Patents by Inventor Rolf Frey
Rolf Frey has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10254300Abstract: An analyzer is disclosed. The analyzer comprises a rack slot configured to receive at least one rack, wherein the rack slot comprises a front end, at which the rack is manually loadable into the rack slot, and a rear end, which is opposite to the front end and at which the rack is fully receivable in the rack slot, and a spring device arranged at the rear end, wherein the spring device is configured to provide a biasing force towards the front end, wherein the biasing force is adapted to move the rack towards the front end if not fully received in the rack slot, wherein the spring device is configured to fix the rack in a final position if the rack is fully received in the rack slot. Further, a method for loading a rack into a rack slot of an analyzer and a system comprising an analyzer and a computer controller are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2017Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.Inventors: Armin Birrer, Rolf Frey, Christian Marty, André Peter, Marco Sangermano
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Publication number: 20170315145Abstract: An analyzer is disclosed. The analyzer comprises a rack slot configured to receive at least one rack, wherein the rack slot comprises a front end, at which the rack is manually loadable into the rack slot, and a rear end, which is opposite to the front end and at which the rack is fully receivable in the rack slot, and a spring device arranged at the rear end, wherein the spring device is configured to provide a biasing force towards the front end, wherein the biasing force is adapted to move the rack towards the front end if not fully received in the rack slot, wherein the spring device is configured to fix the rack in a final position if the rack is fully received in the rack slot. Further, a method for loading a rack into a rack slot of an analyzer and a system comprising an analyzer and a computer controller are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2017Publication date: November 2, 2017Applicant: Roche Molecular System, Inc.Inventors: Armin Birrer, Rolf Frey, Christian Marty, André Peter, Marco Sangermano
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Patent number: 9297822Abstract: A laboratory system for handling sample tube racks, an alignment element for sample tube racks and a rack tray receiver assembly are disclosed. The laboratory system to handle laboratory sample tube racks includes a robotic arm (220) with a gripper (222) for gripping primary racks (PR), the primary racks (PR) to be handled include a first end surface (76) and a second end surface (78), the first end surface (76) having a first surface geometry and the second end surface (78) having a second surface geometry, and the gripper (222) includes a first gripping arm (226) and a second gripping arm (228), with the first gripping arm (226) having a gripping surface being complementary to the first surface geometry, and the second gripping arm (228) having a gripping surface being complementary to the second surface geometry.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Rolf Frey, Fritz Goedl, Bruno Koch, Joachim Lackner, Ueli Stettler, Beat Widmer
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Patent number: 9134332Abstract: An automated instrument and process for processing samples is presented. The instrument comprises a sampling area for receiving samples and reaction vessels; an analytical area with a first device resource comprising at least one analyzer; a reaction area comprising a conveyor for reagent containers; an incubator; a second device resource comprising first functional devices, the first functional devices having access to the sampling area and the incubator such as to transfer reaction vessels from the sampling area to the incubator and/or to pipette samples and/or reagents into the reaction vessels; a third device resource comprising second functional devices, the second functional devices having access to the incubator and the analytical area such as to transfer the reaction vessels from the incubator to the analytical area and/or to dispense liquids or withdraw liquids from the reaction vessels.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2012Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.Inventors: Rolf Frey, Gottlieb Schacher
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Publication number: 20140037420Abstract: A laboratory system for handling sample tube racks, an alignment element for sample tube racks and a rack tray receiver assembly are disclosed. The laboratory system to handle laboratory sample tube racks comprises a robotic arm (220) with a gripper (222) for gripping primary racks (PR), wherein the primary racks (PR) to be handled comprise a first end surface (76) and a second end surface (78), the first end surface (76) having a first surface geometry and the second end surface (78) having a second surface geometry, and wherein the gripper (222) comprises a first gripping arm (226) and a second gripping arm (228), with the first gripping arm (226) having a gripping surface being complementary to the first surface geometry, and the second gripping arm (228) having a gripping surface being complementary to the second surface geometry.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.Inventors: Rolf Frey, Fritz Goedl, Bruno Koch, Joachim Lackner, Ueli Stettler, Beat Widmer
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Patent number: 8580195Abstract: A laboratory system for handling sample tube racks, an alignment element for sample tube racks and a rack tray receiver assembly are disclosed. The laboratory system to handle laboratory sample tube racks comprises a robotic arm (220) with a gripper (222) for gripping primary racks (PR), wherein the primary racks (PR) to be handled comprise a first end surface (76) and a second end surface (78), the first end surface (76) having a first surface geometry and the second end surface (78) having a second surface geometry, and wherein the gripper (222) comprises a first gripping arm (226) and a second gripping arm (228), with the first gripping arm (226) having a gripping surface being complementary to the first surface geometry, and the second gripping arm (228) having a gripping surface being complementary to the second surface geometry.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2009Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.Inventors: Rolf Frey, Fritz Goedl, Bruno Koch, Joachim Lackner, Beat Widmer, Lydia Stettler
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Publication number: 20130017535Abstract: An automated instrument and process for processing samples is presented. The instrument comprises a sampling area for receiving samples and reaction vessels; an analytical area with a first device resource comprising at least one analyzer; a reaction area comprising a conveyor for reagent containers; an incubator; a second device resource comprising first functional devices, the first functional devices having access to the sampling area and the incubator such as to transfer reaction vessels from the sampling area to the incubator and/or to pipette samples and/or reagents into the reaction vessels; a third device resource comprising second functional devices, the second functional devices having access to the incubator and the analytical area such as to transfer the reaction vessels from the incubator to the analytical area and/or to dispense liquids or withdraw liquids from the reaction vessels.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2012Publication date: January 17, 2013Inventors: Rolf Frey, Gottlieb Schacher
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Publication number: 20100028203Abstract: A laboratory system for handling sample tube racks, an alignment element for sample tube racks and a rack tray receiver assembly are disclosed. The laboratory system to handle laboratory sample tube racks comprises a robotic arm (220) with a gripper (222) for gripping primary racks (PR), wherein the primary racks (PR) to be handled comprise a first end surface (76) and a second end surface (78), the first end surface (76) having a first surface geometry and the second end surface (78) having a second surface geometry, and wherein the gripper (222) comprises a first gripping arm (226) and a second gripping arm (228), with the first gripping arm (226) having a gripping surface being complementary to the first surface geometry, and the second gripping arm (228) having a gripping surface being complementary to the second surface geometry.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2009Publication date: February 4, 2010Inventors: Rolf Frey, Fritz Goedl, Bruno Koch, Joachim Lackner, Ueli Stettler, Beat Widmer, Lydia Stettler
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Patent number: 6579456Abstract: A device and a method are described, which are used for precipitating beverage sediment from the rinsing mixture of beverage production machines and which comprise a rinsing conduit, a sediment receptacle and a filtering means. In order to design a device of this type in a structurally simple manner such that it can be serviced more easily, it is suggested that the filtering means should comprise a first and a second filter which are arranged one after the other when seen in the direction of flow of the rinsing mixture and which are each provided with filtrate discharge means and that a flow connection for the rinsing mixture discharged from the rinsing conduit and for the filter cake precipitated on the first filter should be provided, said flow connection bypassing said first filter and leading into the sediment receptacle.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2001Date of Patent: June 17, 2003Assignee: WMF Wuerttemergische Metallwarenfabrik AGInventors: Rolf Frey, Frank Göltenboth, Martin Grupp, Günther Nagel, Armin Startz, Gerhard Wittlinger
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Publication number: 20020002909Abstract: A device and a method are described, which are used for precipitating beverage sediment from the rinsing mixture of beverage production machines and which comprise a rinsing conduit, a sediment receptacle and a filtering means. In order to design a device of this type in a structurally simple manner such that it can be serviced more easily, it is suggested that the filtering means should comprise a first and a second filter which are arranged one after the other when seen in the direction of flow of the rinsing mixture and which are each provided with filtrate discharge means and that a flow connection for the rinsing mixture discharged from the rinsing conduit and for the filter cake precipitated on the first filter should be provided, said flow connection bypassing said first filter and leading into the sediment receptacle.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2001Publication date: January 10, 2002Inventors: Rolf Frey, Frank Goltenboth, Martin Grupp, Gunther Nagel, Armin Startz, Gerhard Wittlinger
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Patent number: 5543105Abstract: A method and apparatus for injection molding. The injection molding machine includes a mold formed by a fixed mold half and a movable mold half cooperating with the fixed mold half for defining a mold cavity of the mold and a gate channel leading to the mold cavity. An injection piston is operatively associated with the mold cavity for pressing a melt via the gate channel into the mold cavity. A sensor device detects a melt front of the melt rising upstream of the mold cavity in a conveying direction of the melt at a predetermined detection height. The sensor device includes walls defining a measurement gap disposed at the detection height and extending transversely to the conveying direction of the melt. The measurement gap is at least partially penetrated by a fraction of the melt from the melt front when the melt front rises toward the mold cavity.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1994Date of Patent: August 6, 1996Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Mueller-Weingarten AGInventors: Friedrich Stummer, Rolf Frey
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Patent number: 5455773Abstract: A computer implemented method for determining optimized parameter values for a casting process for use with a diecasting machine, including: storing a plurality of known data sets of individual parameters of a casting cycle for a casting process for an optimization program in a die data memory of a die-casting machine control system; transferring automatically each data set of the plurality of known data sets in succession to the die-casting machine control from the die data memory by means of the optimization program, without external manual intervention, and running a preselected number of casting test cycles with each successive data set; testing sample products produced with one data set in the casting test cycles for quality by metallurgical means to provide at least one measured value; assessing quality of the sample products produced with one data set in the casting test cycles employing an automatic quality control operation to identify optimum parameter data sets from the at least one measured value;Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 1994Date of Patent: October 3, 1995Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Muller-Weingarten AGInventor: Rolf Frey
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Patent number: 5365999Abstract: A method for the process control of a pressure diecasting machine, consisting of casting equipment (2) and a casting drive system (1), and an apparatus for carrying out the method are proposed. In order to regulate the movements both of the ram or drive plunger (8) in the pressing cylinder (7) and of the multiplier plunger (17) in the multiplier device (15) in each phase of the casting process, stepless devices (30, 31) measuring displacement and speed to determine the position or movements and also quick-adjustment servo-proportional valves (33 to 36) to regulate the movement both of the ram (8) and of the multiplier plunger (17) are provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 1993Date of Patent: November 22, 1994Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Mueller-Weingarten AGInventors: Friedrich Stummer, Rolf Frey, Albert Reinhardt, Wolfgang Lutz