Pipette tip rack with array of interconnected sleeves

Apparatus for supporting pipette tips comprising:

• a container having a bottom wall and side walls connected to and extending from said bottom wall, each of said side walls terminating in an associated top rim, the associated top rim of each of said side walls having a length extending between two adjacent side walls;
• a pipette tip support tray supported within said container;
• and
• a finger tab extending from one edge of said tray into an associated rim of one of said side walls for being grasped by a finger for urging said tray out of said container, said finger tab extending along said associated rim of said one of said side walls a distance less than the length of said associated rim of said one of said side walls.

A pipette tip support tray comprising:

• an array of interconnected, generally annular sleeves, each sleeve having a central axis extending along a direction of elongation thereof;
• a support lip disposed within each sleeve for supporting a pipette tip in an axial direction;
• and
• a support ring disposed on an upper portion of each sleeve for surrounding a pipette tip and for providing lateral support to a pipette tip in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve.

A pipette tip support tray comprising:

• an array of interconnected, generally parallel sleeves;
• bridge sections interconnecting adjacent ones of said sleeves;
• and
• openings disposed between one of said sleeves and others of said sleeves adjacent thereto, said openings occupying substantially all space between said one sleeve and said others of said sleeves adjacent thereto, except that occupied by said bridge sections.

Apparatus for supporting pipette tips comprising:

• a container having a bottom wall and side walls connected to and extending from said bottom wall, each of said side walls terminating in an associated top rim;
• a pipette tip support tray supported within said container;
• projections extending from a perimeter of said tray toward adjacent side walls of said container;
• recesses disposed in said adjacent side walls of said container, each recess being aligned with a projection and being configured to receive an aligned projection to retain said tray within said container;
• and
• a finger tab extending from one edge of said tray into an associated rim of one of said side walls for being grasped by a finger for urging said tray out of said container, said finger tab being disposed on a side of said tray having no projections.

Apparatus for supporting pipette tips comprising:

• a container having a bottom wall and side walls connected to and extending from said bottom wall, each of said side walls terminating in an associated top rim;
• a pipette tip support tray supported within said container, said tray being formed of interconnected sleeves;
• openings disposed between adjacent ones of said sleeves, said openings comprising substantially all of the space between adjacent ones of said sleeves;
• and
• a finger tab extending from one edge of said tray into an associated rim of one of said side walls for being grasped by a finger for urging said tray out of said container.

Apparatus for supporting pipette tips comprising:

• a container having a bottom wall and side walls connected to and extending from said bottom wall, each of said side walls terminating in an associated top rim;
• a pipette tip support tray supported within said container, said tray being formed of interconnected sleeves, each of said sleeves comprising:
• inner side walls;
• an upper rim and a lower rim;
• a lip disposed intermediate said upper and lower rims and extending inwardly from said inner side walls toward a central axis, inwardly facing surfaces of said lip being spaced from each other to provide a passage therebetween for receiving a stem of a pipette tip;
• and
• upper portions of said inner side walls of said sleeve between said upper rim and said lip providing lateral support to a pipette tip disposed therein to minimize lateral movement thereof;
• and
• a finger tab extending from one edge of said tray into an associated rim of one of said side walls for being grasped by a finger for urging said tray out of said container.