# US 10,864,514 B2 · Biological safety cabinet and clean bench > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,514 B2 - Document ID: US10864514B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/982,845 - Filed: 2018-05-17 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-18 - Assignees: Phc Holdings Corporation - Applicants: Phc Holdings Corporation - Inventors: Ritaro Oguma; Shinji Sugimoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864514B2 ## CPC - B01L 1/02: Air-pressure chambers; Air-locks therefor - B01L 1/00: Enclosures; Chambers (provided with manipulation devices or glove boxes B25J21/00) - B08B 15/023: {Fume cabinets or cupboards, e.g. for laboratories} - F24F 3/163: Clean air work stations, i.e. selected areas within a space which filtered air is passed - B01L 2200/08: Ergonomic or safety aspects of handling devices - B01L 2200/141: Preventing contamination, tampering - B01L 2300/10: Means to control humidity and/or other gases - B01L 2300/14: Means for pressure control - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract A biological safety cabinet or the like according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a bottom plate 4 provided in a body case 2; and a flexible portion 13 provided to a front shutter protector 6 that is provided to a lower end of the front shutter 5, and is capable of ensure reliability by reducing the load of the front shutter such that outside air is drawn into the body case 2 through a gap 15 formed in a contact portion between the flexible portion 13 and the bottom plate 4. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A biological safety cabinet comprising: a body case having an opening portion in its front face; an air conditioner configured to perform air conditioning in an interior of the body case; a bottom plate provided inside the opening portion; a front-side gas discharge portion provided in the bottom plate on a front face side in the body case; a front shutter movable in a vertical direction to cover the opening portion; a front shutter protector provided at a lower end of the front shutter; a flexible portion provided to the front shutter protector, the flexible portion being configured to contact the bottom plate in front of the front-side gas discharge portion, when the front shutter is fully lowered, the flexible portion having a width substantially equal to a width of the opening portion; and a gap formed by the flexible portion and the bottom plate such that air flows between the interior of the body case and outside of the body case through the gap, when the front shutter is fully lowered. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The biological safety cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the gap is formed by providing a projection, a recess, or a hole in the bottom plate in the contact portion between the bottom plate and the flexible portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The biological safety cabinet according to claim 2, wherein: the flexible portion contacts the bottom plate at a region having a width in a front-to-back direction, and a size of the projection, the recess, or the hole in the front-to-back direction is greater than the width of the region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The biological safety cabinet according to claim 2, wherein: the flexible portion contacts the bottom plate at a region having a certain width in a front-to-back direction, a size of the projection, the recess or the hole in the front-to-back direction is smaller than the width of the region, the projection, the recess or the hole includes a plurality of projections, recesses or holes, respectively, and the plurality of projections, recesses or holes are provided to be distributed more broadly than in the range in which the flexible portion contacts the bottom plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The biological safety cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the gap is formed by providing a slit, a cut, or a hole in the flexible portion. ### Claim 6 A clean bench comprising: a body case having an opening portion in its front face; an air conditioner configured to perform air conditioning in an interior of the body case; a bottom plate provided inside the opening portion; a front-side gas discharge portion provided in the bottom plate on a front face side in the body case; a front shutter movable in a vertical direction to cover the opening portion; a front shutter protector provided at a lower end of the front shutter; a hard portion including a front shutter mounting portion, the hard portion being provided to the front shutter protector; a flexible portion provided to be longer than a space distance between the hard portion and the bottom plate and to have a width substantially equal to a width of the opening portion, and configured to contact the bottom plate in front of the front-side gas discharge portion, when the front shutter is fully lowered; and a gap formed by the flexible portion and the bottom plate such that air flows between the interior of the body case and outside of the body case through the gap, when the front shutter is fully lowered. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The clean bench according to claim 6, wherein the gap is formed by providing a projection, a recess, or a hole in the bottom plate in the contact portion between the bottom plate and the flexible portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The clean bench according to claim 7, wherein the flexible portion contacts the bottom plate at a region having a certain width in a front-to-back direction, and a size of the projection, the recess or the hole in the front-to-back direction is greater than the width of the region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The clean bench according to claim 7, wherein: the flexible portion contacts the bottom plate at a region having a certain width in a front-to-back direction, a size of the projection, the recess or the hole in the front-to-back direction is smaller than the width of the region, the projection, the recess or the hole includes a plurality of projections, recesses or holes, respectively, and the plurality of projections, recesses or holes are provided to be distributed more broadly than in the range in which the flexible portion contacts the bottom plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The clean bench according to claim 6, wherein the gap is formed by providing a slit, a cut, or a hole in the flexible portion.