Patent ID: 7820115

Claim:
A laboratory rack assembly comprising: an upper support portion, wherein the upper support portion comprises an upper rear wall and upper side walls extending forwardly from opposite ends of the upper rear wall, the upper rack module being removably connected to at least the upper side walls; an upper rack module connected to the upper support portion, the upper rack module being configured to receive at least one column; a lower support portion, wherein the lower support portion comprises a lower rear wall and lower side walls extending forwardly from opposite ends of the lower rear wall, the lower rack module being removably connected to at least the lower side walls; a lower rack module connected to the lower support portion, the lower rack module being configured to receive at least one receptacle tube; at least one of the rack modules being removably connected to at least one of the support portions; the upper and lower support portions being connected together for relative sliding movement; an upper side slot formed in each of the upper side walls and a lower side slot formed in each of the lower side walls such that the upper and lower side slots of adjacent upper and lower side walls are in overlapping relationship, and further comprising a fastener extending through a pair of overlapping side slots to thereby guide the relative sliding movement between the upper and lower support portions; and an adjustment mechanism operably associated with the upper and lower support portions for adjusting a position of one support portion with respect to the other support portion to thereby vary the distance between the upper and lower rack modules and to control the relative sliding movement between the upper and the lower support portions, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises an elongate gear connected to one of the upper and lower rear walls and a pinion rotatably connected to the other of the upper and lower rear walls for engaging the elongate gear such that rotation of the pinion causes linear movement of the elongate gear and thus linear sliding movement between the upper and lower support portions and said adjustment mechanism further comprises a hollow tube connected to the other of the upper and lower rear walls for receiving the elongate gear, the pinion being rotatably connected to the tube.