Pipette Tip Alignment with Grooved Rotary Transfer to Prevent Catching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tip alignment devices face issues with transportation stops due to friction and level differences causing tips to catch on components, leading to inefficient delivery.
Innovation Solution
A tip alignment device with a supply unit featuring two plates and rails at their leading ends, supported by a rotating body with grooves, where the plates widen to release tips onto rails, reducing the risk of catching and enhancing alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a friction-based endless circulation belt is used to transport tips, then the tips can be moved to a predetermined position, but the transportation may stop due to friction and level differences causing tips to catch on components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tips from the friction-based endless circulation belt system and places them into individual grooves on a rotating body. This extraction eliminates the friction and catching problems associated with the belt system, as tips are now held securely in discrete grooves rather than being transported via friction alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating body with grooves acts as an intermediary between the tip supply and the rails. Instead of tips directly contacting the friction-based belt, they are transferred to the rotating body's grooves, which then deliver them to the rails. This intermediary mechanism eliminates the friction and catching issues of the original system.
2Manufacturing precision
If tips are transported by contact with other components, then alignment can be maintained, but tips may be caught and transportation stops due to friction and level differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous tip stream into individual units by placing each tip in a separate groove on the rotating body. This segmentation prevents tips from catching on each other or on components during transportation, maintaining alignment while ensuring continuous flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating body dynamically delivers tips to the rails, allowing for controlled movement and positioning. The rotation enables tips to be released sequentially onto the rails without friction-based catching, maintaining precision while improving transportation efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If a fixed-distance transportation system is used, then tips can be delivered to a predetermined position, but level differences during delivery cause catching and stoppage
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves on the rotating body create precise copies of the desired tip positions. Each groove is shaped and positioned to replicate the exact placement requirements, ensuring accurate positioning without the reliability issues of friction-based fixed-distance transport.
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
The device ensures efficient and uninterrupted tip alignment by minimizing the risk of transportation stops and simplifying the mechanism, allowing for uniform tip orientation and alignment in a grid pattern.
Implementation Method 1
two plates (2A, 2B)... which are driven to widen a width between the rails (4A, 4B)
Data Source
AI summary
During tip transportation, due to friction between tips and other components or differences in level during delivery, the tips may be caught and the transportation may stop. To solve said problem, the present invention provides a pipette tip alignment device characterized by comprising a supply unit that supplies loaded tips, the supply unit being provided with: two plates; a rail that is disposed at the leading end of the plates and supports the tips; and a rotating body that supplies the tips to the rail provided with grooves for storing the tips, wherein the plates are driven to widen the rail.