HANDLE FOR A PIPETTE, SET COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO HANDLES, AND PIPETTE

Abstract

The invention is concerned with improvements in the technical field of pipettes. For this purpose, a pipette (1) with a base body (2) and a handle (3) is proposed, wherein a thermal insulation (5) is formed or arranged between the handle (3) and the base body (2) of the pipette (1) (see FIG. 1).

Claims

1. A handle (3) for a pipette (1) having a base body (2), wherein the handle (3) has a thermal insulation (5) for a hand contact surface (3a), and, wherein the thermal insulation (5) is located so that the hand contact surface (3a) is thermally insulated from the base body (2) with the handle (3) mounted in an attachment position on the base body (2) of the pipette (1).

2. The handle (3) according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation (5) is located between the hand contact surface (3a) and a mounting surface (3b) of the handle (3) with which the handle (3) is mounted in the attachment position on the base body (2).

3. The handle (3) according to claim 1, wherein the handle (3) has a grip part (4) with an inner side (6) which, with the handle (3) mounted in the attachment position, faces the base body (2) of the pipette (1).

4. (canceled)

5. The handle (3) according to claim 3, wherein the thermal insulation (5) includes at least one thermally insulating structure (8) protruding from the inner side (6) of the grip part (4).

6. The handle (3) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one thermally insulating structure (8) includes ribbing (13).

7. The handle (3) according to claim 3, wherein the thermal insulation (5) and the grip part (4) form a materially homogeneous, monolithic unit.

8. The handle (3) according to claim 5, wherein the thermal insulation (5) includes at least one part of a thermally insulating air layer (10) defined adjacent to the at least one thermally insulating structure (8), between the inner side (6) and the base body (2) of the pipette (1).

9. The handle (3) according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation (5) includes a thermally insulating material layer (9).

10. The handle (3) according to claim 1, wherein the handle (3) is formed as a hook to allow for reversible mounting in the attachment position on the base body (2) of the pipette (1).

11. (canceled)

12. A combination comprising: a pipette (1) with a base body (2); and a handle (3) which is mountable to the base body (2), the handle (3) having a hand contact surface (3a), wherein a thermal insulation (5) is located between the hand contact surface (3a) of the handle (3) and the base body (2) of the pipette (1).

13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein the thermal insulation (5) is located between the base body (2) and a grip part (4) of the handle (3).

14. (canceled)

15. The combination (1) according to claim 12, wherein the thermal insulation (5) includes at least one thermally insulating structure (8) protruding from an outer side (7) of the base body (2).

16. The combination (1) according to claim 15, wherein the at least one thermally insulating element (8) includes ribbing.

17. The combination according to claim 13, wherein the thermal insulation (5) and the base body (2) of the pipette (1) form a materially homogeneous, monolithic unit.

18. The combination according to claim 15, wherein the thermal insulation (5) includes at least one part of a thermally insulating air layer (10) defined adjacent to the at least one thermally insulating structure (8), between the outer side (7) and the handle (3).

19. The combination Pipette (1) according to claim 12, wherein the thermal insulation (5) includes a thermally insulating material layer (9).

20. (canceled)

21. The handle (3) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one thermally insulating structure (8) includes at least one spacer (5).

22. The handle (3) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one thermally insulating structure (8) includes at least one rib (12).

23. The handle (3) according to claim 6, wherein the ribbing (13) is formed by a plurality of intersecting ribs (12).

24. The handle (3) according to claim 23, wherein a plurality of chambers (14) are defined by the plurality of intersecting ribs (12), the plurality of chambers (14) being open in facing the base body (2) of the pipette (1), with the handle (3) mounted in the attachment position.

25. The handle (3) according to claim 9, wherein the thermally insulating material layer (9) includes one or more of: foam, rubber, and foamed plastic.

26. The combination according to claim 15, wherein the at least one thermally insulating structure (8) includes at least one spacer (5).

27. The combination according to claim 15, wherein the at least one thermally insulating structure (8) includes at least one rib (12).

28. The combination according to claim 16, wherein the ribbing (13) is formed by a plurality of intersecting ribs (12).

29. The combination according to claim 28, wherein a plurality of chambers (14) are defined by the plurality of intersecting ribs (12), the plurality of chambers (14) being open in facing the handle (3), with the handle (3) mounted in the attachment position.

30. The combination according to claim 19, wherein the thermally insulating material layer (9) includes one or more of: foam, rubber, and foamed plastic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments shown. Further exemplary embodiments of the invention result from combination of the features of individual or multiple claims with one another and/or in combination of individual or multiple features of the exemplary embodiments. They show in partly highly schematic representation:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a pipette comprising a base body, a fluid dispensing unit connected to the base body and a handle connected to the base body, wherein thermal insulation for a hand contact surface of the handle is arranged or formed between the handle and the base body of the pipette, and

[0039] FIG. 2 to FIG. 13 show different embodiments of handles, each of which has thermal insulation for thermal decoupling of the handle from the base body of the pipette, wherein the thermal insulation of the different handles comprises or consists of thermally insulating structures and/or thermally insulating material layers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a pipette designated as a whole by 1, which is formed as a hand-operated pipette 1. The pipette 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a base body 2 and a handle 3 that can be connected to the base body 2 and that is connected in FIG. 1. A fluid dispensing unit 2a is also arranged on the base body 2 of the pipette 1, via which pre-set quantities of fluid can be dispensed when a pipetting button 2b at the upper end of the pipette 1 is actuated.

[0041] According to FIG. 1, a thermal insulation 5 is arranged or formed between the base body 2 of the pipette 1 and a hand contact surface 3a of the handle 3 on a grip part 4 of the handle 3. The grip part 4 of the handle 3 is formed as a grip shell, just as in the case of the handles 3 which are shown in FIGS. 2 to 13 and are basically also suitable for being attached to the base body 2 of the pipette 1. The shell-shaped grip part 4 has a concave inner side 6, which is adapted to a convex or curved outer side 7 of the base body 2 and encloses the base body 2 at least in some regions.

[0042] Thus, each handle 3 and ultimately also the pipette 1 equipped with it has thermal insulation 5 for its hand contact surface 3a, which reduces or even prevents the heat transfer when the pipette 1 is used from the handle 3 to the base body 2 of the pipette 1. This is important insofar as thermally sensitive components of a dosing mechanism and a fluid dispensing mechanism of the pipette are arranged in particular in the base body 2 of the pipette 1. It was surprisingly found that a change in temperature of these components can negatively affect the dosing accuracy of the pipette. The dosing accuracy of the pipette 1 can be improved with the aid of the thermal insulation 5, but at least kept constant in certain regions.

[0043] Depending on the embodiment of the thermal insulation 5, it can comprise or be a thermally insulating structure 8 and/or a thermally insulating material layer 9 and/or a thermally insulating air layer 10. Examples of thermally insulating structures 8 can be seen, for example, from the handles 3, which are shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 as well as 12 and 13. In addition to the thermally insulating structures 8, the thermal insulations 5 of these handles 3 also comprise thermally insulating air layers 10 which are formed between the thermally insulating structures 8 when the handles 3 are in the attachment position on a base body 2 of a pipette 1.

[0044] Examples of thermally insulating material layers 9 can be seen in the handles 3 according to FIGS. 6 to 10. Thermal insulations 5, regardless of the form in which they are present, can, however, also be arranged or formed on a base body 2 of a pipette 1, as is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1.

[0045] FIG. 1 initially shows a possible exemplary embodiment of a thermal insulation 5, which is formed or arranged between the base body 2 and the grip part 4 of a handle 3 and thus between the base body 2 and the hand contact surface 3a of the handle 3, only in a highly schematic manner.

[0046] At this point it should be mentioned that, in principle, each of the handles 3 shown in FIGS. 2 to 13 is suitable for being arranged on the base body 2 of the pipette 1 illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0047] It is possible that the thermally insulating structure 8 is not arranged or formed on the handle 3, but on the outer side 7 of the base body 2 of the pipette 1. It can be provided here that the thermally insulating structure 8 comprises or is at least one spacer protruding from the outer side 7 of the base body 2, at least one rib protruding from the outer side 7 of the base body 2, a ribbing protruding from the outer side 7 of the base body 2 and/or a honeycomb structure protruding from the outer side 7 of the base body 2. The ribbing protruding from the base body 2 of the pipette 1 can comprise at least two parallel and/or two mutually transversely oriented ribs, which in turn protrude from the outer side 7 of the base body 2.

[0048] The thermal insulation 5 and the base body 2 of the pipette 1 can form a materially homogeneous, monolithic unit, that is to say they can be connected to one another in one piece. In this way it is possible to manufacture the base body 2 of the pipette 1 and the thermal insulation 5 of the pipette 1 in a common process step.

[0049] The thermally insulating structure 5 can have chambers and/or receptacles in which at least a part of the thermally insulating material layer 9 and/or the thermally insulating air layer 10 is arranged. The receptacles or chambers can be delimited and/or defined by at least two ribs, a ribbing and/or a honeycomb structure.

[0050] The thermally insulating material layer 9 can consist of a foam, rubber or foamed plastic, such as polystyrene or Styrofoam, or at least comprise such materials. Depending on the exemplary embodiment of the pipette 1 or the handle 3, the thermally insulating material layer 9 is either arranged on the handle 3 or on the base body 2 of the pipette 1. Examples of thermally insulating material layers 9 which are arranged on an inner side 6 of a handle 3 are illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 9. In one embodiment of the pipette 1, the handle 3 is a handle 3, such as is illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 2 to 13. Each of the handles 3 shown in FIGS. 2 to 13 can be used on the base body 2 of the pipette 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0051] FIGS. 2 to 13 now show handles each designated by 3. Each of the handles 3 has thermal insulation 5 for a hand contact surface 3a. Each of the thermal insulations 5 is arranged and/or formed such that the hand contact surface 3a, which is backed by the thermal insulation 5, is thermally insulated from the base body 2 when the handle 3 is in the attachment position of the handle 3 on a base body 2 of a pipette 1. In each handle 3, the thermal insulation 5 is arranged and/or formed between the hand contact surface 3a and a mounting surface 3b of the handle 3. With this mounting surface 3b, each of the handles 3 rests in the attachment position on a base body 2 of a pipette 1.

[0052] Each of the handles 3 has a grip part 4. In some handles 3, the grip part 4 is provided with thermal insulation 5 for the hand contact surface 3a of the handle 3 on its inner side 6 facing a base body 2 of a pipette 1 in the attachment position. As thermal insulations 5, for example, thermally insulating structures 8, thermally insulating material layers 9 and/or thermally insulating air layers 10 come into consideration.

[0053] The handles 3 can be provided with different thermally insulating structures 8. The handles 3 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5 have spacers 11 protruding from the inner sides 6 of their grip parts 4. These spacers 11 ensure that the inner side 6 of the respective grip part 4 of the respective handle 3 does not rest fully on the outer side 7 of the base body 2 of the pipette. The contact surface 3b of the handle 3 is thus substantially reduced to the surface at the free ends of the spacers 11 and/or thus to the front of the spacers 11. The spacers 11 enable the formation of a thermally insulating air layer 10 between the inner side 6 of the respective grip part 4 and the outer side 7 of the base body 2 of the pipette 1. The spacers 11 thus promote the thermal insulation or decoupling of the hand contact surface 3a of the handle 3 from the base body 2 of the pipette 1.

[0054] In the exemplary embodiment of a handle 3 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, this has on the inner side 6 of its grip part 4 a ribbing 13 formed from a plurality of individual ribs 12 and protruding. Similar to the aforementioned spacers 11, the ribbing 13 also serves to avoid full surface mounting of the inner side 6 of the grip part 4 on the outer side 7 of the base body 2 of the pipette 1 and to favour a formation of a thermally insulating air cushion or a thermally insulating air layer 10 between the base body 2 and the hand contact surface 3a or the grip part 4 of the handle 3. According to FIGS. 12 and 13, the ribs 13 are formed from a plurality of parallel ribs 12 and a plurality of ribs 12 aligned at right angles to one another, which protrude from the inner side 6 of the grip part 4 in the direction of the base body 2. The mounting surface 3b of this handle 3 is thus substantially reduced to the surface at the free ends of the individual ribs 12.

[0055] The thermally insulating structures 8 of the handles 3, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 and FIGS. 12 and 13, together with the grip part 4 form a homogeneous, monolithic unit, that is, they are made of the same material. In the embodiment of a handle 3 according to FIG. 6, it should be mentioned that the thermally insulating material layer 9 serving as thermal insulation 5 and the grip part 4 likewise form a materially homogeneous, monolithic unit. Here, the grip part 4 and also the thermally insulating layer 9 are made from one and the same material. In other words, this means that the handle 3 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 consists entirely of a thermally insulating material, such as synthetic foam.

[0056] In particular in the embodiment of a handle 3 according to FIGS. 12 and 13, it can be seen that the thermally insulating structure 8, which is formed here by the ribbing 13 already described above, has chambers 14 which can also be referred to as receptacles. At least part of a thermally insulating material layer 9 can be arranged in these chambers 14 or receptacles as thermal insulation 5, or, as is the case here, the thermally insulating air layer 10. The receptacles or chambers 14 are laterally delimited by at least two ribs 12 of the ribbing 13 and are thus defined by them. It is also noticeable that the chambers 14 are formed to be open on their sides facing the base body 2 of a pipette 1 in the position of use. It is thus possible to fill the chambers 14 relatively easily with a thermally insulating material, if necessary, in order to change the thermally insulating properties of the thermal insulation 5, preferably to improve them.

[0057] All of the figures show that the handle 3 shown in each case is designed as a hook at its upper end 15 in the attachment position. The hook-shaped design of the handle 3 at its upper end 15 allows easier and, above all, safer handling of a pipette 1 equipped with the handle 3. Each of the handles 3 illustrated in the figures is also designed as an interchangeable handle. It is thus possible to reversibly connect each of the handles 3 illustrated in the figures to the base body 2 of the pipette 1 shown in FIG. 1 and thus to exchange the handles 3 with one another if necessary.

[0058] Sets can be formed from the handles 3 shown in the figures. Each of the sets comprises at least two of the handles 3, which then preferably have different dimensions and are thus adapted to different hand sizes. Handles 3 that have different thermal insulations 5 can also be combined within a set. Thus, a pipette 1 can be easily adapted to different environmental conditions by means of handles 3 with different thermal insulations 5.

[0059] The invention is concerned with improvements in the technical field of pipettes, in particular hand-operated pipettes. For this purpose, a pipette 1 with a base body 2 and a handle 3 is proposed in particular, wherein a thermal insulation 5 is formed or arranged between the handle 3 and the base body 2 of the pipette 1.