US4762743A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Corrugated wedge spacers for slab gel molds
Assignee: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc
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Filing: 1987-07-31
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Granted: 1988-08-09
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Expires: 2007-07-31
Abstract
Abstract Wedge spacers for forming slab gels of increasing cross section are manufactured from strips of thermoplastic material by impressing corrugations into the strips which run lengthwise from one end of each strip to a point along the strip between the two ends. The corrugations decrease in depth from a maximum at the strip end down to flatness at their terminus on the strip face. The forming technique imparts a high degree of reproducibility to the spacers, while still insuring a tight seal.
Inventors
- 👤 Raymond D. Von Alven
- 👤 Craig R. Davis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:52
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/416; G01N27/447; G01N27/44704; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24479; Y10T428/2457; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24669; Y10T428/24694
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A spacer for use between two flat plates when forming a gel slab of graduated thickness therebetween, said spacer comprising a strip of sheet material, having an elongate longitudinal dimension terminating at first and second ends and a relatively narrow transverse dimension, said strip formed to contain at least one corrugation running longitudinally from said first end along at least a portion of the length thereof, said corrugation decreasing in depth from a maximum depth at said first end to define an overall strip thickness greater at said first end than at said second end.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
A spacer for use between two flat plates when forming a gel slab of graduated thickness therebetween, said spacer comprising a strip of sheet material, having an elongate longitudinal dimension terminating at first and second ends and a relatively narrow transverse dimension, said strip formed to contain at least one corrugation running longitudinally from said first end along at least a portion of the length thereof, said corrugation decreasing in depth from a maximum depth at said first end to define an overall strip thickness greater at said first end than at said second end.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said sheet material is a heat-formable material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said sheet material is a cold-formable material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said sheet material is a thermoplastic polymer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said sheet material is a polycarbonate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said strip is formed to contain at least four said corrugations.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said overall strip thickness at said first end is from about 1.5 to about 10 times said overall strip thickness at said second end.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said overall strip thickness at said first end is from about 2 to about 5 times said overall strip thickness at said second end.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said corrugations extend along a length ranging from about one-eighth of the length of said strip to the entire length of said strip.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A spacer in accordance with claim 1 in which said corrugations extend along about one-fourth to about two-thirds of the length of said strip.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
113 words
A spacer for use between two flat plates when forming a gel slab of graduated thickness therebetween, said spacer comprising a strip of thermoplastic polymer sheet having an elongate longitudinal dimension terminating at first and second ends and a relatively narrow transverse dimension, said strip formed to contain a plurality of corrugations running longitudinally from said first end along about one-fourth to about two-thirds of the length thereof, said corrugations tapering along said longitudinal dimension from a maximum depth at said first end to define an overall strip thickness at said first end which is from about 2 times to about 5 times as great as the thickness of said thermoplastic polymer sheet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
113 words
A spacer for use between two flat plates when forming a gel slab of graduated thickness therebetween, said spacer comprising a strip of thermoplastic polymer sheet having an elongate longitudinal dimension terminating at first and second ends and a relatively narrow transverse dimension, said strip formed to contain a plurality of corrugations running longitudinally from said first end along about one-fourth to about two-thirds of the length thereof, said corrugations tapering along said longitudinal dimension from a maximum depth at said first end to define an overall strip thickness at said first end which is from about 2 times to about 5 times as great as the thickness of said thermoplastic polymer sheet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-08-09 | 1992-02-08 | 1992-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-08-09 | 1996-02-08 | 1996-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-08-09 | 2000-02-08 | 2000-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |