U.S. patent application number 12/554796 was filed with the patent office on 2010-03-11 for container rack with locking member.
Invention is credited to Francis Gomes, David Landsberger, Mort Milden.
Application Number | 20100059461 12/554796 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41797528 |
Filed Date | 2010-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100059461 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Landsberger; David ; et
al. |
March 11, 2010 |
CONTAINER RACK WITH LOCKING MEMBER
Abstract
A container rack with a locking member configured to hold one or
more containers in a secure, transportable, and closed fashion. The
rack includes a platform having a plurality of slots sized and
shaped to accept containers of various sizes, with each slot having
at least one locking member associated with it to form a locking
groove. The locking member and platform form the locking groove
which is adapted to secure a container in the rack in an upright
and stable position. Advantageously, when containers having lids
are in the locked position within the rack, the locking member
makes contact with the lid to keep the lid in its closed
position.
Inventors: |
Landsberger; David;
(Caldwell, NJ) ; Gomes; Francis; (Lincoln Park,
NJ) ; Milden; Mort; (West Orange, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PATENT DOCKET ADMINISTRATOR;LOWENSTEIN SANDLER PC
65 LIVINGSTON AVENUE
ROSELAND
NJ
07068
US
|
Family ID: |
41797528 |
Appl. No.: |
12/554796 |
Filed: |
September 4, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61094505 |
Sep 5, 2008 |
|
|
|
61097410 |
Sep 16, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
211/84 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01L 2300/0829 20130101;
B01L 2200/0689 20130101; B01L 2300/045 20130101; B01L 2200/023
20130101; B01L 9/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/84 |
International
Class: |
A47F 7/28 20060101
A47F007/28 |
Claims
1. A container rack comprising: a platform comprising one or more
slots configured to accept one or more containers in an unlocked
position; and one or more locking members extending from the
platform, each locking member positioned relative to the one or
more slots to form a locking groove, wherein movement of an
unlocked container into engagement with in the locking groove
transitions the container into a locked position.
2. The container rack of claim 1, wherein the one or more slots are
configured to accept containers of varying sizes and shapes which
are capable of being placed in the locked position.
3. The container rack of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking
members are configured to provide a downward force against a lid of
a container in the locked position.
4. The container rack of claim 1, wherein a container in the locked
position is maintained in a substantially upright position.
6. The container rack of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more
slots has a width which is less than the diameter of a container
lid, such that the lid contacts the platform when in the unlocked
and locked positions.
7. The container rack of claim 1, further comprising one or more
legs having a greater length than the one or more containers the
rack is adapted to hold.
8. The container rack of claim 1, wherein in the unlocked position
the loaded container does not frictionally engage the locking
member.
9. The container rack of claim 1, further comprising a handle
facilitating transport of the rack.
10. The container rack of claim 1, wherein the locking member is
configured to contact a top portion of a container in the locked
position.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent
Application No. 61/094,505, titled "Container Rack With Locking
Member", filed on Sep. 5, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety. The present application also
claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 61/097,410,
titled "Container Rack With Locking Member", filed on Sep. 16,
2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to an accessory
appurtenant to containers, and, more particularly, to a rack for
housing and securing one or more containers, such as, for example,
test tubes or vials commonly used in a laboratory environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Conventional laboratory settings include many different
types of containers to hold various types of materials, including
in some instances, hazardous materials. Said containers typically
include a lid for sealing contents of the container in when the lid
is in its closed position. Furthermore, a rack is often employed to
provide a stable housing for a plurality of containers.
[0004] In many cases, there is a need to ensure that the containers
loaded in a rack remain securely closed when held by the rack. This
is of particular concern when the rack is at least partially
submerged and/or immersed in a liquid bath. In such cases, the
liquid bath, particularly those having an elevated temperature, may
produce a force which acts on the container and/or the contents of
the container such that the lid covering the main access port of
the container is forced open. However, existing racks designed for
introduction into a liquid bath provide no means to keep the lids
of containers closed.
[0005] In addition, existing racks include slots that are precisely
sized and shaped to match the size and shape of a particular
container so that the slot and container are frictionally engaged
with one another when the container is pushed into the slot.
Because the slots must be dimensioned precisely to correspond to a
particularly sized container to achieve the necessary frictional
engagement, conventional racks are suited to fit containers of only
one size. In this regard, containers of differing sizes and shapes
can not be maintained on a single prior art rack having uniformly
dimensioned slots. Furthermore, these frictional-fit racks secure
the container using only a frictional force operating on the side
of the container, and do not in any way secure the lid of the
container in place.
[0006] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a rack configured
to securely maintain containers such that the lids of the
containers are kept closed and wherein the rack may be used to
secure containers of varying sizes and/or shapes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The above-described problems are addressed and a technical
solution is achieved in the art by a rack configured to hold one or
more containers, such as, for example, one or more vials or test
tubes. Advantageously, the rack may be loaded with the one or more
containers that include lids, such that the container lids are
maintained in a closed position. In addition, the rack includes
`universal` slots configured to accept containers of varying sizes
and shapes. One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
that a rack according to embodiments of the present invention may
be used in connection with containers that do not include lids.
[0008] According to an embodiment of the invention, the rack
includes a platform comprising one or more slots, wherein each slot
is configured to accept one or more containers during the loading
of the container(s). One or more locking members extend from the
platform and are positioned relative the slots to form a locking
groove. In operation, the container may be moved into position into
the locking groove formed by the one or more locking members such
that the container is securely held in place. In this `locked
position`, the one or more locking members are in communication
with at least a portion of the container lid to provide a downward
force against the lid, to offset any counter-force acting to lift
the lid (e.g., a pressure caused by exposure of the container to a
liquid bath, particularly a liquid bath having an elevated
temperature).
[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
rack provides for a safe and efficient way to load and secure
containers thereon. The rack both securely fastens the loaded
containers in place within the rack and securely maintains the lid
of the container in a closed position, thereby preventing
contaminants from entering the container. Furthermore, the rack
according to the present invention advantageously locks the one or
more containers in a substantially upright position, thereby
enabling a user to safely and easily handle and/or transport the
one or more containers.
[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
rack comprises slots or openings for the containers that are not
sized and shaped for a frictional engagement with the container.
Therefore the rack is adapted to accept and securely fit containers
of varying sizes and shapes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The present invention will be more readily understood from
the detailed description of exemplary embodiments presented below
considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, of which:
[0012] FIG. 1A illustrates a rack including a plurality of
containers loaded thereon, according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0013] FIG. 1B illustrates an exploded view representation of a
portion of a rack having a container in a locked position,
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 1C illustrates an exemplary locking groove, according
to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a rack including a plurality of
containers loaded thereon, according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary submersible rack being
loaded into a tub, according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary submersible rack as loaded
into a tub, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary rack loaded into a tub
including a flange adapted to engage with the platform of the rack
to secure the rack within the tub, according to an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0019] It is to be understood that the attached drawings are for
purposes of illustrating the concepts of the invention and may not
be to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The present invention relates to a rack configured to
securely hold one or more containers loaded onto the rack. The
entire rack is designed to be transported, such that the loaded
containers are maintained in a safe and secure manner. Although the
device of the present invention functions both as a carrier (i.e.,
a transportable unit) and a rack (i.e., a unit adapted to be
maintained in a stationary position) the term "rack" will be used
herein to represent both terms.
[0021] FIGS. 1A, 2A, 2B, 3, 4 and 5 each depict an exemplary rack 1
according to the present invention. According to an embodiment of
the present invention, the rack 1 comprises a platform 10, one or
more slots 15, and one or more locking members 20 associated with
each slot 15. One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
that the rack 1 may be configured to include any number slots and
that each slot 15 may be configured to accept and hold more than
one container 5. In addition, the rack 1 may be configured to hold
and secure any number of containers 5.
[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
slots 15 are configured to allow a portion of a container 5 to pass
therethrough during the loading of the container 5 onto or into the
rack 1. During loading, the container 5 is in an `unlocked
position,` such that the container 5 passes through the slot 15 and
is loosely held within the slot 15 by contact between a top portion
of the container 5 and the platform 10. The slot 15 is sized and
shaped to permit the container 5 to be moved within the slot 15
from the unlocked position to a `locked position,` as described in
detail below. Advantageously, according to an embodiment of the
present invention, at least a portion of the slot 15 is sized and
shaped such that it does not securely fit the container 5 when the
container 5 is in the unlocked position. In this regard, the
container 5 is not frictionally engaged when initially loaded,
thereby allowing containers 5 of various sizes and shapes to be
loaded into the slot 15. The slot 15 may be any size and/or shape,
including, but not limited to the exemplary oblong shape shown in
FIGS. 1-5. According to an embodiment of the present invention, at
least a portion of the slot 15 has a diameter which is less than
the diameter of the container lid, such that the lid contacts the
platform 10 when in the unlocked and locked positions.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at
least one locking member 20 is associated with each slot 15 to form
a locking groove 25, as shown in FIG. 1B (illustrating a container
in the locked position) and 1C (illustrating a locking groove with
no container loaded therein). One having ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate that although two locking members 20A, 20B are
associated with each slot 15 in FIGS. 1B and 1C, any number of
locking members 20 may be used to cooperate with the slot 15 to
form the locking groove 25. For example, the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1B and 1C may be adapted to include a single locking member
20 configured to straddle the slot 15. The locking member 20 may be
any suitable shape or size such that it cooperates with the
platform 10 to form the locking groove 25 and is positioned to make
contact with the container lid when the container 5 is in the
locked position.
[0024] In operation, the container 5 is moved from the unlocked
position to the locked position by securely engaging the container
5 within the locking groove 25. When the container 5 is securely
engaged within the locking groove 25, the locking member 20 makes
contact with the container 5 to hold the container 5 in a stable,
substantially upright position against a portion of the platform
10, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2-5.
[0025] Advantageously, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 3, 4, and 5, the
locking member 20 provides a force against the lid of the container
5 when the container 5 is in the locked position. The force applied
by the locking member 20 to the lid of the container 5 is
particularly important when the rack 1 is at least partially
submerged in a liquid bath (e.g., a cold or hot liquid bath). In
such cases, the liquid bath may cause a change in pressure in the
contents of the container 5 which may act on the interior of the
container lid to force the lid upward and out of its closed
position. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
locking member 20 and slot 15 cooperate to form the locking groove
25 adapted to securely lock the container 5 in place in the rack 1.
In addition, the locking member 20 provides a force to the lid of
the container 5 to maintain the lid in a closed position. In
addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, the rack 1 may be configured to
retain containers which do not include lids. In this embodiment,
the locking member 20 is configured to contact a top portion of the
container 5 securely lock the container 5 in place in the rack
1.
[0026] Optionally, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 2B, the rack 1 may
comprise one or more legs 30 to enable the rack 1 to stand.
According to this embodiment, the one or more legs 30 have a
greater length than the containers 5 the rack 1 is adapted to hold,
to ensure that the containers 5 do not make contact with the
surface upon which the rack 1 is placed. According to another
option, the rack 1 may comprise a handle 40 to permit a user to
pick up the rack 1 to facilitate transporting of the rack 1.
[0027] Optionally, the rack 1 may be adapted for placement in a
liquid bath (i.e., a hot or a cold liquid) or other vat, a shown in
FIGS. 3 and 5. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the platform 10 may be
configured to engage with a flange extending around at least a
portion of the inner wall of a tub to hold the rack 1 in place in
the tub.
[0028] The rack 1 may be composed of any suitable material, such
as, for example, plastic, polypropylene, autoclavable
polypropylene, flexible rubbers, foam, or a combination
thereof.
[0029] One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
the container described herein may be composed of any suitable
material, and may include, but is not limited to, any conventional
container (i.e., a container with or without a lid), such as, for
example, a flask, beaker, cup, or other like holder typically used
in a laboratory environment. Furthermore, one having ordinary skill
in the art will appreciate that a container suitable for use with a
rack 1 according to embodiments of the present invention may
comprise any shaped bottom portion, including, for example, a
square, triangular, or rectangular bottom portion.
[0030] It is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments
presented herein are merely illustrative of the invention and that
many variations of the above-described embodiments may be devised
by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *