Device for repositioning tubes in a tube rack

The present invention pertains to a device (1) for repositioning tubes (2) in a tube rack (3), comprising a stationary base (4); a mount (10), movable relative to the base (4) in a first moving direction and a second moving direction, opposite to the first direction; at least one actuator (34) for moving the mount (10); one or more grippers (23) coupled to the mount (10) and movable with the mount (10), each of the grippers (23) comprising a pair of gripping arms (40, 41) provided with gripping portions (42) for gripping a tube (2); at least one biasing element (27), resiliently coupled to the mount (10) and coupled to the gripping arms (40, 41) in a manner to be movable relative to the mount (10) and thereby move the gripping portions (42) towards or away from each other; at least one blocking element (11) resiliently coupled to the stationary base (4) , configured to engage with the biasing element (27) and to block movement of the biasing element (27) with respect to the mount (10) against a resilient force during a first period in which the mount (10) is moved in the first moving direction so as to move the gripping portions (42) towards each other and configured to disengage from the biasing element (27) before a second period in which the mount (10) is moved in the second moving direction so as to allow the gripping portions (42) to be resiliently moved away from each other.