Rotatable Incubator Stand for Compact Stacking and Conduit Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Incubators in laboratories are bulky and cannot be stacked due to the need for optical access and entangled conduits and wiring, making it difficult to manage multiple units efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable incubator stand with a shaft element and stop elements allows for compact stacking while maintaining access to each incubator, with fluid and electrical supplies managed through a manifold system to prevent entanglement and ensure stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple incubators are stacked with separate conduits and wiring, then the quantity of incubators is increased, but the conduits and wiring become entangled causing confusion and insufficient space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate conduits and wiring looms into a single integrated conduit that serves all stacked incubators. This single conduit contains multiple internal channels for fluid supply and electrical wiring, eliminating the entanglement problem that would occur with separate conduits for each incubator while still allowing multiple incubators to be stacked.
2Area of stationary object
If incubators are stacked to save space, then the area occupied is reduced, but access to individual incubators for monitoring becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a rotatable platform that can pivot between a stored position (where all incubators are compactly stacked) and an operational position (where the selected incubator is rotated outward for easy access). This dynamic mechanism allows the system to transition between space-saving configuration and ease-of-access configuration as needed.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If optical access portions are provided on incubators for viewing samples, then monitoring capability is improved, but the incubators cannot be stacked due to the physical challenge and space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the conflict between optical access and stackability by moving the monitoring function to a different dimension. Instead of requiring horizontal space for optical access portions on each incubator, the system uses a vertical stack configuration with a rotatable platform that brings the selected incubator to the user's viewing level. The optical access portions remain on the incubators, but the rotatable mechanism eliminates the need for lateral spacing.
Data Source
AI summary
An incubator stand for holding a plurality of incubators in a stacked arrangement, the incubator stand comprising: a stand base; a shaft element upstanding from the stand base; and a plurality of incubator bases rotatably received on the shaft element, each incubator base forming a support for or forming part of an incubator. A stop element is also provided which prevents or limits angular displacement of each incubator base, so that each incubator base can be pivoted out from a stack of said incubator bases to in use access an incubator associated therewith without causing the stack to topple. An incubator docking system and incubator system for transferring incubators between different environmental conditions are also provided.