Laboratory storage cabinet with rotor in transport airlock

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laboratory storage cabinet (10) including a cabinet housing (12) separating a storage space (14) within the cabinet housing (12) from an environment (U) external to the storage cabinet (12), the cabinet housing (12) including an airlock (20) that allows transport of materials between an inner transport position located within the storage space (14) and an outer transport position located within the outer environment (U), a storage device (28) within the storage space (14) for receiving materials at a predetermined storage position, and a handling device (26) within the storage space (14) for transporting materials between the inner transport position and the storage device (26), and the airlock (20) having an airlock opening (24) in a wall (12a) of the cabinet housing (12), the airlock opening penetrating the wall (12a). According to the present invention, the airlock (20) includes a rotor (22) having at least one loading structure (44) rotatably mounted relative to the cabinet housing (12) about a rotation axis (R), the rotor being fitted into the airlock opening (24) such that the loading structure (44) is displaceable between an inner transport position and an outer transport position by rotation of the rotor (22) about the rotation axis (R).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laboratory storage cabinet comprising a cabinet housing, which separates a storage space inside the cabinet housing from an environment outside the storage cabinet, the cabinet housing including a transport airlock, hereinafter referred to simply as "airlock" for short, which allows transport of materials between an inner transport position located within the storage space and an outer transport position located within the outer environment, within the storage space there is a storage device for receiving the materials in a predetermined storage position, within the storage space there is a handling device for transporting the materials between the inner transport position and the storage device, the airlock having an airlock opening in a wall of the cabinet housing, which airlock opening passes through the wall. [Background technology]

[0002] Such a laboratory storage cabinet, also referred to in the following simply for short as a "storage cabinet", is known from DE 10 20 05 133 A1. A further related storage cabinet is known from DE 10 20 05 133 A1. For further prior art relating to laboratory storage cabinets, reference is made to DE 10 20 05 133 A1.

[0003] Such laboratory storage cabinets are generally used in the prior art and in the present invention for the storage of chemical and / or biological and / or biochemical materials under defined storage conditions. Since the materials to be stored are generally stored received in containers, what is generally referred to as "materials" in this application is generally one or more containers with the materials received therein.

[0004] The predetermined storage conditions may relate to an atmosphere in the storage space that is predetermined with respect to temperature or / and humidity or / and pressure or / and chemical composition or / and further parameters. For this reason, it is important to separate the storage space from the environment outside the storage cabinet by the cabinet housing, since in the outside environment an atmosphere that is generally different with respect to at least one parameter from the predetermined storage conditions in the storage space prevails.

[0005] To allow materials to be introduced into the storage cabinet for storage, and removed from the storage cabinet for further laboratory processing, without unduly disturbing a storage environment different from the outside environment within the storage space, known storage cabinets include airlocks through which materials can be introduced from the outside environment, through the cabinet housing, into the storage space, and similarly transported from the storage space, through the cabinet housing, to the outside environment.

[0006] The airlock of the known laboratory storage cabinet described above includes a translatable carriage as a transport means for transporting material between an inner transport position located within the storage space and generally accessible only from the storage space, and an outer transport position located within the outer environment and generally accessible only from the outer environment, the carriage being reciprocable through the airlock opening between the outer transport position in the outer environment and the inner transport position within the storage space.

[0007] Inside the storage cabinet, i.e., within the storage space, the handling device is automated to transport further material between an internal transport position and a storage position within the storage device, so that material brought into the storage space can be stored so that it can be found.

[0008] The advantage of a translatable carriage in the transport airlock of the storage cabinet is that for the carriage a relatively small transition volume can be provided, which can be bounded both with respect to the storage space and with respect to the outside environment, into which the carriage can initially move starting from its initial transport position. After adapting the atmospheric conditions in the transition volume to those of the target transport position, the carriage can be moved further from the transition volume to the target transport position without significantly impairing the atmospheric conditions at the target transport position. While maintaining the atmospheric conditions at the outer transport position is generally not important, since the outer environment can almost certainly be assumed to be infinitely larger compared to the storage space, the impact of the material transport from the outside into the storage space on the atmospheric conditions in the storage space is significantly greater.

[0009] A disadvantage of the translatable carriages of the known transport airlocks is the low material throughput per time unit, which is attempted to be compensated for by a correspondingly large number of airlocks which can be used in parallel or by structurally larger airlocks which can transport a particularly large amount of material in one transport.

[0010] However, both the use of several airlocks which can be used in parallel and the use of spatially large airlocks require corresponding installation space in the laboratory storage cabinet. In the case of a relatively small storage cabinet the size of a domestic refrigerator, and also in the case of a relatively small storage cabinet the size of a large domestic refrigerator, the installation space required for several airlocks or for a large airlock is not available in the known manner to realize the transport of material between the inner transport position and the outer transport position with the highest possible material throughput per time unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] German Utility Model No. 29613557 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0084564 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2012 / 034037 Brochure Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop the laboratory storage cabinet mentioned at the beginning in such a way that it can be operated with a high material throughput even in cases where the available installation space is small, without unduly impairing the storage conditions in the storage space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The invention solves this problem in that the laboratory storage cabinet named at the beginning of the application, the airlock of which comprises a rotating body with at least one loading structure rotatably mounted relative to the cabinet housing about an axis of rotation, the rotating body being fitted into the airlock opening in such a way that the loading structure is displaceable between an inner transport position and an outer transport position by rotation about the axis of rotation of the rotating body.

[0014] The basic use of the rotor allows for a fast transport of material, i.e. in particular of containers, between an inner transport position and an outer transport position in a very small installation space. The installation space narrowly occupied by the rotor as a transport means largely corresponds to its movement space, since the rotor not only prepares the loading structure in a state acceptable for the inner or / and outer transport position, but can also close the airlock opening with its body part during the preparation, so that the rotor is not only a transport means for the stored or to be stored material, but also a closing means for the airlock opening. This can also significantly simplify the operation of the transport airlock, since one and the same part, i.e. the rotor, can provide not only the material transport between the inner and outer transport positions, but also a closing situation of the airlock opening. Such a closing situation includes a complete or as extensive as possible closing of the airlock opening. The airlock can therefore be free from pivotable or / and slidable closing means such as doors, flaps, bulkheads, etc.

[0015] For the sake of clarity, it should be pointed out that the above-mentioned transport locations, the inner transport location and the outer transport location, are merely locations that temporarily receive material during the transport of the material from the external environment to the storage device, whereas the storage locations in the storage device are locations that permanently receive material, where the material remains until required by the storage device, and in any case significantly longer than in the transport locations, where the material is merely supplied for transport between transport locations and / or for acceptance by personnel or handling equipment in the external environment or by handling equipment in the storage space.

[0016] Basically, the rotating body can have only one loading structure, which is moved by an operating device in the storage space or by an operator or operating equipment in the outside environment when it is necessary to transport the material to the respective transport position for picking up. However, the maximum material throughput obtainable with the storage cabinet discussed in the present invention can be easily increased by the rotating body having at least two loading structures, of which a first loading structure is in one of the outer transport position and the inner transport position, when a second loading structure different from the first loading structure is in the other of the outer transport position and the inner transport position, respectively. Even if in one transport position the material is removed from or placed in the first loading structure, in the respective other transport position the second loading structure is prepared to receive or release the material as well. In addition, when the loading structure is moved from one transport position to the other and from the other transport position to the one, only half the path needs to be traveled, if only one loading structure is provided on the rotor, if only one loading structure is provided on the rotor. This advantageously results in a short loading cycle of 5 to 7 seconds, i.e. an object or material is loaded into the storage cabinet, i.e. stored, and removed from the storage cabinet, i.e. discharged, every 5 to 7 seconds, since at the same time one loading structure is prepared for the inner transport position and one for the outer transport position. This allows parallelization of the storage and discharge processes, unlike known translatable transport carriages.

[0017] Basically, two or more loading structures may be formed on the rotating body. In order to ensure that the rotating body is capable of closing the airlock opening by the body part when there is one loading structure each in each transport position, the rotating body preferably has exactly two sectors with at least one loading structure each, which are arranged rotated 180° relative to each other about the rotation axis. Preferably, the inner and outer transport positions are located at an angular distance of 180° from each other around the rotation axis.

[0018] To facilitate the operation of the transport airlock, the rotor is preferably symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation such that the majority of the rotor's externally perceptible shape remains unchanged for a rotation of 180° around the axis of rotation, i.e., if the rotor is rotated 180° starting from the arrangement of the loading structure in the transport position, the loading structure is again in the same position and the rotor offers to an observer looking at the transport position substantially the same view as before the 180° rotation. Preferably, symmetry is valid for each rotational position of the rotor around this type of axis of rotation and for each 180° rotation carried out starting from that rotational position.

[0019] In order to be able to ensure closure of the airlock opening in at least one rotational position, the first loading structure is preferably physically separated from the second loading structure by a partition of the rotor, which partition is part of the rotor and which also rotates around the axis of rotation during its rotational movement.

[0020] Preferably, the body part of the rotor, which delimits the receiving space in the loading structure laterally and / or upwardly and / or downwardly, is made hollow or porous in order to reduce the mass moment of inertia of the rotor. The porous material for forming the porous body part of the rotor may be a porous fibrous material and / or an open-cell or closed-cell foam material.

[0021] In order not only to make it possible to bring about a physical closure of the airlock opening by the rotor and thus to prevent an undesired gas flow between the storage space and the outside environment, but also to obtain thermal isolation in the airlock area of ​​the storage space with respect to the outside environment, according to a preferred further development of the storage cabinet, a partition material configured separately from the remaining rotor may be arranged in the area of ​​the partition, which has a lower intrinsic thermal conductivity or / and thermal conductance coefficient than the material mainly used for the formation of the remaining rotor. The partition material which provides this thermal isolation may be attached to the rotor as an integral part of the material inside the rotor or as a prefabricated plate or general structural unit. In this case, the "main" use refers to the spatial volume occupied by the main part of the rotor made of the respective material. The material forming the main part of the rotor, which occupies more than 50% of the total volume of the rotor, is inevitably the material mainly used for the formation of the remaining rotor. If the various body portions of the rotor are made of different materials, and none of the various body portions is made of more than 50% of the total volume of the rotor, the material of the body portion that occupies the greatest proportion of the total volume of the rotor is considered to be primarily used to form the remainder of the rotor, which is considered for comparison with the bulkheads, and the bulkheads are not part of the remainder of the rotor.

[0022] Basically, it may be sufficient for the rotor to abut with a narrow gap against the edge of the cabinet housing wall pierced by the airlock opening, surrounding the airlock opening, in the above-mentioned closed situation. In this case, the rotor may be configured in such a way that a large part of its outer surface (for example its end faces, each pointing along the rotation axis, and at least one circumferentially extending part of the outer surface, the latter being interrupted, if necessary, by at least one recess in which the loading structures are arranged and in which a cavity for receiving the material to be transported in the loading structures is formed) is arranged with a gap of a predetermined, in particular a constant size along the edge of the airlock opening. According to a preferred embodiment, while the outer surface is interrupted by one or more recesses (typically depending on the number of loading structures, preferably a specific recess is provided for each loading structure), the end face of the rotor faces the edge of the airlock opening of the cabinet housing wall with a gap of a predetermined, in particular a constant size along the edge of the airlock opening, regardless of the rotational position of the rotor.

[0023] In the ready state of the rotor, when the rotor is not moving and at least one loading structure is present in the transport position, the main body part of the rotor faces the edge of the airlock opening so as to go around the edge of the airlock opening, with a small gap from said edge that is defined, in particular a constant, less than 4 mm, preferably less than 2 mm, resulting in the above-mentioned closing situation.

[0024] The formation of such a gap having a size smaller than 4 mm, preferably smaller than 2 mm, is practically only possible for storage spaces whose atmospheric conditions do not differ numerically significantly from those of the outside environment. A better separation between the storage space and the outside environment by the above-mentioned gap and a reduction in the influence of the outside environment on the conditioned atmosphere in the storage space are obtained in that at least one of the members, the rotating body and the cabinet housing wall with the airlock opening, has a seal with a sealing surface, which is configured to abut and seal against another member, respectively.

[0025] Preferably, the seal is arranged on the cabinet housing or on a frame surrounding the airlock opening, since the airlock opening is sealed by the seal. Basically, it is conceivable that during the rotational movement of the rotor, the sealing surface comes into abrasive contact with the respective other component, preferably the rotor. However, such abrasive contact may result in mechanical stresses on the sealing surface, which may undesirably result in high wear of the sealing surface and thus in a short service life. In order to avoid this wear of the sealing surface, an advantageous further development of the invention provides that the laboratory storage cabinet has a sealing surface clamping device, by means of which the sealing surface of the seal of at least one component can be clamped towards the respective other component and unclamped in the opposite direction.

[0026] This clamping to the respective other component may mean that the sealing surface, which in any case permanently abuts against the respective other component, simply increases or decreases its adhesion to the respective other component, without actually moving away from said component. This also helps to reduce wear. Further wear reduction is obtained in that the sealing surface can be displaced towards and away from the respective other component by the sealing surface clamping device. In this case, it is practically obtained that the seal and its sealing surface are arranged in the unclamped state at a distance from the respective other component, preferably from the rotating body, so that the sealing surface does not come into contact with the respective other component in the unclamped state. In this case, the movement of the respective other component relative to the sealing surface does not cause wear effects on the sealing surface.

[0027] Basically, both the rotor and the peripheral region of the airlock opening, i.e. the part of the cabinet housing wall surrounding the airlock opening or the frame surrounding the airlock opening, may be provided with one sealing surface clamping device each, whereby the sealing surfaces are clamped and / or displaced towards and away from the other element, respectively, so that in the closed situation with a gap-free, physically sealed airlock opening, the sealing surfaces of the seal on the cabinet housing side or the frame side and the sealing surfaces of the seal on the rotor side abut against each other in the closed situation. However, this requires a very accurate alignment of the rotor with respect to the cabinet wall in order to provide a reliable abutting contact between both sealing surfaces which are movable relative to each other. A more solid and at the same time very effective sealing of the airlock opening without a gap in the closed situation is obtained in that only the sealing surfaces of the seal of the element consisting of the rotor and the cabinet housing wall with the airlock opening, preferably the cabinet housing wall or the frame surrounding the airlock opening, can be clamped towards the other element, respectively, and unclamped in the opposite direction, by means of the sealing surface clamping device. In the simplest case, a body part of the respective other component can be used as an abutment surface for the sealing surface of the seal which can be loaded by the sealing surface clamping device. In a configuration which is preferred due to its relatively high sealing effect, the respective other component can have a seal with a seal mating surface, with which in the closed position the sealing surface of the one component is in sealing abutting engagement. The sealing effect for the gap-free sealing of the airlock opening can be further increased in that the seal of the other component with the seal mating surface is deformable into abutting engagement by the sealing surface of the clampable and unclampable seal of the one component.When the seal supporting it is clamped, the seal surface is pressed into abutting engagement with the seal mating surface of the opposing seal, not only forming a relatively large abutment area between the seal surface and the seal mating surface, but also a curved, flat abutment area that provides a particularly effective separation between the outside environment and the storage space.

[0028] Preferably, the rotor has a seal deformable by a sealing surface with a sealing mating surface, which preferably faces the edge of the airlock opening in said prepared state of the rotor and is located in a region of the rotor that is accessible to a seal deformable by a sealing surface clamping device provided in the peripheral region of the airlock opening, so that at least one part of the seal, preferably deformable by the sealing surface clamping device, radially outer surrounds said partition wall and / or the thermally isolating partition wall material.

[0029] Furthermore, the deformable seal by the sealing surface at the rotating body can be used as a tolerance compensation, for example, if the rotating body is formed from at least two body parts, the dividing or joining surface of which includes the axis of rotation of the rotating body. In this case, advantageously, a deformable seal can be arranged between both body parts, which, due to its inherent deformability, allows the two body parts to approach each other with the deformation of the seal arranged between them. In this way, the gap between the two body parts of the rotating body is closed and at the same time the size of the gap between the two body parts can be precisely adjusted.

[0030] Preferably, the axis of rotation passes through the above-mentioned, preferably thermally isolating, partition. Particularly preferably, the partition includes a diametric surface, which passes through the rotor along a diametric beam perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Additionally or alternatively, a surface containing the axis of rotation of the rotor intersects a seal that is deformable by a sealing surface at the rotor. The seal in the rotor may at least partially surround the partition and / or the thermally isolating partition material, for example except at the location of the rotor's swivel.

[0031] The sealing surface clamping device may be configured differently. According to a first embodiment, the sealing surface clamping device may be configured to introduce gas into the seal inner space of the hollow sealing element. For example, the hollow sealing element may be a hose seal, which by the sealing surface clamping device swells against the elasticity of its material or / and element with the introduction of gas, which increases the pressure, and thus expands, and by the exhaustion of gas, which reduces the pressure, contracts again with the elasticity of the hose seal itself. This allows the sealing surface in the surface area of ​​the hose seal to approach, be pressed against, and again move away from, the abutment surface of the other element opposite the sealing surface.

[0032] Additionally or alternatively, the sealing surface clamping device may include a squeezing device, which squeezes the sealing element in a squeezing direction, thereby utilizing the transverse strain of the sealing element to cause the material to elongate in an elongation direction different from the squeezing direction, preferably perpendicular to the squeezing direction. As a squeezing device, the sealing surface clamping device may thus be configured to deform the seal in a first direction, i.e. the squeezing direction, thereby displacing the sealing surface in a second direction, i.e. the elongation direction, different from the first direction. Preferably, the squeezing seal surrounds the airlock opening by at least 80%, preferably 100%. The squeezing direction preferably extends axially with respect to an imaginary opening axis that passes through the airlock opening centrally, whereby the sealing surface pointing radially inwards towards the airlock opening is displaced radially inwards along an elongation direction extending radially with respect to the imaginary opening axis. The elasticity of the seal causes the seal to return in the direction of its original shape after the application of a squeezing load. A squeezable seal may also be a hose seal, but unlike a fluidly expandable hose seal, the hose seal need not be fluid-tight.

[0033] Structurally, the sealing surface clamping device can be realized effectively and with low installation burden in that the cabinet has a frame, which surrounds the airlock opening and the rotary body, and which has two frame members as squeezing devices, which define a gap between them in which the seal is received. The sealing surfaces of the seal point radially inwards towards the centre of the airlock opening or towards the rotary body. The frame members can move towards and away from each other due to deformation of the seal located between them. Preferably, each frame member, considered alone, surrounds the airlock opening, so that the seal, which advantageously goes completely around the airlock opening, can also be squeezed along its entire circumference. For the defined application of the squeezing load, preferably furthermore a squeezing drive is provided, by means of which at least one frame member can move towards the respective other frame member while reducing the size of the gap between the frame members. Basically, both frame members can be arranged on the cabinet housing so as to be movable relative to each other. However, what can be produced more easily and with less installation burden is preferably a frame member that is configured for or is permanently fixed to the cabinet housing, so that only this further frame member can be displaced by the squeeze drive relative to the frame member fixed to the housing.

[0034] The squeeze drive can be a fluid-operated drive or a motor-driven drive. According to a preferred embodiment, which is less prone to tilting, the frame member is connected to the other frame member displaceably along the spindle axis towards the other frame member through at least two, preferably more than two, particularly preferably four spindle drives. By means of a rope drive or belt drive, at least two spindle drives can be driven synchronously in rotation through one and the same squeeze drive, which allows for a reliable and tilt-free relative movement of one frame member with respect to the other frame member. If the frame members have corner areas, for example where two paired parallel edges meet, then preferably one spindle drive is arranged in each corner area where two non-parallel edges meet. The frame members determined as frame members fixed to the housing can be formed by the walls of the cabinet housing.

[0035] Basically, it is conceivable that the rotating body can be moved manually, for example by means of actuating members such as a drive lever or a drive wheel and a drive bar or / and a drive gear, for the displacement of the at least one loading structure between the inner transport position and the outer transport position. In order to carry out the storage process of the materials in the storage cabinet and / or the removal of the materials from the storage cabinet as hygienically as possible, particularly preferably automatically, the storage cabinet preferably has a rotary drive for the rotation of the rotating body. The rotary drive is preferably a rotary drive by an electric motor, so that the rotation can be transmitted as directly as possible to the above-mentioned spindle drive by the above-mentioned rope drive or belt drive.

[0036] To further automate the process in the laboratory storage cabinet, the laboratory storage cabinet can have a control device, which is configured to at least control the rotary drive and to control the sealing surface clamping device. In this case, in order to avoid wear on at least one seal involved in sealing the airlock opening when the rotating body is stopped, the control device is preferably configured to unclamp the clamped sealing surface before the operation of the rotary drive and / or clamp the unclamped sealing surface after the operation of the rotary drive. This can ensure that the rotation of the rotating body takes place without the sealing surface abutting and sliding on the rotating body. This can also ensure that when the rotating body is stopped, for example in the above-mentioned ready state, the gap between the cabinet housing or frame and the rotating body is closed by a seal that can be clamped and unclamped by means of the sealing surface clamping device.

[0037] Furthermore, the laboratory storage cabinet may include at least one transport sensor, which is configured to detect a change in the loading status of the loading structure in the outer transport position. The transport sensor, for example an optical sensor such as a light barrier or a capacitive or inductive proximity sensor, is preferably connected in signal communication with the above-mentioned control device, so that the control device can start the transport of the material from the outer transport position to the inner transport position without additional input from the operator if the transport sensor detects a change in the loading status of the loading structure in the outer transport position. Additionally or preferably alternatively, the storage cabinet may include at least one interference sensor, for example an optical sensor such as a light barrier or a capacitive or inductive proximity sensor, which is configured to detect objects protruding from the outside of the rotating body into its movement space, for example represented by its casing. This should prevent the rotation of the rotating body from damaging or injuring objects protruding from its casing or even body parts of the operator. What is meant in this context by envelope is an imaginary boundary surface of a rotating body which encases the rotating body and is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation.

[0038] To facilitate the manufacture of the laboratory storage cabinet, the laboratory storage cabinet may have a pre-assembled airlock assembly, which includes at least one rotor and a frame surrounding the rotor and the airlock opening. Thus, a laboratory storage cabinet that initially has only one door that is opened by an operator to store materials in the storage device or to remove materials from the storage device may be retrofitted with an airlock assembly.

[0039] Further facilitating the installation of the storage cabinet and in particular the retrofitting of existing storage cabinets is obtained in that the prefabricated assembly comprises a squeeze drive and / or a rotary drive. Furthermore, the assembly can comprise a control device, which is configured to control the squeeze drive and / or the rotary drive.

[0040] Since a pre-assembled airlock assembly is advantageous in this case, the invention also relates to an airlock assembly comprising at least one frame surrounding the airlock opening and a rotor which is inserted in the airlock opening so that the frame surrounds the rotor and is supported in the frame so that it can rotate about the axis of rotation. The frame preferably has two frame members, in the particularly preferred form of a squeezing device, as a sealing surface clamping device, which frame members define a gap between them, in which a seal is received, the sealing surface of which is displaceable along the gap in the direction of rotation and perpendicularly to the gap by squeezing in the squeezing direction. The frame members can move towards and away from each other due to the squeezing deformation of the seal located therebetween. Preferably, each frame member, considered alone, surrounds the airlock opening, so that the advantageously completely circumferential seal can also be squeezed along its entire circumference. For the defined application of a squeezing load, a squeezing drive is preferably further provided on the frame.

[0041] The above-mentioned further developments of the rotating body or / and the edge region of the storage cabinet surrounding the airlock opening are also further developments of the assembled airlock assembly, including the frame.

[0042] According to a further preferred embodiment, the airlock assembly may have, preferably on the frame, a seal which is expandable by a fluid against the material and member elasticity of the seal, instead of a squeezing device, and a corresponding fluid transport pump as a sealing surface clamping device.

[0043] The material to be transported may be a pourable chemical, biological or biochemical substance, such as a liquid or powder, including a cell suspension. Such substances are provided in laboratory containers, such as microtiter plates or vials. The storage device may be a shelf-like device, in which the laboratory containers may be stored side by side, one above the other, space-savingly arranged in rows and tiers, optionally grouped together in packages each including several laboratory containers. The laboratory storage cabinet preferably includes a conditioning device, by means of which the gas atmosphere in the storage space may be regulated at least with respect to temperature or / and pressure or / and humidity or / and gas composition. Preferably, the storage cabinet operates at a temperature in the storage space between +20°C and -20°C.

[0044] The laboratory storage cabinet according to the invention can comprise as a handling device a pipetting robot or part thereof, the pipetting robot working in a storage space atmosphere which differs in at least one parameter from the atmosphere of the outside environment, the storage positions again being determined by a shelving system or by predefined placement positions for the laboratory containers in the working range of the pipetting robot.

[0045] It is fundamentally important that the operating device must be designed to operate under atmospheric conditions within the storage space, i.e. must be able to operate correctly even in temperature ranges of the storage space which differ significantly from the temperature of the outside environment, for example.

[0046] The loading structure may in the simplest case be a predefined arrangement surface arranged or configured on a rotating body. However, the arrangement surface may also comprise a holder for the container, such as a clip. For the purpose of the deliberate orientation of the material arranged on the loading structure, the loading structure may have a form-locking element which cooperates with the material, in particular with the container, and which allows the loading of the object on the loading structure only in a predefined direction. This significantly facilitates the automatic handling of the material in the storage space.

[0047] In the following, the invention will be explained in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0048] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a laboratory storage cabinet according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the laboratory storage cabinet of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an airlock assembly of the storage cabinet according to FIG. 1, the airlock assembly including a frame having two frame members and a seal disposed therebetween surrounding an airlock opening, a rotor fitted into the airlock opening so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis, a rotation drive of the rotor, and a squeeze drive of the frame members. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the airlock assembly according to FIG. 3, cut along a section including the axis of rotation of the rotor and passing through both loading structures. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through the airlock assembly according to FIG. 4, as viewed in a viewing direction perpendicular to the cross section; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the airlock assembly according to FIGS. 3 to 5, taken along a cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0049] 1 and 2, an embodiment of a laboratory storage cabinet according to the invention is shown generally at 10. FIG. 1 shows a front view of storage cabinet 10, which has dimensions on the order of a large domestic refrigerator. By way of example only, the storage cabinet may be, for example, 90 cm to 100 cm wide and 220 cm to 240 cm high. However, the dimensions of the storage cabinet are not critical here.

[0050] In Fig. 1, the direction of the line of sight in Fig. 2 is indicated by an arrow II. In Fig. 2, the direction of the line of sight in Fig. 1 is indicated by an arrow I.

[0051] The storage cabinet 10 comprises a cabinet housing 12 which separates a storage space 14 (see Figures 3-6) within the cabinet housing 12 from an outside environment U, whereby a conditioning device 16 is able to maintain atmospheric conditions in a lower end region of the storage cabinet 10 within the storage space 14 which differ from the conditions of the outside environment. For example, the atmosphere within the storage space 14 may differ from the atmosphere of the outside environment U in terms of temperature or / and pressure or / and humidity or / and chemical composition.

[0052] The storage cabinet 10 has a display 18, which is also an input device, such as a touch-sensitive screen, through which, for example, the atmospheric conditions in the storage space 14 can be adjusted. In addition, through the input device, objects stored in the storage space 14 can be called up for ejection or a predefined storage position can be given for an object to be received in the storage space 14.

[0053] The transport airlock 20 allows the object to traverse the cabinet housing 12 (its front wall 12a in the illustrated example) without unduly impairing the storage conditions artificially maintained by the conditioning device 16 in the storage space 14.

[0054] The transport airlock 20 includes a rotor 22 which, in the illustrated example, is fitted into an airlock opening 24 passing through the cabinet housing 12, in particular through its front wall 12a, so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis R which extends along the direction of gravity.

[0055] In the storage space 14, a handling device 26, for example a multi-axis gripper device, cooperates with the rotating body 22 in order to receive objects from the rotating body 22 or to hand over objects to the rotating body 22. The handling device 26 further cooperates with a storage device 28 having a number of storage positions reachable by the handling device 26, whereby objects can be transported by the handling device 26 between the rotating body 22 and each storage position of the storage device 28. For this purpose, the storage device 28 can essentially be movable relative to the cabinet housing 12, for example as a storage turntable. A denser packing of the storage positions than with a storage turntable can be obtained by a fixed arrangement of the storage positions. In the present example, where the airlock 20 is arranged in the front wall 12a of the cabinet housing 12, the handling device 26 has sufficient movement space to reach a number of storage positions starting from an inner transport position in the airlock 20, if the handling device 26 is arranged on the inner surface of the rear wall opposite the front wall 12a of the cabinet housing 12. In figures 2 and 3 the handling device 26 and the storage device 28 are only shown very diagrammatically by dashed rectangles. The handling of objects, such as laboratory containers, in the storage space of a laboratory storage cabinet is known per se. The respective object to be stored and / or the package of the object advantageously comprises an identification, for example an RFID chip or an optical code, such as a QR code or a barcode. Likewise, each storage location can have an individual identification, also realised by an RFID chip or an optical code. The handling device or the storage cabinet generally preferably comprises a reading device, which reads the identification of the objects and of the storage locations arranged as required, and transmits this information to a data storage device.

[0056] In the illustrated example, the storage cabinet 10 has casters 30 at its lower ends that allow for some passive movement within the storage cabinet 10, i.e., it can be displaced, for example, within a laboratory by one or more operators without lifting the storage cabinet 10.

[0057] For maintenance purposes, for cleaning, but also for emergency work, the storage space 14 of the storage cabinet 10 is accessible through a side door 32. The door 32 is pivotally arranged on the side of the storage cabinet 10 and, when open, provides comprehensive access to the storage space 14.

[0058] In FIG. 1 , the front cover 34 of the storage cabinet 10 is visible, which can be clapped away from the rearwardly located housing wall 12 by means of a hinge 36 about a clap axis K, which in the illustrated example is parallel to the rotation axis R, so that, for example, the transport airlock 20 can be maintained.

[0059] In FIG. 3, the airlock assembly 38 of the transport airlock 20 is shown alone, i.e., without the cabinet housing 12 and front cover 34.

[0060] The airlock assembly 38 includes a generally cylindrical rotor 22 and a frame 40 that surrounds the rotor 22. The frame 40 surrounds the rotor 22 as well as the airlock opening 24.

[0061] The rotor 22 has a plate 22a at its lower longitudinal end, above which there is a lid 22c connected by a side wall 22b.

[0062] The end face 22c1 of the lid 22c, which points in the direction of the axis of rotation R of the rotor 22 and is perpendicular to the axis of rotation R, is flat in the example shown. The same applies to the end face 22a of the plate 22a, which points in the opposite direction. The transitions between the plate 22a and the side wall 22b, and between the side wall 22b and the lid 22c, are rounded in order to reduce the risk of an operator being injured by the rotor 22.

[0063] The outer surface 22b1 of the side wall 22b is a part of a cylinder. In a recess 42 which interrupts the outer surface 22b1 in the circumferential direction, a loading structure 44 is arranged as a loading platform in the illustrated example. The form-locking means 46 having the shape of a given recess and the further form-locking means 48 in the shape of a given protrusion serve to ensure that an object, for example a laboratory vessel, can be placed on the loading structure 44 only in a given oriented position, because its form-locking counter means must be in form-locking engagement with the form-locking means 46 and 48 for correct placement.

[0064] The rotating body 22 is mounted on the frame 40 at an upper swivel 52a and a coaxial lower swivel 52b so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis R. The rotating body 22 can be driven to rotate about the rotation axis R by a rotation drive 50. In the illustrated example, the rotation drive 50 includes an electric drive motor 52, the output rotational motion of which is transmitted through a belt 54 to a drive disk 56 connected to rotate together with the rotating body 22. In the illustrated example, the rotation drive 50 is arranged in an upper region of the frame 40. This arrangement is merely an example, and the rotating body 22 may also be arranged in a lower region of the frame 40. Similarly, in addition to or as an alternative to the belt drive, a gear or a rod may be provided to transmit the torque output by the drive motor 52 to the rotating body 22.

[0065] The frame 40 includes a first frame member 40a and a second frame member 40b, which define a gap 41 therebetween. The first frame member 40a is configured to be rigidly connected to the cabinet housing 12 as the frame member 40a fixed to the cabinet housing. The second frame member 40b is approachable to and movable away from the first frame member 40a along a spacing axis A that extends in a spacing direction between the first frame member 40a and the second frame member 40b.

[0066] A sealing surface clamping device 58 is provided to effect the movement of the second frame member 40b towards and from the path towards the first frame member 40a. In the gap 41 between both frame members 40a and 40b there is present a seal 60 (FIGS. 4-6) which extends at least partially, but around most of the airlock opening 24, and which is squeezed by bringing the second frame member 40b towards the first frame member 40a along the spacing axis A, and as a result of the squeezing, its part pointing towards the airlock opening 24 is extended and thus displaced, perpendicular to the spacing axis A, towards the airlock opening 24, with the sealing surface 60a, so that the drive 62 of the sealing surface clamping device 58 is the above-mentioned squeezing drive 62.

[0067] The squeeze drive 62 includes a motor, also preferably electric, that is directly coupled to a nut 63a of a spindle drive 64a. The nut 63a is rotatably mounted to the second frame member 40b. A spindle (not visible) surrounded by the nut 63a is connected and fixed to the first frame member 40a.

[0068] To avoid tilting of the second frame member 40b during its movement along the spacing axis A, the sealing surface clamping device 58 includes a further spindle drive 64b, the nut 63b of which, also rotatably mounted on the second frame member 40b, is connected to rotate in the same direction with a nut 63a directly connected to the motor 62 through a drive belt 66. The torque output by the squeeze drive 62 is distributed evenly at the four corners of the second frame member 40b, so that the second frame member 40b can move towards and away from the first frame member 40a in an orientation generally parallel to the first frame member 40a. A tensioner 68, also rotatably mounted on the second frame member 40b, maintains tension in the belt 66.

[0069] The control device 70 is connected to both the drive motor 52 of the rotation drive unit 50 and the compression drive unit 62 so as to transmit signals, and therefore the control device 70 can drive the rotating body 22 to rotate about the rotation axis R and drive the second frame member 40b to approach the first frame member 40a and move away from the first frame member 40a. In this case, it is effective that the seal 60 is preferably away from the rotating body 22 when the rotating body 22 rotates and is in contact with the rotating body 22 when the rotating body 22 is stationary.

[0070] The recess 42, which may have any shape adapted to the material to be placed on the loading structure 44, has a passage opening 72 in its side, through which an optical transport sensor 74 irradiates the area directly above the loading structure 44. The optical transport sensor 74 is connected in signal communication with the control device 70, so that the control device 70 can receive and evaluate the detection signal of the transport sensor 74.

[0071] The optical transport sensor 74 is used to detect whether an object to be transported from the outside environment U into the storage space 14 is present on the loading structure 44. The control device 70 may be configured to receive a signal from the transport sensor 74 and cause the rotator 22 to perform a rotational movement.

[0072] The loading structure 44 seen in FIG. 3 is in an outer transport position and is therefore accessible to operators or handling equipment for automated loading.

[0073] Furthermore, the airlock assembly 38 includes two interference sensors 76 and 78, which are also optical sensors. The interference sensors 76 and 78, which are also connected to the control device 70 in signal transmission, generate light barriers of different heights in front of the recess 42, which make it possible to detect whether an object from the outside environment U, such as a part of the operating equipment for loading the loading structure 44 or an arm or hand of an operator, protrudes into the movement space of the rotor 22 and thus presents a risk of damage or injury to the object during the movement of the rotor 22. The control device 70 is configured to stop the movement of the rotor 22 if at least one of the interference sensors 76 and 78 detects an object protruding into the movement space of the rotor 22.

[0074] The controller 70 may be in signal communication with the display and input / output device 18 .

[0075] 4 and 5 show a longitudinal section of the airlock assembly 38 along a plane which includes the axis of rotation R and passes generally perpendicularly through the opening plane of the airlock opening 24.

[0076] In Figures 4 and 5 a further loading structure 44-2 is shown, which is diametrically opposite the aforementioned loading structure 44 and which is constructed and arranged mirror-symmetrically to the aforementioned loading structure 44 with respect to a mirror symmetry plane SE which is orthogonal to the projection plane of Figure 5 and contains the axis of rotation R. This further loading structure 44-2 will therefore not be considered below. The above description of the loading structure 44 also applies to the further loading structure 44-2 under the above conditions of mirror symmetry.

[0077] The further loading structure 44-2 is present in a recess 42-2 located diametrically opposite the aforementioned recess 42. The recesses 42 and 42-2 are arranged point symmetrically such that one recess transitions into the other recess by a rotation of 180° about the rotation axis R.

[0078] 4 and 5, the loading structure 44 and the recess 42 arranged in the loading structure 44 are located on the side of the outer environment U, so that the loading structure 44 is in the outer transport position. In contrast, the further loading structure 44-2 is located on the side of the storage space 14 and is therefore in the inner transport position. The rotating body 22 is in its ready position.

[0079] The two recesses 42 and 42-2 are spatially and physically separated from one another by a partition 22d. In order to make it possible to maintain, with as little effort as possible, an atmosphere in the storage space 14 which is different from the external atmosphere of the external environment U and which usually has a lower temperature, a thermal isolating plate 80 is formed in the partition 22, which is made of a suitable thermally isolating material, such as for example ceramic powder, in particular vacuum ceramic powder, a porous fiber structure or / and a foam structure.

[0080] The recesses 42 and 42-2 are each formed by a part 23 of the rotary body 22, and because the recesses 42 and 42-2 have preferably the same configuration based on the point symmetry described above, one forming tool is sufficient for their production. In the illustrated example, the plate 22a only includes a member defining its outer surface. The lid 22c includes two members 25 defining its outer surface, which likewise have preferably the same configuration.

[0081] A cavity is formed between members 25, 23 and plate 22a, in which functional units such as, for example, lighting 82 for recesses 42 and 42-2 and their supply wires can be stored or the mass and thus the mass moment of inertia of the rotating body 22 can be reduced.

[0082] Lights 82 provided in the recesses 42 and 42-2 may illuminate the loading structures disposed in the respective recesses, and may include, for example, LED lamps.

[0083] In Figures 4 and 5, moreover, the per se typical swivel of the rotating body is visible.

[0084] In Fig. 6, the rotor 22 and the frame 40 are cut along a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation R. It can be seen in the drawing that the thermally isolating plate 80 is surrounded by a seal 84 on a large area of ​​its circumference as part of the bulkhead 22d. The seal 84 has a seal mating surface 84a which points towards the seal 60 located on the opposite side of the frame 40. The seal 60, which is shown in this example as a hose seal which can be deformed with small forces, has a seal surface 60a on the side which points towards the rotor-side seal 84, which can be displaced towards the rotor 22 and the seal surface 84a by squeezing the seal 60 along the spacing axis A. Since the seal 84 is made of a flexible material, the seal 84 and, together with it, the seal mating surface 84a are subjected to the load of the seal surface 60a being pressed into the seal mating surface 84a, and either the seal 84 and the seal mating surface 84a are deformed or displaced toward an imaginary opening axis V that is perpendicular to the rotation axis R and is assumed to pass through the center of the airlock opening 24.

[0085] The imaginary aperture axis V is parallel to the projection plane of FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10 Storage Cabinet 12 Cabinet Housing 12a Wall 14 Storage space 16 Adjustment device 18 Display and Input / Output Devices 20. Airlock 22 Rotating Body 22a Plate 22b side wall 22b1 External surface 22c lid 22c1 End face 22d bulkhead 24 Airlock Opening 23, 25 Parts 26 Operating device 28 Storage device 30 Caster 32 Door 34 Front cover 36 Hinge 38 Airlock Assembly 40 Frame, Compression Device 40a First frame member 40b Second frame member 41 Gap 42 Recess 42-2 Recess 44 First Loading Structure 44-2 Second Loading Structure 46 Shape connection means 48 Further form-connecting means 50 Rotation drive unit 52 Drive motor, rotary drive unit 52a Upper swivel 52b Lower swivel 54 Belt 56 Drive disk 58 Seal surface clamping device 60 Seals 60a sealing surface 62 Compression drive unit, motor, compression device 63a, 63b Nuts 64a, 64b Spindle drive, squeezing device 66 Drive belt, compression device 68 Tensioner 70 Control device 72 Passage opening 74 Transport Sensor 76, 78 Interference Sensor 80 Thermal isolation plates, partition materials 82 Lighting 84 Seal 84a Seal mating surface A Interval Axis K Clap Axis R rotation axis SE mirror symmetry plane U external environment V opening axis

Claims

1. 1. A laboratory storage cabinet (10) including a cabinet housing (12), the cabinet housing separating a storage space (14) within the cabinet housing (12) from an environment (U) external to the storage cabinet (12), the cabinet housing (12) including an airlock (20) that allows transport of material between an inner transport position located within the storage space (14) and an outer transport position located within the outer environment (U), a storage device (28) is present within the storage space (14) for receiving material at a predetermined storage position, and a handling device (26) is present within the storage space (14) for transporting material between the inner transport position and the storage device (26), the airlock (20) having an airlock opening (24) in a wall (12a) of the cabinet housing (12), the airlock opening penetrating the wall (12a), the airlock (20) includes a rotor (22) having at least one loading structure (44, 44-2) rotatably mounted relative to the cabinet housing (12) about a rotation axis (R), the rotor being fitted into the airlock opening (24) such that the loading structure (44, 44-2) is displaceable between the inner transport position and the outer transport position by rotation of the rotor (22) about the rotation axis (R); the rotating body (22) has at least two loading structures (44, 44-2), and a first loading structure (44) of the loading structures is in one of the outer transport position and the inner transport position when a second loading structure (44-2) different from the first loading structure is in the other transport position, the first loading structure (44) is physically separated from the second loading structure (44-2) by a partition (22d) of the rotor (22); In the region of the partition (22d), a partition material (80) is arranged, which is configured separately from the rest of the rotor (22) and has a lower inherent thermal conductivity or / and thermal conductance coefficient than the material primarily used for the formation of the rotor (22). A laboratory storage cabinet (10).

2. 2. The laboratory storage cabinet (10) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotating body (22) and the cabinet housing (12) having the airlock opening (24) has a seal (60) with a sealing surface (60a), each of the seals configured to abut and seal against the other member (22).

3. 3. The laboratory storage cabinet (10) of claim 2, characterized in that the laboratory storage cabinet (10) has a sealing surface clamping device (58) by which the sealing surface clamping device can clamp the sealing surface (60a) of the seal (60) of at least one of the members (12, 22) toward the other member (22, 12), respectively, and can be unclamped in the opposite direction.

4. 4. The laboratory storage cabinet (10) of claim 3, wherein the sealing surface (60a) is displaceable toward and away from the respective other members (22, 12) by the sealing surface clamping device (58).

5. 5. The laboratory storage cabinet according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that only the sealing surface (60a) of the seal (60) of one of the members (12) consisting of the rotor (22) and the cabinet housing wall (12) having the airlock opening (24) is clampable towards the respective other member (22) and unclampable in the opposite direction by the sealing surface clamping device (58), but the seal mating surface (84a) of the seal (84) of the respective other member (22) is deformable by the clampable sealing surface (60a) in sealing abutting engagement with the clampable and unclampable sealing surface (60a) of the one of the members (12).

6. 6. The laboratory storage cabinet (10) of claim 3, wherein the sealing surface clamping device (58) is configured to introduce gas into a seal inner space of the hollow seal member (60) and / or includes a squeezing device (40, 62, 64a, 64b, 66) configured to deform the seal (60) in a first direction (A), thereby displacing the sealing surface (60a) in a second direction different from the first direction.

7. 7. The laboratory storage cabinet (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the laboratory storage cabinet (10) comprises a frame (40), the frame surrounding the airlock opening (24) and the rotor (22), the frame (40) comprising two frame members (40a, 40b) as a squeezing device (40), the frame members defining a gap (41) between the frame members in which the seal (60) is received, and further comprising a squeezing drive (62) by which at least one frame member (40b) can approach the other frame member (40a) while reducing the size of the gap between the frame members (40a, 40b).

8. A laboratory storage cabinet (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a rotary drive (52) for rotating the rotor (22).

9. The laboratory storage cabinet (10) according to claim 8, which is a reference to claim 3, characterized in that the laboratory storage cabinet (10) has a control device (70) configured to at least control the rotary drive (52) and to control the sealing surface clamping device (58), and the control device (52) is configured to unclamp the clamped sealing surface (60a) before operation of the rotary drive (52) and / or clamp the unclamped sealing surface (60a) after operation of the rotary drive (52).

10. A laboratory storage cabinet (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the laboratory storage cabinet (10) includes at least one transport sensor (74) for detecting a change in the loading status of the loading structure (44) in the outer transport position, and / or includes at least one interference sensor (76, 78) for detecting whether an object protrudes from outside the rotating body (58) into the movement space of the rotating body.

11. A laboratory storage cabinet (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, with reference to claim 6, characterized in that the laboratory storage cabinet (10) has a pre-assembled airlock assembly (38), the airlock assembly including at least one of the rotors (22) and a frame (40) surrounding the rotor (22) and the airlock opening (24).

12. 12. The laboratory storage cabinet (10) according to claim 11, when taken from claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the assembled airlock assembly (38) comprises the squeezing drive (62) or / and the rotary drive (52).

Images