Mechanism for generating an orbital motion or a rotation motion by inversing a drive direction of a drive unit

摘要

A mechanism for switching a sample holder (14, 40) accommodating a fluidic sample (38) between an orbital motion mode for sample mixing, particularly for shaking, and a rotary motion mode for sample separation, particularly for centrifuging, wherein the mechanism comprises a gear element (11) being drivable by a drive unit (42) to move selectively in a first direction (A) or in a second direction (B) being inverse to the first direction (A), an orbital motion generator (2 to 5) configured for generating an orbital motion of the sample holder (14, 40) when being operated in the orbital motion mode, a rotary motion generator (2, 4, 5) configured for generating a rotary motion of the sample holder (14, 40) when being operated in the rotary motion mode, and a one-way clutch arrangement (12, 13) configured for selectively coupling the gear element (11) with the orbital motion generator (2 to 5) to transfer a driving force from the gear element (11) to the orbital motion generator (2 to 5) for generating the orbital motion when the gear element (11) is driven in the first direction (A) and to freewheel when the gear element (11) is driven in the second direction (B) or coupling the gear element (11) with the rotary motion generator (2, 4, 5) to transfer a driving force from the gear element (11) to the rotary motion generator (2, 4, 5) for generating the rotary motion when the gear element (11) is driven in the second direction (B) and to freewheel when the gear element (11) is driven in the first direction (A).

主权项

1. A mechanism for switching a sample holder for accommodating a fluidic sample between an orbital motion mode for sample mixing and a rotary motion mode for sample separation, the mechanism comprising:
a gear element being drivable by a drive unit to move selectively in a first direction or in a second direction being inverse to the first direction; an orbital motion generator configured for generating an orbital motion of the sample holder when being operated in the orbital motion mode; a rotary motion generator configured for generating a rotary motion of the sample holder when being operated in the rotary motion mode; and a one-way clutch arrangement configured for selectively:
coupling the gear element with the orbital motion generator to transfer a driving force from the gear element to the orbital motion generator for generating the orbital motion when the gear element is driven in the first direction and to freewheel when the gear element is driven in the second direction; orcoupling the gear element with the rotary motion generator to transfer a driving force from the gear element to the rotary motion generator for generating the rotary motion when the gear element is driven in the second direction and to freewheel when the gear element is driven in the first direction.