Flexible pusher blade and housing
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsJames D. Shaw, Martin F. Muszak, David A. Heavner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pusher blade and its housing are described, in which the blade has a stiff front end for engaging slide-type test elements, and a flexible body portion and back end. The housing forces the blade to curve through an angle, preferably about 90.degree. C., to minimize the extension in one direction the blade would have if it were entirely rigid. The housing can provide for separate stacks of elements in separate environments to be engaged by the blade, since sealing means are provided for preventing substantial intermixing of the environments when the blade is activated.
Claims13
In a chemical analyzer comprising a source of test elements to analyze liquid and a pusher blade to push test elements,
- the improvement wherein said pusher blade comprises a first end portion shaped to push a test element,
- a second end portion opposite to said first end portion,
- and a body portion between said end portions, said body portion further comprising a strip including a rack gear for engaging a pinion gear in a drive mechanism for said blade, said rack gear comprising ribs extending out of said first strip in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the overall plane of said first end portion,
- at least said body portion and said second end portion being sufficiently flexible as to bend without exceeding its elastic limit, about a radius of curvature of not greater than about 20 cm,
- and further including in said blade, end-detecting means for generating a sensing signal indicative of said end portion being present at a particular location.
In a chemical analyzer comprising a source of test elements to analyze liquid and a housing for a pusher blade to push test elements,
- the improvement wherein said housing comprises opposing guiding walls defining a path of travel for a pusher blade having a rack gear therein, said walls being shaped to define an approximately right-angled bend in such path, and means in said housing for driving said blade, said drive means including a pinion gear that engages a blade to be driven by said means.
In a chemical analyzer comprising a source of test elements to analyze liquid and a pusher blade to push test elements,
- the improvement wherein said first pusher blade comprises a first end portion shaped to push a test element,
- a second end portion opposite to said first end portion,
- and a body portion between said end portions, said body portion further comprising a strip including a rack gear for engaging a pinion gear in a drive mechanism for said blade, said rack gear comprising ribs extending out of said strip in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the overall plane of said first end portion,
- at least said body portion and said second end portion being sufficiently flexible as to bend without exceeding its elastic limit, about a radius of curvature of not greater than about 20 cm,
- and further including in said blade, end-detecting means for generating a sensing signal indicative of said end portion being present at a particular location, said generating means comprising an aperture in said blade closely adjacent to said first end portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.