Cuvette Holder Flexible Tongues Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cuvette holders and cuvette arrays in automatic analyzers cause damage to reaction cuvettes with optical properties, leading to inaccurate and unreliable electro-optical measurements due to non-uniform positioning and manufacturing tolerances, which negatively affect analyzer performance.
Innovation Solution
A cuvette holder made by injection molding with a circular segment body and flexible tongues that loosely hold the upper end portion of cuvettes, allowing precise positioning without influencing the cuvette's position in the conveyor cavities, ensuring optimal placement for photometric measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If known cuvette holders tightly hold the cuvettes, then the cuvettes are securely retained, but the position of the cuvettes is influenced and modified, preventing optimal positioning for measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The cuvette holder employs flexible tongues made of elastomeric material that can deform during insertion and then弹性 rebound to retain the cuvette. These flexible elements provide secure retention through elastic force while maintaining the cuvette's original position, avoiding the positioning interference caused by rigid tight-holding structures.
2Manufacturing precision
If cuvettes are inserted one by one into conveyor cavities, then precise positioning is possible, but damage to the optical parts of the cuvettes occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cuvettes are grouped together in a single cuvette holder assembly that is inserted into the conveyor as one unit. This merging approach allows the entire group to be positioned uniformly, eliminating the repeated handling and positioning operations that cause damage to individual cuvette optical parts, while still achieving precise positioning through the holder's design.
3Ease of manufacture
If cuvette holders are made by injection molding, then manufacturing is simplified, but the holder influences and modifies the position of inserted cuvettes
Solution Approach 1:
The injection-molded holder incorporates flexible elastomeric tongues that can deform during the insertion process and then rebound to retain the cuvette without exerting continuous positional influence. This maintains the manufacturing simplicity of injection molding while eliminating the positioning modification problem through the elastic properties of the material.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure where the elastomeric tongues can adapt their shape during insertion and then return to a stable retained position. This dynamic behavior allows the holder to accommodate insertion forces without permanently altering cuvette positioning, while still providing secure retention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures each cuvette is placed in an optically optimum position, enhancing the reliability and accuracy of electro-optical measurements by preventing damage and maintaining uniform positioning, thus improving analyzer performance.
Implementation Method 1
flexible tongues which extend from said upper opening towards the interior of said chamber, the flexibility of said flexible tongues allowing insertion of an entire reaction cuvette through said upper opening, the arrangement of said flexible tongues within said chamber preventing withdrawal of the cuvette through said upper opening
Data Source
AI summary
A cuvette holder for holding a plurality of reaction cuvettes is disclosed. The cuvette holder includes a body made by injection molding of a plastic material. The body extends along a circular segment and defines an array of chambers arranged along a circular segment, each of the chambers is for receiving, retaining and loosely holding the upper end portion of a reaction cuvette.