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US 5,104,624 AGranted
Pipetter
AssigneeCostar Corporation
InventorAnthony M. Labriola
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand-held, manually operated pipetter having a variable volume controlled by a rotating spindle and adjusting screw that control the position of a stop which limits the upper end of the stroke of the pipetter piston. The lower end of the stroke is controlled by a movable stop urged to a first position by a blow-out spring which may be overcome with additional force applied to the pipetter piston when the lower stop is engaged. The pipetter also includes a stripper which surrounds the tip holder and which is actuated by a rod movable in the body of the pipetter along a path parallel to the path of the pipetter piston. The pipetter piston and the stripper rod are controlled by separate actuators which may readily be engaged by the thumb of the hand which holds the body of the device.
Claims26
A pipetter comprising
- an elongated body with upper and lower ends and having a chamber therein,
- an adjusting screw having an axial opening extending therethrough and in fixed relation to the body in the chamber during adjustment, said adjusting screw being externally threaded,
- a tip holder attached to the lower end of the body and having an opening therethrough axially aligned with the opening in the adjusting screw, said tip holder having a lower end for engaging and carrying removable tips,
- a pipetter piston with upper and lower ends mounted for axial motion in the adjusting screw opening and extending out the lower end of the body and into the tip holder opening,
- a rotatable, tubular spindle mounted in the chamber, extending over said adjusting screw and having internal threads which are threaded onto the external threads of the adjusting screw,
- a first stop carried by the spindle and movable therewith relative to the adjusting screw for limiting the upward travel of the pipetter piston in the openings,
- a second stop mounted in the body in the path of the pipetter piston for resisting movement of said piston in a downward direction beyond a preselected position,
- a thumb button on the upper end of the pipetter piston above the body and positioned to be engaged so as to actuate the piston,
- an elongated stripper surrounding a portion of the tip holder and movable axially thereon for removing a tip mounted on the lower end of the tip holder,
- an actuating rod mounted in the body and attached to the stripper for imparting axial motion to the stripper parallel to the piston axis so as to operate the stripper,
- and a thumb button attached to the rod above the upper end of the body.
8 more elements
A pipetter comprising
- an elongated body with upper and lower ends and having a chamber therein,
- an adjusting screw having an axial opening extending therethrough and mounted in the chamber, said adjusting screw being externally threaded,
- a tip holder attached to the lower end of the body and having an opening therethrough axially aligned with the opening in the adjusting screw, said tip holder having a lower end for engaging and carrying removable tips,
- a pipetter piston with upper and lower ends mounted for axial motion in the adjusting screw opening and extending out the lower end of the body and into the tip holder opening,
- a spindle mounted in the chamber and threaded onto the external threads of the adjusting screw,
- a first stop carried by the spindle and movable therewith on the adjusting screw for limiting the upward travel of the pipetter piston in the openings,
- a second stop mounted in the body in the path of the pipetter piston for resisting movement of said piston in a downward direction beyond a preselected position,
- a thumb button on the upper end of the pipetter piston above the body and positioned to be engaged so as to actuate the piston,
- an elongated stripper surrounding a portion of the tip holder and movable axially thereon for removing a tip mounted on the lower end of the tip holder,
- an actuating rod mounted in the body and attached to the stripper for imparting axial motion to the stripper parallel to the piston axis so as to operate the stripper,
- a thumb button attached to the rod above the upper end of the body, and
- a coupling removably connecting the tip holder to the adjusting screw, the stripper enclosing the coupling.
9 more elements
A pipetter comprising
- an elongated body with upper and lower ends and having a chamber therein,
- an adjusting screw having an axial opening extending therethrough and in fixed relation to the body in the chamber during adjustment, said adjusting screw being externally threaded,
- a tip holder attached to the lower end of the body and having an opening therethrough axially aligned with the opening in the adjusting screw,
- a pipetter piston mounted for axial motion in the adjusting screw opening and extending out of the lower end of the body and into the tip holder opening,
- a rotatable, tubular spindle mounted in the body, extending over said adjusting screw and having internal threads which are threaded onto the external threads of the adjusting screw,
- a first stop carried by the spindle and movable therewith on the adjusting screw for limiting the upward travel of the pipetter piston in the openings,
- and means on the body engaging the spindle for releasably locking the spindle against rotation.
4 more elements
A pipetter comprising
- an elongated body with upper and lower ends and having a chamber therein,
- an adjusting screw having an axial opening extending therethrough and mounted in the body, said adjusting screw being externally threaded,
- a tip holder attached to the lower end of the body and having an opening therethrough axially aligned with the opening in the adjusting screw,
- a pipetter piston mounted for axial motion in the adjusting screw opening and extending out of the lower end of the body and into the tip holder opening,
- a spindle mounted in the body and threaded onto the external threads of the adjusting screw,
- a first stop carried by the spindle and movable therewith on the adjusting screw for limiting the upward travel of the pipetter piston in the openings,
- and a slide which frictionally engages the spindle for releasably locking the spindle so as to prevent rotation thereof.
4 more elements
A pipetter comprising
- an elongated body with upper and lower ends and having a chamber therein,
- an adjusting screw having an axial opening extending therethrough and mounted in the chamber, said adjusting screw being externally threaded and is constructed to be compressible radially for insertion into the body,
- a tip holder attached to the lower end of the body and having an opening therethrough axially aligned with the opening in the adjusting screw, said tip holder having a lower end for engaging and carrying removable tips,
- a pipetter piston with upper and lower ends mounted for axial motion in the adjusting screw opening and extending out the lower end of the body and into the tip holder opening,
- a spindle mounted in the chamber and threaded onto the external threads of the adjusting screw,
- a first stop carried by the spindle and movable therewith on the adjusting screw for limiting the upward travel of the pipetter piston in the openings,
- a second stop mounted in the body in the path of the pipetter piston for resisting movement of said piston in a downward direction beyond a preselected position,
- a thumb button on the upper end of the pipetter piston above the body and positioned to be engaged so as to actuate the piston,
- an elongated stripper surrounding a portion of the tip holder and movable axially thereon for removing a tip mounted on the lower end of the tip holder,
- an actuating rod mounted in the body and attached to the stripper for imparting axial motion to the stripper parallel to the piston axis so as to operate the stripper,
- a thumb button attached to the rod above the upper end of the body,
- a first spring mounted in the body and engaging the pipetter piston for biasing said piston toward the first stop,
- a second spring mounted in the body and engaging the second stop for yieldably holding the second stop in the preselected position but allowing the piston to move beyond that position, and
- means removably mounted in the adjusting screw to prevent the screw from being compressed radially after the adjusting screw is inserted into the body and to retain the second spring in position in the body.
11 more elements
A pipetter comprising
- an elongated body having upper and lower ends,
- a chamber extending longitudinally in the body and open at the lower end of the body,
- an adjusting screw mounted in the chamber and having an axial opening extending therethrough and insertable into the chamber through the open lower end thereof,
- a pipetter piston mounted for axial movement in the opening of the adjusting screw,
- a spindle rotatably mounted on the adjusting screw and carrying a first stop for limiting the upward travel of the pipetter piston in the opening of the screw,
- a split in the end of the adjusting screw nearer to the lower end thereof enabling said lower end to be compressed to insert the screw in the body,
- a first spring mounted in the screw opening and surrounding the pipetter piston for biasing the piston toward the firs stop,
- a second stop mounted in the opening of the screw and providing a yieldable stop limiting the downward travel of the piston in said opening,
- a blow-out spring mounted in the opening and engaging the second stop to yieldably hold the stop in a prescribed position,
- and a retainer disposed in the lower end of the screw for preventing the screw from being compressed and for holding the blow-out spring in the body.
7 more elements
A pipetter comprising:
- an elongated tubular body having an axis and a cylinder defining a discharge volume;
- a tubular adjusting screw mounted coaxially and in fixed relation to the body during adjustment, said adjusting screw having an external screw thread on a portion thereof;
- a manually-rotatable, tubular spindle fitting over said adjusting screw and having an internal screw thread which mates with said adjusting screw external screw thread so that said spindle can be adjusted axially with respect to said adjusting screw;
- a piston extending through said adjusting screw and said spindle into said cylinder, said piston being axially movable towards said spindle during an intake stroke and axially movable towards said adjusting screw during a discharge stroke;
- and
- a stop connected to said spindle for limiting the axial movement of said piston during said intake stroke.
3 more elements
A pipetter comprising:
- an elongated body with upper and lower ends and having a chamber therein,
- an adjusting screw having an axial opening extending therethrough,
- a rotatable spindle mounted in the chamber, extending over said adjusting screw,
- means for varying the amount of fluid contained in the pipetter,
- said spindle and said adjusting screw in part forming a micrometer, having a vertical scale and a linear scale, and
- means forming an aperture in said body for viewing said micrometer.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.