Storage system and method for storing material
AssigneeBeckman Coulter, Inc.
InventorsStephen Otts, Stefan Rückl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A storage system for storing material such as sample tube caps comprises a drawer with a reservoir, the drawer being movable between a first position and a second position. A storage container is arranged below the reservoir of the drawer when the drawer is arranged in the first position. A transport device is configured to retrieve material from the storage container and to transport the material out of the storage container. Therein, the reservoir of the drawer comprises a bottom with at least one closable opening.
Claims15
A storage system for storing material such as sample tube caps, comprising:
- a drawer comprising a reservoir, the drawer being movable between a first position and a second position,
- a storage container arranged below the reservoir of the drawer when the drawer is arranged in the first position, and
- a transport device configured to retrieve material from the storage container and to transport the material out of the storage container,
- wherein the reservoir of the drawer comprises a bottom with at least one closable opening.
The storage system according to claim, wherein
- the drawer comprises at least one first magnet arranged to interact with at least one first counter-element of the slidable element so that the slidable element is locked in a state in which the slidable element closes the closable opening when the drawer is in the second position,
- the slidable element comprises at least one second magnet (27) arranged to interact with at least one second counter-element (17) of the storage system so that the slidable element slides away from the closable opening when the drawer is moved into the first position, and
- when the drawer is moved out of the first position, the at least one second magnet interacts (27) with the at least one second counter-element (17) so that the slidable element slides over the closable opening until the first magnet interacts with the first counter-element, thereby locking the slidable element in the state in which the slidable element closes the closable opening.
A method for storing material such as sample tube caps in a storage system, comprising the steps:
- moving a drawer comprising a reservoir from a first position into a second position,
- receiving material into the reservoir of the drawer when the drawer is arranged in the second position,
- moving the drawer into the first position where at least one closable opening in the bottom of the reservoir is opened, and
- releasing the material through the closable opening into a storage container arranged below the drawer when the drawer is arranged in the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.