GB2146210A

GB2146210A - Rotary filter device

Info

Publication number: GB2146210A
Application number: GB08420243A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mitsuo Naito; Toshio Watanabe
Original assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
Current assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
Priority date: 1983-08-26
Filing date: 1984-08-09
Publication date: 1985-04-11
Also published as: GB2146210B; GB8420243D0; DE3430226A1; JPS6039959U

Abstract

A rotary filter device comprises a filter (22) which is carried by a rotary shaft (8), rotation of said shaft moving the filter (22) between an operative position and an inoperative position; a rotary solenoid (6) for effecting the said rotation; a switch cam (16) mounted on the rotary shaft (8); a microswitch (18) which is operable by the switch cam (16); and indicator or control means (not shown) controlled by said microswitch for indicating the position of the filter (22) and/or for controlling an operation in dependence upon said position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rotary filter device This invention relates to a rotary filter device and, although it is not so restricted, it relates more particularly to a device which can electrically remote-control a filter used in an X-ray analyser.

The setting and re-setting of a filter provided in a conventional X-ray analyzer is done manually so that the filter cannot be handled efficiently. Moreover, changing between filtersetting and filter re-setting is often forgotten with the result that correct operation of the Xray analyzer is often impaired.

Although, therefore, the present invention is primarily directed to any novel integer or step, or combination of integers or steps, as herein described, and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings, nevertheless according to one particular embodiment of the present invention, to which however, the invention is in no way restricted, there is provided a rotary filter device comprising a filter which is carried by a rotary shaft, rotation of said shaft moving the filter between an operative position and an inoperative position; a rotary solenoid for effeting the said rotation; a switch cam mounted on the rotary shaft; a microswitch which is operable by the switch cam; and indicator or control means controlled by said microswitch for indicating the position of the filter and/or for controlling an operation in dependence upon said position.

Thus the filter can be set and reset by turning the rotary shaft on which the filter is mounted a result of energising and deenergising the rotary solenoid.

Preferably, a stopper is secured to the rotary shaft and is disposed between and engageable with spaced apart limit members which limit rotational movement of the rotary shaft.

The limit members are preferably adjustable in position so as to adjust the angular range through which the rotary shaft may be rotated.

The invention also comprises an X-ray ana lyser provided with a rotary filter device as set forth above, the said filter being disposed adjacent to a detector of the X-ray analyser and being rotatable between an operative and an inoperative position with respect to the detector.

The indicator and/or control means may be arranged to control the counting of signals from the detector so that said signals are counted only when the filter is in its operative position.

The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a rotary filter device according to the present invention: Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary section through the right-hand portion of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, a rotary filter device comprises an analyzer body 1 to which a bearing housing 3 is fixed by screws 2. An angle piece 4 is fixed to the bearing housing 3 by screws 5 (only one shown). The angle piece 4 is provided with a rotary solenoid 6 which is attached thereto by nuts 7. A shaft 8 is rotatably mounted in ball bearings 9, 10 in the bearing housing 3. The shaft 8 has at one end a cross-sectionally square hole 8a in which fits a shaft 6a of the rotary solenoid 6.

A rotary member 11 is attached to the other end of the shaft 8 by a screw 1 2. The rotary member 11 has a stopper 1 3 secured to one end thereof. The angle through which the rotary member 11 can be rotated can be regulated by varying the length of the parts of limit screws 14, 1 5 which project from the bearing housing 3 to restrict the range of movement of the stopper 1 3.

A switch cam 1 6 is attached to the shaft 8 by screws 1 7 (only one shown). The switch cam 16 is provided with a notch 16a in the outer circumferential surface thereof. A microswitch 1 8 is fixed to the bearing housing 3 by screws 19, the microswitch 1 8 having a switch roller 18a. The microswitch 1 8 is disposed within an electrical circuit (not shown) which incorporates a light bulb (or other detector) so that the position of the filter 22 is indicated by whether the light bulb is lit or not.

A filter frame 20 is fixed to the rotary member 11 by a thumbscrew 21. The filter frame 20 is provided with a filter 22 made of cobalt bonded to the inner surface of an opening 20a of the filter frame 20. A detector 23, which is constituted by a proportional counter is fixed to the analyzer body 1. The filter frame 20 is so formed that it surrounds a detection portion of the detector 23 when the filter s set in an operative position.

A screening cover 24 is provided to prevent the analyzer body 1 being influenced by any electrical noise generated by the rotary solenoid 6.

The operation of the device will now be described.

When the rotary solenoid 6 is electrically energised, the shaft 8 rotates in the clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 3, so that the stopper 1 3 strikes the screw 14 to set the filter 22 in its operative position with respect to the detector 23. At this time, the switch roller 1 8a on the microswitch 18 enters the cam notch 1 6a and a signal is thus generated indicating that the filter 22 is set in the correct position.

When, however, the rotary solenoid 6 is deenergised, the shaft 8 rotates counterclockwise, so that the stopper 1 3 engages the screw 1 5 to reset the filter 22, i.e. to place the latter in an inoperative position with respect to the detector 23.

The signals for driving the rotary solenoid 6 can be applied thereto automatically from a controller (not shown) when a counting operation is started, or can be applid thereto by using a remote manual switch (not shown). A signal output from the microswitch 1 8 when the filter 22 is set in its operative position with respect to the detector 23 is passed to a controller (not shown) so that means (not shown) within the analyzer body 1 can operate and count signals from the detector.

Thus in the device described above, the setting and resetting of the fitler may be achieved by a remote-control operation.

Claims

1. A rotary filter device comprising a filter which is carried by a rotary shaft, rotation of said shaft moving the filter between an operative position and an inoperative position; a rotary solenoid for effecting the said rotation; a switch cam mounted on the rotary shaft, a microswitch which is operable by the switch cam; and indicator or control means controlled by said microswitch for indicating the position of the filter and/or for controlling an operation in dependence upon said position.

2. A rotary filter device as claimed in claim 1 in which a stopper is secured to the rotary shaft and is disposed between and engageable with spaced apart limit members which limit rotational movement of the rotary shaft.

3. A rotary filter device as claimed in claim 2 in which the limit members are adjustable in position so as to adjust the angular range through which the rotary shaft may be rotated.

4. A rotary filter device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

5. An X-ray analyser provided with a rotary filter device as claimed in any preceding claim, the said filter being disposed adjacent to a detector of the X-ray analyser and being rotatable between an operative and an inoperative position with respect to the detector.

6. An X-ray analyser as claimed in claim 5 in which the indicator and/or control means is arranged to control the counting of signals from the detector so that said signals are counted only when the filter is in its operative position.

7. Any novel integer or step, or combination of integers or steps, hereinbefore described and/or shown in the accompanying drawings irrespective of whether the present claim is within the scope of, or relates to the same or a different invention from that of, the preceding claims.

8. An electric rotary filter device comprising a detector provided in an analyzer body and which is used for X-ray analysis, a filter provided rotatably in a position close to an outer circumferential portion of said detector, a rotary solenoid turning said filter so as to engage and disengage said filter with respect to said detector; a switch cam mounted on a rotary shaft of said filter, and a microswitch which is operated by said switch cam, said rotary solenoid being energized to operate said microswitch to enable the setting or releasing of said filter for detection.