Patent ID: 9063103
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A conveyor for conveying a plurality of carriers, each carrier supporting single specimen containers in a laboratory automation system, said laboratory automation system containing analyzers, comprising: a main transport unit connected by connecting portions to spur transport units suitable to convey said carriers to sampling positions inside analyzers associated with one of said spur transport units, the spur transport units structurally separated from said analyzers, said main transport unit being provided with a main driving belt, each spur transport unit being provided with a going driven belt and a return driven belt disposed substantially parallel to each other, wherein each spur transport unit has different dimensions and each analyzer has a recess having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the spur transport unit associated with the analyzer, said connecting portions including an identifying device, a diverting device, a secondary belt disposed substantially parallel to said main driving belt, and a guide which ships carriers on the going driven belt of each spur transport unit not disposed parallel to said secondary belt, each spur transport unit allowing the positioning, by a blocking member actuated by the identifying device of the specimen container in the sampling position inside the analyzer, without removing the specimen container from a carrier, and each spur transport unit being provided with a reverse running device, including a friction disc interacting with said going driven belt and with said return driven belt to return the carriers supporting the analyzed containers back to the connecting portions and to the main transport driving belt.