Thermal cycler cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239059-B2
Application number	US-201414778106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

In one aspect, a thermal cycler system is disclosed. The thermal cycler can be comprised of a device housing and a cover that is operably connected to the device housing. The cover can include a handle portion, a device lid portion, a sample block platen, and a link bar. The device lid portion is attached to the proximal side of the handle portion with a first pin. The sample block platen is operably connected to the handle portion such that the sample block platen is positioned against the sample block when the handle portion is flush with the device lid portion and the cover is in a closed position. The link bar is pivotably connected to the device housing at a first terminal end portion and a second pin at an opposite second terminal end portion, wherein the handle portion is elevated away from the device lid portion before the cover is moved to an open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal cycler system, comprising:
a device housing including:
a sample block with a top and a bottom surface;
a thermal electric device in thermal communication with the bottom surface; and
a cover operably connected to the device housing, the cover being moveable between an open position to provide access to the sample block and a closed position to cover the sample block, the cover comprising:
a handle portion having a distal side and a proximal side, the handle portion comprising an elliptical slot opening disposed at a proximal side of the handle portion and extending in a distal-to-proximal direction from a first terminal end to a second terminal end of the elliptical slot opening, the distal side of the handle portion being positioned to be grasped by a user to elevate the handle portion relative and to lower the handle portion;
a device lid portion coupled to the proximal side of the handle portion via a first pin received and moveable in the elliptical slot opening;
a sample block platen operably connected to the handle portion such that the sample block platen is positioned against the sample block when the handle portion is in a flush position with the device lid portion and the cover is in the closed position; and
a link bar pivotably connected to the device housing at a first end portion of the link bar, the link bar having a second end portion, opposite the first end portion, connected to a second pin extending into and moveable along the elliptical slot opening of the handle portion, wherein:
the handle portion is configured to be elevated away from and relative to the device lid portion before the cover is moveable to the open position,
the second pin is configured to move along the elliptical slot opening in a direction toward the first terminal end of the elliptical slot opening as the handle portion is elevated relative to the device lid portion, and
in the position of the second pin at the first terminal end of the elliptical slot opening and in response to continued elevation movement of the handle portion, the handle portion and the device lid portion are moveable together to move the cover to the open position.

2. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , the first pin is configured to move along the elliptical slot opening in a direction toward the first terminal end of the elliptical slot opening as the handle portion moves to an elevated position relative to the device lid portion and the cover is in the closed position.

3. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second pin are located toward the second terminal end of the elliptical slot opening when the cover is in the closed position.

4. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein, in the open position and in the closed position of the cover, the handle portion is flush with the device lid portion.

5. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 4 , wherein, the first pin is located at the second terminal end of the elliptical slot opening when the handle portion is flush with the device lid portion.

6. The device cover, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first pin is an unbroken part of the device lid portion.

7. The device cover, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first pin is a separate part that is attached to the device lid portion.

8. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the elliptical slot opening is configured to allow the distal side of the handle portion to elevate between an angle of about 30 degrees to about 70 degrees relative to the device lid portion before the cover is moveable to the open position.

9. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sample block platen thermally seals the sample block when the handle portion is flush with the device lid portion and when the cover is in the closed position.

10. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sample block platen is connected to handle portion with a platen pin that latches onto a platen slot opening on the proximal side of the handle portion.

11. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the handle portion further includes a grip configured to provide a gripping surface to allow a user to hold the handle portion.

12. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sample block platen latches onto a platen slot opening on the proximal side of the handle portion.

13. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 12 , wherein the platen slot opening is configured to retract the sample block platen towards the cover when the distal side of the handle portion is elevated.

14. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 13 , wherein the platen slot opening is configured to extend the sample block platen away from the cover when the cover is in an open position.

15. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a pin catch configured to catch the second pin at the first end of the elliptical slot opening.

16. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 1 , further including a drip pan that houses the sample block.

17. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 16 , wherein the drip pan further includes a latch block.

18. The thermal cycler system, as recited in claim 17 , further including a latch that protrudes from the distal side of the handle portion, wherein the latch is configured to latch onto the latch block when the handle portion is flush with the device lid portion and the cover is in the closed position.

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Toh Tiong Han
• Loh Wuh Ken
• Boo Kuan Moon
• Klein Sandro
• Welsh Daniel

Classifications

• B01L2300/1822

  using Peltier elements · CPC title

• B01L7/52 Primary

  with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples · CPC title

• B01L2300/043

  Hinged closures · CPC title

• B01L7/00 Primary

  Heating or cooling apparatus (autoclaves B01J3/04); Heat insulating devices · CPC title