Automated Shake Table Cabinet for Robotic Sample Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature-controlled cabinets, such as incubators and reactors, require manual intervention for processing samples, which is complex and inefficient, involving stopping the shaking drive, opening the door, removing containers, processing them manually, and reassembling the tray and door.
Innovation Solution
A generic cabinet with automated process engineering capabilities, allowing the tray to be moved to a defined position outside the cabinet for robotic processing, enabling automatic pipetting and subsequent reintegration, with the shaking drive and door operations controlled automatically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual processing is used for sample containers, then operational flexibility is maintained, but operational complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic self-service through the control unit that coordinates the displacement drive to move the tray, activates the shaking drive, and controls the door drive without requiring manual intervention for each processing step, thereby reducing operational complexity and time consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The tray is pre-positioned on the displacement drive within the cabinet, and the system prepares for processing by automatically moving the tray to the processing position, activating shakes, and opening the door before sample processing begins, eliminating manual preparation time
2Device complexity
If the tray is moved manually for processing, then simple equipment structure is maintained, but automation level decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement drive serves multiple functions: it moves the tray to the processing position, returns the tray to the cabinet, and positions the tray for shaking operations. The control unit coordinates multiple operations (tray movement, door opening, shaking activation) through a single automated sequence, achieving high automation without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that receives processing requests, coordinates the displacement drive to move the tray, activates the shaking drive, and controls the door drive, thereby automating the processing workflow without requiring complex direct mechanical linkages between components
3Productivity
If automatic tray displacement and shaking control are implemented, then processing efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit merges multiple control functions into a single coordinated system: it controls the displacement drive for tray movement, activates the shaking drive, and manages the door drive operations. This integration achieves automatic processing efficiency without proportionally increasing overall device complexity by consolidating control functions
4Device complexity
If the door is opened manually for container access, then simple door mechanism is maintained, but operational time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door drive automatically opens the cabinet door at the appropriate time in the processing sequence and closes it after processing, without requiring manual intervention. This self-service door operation reduces operational time while maintaining a relatively simple door mechanism through automated timing control
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The cabinet (5) in the form of a reactor or incubator, comprises shake table (10), which is driven by means of a vibration-type drive mechanism (15) and which is pulled out of the cabinet along a guidance mechanism (74), a container (11, 12), which is present on the shake table, and a sequential control. The cabinet is closed by means of a door (7). The container is supported by a clamping mechanism and has a fluid to be shaken with or without the culture medium. The door is built in such a manner that it seals the interior of the cabinet. The cabinet (5) in the form of a reactor or incubator, comprises shake table (10), which is driven by means of a vibration-type drive mechanism (15) and which is pulled out of the cabinet along a guidance mechanism (74), a container (11, 12), which is present on the shake table, and a sequential control. The cabinet is closed by means of a door (7). The container is supported by a clamping mechanism and has a fluid to be shaken with or without the culture medium. The door is built in such a manner that it seals the interior of the cabinet. The vibration-type drive mechanism is built with a stop-positioning mechanism for termination of the shaking operation in a predefined position of the shake table. The door has a motion actuator for opening the door after stopping the shake table in the predefined position and for closing the door after sliding in the shake table. The shake table is provided with a push/pull-displacement drive mechanism for pulling or pushing out of or into the cabinet along the guidance mechanism, when the door is open. A coupling/decoupling mechanism is intended before the onset of the shaking operation for the disengagement of the vibration-type drive mechanism from the shake table before it is pulled out of the interior of the cabinet and for the engagement of the vibration-type drive mechanism with the shake table after it is pushed into the interior of the cabinet. The sequential control is connected with the stop-positioning mechanism, the vibration-type drive mechanism, the motion actuator, the coupling/decoupling mechanism and the push/pull-displacement drive respectively for opening the door by means of the motion actuator after stopping the shaking operation and disengagement of the shake table from the vibration-type drive mechanism in the defined position, closing the door after pushing of the shake table into the interior of the cabinet and the engagement of the shake table with the vibration-type drive mechanism by means of the coupling/decoupling mechanism before the start of the shaking operation and for the pulling and pushing of the shake table into or out of the cabinet when the door is open by means of a push/pull-displacement drive. The door is designed as a flip-open panel, which is tiltable around a horizontal axis in the region of its lower edge and the periphery of which consists of a seal that tightly seals the interior of the cabinet. The cabinet is designed in a rectangular form and the flip-open panel extends along the frontal side of the cabinet. The flip-open panel has a flat inner side and this consists of the guidance mechanism for the shake table that is pulled out of the cabinet. The inner side of the flip-open panel forms a horizontal surface in its open state and that the horizontal axis of the flip-open panel is aligned in such a manner. The inner side of the flip-opened panel flushes with the bottom side of the shake table in such a manner that the shake table is pulled along the guidance mechanism towards the inner side of the door up to a predefined final position. At the inner side of the flip-open panel in the predefined final position, the guidance mechanism has a lock and/or electric limit switch for the shake table. The seal running continuously at the periphery of the flip-open panel is a closed sealing surface. An independent claim is included for procedure for operating the cabinet.