Ultrasonic cleaner and automatic analyzer using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420236-B2
Application number	US-201917270486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2019
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

Stable operation of an ultrasonic vibrator of an ultrasonic cleaner and scattering prevention of a washing liquid are provided. The ultrasonic cleaner includes a washing tank 206 in which a washing liquid is reserved; an ultrasonic vibrator 205; a vibration head 209 provided with a neck 304 extended from the ultrasonic vibrator to the washing tank and a tip end portion 210 having a cylindrical hole 211 whose longitudinal direction is oriented to a perpendicular direction; and a first cover 601 having an opening corresponding to the neck and the cylindrical hole, in which the first cover is arranged to a height in contact with a liquid surface of the washing liquid such that it covers the washing tank.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ultrasonic cleaner comprising:
a washing tank in which a washing liquid is reserved; an ultrasonic vibrator; a vibration head provided with a neck extended from the ultrasonic vibrator to the washing tank and a tip end portion having a cylindrical hole whose longitudinal direction is oriented to a perpendicular direction; a first cover having openings corresponding to the neck and the cylindrical hole and is installed at a height of being in contact with the surface of the washing liquid in the manner of covering the washing tank; and at least one additional cover to suppress surging and/or scattering of the washing liquid from a space between the opening of the first cover corresponding to the neck and the neck.

2. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first cover is separated into plural sections, and
the first cover including the plural sections is arranged to the height in contact with the liquid surface of the washing liquid such that it covers the washing tank.

3. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 comprising a first sealing material arranged such that it is disposed between the first cover and the neck,
wherein the first sealing material is arranged such that it is in contact with the neck.

4. An ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 , the at least one additional cover comprises a second cover disposed between the neck and the cylindrical hole,
wherein the cylindrical hole is configured to receive a sample probe when the sample probe is washed, the ultrasonic vibrator is configured to be driven with a frequency to allow resonant vibration of the vibration head, and the second cover suppresses the washing liquid from scattering from the washing tank to the sample probe owing to the vibration of the vibration head.

5. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein a hydrophobic or hydrophilic coating film which has an interface between a region corresponding to a largest vibration location of the vibration head when subjected to the resonant vibration and a region corresponding to a least vibration location of the vibration head when subjected to the resonant vibration and covers the region corresponding to the least vibration location of the vibration head is formed on the vibration head, and
the hydrophobic or hydrophilic coating film is formed on a location of the second cover corresponding to the same height of the coating film of the vibration head.

6. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 5 ,
wherein the coating film is made of a fluorine resin film.

7. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein the second cover is provided such that it surrounds the face of the neck opposed to a the cylindrical hole.

8. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 4 comprising a second sealing material provided between the second cover and the neck
wherein the second sealing material is arranged such that it is in contact with the neck.

9. An ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 , the at least one additional cover comprises a third cover provided, between a connection section of the ultrasonic vibrator and the vibration head and the first cover such that the third cover runs in parallel with the first cover.

10. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 9 ,
wherein the third cover is provided on a face side of the neck opposed to the face of the neck on the side of the cylindrical hole.

11. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 9 comprising a third sealing material provided between the third cover and the neck,
wherein the third sealing material is provided such that it is in contact with the neck.

12. The ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic vibrator is configured to be driven with a frequency to allow the resonant vibration of the vibration head, and the ultrasonic vibrator is configured to be driven under soft start control or step control.

13. An automatic analyzer comprising: an ultrasonic cleaner according to claim 1 ; a sample dispensing mechanism provided with a sample probe to absorb a sample; and a control unit to control the ultrasonic cleaner and the sample dispensing mechanism,
wherein the control unit is configured to insert the sample probe into the cylindrical hole of the vibration head of the ultrasonic cleaner and to make the ultrasonic vibrator of the ultrasonic cleaner driven with a frequency to allow resonant vibration of the vibration head, thereby the sample probe being washed.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Nonaka Kohei
• Takayama Hiroyuki
• Kawahara Tetsuji

Classifications

• B01L2400/0439

  ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements · CPC title

• B08B3/12 Primary

  by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• B01L2200/141

  Preventing contamination, tampering · CPC title

• B06B2201/71

  Cleaning in a tank · CPC title

• B01L2300/0841

  Drums · CPC title