Keyed Container Caps With Sliding Locks for Safe Liquid Draining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated diagnostic analyzers face challenges in efficiently refilling onboard tanks with liquid solutions due to messy and cumbersome processes involving screw caps and dip tube assemblies, leading to potential errors in connecting the wrong liquid to the wrong tank, and exposed piercing probes pose safety risks.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of cradle apparatus with a sliding lock mechanism that allows only matching key-capped containers to be inserted, ensuring correct liquid connection through a piercing probe that is safely engaged and disengaged, and includes sensors and indicators for proper insertion and liquid levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If screw caps with dip tube assemblies are used to refill onboard tanks, then liquid transfer is enabled, but the process becomes messy and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the piercing function from complex dip tube assemblies and concentrates it into a single exposed piercing probe. The cap assembly is simplified to a basic screw cap without dip tubes, separating the piercing operation from the liquid transfer mechanism to reduce overall system complexity and messiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cradle assembly as an intermediary device between the container and the piercing probe. The cradle provides a stable mounting structure and positioning mechanism, enabling the piercing probe to accurately penetrate the container seal while keeping the operator's hands clear of the piercing zone, thus reducing mess and improving ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dip tube assemblies are used for multiple onboard tanks, then liquid transfer to multiple tanks is enabled, but the risk of connecting wrong liquid to wrong tank increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry through color-coded cap assemblies and corresponding cradle positions. Each cradle is designed with a specific color that matches a specific container type, and the piercing probe is positioned asymmetrically within each cradle to correspond with the correct liquid transfer path. This visual and spatial differentiation prevents incorrect connections while maintaining the ability to service multiple tanks.
3Productivity
If piercing probes are exposed for container insertion, then liquid draining is enabled, but safety risks to operators increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle assembly serves as a protective intermediary that houses the piercing probe and positions the container. The probe remains exposed for piercing function but is constrained within the cradle structure, which acts as a barrier between the sharp probe and the operator's hands. This allows efficient liquid removal while minimizing safety risks through proper positioning and protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The cradle is pre-positioned with the piercing probe already exposed and ready, but the container is not yet inserted. The operator first positions the container in the cradle, and only then does the piercing action occur. This preliminary positioning allows the probe to be exposed for efficiency while ensuring the operator's hands are clear of the piercing zone before the actual piercing happens.
Data Source
AI summary
Cradles for draining liquid from containers are described herein. An example apparatus includes a housing having a bottom wall, a side wall and an open top. The housing is to receive a container having liquid. The example apparatus includes a probe extending upward from the bottom wall toward the open top and is to drain the liquid from the container when the probe is inserted into the container. The example apparatus also includes a sliding lock slidably disposed within the housing that receives a cap or top of the container when the container is inserted into the housing. The sliding lock includes a key slot. The sliding lock is movable when a cap or top of the container has a matching key that engages the key slot, which enables the sliding lock to move downward to expose the probe and drain the liquid from the container.