WO2003069351A1 - Removing device for a climatic cabinet, particularly for receiving microtiter plates (mtp) - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a removing device for a climatic cabinet, particularly for receiving microtiter plates (MTP), comprising a swiveling arm (3) with at least one catch for the MTP (2), which is mounted on the swiveling arm. Said catch has an upper catching position and a lower position in which the swiveling arm is swiveled underneath the MTP. The catch is preferably swiveled from the lower position to the upper position by actuating a preferably hook-shaped rocker (5) while the swiveling arm is in an inner position, said rocker being rotatably mounted. The bottom part of the hook is directed towards the catch when the swiveling arm is actuated, causing the catch to be swiveled from the lower position to the upper position.

Description

Push-out device for a climate chamber, in particular for holding microtiter plates (MTP)

DE 19936572 A1 from the applicant describes a climatic chamber for holding microtiter plates (MTP) in magazines, which has an ejector for transferring the MTP to external handling systems such as, for example, turntables.

Due to the scissor-like construction, the extension width is limited according to the size of the scissors and a relatively large number of mechanical components are required which are moved against each other.

The object of the invention is an ejector that avoids these disadvantages and has few components that move against one another.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the first claim.

Preferred developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

The advantages of the invention are in particular: α A minimal number of mechanical individual parts, α Only one required motor α A high level of robustness and reliability α Ease of service due to easy accessibility and minimal adjustment effort α Short access times to the plates due to the high mobility of the ejector and the fast delivery of the Magazine compartments through the direct rotation of the carousel. This results in particular from the fact that a large block for scissor holder is not required, which the entire magazine must avoid when rotating by starting up. The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of the diagrams.

List of reference symbols:

1 climate cabinet

2 MTP

3 swivel arm

4 jack

5 rocker (hook)

6 automatic door

7 Swivel arm storage

8 Rocker storage

9 magazine slot

10 ejection opening

11 carousel

12 edition of the MTP2, guide rails

Show it:

Fig. 1: A highly schematic representation of the climate cabinet.

Fig.2: The positions A-D of the swivel arm

Fig. 3: The mode of operation of the seesaw.

The incubator (air conditioning cabinet) 1 has a door 6 which (not shown) can be moved upwards to open it.

The pivot bearing with the vertical axis of rotation of a horizontal swivel arm 3, by means of which the microtiter plate 2 is extended, is located at a fixed articulation point 7 in the incubator 1.

The MTP 2 is located in a magazine shaft 9, which is adjustable in height analogously to DE 19936572, so that the MTP 2 to be pushed out is located opposite the push-out opening 10 which can be closed by the door. For this purpose, the swivel arm 3 has a pawl 4 as a driver, which is hinged to the swivel arm 3 in two positions and has a first latching position perpendicular to the swivel arm 3 as a driver position, in which it pushes against the MTP 2 and thereby slides it into brings the L-shaped guide rails 12. Such guide rails 12 are provided both inside and outside of the incubator 1 and can ensure a smooth discharge of the MTP2 by means of intermediate supports (not shown) or a rail connection on the door.

In a second position, the pawl 4 is folded down, horizontally into the

Plane of movement of the swivel arm 3 so that the swivel arm 3 can pass under an MTP 2 with the pawl 4 folded down.

In a rear position of the swivel arm 3 in the interior of the incubator 1, a rocker 5, which is of hook-shaped design, is advantageously provided, which can be pivoted about a fixed horizontal axis on a bearing 8, at least with respect to its center of gravity, the swivel arm 3 being inserted into the

Retracts opening of the hook and thereby causes a rotation about the axis, so that the lower part of the hook is pivoted upwards and as

Driver for the folded down pawl 4 of the swivel arm 3 acts so that it is erected in the upper locking position.

When the swivel arm 3 is moved away from the rocker 5, it falls back into its lower position due to gravity and the eccentric bearing with respect to its center of gravity.

This is shown in detail in FIG. 3.

The two core ideas of the push-out principle are the special, space-saving arrangement of a motor-driven swivel arm 3, which can pull microtiter plates 2 out of the rotatable plate magazine by means of a foldable carrier (jack 4) and transport them to the storage position 12 outside of the incubator 1, and passive erection and folding down the pawl 4. A simple mechanical mechanism was developed for erecting and folding down the pawl 4, which functions purely passively without additional drives and sensors.

The drive and the pivot bearing 7 of the swivel arm 3 are arranged on the side of the automatic door 6 in such a way that the carousel H loaded with microtiter plates 2 can rotate, lift and lower freely. The zero position or rest position (position A figure 2) of the swivel arm 3 is the space between the automatic door 6 and the carousel 11. In position A there is the Swivel arm 3 during the loading of the incubator 1 through the automatic door 6 from the outside and during the infeed movement of the carousel 11. Was a plate 2, which is located in any magazine slot 9 at any insertion position, positioned in front of the automatic door 6 by the carousel 11, swivels the swivel arm 3 into the magazine shaft into the space between the plates 2 placed one above the other under the corresponding plate 2 in the direction of the rocker 5 and then pushes the plate 2 over itself through the automatic door to the storage position in front of the incubator and finally back in again to move the incubator to the rest position. The plate 2 is taken along during the extension movement of the swivel arm with the aid of a pawl 4, which is located at the outer end of the swivel arm 3. The pawl 4 is erected inside the carousel when it is pivoted into the magazine shaft 11. The upright pawl 4 takes the plate with the counter movement of the swivel arm by pressing on the lower edge of the plate 2. After the plate 2 has been pushed out, the pawl 4 is folded down again.

The pawl 4 is erected in the interaction between the pawl 4, swivel arm 3 and rocker 5.

The forced relative movement of the three parts to one another is driven by the swiveling movement of the swivel arm.

When the swivel arm 3 moves into the rocker 5, it pushes the rocker 5 at point S (see Fig. 3). While the arm 3 continues its pivoting movement, the thrust point S moves along the inner contour of the rocker 5 and produces a rotation of the rocker 5 around the point P. Meanwhile, the rocker 5 presses against the pawl 4 at the pressure point K. Due to the special round eccentric shape of the inner contour of the rocker and the position of the points S and K relative to each other, the pawl 4 was set up by the rocker 5 at the end of the push-out movement. The swivel arm 3 moves the MTP 2 out of the with the jack 2 raised

Incubator 1 and passes it to an external (not shown)

handling system

(e.g. turntable, slide-in device).

During the return movement of the swivel arm 3, the door 5 is synchronized via an electronic control except for a gap through which the swivel arm 3 fits, but the pawl 4 abuts the door and falls back from its upper detent position to the lower position, so that it does not hinder the insertion of a new MTP 2 by the external handling system.

There is a support and lateral guidance of the MTP2 in L-shaped rails

12 in the magazine, in the area of the automatic door 6 and on the external

Storage position above the swivel arm 3.

Table 2: Mode of operation & positions of the pusher (see Fig. 2)

Claims

claims 1. Push-out device for a climate chamber, in particular for holding microtiter plates (MTP), consisting of a swivel arm with at least one driver for the MTP mounted on the swivel arm, which has an upper driver position for the MTP and a lower position in which the swivel arm passes under the MTP is pivoted .. Second Push-out device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the driver is pivoted by an engagement in a preferably hook-shaped rocker in an inner position of the pivot arm from the lower to the upper position. Third Push-out device according to claim 2, wherein the rocker is rotatably mounted and the lower part of the hook is steered against the driver and its when the pivot arm engages Swiveling into the upper position causes. 4th Extending device according to one of claims 1-3, wherein after an MTP has been pushed out and the swivel arm has been moved back into a rest position on the climatic cabinet, means are provided on which the Carrier attacks and is pivoted into the lower position. 5th Push-out device according to one of claims 1-4, wherein at the same time a sliding door is closed vertically from above and at Passing the swivel arm past the door opening has an opening gap through which the swivel arm passes, but the driver is folded into the lower position by touching the door. 6th Push-out device according to one of claims 1-5, wherein in the lower position the driver is not so far above the Swing arm protrudes that it pivots below the MTP touched this.