Vacuum centrifuge with magnetic drive
AssigneeSavant Instruments, Inc.
InventorFrank Vilardi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high speed centrifugal concentrator includes a vacuum chamber within which a centrifuge rotor is rotatably mounted for spinning a plurality of vials containing biological solutions or the like at high speed while subjecting the solution to a vacuum condition for concentrating and evaporating the latter. The vacuum chamber has a hinged cover and is completely enclosed to maintain the vacuum condition therein and the centrifuge rotor is driven by an electric motor located outside of said closed vacuum chamber and remote therefrom. The electrical circuit for driving the motor includes dynamic braking means for braking the motor in response to manual operation of a selector switch, or to the raising of the vacuum chamber cover from closed position.
Claims10
A high speed centrifugal concentrator comprising a housing divided into a vacuum chamber and a base section,
- said vacuum chamber having side and bottom walls, a cover constituting the top wall thereof, and means pivotally mounting one end of said cover on said vacuum chamber for movement between an upstanding open position and a closed position in which it closes off said vacuum chamber in sealed, air-tight condition,
- a centrifuge rotor,
- means mounting said centrifuge rotor for rotation within said vacuum chamber, said mounting means including a mounting shaft journalled on said vacuum chamber and secured to said rotor,
- an electric drive motor for said centrifuge rotor mounted within said base section externally of said vacuum chamber and remote therefrom,
- electric circuit means for controlling the operation of said motor and including means for dynamically braking said motor,
- magnetic coupling means for providing a magnetic drive connection between said motor and said centrifuge rotor and creating a magnetic field passing through a wall of said vacuum chamber, whereby said centrifuge rotor is rotated within said vacuum chamber in response to operation of said drive motor,
- said magnetic coupling means comprising a first permanent magnet member secured to said mounting shaft and having a plurality of permanent magnets mounted thereon, and a second permanent magnet member secured to the drive shaft of said motor and having a corresponding member of permanent magnets of opposite polarity mounted thereon,
- and a safety interlock switch mounted on said vacuum chamber and operatively associated with said cover for energizing said means for dynamically braking said drive motor when said cover is in its open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.