Patent ID: 7260178

Claim:
A diffractometer comprising: a base; an analytical unit supporting a source of a radiation beam having a collimation axis and a radiation beam detector having a reception axis; said collimation and reception axes converging at a centre of the diffractometer; said centre of the diffractometer being fixed with respect to said analytical unit; means for moving said analytical unit with respect to said base; means for rotating said source and said radiation beam detector around said centre of the diffractometer so that said collimation axis and said reception axis are kept in an equatorial plane, fixed with respect to said analytical unit; a support and movement structure supporting said analytical unit; means for moving said analytical unit with respect to said support and movement structure so that said analytical unit can rotate around an equatorial axis contained in said equatorial plane and passing through said centre of the diffractometer; said means for moving said analytical unit with respect to said support and movement structure permitting the rotation of the equatorial plane around said equatorial axis, without said support and movement structure changing its position ; and wherein said means for moving said analytical unit with respect to said base moves said analytical unit to change a position of said equatorial axis with respect to said base.