different inertial forces, a first end of the lever being connected to a first end of the spring element, and a pulling means, which connects a second end of the lever to the stage, wherein the second mass balancing means is indirectly connected to the handwheel.

According to the rotary slicer disclosed by the embodiment of the utility model, the rotary slicer is provided with the balance weight balance and the spring balance at the same time by arranging the first mass balance means directly connected with the hand wheel and the second mass balance means indirectly connected with the hand wheel, and the balance weight balance aims at balancing the basic movable mass or most of the movable mass; the purpose of spring balancing is to balance a small part of the movable mass or to make adjustments to meet the weight of different movable masses. Therefore, the spring force is small, and the impact on the stability of the rotary slicer is very small.

In addition, the rotary slicer according to the above embodiment of the present invention may have the following additional features.

In some embodiments, the first mass balancing means comprises a counterweight.

In some embodiments, the handwheel includes a handle, and the first mass balancing means and the handle are arranged at opposite locations on the handwheel.

In some embodiments, the lever has a single-piece construction and has upper and lower lever arms arranged at an angle to each other, the upper and lower lever arms being pivotable about a pivot pin.

In some embodiments, the second mass balancing means further comprises a deflection roller disposed on the frame, and the pulling means is wound on the deflection roller.

In some embodiments, the pulling means comprises a toothed belt having a smooth surface wound on the deflection roller.

In some embodiments, the spring element comprises an extension spring.

In some embodiments, the second mass balancing means further comprises an adjusting screw assembly by which the second end of the spring element is secured to the base of the rotary slicer.

In some embodiments, the adjusting screw assembly includes a screw-in sleeve fixedly connected to the second end of the spring element; and a tensioning screw mounted in the base and cooperating with the screw-in sleeve to adjust the tension of the spring element.

In some embodiments, the base defines an opening through which the tensioning screw is accessible.

Additional aspects and advantages of the utility model will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the utility model.

Drawings

Further features and advantages of the utility model are described in the following description, which explains the utility model in more detail on the basis of embodiments, in conjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a rotary slicer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a second mass balancing means according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a handwheel according to an embodiment of the utility model.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", and the like as used herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as limiting the utility model.

Referring to fig. 1-3, an embodiment of the present invention provides a rotary slicer 100. The rotary slicer 100 includes: a frame 2, the frame 2 being provided with a vertical path 21; a stage 3, the stage 3 being movably arranged to the frame 2 and having a receptacle 31 for a sample holder 5; a handwheel 4, the handwheel 4 being drivably connected to the stage 3 to drive the stage 3 up and down along the vertical path 21 of the frame 2; a first mass balancing means 7, the first mass balancing means 7 being provided to the handwheel 4 to balance a majority of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and a second mass balancing means 6, the second mass balancing means 6 being for balancing a small portion of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and the second mass balancing means 6 comprises: a spring element 64, the spring element 64 having a pretension and being adjustable, a lever 61, the lever 61 being pivotable to compensate for different inertia forces, a first end of the lever 61 being connected to a first end of the spring element 64, and a pulling means 63, the pulling means 63 connecting a second end of the lever 61 to the object table 3, wherein the second mass balancing means 6 is indirectly connected to the handwheel 4.

According to the rotary slicer 100 of the embodiment of the utility model, the rotary slicer 100 has the balance weight balance and the spring balance simultaneously by arranging the first mass balance means 7 directly connected with the hand wheel 4 and the second mass balance means 6 indirectly connected with the hand wheel 4, and the balance weight balance aims at balancing the basic movable mass or most of the movable mass; the purpose of spring balancing is to balance a small part of the moving mass or to make adjustments to meet the weight of different moving masses. Therefore, the spring force is small, and the impact on the stability of the rotary slicer is very small.

As shown in fig. 3, in some embodiments, the first mass balancing means 7 comprises a counterweight 46. Thus, the counterweight 46 can be used to balance a substantial movable mass or a majority of the movable mass of the rotary slicer 100.

As shown in fig. 3, in some embodiments, the hand wheel 4 includes a handle 42, and the first mass balancing means 7 and the handle 42 are arranged at opposite locations on the hand wheel 4. Thus, when the operation handle 42 causes the stage 3 to move downward, the first mass means 7 can balance the gravity that causes acceleration, and when the operation handle 42 causes the stage 3 to move upward, the first mass means 7 can balance the gravity that causes deceleration.

In some embodiments, the lever 61 has a single-piece construction and has an upper lever arm 611 and a lower lever arm 612 arranged at an angle to each other, the upper lever arm 611 and the lower lever arm 612 being pivotable about a pivot pin 613. Thus, the product of the effective lever arm and the spring force is kept nearly constant by the angularly arranged upper lever arm 611 and lower lever arm 612.

In some embodiments, the second mass balancing means 6 further comprises a deflection roller 62, the deflection roller 62 being arranged on the frame 2, and the pulling means 63 being wound on the deflection roller 62. Thereby, the arrangement direction of the lever 61 can be changed, facilitating compact arrangement of the rotary slicer 100.

In some embodiments, the pulling means 63 comprises a toothed belt having a smooth surface that wraps around the deflection roller 62. Thereby, the lever 61 can be smoothly connected to the stage 3.

In some embodiments, the spring element 64 comprises an extension spring. Thereby, the tension spring achieves pretensioning of the second mass balancing means 6.

In some embodiments, the second mass balancing means 6 further comprises an adjusting screw assembly 65, and the second end of the spring element 64 is fixed to the base 1 of the rotary slicer 100 by the adjusting screw assembly 65. The tension of the spring element 64 can be adjusted by adjusting the screw assembly 65 to accommodate changes in the movable mass, for example caused by the change in the sample holder 5 or the size of the sample.

In some embodiments, the adjusting screw assembly 65 includes a screw-in sleeve 651, the screw-in sleeve 651 being fixedly connected to the second end of the spring element 64; and a tensioning screw 652, the tensioning screw 652 being mounted in the base 1, and the tensioning screw 652 cooperating with the screw-in sleeve 651 to adjust the tensioning of the spring element 64. This simplifies the structure of the adjusting screw assembly 65.

In some embodiments, the base 1 defines an opening 11, and the tensioning screw 652 is accessible through the opening 11. Therefore, the operator can conveniently adjust the second mass balance means 6 according to the requirement.

A rotary slicer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below. As shown in fig. 1, rotary microtome 100 includes a base 1, a frame 2, a stage 3, a handwheel 4, and a sample holder 5.

The base 1 is used to carry various components of the rotary slicer 100. The frame 2 is provided to the base 1 and is provided with a vertical path 21. The object table 3 is movably arranged to the frame 2 and has a receptacle 31 for the sample holder 5.

The handwheel 4 is drivably connected to the stage 3 to drive the stage 3 up and down along the vertical path 21 of the frame 2. As shown in fig. 3, the hand wheel 4 has a cylindrical housing 41, a handle 42, and a semi-cylindrical weight 43. The semi-cylindrical weight 43 substantially fills half of the cylindrical housing 41. The handle 42 is disposed opposite the semi-cylindrical weight 43 with respect to the axis of the cylindrical housing 41. The counterweight 43 is used to balance most of the movable mass of the rotary slicer 100.

The sample holder 5 is for receiving a sample to be cut and is detachably fastened to the object table 3.

When the handwheel 4 is rotated by the moving handle 42, the rotation is transmitted to the stage 3, thereby moving the stage 3 up and down along the vertical path 21. The movable mass of the rotary slicer 100 alternately and repeatedly accelerates and decelerates. The movable mass includes the sample (which in some cases is only a few grams or less) and the movable parts of the microtome (such as the stage 3, handwheel 4). These components together may weigh several kilograms. During the first half of the hand wheel 4, which causes the object table 3 to move downwards, the movable mass is accelerated by gravity. Then, during the second half of the second wheel 4, this causes the stage 3 to move upwards and the movable mass is decelerated by gravity. These unequal forces act on the hand wheel 4 and are almost fully balanced by the provision of the counterweight 43 on the hand wheel 4.

As shown in fig. 2, a lever 61 is arranged on the base 1 behind the frame 2 for the stage 3. Rotatably mounted deflection rollers 62 or pulleys are arranged on the frame 2. The deflection roller 62 comprises a ball bearing assembly. The pulling means 63 is wound around the deflecting roller 62. The pulling means 63 is hinged around the second end of the lever 61 and is mounted to the top of the object table 3.

The pulling means 63 comprises a toothed belt. The belt is rubber embedded in steel wire or the steel wire is otherwise attached to the rubber for reinforcement. The smooth back side of the belt wraps around the deflection roller 62. Furthermore, the pulling means 63 may be a toothed belt, a rope or a chain. The pulling means 63 must fulfil the prerequisites for tensile strength and must not be allowed to elongate.

A spring element 64 is arranged at a first end of the lever 61. The spring element 64 comprises an extension spring. The tension of the spring element 64 can be adjusted by means of an adjusting screw assembly 65 having a screw-in sleeve portion and a mating tension screw 652. The adjusting screw assembly 65 is set such that when the stage 3 is in the upper position, there is a tensile stress for balancing the movable mass of the microtome in small parts.

The lever 61 is pivotally mounted on the base 1 by a pivot pin 613. Lever 61 has an upper lever arm 611 and a lower lever arm 612, each extending from the pivot pin 613. The pulling means 63 is fastened at the end of the upper lever arm 611 by means of a connecting roller 614. The spring element 64 is connected to the end of the lower lever arm 612 by a pin connection 615. The two lever arms are designed such that they are angled with respect to each other. The angle of the shorter lower lever arm 612 with respect to the direction of the upper lever arm 611 is of particular importance.

A first end of the spring element 64 is connected to a pin connection 615 of the lower lever arm 612. A tensioning screw 652 is provided at the second end of the spring element 64, which may set the pretensioning of the spring element 64. The base 1 is provided with an opening 11 in the area of the tensioning screw 652, allowing an operator to access and adjust the tensioning screw 652. The opening 11 enables the operator to set and adjust the tension of the spring element 64 even during operation of the microtome. For example, if the sample holder 5 is changed, a readjustment of the spring is necessary.

As explained above, the pulling means 63 is connected to the connecting roller 614 by the ring 631 and comprises a toothed belt. The toothed belt has a smooth back surface and wraps around the deflection roller 62.

The lever 61 is thereby indirectly connected to the handle 42. Instead, the lever 61 is connected to the handle 42 by a pulling means 63. When the object table 3 is in the upper position, the tension spring is already tensioned to compensate for the gravitational force corresponding to a small part of the mass of the object table 3. If the stage 3 is moved downward, the lower lever arm 612 pivots out in the direction of the arrow. At the same time, the tension spring is further tensioned. The lower lever arm 612 affects the length of the spring tension thereby becoming shorter such that the product of the effective lever arm and the spring force remains nearly constant. It is apparent that the appropriate shortening of the effective lever arm in this case depends on the angular position of the lever arm with respect to the longer upper lever arm 611. During the upward movement of the object table 3 the effective lever arm becomes longer and the spring force decreases.

The rotary slicer 100 according to embodiments of the present invention thus has both counterweight balancing, which is intended to balance the substantial movable mass or a majority of the movable mass, and spring balancing; the purpose of spring balancing is to balance a small part of the moving mass or to make adjustments to meet the weight of different moving masses. Therefore, the spring force is small, and the impact on the stability of the rotary slicer is very small.

Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically defined otherwise.

In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly and can, for example, be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature may be directly contacting the first and second features or indirectly contacting the first and second features through an intermediate. Also, a first feature "on," "over," and "above" a second feature may be directly or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply indicate that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "under," "below," and "beneath" a second feature may be directly under or obliquely under the first feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is at a lesser elevation than the second feature.

In the description herein, references to the description of the term "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "an example," "a specific example," or "some examples," etc., mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representations of the terms used above are not necessarily intended to refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, various embodiments or examples described in this specification can be combined and combined by one skilled in the art.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention, and that variations, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to the above embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A rotary slicer, comprising:

a frame provided with a vertical path;

a stage movably disposed to the frame and having a receptacle for a sample holder;

a handwheel drivably connected to the stage to drive the stage up and down along a vertical path of the frame;

a first mass balancing means provided to the handwheel to balance a majority of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and

a second mass balancing means for balancing a small portion of the movable mass of the rotary slicer; and the second mass balancing means comprises:

a spring element having a pretension and being adjustable,

a lever pivotable to compensate for different inertial forces, a first end of the lever connected to a first end of the spring element, an

A pulling means connecting the second end of the lever to the stage,

wherein the second mass balancing means is indirectly connected to the handwheel.

2. The rotary slicer of claim 1, wherein the first mass balancing means includes a counterweight.

3. The rotary slicer of claim 1 or 2, wherein the handwheel includes a handle, and the first mass balancing means and the handle are arranged on the handwheel at opposing positions.

4. The rotary slicer of claim 1 or 2, wherein the lever has a single-piece construction and has upper and lower lever arms arranged at an angle to each other, the upper and lower lever arms being pivotable about a pivot pin.

5. The rotary slicer of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second mass balancing means further comprises a deflection roller disposed on the frame and the pulling means wraps around the deflection roller.

6. The rotary slicer of claim 5, wherein the pulling means comprises a toothed belt having a smooth surface wrapped around the deflecting roller.

7. The rotary slicer of claim 1 or 2, wherein the spring element comprises an extension spring.

8. The rotary slicer of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second mass balancing means further comprises an adjusting screw assembly by which the second end of the spring element is secured to the base of the rotary slicer.

9. The rotary slicer of claim 8, wherein the adjusting screw assembly includes a screw-in sleeve fixedly connected to the second end of the spring element; and a tensioning screw mounted in the base and cooperating with the screw-in sleeve to adjust the tension of the spring element.

10. The rotary slicer of claim 9, wherein the base defines an opening through which the tensioning screw is accessible.

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