Abstract
The present invention relates to a set comprising an adhesive mat for the shaking platform of a laboratory shaker or shaking incubator, the adhesive mat having a platform side for application to the shaking platform and a support side opposite the platform side, both of which are designed to be adhesive, the set comprising a pressure aid which has a contact surface which is anti-adhesive with respect to the support side of the adhesive mat. The present invention also relates to a use of a pressure aid of this type for the attachment of an adhesive mat to a shaking platform of a laboratory shaker or shaking incubator and to a method for the attachment of an adhesive mat to a shaking platform of a laboratory shaker or shaking incubator.
Claims
1. A set comprising an adhesive mat for a shaking platform of a laboratory shaker or shaking incubator, the adhesive mat having a platform side for application to the shaking platform and a support side opposite the platform side, both of which are designed to be adhesive, wherein the set comprises a pressure aid which has a contact surface which is anti-adhesive with respect to the support side of the adhesive mat.
2. The set according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface comprises at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), and silicone.
3. The set according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface is designed to be at least partially rounded.
4. The set according to claim 1, wherein the pressure aid is designed as a stamp.
5. The set according to claim 1, wherein the pressure aid is designed as a hand-held roller with a rotatably mounted roll, the roll circumference being the contact surface.
6. The set according to claim 1, wherein in that the pressure aid has one or two handles.
7. The set according to claim 1, wherein a width (B3) of the contact surface is between 25% and 75% of a length (L2) or a width (B2) of the adhesive mat.
8. (canceled)
9. A method for attaching an adhesive mat to a shaking platform of a laboratory shaker or shaking incubator, comprising the steps of: a) providing the adhesive mat; b) placing the adhesive mat onto the shaking platform, and c) fixing the adhesive mat by pressing the adhesive mat on the shaking platform via a pressure aid as defined in claim 1.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the adhesive mat is placed on the shaking platform without being moistened and is also pressed on using the pressure aid while the pressure aid is not moistened.
11. The set according to claim 1, wherein a width (B3) of the contact surface is between 30% and 70% of a length (L2) or a width (B2) of the adhesive mat.
12. The set according to claim 1, wherein a width (B3) of the contact surface is between 35% and 65% of a length (L2) or a width (B2) of the adhesive mat.
13. The set according to claim 1, wherein a width (B3) of the contact surface is between 40% and 60% of a length (L2) or a width (B2) of the adhesive mat.
14. The set according to claim 1, wherein a width (B3) of the contact surface is between 45% and 55% of a length (L2) or a width (B2) of the adhesive mat.
15. The set according to claim 1, wherein a width (B3) of the contact surface is 50% of a length (L2) or a width (B2) of the adhesive mat.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the figures. The embodiments serve only to describe preferred embodiments, without the present invention being restricted thereto. Identical or identically acting components are identified in the figures with the same reference signs. Repeated components are not identified separately in each figure. Schematically, in the drawings:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laboratory shaker;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an adhesive mat;
[0021] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a pressure aid as a roll without handles;
[0022] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a pressure aid as a roller having two handles;
[0023] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a pressure aid as a roller having a handle;
[0024] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a pressure aid as a stamp;
[0025] FIG. 7 shows the attachment of an adhesive mat to the shaking platform of a laboratory shaker;
[0026] FIG. 8 shows the attachment of a cut-to-size adhesive mat to the shaking platform of a laboratory shaker;
[0027] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a shaking incubator; and
[0028] FIG. 10 is a flow chart of the method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0029] 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. The shaking platform 12 has a length L1 and a width B1, which are dimensioned differently depending on the size of the device and the application.
[0030] FIG. 2 shows an adhesive mat 2. The adhesive mat 2 is designed as a flat, few-millimeters-thin base and may consist of resilient plastics material, the two surfaces 21 and 22 of which are designed to be permanently adhesive. Either the material of the adhesive mat 2 itself is already adhesive or the adhesive mat 2 is coated with an adhesive material, for example a polyacrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive mat 2 comprises a platform side 21 or underside which is designed to come into contact with the shaking platform 12 and to adhere thereto. In addition, the adhesive mat 2 has a support side 22 or upper side which is designed to fix containers or the like that are placed thereon. The platform side 21 and the support side 22 are made from the same material and have the same adhesive force. It is, however, also possible for the platform side 21 and the support side 22 to be of different adhesive design. The adhesive mat 2 has a length L2 and a width B2, the dimensions of which are adjusted to the size of the shaking platform 12 of that laboratory shaker 1 for which the adhesive mat 2 is designed. Typically, the length L2 and the width B2 of the adhesive mat 2 substantially correspond to the length L1 and the width B1 of the shaking platform 12 or are slightly smaller than these.
[0031] FIGS. 3 to 6 show different embodiments of a pressure aid 3, which together with one or more adhesive mats form a set according to the present invention. In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the pressure aid 3 is designed as a roll 35 without handles. The outer circumferential surface of the roll 35 forms the contact surface 31, which is designed to contact the support side 22 of the adhesive mat 2 during the attachment of the adhesive mat 2 to the shaking platform 12 and to roll it off on the latter. The contact surface 31 is therefore designed to be anti-adhesive with respect to the adhesive mat 2 and, in particular, the support side 22 thereof. For example, the contact surface 31 consists of PTFE, silicone, or ETFE. The roll 35 can consist entirely of one of the materials described. Alternatively, the core of the roll consists of a different material and is surrounded with a coating or a cover made from PTFE, ETFE, or silicone. For the attachment of the adhesive mat 2 to the shaking platform 12, the adhesive mat is placed with the platform side 21 down on the shaking platform 12, the roll 35 is placed on the support side 22 of the adhesive mat 2 and rolled over the surface thereof, causing the roll 35 to rotate around the axis of rotation R, to press on the adhesive mat against the shaking platform, and to fix it thereon. For better handling, however, it is preferred that the pressure aid 3 has at least one handle.
[0032] An embodiment of this type is shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the pressure aid 3 has two handles 32. The handles 32 lie on the ends of a rod which is guided through a longitudinal bore of the roll enclosing the axis of rotation R and on which the roll 35 is rotatably mounted. An operator grabs the pressure aid 3 by the two handles 32 and guides it over the support side 22 of the adhesive mat 2 such that only the contact surface 31 comes into contact therewith. At the same time, with the aid of the handles 32, pressure can be exerted on the adhesive mat 2 in order to fix it securely to the shaking platform 12.
[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention the pressure aid 3 is shown in FIG. 5. The corresponding pressure aid 3 is designed as a roller having a handle 32. The handle 32 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation R. The roll 35 is rotatably mounted on one arm of a curved bracket 33, at the other end of which the handle 32 is seated. The roller can thus be guided over the adhesive mat 2 with just one hand.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the pressure aid 3, which is designed as a stamp in this case. It has a handle 32 which is connected to a stamp base body 34. The stamp base body 34, in turn, has a rounded contact surface 31 which, in the embodiment shown, is designed as a cylinder portion cut parallel to the axis of rotation R. For the attachment of the adhesive mat 2 to the shaking platform 12, the operator grabs the handle 32, presses the contact surface 31 onto the support side 22 of the adhesive mat 2 and performs rocking movements about the axis of rotation R. As a result, the adhesive mat 2 is pressed against the shaking platform 12 and any air bubbles that may be trapped between the two are pressed out.
[0035] All embodiments of the pressure aid 3 have in common that the contact surface 31 is anti-adhesive with respect to the support side 22 of the adhesive mat 2. The pressure aid can therefore be lifted off the adhesive mat without difficulty, and no material of the adhesive mat remains adhering to the contact surface 31. The width B3 of the contact surface 31, parallel to the axis of rotation R, is adjusted to the length L2 and/or the width B2 of the adhesive mat 2. For example, the width B3 of the contact surface 31 is substantially half as large as the length L2 or the width B2 of the adhesive mat 2. In this way, both the entire adhesive mat 2 and parts thereof can be quickly and easily attached to the shaking platform 12 using the same pressure aid 3.
[0036] The attachment of an adhesive mat 2 to a shaking platform 12 is illustrated in FIG. 7. Specifically, the adhesive mat 2, which is in a dry, non-moistened state, is placed with the platform side 21 thereof on the shaking platform 12 and is now pressed using the pressure aid 3 by means of rollers, so that the adhesive mat 2 is fixed smoothly and straight on the shaking platform 12. FIG. 8 likewise shows the pressing on of an adhesive mat 2 on a shaking platform 12, with only a partial area of the shaking platform 12 now being covered by the adhesive mat. The rest of the platform can be used, for example, for the attachment of other retaining means (not shown) such as piston clamps. The adhesive mat 2 used in FIG. 8 is either smaller from the start than that of FIG. 7 or is separated from a larger adhesive mat 2 as required. The attachment takes place as described using the pressure aid 3 of the set 4, the width B3 of which is dimensioned such that it can also be used for parts of the adhesive mat 2.
[0037] FIG. 9 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 52 which can be closed by a door 51, in which a shaking platform 53. On the shaking platform 53, an adhesive mat—not shown separately in this case—is arranged on which some Erlenmeyer flasks E are in turn located. The shaking platform 52 is moved by means of a drive device 54 arranged in this case in the floor region of the incubator. In the interior 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 in the interior, which are also set in motion by the drive device 54.
[0038] FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of the method 6 for attaching an adhesive mat 2 to a shaking platform 12. The method 6 begins with the providing 61 of the adhesive mat 2. In this case, for example, an adhesive mat 2 from a newly acquired set 4 can be used. Alternatively, it is also possible to detach an already used adhesive mat 2 from a shaking platform, to clean the adhesive mat 2 and, preferably, to dry it. Next, the placing 62 of the adhesive mat 2 onto the shaking platform 12 takes place. In this case, the platform side 21 of the adhesive mat 2 is brought into contact with the shaking platform 12. Fixing 63 the adhesive mat 2 by pressing it using the pressure aid 3 takes place, for which the pressure aid 3 is guided with its contact surface 31 over the support side 22 of the adhesive mat 2. In the method 6 according to the present invention, the adhesive mat 2 is preferably placed on the shaking platform 12 without having been previously moistened. As a result of the dry pressing and skipping the moistening of the adhesive mat 2, it can be used as a base for setting up vessels immediately after the method 6 has been completed. The waiting times customary in the prior art for the adhesive mat to dry do not apply. In addition, contamination of the support side 22 is avoided since it is only in contact with the contact surface 31 of the pressure aid 3.
