Apparatus and method for closing a sample container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897653-B2
Application number	US-202017606395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2020
Priority date	Apr 25, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

An applicator assembly ( 100 ) for closing a sample container ( 500 ) with a plug ( 16 ) is proposed. The applicator assembly comprises a magazine ( 102 ) configured to store a string ( 10 ) comprising polymer-based material, an insertion device ( 104 ) configured to insert an end piece ( 12 ) of the string at least partly into an opening ( 502 ) of the sample container ( 500 ), and a drive system ( 106 ) configured to supply at least a part of the string ( 10 ) from the magazine ( 102 ) to the insertion device ( 104 ). The applicator assembly further comprises a separator ( 108 ) configured to separate the end piece ( 12 ) from the string, such that the end piece ( 12 ) forms a plug ( 16 ) closing the sample container ( 500 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An applicator assembly for closing a sample container with a plug, the applicator assembly comprising:
a magazine configured to store a string comprising polymer-based material;
an insertion device configured to insert an end piece of the string at least partly into an opening of the sample container;
a drive system configured to supply at least a part of the string from the magazine to the insertion device and/or configured to drive at least a part of the insertion device to insert the end piece at least partly into the opening of the sample container; and
a separator configured to separate the end piece from the string, such that the end piece forms a plug closing the sample container, wherein the separator is configured to rotate at least a part of the insertion device along a circumferential direction of the end piece to shear off the end piece from the string.

2. The applicator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the separator is configured to cut off and/or shear off the end piece from the string to form the plug.

3. The applicator assembly claim 1 , wherein the string comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of: a foam material, a closed cell foam material, a compressible material, and a plastic material.

4. The applicator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion device is configured to compress at least a part of the end piece to insert the end piece of the string at least partly into the opening of the sample container.

5. The applicator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion device comprises at least one linear motion element configured to translate the end piece of the string along and/or parallel to a longitudinal direction of the end piece to insert the end piece at least partly into the opening of the sample container.

6. The applicator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion device comprises a first rotatable member configured to rotate the end piece of the string along a first circumferential direction of the end piece and to translate the end piece of the string along a longitudinal direction of the end piece to insert the end piece at least partly into the opening of the sample container.

7. The applicator assembly according to claim 6 , wherein:
the first rotatable member comprises at least two rotatable pins; and
the at least two rotatable pins are arranged skew with respect to each other and are separated from each other, such that a guiding compartment for guiding the end piece of the string is formed between the at least two rotatable pins.

8. The applicator assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two rotatable pins are arranged such that at least a part of a lateral surface and/or a tip of each pin contacts at least a part of a later surface of the end piece, such that the end piece is rotated and translated by rotating at least a subset of the at least two pins around a longitudinal axis thereof.

9. The applicator assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the first rotatable member comprises a rotatable funnel for guiding the end piece of the string, wherein the rotatable funnel comprises a conically converging inner thread configured to at least partly contact a lateral surface of the end piece, such that the end piece is rotated and translated by rotating the rotatable funnel.

10. The applicator assembly according to claim 6 , wherein:
the insertion device comprises a second rotatable member configured to contact at least a part of the string neighboring the end piece of the string; and
the second rotatable member is configured to rotate the at least part of the string along a second circumferential direction of the string opposite to the first circumferential direction, such that a rotation of the second rotatable member compensates for a rotation of the end piece induced by a rotation of the first rotatable member.

11. The applicator assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the second rotatable member is configured to annularly encompass the at least part of the string neighboring the end piece.

12. The applicator assembly according to claim 10 , wherein:
the drive system comprises at least one drive wheel configured to roll off at an outer surface of the second rotatable member to rotate the second rotatable member; and
the at least one drive wheel is coupled via a flexible coupling with the first rotatable member to rotate the first rotatable member.

13. A method comprising:
providing an applicator assembly that includes:
a magazine configured to store a string comprising polymer-based material;
an insertion device configured to insert an end piece of the string at least partly into an opening of the sample container;
a drive system configured to supply at least a part of the string from the magazine to the insertion device and/or configured to drive at least a part of the insertion device to insert the end piece at least partly into the opening of the sample container; and
a separator configured to separate the end piece from the string, such that the end piece forms a plug closing the sample container, wherein the separator is configured to rotate at least a part of the insertion device along a circumferential direction of the end piece to shear off the end piece from the string; and

using the string to close the sample container.

14. A method of closing a sample container with an applicator assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
inserting, with an insertion device of the applicator assembly, at least a part of an end piece of a string comprising polymer-based material into an opening of the sample container; and
separating, with a separator of the applicator system, the end piece from the string, thereby forming a plug closing the opening of the sample container, wherein the separator is configured to rotate at least a part of the insertion device along a circumferential direction of the end piece to shear off the end piece from the string.

Assignees

• Beckman Coulter Inc

Inventors

• Bruggaier Christoph
• Illichmann Diana

Classifications

• B65B7/2821 Primary

  applying plugs or threadless stoppers (for bottles or jars B67B1/04) · CPC title

• B65B7/285

  by deformation of the closure · CPC title

• G01N2035/0405

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

• G01N35/04

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

• B65B7/2828

  inserting and rotating screw stoppers (for bottles or jars B67B1/06) · CPC title