Gripper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11207693-B2
Application number	US-201816765112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A gripper having a mechanical coupling that can be connected to a pipetting tube, at least one fluid channel extends from the coupling and a negative pressure can be transmitted, the gripper having at least one suction cup that is connected to the coupling through the at least one fluid channel as a result of which the negative pressure can be transmitted from the coupling to the at least one suction cup, and the at least one suction cup in the intended use position of the gripper is aligned such that a rim of a suction cup of the at least one suction cup is aligned in a substantially vertical plane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gripper comprising
a mechanical coupling ( 1 ), with which the gripper is connectable to a pipetting tube ( 4 ),
at least one fluid channel ( 2 ), which extends from the coupling ( 1 ) and with which a negative pressure is transmittable,
characterized in that the gripper comprises at least one suction cup ( 3 ) which is connected to the coupling ( 1 ) through the at least one fluid channel ( 2 ), as a result of which the negative pressure can be transmitted from the coupling ( 1 ) to the at least one suction cup ( 3 ),
and in that the in the intended use position of the gripper, the at least one suction cup ( 3 ) is oriented such that a rim ( 31 ) of a suction bell ( 30 ) of the at least one suction cup ( 3 ) is oriented in a substantially vertical plane.

2. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid channel ( 2 ) comprises at least a first section ( 20 ) which, in the intended use position of the gripper, extends in a second substantially vertical plane (V, H1).

3. The gripper according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one first section ( 20 ) extends substantially in the direction of a vertical axis (V) and/or wherein the at least one first section ( 20 ) extends inclined with respect to the vertical axis (V).

4. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid channel ( 2 ) comprises at least one second section ( 21 ) which, in the intended use position of the gripper, extends in a substantially horizontal plane (H1, H2, H3).

5. The gripper according to claim 4 , wherein the second section ( 21 ) comprises an inner section ( 210 ) which extends substantially in a first horizontal direction (H1) and an outer section ( 211 ) which extends essentially extends in a second horizontal direction (H2).

6. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the sections ( 20 , 21 ) of the fluid channel ( 2 ) are straight or curved.

7. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the gripper comprises two or more suction cups ( 3 ), wherein at least two of the suction cups ( 3 ) being arranged in a common horizontal plane (H1, H2, H3).

8. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein a first recess ( 100 ) which extends along the vertical axis (V) and in which the pipetting tube ( 4 ) is receivable and fixable is provided in the upper end face of the coupling ( 1 ).

9. The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein a first force disk ( 11 ) is arranged clampable at the upper free end of the coupling ( 1 ) between the body ( 10 ) and an axial guiding ring ( 12 ), wherein in the clamped state, the inner contour of the first force disk ( 11 ) protrudes into the interior of the contour of the first recess ( 100 ).

10. The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein at least one second recess ( 120 ) is provided at the upper free end of the coupling ( 1 ), which extends radially outward from the first recess ( 100 ) and in which a second elevation ( 42 ) of the pipetting tube ( 4 ) is receivable, whereby a relative rotation of the gripper ( 1 ) with respect to the pipetting tube ( 4 ) can be prevented.

11. The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein a circumferential first groove ( 101 ) is provided at the lower end of a third section of the first recess ( 100 ), in which an annular disk-shaped first seal ( 13 ) is arranged, the inner contour of which protrudes into the interior of the contour of the third section.

12. The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein a circumferential second groove ( 102 ) is provided in a third section of the first recess ( 100 ), in which an annular second seal ( 14 ) is arranged, the inner contour of which protrudes into the interior of the contour of the third section.

13. The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein a circumferential third groove ( 103 ) is provided in a first section of the first recess ( 100 ), in which an annular third seal ( 15 ) is arranged or in which an annular third seal ( 15 ) and a second force disk ( 16 ) are arranged, wherein the inner contour of the third seal ( 15 ) protruding into the interior of the contour of the first section.

14. The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein a circumferential fourth groove ( 104 ) is provided in a first section of the first recess ( 100 ), in which an annular, elastic coupling element ( 17 ) is arranged, the inner contour of which protruding into the interior of the contour first section.

15. The gripper according to claim 14 , wherein at least one radial bore ( 105 ) is provided in the coupling ( 1 ), which extends radially outward from the fourth groove ( 104 ) and in which a pusher ( 18 ) is arranged, with which one radially inward force can be exerted on the coupling element ( 17 ).

16. A pipetting system comprising:
a pipetting device with a vacuum source and with at least one pipetting tube ( 4 ) which is connected to the vacuum source,
characterized in that the pipetting system further comprises at least one gripper according to claim 1 , which can be fixed to the pipetting tube ( 4 ) with the coupling ( 1 ).

17. The pipetting system according to claim 16 , wherein a circumferential first elevation ( 41 ) is provided in the first section of the shaft ( 40 ), the outer contour of which protrudes outward beyond the contour of the first section, wherein the outer contour of the first elevation ( 41 ) of the pipetting tube ( 4 ) lies within the contour of the first recess ( 100 ) of the coupling ( 1 ).

18. The pipetting system according to claim 16 , wherein a circumferential groove ( 43 ) is provided in the first section of the shaft ( 40 ), into which the annular, elastic coupling element ( 17 ) engages in the assembled state.

19. The pipetting system according to claim 16 , comprising two or more grippers according to the invention, wherein at least two of the grippers can jointly grip a laboratory article from opposite sides or from sides angled to each other.

Assignees

• Tecan Trading Ag

Inventors

• Cors Nicolas
• Kuster Martin

Classifications

• B01L9/54 Primary

  Supports specially adapted for pipettes and burettes · CPC title

• G01N2035/1051

  for transporting containers, e.g. retained by friction · CPC title

• G01N35/04

  Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N35/10

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N35/0099 Primary

  comprising robots or similar manipulators (robots per se B25J) · CPC title