US 12,337,327 B2
Locking mechanism for releasably locking a receptacle carrier to a carrier support
David A. Buse, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by Gen-Probe Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/401,088.
Application 18/401,088 is a continuation of application No. 18/055,385, filed on Nov. 14, 2022, abandoned.
Application 18/055,385 is a continuation of application No. 16/811,772, filed on Mar. 6, 2020, granted, now 11,511,283, issued on Nov. 29, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/815,184, filed on Mar. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0131521 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. B66F 9/07 (2006.01); B01L 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 9/56 (2019.08) [B66F 9/072 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A carrier support for holding a carrier, wherein the carrier is configured to hold a plurality of receptacles, wherein the carrier support is configured to be moveable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the carrier support comprises a carrier locking mechanism configured to lock the carrier with respect to the carrier support when the carrier support is moved to the second position and to release the carrier when the carrier support is moved to the first position to permit the carrier to be moved with respect to the carrier support when the carrier support is in the first position, wherein the carrier locking mechanism comprises:
a pivoting latch configured to pivot with respect to the carrier support between a first position not engaged with a portion of the carrier and a second position engaged with a portion of the carrier, wherein the pivoting latch includes an upper end that engages a portion of a carrier on the carrier support when the carrier support is in the second position and the pivoting latch is in the second position and a lower end that contacts a hard stop when the carrier support is moved from the second position thereof to the first position thereof, thus causing the pivoting latch to rotate from the second position to the first position, thereby disengaging the upper end from the carrier supported on the carrier support; and
a slide latch configured to translate linearly with respect to the carrier support between a first position not engaged with a portion of the carrier and a second position engaged with a portion of the carrier, wherein the slide latch engages a portion of a carrier on the carrier support when the carrier support is in the second position and the slide latch is in the second position, and the slide latch contacts a hard stop that pushes the slide latch into the first position when the carrier support is moved from the second position thereof to the first position thereof, thereby disengaging the slide latch from the carrier supported on the carrier support.