An automation system for use with in vitro diagnostics includes a track configured to provide one or more paths and a plurality of payload carriers having payload carrier types. One or more of the plurality of payload carrier types has a different payload carrier dimension in a direction of travel than another payload carrier type. The system includes a plurality of carriers configured to move along the track in the direction of travel. Each of the plurality of carriers has a substantially identical carrier dimension in the direction of travel and configured to hold any one of the plurality of payload carrier types. The system includes a controller configured to navigate the plurality of carriers along the track based on at least one of: (i) the substantially identical carrier dimension in the direction of travel; and (ii) one or more of the different payload carrier dimensions in the direction of travel.

A transmission and positioning mechanism includes a guiding assembly, a driving assembly and a positioning assembly. The guiding assembly includes two sliding rails, a transmission belt, a plurality of sliding members. The sliding members are slidably disposed on the sliding rails. The positioning assembly includes a transmission rod, a positioning rod connected to the transmission rod, a positioning block sleeved on the positioning rod, a driving rod sleeved on the transmission rod. The driving rod defines a spiral slots and at least one limiting slot. The driving assembly is connected to the positioning assembly and rotates the transmission rod, the positioning rod and the driving rod, the spiral slot engages one of the plurality of the sliding members to move other sliding members to the at least one limiting slot and the positioning blocks, and the at least one limiting slot and the positioning blocks latch the sliding members.

A conveying system for longitudinally transporting elongate items, including a circulating traction belt and a supporting structure for the circulating traction belt, wherein a plurality of supports are connected by means of at least one traction element to form the circulating traction belt, wherein each of the supports comprises an indentation for supporting the elongate item. Each of the supports is fastened at at least two spaced-apart fastening points to the at least one traction element and the circulating traction belt is mounted, at least in a conveying region of the conveying system, by rollers so as to be movable with respect to the supporting structure.

A conveyor for conveying products in a vertical direction comprises a frame and a drivable conveyor belt supported by the frame and following a helical track about a central centerline. The belt is provided with movable slats having upwardly directed support faces. Inner rollers and outer rollers are present at the lower side of the belt having inner axes and outer axes of rotation, respectively, which are angled with respect to the support faces. The outer rollers are located at a larger distance from the centerline than the inner rollers. The frame is provided with a first guide face for supporting the outer rollers in an outward direction which first guide face is radially directed in the outward direction and with an upwardly directed second guide faces for supporting the belt in the upward direction, which second guide face lies at a distance from the first guide face.

The invention relates to a closed continuous conveyor (1) for pallets (20), with an upper run (2) and the lower run (3), which form an upper and a lower conveyor track (4, 5), with reversal sections (6) connected to each other with such two runs (2, 3), in which deflecting elements (7) are arranged, of which at least one is connected to an engine (8) and can be driven by it, with tension elements (9) rotating endlessly in the upper and lower runs (2, 3) and in the reversal sections (6), which are in engagement with the deflecting elements (7) in the reversal sections (6) and are driven by them, with at least one rotating pallet (20), which is carried by the tension elements (9) and rotates with this. In accordance with the invention, it is proposed that, at least one first form closure element or frictional closure element (30; 130; 230; 330) is fixed to the underside (22) of the pallet (20), which, in the at least one reversal section (6), comes into a form-locking or frictional-locking engagement with a second form closure element or frictional closure element (50; 250; 350) that is arranged there and rotates around a fixed axis of rotation (16), whereas the first and/or the second form closure element or frictional closure element (30; 130; 230; 330; 50; 250; 350) features an elastic buffer component (36; 36, 37; 58), which yields if the first and second form closure elements or frictional closure elements (30; 130; 230; 330; 50; 350) hit each other.

A workpiece carrier for transporting a workpiece or a product in a conveyer system having at least one workpiece base provided for accommodating at least one workpiece, the workpiece base including a receiving surface on which a workpiece is mountable and the workpiece base further including a base surface disposed in a distance from the receiving surface. The workpiece carrier further has at least one contact element which, in the operation of the workpiece carrier, is provided to rest on a conveyer element of a conveyer system including a contact surface, the contact element being connected to the base surface of the workpiece base, a first moving direction along which the workpiece carrier is movable in a conveyer system being provided for the workpiece carrier, and a positioning plane being defined which is oriented perpendicular to the contact surface and perpendicular to the first moving direction, the positioning plane intersecting the receiving surface and being disposed in the centre of the length of the workpiece carrier along the first moving direction, and the contact element including at least two apertures which are disposed so that they are offset relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, and the contact element including at least two protrusions which are also disposed so that they are offset relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for product handling and dispensing. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a system comprising a plurality of storage units for storing one or more trays comprising one or more items; one or more dispense conveyors for lifting and dispensing at least one of the one or more items into one or more receiving units; and a shuttle comprising one or more tray retrieval mechanisms, wherein the shuttle is (a) movable relative to the plurality of storage units and (b) configured to (i) pick at least one tray of the one or more trays using the one or more tray retrieval mechanisms and (ii) transport the at least one tray to the one or more dispense conveyors.

A deflecting device for an elongate item, wherein the deflecting device has a receiving region, and wherein the receiving region is designed to receive the elongate item in cross transport on the input side and to discharge the elongate item in longitudinal transport on the output side. The deflecting device includes at least two belt-type conveyors in the longitudinal transport direction which are arranged at an angle relative to one another, wherein the at least two belt-type conveyors span the receiving region when the deflecting device is in an operating state.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.