Storage Rack Shaker With Counterweight for Stable Sample Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage devices in climate-controlled cabinets experience undesired oscillatory movements and noise during shaking, limiting the shaking frequency and amplitude, especially for high storage racks, leading to inconsistent shaking amplitudes across different locations.
Innovation Solution
A storage device with a shaker drive and a counterweight assembly connected to the upper end section of the storage rack, which generates a force opposite to the shaking motion to counteract oscillations, and a vertical shaking motion to prevent lateral oscillations, ensuring homogeneous acceleration forces and improved mixing in micro titer plates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If storage racks are made high to store multiple micro titer plates, then storage capacity is improved, but oscillatory movements occur at the upper ends during shaking
Solution Approach 1:
A counterweight assembly is connected to the upper end section of the storage rack and driven to exert a force opposite to the shaking motion, counteracting the oscillations of the upper end section. This counterweight mechanism specifically addresses the oscillatory instability of high storage racks during shaking operations.
2Productivity
If shaking frequency and amplitude are increased to improve mixing, then mixing efficiency is improved, but noise and vibrations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The counterweight assembly counteracts oscillations and reduces unwanted vibrations and noise while allowing effective shaking motion for mixing. By compensating for the oscillatory movements, the system achieves higher shaking frequencies and amplitudes without proportionally increasing harmful vibrations and noise.
3Productivity
If horizontal shaking motion is used to mix samples, then mixing is achieved, but acceleration forces are uneven across different storage locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal shaking motion to vertical shaking motion. The shaker drive is adapted to shake the storage carrier in a vertical direction, which ensures highly homogeneous acceleration forces throughout the entire storage rack while maintaining effective mixing capability.
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 solution allows for efficient and homogeneous shaking of high storage racks, reducing noise and vibrations, and achieving consistent shaking amplitudes across all storage locations, leading to improved mixing of small fluid volumes within the storage racks.
Implementation Method 1
a counterweight assembly connected to an upper end section of the storage rack and being driven to exert a force opposite to the shaking motion in order to counteract an oscillation of the upper end section of the storage rack
Implementation Method 2
a rack carrier being driven by said shaker drive for performing a shaking motion with horizontal component
Implementation Method 3
the shaker drive is adapted to shake the storage carrier in a vertical direction
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a storage device with storage racks and a shaker where the undesired horizontal oscillations of the upper ends of the storage racks are small. In a first embodiment a vertical shaking motion is generated. In a second embodiment, a moving counterweight assembly is provided that counteracts the oscillations.