MOTIVATION
i made this fixture during my internship at cepheid, a medical diagnostics company that is a primary provider of covid-19 pcr tests. I was tasked with creating a reel that would allow a much more economical but fragile filter material to be handled. the specifications were as follows:
-minimal handling of filter material by operator
-design must limit all contact of filter material with other surfaces
-upon completion of the day filter material should be removable without direct handling of material by the operator.
design
Each component was designed with tool sizes and stock material sizes in mind in order to limit manufacturing cost.
to limit handling, the orientation that the filter was cut at was changed, and the material was enclosed between two protective plates (8 and 10)
Changing the orientation the filter was cut at reduced the possibility that the material drag along the table. the lead on fillet on the fins (13) allows easier placement of filter material, and spacers (11) keep the plates from contacting the filter material.
the hub assembly can easily be removed from the base. it is fastened on by the clamp (14).
to improve usability, the height is adjustable (6), and the tension variable (3), to allow for a custom fit to the operator.
