Interleaved Pipette Tip Card Bundles for Static-Free Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pipette tip support cards experience tip misalignment and static buildup due to oversize holes and lateral movement during shipping and handling, leading to unreliable mating with pipettors and increased shipping volume and waste.
Innovation Solution
Interleaved pipette tip support card bundles with opposing cards oriented to minimize tip-to-tip contact, using receiver slots and staggered hole arrays to maintain alignment and reduce static, packaged in a compact cubic form.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If support holes are oversized to facilitate tip insertion and removal, then ease of operation is improved, but tip alignment precision deteriorates due to lateral movement and static buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The support card is segmented into multiple functional zones: oversized support holes for easy tip insertion, receiver slots for precise distal end positioning, and aprons for lateral stabilization. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally without compromising overall tip alignment
Solution Approach 2:
Receiver slots act as intermediary structures between the oversized support holes and the tip distal ends. These slots provide a transition zone that guides and centers the tips, converting the loose fit from oversized holes into precise alignment at the distal end for automated pipettor mating
2Reliability
If multiple support cards are individually packaged and shipped separately, then protection during handling is improved, but shipping volume and material usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple support cards are merged into a single integrated packaging unit with shared walls and interconnected structures. This consolidation maintains individual card protection while dramatically reducing total packaging material and shipping volume compared to separate individual boxes
Solution Approach 2:
Support cards are nested within a shared packaging structure that provides common protection. The cards are arranged and secured within the same outer packaging, with each card having its own protective features while sharing the overall container, reducing redundant packaging materials
3Volume of stationary object
If cards are placed close together in shipping containers, then shipping volume is reduced, but tip-to-tip contact increases causing static buildup and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful contact between tips of adjacent cards is extracted and eliminated by designing interleaved patterns where tips from opposing cards fit into receiver slots that provide clearance. This spatial extraction prevents tip-to-tip contact while maintaining compact card positioning for efficient shipping
Solution Approach 2:
The support hole arrays on opposing cards are deliberately offset asymmetrically in the interleaved pattern. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that tips from one card do not align with tips from the opposing card, preventing contact and static buildup while allowing close card positioning for compact shipping
4Object-affected harmful factors
If full-height aprons are used to elevate tips and reduce contamination, then contamination protection is improved, but shipping volume and plastic waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of full-height aprons on all cards, partial aprons are used only where necessary for contamination protection. The apron height is optimized to provide adequate protection while minimizing material usage and shipping volume, applying the principle of partial action rather than excessive coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging design enables efficient nesting and compact shipping that reduces overall material requirements. By optimizing the apron structure and packaging integration, plastic material is used only where functionally necessary, reducing waste while maintaining protection
Data Source
AI summary
An interleaved pipette tip support card bundle includes two or more support cards arranged with their top surfaces facing outward and their pipette tips extending inward to interleave without contact. Each support card includes receiver slots in its bottom surface that are coaxially aligned with support holes of an opposing card and sized to receive distal ends of opposing pipette tips with clearance, preventing tip-to-tip and tip-to-card contact and reducing static buildup. Each card may further include a reduced-height apron whose distal edge abuts the distal edge of an opposing apron to set the card spacing while permitting full interleaving. Arrays of pipette tip support holes on opposing cards are offset to maximize packing density. Multi-pair bundles, including four- and six-card configurations, provide compact, low-volume assemblies suitable for efficient shipping, storage, and automated or manual pipette tip loading.