Receiving device and receiving means, transfer device, and workstation and method for their operation

A transfer device comprising:

• a gripper (19) comprising a gripper clamp (20) with at least two downwards projecting gripper fingers (21a, 21b) movable relative to one another for opening and closing, the transfer device including a receiving device (23) for picking up, moving, and setting down an object (18) with the gripper (19), the receiving device (23) comprising a handling part (25) with a basic member (26) and opposite contact surfaces to be gripped and held by the gripper (19), the receiving device (23) further comprising an intermediate part (33) connected to a lower end of the handling part (25), for coupling to the object (18), the gripper fingers (21a,21b) having, in end regions thereof, contact surfaces (22) which face one another and, when holding the handling part (25), cooperate with corresponding the opposite contact surfaces on the handling part (25), the handling part (25) further comprising a first (27) collar, a second (28) collar and a third (30) collar, the first and second collars being substantially of cylindrical shape and situated at an upper end of the basic member (26), the second collar (28) comprising recesses (29a,29b) opposite one another for receiving the gripper fingers (21a,21b), the handling part (25) further being substantially cylindrical and having lateral extensions (31a,31b) which form the third collar (30), and wherein the gripper fingers (21a,21b), when holding the handling part (25), rest with contact regions (49a,49b) which are a distance above the contact surfaces (22), against a outer edge of the first collar (27), and wherein the gripper fingers (21a,21b) rest with their contact surfaces (22) against opposite contact surfaces below the third collar (30) of the handling part (25).

A workstation comprising:

• a centrifuge (22) and a plurality of sample tube buckets (18), the workstation comprising a transfer device (3) comprising a gripper (19) comprising a gripper clamp (20) with at least two downwards projecting gripper fingers (21a, 21b) movable relative to one another for opening and closing, the transfer device including a receiving device (23) for picking up, moving, and setting down an object (18) with the gripper (19), the receiving device (23) comprising a handling part (25) with a basic member (26) and opposite contact surfaces to be gripped and held by the gripper (19), the receiving device (23) further comprising an intermediate part (33) connected to a lower end of the handling part (25), for coupling to the object (18), the gripper fingers (21a,21b) having, in end regions thereof, contact surfaces (22) which face one another and, when holding the handling part (25), cooperate with corresponding the opposite contact surfaces on the handling part (25), the handling part (25) further comprising a first (27) collar, a second (28) collar and a third (30) collar, the first and second collars being substantially of cylindrical shape and situated at an upper end of the basic member (26), the second collar (28) comprising recesses (29a,29b) opposite one another for receiving the gripper fingers (21a,21b), the handling part (25) further being substantially cylindrical and having lateral extensions (31a,31b) which form the third collar (30), and wherein the gripper fingers (21a,21b), when holding the handling part (25), rest with contact regions (49a,49b) which are a distance above the contact surfaces (22), against a outer edge of the first collar (27), and wherein the gripper fingers (21a,21b) rest with their contact surfaces (22) against opposite contact surfaces below the third collar (30) of the handling part (25), the transfer device removing sample tubes (6) from a sample tube rack (7), for distributing the sample tubes over the sample tube buckets (18), and for introducing the buckets into the centrifuge (2) with the aid of the receiving device (23).