Fluid container management system

A system for transferring a container including grooves formed on opposed sides of the container, wherein the system comprises:

• (A) a container loading interface comprising:
• (1) A movable support platform that is movable between an accessible position and a non-accessible position;
• and
• (2) A container loading transport supported on the movable support platform and including a plurality of container pockets, each container pocket being configured to receive a container inserted vertically into the container pocket when the moveable support platform is in the accessible position and to permit a container to be removed laterally from the container pocket, wherein the container loading transport is configured to sequentially transport the container pockets to a container transfer position with respect to a transfer opening formed in the movable support platform when the moveable support platform is in the non-accessible position;
• (B) a container storage module comprising:
• (1) A housing with a container ingress/egress opening formed in a side of the housing;
• (2) a movable barrier configured for movement between a first position blocking the container ingress/egress opening and a second position permitting a container to be moved laterally through the container ingress/egress opening;
• and
• (3) a container storage transport disposed within the housing and including a plurality of container holding stations, each container holding station including spring tabs configured to resiliently engage the grooves of a container held in the container holding station to retain the container in the container holding station and to deflect outwardly to permit the container to be laterally inserted into or laterally removed from the container holding station;
• and
• (C) a container distributor configured to transfer containers from the container loading interface to the container storage module and comprising:
• (1) A container gripper configured to grasp a container carried in one of the container pockets of the container loading transport located at the container transfer position by engaging the grooves of the container, wherein the container gripper comprises:
• (a) a gripper element mounting bracket;
• (b) a first gripper element mounted to the gripper element mounting bracket for pivoting movement about a first gripper axis of rotation and including a first hook located at a radially-spaced position with respect to the first gripper axis of rotation and configured to seat in one of the grooves of the container;
• and
• (c) a second gripper element mounted to the gripper element mounting bracket for pivoting movement about a second gripper axis of rotation that is parallel to the first gripper axis of rotation and including a second hook located at a radially-spaced position with respect to the second gripper axis of rotation and configured to seat in the opposite groove of the container, wherein the first hook and the second hook are bent toward each other, and wherein the first gripper element and the second gripper element are coupled to one another for coordinated pivoting movement toward each other or away from each other about the respective first and second gripper axes of rotation, wherein the container gripper is configured to grasp a container by pivoting the first and second gripper elements toward each other until the respective first and second hooks are seated within one of the grooves of the container;
• and wherein the first gripper element and the second gripper element are coupled to one another for coordinated pivoting movement by:
• (i) a first gripper element coupling gear attached to the first gripper element and arranged coaxially with the first gripper axis of rotation;
• and
• (ii) a second gripper element coupling gear attached to the second gripper element and arranged coaxially with the second gripper axis of rotation;
• wherein the first gripper element coupling gear and the second gripper element coupling gear are inter-engaged so that rotation of either the first gripper element or the second gripper element results in a corresponding, coordinated rotation of the other gripper element in an opposite rotational direction;
• (d) a gripper motor with a gripper actuator gear;
• (e) a gripper drive gear mounted coaxially with the first gripper axis of rotation and configured for rotation independently of the first gripper element, wherein the gripper actuator gear is engaged with the gripper drive gear;
• and
• (f) a drive pin extending from the first gripper element at a position spaced from the first gripper axis of rotation, wherein the drive pin extends into an opening formed in the gripper drive gear;
• (2) a gripper advance system configured to move the container gripper to laterally remove the container from the container pocket of the container loading transport in which the container is held, wherein the gripper advance system is configured to move the container gripper to insert the container held thereby through the ingress/egress opening and into a container holding station of the container storage transport, and the container gripper is configured to release the container in the container holding station by disengaging the grooves of the container;
• and
• (3) a distributor moving system configured to move the container gripper and the container held thereby from the container transfer position to the ingress/egress opening of the container storage module.