A tube centrifuge rotor structure with adjustable aperture

Abstract

This invention provides a rotor structure for a test tube centrifuge with an adjustable clamping aperture. The rotor structure consists of a rotor disc, a rotor housing, and a test tube clamping mechanism. The rotor disc covers the rotor housing, and test tube insertion channels are aligned on both sides of the rotor disc and the rotor housing. A clamping blade limiting post is provided on the back of the rotor disc. The test tube clamping mechanism includes an intermediate gear, an adjustment knob, a test tube diameter adjustment gear, and clamping blades. The intermediate gear is rotatably sleeved below the rotor disc. The adjustment knob is coaxially and slidably connected to opposite sides of the intermediate gear and elastically connected to the rotor disc. The retaining teeth on the outside of the adjustment knob mesh with the adjustment knob limiting teeth on the inner wall of the rotor housing. The test tube diameter adjustment gear meshes with the intermediate gear. A column is fixed around the central hole of the test tube diameter adjustment gear. The arc-shaped guide groove of the clamping blade is slidably inserted into the column, and the limiting hole is rotatably sleeved on the clamping blade limiting post. This application allows direct adjustment of the test tube clamping aperture via the adjustment knob.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laboratory centrifuge equipment technology, and specifically to a rotor structure for a test tube centrifuge with adjustable clamping aperture. Background Technology

[0002] A test tube centrifuge is a commonly used centrifugation device in laboratories. The rotor of this device has a socket for placing glass test tubes, and the centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation separates the samples in the test tubes. However, the inventors of this application have discovered that existing test tube centrifuges are typically equipped with rotors or adapters of various sizes to accommodate test tubes of different diameters. This results in cumbersome rotor replacement operations and the easy loss of adapters. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the technical problems of existing test tube centrifuges typically equipped with rotors or adapters of various specifications to accommodate test tubes of different diameters, which result in cumbersome rotor replacement operations and easy loss of adapters, this invention provides a test tube centrifuge rotor structure with adjustable clamping aperture.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A rotor structure for a test tube centrifuge with adjustable clamping aperture is disclosed. The rotor structure includes a rotor disc, a rotor housing, and a test tube clamping mechanism. The rotor disc is fixedly mounted on the rotor housing. Test tube insertion channels are aligned on both sides of the rotor disc and the rotor housing. An adjustment knob sliding opening is provided in the center of the rotor disc. Multiple clamping blade limiting posts are provided on the back of the rotor disc around the test tube insertion channels. Adjustment knob limiting teeth are provided on the inner wall of the center of the rotor housing. The test tube clamping mechanism includes an intermediate gear, an adjustment knob, a test tube aperture adjustment gear, and multiple clamping blades. The intermediate gear is rotatably sleeved below the center of the rotor disc. The adjustment knob is coaxially and slidably connected to opposite sides of the intermediate gear and internally connected to the rotor. A spring connects the disc surfaces. Two shafts are provided opposite to each other on the surface of the adjustment knob. The two shafts pass through the sliding opening of the adjustment knob on the rotor disc surface. The outside of the adjustment knob is provided with a locking tooth that can mesh with the limiting tooth of the adjustment knob on the rotor housing. The test tube diameter adjustment gear meshes with the intermediate gear. The test tube diameter adjustment gear is located between the rotor disc surface and the rotor housing. Multiple columns are vertically fixed around the central hole of the test tube diameter adjustment gear. Each clamping blade is provided with an arc-shaped guide groove and a limiting hole. The radius of the arc-shaped guide groove gradually increases from the inside to the outside. One column on the test tube diameter adjustment gear is inserted and slidably fitted into an arc-shaped guide groove. The limiting hole is rotatably sleeved on the limiting column of the clamping blade on the back of the rotor disc surface.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the adjustable clamping aperture centrifuge rotor structure provided by this invention allows the user to insert or replace test tubes of different diameters during operation. First, the user presses the adjusting knob inward with their finger to compress the spring, disengaging the locking teeth on the outside of the adjusting knob from the limiting teeth on the rotor housing (at this time, the adjusting knob is in a freely rotatable state). Then, the adjusting knob is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, causing the intermediate gear to rotate synchronously. The intermediate knob drives the test tube diameter adjusting gear, which meshes with it, to rotate (due to the gear meshing relationship, the rotation direction of the test tube diameter adjusting gear is opposite to that of the adjusting knob). The rotation of the test tube diameter adjusting gear causes multiple columns around the central hole to rotate together, thus allowing the columns to move in the arc of the clamping blades. The column slides within the arc-shaped guide groove. Because the clamping blade limiting posts on the back of the rotor disc restrict the movement of the clamping blades, the sliding of the column within the arc-shaped guide groove is converted into pushing the clamping blades. This forces all the clamping blades to converge towards the center of the test tube insertion channel or disperse outwards along the constraint of the clamping blade limiting posts. When the desired aperture is adjusted to tightly clamp the target test tube, the adjustment knob is released. At this time, under the rebound force of the spring, the locking teeth on the outside of the adjustment knob engage again with the limiting teeth on the adjustment knob on the rotor housing, thereby locking the entire transmission system and preventing loosening. The test tube can then be placed through the test tube insertion channel on the rotor disc and rotor housing, and evenly held by multiple clamping blades from all sides. Afterwards, the centrifuge is started, and the rotor rotates at high speed. Under the action of centrifugal force, the self-locking adjustment knob is fixed more firmly, thus maintaining the clamping aperture and ensuring the stability and safety of the test tube clamping. This application does not require adapters for different test tube diameters, and rotor replacement is simple and quick.

[0007] Furthermore, the rotor disc is fixed to the rotor housing by a plurality of fastening screws.

[0008] Furthermore, the back area of ​​the rotor disc is provided with five clamping blade limiting posts around the test tube insertion channel, and five columns are vertically fixed around the center hole of the test tube diameter adjustment gear. Each column is slidably engaged with an arc-shaped guide groove provided on a clamping blade.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom of the rotor housing is provided with a rotor fixing structure for fixing the entire rotor assembly to the drive shaft of the centrifuge.

[0010] Furthermore, the intermediate gear has notches on opposite sides, and the sidewalls of the notches have grooves. The adjustment knob has protrusions on both sides, and the protrusions are slidably connected to the grooves.

[0011] Furthermore, the tops of the two shafts of the adjustment knob are provided with anti-slip textures. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rotor structure of the test tube centrifuge with adjustable clamping aperture provided by the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a top view of the rotor structure of the test tube centrifuge with adjustable clamping aperture provided by the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a side view of the rotor structure of the test tube centrifuge with adjustable clamping aperture provided by the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the rotor housing provided by the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the rotor disk provided by the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a side view of the rotor disk structure provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the structure of the test tube diameter adjustment gear and clamping blade provided by the present invention.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the intermediate gear and the test tube diameter adjustment gear provided by the present invention.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a side view schematic diagram of the interlocking structure of the intermediate gear and the test tube diameter adjustment gear provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a bottom view schematic diagram of the interlocking structure of the intermediate gear and the test tube diameter adjustment gear provided by the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Rotor disc; 11. Test tube insertion channel; 12. Adjustment knob sliding opening; 13. Clamping blade limiting post; 2. Rotor housing; 21. Adjustment knob limiting tooth; 22. Rotor fixing structure; 3. Intermediate gear; 31. Notch; 32. Slide groove; 4. Adjustment knob; 41. Clamping tooth; 42. Protrusion; 5. Test tube diameter adjustment gear; 51. Column; 6. Clamping blade; 61. Arc-shaped guide groove; 62. Limiting hole; 7. Spring; 8. Fastening screw. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below with reference to specific illustrations.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal," "radial," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] Please refer to Figures 1 to 10As shown, this invention provides a rotor structure for a test tube centrifuge with adjustable clamping aperture. The rotor structure includes a rotor disc 1, a rotor housing 2, and a test tube clamping mechanism. The rotor disc 1 is fixed to the rotor housing 2 to form a semi-enclosed structure to ensure safety during high-speed rotation. Test tube insertion channels 11 are aligned on both sides of the rotor disc 1 and the rotor housing 2 for placing test tubes. An adjustment knob sliding opening 12 is provided in the center of the rotor disc 1 to allow the shaft of the adjustment knob to pass through. Multiple clamping blade limiting posts 13 are provided on the back side of the rotor disc 1 around the test tube insertion channels 11 to limit the clamping blades. The rotor housing 2 serves as the supporting base for the entire rotor structure. An adjusting knob limiting tooth 21 is provided on the central inner wall of the rotor housing 2. The test tube clamping mechanism includes an intermediate gear 3, an adjusting knob 4, a test tube diameter adjusting gear 5, and multiple clamping blades 6. The intermediate gear 3 is rotatably sleeved below the center of the rotor disk 1. The intermediate gear 3 acts as a transmission hub, transmitting the rotation of the adjusting knob 4 to the test tube diameter adjusting gear 5. The adjusting knob 4 is coaxially and slidably connected to opposite sides of the intermediate gear 3, and a spring 7 is connected between its interior and the rotor disk 1. The spring 7 provides outward restoring force. Two shafts are provided opposite each other on the surface of the adjusting knob 4. The two axially extending sliding openings 12 of the adjustment knobs 1 through the rotor disc 1 facilitate direct operation of the adjustment knobs 4 by the user. The adjustment knobs 4 are externally equipped with locking teeth 41 that mesh with the adjustment knob limiting teeth 21 of the rotor housing 2. When the adjustment knobs 4 are not in operation, the spring 7's rebound force allows the locking teeth 41 to mesh with the adjustment knob limiting teeth 21, achieving self-locking and preventing accidental rotation of the adjustment knobs 4 during high-speed rotor rotation, which could cause changes in the diameter of the test tube. The test tube diameter adjustment gear 5 meshes with the intermediate gear 3. The test tube diameter adjustment gear 5 is located between the rotor disc 1 and the rotor housing 2, and the center hole of the test tube diameter adjustment gear 5... Multiple vertically fixed columns 51 are provided around the clamping blade 6. Each clamping blade 6 is provided with an arc-shaped guide groove 61 and a limiting hole 62. The radius of the arc-shaped guide groove 61 gradually increases from the inside to the outside, that is, the direction of the arc-shaped guide groove 61 extends from the inside of the clamping blade 6 to the outer edge. One column 51 on the test tube diameter adjusting gear 5 is inserted and slidably fitted into one arc-shaped guide groove 61. That is, the column 51 is inserted into the arc-shaped guide groove 61 and can slide in the groove. The limiting hole 62 is rotatably sleeved on the clamping blade limiting column 13 on the back of the rotor disk 1, thereby achieving the goal of limiting one test tube diameter adjusting gear 5 by one limiting column 13, preventing the test tube diameter adjusting gear 5 from moving out.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the adjustable clamping aperture centrifuge rotor structure provided by this invention allows the user to insert or replace test tubes of different diameters during operation. First, the user presses the adjusting knob inward with their finger to compress the spring, disengaging the locking teeth on the outside of the adjusting knob from the limiting teeth on the rotor housing (at this time, the adjusting knob is in a freely rotatable state). Then, the adjusting knob is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, causing the intermediate gear to rotate synchronously. The intermediate knob drives the test tube diameter adjusting gear, which meshes with it, to rotate (due to the gear meshing relationship, the rotation direction of the test tube diameter adjusting gear is opposite to that of the adjusting knob). The rotation of the test tube diameter adjusting gear causes multiple columns around the central hole to rotate together, thus allowing the columns to move in the arc of the clamping blades. The column slides within the arc-shaped guide groove. Because the clamping blade limiting posts on the back of the rotor disc restrict the movement of the clamping blades, the sliding of the column within the arc-shaped guide groove is converted into pushing the clamping blades. This forces all the clamping blades to converge towards the center of the test tube insertion channel or disperse outwards along the constraint of the clamping blade limiting posts. When the desired aperture is adjusted to tightly clamp the target test tube, the adjustment knob is released. At this time, under the rebound force of the spring, the locking teeth on the outside of the adjustment knob engage again with the limiting teeth on the adjustment knob on the rotor housing, thereby locking the entire transmission system and preventing loosening. The test tube can then be placed through the test tube insertion channel on the rotor disc and rotor housing, and evenly held by multiple clamping blades from all sides. Afterwards, the centrifuge is started, and the rotor rotates at high speed. Under the action of centrifugal force, the self-locking adjustment knob is fixed more firmly, thus maintaining the clamping aperture and ensuring the stability and safety of the test tube clamping. This application does not require adapters for different test tube diameters, and rotor replacement is simple and quick.

[0028] For a specific embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the rotor disc 1 is fixed to the rotor housing 2 by a plurality of fastening screws 8. That is, both the rotor disc 1 and the rotor housing 2 are provided with threaded holes, and the rotor disc 1 and the rotor housing 2 can be fixedly connected by screwing screws into the threaded holes.

[0029] For a specific embodiment, please refer to Figures 6 to 8 As shown, five clamping blade limiting posts 13 are provided around the test tube insertion channel 11 on the back side of the rotor disk 1. Five columns 51 are vertically fixed around the center hole of the test tube diameter adjusting gear 5. Each column 51 is slidably engaged with an arc-shaped guide groove 61 provided on a clamping blade 6. That is, in this embodiment, five clamping blades 6 are arranged in a "ring" around the corresponding test tube insertion channel 11. Of course, based on the above embodiment, other numbers of clamping blades can be provided to clamp the test tube.

[0030] For a specific embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 As shown, the bottom of the rotor housing 2 is provided with a rotor fixing structure 22 for fixing the entire rotor assembly to the drive shaft of the centrifuge. That is, by setting the rotor fixing structure 22 at the bottom of the rotor housing 2, the entire rotor assembly can be fixed to the drive shaft of the existing centrifuge.

[0031] For a specific embodiment, please refer to Figure 9 As shown, the intermediate gear 3 has notches 31 on both sides, and the sidewall of the notches 31 has a sliding groove 32. The adjustment knob 4 has protrusions 42 on both sides, and the protrusions 42 are slidably connected to the sliding groove 32. This allows the adjustment knob 4 and the intermediate gear 3 to be slidably connected while ensuring that they rotate synchronously.

[0032] For a specific embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 As shown, the tops of the two shafts of the adjustment knob 4 are provided with anti-slip textures, which can better ensure stable and effective operation by the user.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotor structure for a test tube centrifuge with adjustable clamping aperture, characterized in that, The rotor structure includes a rotor disc, a rotor housing, and a test tube clamping mechanism. The rotor disc is fixedly mounted on the rotor housing. Test tube insertion channels are aligned on both sides of the rotor disc and rotor housing. An adjustment knob sliding opening is located in the center of the rotor disc. Multiple clamping blade limiting posts are located around the test tube insertion channels on the back of the rotor disc. Adjustment knob limiting teeth are located on the inner wall of the rotor housing. The test tube clamping mechanism includes an intermediate gear, an adjustment knob, a test tube diameter adjustment gear, and multiple clamping blades. The intermediate gear is rotatably sleeved below the center of the rotor disc. The adjustment knob is coaxially and slidably connected to opposite sides of the intermediate gear, and a spring connects it internally to the rotor disc. The adjustment knob has two shafts facing each other on its surface. These two shafts pass through the sliding opening of the adjustment knob on the rotor disc surface. The outside of the adjustment knob has a locking tooth that can mesh with the adjustment knob limiting tooth of the rotor housing. The test tube diameter adjustment gear meshes with the intermediate gear. The test tube diameter adjustment gear is located between the rotor disc surface and the rotor housing. Multiple columns are vertically fixed around the central hole of the test tube diameter adjustment gear. Each clamping blade is provided with an arc-shaped guide groove and a limiting hole. The radius of the arc-shaped guide groove gradually increases from the inside to the outside. One column on the test tube diameter adjustment gear is inserted and slidably fitted into an arc-shaped guide groove. The limiting hole is rotatably sleeved on the clamping blade limiting column on the back of the rotor disc surface.

2. The test tube centrifuge rotor structure with adjustable clamping aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotor disc is fixed to the rotor housing by multiple fastening screws.

3. The test tube centrifuge rotor structure with adjustable clamping aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The back area of ​​the rotor disk is provided with five clamping blade limiting posts around the test tube insertion channel, and five columns are vertically fixed around the center hole of the test tube diameter adjustment gear. Each column is slidably connected to an arc-shaped guide groove provided on a clamping blade.

4. The test tube centrifuge rotor structure with adjustable clamping aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the rotor housing is provided with a rotor fixing structure for fixing the entire rotor assembly to the drive shaft of the centrifuge.

5. The test tube centrifuge rotor structure with adjustable clamping aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate gear has notches on opposite sides, and the sidewalls of the notches have grooves. The adjustment knob has protrusions on both sides, and the protrusions are slidably connected to the grooves.

6. The test tube centrifuge rotor structure with adjustable clamping aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two shafts of the adjustment knob are provided with anti-slip textures.

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