초록 ▼

Decapping system for opening or closing reagent containers or cartridge systems closed by a lid which is removed and secured by a rotational movement and method thereof are disclosed. The decapping system has a centering unit at its lower end that provides a snap-in element which engages the lid, an

Decapping system for opening or closing reagent containers or cartridge systems closed by a lid which is removed and secured by a rotational movement and method thereof are disclosed. The decapping system has a centering unit at its lower end that provides a snap-in element which engages the lid, and a plurality of simultaneously driven and vertically movable screwing heads which compensates for variable heights and/or sizes of cartridge systems to be processed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Method for unscrewing lids from a cartridge system or from containers stored at randomized positions within the cartridge system comprising: loading the cartridge system onto a surface arranged below a plurality of screwing heads;providing the plurality of screwing heads adjacent an upper surface

1. Method for unscrewing lids from a cartridge system or from containers stored at randomized positions within the cartridge system comprising: loading the cartridge system onto a surface arranged below a plurality of screwing heads;providing the plurality of screwing heads adjacent an upper surface of the cartridge system;processing the cartridge system in one operating cycle which unscrews lids during an unscrewing operation;detecting a height of the cartridge system, and dependent on the height of the cartridge system which has been detected, performing a predetermined vertical movement in a downward direction of the plurality of screwing heads and/or compensating at least one of variable heights and sizes of cartridge systems by means of an adapting device; andmoving lids unscrewed from the cartridge system or the containers stored within the cartridge system after processing thereof into a lid container, arranged underneath the surface on which the cartridge system is loaded. 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a randomized number of containers arranged within the cartridge system is processed simultaneously. 3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the entire loaded cartridge system is processed simultaneously in one unscrewing process cycle. 4. Method according to claim 1, further comprising fixing the adapting device magnetically onto a surface of a decapping system and compensating the at least one of variable heights and sizes of cartridge systems by the adapting device. 5. Method according to claim 1, further comprising fixing the cartridge system within a guiding passage using a pin-shaped positioning element which engages a positioning opening of the cartridge system, and detecting the presence of the cartridge system by micro-switches or sensors. 6. Method according to claim 1, further comprising compensating for different screwing heights of lids or non-presence of lids, and closing containers containing a reagent or closing the cartridge system by a spring-loaded retracting movement of the screwing heads. 7. Method according to claim 1, wherein during the unscrewing operation, the method further comprising using crown-shaped screwing rings of each of the screwing heads, and keeping the screwing head in a predetermined position which remains unchanged during the unscrewing operation. 8. Method according to claim 1, further comprising protecting a tensioning tool and a centering pin of the screwing head against damage or deformation upon intended or unintended contact with a solid surface. 9. Method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an annular-shaped removing device for removal of unscrewed lids which is actuatable from outside with respect to the screwing head and automatically moving the removing device to an inactive position upon removal of an unscrewed lid. 10. Method according to claim 9, further comprising contacting the removing device with a stationary stripping device upon vertical movement of the plurality of screwing heads in an upward direction. 11. Method according to claim 9, further comprising stripping the unscrewed lid with a stationary ring provided with the screwing head upon vertical movement of the stripping device in downward direction. 12. Method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling the processing of the cartridge system by micro-switches detecting a presence or non-presence of the cartridge system to be processed, and further detecting movement of the screwing heads relative to the surface of the cartridge system to be processed. 13. Method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling rotational speeds of the plurality of screwing heads, horizontal or vertical velocities of the screw heads and the lids or the containers, and error detection by software via a controller. 14. Method according to claim 1, further comprises providing a decapping system which comprises the lid container, the lid container having a transparent front and using a lighting system arranged within the lid container to indicate operability of the decapping system. 15. Method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the lid container corresponds to an unscrewing position of the lids from the cartridge system by the screwing heads. 16. Method according to claim 1 wherein providing the plurality of screwing heads adjacent an upper surface of the cartridge system is accomplished by moving the plurality of screwing heads towards the upper surface of the cartridge system. 17. Method according to claim 1 wherein providing the plurality of screwing heads adjacent an upper surface of the cartridge system is accomplished by moving the cartridge system loaded towards the plurality of screwing heads. 18. Method for unscrewing lids from a cartridge system or from containers stored at randomized positions within the cartridge system comprising: loading the cartridge system onto a surface arranged below a plurality of screwing heads;providing the plurality of screwing heads adjacent an upper surface of the cartridge system;compensating for different screwing heights of lids or non-presence of lids, and closing containers containing a reagent or closing the cartridge system by a spring-loaded retracting movement of the screwing heads;processing the cartridge system in one operating cycle which unscrews lids during an unscrewing operation; andmoving lids unscrewed from the cartridge system or the containers stored within the cartridge system after processing thereof into a lid container, arranged underneath the surface on which the cartridge system is loaded. 19. Method for unscrewing lids from a cartridge system or from containers stored at randomized positions within the cartridge system comprising: loading the cartridge system onto a surface arranged below a plurality of screwing heads; providing the plurality of screwing heads adjacent an upper surface of the cartridge system;detecting a height of cartridge system and dependent on the height of the cartridge system which has been detected, performing a predetermined vertical movement in a downward direction of the plurality of screwing heads and/or compensating at least one of variable heights and sizes of cartridge systems by means of an adapting device;compensating for different screwing heights of lids or non-presence of lids, and closing containers containing a reagent or closing the cartridge system by a spring-loaded retracting movement of the screwing heads;processing the cartridge system in one operating cycle which unscrews lids during an unscrewing operation; andmoving lids unscrewed from the cartridge system or the containers stored within the cartridge system after processing thereof into a lid container, arranged underneath the surface on which the cartridge system is loaded. 20. A method for unscrewing lids from containers stored within a cartridge system, wherein said method comprising: loading said cartridge system to be processed onto a surface arranged below at least one screwing head,moving said at least one screwing head towards an upper surface of said cartridge system or moving said cartridge system loaded to said at least one screwing head,processing said cartridge system in one operating cycle which unscrews lids during an unscrewing operation,engaging at least one lid by an element at a lower end of a centering unit of said at least one screwing head,engaging said at least one lid by a crown-shaped screwing ring of said at least one screwing head,compensating for a vertical movement of said at least one lid with respect to said containers during rotational movement of said at least one lid relative to said containers by at least one tensioning spring allowing for a relative movement between said crown-shaped screwing ring to a screw support of said at least one screwing head. 21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising processing simultaneously a randomized number of said containers arranged within said cartridge system. 22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising processing simultaneously in one unscrewing process cycle said entire loaded cartridge system. 23. The method according to claim 20, further comprising detecting a height of said cartridge system, and dependent on said height of said cartridge system which has been detected, performing a predetermined vertical movement in a downward direction of said at least one screwing head. 24. The method according to claim 20, further comprising fixing an adapting device magnetically onto said surface of a decapping system. 25. The method according to claim 20, further comprising fixing said cartridge system within a guiding passage using a pin-shaped positioning element which engages a positioning opening of said cartridge system, and detecting the presence of said cartridge system by micro-switches or sensors. 26. The method according to claim 20, further comprising compensating for different screwing heights of lids or the non-presence of lids, and closing containers containing a reagent or closing said cartridge system by a spring-loaded retracting movement of said at least one screwing head. 27. The method according to claim 20, wherein during the unscrewing operation, the method further comprising using crown-shaped screwing rings of each of said at least one screwing head, and keeping said at least one screwing head in a predetermined position which remains unchanged during said unscrewing operation. 28. The method according to claim 20, further comprising protecting a tensioning tool and a centering pin of said at least one screwing head against damage or deformation upon intended or unintended contact with a solid surface. 29. The method according to claim 20, further comprising providing an annular-Shaped removing device for removal of unscrewed lids which is actuatable from outside with respect to said at least one screwing head and automatically moving said removing device to an inactive position upon removal of an unscrewed lid. 30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising contacting said removing device with a stationary stripping device upon vertical movement of said at least one screwing head in an upward direction. 31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising stripping said unscrewed lid with a stationary ring provided with said at least one screwing head upon vertical movement of said stripping device in a downward direction. 32. The method according to claim 20, further comprising controlling the processing of said cartridge system by micro-switches detecting a presence or non-presence of said cartridge system to be processed, and further detecting movements of said at least one screwing head relative to said surface of said cartridge system. 33. The method according to claim 20, further comprising controlling rotational speeds, horizontal or vertical velocities, and error detection by software via a controller. 34. The method according to claim 20, further comprising providing a decapping system which comprises a lid container, said lid container having a transparent front and using a lighting system arranged within said lid container to indicate operability of said decapping system. 35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the position of said lid container corresponds to an unscrewing position of said lids from said cartridge system by said at least one screwing head.