JPH0317950Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial application field This invention relates to a tube carrier used in a centrifugal separator for chemical liquids, etc.

Conventional technology The tube carrier of a centrifuge protects a sample storage tube called a tube containing a sample to be centrifuged from the centrifugal force generated by the high speed rotation of the rotor of the centrifuge, thereby preventing deformation or deformation. It is used to prevent destruction. Therefore, the tube carrier can accommodate a tube containing a sample, and can also be fitted into a carrier insertion hole provided in a rotor of a centrifuge.

Such tube carriers have conventionally been made of light alloys such as titanium alloys and aluminum alloys, that is, metals, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58-219958 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-20071. There is. However, although the metal carrier is made of a light alloy, it is quite heavy and a large load due to centrifugal force is applied to the rotor, making it difficult to increase the rotor speed. In other words, a centrifugal separator utilizes the centrifugal force generated by rotating a rotor at ultra-high speed, and the separation capacity is proportional to the fourth power of the circumferential speed of the rotor, so the higher the rotor speed, the better good. Therefore, the lighter the rotor, as well as the carrier fitted to it, the better.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned publication describes that the tube carrier may be made of fiber reinforced resin (FRP). FRP has high specific strength and specific modulus of elasticity, so if the carrier is made of it, the weight can be reduced compared to a metal one. however,
FRP is not an isotropic material like metal, but an anisotropic material whose strength and elastic modulus are greatly affected by the direction of the fibers, so unless the fiber arrangement is devised, the carrier will not be able to withstand ultra-high speed rotation. I can't get it.

Problems that the invention aims to solve This invention was obtained as a result of various studies on tube carriers made of FRP, and its purpose is to be lightweight, yet highly resistant to plastic deformation due to centrifugal force. An object of the present invention is to provide a tube carrier capable of improving the rotational speed of a rotor and thus the separation ability.

Means for Solving the Problems This invention for achieving the above object includes a cylindrical bucket having a thread on the inner surface of the upper end, a top spacer located at the top of the bucket, and a top spacer located at the bottom of the bucket. A bottom spacer to
a cap screwed onto the screw thread, the bucket is made of a fiber-reinforced resin made by reinforcing the resin with reinforcing continuous fibers, and the continuous fibers are arranged in the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the bucket. It features a tube carrier.

In this design, the bucket that forms the main part of the tube carrier is made of FRP, which is made by reinforcing resin with continuous reinforcing fibers. As reinforcing fibers, multifilaments of carbon fibers and aramid fibers are particularly preferably used, but other multifilaments of high strength and high modulus fibers such as glass fibers, silicon carbide fibers, and alumina fibers may also be used. It is also possible. These reinforcing fibers are contained in the resin in an amount of 30 to 75% by volume, preferably 50 to 65% by volume. Furthermore, as the resin, thermosetting resins such as epoxy resins, unsaturated polyester resins, phenolic resins, and polyimide resins, and thermoplastic resins such as nylon resins and polycarbonate resins are used.

The reinforcing continuous fibers described above are arranged in both the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the bucket. However, the force acting on the bucket during rotation is small in the axial direction and large in the circumferential direction, so that the amount of fibers in the circumferential direction is equal to the amount of fibers in the axial direction so that it does not easily plastically deform into an elliptical shape in the cross section. It is preferable to increase the amount by 1 to 3 times. More preferably 1.2 to 3
Make it double. In other words, as mentioned above, the properties of FRP are greatly influenced by the direction of the fibers, so it is preferable to arrange continuous fibers in both the circumferential direction and the axial direction, and preferably make the amount of fibers in the circumferential direction smaller than the amount of fibers in the axial direction. This is to prevent plastic deformation due to centrifugal force during use. However, continuous fibers in the circumferential or axial direction may be aligned correctly in those directions, preferably at an angle.
In some cases, the fibers are arranged crosswise at an angle of 30° or less, and the ratio of the amount of fiber changes depending on these arrangement angles.
For example, in the former case, the amount of fibers in the circumferential direction may be approximately twice the amount of fibers in the axial direction. In addition, in the latter case, continuous fibers in the circumferential direction are ±
If the fibers are arranged in a 30° direction, the amount of fibers in the circumferential direction may be about three times as large.

The top and bottom spacers and caps may be made of titanium alloy or aluminum alloy, and are made by reinforcing the resin with short fibers of the above-mentioned reinforcing fibers.
It may be FRP. In addition, the top spacer is
Although it is separate from the bucket, the bottom spacer is
It may be a separate body or may be made of integrally molded FRP.

This invention will be explained in more detail below based on one embodiment thereof.

Embodiment In the drawing, the tube carrier 1 is made of FRP
It has a cylindrical bucket 1 consisting of. A top spacer 4 made of FRP is inserted into the upper part of this bucket 1, and a bottom spacer 5 made of FRP is inserted into the lower part. Moreover, between these top spacers 4 and bottom spacers 5, there is FRP.
A collar 6 consisting of is inserted. However,
This color 6 is not essential. Furthermore, a thread 8 is machined on the inner surface of the upper end of the bucket bag 1, and a cap 3 made of FRP is screwed into the thread 8. A tube 7 containing a sample to be subjected to centrifugation is inserted between a top spacer 4, a bottom spacer 5, and a collar 6, and is pressed and fixed by a cap 3. Therefore, tube carrier 1 that accommodated tube 7 in this way
are inserted into carrier insertion holes (equally spaced in the circumferential direction of the rotor) provided in the rotor of a centrifugal separator, and the sample is centrifuged as the rotor rotates.

The tube carrier as described above can be manufactured, for example, as follows.

That is, reinforcing continuous fibers are aligned parallel to each other in one direction in a sheet shape, and a resin-impregnated prepreg is wound around a mandrel so that the direction of the continuous fibers is in the circumferential direction, and then in the axial direction. After wrapping the wrapping tape, it is placed in a heating furnace and molded using the pressure generated by the thermal contraction of the wrapping tape. Textile prepregs can also be used. Further finishing is performed, and a screw thread is machined on the inner surface of the upper end to obtain a bucket. Obtain colors in the same way. Meanwhile, the top spacer, bottom spacer, and cap are molded using SMC (sheet mold compound) and assembled as shown in the figure.

Effects of the invention In the tube carrier of this invention, the bucket is made of fiber-reinforced resin made by reinforcing the resin with continuous reinforcing fibers, and the continuous fibers are arranged in the circumferential direction and axial direction of the bucket. hand,
Not only is it lightweight, it can withstand plastic deformation well, and the rotational speed of the rotor can be greatly increased, and the separation ability can be improved. In addition, a lighter carrier means less load on the rotor, which reduces stress concentration around the carrier insertion hole when the rotor rotates, and also reduces the amount of unbalance in the rotor. Therefore, the rotor rotational speed can be improved from this aspect as well. Furthermore, the fact that the carrier is lighter means that even samples with higher specific gravity can be separated as long as the overall weight including the sample is the same, which expands the range of uses.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a tube carrier according to one embodiment of the invention. 1: Tube carrier, 2: Bucket, 3: Cap, 4: Top spacer, 5: Bottom spacer, 6: Collar, 7: Tube, 8: Screw thread.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It has a cylindrical bucket having a thread on the inner surface of its upper end, a top spacer located at the top of the bucket, a bottom spacer located at the bottom of the bucket, and a cap screwed into the thread, A tube carrier for a centrifuge, wherein the bucket is made of a fiber-reinforced resin made by reinforcing the resin with reinforcing continuous fibers, and the continuous fibers are arranged in a circumferential direction and an axial direction of the bucket.