Nested Closure Cap Handling for Automated Sample Vessel Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for automatically closing sample vessels, particularly those with medical laboratory samples, are inefficient and complex due to the need to manage and handle closure caps of varying types and dimensions, occupying significant space and requiring manual intervention.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising stackable closure caps with convex and concave sides, a closure gripper with a centering piece, and a magazine system for automated closure, allowing for secure and space-efficient handling of different vessel sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional closure cap handling systems are used, then closure caps can be stored and retrieved, but the system occupies significant space and requires manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
Closure caps are stacked nested within each other in vertical stacks, with each cap serving as a container for the next. This nesting approach eliminates the need for horizontal storage space and manual handling mechanisms, achieving automated closure while minimizing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
A single automated gripper mechanism handles multiple closure cap types and sizes through adaptive grasping. The system uses one multi-functional device rather than multiple specialized devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining ease of operation across different vessel types
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple types of closure caps are stored for different vessel sizes, then various sample vessels can be closed, but material consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system adapts to different closure cap parameters (size, shape, type) by modifying gripper positioning and grasping forces dynamically. This allows a single set of grippers to handle variable cap dimensions without requiring multiple specialized tool sets, reducing material consumption while maintaining versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The closure cap stack height and gripper position are dynamically adjusted based on the specific cap size and vessel type required. This dynamic adaptation eliminates the need for static, oversized storage configurations and reduces overall material consumption while maintaining adaptability to different vessel sizes
3Reliability
If closure caps are handled manually, then flexibility in handling is maintained, but contamination and damage risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
An automated gripper system acts as an intermediary between the closure caps and the sample vessels, eliminating direct human contact with potentially contaminated caps. The gripper transfers caps through a controlled path, maintaining sample integrity while achieving sufficient automation through a relatively simple mechanical interface
Solution Approach 2:
The hazardous or contaminating element (manual handling of closure caps near open sample vessels) is extracted from the process. The automated gripper performs the extraction and transfer operation, isolating the sample from potential contamination sources while maintaining reliability through automated control
4Area of stationary object
If closure cap stacks are made tall for space efficiency, then storage density increases, but retrieval and handling difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-positions closure caps in vertically stacked configurations with the topmost cap readily accessible to the gripper. This preliminary arrangement ensures that retrieval always starts from the same accessible position, maintaining ease of operation despite tall stack heights, while achieving space efficiency through vertical consolidation
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for automatic closure of sample vessels such as vessels with medical laboratory samples, having a plurality of identically shaped, stackable closure caps with a convex outer face and concave inner face that are stacked in a closure cap stack such that an upper closure cap in the stack bears with its convex outer face on the concave inner face of a lower closure cap lying immediately below in the stack. The system includes a closure gripper for gripping an uppermost closure cap from the stack, for transferring the gripped closure cap to the sample vessel to be closed, and for introducing the gripped closure cap into an opening of the sample vessel in order to tightly close the opening. The closure gripper has a centering piece insertable into a closure cap such that it bears on the concave inner face of the closure cap.