Ultrasonic cleaner and automatic analyzer using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11389838-B2
Application number	US-202017004465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

An ultrasonic cleaner according to the present invention includes a vibrating part 222 for enlarging ultrasonic vibration of a bolt-clamped Langevin type transducer (BLT) 100 on a side surface side in a cleaning tank 211, generates cavitation by the ultrasonic vibration with respect to cleaning liquid supplied into the cleaning tank 211 by driving the BLT 100 on the periphery of a nozzle without unevenness, and is capable of performing effective nozzle cleaning.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic cleaner comprising:
a vibrating part which is inserted into cleaning liquid in a cleaning tank and transmits ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid;
an ultrasonic vibrator which generates the ultrasonic vibration to the vibrating part; and
a control portion which performs driving control of the ultrasonic vibrator,
wherein one portion of the vibrating part is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator at an upper part of the cleaning tank,
wherein a part provided at another portion of the vibrating part vibrates as a free end in accordance with vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator, and
wherein the control portion causes the vibrating part to generate the ultrasonic vibration, to clean a nozzle.

2. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vibrating part is provided with two surfaces that oppose each other via a hollow part.

3. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vibrating part has a resonance point at which the vibrating part inserted into the cleaning tank resonates and vibrates within a range of 20 to 100 kHz when the ultrasonic vibrator vibrates, and
wherein the control portion causes the vibrating part to vibrate at 20 to 100 kHz in a state where the nozzle is inserted into a hollow part, to clean the nozzle.

4. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 3 ,
wherein the vibrating part has a resonance point at which the vibrating part resonates and vibrates in a secondary vibration mode within a range of 20 to 100 kHz, and
wherein the control portion causes the ultrasonic vibrator to vibrate at a frequency at which the vibrating part vibrates in the secondary vibration mode to clean the nozzle.

5. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vibrating part is connected to one of a plurality of metal blocks, and
wherein the one metal block to which the vibrating part is connected, has a shape of a horn whose diameter continuously decreases when approaching the vibrating part.

6. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vibrating part includes a member extending in a perpendicular direction,
wherein a cleaning portion is provided at a tip end of the member, and
wherein a connection portion for separating the hollow part and the member is provided between the cleaning portion and the member.

7. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 6 ,
wherein the connection portion has a round part.

8. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein an absolute value of a difference between a resonance point of the ultrasonic vibrator and a resonance point of the vibrating part is equal to or less than 10 kHz.

9. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vibrating part has a hollow part filled with cleaning liquid into which the nozzle for suctioning a sample or a reagent is inserted.

10. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ultrasonic vibrator is configured by fixing a piezoelectric element with two or more metal blocks by a fastener, and wherein the ultrasonic vibrator generates the ultrasonic vibration to the vibrating part in a horizontal direction.

11. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 9 ,
wherein the control portion causes the vibrating part to generate the ultrasonic vibration in a state where the nozzle is inserted into a hollow part.

12. An ultrasonic cleaner comprising:
a vibrating part which is inserted into cleaning liquid in a cleaning tank and transmits ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid;
an ultrasonic vibrator which generates the ultrasonic vibration to the vibrating part; and
a control portion which performs driving control of the ultrasonic vibrator,
wherein one portion of the vibrating part is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator at an upper part of the cleaning tank,
wherein a part provided at another portion of the vibrating part vibrates as a free end in accordance with vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator, and
wherein the control portion causes the vibrating part to generate the ultrasonic vibration, to clean a nozzle,
wherein the ultrasonic vibrator is configured by fixing a piezoelectric element with two or more metal blocks by a fastener, and wherein the ultrasonic vibrator generates the ultrasonic vibration to the vibrating part in a horizontal direction.

13. An ultrasonic cleaner comprising:
a vibrating part which is inserted into cleaning liquid in a cleaning tank and transmits ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid;
an ultrasonic vibrator which generates the ultrasonic vibration to the vibrating part; and
a control portion which performs driving control of the ultrasonic vibrator,
wherein one portion of the vibrating part is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator at an upper part of the cleaning tank,
wherein a part provided at another portion of the vibrating part vibrates as a free end in accordance with vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator and provided with surfaces opposing each other, and
wherein the control portion causes a nozzle to be inserted between the surfaces and the vibrating part to generate the ultrasonic vibration, to clean the nozzle.

14. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 13 ,
wherein the ultrasonic vibrator is configured by fixing a piezoelectric element with two or more metal blocks by a fastener, and wherein the ultrasonic vibrator generates the ultrasonic vibration to the vibrating part in a horizontal direction.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Horie Yosuke
• Inoue Tomohiro
• Mori Takamichi
• Nonaka Kouhei
• Ishizawa Masato
• Yamazaki Isao
• Tokieda Hitoshi
• Nojima Akihiro

Classifications

• B08B3/12 Primary

  by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• G01N35/10 Primary

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N1/14

  Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices · CPC title

• G01N35/1002

  Reagent dispensers · CPC title

• B08B3/14

  Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid · CPC title