IP Library Granted Patent US 9,757,739
Granted Patent B2
US 9,757,739 · App. 14/994,153 · Granted Sep 12, 2017

Centrifuge with sample bucket having grooves and swing rotor for the same

Inventors: Jun Sato (Ibaraki, JP); Kenichi Nemoto (Ibaraki, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
B04B5/0421B04B2005/0435
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,757,739
App. No.
14/994,153
Granted
Sep 12, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A centrifuge and a rotor thereof are provided. The centrifuge performs centrifugation in a state where the sample container is swung by rotation and seated in a cutout part of a rotor body. The sample container includes a bucket accommodating a container filled with a sample, and a lid for sealing the bucket and having a rotation shaft. Grooves extending in the longitudinal direction are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bucket on the bottom side with respect to a seating surface of the bucket. The grooves are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Formation of the grooves can prevent increasing the weight of the bucket and realize a highly rigid sample container that can withstand deformation.

Claims (28)

1. A centrifuge, comprising:

a driving part comprising a driving shaft;

a rotor body disposed on a front end of the driving shaft; and

a sample container comprising a rotation shaft for swing,

wherein the rotor body comprises a through hole, a pair of support parts rotatably supporting two ends of the rotation shaft of the sample container installed in the through hole, and a cutout part formed on a radial outer side in a vertical direction with respect to a central axis of the through hole,

the centrifuge swings the sample container in a state where the rotation shaft is supported by the support parts by rotation of the rotor body and performs a centrifugation in a state where the sample container is seated on a bucket receiving surface of the rotor body,

the sample container comprises a bucket accommodating a container to be filled with a sample, and a lid for sealing the bucket and comprising the rotation shaft, and

the bucket comprises a seating surface to be seated on the rotor body during a centrifugal rotation, and a plurality of spaced-apart grooves extending in a longitudinal direction on an outer peripheral surface on a bottom side with respect to the seating surface of the bucket, wherein a thickness of portions of the bucket between the spaced-apart grooves is larger than a thickness of portions of the bucket where a deepest part of the spaced-apart grooves is formed.

2. The centrifuge according to claim 1 , wherein an opening surface of the spaced-apart grooves comprises a tapered end part near the seating surface and a tapered end part near a bottom.

3. The centrifuge according to claim 2 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the spaced-apart grooves perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the spaced-apart grooves has a curved surface or a V shape.

4. The centrifuge according to claim 3 , wherein the bucket comprises an opening part, the seating surface formed on a lower side with respect to the opening part, a parallel surface having a substantially constant outer diameter, and the bottom closing a front end of the parallel surface,

the seating surface and an outer surface of the parallel surface are connected by a tapered surface having an outer diameter that gradually decreases from the seating surface to the parallel surface, and

the spaced-apart grooves are formed to extend from a part of the tapered surface throughout the outer surface of the parallel surface.

5. The centrifuge according to claim 4 , wherein the spaced-apart grooves are formed to be continuous for 1/2 or more of a length of the tapered surface and 1/2 or more of a length of the parallel surface respectively from a boundary portion between the tapered surface and the parallel surface.

6. The centrifuge according to claim 5 , wherein a width of the spaced-apart grooves in a side view of the bucket is wide in a part near the seating surface and narrow in a part near the bottom.

7. The centrifuge according to claim 1 , wherein the bucket is integrally formed with a titanium alloy or an aluminum alloy.

8. The centrifuge according to claim 1 , wherein four or more of the spaced-apart grooves are formed at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the bucket without interfering with one another.

9. A swing rotor for a centrifuge, comprising:

a sample container comprising a rotation shaft; and

a rotor body comprising a through hole, a pair of support parts rotatably supporting two ends of the rotation shaft of the sample container installed in the through hole, and a cutout part formed on a radial outer side in a vertical direction with respect to a central axis of the through hole,

wherein the sample container comprises a bucket accommodating a container to be filled with a sample, and a lid for sealing the bucket and comprising the rotation shaft, and

the bucket comprises a seating surface to be seated on the rotor body during a centrifugal rotation, and a plurality of spaced-apart grooves extending in a longitudinal direction on an outer peripheral surface on a bottom side with respect to the seating surface of the bucket, wherein a thickness of portions of the bucket between the spaced-apart grooves is larger than a thickness of portions of the bucket where a deepest part of the spaced-apart grooves is fonned.

10. The swing rotor for the centrifuge according to claim 9 , wherein an opening surface of the spaced-apart grooves comprises a tapered end part near the seating surface and a tapered end part near a bottom, and a cross-sectional shape of the spaced-apart grooves perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the spaced-apart grooves has a curved surface or a V shape.

11. The swing rotor for the centrifuge according to claim 10 , wherein the bucket comprises an opening part, the seating surface formed on a lower side with respect to the opening part, a parallel surface having a substantially constant outer diameter, and the bottom closing a front end of the parallel surface,

the seating surface and an outer surface of the parallel surface are connected by a tapered surface having an outer diameter that gradually decreases from the seating surface to the parallel surface, and

the spaced-apart grooves are formed to extend from a part of the tapered surface throughout the outer surface of the parallel surface.

12. The swing rotor for the centrifuge according to claim 11 , wherein the spaced-apart grooves are formed to be continuous for 1/2 or more of a length of the tapered surface and 1/2 or more of a length of the parallel surface respectively from a boundary portion between the tapered surface and the parallel surface.

13. The swing rotor for the centrifuge according to claim 9 , wherein four or more of the spaced-apart grooves are formed at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the bucket without interfering with one another.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2020
From: KOKI HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
To: EPPENDORF HIMAC TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 053657/0158 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 26, 2018
From: HITACHI KOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: KOKI HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 047270/0107 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2016
From: SATO, JUN; NEMOTO, KENICHI
To: HITACHI KOKI CO.,LTD.
Reel/Frame 037505/0745 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-014392 · Jan 28, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160214118A1 · Jul 28, 2016