Dispensing apparatus

• US 5,453,246 A
• Filed: 06/06/1994
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daisen Sangyo Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Yuka Bio-Clinical Laboratories, Inc., Tafuto Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Daisen Sangyo Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Yuka Bio-Clinical Laboratories, Inc., Tafuto Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakayama, Naoki, Takao, Hiroshi, Akiyama, Akio, Ushida, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Housel, James C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Application Number:
  US08/254,775
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100-104, 422/63, 422/62, 422/65, 422/67, 422/105, 436/43, 436/47, 436/49, 436/50, 436/54, 436/55, 436/180, 73/864.25, 73/864.24, 73/864.14, 73/864.11, 83/949, 141/121, 141/123, 141/130, 141/248
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00277 Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1025 Fluid level sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1004 Cleaning sample transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1009 Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus includes a tube-feeding portion which holds and feeds a tube made of an elastic material, a tube nozzle portion which supports an end portion of the tube and guides the tube to a liquid container by moving the tube up and down and from side to side, a tube-pressing and conveying portion provided between the above tube-feeding portion and the tube nozzle portion which draws out the tube from the tube-feeding portion, presses the tube and conveys the tube to the tube nozzle portion and a tube end-discarding portion, wherein the tube-pressing and conveying portion includes tube-pressing rollers which press the tube and set a length of a tube-pressing portion.

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus which comprises:

a tube-feeding portion which holds and feeds a tube made of an elastic material,

a tube nozzle portion which supports an end portion of the tube and guides the tube to a liquid container by moving the tube up and down and from side to side,

a tube-pressing and conveying portion provided between the tube-feeding portion and the tube nozzle portion, which selectively draws out the tube from the tube-feeding portion, presses the tube and conveys the tube to the tube nozzle portion and

a tube end-discarding portion, wherein the tube-pressing and conveying portion comprises tube-pressing rollers which press the tube and set a length of a tube-pressing portion and wherein the tube-pressing and conveying portion comprises a dancer roller positioned between the tube feeding portion and the tube-pressing rollers, said dancer roller maintaining tension of the tubes.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tube-pressing and conveying portion comprises a pressing amount-setter which changes a tube-pressing portion set amount by the tube-pressing rollers in response to a control signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein tube-pressing rollers comprise a pair of engaged rollers having substantially the same diameter.

4. A dispensing apparatus which comprises:

a tube-feeding portion which holds and feeds a tube made of an elastic material,

a tube nozzle portion which supports an end portion of the tube and guides the tube to a liquid container by moving the tube up and down and from side to side,

a tube-pressing and conveying portion provided between the tube-feeding portion and the tube nozzle portion, which draws out the tube from the tube-feeding portion, presses the tube and conveys the tube to the tube nozzle portion, and

a tube end-discarding portion wherein the tube-pressing and conveying portion comprises tube-pressing rollers which press the tube and set a length of a tube-pressing portion and wherein the tube-pressing and conveying portion comprises at least one dancer roller and wherein the roller absorbs a change of tube-conveying length by changing a tube-supporting position of the roller so as not to change a tube end position in the tube nozzle portion when a tube-pressing portion set amount is changed by the tube-pressing rollers.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tube-pressing and conveying portion comprises a pressing amount-setter which changes a tube-pressing portion set amount by the tube-pressing rollers in response to a control signal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tube-pressing rollers comprise a pair of engaged rollers having substantially the same diameter.