Pipette Tip Stepped Portion Prevents Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable pipette tips often become tightly fitted when stored in large quantities, leading to jamming issues during supply and hindering liquid aspirating and discharging operations due to their conical shape, and existing solutions to prevent overlap increase the complexity of the supplying apparatus.
Innovation Solution
The pipette tip design features a stepped portion with an external diameter larger than the internal diameter at the connection point, preventing tight fitting by allowing only the angled part of one tip to contact the inner wall of another, thus preventing mutual two-stage overlapping and facilitating efficient separation and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pipette tips are stored in large quantities with conical shape, then storage capacity is improved, but pipette tips become tightly fitted and jammed during supply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a stepped portion at a specific location on the pipette tip (connecting position between tip portion and intermediate portion) with a different external diameter than other sections. This localized structural modification prevents tight fitting between stacked pipette tips while maintaining the conical shape for liquid handling functionality, thus resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and supply efficiency.
2Reliability
If pipette tips are tightly fitted to prevent overlap, then mutual interference is reduced, but separation and attachment operations become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stepped portion creates a localized structural feature at the connecting position that provides controlled contact between stacked pipette tips. This local modification ensures reliable prevention of overlap while maintaining ease of separation and attachment, as the stepped portion allows for defined engagement and disengagement points.
3Ease of operation
If a separating mechanism is added to the supplying apparatus, then pipette tip separation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing the pipette tip with an integrated stepped portion that enables automatic prevention of tight fitting and facilitates easy separation during supply operations. This structural feature allows the pipette tips to self-regulate their stacking behavior without requiring external separating mechanisms, thus improving separation ease while avoiding increased device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is to present a disposable pipette tip used in a dispensing device, comprising: an attachment section for being attached to the dispensing device; and a liquid containing section for containing a liquid aspirated by the dispensing device, which is continually located to the attachment section and comprises a first part and a second part being continually located to the first part on the attachment section side, wherein the first part comprises a tip portion, an intermediate portion and a stepped portion, the tip portion including a distal end of the pipette tip, the intermediate portion continually located to the tip portion and the second part, the tip portion having an external diameter that decreases toward the distal end, and the intermediate portion having an external diameter that decreases toward the tip portion; the stepped portion is formed at a connecting position of the tip portion and the intermediate portion such that the external diameter of the intermediate portion at the connecting position is larger than that of the tip portion at the connecting position, the connecting position being closer to the distal end than the second part; the second part has an internal diameter that decreases toward the first part; the external diameter of the intermediate portion at the connecting position is larger than the internal diameter of an end of the second part on the first part side; the external diameter of the tip portion at the connecting position is smaller than the internal diameter of the end of the second part on the first part side; and length from the end of the second part on the first part side to the end of the attachment section on the opposite side of the second part is not less than twice but not more than four times as large as that of the tip portion.