초록 ▼

An automatic decapper removes caps from capped test tubes by gripping the cap on a test tube with the upper grippers and holding the cap stationary while the test tube is rotated and translated downward with lower grippers. In a preferred embodiment, the upper grippers comprise three jaws coupled to

An automatic decapper removes caps from capped test tubes by gripping the cap on a test tube with the upper grippers and holding the cap stationary while the test tube is rotated and translated downward with lower grippers. In a preferred embodiment, the upper grippers comprise three jaws coupled to a cam to be moved, as appropriate, from a first position in which a test tube cap may be inserted between the jaws to a second position in which the jaws grip the inserted cap. The upper grippers are mounted to a decapping arm that is pivotable between a first position above the lower grippers, in which the decapping takes place, to a second position above the exterior of the decapper, where it remains while the test tube is inserted into or removed from the lower grippers and where a removed cap may be released into a container for disposal or reuse. The lower grippers comprise a pair of lever arms for holding the test tube. The lower grippers form part of a rotatable assembly that moves up towards the upper grippers and down away from the upper grippers along a lead screw. A pair of half-gears mounted at a fixed vertical position are used to separate the lever arms for insertion and removal of the test tube when the rotatable assembly is vertically positioned with the lever arms adjacent the half-gears. An ultrasonic sensor may be positioned on the decapping arm above the upper grippers to detect the liquid level of the sample in the test tube after the cap has been removed and the decapping arm is returned to its first position. A liquid sensor comprising a prism and two fiber optic cables is mounted in a reservoir under lower grippers and is used to detect if there has been spillage from a test tube in the lower grippers.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.]1. An automatic decapper for removing a cap from a test tube, said decapper comprising,a) a frame having upper and lower portions,b) an upper gripper device at the upper portion of the frame for gripping a cap of a capped test tube,c) a lower gripper device at the lower portion of t

[ We claim:] [1.]1. An automatic decapper for removing a cap from a test tube, said decapper comprising,a) a frame having upper and lower portions,b) an upper gripper device at the upper portion of the frame for gripping a cap of a capped test tube,c) a lower gripper device at the lower portion of the frame for gripping a body portion of the capped test tube below the cap,d) the upper gripper device including a plurality of movable upper gripper jaws having an open condition to permit disposition of the capped test tube in a decapping position wherein the cap of the capped test tube is located between the upper gripper jaws in their open condition, said cap having a peripheral portion and said upper gripper device including motor driven means joined to said upper gripper jaws for moving said upper gripper jaws into a selected upper gripping position to enable the upper gripper jaws to grip the peripheral portion of the cap of the capped test tube,e) said upper gripper jaws being non-rotatable about an axis through said capped test tube when the upper gripper jaws are in the selected upper gripping position, so as to render the gripped cap non-rotatable,f) the lower gripper device including a plurality of movable lower gripper jaws having an open condition to permit disposition of the body portion of the capped test tube between the lower gripper jaws in their open condition, said lower gripper device including motor driven means joined to said lower gripper jaws for moving the lower gripper jaws into a selected lower gripping position to enable the lower gripper jaws to grip the body portion of the capped test tube, andg) motor driven means joined to said frame for rotating and translating the lower gripper jaws about and along the axis through said capped test tube while the upper gripper jaws are in the non-rotatable upper gripping position on the cap of the capped test tube, to rotate the body portion of the capped test tube relative to the gripped cap and to lower the body portion of the capped test tube relative to the upper gripper jaw to thereby separate the body portion of the capped test tube from the gripped cap and thereby decap the capped test tube.