Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Control element responsive to a sensed operating condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-12
2001-03-20
Soderquist, Arlen (Department: 1743)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Control element responsive to a sensed operating condition
C422S063000, C422S064000, C422S091000, C436S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203760
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic sampling device and, in particular, to a device that automatically transfers a sample container from a sample tray into and out of known laboratory analyzing equipment, for the examination of, for example, the heats of transformation of a sample.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to use differential scanning calorimeters (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) machines to conduct thermal analyses of selected samples in order to examine certain characteristics of the samples as a function of temperature. Sometimes it is necessary to carry out measurements on a large number of samples; therefore, it is desirable and known in the art to mechanize the manipulation of the specimens, which is commonly referred to as autosampling.
One autosampler is shown in U.S. Pat No. 5,398,556 to Lang. Lang discloses a device comprising a vertical gripper member and a rotatable specimen plate for holding a plurality of specimen containers. The specimen container is transferred to the measuring location in the parent machine (such as the DSC or TGA) by rotating the specimen plate so that the desired specimen container is positioned under the gripper. Then, the gripper, which is driven by a motor, is lowered and gripping fingers attached to a gripping member grip the specimen container. The container is then raised from the specimen plate by raising the gripping member. The specimen plated is then rotated until a recess in the specimen plate is located underneath the gripping member. Next, the gripping member is lowered through the recess in the specimen plate and places the specimen container at the measuring location, which is directly underneath the gripper. The specimen container is then deposited on the measuring location by releasing the gripper fingers.
The gripper taught by the Lang patent is driven by two different drive motors and a cam mechanism; it is particularly disadvantageous in that the gripping motion itself is driven by a motor. As such, the gripper device taught by the Lang '556 is rather complicated in that it has many moving parts and if the motor over- or under-drives the gripper, then an error could occur in the placement of the sample. The device is further undesirable because the sample tray table rotates. A user must wait until the end of the sample run before the sample tray table can be removed and reloaded with additional samples.
What is desired, therefore, is an autosampler which does not require many moving parts, has a gripper wherein the gripping action is not driven by a motor, has a fixed sample tray table and which has a sample tray table that may be at least partially reloaded while the parent machine is conducting an analysis of selected samples.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an autosampler which has a relatively few number of moving parts when compared to conventional autosamplers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an autosampler which eliminates the need for a drive motor to operate the gripping and releasing action of the gripping mechanism.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an autosampler which has a fixed sample tray table.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an autosampler which has a sample tray table which can be at least partially reloaded or unloaded while the parent machine is conducting an analysis of selected specimens.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an autosampler which can fit onto an existing cover of conventional parent machines with little or no retooling and which does not increase the footprint of the parent machine.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an autosampler which is extremely reliable, easy to use, lightweight, and cost-effective to manufacture and maintain.
To overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to achieve the objects and advantages listed above, an autosampler is disclosed which comprises: a ground plate; at least one specimen container tray removably fixed to the ground plate; and a specimen container manipulating device, positioned on top of the ground plate and adjacent to the specimen container tray.
The specimen container manipulating device comprises a gripper having an elongated gripper housing. A movable member, such as a spool, is positioned inside the gripper housing and is movable between an upper and a lower position. The spool has a plurality of grooves substantially equidistantly spaced from each other which extend along the outside of the spool; a rod is removably connected to the spool.
A plurality of gripping fingers protrudes from the distal end of the gripper and move between an open and closed position. Each gripping finger is positioned in a groove of the spool. In the closed position, the gripping fingers can grip, hold and transfer a specimen container; in the open position, the gripping fingers release the specimen container.
Shape memory metal is positioned inside the gripper housing and around the rod. When heat, such as voltage, is applied to the shape memory metal, it causes the temperature of the metal to rise; the metal then undergoes a phase transformation and shrinks or constricts. When the metal shrinks, it pulls up on the rod, raising the spool from the lower position to the upper position. When the spool moves to the upper position, it causes the gripping fingers to move from the closed position to an open position.
The autosampler may further comprise at least two specimen container trays, which are stationary while the gripper manipulates the specimen containers located thereon. Advantageously, while the gripper is manipulating containers on one tray, the operator may load or unload the other sample tray. This saves time because the operator does not have to wait until the autosampler is finished with all of the samples before loading additional samples or unloading spent samples.
The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5198066 (1993-03-01), Cederstrom
patent: 5235862 (1993-08-01), Harada
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SSC5200 Series—Comprehensive Brochure on Thermal Analysis Systems—Seiko Instruments, Inc., 4 of 16 pages, published by 1993.
Quaedackers Eric
Theunissen Peter
van der Plaats Gosse
Handy Dwayne K.
PerkinElmer Instruments LLC
Soderquist Arlen
St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens LLC
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