Patent ID: 7373804

Claim:
A scanning Brookfield dry block unit, which comprises a block of insulation material into which is mounted at least one component selected from the group consisting of: a dry block evaporator, which has a cup-like hollow housing which defines an evaporator chamber, with first and second spaced-apart bottoms, inside and outside spaced-apart walls with the first bottom connected sealingly to the inside wall and the second bottom connected sealingly to the outside wall, and a top spanning and connected sealingly to both of the inside and outside walls, into the hollow portion of which housing can enter refrigerant through a capillary and out from the evaporator chamber can exit refrigerant through suction lines; and which is for cooling a test cell placed within the inside wall and above the first bottom; and a cup-like housing that can be cooled and/or heated by a thermoelectric chip, which housing has a bottom and a wall, with the thermoelectric chip present and in thermal contact with the housing; and which is for cooling and/or heating a test cell placed within the wall and above the bottom; wherein each component: is substantially radially symmetric with respect to a central axis for that component; provides temperature regulation for one and only one test cell, which is centered with respect to the central axis; and is substantially surrounded by insulation material of the block, at least laterally in a radial direction from the central axis; and wherein the unit is useful for employment with or as a scanning Brookfield dry block viscometer test apparatus.