BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reagent reaction container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of a part of the reagent reaction container according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing that the residual liquid passes through the crevice of the drain element;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the drain element of the present invention, showing that the crevice of the drain element is opened, and
FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate form of the drain element according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a reagent reaction container 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a container body 10, a plurality of filter holders 20, a plurality of filters 30, and a plurality of drain elements 40.
The container body 10 has a plurality of independent stepped receiving bores 11 through the top and bottom sides thereof. Each receiving bore 11 has a large-diameter section 111, a small-diameter section 112, and a step 113 defined between the large-diameter section 111 and the small-diameter section 112.
The filter holders 20 are respectively molded from plastics, polyurethane or rubber. Each of the filter holders has a head 21 of relatively greater outer diameter, a shank 22 of relatively smaller outer diameter integrally connected with the head 21, a step defined between the head 21 and the shank 22, a toothed engagement portion 211 defined around the periphery of the head 21, and a stepped through hole through the top and bottom sides thereof. The through hole of the filter holder 20 has a large-diameter section 213, a medium-diameter section 214, a step 215 defined between the large-diameter section 213 and the medium-diameter section 214, and a small-diameter section 221.
The filters 30 are wire gauze filters in the present embodiment, each having staggered arrays of openings 31 at different elevations.
The drain elements 40 are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (TEFLON), each having a crossed crevice 41 as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 shows an alternate form of the drain element. According to this alternate form, the drain element 50 has an elongated crevice 51 other than the crossed crevice 41 as shown in FIG. 4. When the drain element 40 or 50 receives no pressure, the crevice 41 or 51 is closed. On the contrary, when the drain element 40 or 50 receives a pressure, the respective crevice 41 or 51 is opened.
After introduction of the structure of every part of the reagent reaction container 100, the assembly process of the reagent reaction container 100 and its operation are described hereinafter.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 again, the drain elements 40 are respectively inserted into the large-diameter sections 213 in the filter holders 20 (the quantity of the drain elements is equal to the quantity of the filter holders) and supported on the respective steps 215 in the respective filter holders 20, and then the wire gauze filters 30 are respectively inserted into the large-diameter sections 213 in the filter holders 20 (the quantity of the wire gauze filters is equal to the quantity of the filter holders) and supported on the respective drain elements 40, and then the filter holders 20 with the associated drain elements 40 and wire gauze filters 30 are respectively inserted into the receiving bores 11 in the container body 10 (the quantity of the filter holders is equal to the quantity of the receiving bores of the container body) to force the toothed engagement portion 211 of the head 21 of each filter holder 20 into engagement with the peripheral wall of each of the receiving bores 11 and to have the step defined between the head 21 and the shank 22 of each filter holder 20 be respectively supported on the step 113 in each of the receiving bores 11, and therefore the filter holders 20 are respectively and firmly positioned in the receiving bores 11 of the container body 10.
Referring to FIG. 3, when different liquids are dispensed into one receiving bore 11 to cause a reaction and to further produce a solid compound 1 on the wire gauze filter 30, a gas 3 (normally nitrogen gas) can be filled into the receiving bore 11 to force the crevice 41 of the drain element 40 to open (see FIG. 4), so that the residual liquid (or cleaning solution) 2 can flow away from the solid compound 1 through the openings 31 of the wire gauze filter 30 and the crevice 41 of the drain element 40 to the outside of the container body 10 of the reagent reaction container 100 via the small-diameter section 221 of the filter holder 20.
Further, the size of the crevice 41 of each drain element 40 is determined subject to a proper calculation so that the crevice 41 does not open when the drain element 40 receives no pressure, and will open immediately to guide away the residual liquid 2 upon a pressure (gas pressure). Further, because the drain element 40 is supported on the step 215 of the filter holder 20, the step 215 limits the degree of deformation of the drain element 40 when bearing the pressure of the applied gas 3. Further, the size of the openings 31 of the wire gauze filter 30 is well selected, so that the produced solid compound 1 is well kept on the wire gauze filter 30 and will not fall to the openings 31.
Patent Application
20070292317
