HOLDING CLAMP FOR HOLDING AN ANGULAR BOTTLE ON A SHAKING PLATFORM OF A LABORATORY SHAKING DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a holding clamp for holding an angular bottle with flat side surfaces on a shaking platform of a laboratory shaking device, comprising a base plate having a fastening device for fastening the holding clamp on the shaking platform, at least two holding arms which protrude from the base plate and which form a vessel receiving space arranged between the holding arms, and at least one resilient tensile element which is stretched between the holding arms, wherein at least one flat contact surface designed for contact with the bottle is arranged on each of the holding arms, and in that the holding arms are designed in such a way that the flat contact surface can be brought into contact two-dimensionally with one of the flat side surfaces of the angular bottle.

Claims

1. A holding clamp for holding an angular bottle with flat side surfaces on a shaking platform of a laboratory shaking device comprising: a base plate having a fastening device for fastening the holding clamp on the shaking platform; at least two holding arms which protrude from the base plate and which form a vessel receiving space arranged between the holding arms (21); and at least one resilient tensile element which is stretched between the holding arms, wherein at least one flat contact surface designed for contact with the bottle is arranged on each of the holding arms, and wherein the holding arms are designed such that the flat contact surface can be brought into contact two-dimensionally with one of the flat side surfaces of the angular bottle.

2. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein the holding arms each have a holding part formed in one piece with the corresponding holding arm, the holding part having the contact surface.

3. The holding clamp according to claim 2, wherein a holding tab is arranged on at least one holding arm, the holding tab having a contact surface and being designed such that the contact surface can be brought into contact two-dimensionally with one of the flat side surfaces of the angular bottle.

4. The holding clamp according to claim 3, wherein the contact surface of the holding tab is arranged substantially perpendicular to the contact surface of the holding part.

5. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein a detachable vessel bearing is arranged on the holding arms and can be fastened to the holding arm with a fastening device (42), the vessel bearing having the contact surface.

6. The holding clamp according to claim 5, wherein the detachable vessel bearing has at least two flat contact surfaces which are interconnected over a corner, and in that the holding arm having the vessel bearing is designed such that the two flat contact surfaces can be brought into contact two-dimensionally with two flat side surfaces of the angular bottle, which side surfaces are connected over a corner.

7. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein two holding arms are interconnected via a connecting part in a region remote from the base plate, the connecting part also having a flat contact surface and being designed such that the flat contact surface can be brought into contact two-dimensionally with one of the flat side surfaces of the angular bottle.

8. The holding clamp according to claim 7, wherein the connecting part has at least two flat contact surfaces which are interconnected over a corner, and in that the holding arms connected via the connecting part are designed such that the two flat contact surfaces can be brought into contact two-dimensionally with two flat side surfaces of the angular bottle, which side surfaces are connected over a corner.

9. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein the holding arms have a guide part, the guide part being arranged on the side of the holding arm facing away from the base plate and being angled away from the vessel receiving space.

10. The holding clamp according to claim 9, wherein the at least one tensile element is arranged on the guide part and outside the vessel receiving space.

11. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein the holding arms each have at least one spacer tab which is arranged outside the vessel receiving space and protrudes from the corresponding holding arm in the direction away from the vessel receiving space, and in that the at least one tensile element is arranged on the spacer tabs of two adjacent holding arms.

12. The holding clamp according to claim 11, wherein the spacer tabs and the tensile element are designed in such a way that the tensile element is arranged outside the vessel receiving space, the spacer tabs being arranged in particular on the guide part.

13. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein two tensile elements are arranged on two opposite sides of the vessel receiving space.

14. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein at least one holding arm has a deformation arc, the deformation arc being designed such that a distance between two opposite holding arms with respect to the vessel receiving space can be changed.

15. The holding clamp according to claim 14, wherein the deformation arc is arranged between the base plate and the contact surface on the holding arm.

16. The holding clamp according to claim 14, wherein two holding arms are opposite one another and the distance from one another can be changed by means of at least one deformation arc.

17. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein the base plate and/or the holding arm comprise(s) at least one of the following features: there are four identically designed holding arms (21); the holding arms protrude substantially perpendicularly from the base plate; the base plate has a rectangular basic shape; the holding arms are arranged on an outer circumference of the base plate; the holding arms are arranged opposite one another with respect to the base plate and/or the vessel receiving space; the holding arms are designed to contact the side surfaces of the angular bottle with the contact surfaces; the holding arms are designed to contact the corners (32) of the angular bottle with the contact surfaces; the holding arms, together with the at least one tensile element, form an opening ring which completely surrounds the vessel receiving space on the side of the holding clamp facing away from the base plate; and the opening ring is additionally formed by one or more of the elements of a group consisting of guide part, a spacer tab, a holding tab, and a connecting part.

18. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least two holding arms comprise at least one of the following features: the at least two holding arms are arranged on the sides of the outer circumference of a base plate with a rectangular basic shape; a holding arm is arranged on each of the sides of the outer circumference of the base plate with a rectangular basic shape; the at least two holding arms are arranged centrally on the sides of the outer circumference of the base plate; the at least two holding arms are arranged offset off-center on the sides of the outer circumference of the base plate; and two holding arms are arranged on two opposite sides of the outer circumference of the base plate, the other two sides of the outer circumference of the base plate not having any holding arms.

19. The holding clamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least two holding arms comprise at least one of the following features: the at least two holding arms are arranged at the corners of the outer circumference of the base plate; and a holding arm is arranged at each of the corners of the outer circumference of the base plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the figures without the present invention being restricted to these embodiments. Schematically, in the drawings:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a laboratory shaker with a shaking platform;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a shaking incubator with a shaking platform;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of a holding clamp;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows the holding clamp according to FIG. 3 with an angular bottle accommodated in the vessel receiving space;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a holding clamp;

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of a holding clamp;

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of a holding clamp; and

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a fifth embodiment of a holding clamp.

[0038] Identical or identically-acting components are numbered with the same reference signs in the figures. Repeated components are not identified separately in each figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a laboratory shaker 1 having a housing part 11 and a shaking platform 12. In the housing part 11, for example, control electronics and a drive motor are accommodated, which are used to set the shaking platform 12 in shaking movements when the laboratory shaker 1 is in operation. In this way, for example, liquids that are in containers that are placed on the shaking platform 12 are mixed and kept in movement. For fastening a holding clamp according to one aspect of the present invention, the shaking platform 12 has fastening points 121, for example bores, through which screws can be inserted.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a shaking incubator 5 which differs from the laboratory shaker 1 according to FIG. 1 substantially by a housing 50 which surrounds an interior space 52 which can be closed by a door 51, in which interior space a shaking platform 53 is arranged. Fastening points for holding clamps or similar structures are also provided on the shaking platform 53 (not shown separately in this case). In the case of the holding clamps, which are not shown separately in this case for reasons of clarity, for example angular bottles 3 or other angular vessels can be fixed on the shaking platform 53. The shaking platform 53 is moved by means of a drive apparatus 54 arranged in this case in the floor region of the incubator. In the interior space 52, a desired temperature and/or a desired composition of the interior atmosphere, such as, for example, a predetermined air humidity, can be set in a manner known per se. To set up the sample vessels, instead of one, there can also be a plurality of shaking platforms 53 in the interior space, which shaking platforms are also set in motion by means of the drive apparatus 54.

[0041] A number of specific embodiments of the holding clamp are described below. To avoid repetition, not all details of all embodiments are repeated again. It is therefore also included overall according to one aspect of the present invention that individual features of the embodiments are transferred to the corresponding other embodiments and vice versa, even if the corresponding combination is not mentioned verbatim. In principle, any combinations of two or more features from the various embodiments are possible if they are not discernibly mutually exclusive and encompassed within the scope of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of a holding clamp 2. The holding clamp 2 is designed to fasten an angular bottle 3 on a shaking platform 12, 53 of one of the laboratory shaking devices 1, 5. For this purpose, the holding clamp 2 has a base plate 20, the circumferential edge of which is referred to as the outer circumference 200. The base plate 20 has at least one fastening device 201 which is used to fasten the base plate 20 and thus the holding clamp 2 on a shaking platform 12, 53. For example, the fastening device 201 comprises a bore through which a screw can be inserted. In the embodiment shown, four holding arms 21 protrude substantially vertically from the base plate 20. The holding arms 21 are formed, for example, from a metal sheet or a flat plastics material plate. Together with the base plate 20, they surround a vessel receiving space 23 in which an angular bottle 3, as will be described in more detail below, can be received.

[0043] The holding arms 21 are each arranged via a deformation arc 213 on the outer circumference 200 of the base plate 20, in particular at the corners of the base plate 20, which has a substantially rectangular basic shape, the corners being cut off by the arrangement of the holding arms. The deformation arcs 213 are each formed as outwardly protruding U-shaped bulges of the holding arms 21 and ensure that the holding arms 21 can, on the one hand, perform a pivoting movement on their bearing on the base plate 20 and, on the other hand, the distance to the corresponding opposite holding arm 21 can be increased, as will be described in more detail below. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the deformation arcs 213 are angular, with a beveled U-shaped course.

[0044] In addition, the holding arms 21 each have a holding part 210, which in turn comprises a flat contact surface 215. The contact surface 215 is designed in such a way that it delimits the vessel receiving space 23. This vessel receiving space is also delimited by the upper side of the base plate 20. All other elements of the holding clamp 2 are arranged outside of the vessel receiving space 23. The contact surfaces 215 are designed, in particular, to lie over a large area against the side surfaces of the angular bottle 3 as soon as it is placed into the holding clamp 2. Due to the two-dimensional contact of the bottle 3 with the contact surfaces 215 of the holding arms 21 over a large area, these holding arms are able to hold even a heavy, angular bottle 3 securely in the holding clamp 2.

[0045] In the embodiment shown, the holding arms 21 each have a guide part 211 on the side opposite the base plate 20. The guide part 211 is angled outward with respect to the holding arms 21 and, in particular, the holding part 210 or the contact surface 215. On their side facing the vessel receiving space 23, the guide parts 211 therefore each form a sliding bevel that can be used as a guide for the base of an angular bottle 3 in order to guide the angular bottle 3 into the vessel receiving space 23 from above.

[0046] Furthermore, two spacer tabs 212 are arranged on each of the holding arms 21, specifically on the guide parts 211 in the embodiment in FIG. 3. The spacer tabs 212, like the guide parts 211, are designed in one piece with the holding arms 21 and protrude away from the vessel receiving space 23. This is also the purpose of the spacer tabs 212, which are designed to fasten the tensile elements 22, which in turn are designed, for example, as spiral springs made of metal. The tensile elements 22 should be arranged outside the vessel receiving space 23 in order to reliably avoid contact of the tensile elements 22 with an angular bottle 3 located in the vessel receiving space 23. In each case, a spacer tab 212 is arranged on those sides of a holding arm 21 which are closest to the respective adjacent holding arms 21. In addition, the spacer tabs 212 are arranged on the end of the holding arms 21 opposite the base plate 20. A tensile element 22 is in each case stretched between adjacent holding arms 21 via the spacer tabs 212. Each holding arm 21 is therefore connected to two further holding arms 21 via two tensile elements 22. Overall, the holding arms 21 having the guide parts 211, the spacer tabs 212, and the tensile elements 22 form an opening ring 24 which represents an access opening for an angular bottle 3 into the vessel receiving space 23.

[0047] The introduction of an angular bottle 3 into the vessel receiving space 23 is described using the embodiment of the holding clamp 2 according to FIG. 3 with reference to FIG. 4. The angular bottle 3 has flat side surfaces 31 which are each interconnected over a corner 32. In addition, the bottle 3 has a base which is not visible in the selected representation. In order to set the angular bottle in the holding clamp 2, the bottle 3 is moved into the opening ring 24 of the holding clamp 2, coming from above. In the case of the base and/or the side surfaces 31, the bottle 3 slides along the sliding surfaces formed by the guide parts 211, as a result of which, when the bottle 3 is lowered further, the distance between the opposite holding arms 21 increases and the opening ring 24 expands, the tensile elements 22 being stretched. The holding arms 21 are moved apart until the body of the angular bottle 3 fits between the holding arms 21 and, in particular, between the holding parts 210. The bottle 3 then slides along the holding parts 210 when it is lowered further. Depending on the size of the bottle 3, the deformation arcs 213 can cause the holding arms 21 and, in particular, the holding parts 210 to be pushed away from the vessel receiving space 23, thus increasing the distance between two opposite holding arms 21. In this way, the bottle 3 is lowered until it rests on the base plate 20. The tensile elements 22 ensure that the opening ring 24 assumes its smallest possible widening, as a result of which the contact surfaces 215 come into two-dimensional contact with the side surfaces 31 of the angular bottle 3 over a large area. This bottle is now fixed by the contact with the holding arms 21 and by the tensile stress of the tensile element 22 in the holding clamp 2 in such a way that it follows the defined movements of the shaking platform 12, 53 and there is no risk of the bottle 3 becoming detached from the holding clamp 2.

[0048] To insert the bottle 3 into the holding clamp 2, it is only necessary to lower the bottle 3 vertically into the vessel receiving space 23, coming from above. The entire adjustment of the holding arms 21 to precisely accommodate and ensure the contact of the contact surfaces 215 on the bottle 3 over a large area is achieved by resilient deformation of the holding clamp 2, in particular on the deformation arcs 213 and the tensile elements 22. An operator who therefore grips the bottle 3 with one hand in the region of its lid, for example, can place the bottle 3 in the holding clamp 2 or in the vessel receiving space 23 in a simple and uncomplicated manner without the aid of a second hand. Such one-handed operation is particularly helpful in the laboratory environment.

[0049] An alternative embodiment of the holding clamp 2 is shown in FIG. 5. This holding clamp 2 also comprises a base plate 20 with a rectangular basic shape. In particular, the base plate 20 is designed to be square and has a plurality of bores as a fastening device 201. The holding arms 21 are arranged on the sides of the outer circumference 200 of the base plate 20 and offset off-center. Specifically, the holding arms 21 are fastened to the sides of the outer circumference 200 in such a way that they each touch a corner of the base plate 20 or are flush with the corner. In this embodiment, too, each holding arm 21 has a deformation arc 213. The deformation arcs 213 are in the present case designed as round, U-shaped bulges of the holding arms 21. In contrast to the previous embodiment of the holding clamp 2, that of FIG. 5 has no guide parts 211. A further embodiment (not shown) of the holding clamp 2 therefore substantially corresponds to that of FIG. 5, but this embodiment comprises additional guide parts 211.

[0050] In addition to the contact surfaces 215 of the holding parts 210 of the holding arms 21, the embodiment according to FIG. 5 also comprises an additional holding tab 214 per holding arm 21. In other words, each holding arm 21 of the embodiment is equipped with a holding tab 214. This is, in particular, formed at the same vertical height as the contact surface 215 of the holding part 210. In addition, the holding tabs 214 are arranged on the side of the holding arms 21 facing away from the base plate 20. Since each holding arm 21 has a holding tab 214 on only one side, the holding arms 21 are overall asymmetrical. Each of the holding tabs 214 comprises, on its side facing the vessel receiving space 23, a flat contact surface 215, which is also designed to be able to be brought into contact two-dimensionally with one of the flat side surfaces 31 of the angular bottle 3 over a large area. In other words, this contact surface 215 also delimits the vessel receiving space 23. In particular, the holding tabs 214 protrude laterally from the holding parts 210 of the holding arms 21 and are designed in such a way that the contact surfaces 215 of the holding tabs 214 are aligned substantially perpendicular to the contact surfaces 215 of the holding parts 210. In this way, each of the holding arms 21 can contact a corner 31 of the angular bottle 3 in the vessel receiving space 23 with the contact surfaces 215 of the holding parts 210 and the holding tabs 214, such that the contact surfaces 215 are in contact with two flat side surfaces 31 of the bottle 3 connected over a corner 32.

[0051] In each case, one of the spacer tabs 212 of the holding arms 21 is arranged on one of the holding tabs 214. In the embodiment according to FIG. 5, the opening ring 24 is therefore formed overall by the holding arms 21 or their holding parts 210, the holding tabs 214, the spacer tabs 212, and the tensile elements 22. Because the embodiment according to FIG. 5 does not have a guide part 211, the contact surface 215 of the holding part 210 and also the holding part 210 itself extend from the deformation arc 213 to the end of the holding arm 21 facing away from the base plate 20. The contact surface between the holding arm 21 and the side surfaces 31 of the bottle 3 are therefore particularly large, which contributes to a particularly secure fixation of the bottle 3.

[0052] In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, four holding arms 21 are arranged at the four corners of the outer circumference 200 of the square base plate 20. In contrast to the previous embodiments, however, the holding arms 21 do not comprise a holding part 210. In other words, the holding arms 21 do not have any contact surface 215 integrated into the holding arm 21 itself. For this purpose, a vessel bearing 4 is arranged on each holding arm 21. The vessel bearing 4 is designed as a separate component and is detachably fastened to the holding arm 21. Alternatively, the vessel bearing could also be attached to the holding arm in a non-detachable manner and, for example, glued. Fastening devices 42 are provided for the detachable fastening, for example a screw connection in the embodiment shown, specifically two screw connections per vessel bearing 4. The detachable vessel bearing 4 can consist of a different material than the holding arms 21, for example a rubber material which, when in contact with the bottle 3, prevents wear and tear on the bottle 3 during operation of the laboratory shaking device 1, 5. Each vessel bearing 4 has two flat contact surfaces 43 which are arranged substantially perpendicular to one another and which together form a corner receptacle 41. The corner receptacle 41 is designed to contact a corner 32 of the angular bottle 3. For this purpose, the flat contact surfaces 43 are designed to come into contact with the flat side surfaces 31 of the bottle 3, which are connected over a corner 32, when the bottle 3 is located in the vessel receiving space 23 of the holding clamp 2. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the vessel receiving space 23 is delimited exclusively by the contact surfaces 43 of the vessel bearing 4 and the base plate 20. All other parts of the holding clamp 2 are located outside the vessel receiving space 23.

[0053] In the case of the holding clamp 2 according to FIG. 6, the spacer tabs 212 do not extend in the direction away from the vessel receiving space 23. Instead, the spacer tabs 212 extend substantially parallel to the side surfaces of the vessel receiving space 23 or to the side surfaces 31 of an angular vessel arranged in the vessel receiving space 23. In this embodiment, however, this is sufficient to ensure that tensile elements 22 are still located outside of the vessel receiving space 23, since the vessel bearings 4 extend from the holding arms 21 in the direction of the vessel receiving space 23 and onto the corresponding opposite vessel bearing 4. In this way, the corner receptacles 41 of the vessel bearing 4 and thus also the vessel receiving space 23 are arranged offset inward, whereby a sufficient spacing of the vessel receiving space 23 from the tensile elements 22 is achieved.

[0054] FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of the holding clamp 2. The holding clamp 2 also has a base plate 20 with a square basic shape. In this case, too, a total of four holding arms 21 are provided which protrude from the base plate 20. The holding arms 21 are, however, only arranged on two opposite sides of the outer circumference 200 of the base plate 20. In contrast, the two other opposite sides of the outer circumference 200 do not have any holding arms 21. In addition, the holding arms 21 are offset off-center on the sides of the outer circumference 200, specifically in such a way that they reach up to the corners of the base plate 20 or are flush therewith. From here the holding arms 21 protrude upward from the base plate 20 substantially perpendicularly.

[0055] The holding arms 21 arranged on the same side of the outer circumference 200 are interconnected at their end facing away from the base plate 20 via a connecting part 216. In particular, the connecting part 216, together with the holding arms 21 and the base plate 20, is made in one piece and made of the same material. It also has a two-dimensional extension and, in particular, also comprises a flat contact surface 215, which can be brought into contact with one of the flat side surfaces 31 of the angular bottle 3. The contact surface 215 of the connecting part 216 is, in particular, formed parallel to the contact surface 215 of the holding part 210 of the holding arms 21. The holding parts 210 of the interconnected holding arms 21 and of the connecting part 216 form a common, coherent, flat contact surface 215 which can be brought into contact with one of the flat side surfaces 31 of the angular bottle 3.

[0056] In addition, the holding arms 21 connected via the connecting part 216 each also have a holding tab 214 which is arranged substantially perpendicular to the connecting part 216 and the holding parts 210 of the holding arms 21. As already described above, the holding tabs 214 each have a further contact surface 215, which is arranged substantially perpendicular to the common contact surface 215 of the connecting parts 216 and the holding parts 210. The holding tabs 214 on the connected holding arms 21 lie opposite one another, in particular with respect to the vessel receiving space 23. In this way, it is possible that the common contact surface 215 of the connecting parts 216 and the holding parts 210 is extended substantially from one corner 32 of the bottle 3 over an entire flat side surface 31 of the bottle 3 to a further corner 32. The common contact surface 215 therefore comes into contact with the bottle 3 over the entire side surface 31 when the bottle 3 is placed in the vessel receiving space 23. In addition, the two corners 32 delimiting this side surface 31 are also encompassed by the holding tabs 214, which come into contact with the other side surfaces 31 of the bottle 3 connected to this corner 32.

[0057] A spacer tab 212 projecting away from the vessel receiving space 23 is arranged on each of the holding tabs 214. On the side of the outer circumference 200 of the base plate 20 opposite the connected holding arms 21, two further connected holding arms 21 are arranged, which are designed mirror-symmetrically to the first pair of connected holding arms 21 with respect to the vessel receiving space 23. Two tensile elements 22 are stretched between the two interconnected pairs of holding arms 21 via the spacer tabs 212. The embodiment according to FIG. 7 therefore manages with only two tensile elements 22, which are each arranged parallel to a side surface of the vessel receiving space 23 or to a side surface 31 of the bottle 3. Due to the particularly large-area contact of the holding clamp 2 with the angular bottle 3 as soon as it is placed in the vessel receiving space 23, a particularly secure fastening of the bottle 3 in the holding clamp 2 is achieved with the embodiment according to FIG. 7.

[0058] The embodiment according to FIG. 8 largely corresponds to that according to FIG. 7, which is why reference is made to these explanations to avoid repetition. In contrast to the previous embodiment, the connecting part 216 does not have a contact surface 215 arranged parallel to the contact surface 215 of the holding part 210. In contrast thereto, the connecting part 216 in the embodiment according to FIG. 8 is designed as a corner protruding outward; in other words, away from the vessel receiving space 23. In particular, the connecting part 216 thereby comprises two flat contact surfaces 215 which are arranged substantially perpendicular to one another and which are designed to be in contact with two side surfaces 31 of the bottle 3 which are interconnected over a corner 32. In other words, the connecting part 216 is designed to receive a corner 32 of the bottle 3 stored in the vessel receiving space 23. In this way, it is possible to achieve two different set positions for the angular bottle 3 in one and the same holding clamp 2. One set position corresponds to that of the embodiment according to FIG. 7, in which position the corners 32 of the bottle 3 are arranged at the connection point between the holding tabs 214 and the holding arms 21. The further set position is arranged substantially offset by 45° with respect to this position, namely in such a way that two corners 32, which are diagonally opposite on the bottle 3, are received by the connecting parts 216. The two other corners 32 of the angular bottle 3, on the other hand, are aligned toward the two tensile elements 22, although in this case there is no contact between these corners 32 and the tensile elements 22 due to the spacing, in particular due to the spacer tabs 212. By providing these two different set positions, the use of the holding clamp 2 is particularly flexible. In principle, the two set positions can be designed for bottles 3 of the same size. However, the two set positions are designed for bottles 3 of different sizes. By arranging and dimensioning the connecting parts 216 accordingly, it is possible, for example, to fix two different size classes of angular bottles 3 in the same holding clamp 2. In order to ensure a sufficient spacing of the corners 32 of the bottle 3 from the tensile elements 22, the set position in which two corners 32 of the bottle 3 are received by the connecting parts 216 comprises a smaller vessel receiving space 23 than the set position in which the corners 32 of the bottle 3 are received by the holding tabs 214 and the holding parts 210.

[0059] All in all, the present invention allows secure, low-wear and easy-to-use fixing of an angular bottle 3 or other angular vessel in a holding clamp 2 on a shaking platform 12, 53.

[0060] While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of various embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Thus, the various features discussed herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The present invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of the general inventive concept.