GB2104375A

GB2104375A - Laboratory equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2104375A
Application number: GB08124873A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francois Prosper Fernand Drake; Brian Philip Holder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-08-14
Filing date: 1981-08-14
Publication date: 1983-03-09
Also published as: GB2104375B

Abstract

A modular free standing laboratory unit 10 having a bench and connectable to similar units to enable a laboratory to be installed with services such as gas, electricity, water, vacuum drainage and lighting being provided at a single service station 14. The services are fed to the units 10 by overhead lines 12 which interconnect the units 10. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Laboratory equipment The present invention relates to laboratory equipment.

A laboratory normally consists of several benches each of which requires services such as drainage, water, gas, electricity supply and lighting. Thus when it is desired to convert a room into a laboratory, it is first necessary to incur the substantial cost of providing the drainage, power points etc., as various points around the room, and this cost is totally wasted if it is ever desired to convert the room back to use as other than a laboratory.

The present invention seeks to provide a laboratory unit by means of which at least some of the foregoing disadvantages may be mitigated.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a free standing laboratory unit capable of being connected to other similar units so as to form an entire laboratory, each unit having input connections for services such as drainage, water, gas and electricity supplies and output connections for enabling the said services to be passed on to the other similar units.

It can thus be seen that the present invention provides an entire laboratory in modular form which is free standing, i.e. not fixed to the fabric of the building so that installation requires no modification. The layout need not be related to the geography of the building and requires services to be provided at only one location in a room, the services passing from one unit to the next without the need for alteration to the service supply lines of the building.

Conveniently, each modular unit is connected to adjacent units by overhead lines which carry the necessary services.

In order to enable drainage to be passed through overhead lines, the drainage system may conveniently be a vaccum system relying on air pressure rather than on gravity.

Advantageously, each unit incorporates its own lighting and may additionally if required incorporate its own work bench which can fold away for storage.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of a laboratory formed from units constructed in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a single unit in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a laboratory consisting of six working stations 10 each of which forms part of a unit of the invention. At each bench station there are provided a work bench, water, electricity, gas, drainage and lighting.

These features will be described in more detail by references to a particular embodiment shown in Fig. 2. Each station consists of a free standing unit connected at its upper end, by way of connectors 12, to adjacent units.

The connectors 1 2 are of predetermined length and bolt together to provide air tight connections through which water, compressed gas and electricity can flow from one bench unit to the next. It will be seen that the services are thus supplied by overhead lines which do not interfere with the access to the work benches. Furthermore, because all the working stations are free standing, as opposed to being bolted to the wall, the layout of the laboratory is totally independent of the geography of the building.

One special unit 14 is provided designed to be connected to the mains services including water supply, drainage, electricity and gas.

The unit 14 does not itself incorporate a bench but may for example incorporate a pump for the vaccum drainage of waste generated at various work stations by way of the overhead drainage system. The unit 14 may also incorporate for example a fuse box, gas pressure regulators, water filters and any similar appliances required for regulating, monitoring or controlling the services available at different work stations. However only one such service station need be provided in any laboratory and from there the regulated supplies are fed to each unit by way of the overhead conduit.

Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown a laboratory unit which is in the form of a free standing structure having leg castings 30. The height of the legs is adjustable by means of a leveling screw accessible to a hole 32. The unit consists of two end columns 34 and 38 with a drainage trough 36 extending between the two end columns. Water supply taps 40 are provided at each end and electrical sockets (not shown) are provided at appropriate piaces on the columns. If desired, there may also be provided a gas supply. At the upper end of the two columns 34 and 38 there is a lighting unit 42 which is designed to throw light on to benches arranged to extend away from the two end columns 34 and 38 in the manner shown in Fig. 1. If desired, shelves such as the mesh shelf 44 may extend between the two end columns to support and store reagents. The space beneath the drainage trough is closed by a panel 46 which is removable if necessary to provide access for servicing. Fold away benches may be provided on each side, if desired, but if used on only one side, it is advisable to provide a trip rpotector 48 to prevent people from accidentally tripping on the projecting leg castings 30.

It will be seen that with the design of a laboratory based on units as disclosed above it is possible to provide considerable freedom in the layout while saving substantially on the initial installation cost and minimizing the damage to the structure of the building so as to permit its reconversion at a subsequent stage for use as other than a laboratory.

Claims

1. A free standing laboratory unit capable of being connected to other similar units so as to form an entire laboratory, each unit having input connections for servies such as drainage. water, gas and electricity supplies and output connections for enabling the said services to be passed on to the other similar units.

2. A laboratory unit as claimed in Claim 1.

wherein the connections for services are provided at the upper end of the unit whereby units may be connected to one another by overhead lines to carry the necessary services without presenting an obstacle to free movement in the laboratory.

3. A laboratory unit as claimed in Claim 1, which comprises a pair of applied columns supported on legs, a lighting unit extending between the upper ends of the columns and a drainage trough extending between the columns beneath the level of the lighting unit.

4. A laboratory unit as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the unit additionally comprises a bench supported on said upright columns.

5. A laboratory unit as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the bench surface is capable of being folded away for storage.

6. A laboratory formed of a plurality of laboratory units as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein there is additionally provided a vaccum drainage system to enable the trough in the respective units to be drained by means of overhead drainage lines.

7. A laboratory unit constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.