Holding and opening mechanism

Centrifuge having a holding and opening mechanism for a pivoting element comprised of a pivotable rotor compartment cover which is mounted so as to be pivotable relative to a supporting element comprised of a housing about a first axle via a joint, the holding and closing mechanism comprising:

• a. a pivoting arm which is effective between the pivoting element and the supporting element and which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a second axle, a free end of the pivoting arm acting on a control surface of a guide element, a torsion spring provided which acts on the pivoting arm in a direction around the second axle;
• and,
• b. a fixed part and a part that is pivotable relative thereto, the fixed part including the guide element and the pivotable part supporting the torsion spring and the pivoting arm, the pivotable part adapted to be pivotable relative to the fixed part about the first axle, the pivotable part connected to the pivoting element and the fixed part connected to the supporting element, a holding and opening force being established by the control surface in cooperation with the torsion spring and the pivoting arm via a pivot angle of the pivoting element, multiple pivoting arms, guide elements, joints and fixed and pivotable parts being provided, the pivoting arms connected to each other by the torsion spring in the second axle.