US 12,239,989 B2
Fluid container
David Buse, San Diego, CA (US); and Byron J. Knight, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/470,927.
Application 18/470,927 is a continuation of application No. 17/210,040, filed on Mar. 23, 2021, granted, now 11,794,189.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/994,552, filed on Mar. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0009672 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B65D 51/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/523 (2013.01) [B65D 51/002 (2013.01); B01L 2200/16 (2013.01); B01L 2300/044 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0858 (2013.01); B01L 2300/123 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A container comprising:
a top wall;
a fluid vessel depending from the top wall and extending from a top wall aperture formed in the top wall to a bottom end of the fluid vessel;
a skirt extending from a perimeter of the top wall, wherein the skirt surrounds and is spaced apart from the fluid vessel, and wherein the skirt has a flat bottom edge below a bottom end of the fluid vessel; and
gripping structures formed in the skirt and configured to enable an automated gripping mechanism to securely grip the container in a repeatable position and orientation with respect to container-gripping components of the gripping mechanism, wherein the gripping structures comprise first and second grooves formed in the skirt on opposite sides of the container, and wherein the grooves are oriented vertically when the container is in an upright orientation.