PIPETTE AND CARTRIDGE THEREFOR

PIPETTE ET CARTOUCHE CONNEXE

English Abstract

In combination, a pipette which defines an elongate receptacle including a
tapered end section, an elongated intermediate section and a bulb section
is adapted to fit into a cartridge which defines a hollow elongate body that
includes a restricted end portion, an elongate intermediate hollow portion and
a collar portion which is adapted to contactingly engage a portion of the bulb
section of the pipette so as to leave an uncovered bulb area to allow manual
retrieval of the pipette from the cartridge.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. In combination, a pipette and a cartridge therefor:
said pipette defining an elongate receptacle including:
a tapered end section having an inlet opening;
an elongated intermediate section; and
a compressible bulb section for drawing fluids into said
receptacle;
said cartridge defining a hollow elongate body including:
a restricted end portion adapted to receive therein said
tapered end section of said pipette;
an elongate intermediate portion integral at one end
thereof to said restricted end portion and adapted to
receive therein said intermediate section of said pipette;
and
a collar portion integral to an opposite end of said
intermediate portion contactingly engaging a portion of
said bulb section of said pipette so as to leave an
uncovered area of said bulb section to allow manual
retrieval of said pipette from said cartridge.
2. A combination as defined in claim 1, comprising inter-
engaging means on said collar portion of said cartridge and on said pipette
to secure said pipette to said cartridge.
3. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said inter-
engaging means consist of a projection on an inner wall of said collar portion
and of an annular groove on said bulb section.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said
pipette and said cartridge are made of plastics material.
5. A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said
plastics material is the same for said pipette and said cartridge.
6. A combination as defined in claim 5, wherein said pipette
and said cartridge are made of blow molded plastics material wherein a mold
is used to form simultaneously a series of said pipettes and said cartridges.

Description

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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Pipette and cartridge therefor.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a packaging system for pipettes
and, more particularly, relates to the combination of a pipette and a
cartridge
for protecting the pipette from contamination.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pipettes are generally known as comprising a tube of glass with one end
constricted and the other end fitted with a small rubber bulb; they are used
to transfer, measure or absorb fluids which are drawn-up by suction and
which are retained in the bulb section. More recently, pipettes have been
made entirely of plastics material with the bulb section of the pipette being
compressible to provide the required fluid suction.
At present, these plastic pipettes are supplied either in sealed plastic
packages which must be torn to retrieve the pipettes or, in some other cases,
they are provided in a container formed of two plastic parts sealed together
wherein one part must be stripped or peeled off from the other part in order
to have access to the pipette. In both cases, however, there is a risk of
contamination of the pipette since manual contact can be made with any part
of the pipette including the liquid drawing end thereof.

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OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above problem of
contamination of pipettes. This is achieved by providing a cartridge for the
pipette wherein only one part of the pipette can be manually contacted
during retrieval of the pipette from the cartridge.
The present invention therefore relates to a combination of a pipette and of
a cartridge:
the pipette defining an elongate receptacle including:
a tapered end section with an inlet opening;
an elongated intermediate section; and
a compressible bulb section for drawing fluids into the
receptacle;
the cartridge defining a hollow elongate body including:
a restricted end portion adapted to receive therein the tapered
end section of the pipette;
an elongate intermediate portion integral at one end thereof to
the restricted end portion and adapted to receive therein the
intermediate section of the pipette; and
a collar portion integral to an opposite end of the intermediate
portion contactingly fitting over a portion of the bulb section of
the pipette so as to leave an uncovered area of the bulb
section to allow manual retrieving of the pipette from the
cartridge.
In one form of the invention, the cartridge and the pipette are made of the
same plastics material and are formed from a single mold, preferably a blow
mold, to form a series of identically pipettes and cartridges.

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Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should
be understood, however, that this detailed description, while indicating
preferred embodiments of the invention, is given by way of illustration only,
since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
IN THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an elevational view of the combination of a pipette and cartridge
made in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an elevational view of the cartridge;
Figure 3 is an elevational view of the pipette; and
Figure 4 shows a mold for making a series of pipettes and cartridges in
accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to figure 1, there is shown a cartridge 10 in which is contained a
pipette 12, with a portion thereof extending outside the cartridge.
Referring to figure 2, the cartridge 10 consists of a hollow elongate body
having a restricted end portion 14, integral, through a chamfered area 16, to
an elongated intermediate portion 18 and terminating to a collar portion 20,
the inner wall of which displays a projection 22.

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Referring to figure 3, the pipette 12 consists of an elongate receptacle
having
a narrow end section 24 with an inlet opening 25 and a tapered conical
section 26 integral with an intermediate section 28 to which is integrally
formed a bulb section 30. Portions 28 and 30 are separated by a conical
area 32 and a straight area 34 that displays an annular groove 36. The
groove has a dimension to complementarily receive therein projection 22 of
the cartridge 10.
As can be seen in figure 1, the pipette 12 fits into the cartridge 10 so that
end
section 24 is received in end portion 14, the intermediate sections 26 and 28
are received in the intermediate portion 18 and part of the bulb section 30 is
received in the collar portion 20, thus leaving a part of the bulb section 30
uncovered so that it can be manually grasped by a user for its retrieval from
the cartridge.
The pipette and the cartridge are made of plastics material which is
somewhat flexible so that the bulb section 30 of the pipette can be
compressed during use for drawing fluids inside the pipette as well as
expelling said fluids.
One preferred plastics material is polyethylene having a low density.
In one form of the invention, the cartridges and the pipettes of the present
invention are made in a single blow mold; one example of a two-part
arrangement of such a mold is illustrated in figure 4 showing cartridge
recesses 10' and pipette recesses 12'.
Although the invention has been described above with respect with one
specific form, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that it may
be
modified and refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have it

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understood that the present invention should not be limited in scope, except
by the terms of the following claims.

Representative Drawing