Apparatus for transporting sample holders

• US 4,454,939 A
• Filed: 12/15/1981
• Issued: 06/19/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beckman Instruments, Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Beckman Instruments, Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Sohn, Chul H., Kampf, Richard S., Khan, Aurangzeb K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alexander, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US06/330,933
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 198/339, 198/341, 198/345, 198/472, 198/580, 198/795, 198/465, 198/468, 198/572, 198/573, 141/130, 250/328
• US Class Current: 198/341.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes

Abstract

Apparatus for transporting elongated sample holders in a sample holder storage compartment past an operating station at which sample tubes contained in the sample holders may be removed and then returned to the sample holders. First and second parallel conveyors on opposite sides of the operating station drive the holders toward and away from the operating station. Lateral drive means engage the holders in longitudinal stop positions at opposite ends of the conveyors and drive them laterally between the conveyors to lateral stop positions, one of the holders during lateral movement being driven into and away from an operative position at the operating station. Encoded label means are displayed on each sample holder for indicating the incremental spacing between the sample tubes carried in the sample holder. Detector means are provided for reading the encoded label means and convey a signal in accordance with the label means to control means which control the operation of the first and second conveyor means and of the lateral drive means.

Claims

1. In a transport system for circulating sample holders of mixed widths along a rectilinear path, past an operating station in a sample holder storage compartment having first and second parallel conveyors disposed one on each side of said operating station for conveying sample holders positioned thereon in first and second opposite longitudinal directions toward and away from said operating station;

first and second bidirectional drive means for driving said first and second conveyors respectively;

guide means adjacent each end of said first and second conveyors for halting the motion of sample holders in said first and second longitudinal directions, respectively, and to define first and second longitudinal stop positions for each sample holder;

said first longitudinal stop position and situated adjacent said operating station;

lateral drive means for engaging each sample holder in said first and second longitudinal stop positions and for moving said sample holders laterally along said guide means beteen said first and second conveyor means to a first or second lateral stop position, said lateral drive means moving said sample holder into and then away from an operating position at said operating station when said sample holder reaches said first longitudinal stop position;

said transport system including;

regulating means for automatically regulating the quantity of sample holders occupying said first and second conveyor means in accordance with space available thereon;

said regulating means including first and second sensor means operative when said transport system is operated in a counterclockwise direction, for sensing when one of said first or second conveyors is fully occupied by sample holders positioned thereon; and

control means responsive to said first and second sensor means for stopping and momentarily reversing the direction of one of said first or second conveyors when the other conveyor is filled with sample holders so as to prevent the transfer of additional sample holders by said lateral drive means to said conveyor.

2. The transport systsem defined by claim 1 wherein said first sensor means being arranged to sense the presence of a sample holder on said second conveyor at a distance from said first lateral stop position equal to twice the width of the widest sample holder in use.

3. The transport system defined by claim 1 wherein said second sensor means being arranged to sense the presence of a sample holder on said first conveyor at a distance from said second lateral stop position equal to twice the width of the widest sample holder used in the transport system.

4. A transport system for circulating sample holders along a rectilinear path, past an operating station in a sample holder storage compartment having first and second parallel conveyors on opposite sides of said operating station for conveying sample holders positioned thereon in first and second opposite longitudinal directions toward and away from said operating station;

first and second bidirectional drive means for driving said first and second conveyors respectively.

guide means adjacent each end of said first and second conveyors for halting the motion of sample holders in said first and second longitudinal directions respectively, and to define first and second longitudinal stop positions for each sample holder;

said first longitudinal stop position situated adjacent said operating station;

lateral drive means for engaging each sample holder in said first and second longitudinal stop positions and for moving said sample holders laterally along said guide means between said first and second conveyors to a first or second lateral stop position, said lateral drive means moving said sample holder into and then away from an operating position at said operating station when said sample holder reaches said first longitudinal stop position;

said transport system including;

regulating means for automatically regulating the quantity of sample holders occupying said first and second conveyors in accordance with space available thereon;

said regulating means including third and fourth sensor means operative when said transport system is operated in a clockwise direction for sensing when one of said first or second conveyors is fully occupied by sample holders positioned thereon;

control means responsive to said third and fourth sensor means for stopping and momentarily reversing the direction of one of said first or second conveyors when the other conveyor is filled with sample holders so as to prevent the transfer of additional sample holders by said lateral drive means to said conveyor.

5. The transport system definedby claim 4 wherein said third sensor means being arranged to sense the presence of a sample holder on said first conveyor at a distance from said first lateral stop position equal to twice the width of the widest sample holder in use.

6. The transport system defined by claim 4 wherein said fourth sensor means being arranged to sense the presence of a sample holder on said second conveyor at a distance from said second lateral stop position equal to twice the width of the widest sample holder used in the transport system.