Centrifugal sedimentation type particle size distribution measuring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428616-B2
Application number	US-201917287831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

The present claimed invention is to facilitate cleaning work of a cell for a particle size distribution measuring device that measures a particle size distribution by means of a line start method, and comprises a cell 2 that houses a density gradient solution, a cell rotating mechanism 3 that rotates the cell 2 so that a centrifugal force is applied to the cell 2 from a smaller density gradient to a larger density gradient and a sample introducing mechanism 7 that introduces a measurement sample into the cell 2 that is rotated by the cell rotating mechanism 3, and is so configured that the cell 2 is detachable from a main body of the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A centrifugal sedimentation type particle size distribution measuring device comprising
a cell that houses a density gradient solution as being a solution in which a density gradient is formed,
a cell rotating mechanism that rotates the cell so that a centrifugal force is applied to the cell from a smaller density gradient to a larger density gradient and
a sample introducing mechanism that introduces a measurement sample into the cell that is rotated by the cell rotating mechanism, wherein
the cell is configured to be detachable from a main body of the device.

2. The centrifugal sedimentation type particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 1 , wherein
the cell rotating mechanism has a cell holding body on which the cell is mounted, and
the cell is configured to be detachable from the cell holding body.

3. The centrifugal sedimentation type particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 1 wherein
the sample introducing mechanism is arranged in the cell rotating mechanism, and has a sample introducing tube whose one end is connected to the cell and whose other end opens at a rotation center part of the cell rotating mechanism.

4. The centrifugal sedimentation type particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 3 , wherein
the sample introducing mechanism is arranged outside of the cell rotating mechanism and has a sample introducing needle that is capable of making advancing and retreating movements with respect to the other end of the sample introducing tube, and an elastic body that urges the sample introducing needle in a retreating direction, and
the measurement sample is introduced in a state in which the sample introducing needle enters the other end part of the sample introducing tube.

5. The centrifugal sedimentation particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 1 , wherein
the cell has a partition membrane that separates the density gradient solution from the introduced measurement sample, and a breaking mechanism that breaks the partition membrane in case that a rotation speed of the cell rotating mechanism exceeds or equal to a predetermined value.

6. The centrifugal sedimentation particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 1 , wherein
a line start method and a uniform sedimentation method are switchable.

7. The centrifugal sedimentation particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 1 , comprising
a reporting part that reports a start timing of the line start method that uses the sample introducing mechanism.

8. The centrifugal sedimentation particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 1 , further comprising
a light source and a photo detector arranged across an area where the cell passes when the cell is rotated by the cell rotating mechanism, wherein
a light focusing lens is arranged between the light source and the area, or between the photo detector and the area.

9. The centrifugal sedimentation type particle size distribution measuring device described in claim 8 , wherein
the light source is an LED, and a wiring direction of an electrode of the LED is arranged along a rotation direction of the cell.

Assignees

• Horiba Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Tetsuji
• Akamatsu Takeshi
• Igushi Tatsuo

Classifications

• B04B5/0414

  comprising test tubes · CPC title

• B04B5/04

  Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers · CPC title

• G01N2015/045

  by optical analysis · CPC title

• G01N15/0205 Primary

  by optical means · CPC title

• G01N15/042

  by centrifuging and investigating centrifugates (centrifuges per se B04B) · CPC title