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A laboratory rack assembly for supporting columns and receptacle tubes and other paraphernalia during laboratory procedures such as such as filtration, chromatography, plasma preparation, affinity purification, and so on, includes upper and lower support portions that are connected together for rela

A laboratory rack assembly for supporting columns and receptacle tubes and other paraphernalia during laboratory procedures such as such as filtration, chromatography, plasma preparation, affinity purification, and so on, includes upper and lower support portions that are connected together for relative sliding movement. An upper rack module is connected to the upper support portion and is configured to receive at least one column. A lower rack module is connected to the lower support portion and is configured to receive at least one receptacle tube. At least one of the rack modules is removably connected to at least one of the support portions. An adjustment mechanism is operably associated with the upper and lower support portions for adjusting a position of one support portion with respect to the other support portion to thereby vary the distance between the upper and lower rack modules.

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What is claimed is: 1. A laboratory rack assembly comprising: an upper support portion, wherein the upper support portion comprises an upper rear wall and upper side walls extending forwardly from opposite ends of the upper rear wall, the upper rack module being removably connected to at least the

What is claimed is: 1. A laboratory rack assembly comprising: an upper support portion, wherein the upper support portion comprises an upper rear wall and upper side walls extending forwardly from opposite ends of the upper rear wall, the upper rack module being removably connected to at least the upper side walls; an upper rack module connected to the upper support portion, the upper rack module being configured to receive at least one column; a lower support portion, wherein the lower support portion comprises a lower rear wall and lower side walls extending forwardly from opposite ends of the lower rear wall, the lower rack module being removably connected to at least the lower side walls; a lower rack module connected to the lower support portion, the lower rack module being configured to receive at least one receptacle tube; at least one of the rack modules being removably connected to at least one of the support portions; the upper and lower support portions being connected together for relative sliding movement; an upper side slot formed in each of the upper side walls and a lower side slot formed in each of the lower side walls such that the upper and lower side slots of adjacent upper and lower side walls are in overlapping relationship, and further comprising a fastener extending through a pair of overlapping side slots to thereby guide the relative sliding movement between the upper and lower support portions; and an adjustment mechanism operably associated with the upper and lower support portions for adjusting a position of one support portion with respect to the other support portion to thereby vary the distance between the upper and lower rack modules and to control the relative sliding movement between the upper and the lower support portions, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises an elongate gear connected to one of the upper and lower rear walls and a pinion rotatably connected to the other of the upper and lower rear walls for engaging the elongate gear such that rotation of the pinion causes linear movement of the elongate gear and thus linear sliding movement between the upper and lower support portions and said adjustment mechanism further comprises a hollow tube connected to the other of the upper and lower rear walls for receiving the elongate gear, the pinion being rotatably connected to the tube. 2. A rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower rack modules are removably connected to the upper and lower support portions, respectively. 3. A rack assembly according to claim 2, wherein the upper and lower rack modules are interchangeable. 4. A rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower rack module is removably connected to the lower support portion. 5. A rack assembly according to claim 4, wherein the lower rack module comprises first and second lower rack panels. 6. A rack assembly according to claim 5, wherein each lower rack panel comprises a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of receptacle tubes. 7. A rack assembly according to claim 6, wherein the openings of the first lower rack panel are smaller in size than the openings of the second lower rack panel. 8. A rack assembly according to claim 7, wherein the lower rack module further comprises a third lower rack panel located below the first and second lower rack panels, the third lower rack panel being devoid of openings. 9. A rack assembly according to claim 8, wherein the lower rack module further comprises a support tray removably connected to the lower support portion, the lower rack panels being located in the support tray in a vertically stacked arrangement. 10. A rack assembly according to claim 5, wherein the lower rack module further comprises a support tray removably connected to the lower support portion, the lower rack panels being located in the support tray in a vertically stacked arrangement. 11. A rack assembly according to claim 5, wherein each rack module comprises a panel with a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of columns or receptacle tubes and an outer frame surrounding the openings. 12. A rack assembly according to claim 11, wherein the side walls of the upper support portion comprise aligned horizontally extending tracks for slidably receiving the outer frame of the upper rack module. 13. A rack assembly according to claim 12 wherein the side walls of the lower support portion comprise aligned horizontally extending tracks for slidably receiving the outer frame of the lower rack module. 14. A rack assembly according to claim 12, wherein the lower rack module comprises a support tray removably connected to the lower support portion, and further wherein the lower rack module comprises a plurality of lower rack panels located in the support tray in a vertically stacked arrangement. 15. A rack assembly according to claim 14, wherein the side walls of the lower support portion comprises aligned horizontally extending tracks for slidably receiving the support tray. 16. A rack assembly according to claim 14, wherein at least two of the lower rack panels comprise a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of receptacle tubes. 17. A rack assembly according to claim 16, wherein the openings of one lower rack panel are smaller in size than the openings of the other lower rack panel. 18. A rack assembly according to claim 11, wherein the side walls of the upper and lower support portions comprise aligned side apertures and the outer frames of the upper and lower rack modules comprise locking side projections for snap-fit engagement with the side apertures to thereby connect the upper and lower rack modules to the upper and lower support portions, respectively. 19. A rack assembly according to claim 18, wherein the rear wall of each support portion comprises rear apertures and the outer frames of the upper and lower rack modules comprise locking rear projections for snap-fit engagement with the rear apertures to thereby connect the rear wall of each support portion to its respective side walls. 20. A rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein each side wall is connected to its associated rear wall by a living hinge. 21. A rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper slots are slanted at a first angle and the lower slots are slanted at a second angle greater than the first angle with respect to horizontal. 22. A rack assembly according to claim 21, wherein the second angle is approximately 90 degrees greater than the first angle. 23. A rack assembly according to claim 22, and further comprising a pair of rear slots formed in one of the upper and lower rear walls and a pair of rear openings formed in the other of the upper and lower rear walls such that the rear slots are in overlapping relationship with the rear openings, and further comprising a fastener extending through each pair of overlapping slots and openings to thereby guide relative sliding movement between the upper and lower support portions. 24. An adjustable laboratory rack comprising: an upper support portion having an upper rear wall and upper side walls extending forwardly from opposite ends of the upper rear wall and an upper rack module extending between the upper side walls; a lower support portion having a lower rear wall and lower side walls extending forwardly from opposite ends of the lower rear wall and a lower rack module extending between the lower side walls; the upper and lower support portions being connected together for relative sliding movement between an extended rack position and a contracted rack position; an upper side slot formed in each of the upper side walls and a lower side slot formed in each of the lower side walls such that the upper and lower side slots of adjacent upper and lower side walls are in overlapping relationship, and further comprising a fastener extending through a pair of overlapping side slots to thereby guide relative movement between the upper and lower support portions; and an adjustment mechanism operably associated with the upper and lower support portions for adjusting a position of one support portion with respect to the other support portion and to control the relative sliding movement between the upper and the lower support portions, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises an elongate gear connected to one of the upper and lower rear walls and a pinion rotatably connected to the other of the upper and lower rear walls for engaging the elongate gear such that rotation of the pinion causes linear movement of the elongate gear and thus linear sliding movement between the upper and lower support portions and said adjustment mechanism further comprises a hollow tube connected to the other of the upper and lower rear walls for receiving the elongate gear, the pinion being rotatably connected to the tube. 25. A rack assembly according to claim 24, wherein each rack module comprises a panel with a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of columns or receptacle tubes and an outer frame surrounding the openings. 26. A rack assembly according to claim 25, wherein the side walls of the upper support portion comprise aligned horizontally extending tracks for slidably receiving the outer frame of the upper rack module. 27. A rack assembly according to claim 26, wherein the side walls of the lower support portion comprise aligned horizontally extending tracks for slidably receiving the outer frame of the lower rack module. 28. A rack assembly according to claim 26, wherein the lower rack module comprises a support tray removably connected to the lower support portion, and further wherein the lower rack module comprises a plurality of lower rack panels located in the support tray in a vertically stacked arrangement. 29. A rack assembly according to claim 28, wherein the side walls of the lower support portion comprise aligned horizontally extending tracks for slidably receiving the support tray. 30. A rack assembly according to claim 28, wherein at least two of the lower rack panels comprise a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of receptacle tubes. 31. A rack assembly according to claim 28, wherein the openings of one lower rack panel are smaller in size than the openings of the other lower rack panel. 32. A rack assembly according to claim 25, wherein the side walls of the upper and lower support portions comprise aligned side apertures and the outer frames of the upper and lower rack modules comprise locking side projections for snap-fit engagement with the side apertures to thereby connect the upper and lower rack modules to the upper and lower support portions, respectively. 33. A rack assembly according to claim 32, wherein the rear wall of each support portion comprises rear apertures and the outer frames of the upper and lower rack modules comprise locking rear projections for snap-fit engagement with the rear apertures to thereby connect the rear wall of each support portion to its respective side walls. 34. A rack assembly according to claim 24, wherein each side wall is connected to its associated rear wall by a living hinge. 35. A rack assembly according to claim 24 wherein the upper slots are slanted at a first angle and the lower slots are slanted at a second angle greater than the first angle with respect to horizontal. 36. A rack assembly according to claim 35, wherein the second angle is approximately 90 degrees greater than the first angle. 37. A rack assembly according to claim 36, and further comprising a pair of rear slots formed in one of the upper and lower rear walls and a pair of rear openings formed in the other of the upper and lower rear walls such that the rear slots are in overlapping relationship with the rear openings, and further comprising a fastener extending through each pair of overlapping slots and openings to thereby guide relative sliding movement between the upper and lower support portions. 38. A rack assembly according to claim 24, wherein the upper and lower rack modules are removably connected to the upper and lower support portions, respectively. 39. A rack assembly according to claim 24, wherein the upper and lower rack modules are interchangeable.