Tube Conveyance Rack Grip Structure for Stable Tube Posture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tube conveyance racks with gripping members that grip tubes from the side using elastic arm parts face insufficient gripping force, leading to tubes floating or posture changes during processing, especially when dealing with separated samples like serum and blood clots.
Innovation Solution
A tube conveyance rack with a frame-shaped base part and upward-extending arm parts, featuring a thick joint portion and protruding parts, enhances gripping force by increasing the elasticity and stability of the arm parts, ensuring tubes are maintained in a prescribed posture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the gripping member uses elastic force from arm parts extending upward to grip the tube, then the tube can be held in a standing posture, but the gripping force becomes insufficient causing the tube to float or change posture
Solution Approach 1:
The base part is designed with a thick portion at the joint portion where it connects to the arm parts. This local thickening increases the rigidity and load-bearing capacity of the joint area, allowing the arm parts to exert sufficient elastic force on the tubes while maintaining structural integrity. The thick portion acts as a reinforcement that prevents the base from deforming under the upward forces applied to tubes during handling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the arm parts extend upward to grip tubes from the side, then tubes of various sizes can be accommodated, but the gripping force is insufficient when upward forces are applied to tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The base part incorporates a thick portion at the joint portion connecting to arm parts. This localized reinforcement provides the necessary strength to counteract upward forces applied to tubes during handling operations. The thick portion serves as a load-bearing structure that allows the arm parts to maintain effective gripping force on tubes of various sizes while resisting external upward forces.
3Ease of manufacture
If the base part is made thin to simplify the structure, then manufacturing is easier, but the gripping force becomes insufficient under upward forces
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire base part thick, which would increase manufacturing complexity, the design incorporates a thick portion only at the joint portion where the arm parts connect to the base. This localized thickening provides the necessary strength to counteract upward forces while keeping the rest of the base part thin and easy to manufacture. The thick portion acts as a strategic reinforcement point that maximizes gripping force without significantly complicating the overall manufacturing process.
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 enhanced gripping force and stability improve the ability to securely hold tubes of varying diameters and shapes, preventing floating and maintaining the correct posture during processing, even under forces applied during sample handling.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of arm parts that extend upward from the frame-shaped base part and grip a tube inserted in the tube insertion hole from the side by elastic force of the arm parts
Data Source
AI summary
A tube conveyance rack (10) comprises a rack body (14) having a tube insertion hole (12) that opens upward and is for accommodating a tube and a gripping member (16) disposed inside the tube insertion hole (12). The gripping member (16) has a frame-shaped base part (30) that has a frame shape and is provided horizontally, and a plurality of arm parts (32) that extend upward from the frame-shaped base part (30). The frame-shaped base part (30) has, at the parts joined to the arm parts (32), thick parts (30a) that are thick in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the extension direction of the frame-shaped base part (30).