Hinged Slide Delivery Mechanism for Vertical Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional delivery devices for laboratory sample carriers are unable to correctly orient slides for printing when the printer mechanism requires vertical or inclined travel, and they require manual replacement or unloading of slide types, leading to inefficiencies in handling different types of slides.
Innovation Solution
A device with a displaceable mechanism featuring a hingeably interconnected carrier support and transporting portion, which reorients and releases the lowermost slide from a stack, allowing it to travel vertically or inclined, using a simple linear reciprocating displacement mechanism and biasing means to reduce friction and facilitate easy loading of different slide types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional delivery device delivers slides horizontally from a stack, then the delivery mechanism is simple, but the slide orientation is incorrect for vertical or inclined printing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery device employs a hinged carrier transporting portion that can dynamically change its orientation from horizontal to vertical/inclined. The hinge connection allows the transporting portion to rotate and reorient the slide carrier between different positions, enabling the slide to be delivered in the correct orientation for vertical printing mechanisms while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If slides of different types are stored in separate hoppers, then each slide type has dedicated storage, but manual unloading and replacement is required when switching slide types
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery device is designed with a universal carrier accommodating region that can hold different types of slide carriers. The hinged transporting portion and displaceable mechanism are configured to handle various carrier formats, allowing a single device to serve multiple slide types without requiring manual intervention for replacement, thus achieving multi-functionality with reduced operational time.
3Ease of operation
If a displaceable mechanism with hinged connection is used, then slide reorientation is achieved, but the mechanism requires more components
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges the carrier support function and carrier transport function into a single hinged assembly. The carrier support portion and carrier transporting portion are connected via a hinge, combining multiple functions (support, transport, reorientation) into one integrated mechanism. This reduces the number of separate components compared to having distinct support and transport mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If the carrier transporting portion is continuously supported, then stable carrying is maintained, but the slide cannot be released for vertical travel
Solution Approach 1:
The support for the carrier transporting portion is made dynamic rather than static. The transporting portion can be supported in a first position for stable carrying, then moved to a second position where support is removed to enable release. This dynamic support system maintains stability during transport while allowing release when needed, achieving both reliability and operational capability.
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
Enables efficient delivery and reorientation of laboratory slides for printing, reducing the need for manual unloading and replacement of slide types, and allows for seamless integration with printers that handle slides under gravity, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a displaceable mechanism (27) comprising a carrier support portion (19) and a carrier transporting portion (20) which are hingeably interconnected
Implementation Method 2
The biasing means reduces friction between the displaceable mechanism and the carrier transporting portion support when the displaceable mechanism is displaced from the first carrier receiving position and configuration to the second carrier release position and configuration
Implementation Method 3
an apparatus for marking a laboratory sample carrier that is arranged to travel through the apparatus vertically or inclined such that the carrier travels under the influence of gravity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device (1 ) and method for delivering a laboratory sample carrier (2) from a stack (3) of sample carriers (2) includes providing means (4) for retaining the stack (3) of laboratory sample carriers (2), and an ejector mechanism (8) including a displaceable mechanism (27) comprising a carrier support portion (19) and a carrier transporting portion (20) which are hingeably interconnected. The stack (3) is supported by the carrier transporting portion (20) and the carrier transporting portion (20) is supported by a carrier transporting portion support (26) of the ejector mechanism (8) when the displaceable mechanism (27) is in a first carrier receiving position and configuration. The displaceable mechanism (27) is displaced from the first carrier receiving position and configuration to a second carrier release position and configuration by a displacement means (16, 17) of the ejector mechanism (8). This involves moving a lowermost carrier (2') from the bottom of the stack (3) in a carrier accommodating region of the carrier transporting portion (20) as the displaceable mechanism (27) is displaced from the first carrier receiving position and configuration. The displaceable mechanism (27) is displaced such that the carrier transporting portion (20) moves past the carrier transporting portion support (26) and drops so that the displaceable mechanism (27) adopts the second carrier release position and configuration and the carrier (2') in the carrier accommodating region is released. The stack (3) is supported with the carrier support portion (19) when the displaceable mechanism (27) is in the second carrier release position and configuration.