Patent ID: 9371182
Filing Date: 2016-06-21
CPC Classification: B65G,G01N

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for archiving a plurality of specimens contained in specimen vessels particularly medical and/or biological specimens, said apparatus comprising: an archive room that is accessible via a lock for automated feeding-in and extraction of specimen vessels into and out of the archive room; a storage and restacking system for the specimen vessels disposed in the archive room, said system including a plurality of specimen trays, each specimen tray having a plurality of receptacles disposed on a receptacle area for receiving specimen vessels; stacking devices configured to engage the specimen trays; wherein the stacking devices are braces pointing upward from each of the trays, essentially vertically relative to the receptacle area, wherein in order to form a stack of specimen trays, a first one of the plurality of specimen trays is engaged with one or more braces extending vertically upward from the trays, thereby becoming a lower specimen tray in the stack, and a further specimen tray is positioned vertically above the lower specimen tray, thereby becoming an upper specimen tray in the stack; and the upper specimen tray is engaged with the one or more braces while maintaining a clearance relative to the receptacle area of the lower specimen tray; wherein a receiving space is provided in the storage and restacking system and at least a first stack and a second stack of specimen trays are disposed adjacent each other within the receiving space; wherein the lock is located laterally adjacent the first stack; and wherein the storage and restacking system further comprises: a lifting means for vertically lifting or lowering one or more of the plurality of specimen tray(s); and a transfer means for horizontal transfer of any selected specimen tray from the first stack to the second stack; or from the second stack to the first stack; or from the first stack to the lock or from the lock to the first stack; and wherein the transfer means includes: at least one guideway provided in the receiving space; a friction-reducing means disposed on each of the plurality of specimen trays; wherein the friction-reducing means are rolling means including a pair of first rollers provided proximate an upper end of each brace; said pair of first rollers having parallel axes of rotation and maintaining a clearance there-between, said first rollers being disposed aligned respectively at an equal distance relative to the receptacle area; and second rollers disposed proximate a bottom side of each of the plurality of specimen trays positioned and dimensioned such that these second rollers, upon placement of the upper specimen tray onto the lower specimen tray, come to rest on the first rollers disposed on the braces in order to a form the respective one of the first and second stacks; and wherein one of the second rollers of the upper specimen tray rests in the clearance between the rollers of a first roller pair on a respective one of the braces of the lower specimen tray and is securely held therein to prevent any horizontal movement of the upper specimen tray; and a means for moving a selected specimen tray resting on the at least one guideway by the friction-reducing member along the at least one guideway.