LATCH SYSTEM AND MODIFIED BLADE DESIGN FOR THICK STOPPER-CLOSED CONTAINER SAMPLING PIERCING STATION

摘要

A piercing station for piercing sample container caps (9)or thick stoppers is provided. The cap piercing station utilizes a piercing blade (100) having a generally Z-shaped cross-section, a carriage assembly (2) for moving the blade (100) to pierce a cap of a container, an alignment block assembly (8) for preventing the container from being lifted up by friction with the blade (100) when the blade (100) is being withdrawn from a pierced cap (9), and a latch assembly (12) for latching the alignment block assembly (8) when the blade (100) is being withdrawn.