Multiwell Carrier Holder Structure for Precise Well Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multiwell plate holders fail to securely position carriers, such as filter or fleece discs, at a specified height within wells, leading to potential falling or sliding issues, especially when handling gaseous or liquid substances.
Innovation Solution
A holder with a horizontal support and holding piece, connected by a vertical connecting piece, which contacts the well's internal surfaces to prevent tilting and slipping, allowing precise positioning and maintaining distance from the well's bottom, featuring inclined feet and flexible fixing pieces for secure clamping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a simple holder structure is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability of carrier positioning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is divided into three functional segments: a support structure with inclined feet for positioning, a vertical connecting piece for structural integrity, and a holding piece with gripping surfaces for carrier retention. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity in manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex locking mechanisms to prevent carrier displacement, the invention uses inverted gripping surfaces that actively engage the carrier through friction and geometric interlocking. The holding piece features surfaces that contact the carrier from multiple directions, creating a passive securing mechanism that relies on the carrier's own geometry for retention.
2Manufacturing precision
If the holder contacts the well's lateral internal surface, then stability and positioning precision are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder features localized contact surfaces specifically positioned on the support structure and holding piece that engage with the well's lateral internal surface. These localized quality features provide precise positioning and stabilization without requiring the entire holder structure to be complex. The contact surfaces are strategically placed to maximize positioning accuracy while minimizing structural complexity.
3Reliability
If the carrier is securely clamped, then reliability of carrier retention is improved, but ease of insertion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The holder employs a dynamic clamping mechanism where the holding piece can be temporarily displaced during insertion and then springs back to its clamping position. The vertical connecting piece provides structural flexibility that allows the holding piece to move slightly during carrier insertion, then automatically secures the carrier through elastic recovery and friction engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical connecting piece acts as an intermediary element between the support structure and the holding piece. It transmits forces and movements between these components, allowing the holding piece to be easily displaced during insertion while maintaining secure clamping pressure once positioned. The connecting piece mediates the transition between insertion mode and retention mode.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a holder for holding a carrier, wherein the holder is inserted into a cylinder-shaped well, for example, of a multiwell plate. In addition the invention relates to a multiwell plate with such a holder. In order to provide a possibility for the reliable support of a carrier in a holder, wherein the holder ensures a secure and specified positioning of the carrier in a well and reliably prevents the carrier and the holder from falling out of the well, a holder is proposed for insertion into a cylindrical well and to support the carrier. The holder comprises a support, a holding piece and a connecting piece which connects the supporting piece with the holding piece, wherein the holder together with the lateral external surfaces of the supporting piece, the holding piece and/or connecting piece lies against at least one lateral internal surface of the well, and wherein the carrier is inserted on the support and under the holding piece.