Safety cabinet with simplified operability

#The invention pertains to a safety cabinet, the device functions of which can be controlled in a particularly simple fashion.

#Conventional microbiological safety cabinets are usually provided with an integrated operating unit that is mounted on the outer side of the housing in most instances. Such a safety cabinet is, for example, described in DE 44 41 784 C2 by the applicant. The operating unit comprises a series of switches, controllers or buttons that respectively serve for controlling a specific device function. For example, one switch serves for switching the safety cabinet on and off, another switch serves for switching the lights on and off, another switch serves for connecting and disconnecting the supply voltage to the power outlets, etc. Operating units of this type frequently are quite unmethodical and consequently difficult to operate. In addition, their manufacture is relatively expensive.

#The present invention is based on the objective of disclosing a microbiological safety cabinet that simplifies the operation for the user and can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.

#The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the figures. The figures schematically show:

#FIG. 1, a safety cabinet according to the invention in the form of a perspective representation;

#FIG. 2, a flow chart of one possible button assignment, and

#FIG. 1 shows a safety cabinet 1 according to the invention which has an interior 3 that is enclosed by a housing 2. A work opening 5 in the front side 4 of the housing makes it possible to access the interior 3 and can be closed with a height-adjustable front window 6. The safety cabinet 1 corresponds, in principle, to a conventional safety cabinet, e.g., as described in DE 44 41 784 C2, and comprises a ventilation system that, in principle, also corresponds to the state of the art. However, the operation of the safety cabinet according to the invention differs from that of conventional cabinets.

#According to the invention, a rocker button 7 arranged on the front side 4 of the housing serves for operating the safety cabinet 1. In this case, the rocker button 7 is realized in the form of a one-way rocker. The single rocker button is actuated by pressing the button downward such that a certain process is triggered which depends on the current operating state of the safety cabinet 1. The button assignment and/or operating state is/are displayed to the operator on a display 8.

#One possible button assignment that depends on the respective operating state of the safety cabinet 1 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. The respective operating state is underlined. The function controlled by actuating the rocker button 7 is indicated in the respective blocks. The actuation of the rocker button 7 is symbolized by the boxes containing a “+.”