Mounting bracket and Western blot tester

Abstract

The utility model relates to a mounting bracket and a Western blot tester, a bearing piece is arranged at the bottom of a main frame body provided with a limiting bulge, and a self-adaptive pushing mechanism composed of a pushing piece and an elastic piece is integrated on the bearing piece, when a pressing mechanism laterally presses a glass clamping plate to a sealing piece, the pushing piece is driven by the elastic force of the elastic piece pointing to the limiting bulge, and the sealing piece is tightly pressed on the glass clamping plate. The combination dynamically compensates the height tolerance of the glass clamping plate through the deformation of the elastic piece, and it is ensured that the top of the glass clamping plate is tightly attached to the lower edge of the limiting protrusion all the time. According to the mounting bracket provided by the invention, the problem of top gap leakage caused by tolerance of the glass clamping plates is effectively solved, the target liquid level height of electrophoresis liquid is accurately maintained while the hidden danger of liquid leakage is completely eradicated, and the uniform distribution of an electric field and the stability of an experiment are guaranteed.

Description

Mounting bracket and Western blot tester Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a Western blot testing instrument, and more particularly to a mounting bracket and a Western blot testing instrument. Background Technology

[0002] Western blotting is a commonly used experimental method in molecular biology, biochemistry, and immunogenetics. In this experimental procedure, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is the core step in separating protein samples. During electrophoresis, glass clamps are typically used to pour and hold the gel. In practice, two glass clamps are mounted on the mounting bracket of the electrophoresis tank to form an internal liquid cavity for holding the electrophoresis buffer (electrophoresis solution). The level of the electrophoresis solution directly affects the uniform distribution of the electric field within the gel and the electrophoretic separation effect of the protein samples. Therefore, ensuring the airtightness of the glass clamps around the electrophoresis tank and maintaining the maximum target level of the electrophoresis solution are crucial prerequisites for the stability and success of the electrophoresis experiment.

[0003] Existing electrophoresis tank mounting brackets typically include a main frame with an opening and sealing gaskets or other sealing components around the opening. A support for holding the glass clamps is located at the bottom of the opening side of the main frame. During assembly, the operator places the glass clamps on the support, and then uses clamping mechanisms (such as lateral clamps) on both sides of the main frame to laterally clamp the glass clamps, bringing them close to the sealing components to achieve initial sealing of the tank. Simultaneously, to uniformly define and mark the maximum liquid level of the electrophoresis solution, existing sealing components typically have a one-piece molded limit protrusion near the top. Ideally, when the glass clamps are fixed to the opening of the main frame by the lateral clamping mechanism, the top edge of the glass clamp placed on the support should precisely abut against the lower edge of the limit protrusion, thus forming a sealed electrophoresis space with a defined height.

[0004] However, the existing structure described above has significant structural defects in practical use. Due to limitations in processing technology and material batches, slight height dimensional tolerances (deviations) are unavoidable between different glass clamps. When a glass clamp with a height deviation is installed on the open side of the main frame, the top of the glass clamp may be too small to abut against the lower edge of the upper limiting protrusion. In the existing bracket's fixation mode, which only uses lateral clamping, this height tolerance cannot be eliminated, resulting in a gap between the top of the glass clamp and the limiting protrusion. This gap causes the electrophoresis solution in the electrophoresis tank to leak, preventing the actual liquid level from reaching or maintaining the target height (maximum liquid level), severely affecting the electrophoresis effect and even leading to experimental failure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a mounting bracket for Western blot testing equipment that can adaptively compensate for the height tolerance of the glass clamp while laterally clamping it. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mounting bracket and a Western blot tester that can adaptively compensate for the height tolerance of the glass clamp while laterally pressing the glass clamp and actively drive its top to fit tightly against the limiting protrusion.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the above problems is: a mounting bracket, comprising:

[0007] The main frame has an opening, and a sealing element is provided around the opening. The top of the sealing element has a limiting protrusion.

[0008] A support member, provided on the main frame, is used to support the glass clamps;

[0009] A clamping mechanism for laterally pressing the glass clamp against the seal, the clamping mechanism being connected to the main frame;

[0010] An adaptive jacking mechanism is disposed on the support member, the adaptive jacking mechanism comprising:

[0011] Push-pull component;

[0012] An elastic member that applies a spring force to the push member in the direction of the limiting protrusion.

[0013] When the glass clamp is placed on the support and pressed by the pressing mechanism, the pushing member abuts against and drives the glass clamp to move upward under the action of the elastic member, so that the top of the glass clamp fits against the lower edge of the limiting protrusion.

[0014] Preferably, the adaptive pushing mechanism further includes:

[0015] The pusher seat has a moving space inside, and the pusher member is slidably disposed in the moving space; the elastic member is disposed in the moving space and is in a pre-compressed state so that the pusher member has a tendency to extend out of the pusher seat.

[0016] Preferably, the mounting bracket further includes:

[0017] A linkage mechanism connects the clamping mechanism and the adaptive pushing mechanism.

[0018] During the process of switching to the clamping state to clamp the glass plate, the pressing mechanism drives the adaptive pushing mechanism to move in a direction closer to the limiting protrusion through the linkage mechanism.

[0019] Preferably, the linkage mechanism is configured to drive the adaptive pushing mechanism to generate a preset overall displacement stroke toward the limiting protrusion during the process of the clamping mechanism switching to the clamping state.

[0020] The endpoint of the preset overall displacement stroke is configured such that the vertical distance between the top of the pusher and the lower edge of the limiting protrusion is less than the minimum design height of the glass clamp to be supported; and when the supported object stops moving upward due to the limiting protrusion, the elastic member is configured to absorb the remaining displacement in the preset overall displacement stroke through its own compression deformation.

[0021] Preferably, the clamping mechanism includes a lateral clamping member that is rotatably connected to the main frame via a rotating shaft.

[0022] The linkage mechanism includes a transmission component that is linked to the lateral clamping member via the rotating shaft.

[0023] The rotating shaft has a paddle on its circumference. The transmission assembly includes a rotatable rotating body with its rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating shaft. The rotating body has a first transmission component and a second transmission component on its circumference. A sliding component is connected to the paddle, and the paddle is slidably connected to the first transmission component through the sliding component. The second transmission component is movably connected to the adaptive jacking mechanism.

[0024] Preferably, the lateral clamping member has an oblique wedge portion on the side near the glass clamp; the oblique wedge portion is configured to apply pressure to the glass clamp in the direction of the main frame during the pressing process of the glass clamp being pressed against the main frame.

[0025] Preferably, the second transmission member is movably connected to the adaptive pushing mechanism via a sliding assembly; the sliding assembly includes:

[0026] A slide rail is provided at the bottom of the adaptive jacking mechanism;

[0027] A slider is slidably mounted on the slide rail, and the slider is rotatably connected to the second transmission component.

[0028] Preferably, the inclined wedge clamping part has a wedge-shaped structure and has an inclined pushing surface that is inclined toward the opening side of the main frame.

[0029] In the compressed state, the cross-section of the inclined push surface forms a preset angle with the sealing reference surface where the seal is located, and the preset angle is between 0° and 90°.

[0030] Preferably, the main frame is provided with guide rails for limiting the movement trajectory of the adaptive jacking mechanism;

[0031] The adaptive jacking mechanism is constrained by the guide rail so that it can only move along a straight path close to or away from the limiting protrusion.

[0032] In particular, a Western blot apparatus includes the aforementioned mounting bracket.

[0033] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of this utility model are as follows:

[0034] 1. Because this utility model has an adaptive pushing mechanism including a pushing component and an elastic component on the support component of the main frame, while the glass clamp is laterally pressed to the sealing component by the pressing mechanism, the elastic force of the elastic component drives the pushing component to abut and actively push the glass clamp to move upward. Therefore, it effectively solves the technical problem in the prior art that the top of the glass clamp cannot be tightly abutted against the lower edge of the limiting protrusion due to the unavoidable height dimensional tolerance of the glass clamp, which leads to leakage of the electrophoresis liquid from the top gap. Thus, it achieves the technical effect that glass clamps with different height deviations can adaptively compensate for displacement upward and always maintain a tight fit and seal with the lower edge of the limiting protrusion. This not only completely eliminates the risk of leakage in the electrophoresis tank, but also accurately maintains the highest target liquid level of the electrophoresis liquid, thereby effectively ensuring the uniform distribution of the electric field in the electrophoresis liquid and the stability and success of the entire Western blot electrophoresis experiment.

[0035] 2. By employing a transmission assembly that synchronously links the rotating shaft and the lateral clamping component, includes a rotating body that slides with the lever, and connects to the adaptive pushing mechanism via a slide rail and slider assembly, the lateral clamping component smoothly transmits the rotational power of the rotating shaft to the rotating body through the lever and slider during the clamping process. Then, through the second transmission component on the rotating body and the bottom slider sliding laterally relative to each other on the slide rail, the adaptive pushing mechanism is driven to move upwards parallel to the glass clamping plate. The deformation of the elastic element compensates for the displacement difference between the overall displacement and the initial gap. Therefore, this effectively solves the problem of the existing technology where adding a constant spring at the bottom would lead to… The technical problems of high resistance during glass clamp installation, easy bounce and glue breakage during clamping, and easy mechanical interference when directly converting the rotational clamping action into a linear pushing action were addressed. This solution achieves a smooth, seamless, and interference-free upward pushing of the glass clamp by simultaneously closing the lateral clamps and smoothly decoupling the multi-link torque transmission with the end slide rail slider. This perfectly absorbs the lateral displacement caused by rotation to prevent mechanical jamming, and the deformation of the elastic element ensures non-destructive adaptive bonding to glass clamps with different height tolerances. This greatly improves the safety and stability of the assembly operation, the user experience, and the service life of the equipment.

[0036] 3. By employing a lateral clamping component rotatably connected to the main frame, and a wedge-shaped inclined wedge clamping part on the side near the glass clamp, which has an inclined pushing surface tilted towards the glass clamp, and the cross-section of this inclined pushing surface forms a preset angle between 0° and 90° with the glass clamp surface in the clamping state, this technology effectively solves the technical problems of conventional clamping mechanisms in the prior art, which are prone to local stress concentration and crushing of fragile glass clamps due to abrupt force application and lack of buffering, and the difficulty in providing a smooth transition of clamping force during clamping, resulting in uneven force on the glass. Furthermore, it achieves the conversion of rotational force into a gentle and gradually increasing lateral clamping force on the glass clamp during the rotation and closure of the lateral clamping component towards the main frame by utilizing the inclined wedge clamping principle. This not only effectively protects the glass clamp from damage due to hard compression and significantly improves the uniformity and safety of clamping force, but also provides smooth lateral guidance and a continuous and stable sealing effect for the glass clamp when pushing upward to compensate for height. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the mounting bracket proposed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of point A in Figure 1.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a rotating shaft connected to an adaptive jacking mechanism via a transmission assembly in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a rotating shaft connected to an adaptive jacking mechanism via a transmission assembly, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 5 shows a schematic structural view of the lateral clamping member proposed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of point B in Figure 5.

[0043] Figure 7 shows a schematic structural view of the mounting bracket proposed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 8 shows a schematic structural diagram of the mounting bracket proposed in one embodiment of the present invention installed in an electrophoresis tank.

[0045] The components include: 1. Electrophoresis tank; 2. Mounting bracket; 210. Main frame; 220. Support component; 221. Guide rail; 230. Sealing component; 231. Limiting protrusion; 240. Pressing mechanism; 241. Lateral clamping component; 242. Inclined wedge clamping part; 250. Rotating shaft; 251. Pulley; 260. Linkage mechanism; 261. Rotating body; 262. First transmission component; 263. Second transmission component; 270. Sliding component; 280. Adaptive jacking mechanism; 281. Jacking seat; 2811. Moving space; 282. Jacking component; 283. Elastic component; 290. Sliding assembly; 291. Slide rail; 292. Slider; 3. Glass clamping plate. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this application, but are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0047] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0048] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0050] The core design concept of this application is to restructure the existing protein immunoblotting electrophoresis tank 1 mounting bracket 2 to address the sealing issues that exist in practical applications. The existing bracket, due to its fixed rigid bottom support 220, cannot accommodate the unavoidable height tolerances of different batches of glass clamps 3. When the glass clamp 3 is too short, the conventional pure lateral clamping method cannot eliminate the top gap, inevitably leading to electrophoresis solution leakage.

[0051] To address this technical problem, this application provides a mounting bracket 2 with a highly adaptive compensation function. This mounting bracket 2 breaks away from the traditional single-fixation mode, creatively introducing an adaptive pushing mechanism 280 with an elastic element 283 on the bottom support 220. Its basic working logic is as follows: while the lateral pressing mechanism 240 is working, the adaptive elastic force at the bottom actively pushes the glass clamp 3 upwards, thereby dynamically absorbing and compensating for dimensional deviations in the glass clamp 3, ensuring that the glass clamp 3 within any tolerance range can tightly fit and seal with the limiting protrusion 231 at its top, fundamentally eliminating the risk of electrophoretic fluid leakage. The mounting bracket 2 proposed in the preferred embodiment of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0052] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, this embodiment provides a mounting bracket 2, which includes a main frame 210, a support member 220, a clamping mechanism 240 for laterally pressing the glass clamp 3 against the sealing member 230, and an adaptive pushing mechanism 280. The main frame 210 has an opening, and the sealing member 230 is provided around the opening. The top of the sealing member 230 has a limiting protrusion 231. The support member 220 is disposed on the main frame 210 for supporting the glass clamp 3. The clamping mechanism 240 is connected to the main frame 210. The adaptive pushing mechanism 280 is disposed on the support member 220. The adaptive pushing mechanism 280 includes a pushing member 282 and an elastic member 283 that applies a spring force to the pushing member 282 in the direction of the limiting protrusion 231. When the glass clamp 3 is placed on the support member 220 and pressed by the pressing mechanism 240, the pushing member 282, under the action of the elastic member 283, abuts against and drives the glass clamp 3 to move upward, so that the top of the glass clamp 3 fits against the lower edge of the limiting protrusion 231. Furthermore, the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 also includes a pushing seat 281, the pushing seat 281 having a moving space 2811 inside, and the pushing member 282 slidingly disposed in the moving space 2811; the elastic member 283 is disposed within the moving space 2811 and is in a pre-compressed state, so that the pushing member 282 has a tendency to extend out of the pushing seat 281.

[0053] Specifically, the overall frame of the mounting bracket 2 can be molded from an insulating and structurally strong rigid polymer material. The main frame 210 has an internal space for containing electrophoresis fluid. An inlet is provided at the top of this space, and openings are provided at the front and back or left and right sides in the middle of this space. The peripheral edges of the two openings are tightly inlaid or coated with a sealing element 230 made of flexible material.

[0054] To define the liquid level, the top of the seal 230 has an integrally extended limit protrusion 231.

[0055] The support component 220 serves as a basic support platform, integrally set at the bottom of the main frame 210 and protruding outward, for initially supporting the vertically placed glass clamp 3 during the experimental preparation stage.

[0056] The pressing mechanism 240 is located on the side of the main frame 210 and is movably connected to the main frame 210. Its core function is to apply a lateral force to the surface of the glass clamp 3 so as to press the glass clamp 3 laterally against the sealing member 230 to achieve end face sealing.

[0057] To achieve automatic compensation for height tolerances, an adaptive jacking mechanism 280 is embedded or fastened inside or above the support member 220. The adaptive jacking mechanism 280 specifically includes a jacking seat 281, a jacking member 282, and an elastic member 283.

[0058] The pusher seat 281 serves as a guide component for the outer shell, and has a hollow movable space 2811 inside. The outer contour surface of the pusher 282 is adapted to the inner wall size of the movable space 2811, so that the pusher 282 can be guided and smoothly slid in the movable space 2811.

[0059] The elastic element 283 is concealed at the bottom of the moving space 2811, and the top of the elastic element 283 applies an upward thrust to the pusher 282. In the factory or initial assembly state, the elastic element 283 is in a pre-compressed state within the moving space 2811. This structural arrangement allows the elastic element 283 to store initial potential energy, thereby ensuring that the pusher 282 always has a tendency to extend out of the opening of the pusher seat 281 and move towards the limiting protrusion 231 under normal conditions.

[0060] In actual operation, the experimenter first vertically places the two assembled glass clamps 3 onto the support 220, at which point the bottom edge of the glass clamps 3 directly abuts against the top of the pusher 282. Due to the pre-compression force of the spring, the glass clamps 3 can be smoothly lifted. Subsequently, the operator drives the clamping mechanism 240 connected to the main frame 210. During the clamping process as the clamping mechanism 240 gradually closes, the glass clamps 3 gradually move towards the sealing member 230 due to the application of lateral thrust. At this time, while the glass clamps 3 are placed on the support 220 and clamped by the clamping mechanism 240, the pusher 282, under the continuous release of the elastic force from the elastic member 283 at the bottom, actively abuts against and drives the glass clamps 3 to move vertically as a whole. When the glass clamps 3 move upward to the point where their top touches the obstacle, that is, when the top of the glass clamps 3 contacts the lower edge of the limiting protrusion 231, the upward movement naturally stops. The elastic element 283 perfectly absorbs the height deviation of the glass plate 3 caused by processing errors through its own expansion and contraction deformation.

[0061] The mounting bracket 2 of this application is mainly used in wet electrophoresis scenarios for protein separation in biochemistry and molecular biology laboratories. Considering that the experiment requires prolonged contact with weak acid or weak alkaline electrophoresis solutions containing surfactants, and that some experimental procedures need to be carried out in low-temperature environments such as cold rooms or ice baths, the elastic element 283 should be made of a corrosion-resistant, low-temperature aging-resistant elastic polymer material to ensure that under complex physical and chemical environments, the elastic element 283 will not lose its adaptive elastic force to push the pusher 282 upward due to corrosion breakage or low-temperature embrittlement. At the same time, the sliding mating surface between the pusher 282 and the moving space 2811 of the pusher seat 281 should be reserved with sufficient thermal expansion and contraction clearance to prevent jamming under low-temperature conditions.

[0062] In some alternative embodiments, technicians can select different types of elastic elements 283 depending on the actual size of the internal space of the support 220. For example, in addition to conventional helical compression springs, wave springs that can withstand large loads and occupy very little vertical space can be used, or high-resilience silicone columns with microporous foam structures can be used to adapt to more compact experimental instrument designs.

[0063] In this embodiment, an adaptive pushing mechanism 280 with a pre-compressed elastic element 283 and a sliding pushing element 282 is provided on the support member 220. When the pressing mechanism 240 presses the glass clamp 3 laterally, the upward elastic force of the elastic element 283 drives the pushing element 282 to actively push the glass clamp 3 upward. Therefore, the technical problem of the fixed rigid support structure in the prior art being unable to accommodate the height dimensional tolerance of different batches of glass clamps 3, resulting in top gaps and electrophoretic liquid leakage after assembly, is effectively solved. This achieves dynamic displacement compensation for any glass clamp 3 with slight height differences, ensuring that its top is always adaptively and tightly fitted with the lower edge of the limiting protrusion 231, completely eliminating the risk of leakage at the bottom of the electrophoresis tank 1 and ensuring extremely stable electrophoretic liquid level.

[0064] To address the risk of glass clamp 3 ejecting and breaking due to the elastic element 283 at the bottom after electrophoresis, and to overcome technical problems such as poor feel and laborious operation caused by strong springs during assembly, the drive structure of the mounting bracket 2 has been optimized in some embodiments. Referring to Figures 3 to 6, the mounting bracket 2 also includes a linkage mechanism 260 connecting the clamping mechanism 240 and the adaptive pushing mechanism 280. During the clamping process where the clamping mechanism 240 switches to the clamping state to press the glass clamp 3, the linkage mechanism 260 drives the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 to move towards the limiting protrusion 231. The linkage mechanism 260 is configured to drive the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 to generate a preset overall displacement stroke toward the limiting protrusion 231 during the process of the clamping mechanism 240 switching to the clamping state; the end position of the preset overall displacement stroke is configured such that the vertical distance between the top of the pushing member 282 and the lower edge of the limiting protrusion 231 is less than the minimum design height of the glass clamp 3 to be supported; and when the supported object stops moving upward due to the limiting protrusion 231, the elastic member 283 is configured to absorb the remaining displacement in the preset overall displacement stroke through its own compression deformation.

[0065] Furthermore, to describe the linkage process in detail, the clamping mechanism 240 includes a lateral clamping member 241 rotatably connected to the main frame 210 via a rotating shaft 250; the linkage mechanism 260 includes a transmission assembly that is linked to the lateral clamping member 241 via the rotating shaft 250; a lever 251 is constructed on the periphery of the rotating shaft 250; the transmission assembly includes a rotatable rotating body 261, the rotation axis of the rotating body 261 being parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating shaft 250; a first transmission member 262 and a second transmission member 263 are provided on the periphery of the rotating body 261; a sliding member 270 is connected to the lever 251; the lever 251 is slidably connected to the first transmission member 262 via the sliding member 270; and the second transmission member 263 is movably connected to the adaptive pushing mechanism 280. The second transmission component 263 is movably connected to the adaptive jacking mechanism 280 via a sliding assembly 290. The sliding assembly 290 includes a slide rail 291 disposed at the bottom of the adaptive jacking mechanism 280 and a slider 292 slidably disposed on the slide rail 291. The slider 292 is rotatably connected to the second transmission component 263. The main frame 210 is provided with a guide rail 221 for limiting the movement trajectory of the adaptive jacking mechanism 280. The adaptive jacking mechanism 280 is constrained by the guide rail 221 so that it can only move along a straight path close to or away from the limiting protrusion 231.

[0066] Specifically, the linkage mechanism 260 acts as a mechanical transmission bridge, physically linking the external clamping mechanism 240 with the bottom adaptive pushing mechanism 280. The clamping mechanism 240 is manifested as a lateral clamping member 241, which forms a smooth rotational connection with the main frame 210 via a longitudinally extending rotating shaft 250. It should be noted that the lateral clamping member 241 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 250, while the rotating shaft 250 is rotatably connected to the main frame 210. The linkage mechanism 260 includes a transmission component that operates synchronously with the lateral clamping member 241. On the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 250, a lever 251 extends outwardly, and the end of the lever 251 is securely connected to a dedicated sliding member 270. Meanwhile, within the internal space of the main frame 210, an independent rotating body 261 is rotatably pivotally connected. To ensure the smooth transmission of torque, the rotation axis of this rotating body 261 is strictly limited to be parallel to the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotating shaft 250. A first transmission member 262 and a second transmission member 263 extend from the outer periphery of the rotating body 261 at a predetermined angle, forming a lever-type transmission arm. The lever member 251 on the rotating shaft 250 abuts against and forms a sliding fit connection with the surface of the first transmission member 262 through its end sliding member 270; while the second transmission member 263 on the other side of the rotating body 261 is movably connected to the adaptive jacking mechanism 280 at the bottom. More specifically, the second transmission member 263 is movably connected to the adaptive jacking mechanism 280 through a sliding assembly 290. This sliding assembly 290 includes a slide rail 291 disposed at the bottom of the adaptive jacking mechanism 280, and a slider 292 slidably disposed on the slide rail 291. The slider 292 is rotatably connected to the end of the second transmission member 263. In addition, in order to ensure the absolute verticality of the jacking process, the main frame 210 is also provided with a guide rail 221 (a guide groove opened in the support member 220) to limit the movement trajectory of the adaptive jacking mechanism 280. The adaptive jacking mechanism 280 is constrained by the guide rail 221 so that it can only move on a straight path close to or away from the limiting protrusion 231, thereby constructing a complete and continuous mechanical power transmission chain.

[0067] During the initial assembly phase of the experiment, the lateral clamping component 241 was in its initial outward-opening state. At this time, the linkage mechanism 260 was not activated, the rotating body 261 was in a relaxed position, and the adaptive pushing mechanism 280, along with its internal elastic component 283, was in a low position. The experimenter was able to place the glass clamp 3 onto the support component 220 without any resistance, completely avoiding the stiffness and difficulty in operation caused by directly confronting the strong elastic component 283.

[0068] During the clamping operation, the operator closes the lateral clamping member 241 inward, switching it to the clamping state. This action causes the rotating shaft 250 to rotate synchronously, and the lever 251 on the periphery of the rotating shaft 250 swings accordingly. While the sliding member 270 at the end of the lever 251 smoothly slides on the surface of the first transmission member 262, it applies an eccentric thrust, forcing the rotating body 261 to rotate around its own axis. The rotation of the rotating body 261 then drives the second transmission member 263 to swing upward. In this linkage process, the lateral displacement component generated by the upward swing of the end of the second transmission member 263 is completely absorbed by the relative sliding of the slider 292 on the horizontal slide rail 291; while the vertical upward displacement component generated therefrom, under the strict constraint of the guide rail 221, forces the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 to be lifted upward in a pure linear motion.

[0069] During this overall displacement process, the crucial tolerance compensation mechanism comes into play. The linkage mechanism 260 is mechanically configured to cause the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 to generate a preset overall displacement stroke toward the limiting protrusion 231. The endpoint of this stroke ensures that the vertical distance between the top of the pushing member 282 and the lower edge of the limiting protrusion 231 is strictly less than the minimum design height of the glass clamp 3 to be supported. Therefore, during the overall upward movement, regardless of whether the glass clamp 3 is at the upper or lower limit of the dimensional tolerance, its top will first abut against the limiting protrusion 231 and stop moving. At this time, the transmission component continues to complete the remaining stroke, driving the pushing seat 281 of the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 to continue to move upward. The remaining displacement in this preset overall displacement stroke is entirely converted into compression of the internal elastic member 283. The elastic member 283, through its own compression deformation, perfectly absorbs and compensates for this remaining displacement, converting it into a gentle and constant upward pressing force on the glass clamp 3. When the experiment ends and the lateral clamping member 241 is opened, the linkage mechanism 260 will force the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 to pull down to a low position, unloading the upward pushing force of the elastic member 283 in advance, thereby completely eliminating the risk that the glass clamping plate 3 will be ejected and fly out the moment it loses its lateral clamping.

[0070] This composite linkage system, incorporating multi-linkage and sliding engagement, is particularly suitable for benchtop biochemical experimental equipment with limited space and high operational precision requirements. Due to the high humidity and corrosive salt buffers often present in electrophoresis environments, the drive structure must be installed within a relatively sealed chamber inside the main frame 210 to minimize direct splashing of external liquids. Simultaneously, the contact surfaces where relative sliding occurs between the sliding member 270 and the first transmission member 262 must be made of a self-lubricating engineering material with an extremely low coefficient of friction and excellent chemical corrosion resistance to prevent jamming during long-term high-frequency use or in environments where reagents evaporate and crystallize, ensuring smooth torque transmission.

[0071] To further improve the transmission efficiency and operational smoothness of the linkage mechanism 260, the sliding member 270 connected to the end of the lever 251 can be alternatively designed as a miniature wear-resistant roller or ball bearing structure, thereby converting the sliding friction between the lever 251 and the first transmission member 262 into rolling friction with lower resistance. Furthermore, the included angle between the first transmission member 262 and the second transmission member 263 on the rotating body 261, as well as the ratio of their lever arm lengths, can be customized according to the actual required pushing force. The lever principle can be used to amplify or reduce the transmission torque to flexibly adapt to the assembly requirements of glass plates 3 of different weights and elastic members 283 of different stiffnesses.

[0072] In this embodiment, by using a rotating shaft 250 to link the lateral clamping member 241 with the transmission assembly, and utilizing the sliding engagement between the prying member 251 and the sliding member 270 on the periphery of the rotating shaft 250 and the first transmission member 262 on the rotating body 261, the second transmission member 263 is driven to drive the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 to move upward as a whole. During this process, the overall displacement distance of the adaptive pushing mechanism 280 is made greater than the initial gap, and the displacement difference is compensated by the deformation of the elastic member 283 itself. Therefore, this effectively solves the problem of simply setting the elastic member 283 at the bottom in the prior art. The technical problems of glass clamp plate 3 ejecting and breaking glue when opening the clamp after electrophoresis, as well as poor feel and laborious operation caused by the need to manually overcome the strong spring during assembly, were addressed. This led to the realization that the glass clamp plate 3 can be smoothly and effortlessly pushed upward into place by mechanical transmission while the clamping mechanism 240 is closed smoothly with one hand. This not only eliminates the safety hazard of uncontrolled elastic force by forcibly returning the mechanical return in advance, but also cleverly utilizes the overload compression of the elastic element 283 to perfectly accommodate the dimensional tolerances of different glass, greatly improving the smoothness of equipment assembly and the stability of operation.

[0073] To further optimize the force application method and clamping stability of the clamping mechanism 240, the specific structure of the clamping mechanism 240 has been designed in detail in some embodiments. Referring to Figures 1 and 5, the clamping mechanism 240 includes a lateral clamping member 241 rotatably connected to the main frame 210. The lateral clamping member 241 has an inclined wedge clamping portion 242 on the side near the glass clamping plate 3. The inclined wedge clamping portion 242 is configured to apply pressure to the glass clamping plate 3 in the direction of the main frame 210 during the clamping process when the glass clamping plate 3 is pressed against the main frame 210. Furthermore, the inclined wedge clamping portion 242 has a wedge-shaped structure and has an inclined pushing surface that is inclined towards the opening side of the main frame 210. In the clamping state, the cross-section of the inclined pushing surface forms a preset angle with the sealing reference surface where the sealing member 230 is located, and the preset angle is between 0° and 90°.

[0074] Specifically, the core component of the clamping mechanism 240 is the lateral clamping member 241. The root end or a specific pivot point of the lateral clamping member 241 is rotatably connected to the main frame 210, allowing it to open and close relative to the main frame 210. A slanted wedge-shaped clamping portion 242 is specifically provided on the inner side (i.e., clamping surface) of the lateral clamping member 241 near the glass clamp 3. This slanted wedge-shaped clamping portion 242 has a wedge-shaped structure in three dimensions and a slanted pushing surface that extends obliquely towards the glass clamp 3. In terms of spatial geometry, when the lateral clamping member 241 is fully closed inward and in a fully clamped state, from a cross-sectional perspective, the slanted pushing surface and the plane containing the sealing member 230 (i.e., the sealing reference plane) are not parallel, but inevitably intersect and form a preset angle. The angle value of this preset angle is strictly limited to between 0° and 90°, forming an acute angle, which is the geometric basis for forming the wedge-shaped thrust.

[0075] In actual assembly, the equipment is initially in the open state, and the glass clamp 3 is initially placed in position. Then, the operator manually drives the lateral clamping member 241 to rotate and close around its rotational connection with the main frame 210, moving closer to the glass clamp 3. During this rotation, the inclined pushing surface at the front end of the inclined wedge clamping part 242 first makes initial contact with the side or surface of the glass clamp 3. As the rotation continues, due to the preset angle between 0° and 90° between the inclined pushing surface and the sealing reference surface, the inclined pushing surface acts like a gradually advancing wedge. This wedge-shaped spatial constraint smoothly transforms the continuously input rotational torque from the lateral clamping member 241 into a horizontal lateral thrust perpendicular to the surface of the glass clamp 3 and strictly pointing towards the main frame 210. Under this progressive lateral thrust, the glass clamp 3 is smoothly pushed and pressed against the main frame 210, completing the entire clamping and limiting process.

[0076] In some optional embodiments, the inclined pushing surface can be a standard flat inclined surface or a smooth curved surface with a certain outward convex curvature. As long as the macroscopic cross-section of the curved surface in the compressed state maintains an angle relationship between 0° and 90° with the sealing reference surface, the wedge-shaped pushing function can still be achieved, and the curved surface transition can provide a softer initial contact feel. In addition, the inclined wedge clamping part 242 can be integrally injection molded with the lateral clamping part 241 using the same hard polymer material to ensure structural strength, or a layer of wear-resistant and water-resistant material with slight elasticity can be covered on the surface of the inclined pushing surface through a two-color injection molding or post-bonding process, thereby adding an additional flexible buffer mechanism on the basis of wedge clamping.

[0077] In this embodiment, by employing a lateral clamping member 241 with a rotating connection and a wedge-shaped structure with a pre-set angle between 0° and 90° on the inclined pushing surface, the technical problem of traditional direct-pressure clamping mechanisms in the prior art, which are prone to local stress concentration and crushing of fragile glass clamping plates 3 due to the single force direction, abrupt contact, and lack of transition buffer, is effectively solved. Furthermore, by utilizing the inclination geometry effect of the wedge-shaped inclined surface, the rotational closing force is cleverly transformed into a gentle, gradual, and uniformly increasing lateral clamping force on the glass clamping plate 3. This not only completely eliminates the safety hazard of the glass clamping plate 3 breaking due to uneven force, but also significantly reduces operating resistance, providing a smooth and stable clamping feel and extremely high sealing reliability.

[0078] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, in one embodiment, based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a Western blot testing instrument, which includes an instrument housing assembly (such as an outer liquid tank, a top cover, and electrodes, not all of which are shown in the figures) and a mounting bracket 2 as described in any of the above embodiments. By applying this mounting bracket 2 with adaptive compensation and linkage anti-interference mechanism, the sealing safety and separation accuracy of the entire Western blot testing instrument during the electrophoresis process are significantly improved.

[0079] The above description is merely illustrative of this application. Those skilled in the art to which this application pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, as long as they do not depart from the content of this application or exceed the scope defined by the claims, all of which shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A mounting bracket, characterized in that, include: The main frame has an opening, and a sealing element is provided around the opening. The top of the sealing element has a limiting protrusion. A support member, provided on the main frame, is used to support the glass clamps; A clamping mechanism for laterally pressing the glass clamp against the seal, the clamping mechanism being connected to the main frame; An adaptive pushing mechanism is disposed on the support member, the adaptive pushing mechanism comprising: a pushing member; an elastic member that applies a spring force to the pushing member in the direction of the limiting protrusion; wherein, when the glass clamp is placed on the support member and pressed by the pressing mechanism, the pushing member abuts against and drives the glass clamp to move upward under the action of the elastic member, so that the top of the glass clamp fits against the lower edge of the limiting protrusion.

2. The mounting bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adaptive pushing mechanism further includes: a pushing seat, the pushing seat having a moving space inside, the pushing member being slidably disposed in the moving space; the elastic member being disposed in the moving space and being in a pre-compressed state, so that the pushing member has a tendency to extend out of the pushing seat.

3. The mounting bracket according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A linkage mechanism connects the clamping mechanism and the adaptive pushing mechanism; wherein, during the process of the clamping mechanism switching to the clamping state of clamping the glass plate, the linkage mechanism drives the adaptive pushing mechanism to move as a whole toward the limiting protrusion.

4. The mounting bracket according to claim 3, characterized in that: The linkage mechanism is configured to drive the adaptive pushing mechanism to generate a preset overall displacement stroke toward the limiting protrusion during the process of the clamping mechanism switching to the clamping state; the end position of the preset overall displacement stroke is configured such that the vertical distance between the top of the pushing member and the lower edge of the limiting protrusion is less than the minimum design height of the glass clamp to be supported; and when the supported object stops moving upward due to the limiting protrusion, the elastic member is configured to absorb the remaining displacement in the preset overall displacement stroke through its own compression deformation.

5. The mounting bracket according to claim 4, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism includes a lateral clamping member rotatably connected to the main frame via a rotating shaft; the linkage mechanism includes a transmission assembly linked to the lateral clamping member via the rotating shaft; a lever is constructed on the circumference of the rotating shaft, and the transmission assembly includes a rotatable rotating body, the rotation axis of the rotating body being parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating shaft; a first transmission member and a second transmission member are provided on the circumference of the rotating body, a sliding member is connected to the lever, the lever is slidably connected to the first transmission member via the sliding member, and the second transmission member is movably connected to the adaptive pushing mechanism.

6. The mounting bracket according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lateral clamping member has an oblique wedge portion on the side near the glass clamp; the oblique wedge portion is configured to apply pressure to the glass clamp in the direction of the main frame during the pressing process of the glass clamp being pressed against the main frame.

7. The mounting bracket according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second transmission component is movably connected to the adaptive jacking mechanism via a sliding assembly; the sliding assembly includes: a slide rail disposed at the bottom of the adaptive jacking mechanism; and a slider slidably disposed on the slide rail, the slider being rotatably connected to the second transmission component.

8. The mounting bracket according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inclined wedge clamping part has a wedge-shaped structure and an inclined push surface that is inclined toward the opening side of the main frame body; wherein, in the clamping state, the cross section of the inclined push surface forms a preset angle with the sealing reference surface where the seal is located, and the preset angle is between 0° and 90°.

9. The mounting bracket according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The main frame is provided with a guide rail for limiting the movement trajectory of the adaptive jacking mechanism; the adaptive jacking mechanism is constrained by the guide rail so that it can only move on a straight path close to or away from the limiting protrusion.

10. A Western blot apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the mounting bracket as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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