An ep tube decapper

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of EP tube opener, and one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an EP tube opener applied to an EP tube, which comprises a barrel, a first pressing plate, a second pressing plate and an elastic connecting piece. The first pressing plate is movably arranged in the barrel through an adjusting mechanism and is used for abutting against the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube cover. One end of the second pressing plate is rotationally matched with the inner side wall of the barrel through a hinge piece and is used for abutting against the upper surface of the EP tube cover. The elastic connecting piece is arranged on the inner side wall of the barrel and is used for elastically connecting the second pressing plate and the inner side wall of the barrel. Through the above technical solution, the technical problem that the operation of opening the tube cover by using the thumb is relatively laborious and the sample may be polluted by contacting the liquid in the EP tube in the prior art is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to the field of EP tube cap opener technology, and more specifically, to an EP tube cap opener. Background Technology

[0002] In the research and development and production processes of biopharmaceuticals and medical sciences, various sterile EP tubes are frequently used for aseptic operations such as sample storage and reactions. EP tubes consist of a tube body and a cap connected to the open end of the tube body. As consumables for temporary sample storage, EP tubes require frequent opening and closing of the cap.

[0003] In the current technology, the way to open the EP tube cap is usually for the operator to push the outer flange of the cap upward with their thumb. This operation is relatively laborious, and the aseptic operation process requires wearing sterile gloves. Sterile gloves are mostly made of rubber, which are easily damaged during repeated opening and closing of the cap, resulting in the operator's skin being exposed and coming into contact with the liquid inside the EP tube, causing contamination of the sample. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the above-mentioned defects, embodiments of this disclosure provide an EP tube cap opener to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the operation of opening the tube cap by pushing with the thumb is laborious and may cause sample contamination due to contact with the liquid inside the EP tube.

[0005] According to one aspect, at least one embodiment of this disclosure provides an EP pipe cap opener, applied to an EP pipe, including a cylindrical body, a first pressure plate, a second pressure plate, and an elastic connector. The first pressure plate is movably disposed within the cylindrical body via an adjustment mechanism and is used to abut against the lower surface of the EP pipe cap flange. One end of the second pressure plate is rotatably engaged with the inner wall of the cylindrical body via a hinge and is used to abut against the upper surface of the EP pipe cap. The elastic connector is disposed on the inner wall of the cylindrical body and is used to elastically connect the second pressure plate and the inner wall of the cylindrical body.

[0006] Preferably, to accommodate EP tubes of different sizes, the first pressure plate can be driven to abut against the lower surface of the EP tube cap flange. The adjustment mechanism includes a fixed frame, a sliding rod, a connecting plate, and a pushing member. One end of the fixed frame penetrates the inner wall of the cylinder and is fixedly connected to the cylinder. Both ends of the sliding rod are fixedly connected to the two inner walls of the fixed frame, respectively. One end of the connecting plate slides in cooperation with the sliding rod. The bottom end of the connecting plate is fixedly connected to one end of the first pressure plate. The pushing member is disposed within the cylinder and the fixed frame and is used to push the connecting plate to move.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to drive the first pressure plate close to the E tube and abut against the lower surface of the EP tube cover flange, the pushing member includes a first spring, a push plate, and a pressing seat. The two ends of the first spring are respectively fixedly connected to the side wall of the connecting plate and the inner side wall of the fixed frame. The first spring is fitted on the outside of the slide rod. One end of the push plate passes through the fixed frame and is fixedly connected to the connecting plate. One end of the pressing seat is fixedly connected to the other end of the push plate.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to allow the second pressure plate to rotate toward the inside of the cylinder, the hinge includes a support base, a rotating shaft, and a rotating plate. One end of the support base is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylinder, and a slot is provided on the support base. The two ends of the rotating shaft are respectively fixedly connected to the two inner walls of the slot. One end of the rotating plate is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end of the rotating plate is fixedly connected to the second pressure plate.

[0009] Preferably, in order to ensure that the bottom end of the second pressure plate is on the same horizontal line as the bottom end of the cylinder, and to push the second pressure plate back to its original position after rotation, the elastic connector includes a telescopic bending rod and a second spring. Two telescopic bending rods are provided and symmetrically arranged with the center of the second pressure plate as the center point. One end of the telescopic bending rod is fixedly connected to one end of the second pressure plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylinder. The second spring is fitted on the telescopic bending rod, and both ends of the second spring are fixedly connected to the second pressure plate and the inner wall of the cylinder, respectively.

[0010] Preferably, in order to support the horizontal movement of the push plate, the fixed frame is provided with a through hole that cooperates with the push plate, and the through hole is located above the slide rod.

[0011] Preferably, in order to accommodate the user's thumb and facilitate pushing the squeezing seat, a recess is provided at the other end of the squeezing seat.

[0012] Preferably, in order to avoid difficulty in retracting the telescopic rod when the second pressure plate rotates, the telescopic rod is arc-shaped and its center coincides with the axis of the rotating shaft.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the embodiments disclosed herein are as follows:

[0014] In this disclosure, through the cooperation of the first pressure plate, the second pressure plate, the adjustment mechanism, the hinge, and the elastic connector, the user holds the EP tube cap opener and places the bottom end of the second pressure plate against the upper surface of the EP tube cap. Depending on the size of the EP tube, the first pressure plate can be adjusted to be below the lower surface of the EP tube cap flange by rotating the cylinder. Then, the squeezing seat drives one end of the first pressure plate to abut against the lower surface of the EP tube cap flange. Afterward, it can be rotated in the opposite direction (with the center position of the second pressure plate as the axis) to "pry open" the EP tube cap. This method can open EP tubes of different sizes. This operation is convenient and avoids the operator's skin being exposed and coming into contact with the liquid inside the EP tube, which could contaminate the sample. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and these drawings without any creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the second pressure plate abutting against the upper surface of the EP pipe cover and the cylinder rotating, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a partial structural cross-sectional view of the whole in one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the cooperation between the first pressure plate and the adjustment mechanism in one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second pressure plate, the elastic connector and the hinge in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. EP tube; 2. Cylinder; 3. First pressure plate; 4. Second pressure plate; 5. Fixing frame; 6. Slide rod; 7. Connecting plate; 8. First spring; 9. Push plate; 10. Extrusion seat; 11. Support seat; 12. Rotating shaft; 13. Rotating plate; 14. Telescopic bending rod; 15. Second spring; 16. Through hole; 17. Recess. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0022] To keep the drawings concise, each drawing only schematically shows the parts relevant to the disclosure; these do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, in some drawings, only one of components with the same structure or function is schematically shown, or only one is labeled. In this document, "one" not only means "only one," but can also mean "more than one," and "several" includes "two" and "more than two."

[0023] In this document, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0025] In the description of this embodiment, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0026] Furthermore, in the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] like Figures 1-4 As shown, it illustrates an EP pipe cap opener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, applied to an EP pipe 1, including a cylindrical body 2, and further including a first pressure plate 3, a second pressure plate 4 and an elastic connector;

[0028] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the first pressure plate 3 is movably disposed inside the cylinder 2 through an adjustment mechanism to abut against the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube 1 cap. In order to accommodate EP tubes 1 of different sizes, the first pressure plate 3 can be driven to abut against the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube 1 cap. The adjustment mechanism includes a fixed frame 5, a sliding rod 6, a connecting plate 7, and a pushing member. One end of the fixed frame 5 penetrates through the inner wall of the cylinder 2 and is fixedly connected to the cylinder 2. One end of the fixed frame 5 is arc-shaped and matches the outer wall of the cylinder 2. The two ends of the sliding rod 6 are fixedly connected to the two inner walls of the fixed frame 5 respectively. One end of the connecting plate 7 is slidably engaged with the sliding rod 6. The bottom end of the connecting plate 7 is fixedly connected to one end of the first pressure plate 3. One end of the connecting plate 7 is attached to the inner wall of the cylinder 2. The pushing member is disposed inside the cylinder 2 and the fixed frame 5 and is used to push the connecting plate 7 to move.

[0029] To drive the first pressure plate 3 closer to the E tube and abut against the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube 1 cover, the pushing component includes a first spring 8, a push plate 9, and a pressing seat 10. The two ends of the first spring 8 are fixedly connected to the side wall of the connecting plate 7 and the inner side wall of the fixing frame 5, respectively. The first spring 8 is fitted onto the outside of the slide rod 6. One end of the push plate 9 passes through the fixing frame 5 and is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 7. To support the horizontal movement of the push plate 9, the fixing frame 5 has a through hole 16 that mates with the push plate 9. The through hole 16 is located above the slide rod 6. One end of the pressing seat 10 is fixedly connected to the other end of the push plate 9. To accommodate the user's thumb... The compression seat 10 is pushed, and a recess 17 is provided at the other end of the compression seat 10. The user holds the cylinder 2 and places the user's thumb in the recess 17, while the other four fingers grasp the cylinder 2 to keep it stable. By squeezing the compression seat 10, the compression seat 10 moves along the inner wall of the through hole 16 toward the axis of the cylinder 2. The compression seat 10 pushes the connecting plate 7 to move under the guidance of the slide rod 6. The connecting plate 7 squeezes the first spring 8, and the first spring 8 contracts and generates elastic force. At the same time, the connecting plate 7 drives the first pressure plate 3 to move toward the axis of the cylinder 2, thereby reducing the distance between the first pressure plate 3 and the axis of the cylinder 2.

[0030] like Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, one end of the second pressure plate 4 is rotatably engaged with the inner wall of the cylinder 2 via a hinge, and is used to abut against the upper surface of the EP tube 1 cover. In order for the second pressure plate 4 to rotate toward the inner side of the cylinder 2, the hinge includes a support base 11, a rotating shaft 12, and a rotating plate 13. One end of the support base 11 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylinder 2, and a slot is provided on the support base 11. The two ends of the rotating shaft 12 are fixedly connected to the two inner walls of the slot, respectively. One end of the rotating plate 13 is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 12, and the other end of the rotating plate 13 is fixedly connected to the second pressure plate 4. By connecting the second pressure plate 4... The bottom end of 4 is attached to and abuts against the upper surface of the EP tube 1 cover. According to the size of the EP tube 1, the cylinder 2 is rotated, and the cylinder 2 drives the support seat 11 to rotate. The second pressure plate 4 can remain stationary and abut against the upper surface of the EP tube 1 cover by the rotation of the rotating shaft 12. By rotating the cylinder 2, the first pressure plate 3 can be adjusted to be below the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube 1 cover. By squeezing the squeezing seat 10, the first pressure plate 3 is moved and one end of the first pressure plate 3 abuts against the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube 1 cover. Then it can be rotated in the opposite direction to "pry open" the EP tube 1 cover.

[0031] An elastic connector is installed on the inner wall of the cylinder 2 to elastically connect the second pressure plate 4 and the inner wall of the cylinder 2. To ensure that the bottom end of the second pressure plate 4 is on the same horizontal line as the bottom end of the cylinder 2, and to allow the second pressure plate 4 to return to its original position after rotation, the elastic connector includes a telescopic bending rod 14 and a second spring 15. Two telescopic bending rods 14 are provided and symmetrically arranged with the center of the second pressure plate 4 as the center point. One end of the telescopic bending rod 14 is fixedly connected to one end of the second pressure plate 4, and the other end is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylinder 2. The telescopic bending rod 14 includes an arc-shaped cylinder 2 and an arc-shaped shaft, with an anti-slip layer between the arc-shaped cylinder 2 and the arc-shaped shaft. The second spring 15 is fitted onto the telescopic bending rod 14, and both ends of the second spring 15 are fixedly connected to the second pressure plate 4 and the inner wall of the cylinder 2, respectively. The second spring 15 has a large damping coefficient and deforms and bends under the gravity of the second pressure plate 4. The second spring 15 is sufficient to support the second pressure plate 4 to remain horizontal and will not "bounce" up and down under the elastic force of the second spring 15. In order to avoid the second pressure plate 4 being difficult to retract when rotating, the telescopic bending rod 14 is arc-shaped and the center of the arc coincides with the axis of the rotating shaft 12. Before the second pressure plate 4 comes into contact with the EP tube 1 cover, the second pressure plate 4 is held in a nearly horizontal state by the tension of the second spring 15. After the EP tube 1 cover is "pried open", the EP tube 1 is "separated" from the cylinder 2. At this time, the second pressure plate 4 will be subjected to the elastic force of the second spring 15. The second pressure plate 4 rotates back to the initial position with the axis of the rotating shaft 12 as the center. The telescopic bending rod 14 is stretched. When the telescopic bending rod 14 is stretched to the "limit" state, the second pressure plate 4 is in a horizontal state. However, due to the elastic force of the second spring 15, the second pressure plate 4 may be driven to "shake" repeatedly several times, and finally the second pressure plate 4 is in a horizontal state.

[0032] It should be added that the first pressure plate 3 and the second pressure plate 4 are symmetrically arranged with the axis of the cylinder 2 as the center;

[0033] Working principle: When using this EP tube opener to open EP tube 1, EP tube 1 should be placed in the corresponding container. At this time, EP tube 1 is placed vertically and stably. The user holds the EP tube opener, with the thumb placed in the recess 17 and the other four fingers gripping the cylinder 2 to keep it stable. The bottom end of the second pressure plate 4 is pressed against the upper surface of the EP tube 1 cap. Depending on the size of EP tube 1, the cylinder 2 is rotated. The cylinder 2 drives the support base 11 to rotate. The second pressure plate 4 remains stationary and abuts against the upper surface of the EP tube 1 cap through the rotation of the shaft 12. During this process, the telescopic rod 14 retracts and the second spring 15 retracts. By rotating the cylinder 2, the first pressure plate 3 can be adjusted to be below the lower surface of the EP tube 1 cap flange. Then, the squeezing seat 10 is squeezed, and the squeezing seat 10 moves along the inner wall of the through hole 16 toward the axis of the cylinder 2. The squeezing seat 10 pushes the connecting plate 7 to move under the guidance of the slide rod 6. The connecting plate 7 squeezes the first spring 8, and the first spring 8 contracts and generates elastic force. At the same time, the connecting plate 7 drives the first pressure plate 3 to move toward the axis of the cylinder 2, thereby reducing the distance between the first pressure plate 3 and the axis of the cylinder 2. One end of the first pressure plate 3 abuts against the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube 1 cover. Then, it can be rotated in the opposite direction (with the center position of the second pressure plate 4 as the axis) to "pry open" the EP tube 1 cover. This can open EP tubes 1 of different sizes. This operation is convenient and avoids the operator's skin being exposed and coming into contact with the liquid inside the EP tube 1, which could cause contamination of the sample.

[0034] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure and are not intended to limit it. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this disclosure, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An EP pipe cap opener, applied to an EP pipe (1), comprising a cylindrical body (2), characterized in that, Also includes: The first pressure plate (3) is movablely disposed inside the cylinder (2) by means of an adjustment mechanism, and is used to abut against the lower surface of the flange of the EP tube (1); The second pressure plate (4) has one end connected to the inner wall of the cylinder (2) via a hinge to abut against the upper surface of the EP tube (1) cover. An elastic connector is provided on the inner wall of the cylinder (2) for elastically connecting the second pressure plate (4) and the inner wall of the cylinder (2).

2. The EP tube cap opener according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment mechanism includes: A fixed frame (5) is provided, one end of which passes through the inner wall of the cylinder (2) and is fixedly connected to the cylinder (2). The sliding rod (6) has two ends that are fixedly connected to the two inner sidewalls of the fixed frame (5); A connecting plate (7) is provided, one end of which is slidably engaged with the slide rod (6), and the bottom end of the connecting plate (7) is fixedly connected to one end of the first pressure plate (3). A pusher is disposed within the cylinder (2) and the fixed frame (5) for pushing the connecting plate (7) to move.

3. An EP tube cap opener according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pushing component includes: The first spring (8) has its two ends fixedly connected to the side wall of the connecting plate (7) and the inner side wall of the fixing frame (5), respectively. The first spring (8) is fitted on the outside of the slide rod (6). Push plate (9), one end of which passes through the fixed frame (5) and is fixedly connected to the connecting plate (7); The extrusion seat (10) is fixedly connected at one end to the other end of the push plate (9).

4. An EP tube cap opener according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hinge includes: Support base (11), one end of which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylinder (2), and a slot is provided on the support base (11); A rotating shaft (12) is fixedly connected at both ends to the two inner sidewalls of the empty groove. A rotating plate (13) is rotatably connected at one end to the rotating shaft (12), and the other end of the rotating plate (13) is fixedly connected to the second pressure plate (4).

5. An EP tube cap opener according to claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic connector includes: Telescopic bending rod (14), two telescopic bending rods (14) are provided and are symmetrically arranged with the center of the second pressure plate (4) as the center point. One end of the telescopic bending rod (14) is fixedly connected to one end of the second pressure plate (4), and the other end is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cylinder (2). The second spring (15) is fitted onto the telescopic bending rod (14), and the two ends of the second spring (15) are fixedly connected to the second pressure plate (4) and the inner wall of the cylinder (2), respectively.

6. An EP tube cap opener according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fixed frame (5) has a through hole (16) that cooperates with the push plate (9), and the through hole (16) is located above the slide rod (6).

7. An EP tube cap opener according to claim 3, characterized in that, The other end of the compression seat (10) has a recess (17).

8. An EP tube cap opener according to claim 5, characterized in that, The telescopic bending rod (14) is arc-shaped and its center coincides with the axis of the rotating shaft (12).

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