Claims
- 1. A device for adhering a cover glass onto a specimen in a mounting medium on a slide glass, comprising:means for holding one end of said cover glass, using a vacuum device applying suction, such that said cover glass is above said slide glass and oblique with respect to said slide glass, said one end of said cover glass being higher than another end of said cover glass opposite thereto; means for moving said vacuum device along an arc of a circle having a circle center below said cover glass so as to initially dispose a contact area of said another end of said cover glass into contact with said slide glass; means for further moving said vacuum device along said arc to move said one end toward said slide glass, after said contact area contacts said slide glass, while reducing a speed of movement of said vacuum device along said arc such that air between said cover glass and said slide glass is forced out; and means for removing said suction to release said cover glass whereby said cover glass is adhered onto said slide glass.
- 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a virtual line, connecting a center of said vacuum device and the circle center, and a plane of said cover glass define an acute angle maintained during moving along said arc.
- 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said means for moving effects curving of said cover glass by contact with said slide glass.
- 4. The device according to claims 2, wherein the means for removing suction removes suction prior to the one end of the cover glass contacting said slide glass.
- 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said means for further moving effects curving of said cover glass by contact with said slide glass.
- 6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the means for removing suction removes suction prior to the one end of the cover glass contacting said slide glass.
- 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the means for further moving moves a first contact portion of the cover glass, at which initial contact is made with the slide glass, toward a contact point at which the one end of the cover glass contacts the slide glass.
- 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the means for further moving moves the one end of the cover glass into contact with said slide glass.
- 9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation speed is reduced at a rate so as to extend the mounting medium at a fixed speed.
- 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein a virtual line, connecting a center of said vacuum device and the circle center, and a plane of said cover glass define an acute angle maintained during moving along said arc.
- 11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said means for further moving effects curving of said cover glass by contact with said slide glass.
- 12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the means for removing suction removes suction prior to the one end of the cover glass contacting said slide glass.
- 13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation speed is reduced at a rate so as to extend the mounting medium at a decreasing speed.
- 14. The device according to claim 13, wherein a virtual line, connecting a center of said vacuum device and the circle center, and a plane of said cover glass define an acute angle maintained during said moving along said arc.
- 15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said means for further moving effects curving of said cover glass by contact with said slide glass.
- 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the means for removing suction removes suction prior to the one end of the cover glass contacting said slide glass.
- 17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the speed of movement along the arc is adjusted on a basis of properties of the mounting medium so as to leave no air in the space between said cover glass and said slide glass when the one end of said cover glass is moved toward said slide glass while reducing the speed of movement.
- 18. A device for adhering a cover glass onto a specimen and mounting medium, disposed on a slide glass, said device comprising:a table for supporting said slide glass; a pillar mounted vertically with respect to said table; a support member mounted on said pillar; an arm rotatably supported by said support member; a first actuator for moving said support member vertically on said pillar; a second actuator for rotating said arm on said support member; a sucking unit mounted on said arm for obliquely holding said cover glass above said slide glass so that a sucked end of the cover glass is located on an upper end with respect to another end of the cover glass; a vacuum pump driving said sucking unit; a controller for controlling the vacuum pump, the first actuator and the second actuator; said controller having means for controlling said first actuator to lower a pivot point of said arm below said table; and said controller having means for rotating the arm so that the another end of the cover glass contacts the slide glass at a contact area of the slide glass and means for gradually reducing the rotational speed of the arm after said contact area contacts the cover glass whereby air between the cover glass and the slide glass is forced out.
- 19. The device according to claim 18, further comprising said controller having means for removing pressure applied to the sucking unit prior to the end of the cover glass contacting the slide glass.
- 20. The device according to claim 18, wherein an angle between a virtual line which connects a center of a sucking pad of the sucking unit and the rotational axis of the arm and the cover glass is an acute angle.
- 21. The device according to claim 18, wherein the controller controls the rotation speed of the arm so that the rotation speed is reduced so as to extend the mounting medium at a fixed speed.
- 22. The device according to claim 18, wherein the controller controls the speed of the first actuator and the speed of the second actuator on the basis of properties of the mounting medium so as to leave no air space between said cover glass and said slide glass when the one end of the cover glass is moved toward said slide glass.
- 23. The device according to claim 18, further comprising said controller having means for effecting curving of said cover glass by contact with said slide glass.
- 24. A device for adhering a cover glass onto a specimen and mounting medium, disposed on a slide glass, said device comprising:a table for supporting said slide glass; a pillar mounted vertically with respect to said table; a support member mounted on said pillar; an arm rotatably supported by said support member; a first actuator for rotating said arm on said support member; a sucking unit mounted on said arm for obliquely holding said cover glass above said slide glass so that a sucked end of the cover glass is located on an upper end with respect to another end of the cover glass; a vacuum pump driving said sucking unit; a controller for controlling the vacuum pump and the first actuator; and said controller having means for rotating the arm so that the another end of the cover glass contacts the slide glass at a contact area of the slide glass and means for gradually reducing the rotational speed of the arm after said contact area contacts the cover glass whereby air between the cover glass and the slide glass is forced out.
- 25. The device according to claim 24, wherein said support member is slidably mounted on said pillar.
- 26. The device according to claim 25, further comprising an actuator for vertically moving said support member on said pillar.
- 27. A cover glass adhering device, comprising:a table onto which a slide glass is mounted; a supporting pillar being vertically provided to said table; a supporting cylinder being provided to said supporting pillar, said supporting cylinder being capable of moving in the vertical direction, said supporting cylinder having a horizontal shaft; means for moving said supporting cylinder in the vertical direction; an arm being rotatably supported by said supporting cylinder, a base end of said arm being rotatably connected to the horizontal shaft of said supporting cylinder; a sucking pad being provided to a front end of said arm; means for rotating said arm; and means for controlling said moving means and said rotating means so as to suck one end of said cover glass, which is located on the further side with respect to the horizontal shaft of said supporting cylinder, with said sucking pad; to obliquely hold said cover glass, above said slide glass, in a state in which the sucked one end of said cover glass is located on the upper side with respect to the other end thereof; to move said supporting cylinder downward until the horizontal axis reaches a position under said slide glass; and to rotate said arm to put said cover glass onto an upper face of said slide glass with gradually reducing rotational speed of said arm.
- 28. The cover glass adhering device according to claim 27,further comprising means for gradually reducing the rotational speed of said arm when the one end of said cover glass is moved toward said slide glass.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional application of allowed application Ser. No. 09/382,835 filed Aug. 25, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,985.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
09325105 |
Dec 1997 |
JP |