Airtight box for measurement, airtight apparatus, measurement system and measurement apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11942231-B2
Application number	US-202016950081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2020
Priority date	Nov 28, 2019
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

An airtight apparatus in which an airtight box (30) for measurement is combined with a glove box (20) is provided. The airtight box (30) for measurement includes a hollow housing (31), and a sample stage (34) having a sample loading portion. The sample stage (34) is transported by a transport stage (35) installed in the housing (31). The housing (31) is provided with a measurement window (40) for measuring a sample loaded on the sample stage (34) from the outside by a measurement apparatus (10).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airtight apparatus comprising:
an airtight box for measurement for placing therein a sample to be measured by a measurement apparatus installed outside; and
a glove box connected to the airtight box for measurement,
wherein the glove box includes an opening portion,
wherein the airtight box for measurement comprises:
a housing that is hollow therein and has an opening in a side end surface and a connecting unit for causing the opening to communicate with the opening portion of the glove box;
a sample stage including a sample loading portion;
a measurement window that is provided in the housing to measure a sample loaded on the sample stage from the outside by the measurement apparatus; and
a transport stage that is installed in the housing and transports the sample stage,
wherein the transport stage is configured to extend a transport track of the sample stage up to the inside of the glove box communicating with the inside of the housing.

2. The airtight apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a measurement position is set inside the housing, and the airtight apparatus further comprises a sample position adjustment mechanism for positioning the sample loaded on the sample stage at the measurement position.

3. A measurement system comprising the measurement apparatus and the airtight apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the measurement apparatus includes a controller for outputting a control signal for controlling the sample position adjustment mechanism and is configured to measure a sample loaded on the sample stage through the measurement window.

4. The measurement system according to claim 3 , wherein the measurement apparatus is an X-ray analysis apparatus including a goniometer, and the measurement system further comprises a positioning member for fixing and positioning the airtight box for measurement to the goniometer.

5. The airtight apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pipe communicating with the inside of the housing, wherein the pipe is configured to connect with at least one of a vacuum suction pipe and an inert gas supply source.

6. The airtight apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement apparatus is an X-ray analyzing apparatus, and in the airtight apparatus that is configured so that X-rays are incident and emitted through the measurement window, the housing is formed of a material shielding X-rays, and the measurement window is formed of a material transmitting X-rays therethrough.

7. The airtight apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising an X-ray shielding member for shielding intrusion of X-rays from the inside of the housing into the glove box.

8. The airtight apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the X-ray shielding member is provided to the transport stage.

9. The airtight apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the transport stage includes a guide rail fixed to a floor surface of the housing, and a slider that slides along the guide rail, the sample stage is mounted on an upper surface of the slider, and the X-ray shielding member is provided at a position closer to the glove box than the sample stage on the slider.

10. The airtight apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inside of each of the housing and the glove box is put into an airtight state.

11. The airtight apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the glove box includes a blocking member that blocks an opening portion communicating with the inside of the housing to partition off the inside of the glove box from the inside of the housing, thereby putting the inside of the glove box into an airtight state.

12. The airtight apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transport stage includes a guide rail fixed to a floor surface of the housing, and a slider that slides along the guide rail, and the sample stage is mounted on an upper surface of the slider.

13. A measurement apparatus for measuring a sample loaded on a sample stage provided in an airtight apparatus through a measurement window,
wherein the airtight apparatus includes an airtight box for measurement for placing therein the sample to be measured by the measurement apparatus installed outside and a glove box connected to the airtight box for measurement;
wherein the glove box includes an opening portion,
wherein the airtight box for measurement comprises:
a housing that is hollow therein and has an opening in a side end surface and a connecting unit for causing the opening to communicate with the opening portion of the glove box;
the sample stage including a sample loading portion; and
the measurement window that is provided in the housing to measure the sample loaded on the sample stage from the outside by the measurement apparatus; and

wherein an opening/closing door is provided, a measurement position is set inside the opening/closing door, and the opening/closing door includes a cutout through which a part of the housing is inserted to arrange the measurement window at a position corresponding to the measurement position.

14. The measurement apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the cutout formed in the opening/closing door allows a part of the housing having a flange at an intermediate portion thereof to pass through the cutout, and is formed to be smaller than an outer shape of the flange, and a mount portion of the flange is provided near the inside of the opening/closing door.

15. The measurement apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a sensor for detecting a state where the opening/closing door is closed and the flange is mounted at the mount portion.

Assignees

• Rigaku Denki Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Koichiro
• Ozawa Tetsuya
• Ozawa Takeshi

Classifications

• G21F7/04 Primary

  Shielded glove-boxes (glove-boxes in general B25J21/02) · CPC title

• G21F7/047

  Shielded passages; Closing or transferring means between glove-boxes · CPC title

• G01N23/20016

  Goniometers · CPC title

• G01N23/20025 Primary

  Sample holders or supports therefor · CPC title

• G01N35/00

  Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor · CPC title