A hole plug includes a plug main body including a head portion, a leg portion, and a flange portion; and a meltable member annularly covering a periphery of an opening portion, disposed between the flange portion and a panel, and melting when heated to seal between the opening portion and the flange portion. The meltable member includes an annular convex portion at a periphery thereof, which annularly projects in a thickness direction of the meltable member, and abuts against a tip portion of the flange portion when the meltable member thermally shrinks in such a way as to reduce a diameter toward a center of the opening portion.

[Problem to be solved] A sample storage tube and an automation system for operating a sample storage tube are provided, which can operate a lid capping operation, a carrying operation and lid decapping operation by using a robot arm.

[Solution] A sample storage tube 100 comprises a tube body 120 and a lid 110. The lid 110 comprises a lid dent inner screw 112 accessible by a first lid access module 210 and a lid top recession and protrusion shape structure 113 accessible by a second lid access module. A capping operation and a carrying operation for the lid 110 against the tube body 120 is achieved by the rotation torque to the lid 110 given by the second lid access module via the lid top recession and protrusion shape structure 113. The pulling-up force by the rotation of the first lid access module via the lid dent inner screw 112 and the pushing-down force by the contacting of the second lid access module via the lid top recession and protrusion shape structure 113 at the same time, the lid is held firmly by pinching the both forces.

[Problem to be solved] A sample storage tube and an automation system for operating a sample storage tube are provided, which can operate a lid capping operation, a carrying operation and lid decapping operation by using a robot arm.

[Solution] A sample storage tube 100 comprises a tube body 120 and a lid 110. The lid 110 comprises a lid dent inner screw 112 accessible by a first lid access module 210 and a lid top recession and protrusion shape structure 113 accessible by a second lid access module. A capping operation and a carrying operation for the lid 110 against the tube body 120 is achieved by the rotation torque to the lid 110 given by the second lid access module via the lid top recession and protrusion shape structure 113. The pulling-up force by the rotation of the first lid access module via the lid dent inner screw 112 and the pushing-down force by the contacting of the second lid access module via the lid top recession and protrusion shape structure 113 at the same time, the lid is held firmly by pinching the both forces.

A bottle neck insert can include a cylindrical body having a first end and a second end, the cylindrical body having a plurality of rings; a flange provided at the first end, the flange protruding outwardly from the cylindrical body in a radial direction of the cylindrical body; and a valve section at the second end, the valve section having at least one slit, wherein the flange is configured to seat the insert onto a neck of a bottle and the valve section is configured to allow a pipette to pass through. A bottle storage system, can include a bottle having a neck with a smooth interior surface; an insert that is configured to fit inside the neck of the bottle; and a pipette assembly that is configured to proceed through the insert into the bottle.

A bottle neck insert can include a cylindrical body having a first end and a second end, the cylindrical body having a plurality of rings; a flange provided at the first end, the flange protruding outwardly from the cylindrical body in a radial direction of the cylindrical body; and a valve section at the second end, the valve section having at least one slit, wherein the flange is configured to seat the insert onto a neck of a bottle and the valve section is configured to allow a pipette to pass through. A bottle storage system, can include a bottle having a neck with a smooth interior surface; an insert that is configured to fit inside the neck of the bottle; and a pipette assembly that is configured to proceed through the insert into the bottle.

A system and method for automatic closure of sample vessels such as vessels with medical laboratory samples, having a plurality of identically shaped, stackable closure caps with a convex outer face and concave inner face that are stacked in a closure cap stack such that an upper closure cap in the stack bears with its convex outer face on the concave inner face of a lower closure cap lying immediately below in the stack. The system includes a closure gripper for gripping an uppermost closure cap from the stack, for transferring the gripped closure cap to the sample vessel to be closed, and for introducing the gripped closure cap into an opening of the sample vessel in order to tightly close the opening. The closure gripper has a centering piece insertable into a closure cap such that it bears on the concave inner face of the closure cap.

A system and method for automatic closure of sample vessels such as vessels with medical laboratory samples, having a plurality of identically shaped, stackable closure caps with a convex outer face and concave inner face that are stacked in a closure cap stack such that an upper closure cap in the stack bears with its convex outer face on the concave inner face of a lower closure cap lying immediately below in the stack. The system includes a closure gripper for gripping an uppermost closure cap from the stack, for transferring the gripped closure cap to the sample vessel to be closed, and for introducing the gripped closure cap into an opening of the sample vessel in order to tightly close the opening. The closure gripper has a centering piece insertable into a closure cap such that it bears on the concave inner face of the closure cap.

There is a closure 1, which is, in this case, shown as closing a mouth 2 of a bottle 3, wherein the bottle is made of glass and has an external outwardly extending integral collar 4 which extends fully around an outside of the neck of the bottle and is of a constant shape and size at any location around the periphery. The seal 5 is held under compression against an uppermost rim 6 of the bottle mouth 2 and surface 7, which is adapted to engage with compression force the seal 5. Upon extraction of portion 8 from within the mouth of the bottle, a popping sound is achieved by having the position of the seal somewhat below the mouth prior to extraction so that there will be upon extraction an evacuation of the headspace within the bottle.

A portable storage apparatus includes a housing, containing liquid and/or gas; and a spraying assembly including a spraying rod. The spraying rod includes a spraying inner rod and a spraying outer rod; the spraying inner rod is located inside the housing, the spraying outer rod is located outside the housing, the spraying outer rod has an opening, and the spraying assembly is mounted on the housing with the outer ejection rod protruding from the housing; whereby when pressure is applied to the spraying assembly, the spraying rod moves at least a predetermined distance towards the inside of the housing, causing the liquid and/or gas to be ejected from the spraying opening. By the adoption of the storage apparatus of the present application, a user may conveniently carry the liquid and/or the gas.

A portable storage apparatus includes a housing, containing liquid and/or gas; and a spraying assembly including a spraying rod. The spraying rod includes a spraying inner rod and a spraying outer rod; the spraying inner rod is located inside the housing, the spraying outer rod is located outside the housing, the spraying outer rod has an opening, and the spraying assembly is mounted on the housing with the outer ejection rod protruding from the housing; whereby when pressure is applied to the spraying assembly, the spraying rod moves at least a predetermined distance towards the inside of the housing, causing the liquid and/or gas to be ejected from the spraying opening. By the adoption of the storage apparatus of the present application, a user may conveniently carry the liquid and/or the gas.