DE102015006731A1 - Pipette tip packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a pipette tip package consisting of a base box (9) and stacked from this stacked rows (2) for receiving pipette tips having pipette carriers (1) and top of a cover (11), wherein the pipette carrier (1) for releasably connecting are formed with the base box (9) or the end cover (11) and are spaced from one another by means of enveloping aprons (8) interposed in the stacking direction. In order to enable a user-friendly pipette tip packaging with simple and variable processing of the pipette tips, it is proposed that each casing skirt (8) is made of a resilient plastic material and on its head end (12) facing the lower side of an upper pipette carrier (1) via first latching means (8). 6) is connected to the respective upper pipette carrier (1) and to the next pipette carrier (1) at its upper end of a next pipette carrier (1) via second latching means (17), the second latching means (17 ) for the removal of the respective upper pipette carrier (1) together with the first apron means (6) held tightly held wrapping apron (8) of the next following pipette carrier (1) are unlocked.

Description

The invention relates to a pipette tip package consisting of a base box and from these stacked rows of holes for receiving pipette tips having pipette carriers, and the top of a cover, wherein the pipette carriers are formed for releasable connection to the base box or the end cover and stacked in the direction of the cover aprons spaced apart from each other.

Pipette carriers are used to store and provide plastic pipette tips for use.

By the DE 10 2009 006 511 B4 For example, there has been disclosed a pipette tip carrier comprising a four-sided base frame and a cup-shaped plate having a plurality of holes for inserting pipette tips thereon, the plate being stiff enough to withstand the clamping force of a gripping tool engaging its edges resists and is held safe by this. In particular, in this case the handling of the carrier for pipette tips to be improved by a machine.

The carriers or plates for pipette tips are provided with a apron-shaped spacer, wherein the spacers, starting from the base frame, allow a stacking of a plurality of pipette tips filled with pipette tips or pipette carriers. The plates with the pipette tips are merely stacked loosely on top of each other by the spacers, d. H. not firmly or detachably connected. The stack is covered at the top by a removable end cover so that the pipette tips are protected from contamination

The invention has for its object to provide for a generic pipette tip packaging pipette, which allow in a simple and secure way on the one hand stacking and on the other hand successive destacking of the pipette carrier to store a pipette carrier in a system box for local removal of the pipette tips.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that each wrapping apron is made of an elastic plastic material and on its head end facing the lower side of an upper pipette carrier via first latching means with the respective upper pipette carrier and at its foot end facing the upper side of a next pipette carrier via second latching means is connected to the next following pipette carrier, wherein the second locking means for removing the respective upper pipette carrier can be unlocked from the next following pipette carrier together with the envelope apron held tensile strength of the first locking means. The thus interconnected via the first locking means unit of pipette carrier and wrapping apron can be locked via the second locking means with a subsequent unit consisting of pipette carrier and associated skirting apron, so that a secure and tensile in the vertical direction stack layer of several units of interconnected Pipet carriers and serving aprons is achieved.

The end cover is latched to the top unit pipette support to prevent contamination of the pipette tips

The units of pipette carrier and wrapping apron are stacked starting from the base box on top of each other and form a so-called stack pack, from which the pipette tips can be processed directly after loosening the end cap.

Once the top pipette support is emptied, this is lifted together with its wrapping apron by releasing the locking engagement of the second locking means between the skirt and the underlying pipette carrier, so that access to the pipette tips of the underlying pipette carrier is made possible.

A single pipette carrier together with a clasped wrapping apron can optionally be removed as a refill pack from the stack pack then serving as a supply unit for processing the pipette tips and converted into a system box. The execution of pipette tips from a refill pack is from the WO 00/51899 A1 basically known.

To implement the units of pipette carrier and wrapping apron from their stacked position in the lockable by a lid system box, in turn, the locking engagement of the second locking means between serving apron and subsequent pipette carrier is released and lifted in the top stack layer provided with the end cover unit and the system box placed. When placing the cover apron dips into the system box, wherein locking means of the attached to the pipette carrier end cover are solved by the contour of the system box. The end cap is then removed and latched onto the now uppermost pipet carrier of the stacked units remaining in the stack box of the base box for a next transfer step.

To either expose the pipette carrier in the stack pack or the removal of a unit from the stack pack as a refill, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the first locking means are designed as latching hooks spaced apart in the horizontal direction at two opposite pipette carrier sides below the outer Rows of holes adjacent edge portions of the pipette carrier are arranged projecting downwards, wherein the latching hooks are provided at their free, lower ends with the outer rows of the pipette carrier facing locking lugs, which engage in the transition region between a head-side edge region and the side walls of the shroud, provided complementary detent openings. When placing the pipette carrier on the wrapping apron, the locking lugs of the respectively arranged front and rear on the two longitudinal sides of the pipette carrier, preferably two spaced detent hooks in the complementary recesses of the shroud and then engage the locking lugs below the upper edge of the shroud into this , Thus, a secure both in the horizontal and in the vertical direction locking the pipette carrier is achieved on the wrapping apron.

This first latching connection between the pipette carrier and the casing apron can be released by a pulling movement of the latching hooks away from the casing skirt, so that the pipette carrier can be lifted off the wrapping apron. The detachable latching connection of pipette carrier and wrapping apron on the one hand allows easy replacement of the wrapping apron or the pipette carrier. On the other hand, a defined distance between pipette carrier and wrapping apron is achieved by the elongated latching hooks.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the second latching means are formed as latching tabs, which are integrally formed on two opposite side walls of the wrapping apron on the bottom end down and provided at their free ends facing away from the side walls, outwardly directed locking projections are, which engage in two opposite pipette carrier sides in the adjacent to the outer rows of holes edge portions of the pipette carrier, stepped recesses, wherein the recesses have a the outside of the edge region facing the front, dovetailed tapered portion which faces the rows of holes rear rectangular cutout passes. When placing the wrapping apron on a pipette carrier dive the locking tabs in the front, wide area of the dovetailed tapered recess in the edge region of the pipette carrier, wherein the outwardly directed locking projections engage under the edge region. Thus, a tensile locking connection between the shroud and a subsequent pipette carrier is achieved.

To release this second latching connection, the two opposite latching tabs or partially the side walls of the wrapping apron are pressed inwards from the outside with the fingers of one hand, which is readily possible due to the dimensions of the boxes or units in question here, whereby the elastic locking tabs are moved within the dovetail-like tapered portions in the rear rectangular cutout of the recesses, the detent protrusions free from the engaging cross-locking connection. When passing the waisted portion of the dovetailed tapered portion up to the rectangular cutout of the locking recess, the elastic locking tabs bulge or deform somewhat concave and take after immersion in the rectangular section again their original straight stretched position. With sustained pressure or finger pressure, the sheathing hook connected to an upper pipette carrier via the latching hooks can simply be lifted off the following pipette carrier, because the latching tabs with the latching projections have sufficient clearance in the rectangular cutouts. The lifting without maintaining the pressure, could also be ensured by the fact that the locking projection is less wide than the narrowest point at the end of the dovetailed portion of the recess.

Further features and details of the invention will become apparent from the claims and the following description of illustrated in the drawings embodiments of the invention. Show it:

1a . 1b a pipette carrier for receiving pipette tips in a perspective overall view ( 1a ) and seen from the bottom ( 1b );

2 in a perspective overall view of several stacked on a base box as a stack pack pipette carrier, which are connected by first locking means each with an interposed wrapping apron and wherein the wrapping aprons are latched via second locking means with a respective following pipette carrier;

3 as a detail a perspective top view of the in 2 dash-dot circled area, wherein here the locked position of the over the second locking means connected to a subsequent pipette carrier shroud is shown;

4 a sectional side view of 3 ;

5 a representation like in 3 while showing the unlocked position;

6 a sectional side view of 5 ; and

7 a system box for receiving a pipet carrier including a wrap apron.

The embodiment according to 1a shows a trained as a tray stiff, barred cup-shaped pipette carrier 1 which is to be included in the 5 and 6 indicated pipette tips 1a a row of holes 2 having ground 3 owns that of a collar-like circumferential edge 4 is surrounded. On the long sides 5 of the pipette carrier 1 are below the edge 4 spaced from each other two downwardly projecting latching hooks 6 molded, which at their free ends in the direction of the rows of holes 2 pointing latches 7 are formed (see this 1b ).

As in 2 shown are four pipet carriers 1 each with the interposition of a wrapping apron 8th spaced apart stacked into a stack pack, the lowest pipette carrier 1 from a base box 9 is recorded and the top pipette carrier 1 from one by a latching means 10 held end cap 11 is closed. The wrapping apron made of a resilient plastic material 8th points at her headboard 12 in the transition region between a head-end edge region 13 and their side walls fourteen latching openings 15 for receiving the locking hooks 6 or latching noses 7 of the pipette carrier 1 on.

When placing the pipette carrier 1 on the serving apron 8th dive the snap hooks 6 with their catch noses 7 into the detent openings 15 the serving apron 8th a, wherein the latching noses 7 the head-end edge area 13 then intervene. The pipette carrier 1 is thus captive on the wrapping apron 8th locked.

To release the locking connection between the pipette carrier 1 and serving apron 8th become the catch hooks 6 spread out by a pulling movement, causing the locking between the pipette carrier 1 and serving apron 8th is lifted and the pipette carrier 1 from the serving apron 8th can be lifted.

To connect the serving apron 8th with a subsequent or underlying pipette carrier 1 is the serving apron 8th in the area of its two side walls fourteen with over the foot 16 downwardly protruding locking tabs 17 formed, wherein the locking tabs 17 at their free ends with from the side wall fourteen facing away, outward locking projections 18 are provided (see this 4 and 6 ).

Complementary to this are in the circumferential edge 4 orthogonal to the long sides 5 of the pipette carrier 1 stepped recesses 19 provided a front, dovetailed tapered section 20 have, in a rear rectangular cutout 21 passes (see this 1b and 3 ).

When putting on the serving apron 8th on the next pipette carrier 1 dive the snap tabs 17 with their outward locking projections 18 from above in front, ie in the correspondingly wide region of the dovetailed tapered section 20 a, wherein the locking projections 18 after dipping the recesses 19 the surrounding edge 4 of the pipette carrier 1 grip, leaving the serving apron 8th tensile strength with the pipette carrier 1 is connected (see this 3 and 4 ).

To release the lock between the wrapper skirt 8th and pipet carriers 1 , the locking tabs 17 or the side walls fourteen in the area of the locking tabs 17 subjected to pressure from the outside, so that the locking tabs 17 with their latching projections 18 from its locking position within the dovetail tapered section 20 in the back rectangular cutout 21 to be moved. The elastic locking tabs bulge 17 when passing the dovetailed tapered section 20 that concludes with tabs 22 is narrowed until entry into the rectangular section 21 temporarily slightly concave and take after reaching the unlocked position within the rectangle cutout 21 her relaxed, stretched position again (see this 5 and 6 ).

On the one hand, the removal of the pipette tips 1a after loosening the locking handles 10 and lifting the end cover 11 directly from the stacked, successively processed pipette carriers 1 according to the stackpack 2 respectively. On the other hand, by releasing the locking connection of the locking tabs 17 in the stepped recesses 19 a over the locking hooks 6 with the serving apron 8th locked and with pipette tips 1a equipped pipette carrier 1 lifted as a unit or refill from the stack pack and along with the serving apron 8th in one with a cap 23 provided system box 24 be stored (see this 7 ), out of which the pipette tips 1a then be processed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

pipette carrier

1a

pipette tip

2

row of holes

3

ground

4

edge

5

long side

6

First latching means / latching hook

7

locking lug

8th

Serving apron

9

base box

10

latching

11

End cover

12

head

13

head-side edge area

14

Side wall

15

latching opening

16

foot

17

Second locking means / locking tab

18

catch projection

19

stepped recess

20

dovetailed section

21

rectangular cutout

22

head Start

23

cap

24

Systembox

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102009006511 B4 [0003]
• WO 00/51899 A1 [0010]

Claims (3)

Pipette tip packaging, consisting of a base box ( 9 ) and starting from these stacked rows of holes ( 2 ) for receiving pipette tips having pipette tips ( 1 ) and a top cover ( 11 ), whereby the pipette carriers ( 1 ) for detachable connection to the base box ( 9 ) or the end cover ( 11 ) are formed and over in the stacking direction interposed aprons ( 8th ) are spaced apart, characterized in that each wrapping apron ( 8th ) is made of a resilient plastic material and at its the lower side of an upper pipette carrier ( 1 ) facing headboard ( 12 ) via first latching means ( 6 ) tensile strength with the respective upper pipette carrier ( 1 ) and at the top of a next pipette carrier ( 1 ) facing foot end ( 16 ) via second latching means ( 17 ) with the next pipette carrier ( 1 ), wherein the second locking means ( 17 ) for removing the respective upper pipette carrier ( 1 ) together with that of the first latching means ( 6 ) tensile-resistant wrapping apron ( 8th ) from the next pipette carrier ( 1 ) are unlocked. Pipette tip package according to claim 1, characterized in that the first latching means as latching hooks ( 6 ) which are spaced apart in the horizontal direction on two opposite pipette carrier sides (FIG. 5 ) below to the outer rows of holes ( 2 ) adjacent edge areas ( 4 ) of the pipette carrier ( 1 ) are arranged projecting downwards, wherein the latching hooks ( 6 ) at their free, lower ends with the outer rows of holes ( 2 ) of the pipette carrier facing latching lugs ( 7 ), which in in the transition region between a head-side edge region ( 13 ) and the side walls ( fourteen ) the wrapping apron ( 8th ) provided, complementary latching openings ( 15 ) intervene. Pipette tip package according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second latching means as latching tabs ( 17 ) are formed on two opposite side walls ( fourteen ) the wrapping apron ( 8th ) over the foot ( 16 ) Be formed protruding downwards and at their free ends with from the side walls ( fourteen ) facing away, outwardly directed latching projections ( 18 ) provided in two opposite pipette carrier sides ( 5 ) in the outer rows of holes ( 2 ) adjacent edge areas ( 4 ) of the pipette carrier ( 1 ) formed, stepped recesses ( 19 ) Engage, wherein the latching recess ( 19 ) one of the outside of the edge region ( 4 ) facing the front, dovetailed tapered section ( 20 ), which in one of the rows of holes ( 2 ) facing rear rectangular cutout ( 21 ) passes over.

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