Pivoting Sample Tray Shaker for Clean Access and Stable Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shakers face issues with liquid spillage and contamination, difficulty in accessing trays for cleaning, and limited automation due to complex tray designs, leading to inefficient operation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A device with a pivoting tray design, climate control, and motor placement outside the housing, featuring a support system with eccentric mounting and a locking mechanism, allowing easy access and automation, while maintaining controlled environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shakers use fixed trays with complex mounting mechanisms, then shaking stability is improved, but tray accessibility for cleaning and automation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is designed to pivot between a horizontal shaking position and a tilted access position, transforming from a static fixed structure to a dynamic adjustable one. This allows the tray to maintain stability during shaking while enabling easy access for loading, unloading, and cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray system is segmented into the tray body, support structure, and pivot mechanism, allowing independent optimization of each component. The tray can be easily detached and removed as a separate unit, simplifying cleaning and maintenance while maintaining overall shaking stability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional shakers enclose trays within housing, then contamination protection is improved, but cleaning accessibility is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The housing incorporates a movable front panel that can be opened to tilt the tray outward, providing dynamic access to the tray and housing interior for cleaning. This maintains contamination protection during operation while enabling easy cleaning when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot mechanism acts as an intermediary between the housing and tray, enabling the tray to be tilted outward for access while remaining enclosed within the housing structure during normal operation. This intermediate movement facilitates cleaning without requiring complete disassembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional shakers use complex tray mounting mechanisms, then shaking precision is improved, but automation capability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The simple pivot mechanism with gravitational return provides precise positioning through gravity-based self-centering, eliminating complex motors or actuators. This enables robotic arms to easily load and unload trays while maintaining shaking precision through the gravitational positioning system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray positioning system uses gravity to automatically return the tray to its horizontal shaking position after tilting for access, eliminating the need for complex positioning mechanisms. This self-centering feature simplifies automation by providing predictable, repeatable tray positioning without additional actuators.
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 minimizes contamination risks, facilitates easy cleaning, and enables efficient automation, ensuring high shaking frequencies for effective mixing and oxygen transfer, suitable for various samples including cell cultures and biofuels.
Implementation Method 1
a tray shaft (67), which is, in particular, rigidly connected to the tray (61) and eccentrically mounted on the drive element (66)... The eccentricity determines the deflection of the tray (and thus the samples) during shaking
Implementation Method 2
the device can include a climate control element configured to control temperature and/or humidity within the interior space of the housing
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~3b
Figure 2~3a
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for shaking samples comprising a carrier (62), a drive element (66) rotatably mounted on the carrier (62), and a tray (61) configured for loading the samples (69). The device further comprises a tray shaft (67) connected to the tray (61) and eccentrically mounted on the drive element (66), and an openable housing (64). The tray (61), the tray shaft (67), the drive element (66), and the carrier (62) are located in an interior space within the housing (64). The device also includes a main drive shaft (63) driven by a drive (65), which extends orthogonally to the tray (61) at least partially through the housing (64). The drive element (66) can be driven via the main drive shaft (63).The support (62) together with the shelf (61) is pivotably mounted around the main drive shaft (63), so that the support (62) together with the shelf (61) can be pivoted out of the housing (64) at least partially when open.