US 12,084,331 B2
Test tube capping and de-capping apparatus
Stig Christensen, Greve (DK); Lars Hovendahl, Hvalso (DK); and Michael Gabs Kaagaard Nielsen, Lejre (DK)
Assigned to Azenta US, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed by Azenta US, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed on May 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/663,184.
Application 17/663,184 is a continuation of application No. 16/286,118, filed on Feb. 26, 2019, granted, now 11,332,354.
Application 16/286,118 is a continuation of application No. 14/419,854, granted, now 10,214,404, issued on Feb. 26, 2019, previously published as PCT/EP2013/066365, filed on Aug. 5, 2013.
Claims priority of application No. PA 2012 00492 (DK), filed on Aug. 7, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2022/0274819 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B67B 3/20 (2006.01); B67B 3/26 (2006.01); B67B 7/18 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01); B65B 7/28 (2006.01); B67B 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC B67B 3/2066 (2013.01) [B67B 3/20 (2013.01); B67B 3/2073 (2013.01); B67B 3/268 (2013.01); B67B 7/182 (2013.01); G01N 35/04 (2013.01); B65B 7/2828 (2013.01); B65B 7/2835 (2013.01); B67B 1/06 (2013.01); B67B 7/18 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0405 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0418 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A capping and de-capping system comprising:
an array of capping and de-capping grippers coupled to a gripper attachment body and configured to cap and de-cap tubes in an array of tubes, each gripper configured to engage and retain a cap and having an axial throughgoing passage;
an array of ejector pins coupled to a pin attachment body, each ejector pin extending through the throughgoing passage of one of the grippers and configured to translate through the throughgoing passage to contact the cap retained by the gripper to eject the cap from the gripper;
an array of electromotors, each electromotor configured to induce a rotational movement to one of the grippers; and
a pin translation drive mechanism configured to translate the pin attachment body and the gripper attachment body relative to each other to effectuate translation of the ejector pins through the throughgoing passages of the grippers to cause the ejector pins to contact the caps retained by the grippers to eject the caps from the grippers.