Centrifuge

Abstract

The invention relates to a centrifuge (1) comprising a housing (27), a working chamber (3), formed in the housing (27), for receiving a driven rotor (24) of the centrifuge (1), and comprising a lid (2), by means of which the working chamber (3) can be closed, wherein the centrifuge (1) has a closing mechanism (4) which is designed to pull the lid (2) out of a transfer position into a closed position closing the working chamber (3).

Description

[0001] centrifuge

[0002] The invention relates to a centrifuge with a housing, a working chamber formed in the housing for receiving a driven rotor of the centrifuge and with a lid with which the working chamber can be closed.

[0003] Centrifuges are already known from practice in various designs.

[0004] Especially in centrifuges whose rotors are driven and moved at high speeds, it is desirable to securely close the working chamber of the centrifuge in which the rotor rotates with a lid.

[0005] The object of the invention is to provide a centrifuge whose lid can be closed reliably, safely and conveniently in order to minimize risks for a user when operating the centrifuge.

[0006] To achieve this object, a centrifuge having the features of claim 1 is proposed. To achieve this object, in particular, a centrifuge having a housing, a working chamber formed in the housing for receiving a driven rotor of the centrifuge, and a lid with which the working chamber can be closed is proposed, wherein the centrifuge has a closing mechanism which is designed to pull the lid from a transfer position into a closed position closing the working chamber.

[0007] The centrifuge's closing mechanism thus ensures that the lid is moved into the desired closed position. This effectively prevents incorrect operation of the centrifuge, and in particular its lid. When using the centrifuge, the user only needs to first move the lid into the transfer position, thus presenting it to the closing mechanism. From the transfer position, the lid is then automatically pulled into its closed position by the closing mechanism, sealing the working chamber.

[0008] The closing mechanism of the centrifuge can be configured to keep the lid locked in the closed position. It is particularly preferred if the closing mechanism is self-locking, so that accidental opening of the lid, for example, in the event of a power failure or when the centrifuge is subjected to shocks or vibrations, can be effectively prevented.

[0009] The locking mechanism may comprise a locking drive, in particular an electric locking drive. The locking drive can generate the force and movement required to automatically close the lid.

[0010] The locking mechanism can comprise at least one lid tab connected to the lid of the centrifuge and at least one driven pull hook. The at least one lid tab can be arranged or formed, in particular, on an underside of the lid facing the working chamber. The at least one pull hook can preferably be arranged in the housing of the centrifuge, protected from external access.

[0011] By moving the lid into its transfer position, the at least one lid tab can come into the detection range of the at least one pulling hook. As soon as the lid is arranged with its lid tab in the transfer position, the pulling hook can engage in the lid tab by activating the closing mechanism and thus pull the lid from the transfer position into its closed position and preferably hold it there. In one embodiment of the centrifuge, the at least one pulling hook can be pivotally mounted. By means of a pivoting movement, the pulling hook can then first engage in the lid tab in the transfer position and then, by means of a further pivoting movement, in particular in the same direction, pull on the lid tab and thus move the lid from the transfer position into the closed position.

[0012] If at least two draw hooks are present, the locking mechanism can have at least one shaft through which the at least two draw hooks are coupled to one another. In this way, the movement of one draw hook can be transmitted to the other draw hook via the shaft. Thus, the movement of several draw hooks can be generated with a single locking drive.

[0013] The locking mechanism can have a transmission lever via which the at least one pull hook is drive-connected to the locking drive.

[0014] The locking mechanism may comprise a locking lever. The locking lever may be positionable in a locking position on the at least one pull hook to lock the pull hook in its closed position. This locking mechanism prevents accidental opening of the lid.

[0015] The locking mechanism may comprise a cam driven by the locking drive, with which the locking lever can be moved between its unlocked position and its locked position.

[0016] The locking lever can be positioned in a locking position on the tow hook by the cam.

[0017] This is especially the case when the cam reaches an end position and the cover reaches its closed position.

[0018] The cam can have a control curve, in particular an external control curve, with which the locking lever can be moved from its unlocked position into its locking position on the draw hook upon rotation of the cam. This control curve of the cam thus determines the movement of the locking lever relative to at least one draw hook.

[0019] By turning the cam, the locking lever is moved from its unlocked position into its locked position on the draw hook. The locking lever can be moved from the locked position back into the unlocked position by turning the cam in the opposite direction. The control curve of the cam for moving the locking lever into its locked position is tailored to the circumstances so that the locking lever reaches the locked position on the draw hook when the draw hook has completed its pulling movement, which moves the cover into its closed position.

[0020] The locking lever can have a cam follower, in particular a roller. The cam follower can be arranged at an end of the locking lever facing away from the draw hook. With the help of the cam follower, the locking lever can run along the aforementioned control curve of the cam for the locking lever, i.e. follow the control curve of the cam. The cam follower can thus scan the control curve of the cam when the cam rotates and bring about a deflection movement of the locking lever which corresponds to the course of the control curve and in particular to a distance of the individual points on the control curve from a rotation axis of the cam, which distance changes over the course of the control curve.

[0021] The cam can further comprise a control cam, in particular an internal control cam, with which the locking lever can be moved from its locking position into an unlocking position.

[0022] In this case, a surface of the inner control curve can face a rotational axis of the cam, while an outer control curve of the cam faces away from a rotational axis of the cam.

[0023] The transmission lever can have an elongated hole in which a driver connected to the cam is arranged. The driver enables the movement of the cam to be transmitted to the transmission lever and from there to the at least one pulling hook. The elongated hole allows an initial rotary movement of the pulling hook, which can be caused by the lid being moved into its transfer position and in the process pivoting the pulling hook by a certain angular amount. The transfer of the lid and its at least one lid tab into the transfer position can be carried out in particular manually by a user.

[0024] This initial rotational movement of the draw hook would either be prevented without the aforementioned elongated hole or would lead to a rotation of the cam, which may, however, be undesirable.

[0025] When the pull hook is in its initial position, the longitudinal extension of the elongated hole can be aligned in the direction of movement of the cover into its transfer position. This makes it possible to initially move the cover into the transfer position without converting a rotational movement of the pull hook via the transmission lever into a rotational movement of the cam. The elongated hole thus enables an idle movement of the transmission lever relative to the driver and the cam.

[0026] The cam can be rotated around its axis of rotation using the closing drive of the centrifuge, with the cam's rotational movement being transmitted to the pull hook via the driver and the transmission lever. This makes it possible to rotate the pull hook by rotating the cam according to a movement specified by the cam, thereby pulling the lid with the pull hook from its transfer position into the closed position.

[0027] The cam transmits the movement of the locking drive not only to the locking lever, but also to at least one draw hook.

[0028] The locking mechanism can have a locking spring, the restoring force of which holds the locking lever, in particular with its cam follower, in contact with the cam, in particular with the outer control curve of the cam.

[0029] The locking spring thus causes the locking lever, with its cam follower, to rest against the cam's control curve. This ensures that the locking lever follows the cam's control curve and is moved according to the cam's respective rotational position.

[0030] The locking mechanism may further comprise a draw hook spring, against the restoring force of which the draw hook can be moved from its receiving position into a closed position.

[0031] This ensures that the pull hook, when unloaded, remains in the receiving position until the lid is moved into the transfer position. By moving the lid into the transfer position, the pull hook can be moved a short distance from its initial position, which corresponds to the receiving position, against the restoring force of the pull hook spring. The pull hook spring can also cause the at least one pull hook to automatically return to its receiving position as soon as it is unloaded by the lid tab. The receiving position of the at least one pull hook is the position in which the pull hook is before the at least one lid tab is moved into the transfer position.

[0032] The centrifuge can have a start switch for starting a closing movement of the closing drive. In this way, the closing movement of the closing drive can be started automatically using the start switch. The start switch can be switched by placing the cover in the transfer position and / or by displacing the locking lever against the start switch. In this way, the closing movement of the closing drive is triggered when the cover is manually moved into the transfer position.

[0033] Through a connection between at least one pull hook and the locking lever, an initial movement of the pull hook caused by the lid moving into its transfer position can lead to a displacement of the locking lever against the start switch. Actuation of the start switch can then trigger the closing movement by activating the closing drive.

[0034] The centrifuge can have a stop switch for ending a closing movement of the closing drive of the locking mechanism. Thus, the closing movement is automatically ended when the stop switch is activated. The stop switch can be activated when the cam reaches an end position, in particular by the driver on the cam. Thus, the stop switch can be arranged relative to the cam such that it is actuated by the cam, in particular by a control curve of the cam, as soon as the cam has reached its end position.

[0035] The centrifuge can further comprise a stop switch for terminating an opening movement of the closing drive of the locking mechanism. The stop switch for terminating the opening movement of the closing drive of the locking mechanism can be switched by moving the cam into an open position. As soon as the cam reaches a rotational position corresponding to an open position of the cam, the stop switch for terminating the opening movement can be switched, in particular by the driver on the cam, and the closing drive can be deactivated.

[0036] It should be mentioned here that the centrifuge can have a control element with which a control pulse can be transmitted to the closing drive for guided opening of the lid. The control element can be a user interface, for example, a button or a touch-sensitive display or the like.

[0037] To open the lid, the closing drive can, for example, be driven in a direction opposite to the closing movement, causing the cam to also rotate in the opposite direction. This then triggers the opening of the lid, whereby the lid can initially be moved from the closed position back to its transfer position using the pull hook.

[0038] In particular, if the centrifuge has at least one lid spring, against whose restoring force the lid can be moved from an open position to its transfer position, the lid can automatically move from the transfer position back to its open position with the help of the lid spring. The lid spring can be a gas pressure spring, for example.

[0039] The centrifuge may have a rotor drive for driving a rotor located in the centrifuge's working chamber. The rotor drive may preferably be a different drive than the closing drive of the closing mechanism. The closing drive and the rotor drive are then two separate drives of the centrifuge.

[0040] The centrifuge may include a shut-off device that deactivates the rotor drive when the lid is opened. Furthermore, the centrifuge may have a rotor brake for decelerating the rotor. The rotor brake may be activated by opening the lid.

[0041] Furthermore, the centrifuge may be equipped with an emergency opening device that allows manual opening of the lid in the event of a malfunction of the closing mechanism, particularly its closing drive. Here, too, manual opening of the lid can trigger automatic activation of the rotor brake.

[0042] The locking mechanism, which can be manually operated using the emergency opening device during manual opening, prevents the lid from springing open immediately when the emergency opening device is operated. First, the locking mechanism must be operated using the emergency opening device in such a way that the lid is moved into its transfer position using the pull hook. Only when the lid has reached its transfer position, i.e. has been released from the pull hook, can the lid be moved from the transfer position into its open position, for example by the aforementioned at least one lid spring. In one embodiment of the centrifuge, it is provided that it has at least one magnet and at least one magnetic switch with which the lid in the transfer position can be detected. The at least one magnet can be arranged, for example, on or in the lid and the at least one magnetic switch can be arranged on or in the housing of the centrifuge.The reverse arrangement of magnet and magnetic switch is also conceivable. In this case, at least one magnet is arranged on or in the housing, and at least one magnetic switch is arranged on or in the cover.

[0043] With the aid of at least one magnet and at least one magnetic switch, it is possible to trigger the locking mechanism only when the lid has actually reached the transfer position. Otherwise, it would not be impossible to activate the closing mechanism of the centrifuge, for example, by pressing the at least one pull hook of the locking mechanism and / or by triggering the start switch, without the lid having reached its transfer position.

[0044] The at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic switch thus provide additional security against intentional or unintentional misuse of the centrifuge.

[0045] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the centrifuge, it has a control unit configured to activate the closing mechanism, in particular the closing drive, when at least one magnetic switch and the start switch are switched. This can provide additional protection against incorrect operation of the centrifuge.

[0046] In one embodiment of the centrifuge, the control unit is configured to only allow activation of the rotor drive when the previously mentioned stop switch for the closing movement is also activated. As long as the stop switch is not activated, the control unit can prevent activation of the rotor drive. Activation of the rotor drive with the lid open is thus effectively prevented. This can improve the operational reliability of the centrifuge.

[0047] The cover can be pivoted on the housing of the centrifuge.

[0048] The locking mechanism can have at least one further pull hook. Two pull hooks can be positively connected to one another via a common shaft of the locking mechanism. As already mentioned, the movement of one pull hook can then be transferred via the shaft to the at least one further pull hook. Two or more pull hooks can be advantageous in order to grip the lid at two spaced-apart positions and then to pull it particularly securely and evenly into its closed position and hold it there. The lid can have a number of lid tabs corresponding to the number of pull hooks.

[0049] The invention is described in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment, but is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. Further exemplary embodiments result from combining the features of individual or multiple claims with one another and / or from combining individual or multiple features of the exemplary embodiment.

[0050] Fig. 1 is a perspective, partially cutaway view of a centrifuge according to the invention with the lid on its way to its transfer position, Fig. 2 is a side view of the centrifuge shown in Figure 1,

[0051] Fig. 3 is a perspective, partially cutaway view of the centrifuge shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the lid in the closed position and the locking mechanism locked,

[0052] Fig. 4 is a side view of the centrifuge shown in Figure 3,

[0053] Fig. 5 is a side view of the closing mechanism, showing a lid tab on an underside of the lid of the centrifuge, a pull hook, a connecting lever, a locking lever and a cam of the closing mechanism, the lid tab being arranged in a position shortly before reaching the transfer position,

[0054] Fig. 6 is a further side view of the locking mechanism, wherein the lid with the lid flap has reached the transfer position, in which the pull hook has been rotated by the lid flap so far that the pull hook already engages in the lid flap and thus grasps the lid, and wherein the pull hook has moved the locking lever against the start switch to trigger the closing movement,

[0055] Fig. 7 is a further side view of the locking mechanism, with the locking drive having pulled the lid into its closed position,

[0056] Fig. 8 is a further side view of the locking mechanism, wherein the locking drive has rotated the cam further counterclockwise compared to Fig. 7, whereby the locking lever engages in its locking position on the draw hook and locks the draw hook in the position shown in Fig. 8,

[0057] Fig. 9 is a further side view of the locking mechanism to illustrate its opening movement, wherein the locking drive has rotated the cam clockwise, whereby the locking lever has been moved against the restoring force of the locking spring into its unlocking position and the draw hook has been released, whereby the draw hook with the draw hook spring has been moved back to its original position,

[0058] Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism.

[0059] All of the figures show at least parts of a centrifuge, designated as a whole by 1. The centrifuge 1 has a housing 27 in which a working chamber 3 is formed for receiving a driven rotor 24 of the centrifuge 1. The centrifuge 1 has a cover 2 with which the working chamber 3 can be closed. The centrifuge 1 comprises a closing mechanism 4 which is arranged in the housing 27 and is designed to pull the cover 2 from a transfer position into a closed position closing the working chamber 3 and to keep the cover 2 locked in its closed position.

[0060] Figure 10 shows an exploded view of the locking mechanism 4. Figures 5-8 show the locking mechanism 4 in different stages when closing the lid 2. Figure 8 shows the locking mechanism 4 in a position for opening the lid 2. The locking mechanism 4 comprises a closing drive 5 in the form of an electric motor. The closing drive 5 is designed to apply the necessary forces to pull the lid 2 from its transfer position according to Figure 6 into its closed position shown in Figure 8. The locking mechanism 4 further comprises two lid tabs 6 connected to the lid 2 and two pull hooks 7 which are driven by the closing drive 5.

[0061] The respective pull hook 7 can engage with its associated cover tab 6 on the underside of the cover 2 when the cover 2 with the cover tabs 6 has been moved into its transfer position shown in Figure 6 relative to the pull hook 7. The pull hook 7 is pivotally mounted.

[0062] The pull hook 7 can be manually pivoted from its initial position shown in Figure 5 by the cover tab 6 into its position shown in Figure 6. In this position, the closing drive 5 of the locking mechanism 4 is activated and the pull hook 7 is moved via the intermediate position shown in Figure 7 into its locking position shown in Figure 8.

[0063] The locking mechanism 4 comprises a cam 8 driven by the locking drive 5. The cam 8 serves, among other things, to convert a movement of the locking drive 5 into a desired movement of the draw hook 7. The cam 8 is connected to one of the two draw hooks 7 of the locking mechanism 4 via a transmission lever 9.

[0064] Figures 5-9 and the exploded view in Figure 10 illustrate that the transmission lever 9 has an elongated hole 10 in which a driver 11 connected to the cam 8 is arranged. A rotary movement of the cam 8 is converted via the driver 11 into a movement of the transmission lever 9 and transmitted by it to the draw hook 7.

[0065] According to Figure 5, when the draw hook 7 is in its initial position, the longitudinal extension direction of the elongated hole 10 is aligned in the direction of movement of the cover 2 and the cover flap 6 into their transfer position. A comparison of Figures 5 and 6 illustrates that the elongated hole 10 enables an initial pivoting movement of the draw hook 7 from its initial position shown in Figure 5 to its intermediate position shown in Figure 6.

[0066] If the underside of the cover flap 6 hits the pulling hook 7 (see Figure 5), a further movement of the cover flap 6 into the transfer position shown in Figure 6 causes the pulling hook 7 to move downwards, which is possible despite the connection of the pulling hook 7 to the cam 8 by the connecting lever 9 due to the elongated hole 10, without the rotational position of the cam 8 being changed.

[0067] In particular, Figures 5-10 show that the locking mechanism 4 has a locking lever 12 which is positioned on the draw hook 7 by the cam 8 in a locking position, which is shown in Figure 8, when the cam 8 reaches an end position and the cover 2 reaches its closed position.

[0068] The locking lever 12 has a cam follower 13 in the form of a roller at its end facing away from the draw hook 7. The locking lever 12 rests with the cam follower 13 on a control curve 14, namely an outer control curve, of the cam 8. When the cam 8 rotates, the course of the control curve 14 of the cam 8 causes a corresponding deflection of the locking lever 12 and ultimately its movement into the locking position shown in Figure 8. The control curve 14, referred to as the outer control curve, can also be referred to as the first control curve of the cam 8.

[0069] Furthermore, the cam 8 has a further control curve 15, namely an inner control curve, with which the locking lever 12 can be moved from its locking position into an unlocking position. While the control curve 14 has a surface facing away from the rotational axis of the cam 8, i.e., an outward-facing surface, the surface of the control curve 15 faces the rotational axis of the cam 8, i.e., is directed inward.

[0070] The locking mechanism 4 has a locking spring 16 , the restoring force of which applies the locking lever 12 with the cam follower 13 to the cam 8 .

[0071] The second control cam 15, which is designed as an inner control cam of the cam 8, can securely engage the cam follower 13 on the locking lever 12 and, upon a clockwise movement of the cam 8, can securely transfer it into its unlocked position, particularly if the locking spring 16 should fail. If the locking spring 16 is intact, it also ensures that the cam follower 13 of the locking lever 12 rests against the first control cam 14 of the cam 8, which is designed as an outer control cam.

[0072] The contour of the control cam 14 is selected such that the locking lever 12 is pressed against the control cam 14 by a corresponding movement of the cam 8 under the action of the spring force of the locking spring 16 and can be moved into its unlocking position according to the course of the control cam 14.

[0073] The locking mechanism 4 further comprises a pull hook spring 17. The pull hook spring 17 holds the pull hook 7 in its initial position shown in Figure 5, which can also be referred to as the receiving position. When the pull hook 7 is in the receiving position, it is possible to bring the cover flap 6 into the engagement range of the pull hook 7.

[0074] With the closing drive 5, the draw hook 7 can then be moved against the restoring force of the draw hook spring 17 into its closed position according to Figure 8.

[0075] The centrifuge 1 comprises a start switch 18 for starting a closing movement of the closing drive 5. The start switch 18 is switched by arranging the cover 2 in the transfer position and by displacing the locking lever 12 against the start switch 18. Figure 5 shows that the pulling hook 7 has a displacement contour 19 at its end facing the locking lever 12. Via the displacement contour 19, an initial movement of the pulling hook 7 caused by the cover 2 and the cover tab 6 can be converted into a displacement movement of the locking lever 12 in the direction of the start switch 18. The initial movement of the pulling hook 7 is caused by manually feeding the cover tab 6 into the transfer position and not by the closing drive 5.

[0076] The locking lever 12 has a counter-contour 20 corresponding to the displacement contour 19 of the towing hook 7. The towing hook 7 slides along this counter-contour 20 on the locking lever 12 with its displacement contour 19, thereby pivoting the locking lever 12 toward the start switch 18.

[0077] Once the locking lever 12 has reached its relative position according to Fig. 6 to the start switch 18, an activation signal is transmitted to the closing drive 5 of the closing mechanism 4 and the motor-driven closing process of the cover 2 is started.

[0078] The centrifuge 1 further comprises a stop switch 21 for terminating a closing movement of the locking mechanism 4. The stop switch 21 is activated when the cam 8 reaches a deformation. Specifically, the driver 11 on the cam 8 activates the stop switch 21 when the cam 8 has reached its end position.

[0079] The centrifuge 1 has a further stop switch 22 for the opening movement. The stop switch 22 serves to terminate an opening movement of the closing mechanism 4.

[0080] The stop switch 22 for terminating the opening movement is switched to an open position by moving the cam 8. When the cam 8 reaches its open position, the driver 11 contacts the stop switch 22 and triggers it.

[0081] The centrifuge 1 further comprises a rotor drive 23 for driving a rotor 24 located in the working chamber 3. The centrifuge 1 has a shut-off device 25 with which the rotor drive 23 is deactivated when the lid 2 is opened. Furthermore, the centrifuge 1 is equipped with a rotor brake 26 for braking the rotor 24, wherein the rotor brake 26 is activated in particular when the lid 2 is opened.

[0082] In this way, it is possible to decelerate a rotor 24 driven at a high speed to a speed that is acceptable for safety reasons within a relatively short time when the lid 2 is opened. This minimizes the risk of injury to a person using the centrifuge 1 if the person reaches into the working chamber 3 as soon as the lid 2 is opened. In particular, a comparison of Figures 1 and 3 shows that the lid 2 is pivotably mounted on the housing 27 of the centrifuge 1.

[0083] Within the housing 27 of the centrifuge 1, not only the working chamber 3 is formed, but also the closing mechanism 4 is arranged.

[0084] The centrifuge 1 comprises a lid spring 28 in the form of a gas pressure spring, against whose restoring force the lid 2 can be moved from its open position into the transfer position. Upon opening the locking mechanism 4, i.e., when the draw hook 7 has been moved into its position shown in Figure 9, the lid spring 28, designed as a gas pressure spring, can automatically move the lid 2 into its open position.

[0085] The exploded view of the mechanism 4 in Figure 10 shows that the locking mechanism 4 has not only one pull hook 7, but also another pull hook 7 spaced apart from the one pull hook 7. The two pull hooks 7 are connected to one another via a shaft 29 of the locking mechanism, so that a movement of the first pull hook 7 can be directly converted into a simultaneously executed movement of the second pull hook 7.

[0086] Correspondingly, the lid 2 also has on its underside not only one lid flap 6, but also a second lid flap 6 spaced apart from the one lid flap 6.

[0087] The two pull hooks 7 and the cover tabs 6 make it possible to hold the cover 2 particularly securely and with a uniform gap in its closed position on the housing 27 of the centrifuge 1.

[0088] The function of the locking lever 12 described in detail above and the use of the specially designed cam 8 are associated with a decisive safety advantage. Even if the locking drive 5 is de-energized or defective, or if vibrations or shocks act on the centrifuge 1, the cam 8 with its outer contour, namely the control cam 14, in conjunction with the locking lever 12, prevents the locking of the pull hook 7 from being released and the cover 2 from accidentally springing open.

[0089] Even when the locking mechanism 4 is opened specifically, which can be done either via a corresponding user signal using the locking drive 5 or manually using a

[0090] Emergency opening device 30 can be triggered, the actual opening of the lid 2 is delayed by the structure of the closing mechanism 4 and the rotation of the cam 8 required in this case, so that the previously mentioned rotor brake 26 has sufficient time to brake the rotor 24 in the working chamber 3 of the centrifuge 1 to a tolerable speed before the lid 2 is opened and access to the working chamber 3 becomes possible.

[0091] The centrifuge 1 has a user interface 31 in the form of a display on the front of its housing. The user interface 31 can be used to control not only the rotor drive 23 but also the closing drive 5 for opening the lid 2.

[0092] The figures further illustrate that the centrifuge 1 has a magnet 32 ​​in the cover 2 and a magnetic switch 33 in the housing 27. The magnetic switch 33 is arranged adjacent to the pull hook 7. The magnetic switch 33 is switched by the magnet 32 ​​when the cover 2 has reached its transfer position shown in Figure 6. The switching signal of the magnetic switch 33 serves as a criterion for activating the closing mechanism 4. Only when both the magnetic switch 33 and the start switch 18 have been switched, a

[0093] Control unit 34 of the centrifuge 1 the closing mechanism 4 and specifically the closing drive 5, so that the lid 2 is then pulled out of the transfer position into its closed position.

[0094] When the cover 2 reaches its proper closed position, the stop switch 21 is triggered. The triggering of the stop switch 21 can be interpreted by the control unit 34 as

[0095] Criterion for activating the rotor drive 23 must be taken into account. As long as the stop switch 21 is not switched, the control unit 34 can prevent activation of the rotor drive 23. Activation of the rotor drive 23 with the cover 2 open is thus effectively prevented. This can improve the operational reliability of the centrifuge 1.

[0096] List of reference symbols Centrifuge Cover Working area Closing mechanism Closing drive Cover tab Pull hook Cam Transmission lever Slotted hole Driver Locking lever Cam follower Control cam, outer control cam of 8 Control cam, inner control cam of 8 Locking spring Pull hook spring Start switch Displacer contour on 7 Counter contour Stop switch for closing movement Stop switch for opening movement Rotor drive Rotor Shut-off device Rotor brake Housing Cover spring Shaft Emergency opening device User interface Magnet Magnetic switch 34 Control unit

Claims

Claims 1. Centrifuge (1) with a housing (27), a working chamber (3) formed in the housing (27) for receiving a driven rotor (24) of the centrifuge (1) and with a lid (2) with which the working chamber (3) can be closed, characterized in that the centrifuge (1) has a closing mechanism (4) which is designed to pull the lid (2) from a transfer position into a closed position closing the working chamber (3).

2. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the closing mechanism (4) is designed to keep the lid (2) locked in the closed position.

3. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing mechanism (4) has a closing drive (5).

4. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing mechanism (4) comprises at least one lid tab (6) connected to the lid (2) and at least one driven pull hook (7).

5. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the at least one pull hook (7) is pivotally mounted and / or wherein the closing mechanism (5) has at least one shaft (29) via which at least two pull hooks (7) are coupled to one another in terms of movement.

6. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing mechanism (4) has a transmission lever (9) via which the at least one pull hook (7) is drivingly connected to the closing drive (5).

7. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing mechanism (4) comprises a locking lever (12) which can be positioned in a locking position on the pulling hook (7) in order to lock the pulling hook (7) in its closed position.

8. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the closing mechanism (4) has a cam (8) driven by the closing drive (5), with which the locking lever (9) is movable between its unlocking position and its locking position.

9. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the cam (8) has a control curve (14), in particular an external control curve, with which the locking lever (12) is movable into a locking position on the draw hook (7).

10. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cam (8) has a control curve (15), in particular an internal control curve, with which the locking lever (12) can be moved from its locking position into an unlocking position.

11. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking lever (12) has a cam follower (13), in particular a roller, which is preferably arranged at an end of the locking lever (12) facing away from the pull hook (7).

12. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transmission lever (9) has an elongated hole (10) in which a driver (11) connected to the cam (8) is arranged.

13. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein a longitudinal extension direction of the elongated hole (10) is aligned in the direction of movement of the lid (2) into its transfer position when the pull hook (7) is in the starting position.

14. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing mechanism (4) has a locking spring (16) which holds the locking lever (12) in contact with the cam (8).

15. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing mechanism (4) has a draw hook spring (17), against the restoring force of which the draw hook (7) can be moved from its receiving position into a closed position.

16. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the centrifuge (1) has a start switch (18) for starting a closing movement of the closing drive (5) of the closing mechanism (4).

17. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the start switch (18) can be switched by arranging the lid (2) in the transfer position and / or by displacing the locking lever (12) against the start switch (18).

18. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the centrifuge (1) has a stop switch (21) for terminating a closing movement of the closing drive (5) of the closing mechanism (4).

19. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the stop switch (21) is activated by reaching an end position of the Cam (8) is switchable, in particular with the driver (11) on the cam (8).

20. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the centrifuge (1) has a stop switch (22) for terminating an opening movement of the closing drive (5) of the closing mechanism (4).

21. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the stop switch (22) for terminating the opening movement of the closing drive (5) can be switched into an open position by moving the cam (8), in particular with the driver (11) on the cam (8).

22. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the centrifuge (1) has a rotor drive (23) for driving a rotor (24) located in the working chamber (3).

23. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the centrifuge (1) comprises a switch-off device (25) with which the rotor drive (23) can be deactivated when the lid (2) is opened, and / or wherein the centrifuge (1) has a rotor brake (26) for braking the rotor (24), in particular wherein the rotor brake can be activated by opening the lid (2).

24. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the centrifuge (1) has at least one magnet (32) and at least one magnetic switch (33) with which the lid (2) located in the transfer position can be detected, in particular wherein the magnet (32) is arranged on or in the lid (2) and the magnetic switch (33) is arranged on or in the housing (27) of the centrifuge (1) or vice versa.

25. Centrifuge (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the centrifuge (1) has a control unit (34) which is designed to control the closing mechanism (4), in particular to activate the closing drive (5) when the at least one magnetic switch (33) and the start switch (18) are switched.

26. Centrifuge (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lid (2) is pivotally arranged on a housing (27) of the centrifuge (1) and / or wherein the centrifuge (1) has a lid spring (28), in particular a gas pressure spring, against the restoring force of which the lid (2) can be moved from its open position into the transfer position.

Images