CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Phase Application filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371, based on International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2019/063976, filed May 29, 2019, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 20 2018 002 603.4, filed May 30, 2018. The entire contents of these applications is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a rotary evaporator and to a cleaning device for a rotary evaporator.

A rotary evaporator comprises a rotary flask for receiving an initial substance that contains the substance to be evaporated. By heating the rotary flask in a heating bath the initial substance is heated and the substance to be evaporated is transferred into the vapor phase. The vapor enters a condenser, where it cools down and condenses.

The resulting distillate is then removed from a collecting container.

Depending on the initial substance used, the filling quantity and the duration of the distillation, in this process residues can deposit on the rotary flask and the condenser, for example, and thus contaminate the rotary flask or the condenser.

DE 44 03 165 A1 discloses a rotary evaporator in which the rotary flask is connected to the condenser via a flexible vapor passage line. For cleaning purposes, the flexible vapor passage line can be removed from the system.

The rotary flask and the condenser themselves are also removed from the system known from the prior art, i.e. disassembled for cleaning. As a result, a cleaning process is time-consuming and requires intervention by the user.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device for a rotary evaporator with which it is in particular possible to clean the rotary flask and/or the condenser in a simple manner, in particular without removing it from the rotary evaporator.

The object is achieved by a cleaning device according to claim1, a rotary evaporator according to claim9and a control unit according to claim10. Further developments of the invention are given in the dependent claims, respectively. The features of the devices, which features are described below and in the dependent claims, can also be used among one another for further development.

The cleaning device according to the invention serves for a rotary evaporator, the rotary evaporator comprising at least a rotatably arranged rotary flask for receiving a substance to be evaporated and a condenser for condensing the evaporated substance during operation of the rotary evaporator. The cleaning device comprises at least a supply line, a cleaning agent supply and a pressure generating means for supplying a pressurized cleaning agent from the cleaning agent supply through the supply line to the rotary flask and/or to the condenser. The rotary flask and/or the condenser are preferably connected to the cleaning agent supply via the supply line and the pressure generating means is preferably configured to generate a pressure in the cleaning agent so that the cleaning agent is supplied via the supply line to the rotary flask and/or condenser.

The cleaning device according to the invention makes it possible, for example, to clean the interior of the rotary flask and/or condenser in situ, i.e. without disassembly. As a result, the rotary evaporator can be used again more quickly and/or can be cleaned with greater efficiency. In addition, cleaning of the rotary flask and of the condenser can be carried out automatically, since no user intervention is required for disassembly.

The purpose of supplying the pressurized cleaning agent is thus to clean the rotary flask and/or the condenser. Preferably, the cleaning device is configured such that it is suitable for carrying out the cleaning of the rotary flask and/or of the condenser, in particular supplying of the cleaning agent, substantially independently of the operation of the rotary evaporator. In particular, the pressure generating means is formed separately from a (vacuum) pump of the rotary evaporator for generating a negative pressure up to a vacuum during operation of the rotary evaporator. “Independent of the operation of the rotary evaporator” here means independent of mechanical and/or electrical components, in particular of a (vacuum) pump, of the rotary evaporator, i.e. the cleaning device is in particular suitable for cleaning the inactive, i.e. not operating, rotary evaporator. Thus, the cleaning device is a device operating actively and independently of the rotary evaporator. The cleaning device can either be fixedly connected to the rotary evaporator or at least specific elements of the cleaning device can be connected to the rotary evaporator prior to the cleaning device being put into operation.

Preferably, the cleaning agent is a liquid, in particular water and/or a low-boiling component (i.e. a highly volatile or low-boiling component that has been evaporated in a previous operation, i.e. evaporation process) used in the operation of the rotary evaporator, and/or a medium selected according to the rule “Similia similibus solvuntur” (“Similar dissolves in similar”) and adapted to an initial substance or at least a component of the initial substance used in the operation of the rotary evaporator, and/or a cleaning agent individually tailored to a medium evaporated during operation of the rotary evaporator, i.e. in an evaporation process. Thus, it is preferred that the cleaning agent is adapted to an initial substance used in the operation of the rotary evaporator or adapted to at least one component of the initial substance, in particular a component evaporated during operation. This provides, for example, for a cleaning agent with which the rotary flask and/or the condenser can be cleaned easily. Herein, “in operation of the rotary evaporator” or “evaporation process” means the intended use of the rotary evaporator, such as for a distillation process or the like, in contrast to a cleaning process by means of the cleaning device during which the rotary evaporator is at least partially out of operation. Furthermore, the cleaning agent can also include a maintenance agent and/or water with an added cleaning agent can be used.

Preferably, the pressure generating means is designed as a pump for generating a pressure of the cleaning agent, and the cleaning agent supply is further preferably designed as a storage container for storing the cleaning agent. Alternatively or in addition, it is preferred that at least the cleaning agent supply and further preferably also the pressure generating means is provided by tap water. By means of the pressurized cleaning agent an efficient cleaning can be achieved, for example.

Preferably, the cleaning device further comprises at least one discharge line for discharging the cleaning agent from the rotary flask and/or from the condenser and further comprises a pump for generating a negative pressure in the discharge line, and further preferably the cleaning device comprises a removal container for receiving the discharged cleaning agent. This makes it possible, for example, to discharge the soiled cleaning agent in a simple manner.

Preferably, the cleaning device comprises at least one outlet opening through which the cleaning agent enters into the rotary flask or the condenser during operation of the cleaning device, wherein further preferably a cross-section of the at least one outlet opening is smaller than a cross-section of a supply line. The narrowing of the cross-section in the outlet opening accelerates the cleaning agent passing through it, i.e. the cleaning agent exits at a greater velocity. In this way, for example, a good cleaning effect can be achieved.

Preferably, the cleaning device comprises a plurality of outlet openings, wherein the outlet openings are preferably arranged regularly spaced from one another on the cleaning device and/or wherein the outlet openings are adapted, in particular with respect to their distribution and/or geometric shape, in particular their dimension, to an extension of the rotary flask and/or the condenser. This provides, for example, for a further enhanced cleaning effect.

Preferably, the at least one outlet opening is provided on a nozzle head of the cleaning device and the nozzle head is movably and/or rotatably provided in the rotary flask and/or in the condenser, and/or the nozzle head can be set into vibrations, in particular ultrasonic vibrations. This makes it possible, for example, to clean the rotary flask and/or the condenser even better, since in particular the jets of cleaning agent exiting through the outlet openings can be directed to different regions of the respective container by a movement and/or rotation of the nozzle head. By additionally setting the nozzle head into vibrations, e.g. into ultrasonic vibrations, residues and/or contaminations on the inner wall of the respective container can be removed even better, for example.

Preferably, the cleaning device further is suitable for supplying compressed air to the rotary flask and/or the condenser. Thus, for example, after cleaning the flask or condenser, it can be dried with compressed air so that the rotary evaporator can be used again more quickly and/or residues can be removed from the flask or condenser already before cleaning, which simplifies the cleaning process, for example.

A rotary evaporator according to the invention comprises at least a rotatably arranged rotary flask for receiving a substance to be evaporated and a condenser for condensing the evaporated substance during operation, as well as a cleaning device described above. Preferably, the cleaning device is provided as an equipment and/or retrofit kit for the rotary evaporator.

A control unit according to the invention serves for a cleaning device according to the invention as described above and/or for a rotary evaporator according to the invention as described above, wherein the control unit is configured to control the cleaning device or the rotary evaporator so that during operation of the cleaning device, and in particular independent of the operation of the rotary evaporator, a pressurized cleaning agent is supplied to the rotary flask and/or to the condenser from the cleaning agent supply through the supply line by means of the pressure generating means in order to clean the rotary flask and/or the condenser. With such a control unit it is possible, for example, to automatically carry out a cleaning process on the rotary evaporator.

An inventive cleaning method for a rotary evaporator serves to clean a rotary flask and/or a condenser of the rotary evaporator. In the method a pressurized cleaning agent is supplied to the rotary flask and/or the condenser from a cleaning agent supply through a supply line by means of a pressure generating means, preferably independently of the operation of the rotary evaporator.

The cleaning method according to the invention can also be further developed by the features of the cleaning device and/or of the rotary evaporator and/or of the control unit, which features are given above and in the dependent claims.

