Login| Sign Up| Help| Contact|

Patent Searching and Data


Title:
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DESTACKING ARTICLES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2003034037
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
Method and apparatus for storing and dispensing articles, one at a time, from the bottom of a stack of like articles. The articles are yieldably supported in at least one upright stack above an outlet, e.g., a resilient choke, sized to pass the articles if forced therethrough. Articles are dispensed by pressing downwardly on the stack with sufficient force and for sufficient duration to overcome the yieldable supporting force and move the lowest article through the outlet. Sensors may be provided for sensing when an article is dispensed, when the tube is empty, and the type of article in the holder. The method and apparatus are especially useful in a vial-based automated system for processing multiple specimens of biological fluid, wherein a filter assembly must be dispensed into a filtration chamber associated with each specimen vial.

Inventors:
MAYER WILLIAM J (US)
WROBLEWSKI LUCIEN J (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2002/033462
Publication Date:
August 28, 2003
Filing Date:
October 21, 2002
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
MONOGEN INC (US)
MAYER WILLIAM J (US)
WROBLEWSKI LUCIEN J (US)
International Classes:
B01D61/18; B01D61/22; B01D63/08; B01D65/08; G01N1/00; B01F35/60; B01L3/00; B01L3/14; B01L9/00; B01L9/06; B65B7/16; B65B69/00; B67B7/18; C12M1/00; C12M1/12; C12M1/34; C12Q1/02; G01N1/02; G01N1/10; G01N1/28; G01N1/36; G01N33/483; G01N35/00; G01N35/02; G01N35/04; G01N27/22; G01N35/10; (IPC1-7): G01N1/28; B65G59/06; B65G47/06; G01N35/02
Domestic Patent References:
WO1999010723A11999-03-04
WO2002006143A12002-01-24
Foreign References:
EP0657215A11995-06-14
EP0710840A11996-05-08
US20010024832A12001-09-27
US5674454A1997-10-07
EP0627628A21994-12-07
US5305650A1994-04-26
EP1109022A12001-06-20
EP0417006A21991-03-13
Other References:
DATABASE WPI Section EI Week 198239, Derwent World Patents Index; Class U14, AN 1982-M7758E, XP002235665
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 007, no. 068 (M - 201) 19 March 1983 (1983-03-19)
Download PDF:
View/Download PDF      PDF Help



 
Previous Patent: AUTOMATED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING MULTIPLE LIQUID-BASED SPECIMENS

Next Patent: FLOW CONTROL METERING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING FILTRATION OF LIQUID-BASED SPECIMENS