US 12,216,135 B2
Receptacle delivery system
Rolf Silbert, Del Mar, CA (US); HongRan Peng, San Diego, CA (US); David Aaron Buse, San Diego, CA (US); and David H. Combs, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/489,516.
Application 18/489,516 is a continuation of application No. 17/608,745, previously published as PCT/US2020/030481, filed on Apr. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/951,019, filed on Dec. 20, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/842,585, filed on May 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0044928 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 35/04 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01L 9/06 (2006.01); B65G 43/08 (2006.01); B65G 47/90 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/04 (2013.01) [B01L 3/5453 (2013.01); B01L 9/06 (2013.01); B65G 43/08 (2013.01); B65G 47/902 (2013.01); G01N 35/00584 (2013.01); G01N 35/0099 (2013.01); G01N 35/1079 (2013.01); B01L 2300/021 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0235 (2013.01); B65G 2203/044 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00752 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0406 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0494 (2013.01); G01N 2035/103 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A receptacle delivery system, comprising:
a rail extending between a first location and a second location of an instrument;
and
a carriage configured to move on the rail between the first location and the second location of the instrument, the carriage comprising:
a bracket having opposed first and second sidewalls and a base extending between the first and second sidewalls, wherein the carriage is configured to support a receptacle;
a pair of opposed support pads, wherein the pair of support pads are configured to (a) move toward a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the first location toward the second location, and (b) move away from a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the second location toward the first location; and
a pair of meshed cam gears rotatably coupled to the first sidewall, wherein each cam gear of the pair of meshed cam gears is coupled to a different support pad of the pair of support pads.