The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 04, 2008
Filed:
Jun. 30, 2005
Stephen Zanon, Campbell, CA (US);
Stephen Zanon, Campbell, CA (US);
Thermo Finnigan LLC, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for releasably gripping a sample plate for use with a mass spectrometer has been developed, the sample plate having substantially parallel faces and a peripheral surface. The apparatus comprises a planar member and first and second guiding structures. The second guiding structure comprises a biasing mechanism which when activiated, provides a force that forces the second guiding structure towards the peripheral surface of the sample plate such that the sample plate is retained by the apparatus. Utilization of the configuration reduces frictional point contact thus reduces localized stress point resulting in yielding the surface material thus in effect guarding both sample plate and first guiding means from galling and/or reducing any type of material removal when gripping a sample plate, or releasing a sample plate.