Conveying device

Conveying device (10) for positioning and providing laboratory vessels (12;

• 12a;
• 12b;
• 12c) for nutrient media, samples, microorganisms, cell cultures, for analysis, sample preparation, and/or sample manipulation on an associated apparatus (64), comprising:
• said conveying device includes a conveying direction F for said laboratory vessels;
• a first conveying unit (32) and a second conveying unit (52, 56, 54) operate independently with respect to each other, said first conveying unit (32) first translationally conveys said laboratory vessel (12) first between an initial region (30) and a predetermined height region (50) and then said second conveying unit (42, 56, 54) conveys said laboratory vessel (12) between said predetermined height region (50) and a provision region (64) and after said provision, said second conveying unit translationally conveys and returns said laboratory vessel (12) to said predetermined height region (50), and thereafter said first conveying unit (32) translationally conveys said laboratory vessel (12) back to said initial region (30);
• said first conveying unit (32) vertically and translationally conveys said laboratory vessel (12) from said initial region (30) to a predetermined height region (50) along a vertical axis (A) and vice versa;
• said first conveying unit (32) comprises a horizontally aligned support plate (34) for said laboratory vessel (12), said horizontally aligned support plate (34) includes a horizontally aligned support surface;
• said vertical axis (A) of said first conveying unit (32) extends orthogonally relative to said horizontally aligned support surface of said horizontally aligned support plate (34);
• said second conveying unit (52, 56, 54) comprises a support arm (54), said support arm (54) includes a longitudinal axis and a gripper (56) at a free end of said support arm;
• a drive (55) translationally moves said support arm (54) and said gripper (56) forward and backward orthogonally relative to said conveying direction F and said axis (A) in a horizontal plane;
• a drive (58) rotates said gripper (56) about said longitudinal axis of said support arm;
• said gripper of said second conveying unit (52) engages said laboratory vessel (12) and translationally and rotationally conveys said laboratory vessel (12) from said vertical axis (A) in said predetermined height region (50) to said provision region in said horizontal plane and vice versa;
• said laboratory vessel (12) is held in said provision region for analysis or preparation before it is returned to said predetermined height region (50) aligned with and along said vertical axis (A);
• a centering device (32, 40, 41) centers said laboratory vessel (12) relative to said axis (A) of said first conveying unit (32);
• said centering device (32, 34, 38, 40, 41, 34) comprises said first conveying unit (32), said horizontally aligned support plate (34), a rotational drive (38) for driving and rotating said first conveying unit (32) and said horizontally aligned support plate (34), a recess (40), and, said recess includes a lateral ring guide (41) for said laboratory vessel (12) which tapers conically in one direction;
• said laboratory vessel (12), said first conveying unit (32), and said horizontally aligned support (34) are rotatable about said axis (A);
• and,
• said horizontally aligned support (34) and said laboratory vessel (12) are moved in the direction of said conical taper of said lateral ring guide while being rotated, said laboratory vessel (12) is guided by said lateral ring guide (41), and said laboratory vessel is thus centered on said lateral ring guide (41) without any tilting of said laboratory vessel.