Culture Microscope Movable Partition Airtight Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing culture microscopes face limitations in providing a large opening for specimen observation while maintaining a nearly airtight division between culturing and adjacent spaces, restricting the stroke of the moving mechanism.
Innovation Solution
A culture microscope design featuring a stationary partition with a first through-hole, a movable partition with a second through-hole, and a lid member connected via a shaft, allowing for sufficient specimen movement while maintaining an airtight seal through seal members and protrusions, enabling a larger stroke without compromising the airtight state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a large opening is provided in the partition to enable sufficient stroke for specimen observation, then the stroke for moving specimens is improved, but the airtight division between culturing space and adjacent space deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The partition is divided into a stationary partition with a first through-hole and a movable partition with a second through-hole. The movable partition can be displaced relative to the stationary partition, allowing the first through-hole to be sealed when the movable partition is in the sealed position, while still permitting the shaft to pass through for driving the stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition system is made dynamic by introducing a movable partition that can be displaced in the thickness direction. This allows the partition to transition between a sealed state (when the movable partition blocks the first through-hole) and an open state (when the movable partition is displaced), enabling both airtightness and sufficient stroke.
2Reliability
If the partition is made nearly airtight to prevent gas leakage, then the airtight division is improved, but the stroke for moving specimens deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The partition is segmented into stationary and movable portions, allowing the airtight seal to be maintained by the stationary partition while the movable partition provides a separate pathway for the shaft to pass through, enabling stage movement without compromising the airtight barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable partition acts as an intermediary element that allows the shaft to pass through while maintaining the airtight seal. When the movable partition is in the sealed position, it blocks the first through-hole to maintain airtightness, yet the shaft can still pass through the second through-hole to drive the stage.
3Reliability
If a small opening is provided in the partition to maintain airtightness, then the airtight division is improved, but the stroke for moving specimens deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The movable partition can be displaced in the thickness direction to create space for the shaft to pass through. This dynamic adjustment allows the partition to maintain airtightness when sealed, while providing sufficient opening area for the shaft to move freely and drive the stage over a large stroke.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a culture microscope including a culturing space that is provided with a stage on which a specimen is mounted; an adjacent space that is adjacent to the culturing space and in which a driving mechanism of the stage is disposed; a stationary partition that divides the adjacent space and the culturing space and that is also provided with a first through-hole; a tabular movable partition that is disposed at a position where the movable partition closes the first through-hole, that has a second through-hole that is smaller than the first through-hole, that is supported so as to be movable parallel to the stationary partition, and that is larger than the first through-hole; and a lid member that is disposed at a position where the lid member closes the second through-hole of the movable partition and that is supported so as to be movable parallel to the movable partition.