EP0177849B1 - Top loading swinging bucket centrifuge rotor having knife edge pivots - Google Patents

Top loading swinging bucket centrifuge rotor having knife edge pivots Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0177849B1
EP0177849B1 EP19850112238 EP85112238A EP0177849B1 EP 0177849 B1 EP0177849 B1 EP 0177849B1 EP 19850112238 EP19850112238 EP 19850112238 EP 85112238 A EP85112238 A EP 85112238A EP 0177849 B1 EP0177849 B1 EP 0177849B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
rotor
sample container
pivot
container
centrifuge rotor
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP19850112238
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0177849A2 (en
EP0177849A3 (en
Inventor
Paul Morrison Cole
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
EIDP Inc
Original Assignee
EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US06/656,645 external-priority patent/US4585434A/en
Priority claimed from US06/656,644 external-priority patent/US4585433A/en
Application filed by EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co filed Critical EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Priority to AT85112238T priority Critical patent/ATE48548T1/de
Publication of EP0177849A2 publication Critical patent/EP0177849A2/en
Publication of EP0177849A3 publication Critical patent/EP0177849A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0177849B1 publication Critical patent/EP0177849B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
    • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
    • B04B5/00—Other centrifuges
    • B04B5/04—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers
    • B04B5/0407—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles
    • B04B5/0414—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles comprising test tubes
    • B04B5/0421—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles comprising test tubes pivotably mounted

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a centrifuge rotor of the swinging bucket type and, in particular, to a top loading swinging bucket centrifuge rotor.
  • the sample container, or bucket, used with such rotors typically includes outwardly projecting elements, or trunnions having a portion thereof defining a substantially cyliridrical bearing surface.
  • the trunnion pins are typically received in corresponding support arms that are provided with conforming trunnion receiving sockets.
  • trunnion pins may be located on the arms with the corresponding sockets being disposed on the container.
  • Trunnion pin systems are generally complex and costly.
  • a sample container should preferably be a lightweight structure to minimize centrifugal loading on the rotor.
  • the presence of trunnion pins cantilevered from a sample container requires a substantial anchorage in the container structure, necessitating an undesirable increase in the weight of the container.
  • the presence of the trunnion pins require locating the container in a precise orientation with respect to the rotor. This can present, at a miminum, an inconvenience to an operator.
  • misorienting the container with respect to the rotor can have more deleterious consequences.
  • an alternative support arrangement which eliminates the above-discussed abrading action by use of a rolling profile to engender rolling action between one or more profiled surfaces.
  • a rolling profile precludes the axis of the sample container from reorienting to a true vertical position after centrifugation. At zero rotational speed the sample container will hang in a true vertical position only if the line of restraint is directly in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the sample container on the centerline of the container. The line of restraint is that location where the forces acting on the center of mass of the container resist movement.
  • the container will assume a horizontal orientation only if the line of restraint is in the horizontal plane of the center of gravity of the container. Since the center of gravity does not change relative to the axis of the container and the use of a rolling profile does alter the point of restraint relative to this axis, the above requirements are mutually exclusive. Since it is desirable in operation to have the axis of the sample container align with the centrifugal force field, it follows with the known structure that as the rotor slows and stops the axis of the container will not hang in a true vertical position. Thus, at least in gradient operations, the possibility of unsettling the gradient in the container exists unless the user, when removing the container, is careful to keep it at the same orientation as existed when the rotor stopped.
  • sample containers are misplaced on the rotor.
  • the majority of rotor mishaps can be traced to the misorientation of the sample container on the rotor.
  • the present invention relates to a centrifuge rotor of the swinging bucket type and comprises a pair of sample container pivot elements disposed in circumferentially spaced relationship about the rotor. Each pivot element is arranged to define a thin knife edge adapted to receive the pivot surface of a sample container along a substantially line contact.
  • the rotor is arranged such that the sample container may be loaded into the rotor from the top without the necessity of orienting the container on the pivot surfaces. That is, the container may be inserted into the rotor such that any diametrical dimension of the surface may lie coincident with the line contact defined by the pivot edges.
  • a guide surface is disposed on the rotor radially inwardly of the pivot element and cooperates with the outer configuration of the sample container to guide the same as it pivots with rotation of the rotor on the line of contact with the pivot elements through a portion of its travel from the initial to the second position.
  • the pivot elements are mounted within the rotor and designed such that when the sample container reaches the second position centrifugal force effects cause the pivot elements to deflect to an extent which permits the sample containers to move radially outwardly and thereby bring their radially outer surfaces into a force transmitting relationship with a stress confining band which may be provided about the rotor.
  • a stop surface communicating with the guide surface prohibits motion of the sample container past the second position.
  • the present invention relates furtheron to a sample container as defined in Claim 10.
  • the container includes a body member having a sample-receiving volume therein.
  • the body carries, at a convenient location thereon, a planar pivot surface which is adapted to operably engage each of the pivot edges for supported pivotal movement from a first to a second position.
  • the container includes a cap threadily or otherwise connectable thereto which carries the planar surface.
  • the planar surface preferably engages the knife-like edges along an interrupted line contact that extends diametrically of the cap and intersects the longitudinal axis thereof. Any diametrical dimension of the surface may be aligned with the line of contact, thus avoiding the necessity of orienting the container with respect to the rotor.
  • the cap may, in the preferred case carry a guide pin arranged to cooperate with a correspondingly guide slot disposed on the rotor at a point radially inwardly of the pivots.
  • the stop pin is also arranged to cooperate with an arresting surface provided at a convenient location on the rotor.
  • FIG. 1 With reference to Figures 1 and 2 respectively shown is a plan view of a portion of a top loading centrifuge rotor generally indicated by reference character 10 embodying the teachings of the present invention and a side sectional view of the same.
  • the rotor 10 includes a generally annular core 14 that receives in driving engagement a drive adapter 16.
  • the drive adapter 16 serves as the interconnecting element through a shaft S whereby the rotor 10 is connected to a centrifuge drive motor M (shown schematically) to rotate the rotor 10 about its vertical axis 18.
  • a centrifuge drive motor M shown schematically to rotate the rotor 10 about its vertical axis 18.
  • any suitable form of interconnection between the rotor 10 and its motive source may be used.
  • the core 14 is fabricated of material such as aluminum, titanium or plastic.
  • the core 14 serves to locate and transmit torque to those elements (to be described) disposed outwardly therefrom.
  • the core should be as lightweight as possible in order to maximize its strength to weight ratio and to minimize stresses during high speed rotation.
  • To decrease the weight the core 14 is provided with arrays of cutouts 22 and 24 on its upper and lower surfaces respectively.
  • the outer peripheral surface of the core is stepped as at 26 ( Figure 2) to define upper and lower cylindrical portions.
  • the upper cylindrical portion and the lower cylindrical portion are each provided with a notch 28 and 30, respectively.
  • Each of the notches receives a supporting wrapping 32 and 34, respectively.
  • the wrappings 32 34 are fabricated of a composite fiber material such as an aramid fiber manufactured and sold by E. I.
  • Each fiber is impregnated with a resinous material, such as epoxy or the like, and wrapped to form stress confining wrappings 32, 34 to enhance the strength-to-weight ratio of the core 14.
  • the wrappings 32 and 34 may, of course, not be necessary if the core material is itself a sufficiently high- strength material, as titanium.
  • An array of spherical cutouts 38 is arranged around the periphery of the lower cylindrical portion of the core 14. Communicating with the head of each cylindrical cutout is a substantially cylindrical channel 42.
  • the purpose of the cylindrical channels 42 will be described in more detail herein.
  • Interposed between adjacent ones of the cutouts 38 are rectangular notches 44 ( Figure 1) for a purpose which will be also set forth herein.
  • the number of cutouts 38, channels 42 and notches 44 corresponds to the number of sample containers carried by the centrifuge rotor 10.
  • the sample container 48 has a longitudinal axis 48A and includes a substantially cylindrical body portion 50 threadily attached to a cap 52.
  • the body 50 is a substantially tubular member preferably machined from titanium or other suitable material.
  • the upper end of the body 50 is provided'with external threads 54.
  • the lower end of the body portion 50 flares through a frustoconical region 56 to a stress distributing spherical end region 58.
  • the radius of the spherical end 58 matches that of a force distributing member 110 disposed about the outer periphery of the rotor.
  • the interior of the body portion 50 is configured with cylindrical sidewall 60 with a spherical end 62 which combine to provide a typical test tube shape to the interior of the body 50.
  • the contour of the interior of the body 50 may take any desired shape.
  • the cap 52 is a hemispherical member, preferably fabricated from nylon or other suitable material, having an internally threaded bore 64 adapted to receive the external threads 54 of the body 50.
  • the annular planar undersurface 66 of the cap 52 defines a pivot surface operative in a manner set forth herein.
  • the exterior surface of the cap 52 defines a surface 68 topped by an axially extending cylindrical stop pin 70.
  • the pin 70 also conveniently serves as a handle for the container 48.
  • the contour of the surface 68 corresponds in shape to the shape of the surface of the spherical cutouts 38 provided in the core 14.
  • the exterior contour of the pin 70 conforms to the contour of the cylindrical channels 42 provided in the core 14.
  • each segment 74 is a substantially sector or wedge shaped member having generally radially extending sidewalls 76 which taper through converging curved portions 78 towards a generally rectangular key portion 80.
  • Each key portion 80 is configured for a close fitting relationship with one of the notches 44 peripherally arranged about the core 14.
  • the segment 74 is cut-out to form a recess 82 to eliminate that extra mass unnecessary to the performance of its pivot support and structural interconnection functions, as will be described.
  • the recess 82 formed on the segment 74 defines a pair of generally radially extending struts 85 joined by an arcuate connecting land 86.
  • the end of each strut 85 is stepped at its radially outer end, as at 90, for a purpose made clear herein.
  • each sidewall 76 of a segment 74 is provided with a step 92 defined by a substantially vertical planar shelf 93, a horizontal shelf 94 and a radially planar portion 96 (Figure 1) extending radially inwardly from sidewall 76.
  • a notch 98 ( Figures 2 and 3) is provided into the step 92 to receive and to secure one end of a resilient pivot element 100.
  • the pivot element 100 is formed of a high strength resilient material, such as stainless spring steel or the like, and takes the form when in its developed state of a rectangular strip 101.
  • One end of the strip 101 is inserted into the notch 98 and is secured thereto by any suitable means of attachment.
  • the strip 101 is bent at a lower elbow 102 adjacent the lower surface of the step 92 and slants vertically and radially inwardly to a second, upper, bend 104, whereat the strip 101 is bent backwards to define a portion 106 which overlies the shelf 94 of the step 92.
  • the upper bend 104 of the strip 101 defines a thin knife edge-like pivot support for the sample container 48.
  • the undersurface of the strip 101 intermediate the bends 102 and 104 defines a predetermined clearance space 108 ( Figure 2) with the vertical planar face 93 of the step 92 for a purpose discussed herein.
  • the knife edge-like pivot support may be defined in a variety of ways. One such alternative is described herein in connection with Figures 5 through 7. Any other alternative constructions whereby the knife edge pivot support is defined are to be understood as lying within the contemplation of the present invention.
  • the circumferential distance between the radially outer ends of the struts 85 of adjacent segments 74 is closed by a shell-like distributor element 110.
  • the circumferential ends of the shell 110 are received in the steps 90 provided on confronting struts 85 on angularly adjacent segments 74.
  • the inner surface of the distributor shell 110 is concavely spherical, as seen from Figures 2 and 3.
  • the shell 110 is preferably fabricated in a honeycomb fashion from perforated sheets of aluminum bounded by solid shaped plates of aluminum. Any other suitable construction may be used.
  • Adjacent segments 74 are keyed into the corresponding notches 44 on the core 14 to define the circumferentially spaced array thereof.
  • the spaces between confronting surfaces 76 of angularly adjacent segments 74 together with the distributor 110 cooperate to define a pocket or region 112 adapted to receive and support a sample container 48 during rotation thereof.
  • the pocket 112 is accessible to an operator for top loading of a sample container 48.
  • the above structural elements of the rotor are maintained in their described assembled relationship by circumferentially extending band 116 of fiber composite material, such as the aramid fiber similar to that used to form the wrappings 32 and 34.
  • the wrappings 32 and 34 as well as the band 116 are formed of a composite material such as an epoxy coated aramid fiber manufactured and sold by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. Inc. under the trademark KEVLAR®.
  • the fiber is uniformly traversed over the dimension of the member through that number of turns required for a given radial depth.
  • the assembly is then placed in an autoclave and the temperature elevated to a suitable level and held for a predetermined time to cure the epoxy.
  • Each segment 74 serves to connect the radially outer distributor plates to the core and thus serves as structural interconnection for the rotor much like the spokes of a wheel interconnect the rim to the hub.
  • a cover 118 may be connected to the rotor, as by a threaded connection, if desired.
  • a sample of material to be subjected to a centrifugal force field is introduced into the interior of the sample container 48 and the cap 52 thereof secured to the body portion 50.
  • Sample containers 48 are top loaded in a balanced manner into diametrically opposed ones of the pockets 112 arranged around the periphery of the rotor 10.
  • Each container 48 is supported in its pocket 112 along an interrupted line contact 122 shown in Figure 1 by the characters 122A and 122B.
  • the interrupted line of contact 122 is defined between the knife edge provided by the upper bends 104 of the pivot support element pair 100 mounted on the step 92 on angularly confronting sidewalls 76 of adjacent segments 74 and the adjacent corresponding portion of the annular undersurface 66 of the cap 52 of the sample container 48.
  • the line contact 122 so defined extends substantially coincident with a diametrical dimension 68D of the pivot surface 66 of the carrier 48.
  • the dimension 68D intersects the axis 48A of the container 48. Any one of the diametrical dimensions defined across the pivot surface 66 may be coincident with the interrupted line of contact 122.
  • the container 48 may be introduced into the rotor so that any diameter of the pivot surface 66 aligns with the knife edge pivots. The container 48 need not be oriented with respect to rotor. Thus, the primary cause of mishap-misalignment of the sample container-is avoided using the teachings of the present invention.
  • the spring element 100 is suitably designed to deflect in such a manner that the container 48 is substantially horizontal before the spherical end 58 of the container 48 contacts the inner spherical surface of the shell 110. As the rotor spins, the container 48 pivots while the spring 100 deflects. Once horizontal the increasing centrifugal force on the container 48 continues the deflection of the spring 100 in a radially outwardly direction to close the clearance gap 108 to thereby cause the undersurface of the mid-portion of the pivot element 100 to approach into close adjacency to the vertical face 93 of the step 92.
  • the abutment between the bottom surface 58 of the sample container 48, through the distributor shell element 110, has the tendency to more uniformly load the band 116 and thereby prevent the imposition of localized stresses on the band 116 which, in the absence of the distributor elements 110 would appear as essentially a small area contact between the container and the band.
  • planar pivot surface 66 may be provided in any convenient manner on the body member 50.
  • the body may be provided with outwardly extending fins or the like which carry the surfaces 66 in a position thereon appropriate to coact with the pivot elements 100.
  • the . stop element defined by the pin 70 may be suitably implemented by appendages to the body 50.
  • FIG. 5 An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 5 through 7.
  • the sample container 48 is carried by a sample container housing assembly 124 having a first and a second housing elements 126A and 126B respectively joined along a substantially radially, vertically extended jointure plane 128.
  • the inner ends of the elements 126 may take any shape but are preferably flat, as at 130 ( Figure 7), to abut the core 14.
  • the inner surface of each of the sample housing elements 126 contains a spherical surface 38' with a communicating rotation arresting surface 42'.
  • vertical surfaces 132A and 132B cooperate to define a guide slot which receives the pin 70 to guide the container 48 over a portion of its travel from the initial to the second position.
  • the guide slot may be defined using upwardly and radially outwardly slanting fins connected to the hub at each side of the channel 42 to define a guide slot which receives the pin 70 as the container 48 pivots and guides the pivoting motion over a portion of its travel from the initial to the second position.
  • the vertical slot 132 communicates with the channel 42' to limit movement of the pin 70 on the container 48.
  • each housing element Cantilevered from the lower surface of each housing element is a resilient leg 134 which has defined, at the upper end thereof, the knife-like pivot support edge 104'.
  • Each housing element 126 has a recessed portion 136 therein which, when conjoined, define a volume in which the sample container 48 may pivot.
  • the leg 134 is designed to deflect to produce the action similar to that discussed in connection with the spring 100.
  • the leg 134 In the initial position ( Figure 5) the leg 134 is radially spaced by a distance 108' from the structure of the housing element 126 in which it is disposed.
  • the sample container 48 is received on the pivot edges 104' of the spring legs 134 in each of the cooperating elements 126 and it is on these edges that the interrupted line of contact 122 is defined on which the container 48 pivots from the first to the second position and, after a predetermined pivotal motion the pin 70 enters the guide slot 132.
  • the leg 134 deflects radially.
  • the exterior of the sample container housing 126 is appropriately configured for receipt into the rotor. Any convenient configuration may be selected.
  • the rotor includes a bowl- shaped receptacle 138 joined at its center to the core 14.
  • the bowl-like receptacle 138 is provided with a cylindrical sidewall 142 which leads to a flared frustoconical surface 144.
  • the exterior of the conjoined housing assembly 126 matches these contours.
  • the cylindrical sidewall 142 defines a band 116' functionally similar to the band 116.

Landscapes

  • Centrifugal Separators (AREA)
EP19850112238 1984-10-01 1985-09-26 Top loading swinging bucket centrifuge rotor having knife edge pivots Expired EP0177849B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT85112238T ATE48548T1 (de) 1984-10-01 1985-09-26 Toplader - zentrifugenrotor mit schwenkbechern und mit schneidlagern.

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US06/656,645 US4585434A (en) 1984-10-01 1984-10-01 Top loading swinging bucket centrifuge rotor having knife edge pivots
US06/656,644 US4585433A (en) 1984-10-01 1984-10-01 Sample container for a top loading swinging bucket centrifuge rotor
US656644 1984-10-01
US656645 1996-05-31

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0177849A2 EP0177849A2 (en) 1986-04-16
EP0177849A3 EP0177849A3 (en) 1987-05-06
EP0177849B1 true EP0177849B1 (en) 1989-12-13

Family

ID=27097225

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19850112238 Expired EP0177849B1 (en) 1984-10-01 1985-09-26 Top loading swinging bucket centrifuge rotor having knife edge pivots

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0177849B1 (no)
CA (1) CA1258839A (no)
DE (1) DE3574681D1 (no)
DK (1) DK442585A (no)
GR (1) GR852374B (no)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1069956A1 (en) * 1999-02-09 2001-01-24 Genevac Limited Centrifugal evaporator

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1997919A (en) * 1932-10-03 1935-04-16 Laval Separator Co De Centrifuge
GB505446A (en) * 1937-11-10 1939-05-10 Baird & Tatlock Ltd Improvements in and relating to centrifuges
CH296421A (de) * 1951-10-20 1954-02-15 Willems Peter Prof Em Zentrifuge mit schwenkbar gelagerten Bechern.
US3393864A (en) * 1966-04-11 1968-07-23 Beckman Instruments Inc Centrifuge apparatus
DE3036538C2 (de) * 1980-09-27 1983-07-14 Compur-Electronic GmbH, 8000 München Schwenkbecher-Zentrifuge
US4400166A (en) * 1981-12-28 1983-08-23 Beckman Instruments, Inc. Top loading centrifuge rotor

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3574681D1 (de) 1990-01-18
EP0177849A2 (en) 1986-04-16
GR852374B (no) 1986-01-31
DK442585A (da) 1986-04-02
CA1258839A (en) 1989-08-29
EP0177849A3 (en) 1987-05-06
DK442585D0 (da) 1985-09-30

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