Capping and de-capping apparatus and a method of operating such an apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267683-B2
Application number	US-201816483294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2018
Priority date	Feb 3, 2017
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A capping and de-capping apparatus (100) for capping and de-capping tubes (112) disposed in a tube holding rack (111) having a two-dimensional array of apertures (114) for holding the tubes (112). The apparatus (100) comprises a rack support (110) for supporting the tube holding rack (111), a head unit (120) adapted for carrying a cartridge (152) comprising at least one capping and de-capping gripper (122), a drive system (130) for moving the rack support (110) and the head unit (120) relatively towards and away from one another, in order to cause engagement or disengagement of the capping and de-capping gripper (122) with or from a cap (113) of at least one tube (112), and a drive system (140) for rotating the capping and de-capping gripper (122), wherein rotation in one direction causes attachment of the cap (113) to the tube (112) and rotation in the opposite direction causes detachment of the cap (113) from said tube (112).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A capping and de-capping apparatus for capping and de-capping tubes disposed in a tube holding rack having a two-dimensional array of apertures for holding tubes, said apparatus comprising:
a rack support for supporting said tube holding rack,
a head unit carrying an array of ejector pins and actuators that rotate said ejector pins,
an exchangeable cartridge comprising an array of capping and de-capping grippers, each comprising a socket to engage a cap on a tube in an aperture, the cartridge being configured to attach to and detach from the head unit from below the head unit with the sockets aligned with the apertures, the cartridge permitting exchange of an entire array of capping and de-capping grippers at once for rotation of the sockets with the ejector pins,
a drive system for moving said rack support and said head unit relatively towards and away from one another, in order to cause engagement or disengagement of said capping and de-capping grippers with or from caps of tubes in the array of apertures, and
a drive system including the actuators that rotate said ejector pins and capping and de-capping grippers, wherein rotation in one direction causes attachment of said cap to said tube and rotation in the opposite direction causes detachment of said cap from said tube.

2. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said head unit comprises a first attachment body supporting the ejector pins and actuators and a second attachment body below the first attachment body, said cartridge being attached to said second attachment body.

3. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said cartridge is attached to and detached from said second attachment body by means of automated clamping means arranged on said second attachment body.

4. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus comprises at least one apparatus setup means comprising data informing the apparatus of which set up is needed for the tubes.

5. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said apparatus setup means comprises a combination of switches arranged on said head unit.

6. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said apparatus setup means comprises a microchip arranged on said cartridge.

7. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of said capping and de-capping grippers has a through-going passage extending along a center axis of the capping and de-capping gripper, and wherein the ejector pin is moveably arranged within said through-going passage, said ejector pin being configured to perform a translational movement relative to said capping and de-capping gripper, thereby effecting a release of a cap retained within said capping and de-capping gripper.

8. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of capping and de-capping grippers so configured that each capping and de-capping gripper may engage and/or disengage a cap independently of the other grippers.

9. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to control the operation of said capping and de-capping grippers and/or said ejector pins independently from one another.

10. A capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a user interface associated with said control unit and configured to permit a user to decide which capping and de-capping gripper shall engage and/or disengage a tube configured to receive and/or dispose of a cap placed within said rack.

11. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
placing a cartridge onto a rack support,
moving a head unit towards said cartridge and rack support by means of a drive system,
attaching said cartridge to said head unit,
moving said head unit and cartridge from said rack support by means of said drive system,
placing a rack onto said rack support,
moving said head unit and cartridge towards said rack and rack support by means of said drive system,
with at least one capping and de-capping gripper, attached to said cartridge, engaging an opposing cap on an opposing test tube placed in a rack on said rack support, and
disengaging said cap from said test tube by means of concerted movement of said drive system, moving said head unit away from said rack support, and a simultaneous rotational movement of said gripper unit, said rotational movement being caused by an actuator unit connected to said capping and de-capping gripper,
attaching a cap, by means of reversing the above steps, said rotational movement being stopped when a means for sensing a torque registers that a certain threshold torque is exceeded.

12. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
activating apparatus setup means, thereby effecting an apparatus setup tailored to the specific capping and de-capping grippers of said cartridge.

13. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein activating comprises said cartridge interacting with a combination of switches arranged on said head unit.

14. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein activating comprises a microchip arranged on said cartridge interacting with a control unit of said apparatus.

15. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising detaching said cartridge from said head unit by means of the steps of:
moving said head unit and cartridge towards said rack support by means of a drive system such that said cartridge rests upon said rack support,
detaching said cartridge from said head unit,
moving said head unit from said cartridge and said rack support by means of said drive system.

16. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said cartridge is attached to and detached from said head unit by means of automated clamping means.

17. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a cap in contact with a capping and de-capping gripper, but not undergoing a rotation by the actuator unit connected to such a capping and de-capping gripper, is not removed from a respective test tube.

18. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
releasing a capped tube from a capping and de-capping gripper by moving a first attachment body towards said rack support such that an ejector pin comes into contact with the cap of said tube,
disengaging said socket unit from said cap by moving a second attachment body away from said tube, whereby said ejector pin remains in contact with said cap while said socket unit is disengaged from said cap,
moving said first attachment body from said rack support, thereby releasing said tube and freeing said capping and de-capping apparatus to perform a new cycle of capping and de-capping.

19. A method of operating a capping and de-capping apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said first and second attachment bodies are moved by means of a drive system.

Assignees

• Brooks Automation Inc

Inventors

• Hovendahl Lars Weber
• Nielsen Michael
• Christensen Stig

Classifications

• G01N35/04 Primary

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

• B67B3/20

  by applying and rotating preformed threaded caps (forming threads in situ by resilient deforming means B67B3/16, by rotary capping heads B67B3/18) · CPC title

• B67B3/2066 Primary

  Details of capping heads (B67B3/2073 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B67B7/182

  power-operated · CPC title

• G01N2035/0405

  manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers · CPC title