The following description relates to laboratory devices, and more specifically, to a laboratory device configured to be positioned in a plurality of orientations and operable to support at least one item.
In education, science, art, engineering, and medical fields, various users (i.e., scientists, researchers, technicians, doctors, other care providers, engineers, artists, teachers, assistants, students, observers, etc.) employ a wide variety of items while conducting varied tasks such as, but not limited to, sample acquisition, sample examination, sample measurement, or sample transfer. For example, a sample (or portion of a sample) is often weighed, measured, visually inspected, counted, transferred from one container to another, divided between containers or a portion transferred/moved to a new container, or returned to the original container. In other examples, laboratory tools, art tools or other types of tools in various settings (e.g., gardening, industrial, painting, sculpture, crafting, construction, food preparation and consumption, etc.), may be used for multiple applications.
Conventional tools to observe a sample typically include multiple tools to hold, measure, and/or observe the sample. Such tools may also prevent the sample and/or other tools from contacting a surface, such as a table surface or a bench surface. Conventional tools may also prevent objects or tools used in other applications (e.g., gardening, industrial, painting, sculpture, crafting, construction, etc.) from contacting the surface or may hold another tool or object in a location. Such conventional tools may be flimsy in nature and may lead to a loss of a sample and/or difficulty in obtaining and handling the sample, tool or object. Other tools may be too rigid, heavy, and/or difficult to maneuver. Further, tools used in other applications may be damaged or misplaced during use.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a device that does not suffer from the aforementioned deficiencies, that is operable to support or hold at least one item, such as a sample or a tool, and is easy to use, lightweight, malleable, and supportive.
Implementations described and claimed herein address the foregoing problems by providing a laboratory device positionable in multiple orientations to support or hold at least one item.
Disclosed herein is a laboratory device. The device may include a body extending about and defining an opening. The device may include a first support defined by the body. The first support may be configured to contact a surface when the device is in a first orientation. The first support may include at least one trough. The at least one trough may contact the surface when the device is in the first orientation. The device may include a second support defined by the body. The second support may be coupled to the first support. The second support may be configured to contact the surface when the device is in a second orientation. The second orientation may be inverted from the first orientation. The device may include at least one wing forming the second support. The at least one wing may have a support surface contacting the surface when the device is in the second orientation. At least one of the first support or the second support may be malleable.
Also disclosed herein is another laboratory device. The device may include a body extending about and defining an opening. The device may include a first support defined by the body. The first support may define a first plane configured to contact a surface in a first orientation of a plurality of orientations. The device may include a first trough opposing a second trough. Each of the first trough and the second trough may be disposed on the first plane. The device may include at least one crest disposed adjacent to at least one trough. The device may include a second support defined by the body. The second support may be coupled to the first support. The second support may define a second plane configured to contact the surface in a second orientation of the plurality of orientations. The device may include a first wing opposing a second wing. The device may include a first support surface of the second support defined by the first wing. The device may include a second support surface of the second support defined by the second wing. The first support surface and the second support surface may each be disposed on the second plane. At least one of the first support or the second support may be malleable.
Also disclosed herein is yet another laboratory device. The device may include a body extending about and defining an opening. At least a portion of the body may be malleable into a customized position selected from a plurality of positions. The device may include a cradle defined by the body. The cradle may be configured to receive and hold at least one item with the body arranged in the customized position and a customized orientation selected from a plurality of orientations. The device may include a first support defined by the body. The first support may have a first plane. The first plane may contact a surface when the body is in a first orientation. The device may include a second support coupled to the first support. The second support may have a second plane contacting the surface when the body is in a second orientation. The second orientation may be inverted from the first orientation.
It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the embodiments of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The figures and written description are provided to teach any person skilled in the art to make and use the presently disclosed technology. The presently disclosed technology is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Persons of skill in the art will appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment incorporating aspects of the presently disclosed technology will require numerous implementations—specific decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goal for the commercial embodiment. While these efforts may be complex and time-consuming, these efforts, nevertheless, would be a routine undertaking for those of skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
Further, as the presently disclosed technology is susceptible to embodiments of many different forms, it is intended that the present disclosure be considered as an example of the principles of the presently disclosed technology and not intended to limit the presently disclosed technology to the specific embodiments shown and described. Any one of the features of the presently disclosed technology may be used separately or in combination with any other feature. References to the terms “embodiment,” “embodiments,” and/or the like in the description mean that the feature and/or features being referred to are included in, at least, one aspect of the description. Separate references to the terms “embodiment,” “embodiments,” and/or the like in the description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, process, step, action, or the like described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the presently disclosed technology may include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. Additionally, all aspects of the present disclosure, as described herein, are not essential for its practice. Likewise, other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the presently disclosed technology will be, or become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the figures and the description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present inventive concept, and be encompassed by the claims.
Turning to
As shown in
The first support 104 may include various surfaces and/or structures to stabilize, support, hold, or center a base of the item 112. In some examples, as shown in
For example,
Each of the first, second, and third v-supports described above may open at varying angles, may be positioned off of the centerline of the first support 104, may be positioned on the centerline of the first support 104, and/or may have varying thicknesses.
Turning to
Further shown in
In some variations, the material of the device may resist deformation elastically when stress is applied. In some instances, the material of the device may have a modulus of elasticity between 50 and 100 Giga Pascals (GPa). In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 50 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 60 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 70 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 80 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 90 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or less than 100 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or less than 90 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or less than 80 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or less than 70 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or less than 60 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may have a modulus of elasticity between 0.01 and 5 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 0.01 GPa. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 5 GPa.
In some instances, the material of the device may have a specific modulus between 20 and 30 E/ρ. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 20 E/ρ. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 30 E/ρ. In some instances, the material of the device may have a specific modulus between 0.01 and 2 E/ρ. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 0.01 E/ρ. In some instances, the material of the device may be equal to or greater than 2 E/ρ.
In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.001″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.002″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.003″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.004″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.005″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.006″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.007″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.008″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.009″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.010″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.011″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.012″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.013″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.014″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.015″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.016″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.017″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.018″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.019″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness between 0.002″ and 0.008″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness between 0.01″ and 0.1″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.01″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or greater than 0.1″.
In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.020″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.019″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.018″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.017″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.016″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.015″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.014″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.013″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.012″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.011″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.010″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.009″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.008″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.007. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.006″. In some variations, the device may have a mean thickness equal to or less than 0.005″.
The device 300 includes a body 302 extending about and defining an opening 320. The body 302 may include a gap or may be extend entirely around the opening 320. The body 302 may have an outer perimeter 322 that is rectangular shaped with rounded corners, though the outer perimeter 322 may have sharp corners and/or edges and may be any shape (i.e., square, polygon, polygon-like, starred, oval, circular, etc.).
The opening 320 may define an inner perimeter 334 that may be rectangular shaped, though in other examples the inner perimeter 334 may be any shape including, but not limited to, a square, polygon, polygon-like, oval, circle, ellipsoid, or the like. In other examples, the perimeter 334 may have a pair of elongated edges that are parallel to each other and extend to at least one transitional section. In the illustrated example, transitional sections 336a, 336b may each be angled, straight, or curved and may each further include a cut-out feature 338a, 338b, though the transitional sections 336a, 336b may include none, one, two, or more than two cut-features. The cut-out features 338a, 338b may be one or more semi-circular divots and may be any shape such as, but not limited to, a circular, oval, square, polygon, polygon-like, or rectangular, or triangular, or a slice. The transitional sections 336a, 336b and the cut-out features 338a, 338b may support and/or stabilize an item.
The body 302 may also define a cradle 308 operable to receive and hold at least one item when the body 300 is arranged in a first position or a customized position of a plurality of positions. The first position may be a position of the device 300 after the device has been manufactured (e.g., as sold). In other words, the device may start with a wide opening as originally formed but the user may squeeze the sides together or pull the sides apart to form a different position. The cradle 308 may be arranged in any number of positions when the device 300 is in any number of orientations. For example, the cradle 308 may be malleable from a first customized position to a second customized position, where the cradle 308 may be in a pinched position in the first customized position and the cradle 308 may be in an un-pinched position in the second customized position. In some examples, the device 300 may have a first distance between a pair of second supports when the cradle 308 is in the first customized position and a second distance between the pair of second supports when the cradle 308 is in the second customized position. The first distance may be different from the second distance in some examples.
The body 302 may also have a first surface 330 and a second surface 332. Each of the first surface 330 and the second surface 332 may contact a surface or an item at different orientations or different positions. For example, the first surface 330 may contact a surface when the device 300 is in one of a set of orientations or the second surface 332 may contact a surface when the device 300 is in another of the set of orientations.
The body 302 may have at least one first support and at least one second support. An angle between the at least one first support and the at least one second support may be between 25° and 160°. In the illustrated example, the body 302 includes opposing first supports 304a, 304b and opposing second supports 306a, 306b. The first supports 304a, 304b may be configured to contact a surface when the device 300 is in the first orientation of the plurality of orientations, as shown in
It is foreseen that in other examples not illustrated, at least one first support may not have any crests and may be flat, undulating, wavy, or any other shape or pattern. It is also foreseen that each of the at least one first support may also include a wing. It is further foreseen that at least one second support may not include a wing and may include at least one trough and/or at least one crest.
Various features of the device 300 are shown in
The device 400 includes a body 402 extending about and defining an opening 420. The body 402 may extend entirely around the opening 420. The body 402 may also define a cradle 408 operable to receive and hold at least one item when the body 400 is arranged in a first position or a customized position of a plurality of positions. The first position may be a position of the device 400 after manufacturing (e.g., as sold). The cradle 408 may be arranged in any number of positions when the device 400 in any number of orientations.
The body 402 defines a first support 404 and a second support 406. An angle between the second support 406 and the first support 404 may be between 25° and 160°. The first support 404 may be configured to contact a surface when the device 400 is in a first orientation of a plurality of orientations. At least one trough 414 may form the first support 404 and may contact the surface when the device 400 is in the first orientation. The at least one trough 414 may have an open angle between 50° and 140°. At least one crest 416 adjacent to the at least one trough 414 may also form the first support 404. The at least one trough 414 and the at least one crest 416 enables the first support 404 to compress or expand in length or change an angle with the second support 406, when at least the first support 404 is formed from a malleable material. The second support 406 may include a bar 417. The bar 417 may have a support surface 428 that contacts a surface when the device 400 is in the second orientation.
It is foreseen, though not illustrated, that the first support and/or the second support may not have any crests and/or wings. In some examples, the first support and/or the second support may be flat, undulating, wavy, or any other shape or pattern. It is also foreseen that the first support and/or the second support may have one or more crests and one or more troughs or a wing.
The body 502 includes an outer perimeter 522 having a generally rectangular shape, though the outer perimeter 522 may have any shape such as, but not limited to, a square, polygon, polygon-like, circle, oval, ellipsoid, or the like. The outer perimeter 522 may have sharp, angled, or rounded corners. The body 502 also includes an inner perimeter 534 defined by the opening 520. The inner perimeter 534 generally includes a rectangular shape with rounded corners, though the inner perimeter 534 may have any shape such as, but not limited to, a square, polygon, polygon-like, circle, oval, ellipsoid, or the like. Further, the inner perimeter 534 may have sharp or angled corners.
The body 502 may also define a cradle 508 operable to receive and hold at least one item 512 (shown in
A system of devices as described in any of the previous embodiments may include one, two, or more than two devices. Multiple devices may support items of various sizes and/or shapes. Further, two or more devices may be stacked to save space or they may be stacked to increase strength. The devices may further be capable of being recycled, autoclaved, and/or sterilized.
The devices as described in the present disclosure advantageously provide support to at least one item that may be various sizes. The devices may be resilient and malleable to different orientations and/or positions to beneficially provide support for any item on any surface. The devices are further lightweight, reusable, strong, and cost-effective to produce and purchase. As such, the devices provide support for items of varying sizes and shapes in a multitude of settings and industries.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to various implementations, it will be understood that these implementations are illustrative and that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to them. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. More generally, implementations in accordance with the present disclosure have been described in the context of particular implementations. Functionality may be separated or combined in blocks differently in various implementations of the disclosure or described with different terminology. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims that follow.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3085776 | Mycock | Apr 1963 | A |
3199684 | Bradley | Aug 1965 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210245163 A1 | Aug 2021 | US |