Centrifuge for separating liquids

Claim 1

A rotor for a centrifuge for separating liquids, comprising: a rotationally substantially symmetrical body having a disk-shaped end wall having a center and a radially outer periphery, said end wall having an axially outer surface and an axially inner surface, an outer peripheral sidewall depending from said radially outer periphery of said end wall so as to radially surround said axially inner surface of said end wall, and a central boss having one end based on said end wall, said boss extending longitudinally from said axially inner surface of said end wall so as to be radially spacedly surrounded by said sidewall, said sidewall having a radially outer surface, a radially inner surface, and, located distally of said end wall, a free end; means defining a plurality of equi-angularly spaced socket-like holes in said body, each such hole having a mouth opening through said axially outer surface of said end wall of said body and extending longitudinally internally into said sidewall while being spaced from both said radially outer and radially inner surfaces of said sidewall and terminating in a closed end located axially short of said end of said sidewall; said holes, as seen in transverse cross-section, having longitudinal axes forming apices of an imaginary regular polygon; each said hole having an inner peripheral surface extending from said mouth to said closed end thereof; means provided on said central boss for mounting said rotor to a motor shaft for providing motorized rotation to said rotor; said body being made of plastics material and characterized by being substantially hollow radially between said central boss and said radially inner surface of said sidewall; and reinforcing ring means disposed externally on said radially outer surface of said sidewall and mounted to said body for rotation therewith, said reinforcing ring means comprising at least one tangentially-oriented long fibre of reinforcement material.