Sample introducing system for use in liquid chromatography

Claim 2

A sample introducing system for use in liquid chromatography comprising sample separating means; an eluting solution source; an eluting solution feeding pump; sample reservoir supporting means carrying a plurality of sample reservoirs and adapted to successively bring one of said sample reservoirs into communication with a sample probe; sample reserving means having a slender passage; sample drawing means adapted to perform sequential liquid drawing and exhausting operations; a first passage system extending from said eluting solution source to said sample separating means by way of said eluting solution source to said sample separating means by way of said eluting solution feeding pump; a second passage system extending from said sample drawing means to said sample probe by way of the slender passage in said reserving means; a third passage system extending from said eluting solution source to said sample separating means by way of said eluting solution feeding pump and the slender passage in said sample drawing means; a fourth passage system extending from said sample drawing means to a drain; and means for changing a first changeover mode at which said first and second passage systems are established and a second changeover mode at which said third and fourth passage systems are established from one of said modes to the other by turns in synchronism with said sample drawing means, wherein at said first changeover mode, said eluting solution feeding pump feeds said eluting solution from said eluting solution source to said sample separating means through said first passage system and, in the meantime, said drawing means performs said drawing operation through said second passage system so as to transfer a sample in one of said sample reservoirs into the slender passage in said sample reserving means, and, at said second changeover mode, said eluting solution pump feeds said eluting solution from said eluting solution source to said sample separating means through said third passage system so as to introduce the sample reserved in said slender passage into said sample sample separating means and, in the meantime, said drawing means performs said exhausting operation through said fourth passage system so as to exhaust the remaining liquid in said fourth passage system to said drain.

Claim 3

A sample introducing system according to claim 3, which comprises means for cleaning a passage extending from said reservoir supporting means to said sample reserving means when the communication between these two means in interrupted.

Claim 4

A sample introducing system according to claim 4, which comprises means for feeding a development suppressing liquid to said sample separating means prior to each introducing of the sample to said sample separating means, the development suppressing liquid is first transferred from a source thereof to said sample reserving means succeeding the sample by the drawing operation of said sample drawing means thereby to be introduced to said sample separating means preceding the sample when the flow direction is reversed.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein cleaning means communicate with the passageway extending between the sample reservoir supporting means and the sample reserving means, through the selective operation of the flow changeover means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein means are provided for producing communication between a development suppressing liquid source and the sample reservoir means.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the flow changeover means is a cylinder containing a resiliently mounted piston means slidably disposed therein and adapted to be actuated by a driving cam means, said cylinder means being provided with a plurality of ports and said piston means being provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed ridges, said ridges and the bore of said cylinder means defining a plurality of fluidtight annular passages which communicate with said ports, the connection between said ports being controlled by the axial movement of said piston produced by said driving cam means.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the sample drawing means comprises a cylinder containing a spRing loaded piston rod associated with a driving cam means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the sample reserving means is an elongated conduit means which communicates with two different portions of the flow changeover means.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the sample reservoir supporting means comprises a rotary plate which contains said plurality of sample reservoirs, each of said sample reservoirs adapted to communicate with a sample container and a sample drawing means for the introduction of the sample into the sample reservoir.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a driving means is associated with the sample reservoir supporting means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the sample reservoirs are elongated conduits in the form of an inverted U-section, each leg of said U-section communicating with the sample container and sample drawing means respectively through the rotary plate of the sample reservoir supporting means.

Claim 14

A sample introducing system for use in liquid chromatography, comprising sample separating means, an eluting solution source, means for feeding the eluting solution from said source to said sample separating means, sample reservoir supporting means carrying a plurality of sample reservoirs, sample reserving means, sample drawing means adapted to be intermittently actuated to transfer a sample in one of said sample reservoirs to said sample reserving means, and changeover means adapted to be intermittently actuated to feed the eluting solution to said sample separating means through said sample reserving means thereby to intermittently introduce the sample reserved in said sample reserving means to said sample separating means and at the same time to intercept the communication between said sample reserving means and said sample reservoir supporting means, said changeover means being a cylinder and piston means adapted to be actuated by a driving cam means, said cylinder having a plurality of ports, the connection among said ports being controlled by the axial movement of said piston caused by said driving cam means.

Claim 15

A sample introducing system for use in liquid chromatography, comprising sample separating means, an eluting solution source, means for feeding the eluting solution from said source to said sample separating means, sample reservoir supporting means carrying a plurality of sample reservoirs, sample reserving means, sample drawing means adapted to be intermittently actuated to transfer a sample in one of said sample reservoirs to said sample reserving means, said sample drawing means being a cylinder and piston means adapted to be actuated by a driving cam to present an expanding drawing chamber in relation to the operation of said changeover means, and changeover means adapted to be intermittently actuated to feed the eluting solution to said sample separating means through said sample reserving means thereby to intermittently introduce the sample reserved in said sample reserving means to said sample separating means and at the same time to intercept the communication between said sample reserving means and said sample reservoir supporting means.