Patent ID: 8800249

Claim:
A gripping device for gripping a vial, comprising: a pair of arms between which the vial is held; and a neck holder located a predetermined distance above upper surfaces of said pair of arms, wherein: the pair of arms grips a body of the vial, and the neck holder holds at least a part of a neck portion of the vial to prevent the vial from falling through said pair of arms, said neck holder comprises an upward-facing surface that extends in a horizontal direction and engages with a bottom surface of a flange provided in the neck portion of the vial so that the vial is prevented from falling through said pair of arms while the pair of arms are holding the vial upright, and wherein: the neck holder further comprises an oblique portion connected to a front end of said upward-facing surface, wherein a width of the oblique portion increases gradually from a front-end to a rear-end of said oblique portion, and wherein the oblique portion is sloping upward as it extends from the front-end to the rear-end of said oblique portion.