Product testing system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for exposing products to selected environmental conditions comprising:
- product carrier means for holding at least one product, housing means having an internal chamber and an opening open to said chamber to receive the product carrier means to locate the product in said chamber, means for controlling the environmental conditions in said chamber, said product being subjected to said environmental conditions when located in said chamber, a vehicle for transporting the product carrier means to and from said housing means, said vehicle having a transfer assembly adapted to be connected to the carrier means, first means for moving the transfer assembly in a generally upright direction, second means for rotating the transfer assembly about an upright axis, and third means for moving the transfer assembly laterally in a generally horizontal direction to selectively move the product carrier means into and out of said opening in the housing means, guide means secured to the housing means adjacent the opening therein, and guide engagement means on the transfer assembly engageable with the guide means to guide the transfer assembly along the guide means to locate the product carrier means in alignment with the opening.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A product testing system comprises a housing with at least one opening therein, the housing having an internal, environmentally controlled chamber. Products to be tested are mounted to a product carrier. The latter is carried, in turn, by a product carrier transfer assembly. By means of the vehicle and transfer assembly, the product carrier may be oriented to be received within the housing opening with the products exposed to the environmentally controlled internal housing chamber. In one embodiment, the vehicle traverses a path adjacent one or more housings, and the product carrier transfer assembly rotates, elevates and laterally moves the product carrier to position it in an opening in the housing.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for exposing products to selected environmental conditions comprising:
- product carrier means for holding at least one product, housing means having an internal chamber and an opening open to said chamber to receive the product carrier means to locate the product in said chamber, means for controlling the environmental conditions in said chamber, said product being subjected to said environmental conditions when located in said chamber, a vehicle for transporting the product carrier means to and from said housing means, said vehicle having a transfer assembly adapted to be connected to the carrier means, first means for moving the transfer assembly in a generally upright direction, second means for rotating the transfer assembly about an upright axis, and third means for moving the transfer assembly laterally in a generally horizontal direction to selectively move the product carrier means into and out of said opening in the housing means, guide means secured to the housing means adjacent the opening therein, and guide engagement means on the transfer assembly engageable with the guide means to guide the transfer assembly along the guide means to locate the product carrier means in alignment with the opening.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- 11. An apparatus for exposing products to selected environmental conditions comprising carrier means for holding at least one product, housing means having an internal chamber and an opening open to said chamber and adapted to releasably receive through the opening the product carrier means and locate the product in said chamber, means for controlling environmental conditions in said chamber, said product being subjected to said environmental conditions, and lock means engageable with said carrier means to hold the carrier means on said housing means and retain the product in said chamber.
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16. An apparatus for exposing products to selected environmental conditions comprising product carrier means for holding at least one product, housing means having an internal chamber and an opening open to said chamber to receive through said opening the product carrier and to locate product in the chamber, chamber including screen means extending across and closing the opening, and mounting means mounting the screen to the chamber and allowing the screen to be displaced inwardly of the chamber as the product carrier is received in the opening.
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17. An apparatus for exposing products to selected environmental conditions comprising carrier means for holding at least one product, housing means having an internal chamber and an opening open to said chamber and adapted to releasably receive through the opening the product carrier means to locate the product in said chamber, means for controlling environmental conditions in said chamber, said product being subjected to said environmental conditions, and lock means engageable with said carrier means to hold the carrier means on said housing means and retain the product in said chamber, comprising rod means rotatably mounted on said housing means adjacent said opening therein, arm means secured to the rod means and engageable with said carrier means, and power means connected to said rod means operable to move said arm means into engagement with the carrier means to hold the carrier means on the housing means.
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18. An apparatus for exposing products to selected environmental conditions comprising product carrier means for holding at least one product, housing means having an internal chamber and an opening open to said chamber to receive therethrough the product carrier and to locate product in the chamber, the chamber including screen means comprising a length of flexible material extending in a vertical plane from one side of the opening to the opposite side, and mounting means mounting the screen to the chamber and allowing the screen to be displaced inwardly of the chamber as the product carrier is received in the opening, the mounting means comprising rollers mounted on one or both sides of the opening and upon which a portion of the flexible material is rolled.
Specification