Operating an arrangement for a laboratory room

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393559-B2
Application number	US-201213490766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2012
Priority date	May 17, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A method for operating the arrangement for a laboratory room confined by a floor, a ceiling and walls connecting the floor with the ceiling, including inducing an air flow from an air inlet through a platform to an air outlet in a substantially laminar fashion. The arrangement includes a main base suspended on the floor; a tool base arranged on the main base; a platform arranged around the tool base, wherein the platform is permeable for air, and the platform is suspended at the walls; the air inlet arranged below the platform; the air outlet arranged above the tool base; and air guides for directing an air flow upwards.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating an arrangement for a laboratory room confined by a floor, a ceiling and walls connecting the floor with the ceiling, the method comprising:
inducing an air flow from an air inlet through a platform to an air outlet in a substantially laminar fashion;
wherein the arrangement comprises a main base suspended on the floor;
a tool base arranged on the main base;
the platform arranged around the tool base, wherein the platform is permeable for air, and the platform is suspended at the walls;
the air inlet arranged below the platform;
the air outlet arranged above the tool base; and
air guides for directing the air flow upwards, the guides comprising a shielding structure arranged between the main base and the platform, the shielding structure surrounding the tool base for shielding the tool base from the air flow.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement is operable to provide an air flow from the inlet, through the platform to the outlet and wherein the air guides are arranged for directing the air flow upwards at least partially parallel to at least one of the main base and the tool base.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the main base is supported by air springs.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a gap is provided between the platform and the tool base.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is provided above the main base.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shielding structure comprises an upper frame protruding from the platform and a lower frame protruding from the main base.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein there is a gap between the upper frame and the lower frame such that the frames do not touch each other.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air guides comprise a plurality of ducts for guiding air from the inlet to the platform.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ceiling is suspended below the air outlet.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the suspended ceiling comprises a cooling fin.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein an opening is disposed below the air inlet for passing cables.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the main base comprises a glass fiber reinforcement.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the walls, the floor, and the ceiling comprise a mu-metal cladding.

Assignees

• Duerig Urs T
• Gotsmann Bernd W
• Loertscher Emanuel
• Widmer Daniel
• IBM

Inventors

• Duerig Urs T
• Gotsmann Bernd W
• Loertscher Emanuel
• Widmer Daniel

Classifications

• F24F7/10

  with air supply, or exhaust, through perforated wall, floor or ceiling (outlet members for directing or distributing air {into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air-diffusers} F24F13/06) · CPC title

• B01L2200/0636

  Focussing flows, e.g. to laminate flows · CPC title

• B01L2200/0626

  using levitated droplets · CPC title

• F24F2221/40

  HVAC with raised floors · CPC title

• B01L1/04 Primary

  Dust-free rooms or enclosures · CPC title