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US 8,540,476 B2Granted
Pipette tip loader and transporter
AssigneeLabcon, North America
InventorThomas Moulton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention relate to a system for storing and/or transporting platforms of pipette tips. The system includes packaging in which a stacked tower of platforms may be transported. Embodiments of the present invention further include a loader for transferring platforms from the packaging to a rack for holding pipette tip platforms. The loader transfers the platforms by accessing the uppermost platform in the stack.
Claims18
A system for transporting platforms having pipette tips, the system comprising:
- a packaging in which the platforms and pipette tips are stacked, the packaging including first and second partial enclosures attached to each other and defining a generally vertically oriented opening between the first and second partial enclosures, the first and second partial enclosures capable of moving between an open position where the platforms are exposed from within the packaging and a closed position where the first and second partial enclosures engage each other to enclose the platforms and pipette tips;
- and
- a loader configured to transfer an uppermost platform from the packaging, the loader having a support structure including:
- an upper surface,
- a plurality of sides extending from the upper surface, the plurality of sides each having an inner surface and an outer surface, at least a portion of a pair of opposed sides of the plurality of sides flaring outward from the upper surface,
- a shelf on the inner surface of each of a pair of opposed sides that flare inward toward a center of the loader,
- a distance between the shelves in the opposed sides being less than a distance between the pair of opposed edges of the platform when the support structure is in an unbiased position, the shelves in the opposed sides capable of being biased away from each other to a distance greater than the distance between the pair of opposed edges of the platform.
4 more elements
A system for transporting platforms having pipette tips, the system comprising:
- a packaging in which the platforms and pipette tips are stacked, the packaging including first and second partial enclosures attached to each other, the first and second partial enclosures capable of moving between an open position where at least an uppermost platform and a lowermost platform, different than the uppermost platform, are exposed from within the packaging, and a closed position where the first and second partial enclosures engage each other to enclose the platforms and pipette tips;
- and
- a loader configured to transfer an uppermost platform from the packaging, the loader having a support structure including:
- an upper surface,
- a plurality of sides extending from the upper surface, the plurality of sides each having an inner surface and an outer surface, at least a portion of a pair of opposed sides of the plurality of sides flaring outward from the upper surface,
- a shelf on the inner surface of each of a pair of opposed sides that flare inward toward a center of the loader,
- a distance between the shelves in the opposed sides being less than a distance between the pair of opposed edges of the platform when the support structure is in an unbiased position, the shelves in the opposed sides capable of being biased away from each other to a distance greater than the distance between the pair of opposed edges of the platform.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.