Radiant energy – Ion generation – Field ionization type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-13
2002-09-10
Nguyen, Kiet T. (Department: 2881)
Radiant energy
Ion generation
Field ionization type
C250S288000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06448565
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a unit for a plasma atomizer device with a supply means for supplying a gas for generating a plasma, an atomizer means for atomizing a sample to be analyzed, an injection means for injecting the atomized sample into a plasma generated with the supplied gas, and a support means for holding the supply means, the atomizer means and the injection means.
PRIOR ART
Such units are known in the prior art.
FIG. 6
illustrates such a unit according to the prior art. Said unit comprises a supply means
110
for supplying a gas for producing a plasma in a volume V. The supply means
110
normally consists of two small quartz glass tubes that are arranged such that the gas required for generating the plasma can be supplied on the one hand and a gas required for cooling the supply means
110
can be supplied on the other hand. Furthermore, there are provided an atomizer means
120
for atomizing a sample to be analyzed and an injection means
130
for injecting the atomized sample into a plasma generated with the supplied gas in the volume V. The supply means
110
, the atomizer means
120
and the injection means
130
are mounted within a support means
100
.
For the operation of the plasma atomizer device, the whole unit as illustrated in
FIG. 6
is arranged by means of a fastening means
150
in a generator chamber which accommodates an RF generator for igniting and maintaining the plasma (not shown).
The unit which is known from the prior art has the drawback that the supply means
110
, the atomizer means
120
and/or the injection means
130
can only be cleaned or replaced under great efforts. In particular, the generator chamber must be opened; the unit must be detached from the fastening means
150
and removed from the generator chamber.
Another drawback of the prior-art unit is that the supply means
110
and the injection means
130
are fixedly arranged relative to each other. This has the effect that a cleaning of the supply means
110
and of the injection means
130
is rendered more difficult.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to improve the unit according to the prior art in such a manner that the individual components are rendered more easily accessible so that the efforts for cleaning or replacing the supply means, the atomizer means and the injection means are considerably reduced.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved by a unit of the above-described type which is characterized by the feature that the support means is connectable to a generator chamber wall of the atomizer device in such a manner that the supply means and the injection means are arranged inside the generator chamber.
Since the support means is connectable to the generator chamber wall, the whole unit can easily be inserted into the generator chamber wall and can easily be detached for cleaning or replacing the supply means, the atomizer means and the injection means. It is thus no longer necessary to open the generator chamber entirely and to detach the unit from the fastening means for cleaning or replacing the components.
According to a preferred development of the above-described unit the support means may be designed such that the atomizer means is arranged outside the generator chamber.
As a result, the atomizer means is freely accessible in the installed state of the supply means and in the installed state of the injection means and can be exchanged without removal of the supply means or the injection means for the purpose of cleaning or replacement.
According to a preferred development of the above-described units, the support means may comprise a holding means to which the supply means, the atomizer means and the injection means can be fastened in a removable manner, as well as a closing means which is arranged to be rotatable relative to the holding means and by means of which the unit can be fixed to the generator wall.
This measure makes it possible to insert the holding means with the attached supply means, atomizer means and injection means into the generator chamber wall to prevent rotation, and to fixedly connect the whole unit to the generator chamber wall just by rotating the closing means. Thus the holding means can be inserted with the components attached thereto into the generator chamber wall at a predefined angular position.
Advantageously, the closing means may comprise at least one pin that can be brought into engagement with a bayonet curve provided in the generator wall. The closing means can thereby be opened and closed in a particularly fast and easy manner.
The closing means can particularly be formed by two pins that are engageable with two bayonet curves provided in the generator wall. Thanks to the provision of two pins that engage into two bayonet curves, it is possible to achieve a uniform distribution of the forces arising during the closing operation.
Advantageously, each pin may be provided with a roller. This leads to a decrease in the frictional force between pin and bayonet curve, whereby the closing means can be operated with less force on the one hand and a closing of the pin/pins and the bayonet curve/bayonet curves is avoided on the other hand.
As an alternative to a bayonet closure, the connection means may also comprise a thread that is engageable with a thread provided in the generator wall.
According to a preferred development of all of the above-described units, a stop means may be provided for limiting a rotation of the closing means in the closing direction relative to the holding means.
Since the rotation of the closing means, which is e.g. provided with a bayonet or thread means, is limited, a fixedly defined. mounting depth of the supply means and the injection means can be achieved in the generator chamber, particularly with respect to the RF generator means. A defined mounting depth can in particular optimize the formation of the plasma. Moreover, manufacturing tolerances of the individual elements can be compensated for.
The stop means may advantageously comprise an element which can be fixed in different positions on the closing means or the holding means, as well as an element which is fixedly arranged at the side of the holding means or the closing means and which can be stopped on the fixable element.
Thus various mounting depths of the supply means and the injection means in the generator chamber can be adjusted in advance and set by rotating the closing means until abutment without the need for a repeated adjustment of the desired mounting depth.
Advantageously, the element which can be fixed in different positions onto the closing means or the holding means may be made annular and may rotatably be arranged relative to the closing means or the holding means in a non-fixed position and may comprise a first control curve along which the element fixedly arranged at the side of the holding means or the closing means can be guided and at the end of which said element can be stopped. Said measure results in a low-maintenance unit which can be produced in a particularly easy manner and thus at low costs. The annular element can here be moved by hand into the desired stop position.
According to a particularly advantageous development of said unit the annular element may comprise a second control curve, and an element, which is connected to the closing means or the holding means, may be provided that can be guided in a first position along the second control curve and, in a second position, clamps the annular element against the closing means or the holding means. A fixing mechanism for the stop means can be realized by said measure in a simple and thus also inexpensive and maintenance-friendly way.
This design can advantageously be developed such that at the end at which the element which is fixedly arranged at the side of the holding means or closing means can be stopped, the first control curve comprises a snap-in mechanism into which the element connected to the holding means or closing means can be snapped, so that the annular element can be guided rela
Nguyen Kiet T.
Perkin Elmer Bodenseewerk GmbH
St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens LLC
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