John F Boje

US Patent:

59968184, Dec 7, 1999

Filed:

Nov 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/198638

Inventors:

John F. Boje - Omaha NE
Samuel R. Brown - Bellevue NE
J. Michael Seaton - Omaha NE

Assignee:

Lab-Interlink, Inc. - Omaha NE

International Classification:

A47F 700

US Classification:

211 74

Abstract:

A specimen tube storage rack includes a hollow housing having a plurality of wells formed in the top wall and extending into the interior of the housing. An assembly of three parallel plates is mounted in an upper portion of the housing, with the top plate forming the top wall of the housing. Each plate has a plurality of openings formed therein which are vertically coaxial to form the wells. A pair of sheets of resilient flexible material are compressed between pairs of plates, and include a plurality of apertures coaxial with the openings in the plates. The apertures in the sheets have cuts extending radially outwardly into the sheet, to form flaps surrounding each aperture. The compression of each sheet between a pair of plates urges the flaps to a generally coplanar position. The apertures in the sheets are smaller in diameter than the openings in the plates, and smaller in diameter than the test tubes inserted into the wells, such that the flaps will be bent downwardly as the test tubes are inserted in each well. The urging of the flaps to a coplanar position thereby exerts a biasing force on the test tubes to center and plumb the test tubes, and to apply a restraining force against removal of the test tubes from the wells.

US Patent:

60684372, May 30, 2000

Filed:

Nov 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/198636

Inventors:

John F. Boje - Omaha NE
Samuel R. Brown - Bellevue NE
Rodney S. Markin - Omaha NE

Assignee:

Lab-Interlink - Omaha NE

International Classification:

B65G 1127
B65G 1137
B01L 906

US Classification:

41433102

Abstract:

A laboratory organizer unit includes an enclosed housing with a storage area containing a plurality of racks for storing specimen containers, the racks movable throughout the storage area to permit access to all of the racks from an opening in the upper end of the storage area. A robotic transfer apparatus is operable to insert and retrieve specimen containers from selected racks in the storage area and move them between the storage area and a buffer area on the housing, as well as between the buffer area and a conveyor located adjacent the housing. The conveyor is of a type which transports specimen carriers having a specimen container therein, and the buffer area includes a rack for intermediate storage of specimen containers. The buffer area thereby permits the transfer apparatus to retrieve and load specimen containers on specimen carriers on the conveyor, while awaiting an appropriate rack to move into position in the storage area.

Address:

15206 Brookside Cir, Omaha, NE 68144

VIN:

JTDKN3DUXA0145668

Make:

TOYOTA

Model:

PRIUS

Year:

2010