Patent ID: 7278961

Claim:
A centrifugal separator comprising: a motor housing that incorporates a motor serving as a rotary drive source; a rotating shaft connected to said motor; a rotor fixed to said rotating shaft and adapted to hold a sample to be separated; a rotor chamber adapted to accommodate said rotor and to have an opening portion in a top surface thereof; a door openably/closeably provided in said opening portion of said rotor chamber; a door lock mechanism adapted to restrict the opening/closing of said door; a door opening/closing detector adapted to detect opening/closing of said door; a control unit adapted to control said motor and said door lock mechanism; a casing adapted to accommodate said motor housing, said rotor chamber, said door lock mechanism, and said control unit, and to have an open part at said opening portion in said top surface of said rotor chamber so that said door is openably and closeably provided in said open part; a ground connection wire adapted to electrically ground said motor housing; and a switching unit, which is adapted to be brought into electrical conduction or electrical nonconduction, being electrically connected between said motor housing and said motor-ground connection wire, wherein said switching unit is controlled by said control unit to be brought into electrical nonconduction when said door is closed.