CN117486146A - Test tube capping device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a test tube gland device, which mainly comprises an upper cover carrying disc, a test tube carrying disc and a lifting table; when the lifting table ascends, the test tube carrying tray and the test tube on the test tube carrying tray are driven to ascend, and the test tube is connected with an upper cover loaded on the upper cover carrying tray; when the jointing is completed, the lifting platform drives the test tube carrying tray and the test tube to descend, and the upper cover pressed with the test tube is separated from the upper cover carrying tray in a proper direction and descends along with the test tube. Therefore, the invention can only cover the test tubes loaded on the test tube tray, can cover the test tubes with specific number and specific positions, and does not need to cover the whole tray. Moreover, the whole configuration of the equipment is more compact, the mechanism components and the action modes are quite simple, the equipment is stable and reliable, and the equipment has cost advantages.

Description

Test tube capping device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to test tube capping apparatus, and more particularly to a test tube capping apparatus capable of automatically capping test tubes.

Background

Polymerase chain reaction (Polymerase chain reaction, PCR) is a very critical biotechnology in virus detection, and with the large increase of the demand for PCR detection by covd-19 virus, each detection equipment factory does not develop highly automated PCR detection equipment to the greatest extent, so as to improve the detection efficiency and accuracy.

However, there is a step in the workflow of RNA extraction and PCR detection, which is to seal the RNA extraction tube for subsequent PCR or qPCR detection steps. However, in the conventional test procedure, the test tube is mostly sealed manually, but the conventional manual method not only consumes manpower, but also hides the risk of the samples being polluted and the personnel being infected.

Along with the continuous promotion of the automatic PCR detection equipment, most of the existing automatic test tube sealing equipment adopts a heat sealing film mode, namely, a plastic film is covered on a test tube tray, and the plastic film is welded on the test tube tray by heating, so that the test tube sealing is realized. However, the heat sealing mode is fast, but the film sealing film occupies a small volume, so that the volume of the whole sealing equipment cannot be further reduced. More importantly, the film sealing method must seal the whole tray of test tubes (such as 8×12 tubes) at a time, however, if not the whole tray of test tubes is loaded with RNA extract, empty test tubes will be sealed and cannot be reused, resulting in waste.

Therefore, the test tube capping device has the advantages of small volume, simple operation, safety and reliability, capability of capping individual quantity of test tubes, accurate alignment of the capping process and capability of stably applying force to cap, and is highly desirable for the public and the industry.

Disclosure of Invention

The main object of the present invention is to provide a test tube capping device, which can provide enough force to completely press the upper cap onto the test tube, and can ensure that the upper cap or the test tube will not deform during the pressing process; importantly, the gland can be performed for the specific number required without the need for a full disc gland.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the test tube capping device of the present invention mainly comprises an upper cap carrier plate, a test tube carrier plate and a lifting platform; the upper cover carrying disc comprises a plurality of containing grooves for containing at least one upper cover; the test tube carrier comprises a plurality of through grooves for accommodating at least one test tube; the lifting platform is used for enabling at least one of the test tube carrying disc and the at least one test tube to ascend or descend; wherein, when the lifting platform makes at least one of the test tube carrying tray and the at least one test tube rise, and makes the at least one test tube approach and close to the at least one upper cover, the lifting platform makes at least one of the test tube carrying tray and the at least one test tube fall, and the at least one upper cover breaks away from the plurality of grooves of the upper cover carrying tray.

Therefore, the test tube gland device can drive the test tube carrying tray and the test tube to ascend by utilizing the lifting table, and the test tube is jointed with the upper cover; when the jointing is completed, the lifting platform drives the test tube carrying tray and the test tube to descend, and the upper cover pressed with the test tube is separated from the plurality of containing grooves of the upper cover carrying tray in a proper way and descends along with the test tube. Accordingly, the invention has flexible and elastic configuration, can cover only test tubes loaded with liquid to be detected, can cover test tubes with specific number and specific positions, and does not need whole-disc cover; moreover, the whole configuration of the equipment is more compact, the mechanism components and the action modes are quite simple, the equipment is stable and reliable, and the equipment has cost advantages.

In addition, in the ascending process of the test tube carrying tray and the test tube, the invention can utilize the buckling claw on the lifting platform to buckle the material returning column of the test tube carrying tray until the gland is completed and the descending stroke is carried out, and the buckling claw can pull the test tube carrying tray to descend, so that all test tubes and the test tube carrying tray can be ensured to descend smoothly along with the lifting platform. Moreover, the lift drive module employed in the present invention may include a toggle mechanism, or other equivalent force doubling mechanism, to ensure that the lift table can exert sufficient engagement force.

In addition, the lifting platform of the invention can comprise a test tube seat which comprises a plurality of holes; the holes can correspond to the through grooves of the test tube carrier plate, and the opening diameter of each hole is smaller than the tube diameter of at least one test tube. Therefore, when the lifting table ascends, the holes of the test tube seat are sleeved on all the test tubes, and all the test tubes are lifted to be connected with the upper cover. In other words, since the diameter of the hole of the test tube holder is smaller than the maximum diameter of the test tube, when the test tube is inserted into the hole of the test tube holder, the hole slightly clamps the test tube, thereby driving the test tube to rise or fall without the need of the whole test tube carrier to be connected with the upper cover carrier, so that the whole gland action is quite reliable and stable.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a disk carrier transport module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a left side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing only the base plate, lift drive module, lift table, test tube tray and upper lid tray.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship of components such as a test tube holder, a test tube carrier, a cap carrier, and a press-in plate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the lift table in a lower limit position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing the lift table in the claw-action position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5C is a cross-sectional view showing the lift table in the upper limit position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Before the test tube capping device of the present invention is described in detail in this embodiment, it should be noted that in the following description, like components will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Moreover, the drawings of the present invention are by way of illustration only, and are not necessarily drawn to scale, nor are all details necessarily presented in the figures.

Referring to fig. 1, a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown; as shown in the figure, the test tube capping device of the present embodiment mainly includes a lifting table 4, a frame 5, a tray conveying module 91, a tray slide rail 92, and a lifting driving module 7; the frame 5 comprises a bottom plate 51, a top plate 52 and four guide pieces 53, the four guide pieces 53 are arranged between the bottom plate 51 and the top plate 52 and are respectively arranged at four corners, and the lifting platform 4 is arranged at the four guide pieces 53 and can relatively lift and slide; the lifting driving module 7 is assembled on the bottom plate 51 and is used for driving the lifting platform 4 to lift or descend. The guide 53 in this embodiment is a guide post, but not limited to this, and may be a combination of a guide rail and a slider, or other equivalent mechanism or component capable of guiding the lifting motion.

In addition, the tray conveying module 91 and the tray sliding rail 92 are assembled on the frame 5 and located between the bottom plate 51 and the top plate 52; the tray conveying module 91 in this embodiment is a conveying belt device, and is used for conveying the test tube tray 3 into or away from between the lifting platform 4 and the top plate 52; that is, the test tube tray 3 on which the test tube T is placed can be automatically loaded or unloaded from the apparatus by the conveyor belt. On the other hand, the tray sliding rail 92 is used for guiding the upper cover tray 2 to enter or depart from between the tray conveying module 91 and the top plate 52; in this embodiment, the upper cover C is manually pulled out when the upper cover C is to be replenished, and the upper cover carrier plate 2 is pushed in after the upper cover C is loaded in the corresponding position. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, a fully automatic capping method, such as a robotic arm (not shown), may be used.

Please refer to fig. 1, fig. 2, fig. 3 and fig. 4; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a removable tray transport module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a left side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing only the bottom plate 51, lift drive module 7, lift table 4, test tube carrier 3 and upper lid carrier 2; fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship of components such as a test tube holder 41, a test tube holder 3, a cap holder 2, and a press-in plate 6 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The following describes the relevant mechanism for realizing the lifting action in this embodiment, in which the lifting drive module 7 mainly includes a motor 71, a screw 72, a screw slider 73, and a toggle mechanism 74, in which the motor 71 is assembled to the base plate 51, the screw 72 is power-connected to the motor 71, and the screw slider 73 is coupled to the screw 72, and the toggle mechanism 74 is hinged between the base plate 51, the screw slider 73, and the lifting table 4.

Accordingly, when the motor 71 drives the screw 72 to rotate, the screw 72 drives the screw slider 73 to horizontally move, and the lifting table 4 is driven to rise or fall by the toggle mechanism 74. The purpose of the toggle mechanism 74 is to ensure sufficient force application in this embodiment; through practical simulation and measurement, the toggle mechanism 74 of the present embodiment will provide a force in excess of 120 kg, which is more than sufficient for the required gland force for all sizes of tube trays 3. However, the present invention is not limited to the toggle mechanism 74, and any equivalent mechanism or component that can drive the lifting platform 4 to lift and provide a specific force can be applied to the present invention, for example, a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder can be directly used.

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 4, a tube seat 41 is disposed on the lifting platform 4, the tube seat 41 includes a plurality of holes 411 corresponding to the plurality of through slots 31 of the tube carrier 3, and an opening diameter of each hole 411 is smaller than a tube diameter of the test tube T; taking the conical test tube as an example in the drawing, the opening diameter of the hole 411 of the test tube holder 41 is smaller than the maximum tube diameter of the test tube T, so the test tube T will be only partially inserted into the hole 411 of the test tube holder 41, and the test tube T will be clamped on the hole 411 after being inserted, so that the test tube holder 41 drives the test tube T to rise and fall. The press-in plate 6 is provided on the lower surface of the top plate 52 and is made of rubber having a cushioning property; the main purpose of the pressing plate 6 is that when the capping is performed, excessive or uneven force can be absorbed, so that smoothness of the capping process can be improved, and each test tube T can be engaged with the upper cap C.

With continued reference to fig. 4, as shown in the drawing, the upper cover C of the present embodiment is a strip-shaped upper cover, so the container 21 is also in the form of a long slot, and each upper cover C is only engaged in the container 21 through about 3 contact points, so that it can be easily separated. In addition, a positioning hole 22 is respectively arranged at the peripheral edge of the upper cover carrying disc 2, and is a slotted hole; the long axis direction of the positioning hole 22 adjacent to the grip 23 is the same as the length direction of the container 21, and the long axis direction of the positioning hole 22 far from the grip 23 is the same as the width direction of the container 21.

In addition, a material returning post 32 is respectively disposed at the peripheral edge of the test tube carrier 3, which penetrates the upper and lower surfaces of the test tube carrier 3, and the portion of the material returning post 32 protruding from the upper surface of the test tube carrier 3 is a positioning end 321. When the test tube T is engaged with the upper cap C, the positioning end 321 will be inserted into the positioning hole 22 of the upper cap carrier plate 2: in this embodiment, the orientation of the positioning holes 22 are set to be different, and when the positioning end 321 is inserted into the positioning hole 22, the positioning hole 22 with a oblong hole shape can absorb the displacement error between the test tube carrier 3 and the upper cover carrier 2, so that the positioning of the test tube carrier 3 and the upper cover carrier 2 is easier and more accurate.

With continued reference to fig. 2 and 3, four upright posts 54 are erected on the bottom plate 51 (see fig. 2), four locking claws 8 are assembled on the lifting platform 4, and the positions of the four upright posts 54 correspond to the four locking claws 8 respectively; each latch 8 includes a first end 81, a second end 82, a middle pivot 83, and a spring 84, wherein the middle pivot 83 is disposed between the first end 81 and the second end 82 and pivotally connected to the tube holder 41, and the spring 84 is disposed between the second end 82 and the tube holder 41. Wherein the spring 84 will be used to urge the second end 82 away from the test tube holder 41, i.e. to urge the first end 81 of the catch 8 to catch the ejector pin 32; and the post 54 will serve to prop against the second end 82 of the locking pawl 8 against the spring force of the spring 84, allowing the first end 81 of the locking pawl 8 to release the ejector pin 32.

To further illustrate, please refer to fig. 5A, which is a cross-sectional view illustrating the lifting platform 4 in the lower limit position P2 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; as shown in the figures, when the lifting platform 4 is in the lower limit position P2 of the lifting stroke, the upright 54 props against the second end 82 of the locking claw 8, while the first end 81 of the locking claw 8 is tilted. Next, please refer to fig. 5B, which is a cross-sectional view illustrating the lifting platform in the position of the claw action Pr according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; as the lifting table 4 is lifted, when the lifting table 42 reaches the gripper actuating position Pr, the tapered tip of the upright 54 gradually disengages the second end 82 of the gripper 8 from the upright 54, and the first end 81 of the gripper 8 also gradually grips the ejector pin 32 of the test tube carrier 3.

As shown in fig. 5C, fig. 5C is a cross-sectional view showing the lifting platform 4 in the upper limit position P1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; when the lifting table 42 moves away from the jaw actuation position Pr and gradually moves up to the upper limit position P1, the jaw 8 has completely disengaged from the post 54, and the first end 81 of the jaw 8 has also buckled the ejector post 32, and the test tube T has also been inserted into the hole 411 of the test tube holder 41. Then, the lifting table 4 will continue to rise until the lifting table 4 reaches the upper limit position P1, however, the test tube holder 41 will push the test tube T up with the lifting table 4, so that the open end of the test tube T is engaged with the upper cap C.

When the test tube T is completely engaged with the upper cover C, the lifting table 4 starts to descend, and at this time, the first end 81 of the locking claw 8 still locks the material returning post 32, so that the lifting table 4 will pull the test tube carrier 3 to descend, and the upper cover C is separated from the accommodating groove 21 of the upper cover carrier 2. Then, when the lifting platform 4 descends to reach the latch actuating position Pr, please refer to fig. 5B, after the second end 82 of the latch 8 contacts the post 54, the first end 81 of the latch 8 is tilted to release the material returning post 32, so that the test tube carrier 3 can stay on the carrier transporting module 91 (please refer to fig. 1). At this time, the lifting table 4 will still further descend to the lower limit position P2, please refer to fig. 5A, and during the descending process, the test tube T will gradually disengage from the hole 411 of the test tube holder 41, so that the test tube T will stay on the tray conveying module 91 together with the test tube tray 3.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the test tube seat 41 is lifted by the lifting table 4 to lift the test tube T to engage the upper cover C, so that only the test tube T that needs to be capped engages the upper cover, and the whole-disc capping is not required. In addition, in this embodiment, the movable locking claw 8 pulls the test tube carrier 3 to descend, so that the test tube carrier 3 can be ensured to descend smoothly and stay on the carrier transport module 91 after capping. However, the tube holder 41 of the present embodiment may be made of elastic material, such as rubber, so that the upper cover C can be smoothly separated from the accommodating groove 21 of the upper cover carrier 2 due to the friction force formed between the tube holder and the tube holder when the tube T is inserted into the hole 411 of the tube holder 41; and when the test tube carrier 3 stays on the carrier transport module 91 and the lifting platform 4 continues to descend, the test tube T can be easily separated from the hole 411.

On the other hand, although not shown in the drawings, the present embodiment also has a plurality of detection devices, including a cover sensor disposed above the top plate 52, which can be used to detect the position of the cover to be replenished, and the presence or absence of the test tube; a tray position sensor provided on the tray transfer module 91, which can be used to detect the real-time position of the test tube tray 3.

The above embodiments are merely examples for convenience of description, and the scope of the invention claimed should be construed as limited to the above embodiments.

Symbol description

2: upper cover carrying disc

3: test tube carrying disc

4: lifting table

5: rack

6: press-in plate

7: lifting driving module

8: fastening claw

21: container groove

22: positioning hole

23: handle for holding

31: through groove

32: material returning column

41: test tube holder

51: bottom plate

52: top plate

53: guide piece

54: upright post

71: motor with a motor housing

72: screw rod

73: screw slider

74: toggle mechanism

81: first end

82: second end

83: middle section pivot

84: spring

91: carrier tray conveying module

92: slide rail for carrying tray

321: positioning end

411: holes and holes

C: upper cover

T: test tube

P1: upper limit position

P2: lower limit position

Pr: the action position of the buckling claw.

Claims (10)

1. A test tube capping device, comprising:

an upper cover carrier tray including a plurality of receiving grooves for receiving at least one upper cover;

a test tube carrier tray comprising a plurality of through slots for receiving at least one test tube; and

a lifting table for lifting or lowering at least one of the test tube tray and the at least one test tube;

when the lifting platform makes at least one of the test tube carrying tray and the at least one test tube rise, and makes the at least one test tube approach and joint with the at least one upper cover, the lifting platform makes at least one of the test tube carrying tray and the at least one test tube descend, and the at least one upper cover is separated from the plurality of accommodating grooves of the upper cover carrying tray.

2. The test tube capping device of claim 1, wherein the lift table comprises a test tube holder comprising a plurality of holes; the holes correspond to the through grooves of the test tube carrier plate, and the opening diameter of each hole is smaller than the tube diameter of the at least one test tube; when the lifting table ascends, the holes of the test tube seat are sleeved on the at least one test tube, and the at least one test tube is lifted to be connected with the at least one upper cover.

3. The test tube capping device of claim 1, further comprising a frame, a lifting driving module and a pressing plate, wherein the frame comprises a bottom plate, a top plate and a plurality of guide members, the guide members are assembled between the bottom plate and the top plate, the lifting table is assembled on the guide members and can relatively lift and slide, and the lifting driving module is assembled on the bottom plate and is used for driving the lifting table to lift or descend; the pressing-in plate group is arranged on the top plate; the upper cover carrying disc and the test tube carrying disc can be selectively inserted into or separated from the space between the lifting table and the pressing-in plate.

4. The test tube capping device of claim 3, wherein the elevation drive module comprises a motor, a screw slider and a toggle mechanism, the motor being assembled to the base plate, the screw being in power connection with the motor, the screw slider being coupled to the screw, the toggle mechanism being hinged between the base plate, the screw slider and the elevation table.

5. The test tube capping device according to claim 3, further comprising at least one upright and at least one locking claw, wherein the at least one upright is erected on the bottom plate, and the at least one locking claw is assembled on the lifting platform; the test tube carrying disc comprises at least one material returning column; when the at least one test tube is jointed with the at least one upper cover, the at least one buckling claw buckles the at least one material returning column, and the at least one upright drives the at least one buckling claw to release the at least one material returning column after the at least one buckling claw pulls the test tube carrying disc to descend and touch the at least one upright along with the descending of the lifting platform.

6. The tube capping device of claim 5, wherein the at least one stripper column extends toward the upper surface of the tube carrier and protrudes beyond the locating end; the upper cover carrying disc comprises at least one positioning hole; inserting the positioning end of the at least one material returning column into the positioning hole when the at least one test tube is jointed with the at least one upper cover; the at least one positioning hole is a slotted hole.

7. The test tube capping device of claim 5, wherein the lift drive module drives the lift table to slide between an upper limit position, a snap-jaw action position, and a lower limit position, the snap-jaw action position being between the upper limit position and the lower limit position; in one lifting stroke of the lifting platform, when the lifting platform reaches the buckling claw action position, the at least one buckling claw is separated from the at least one upright post and buckles the at least one material returning post, and the lifting platform continues to lift to the upper limit position; in a descending stroke of the lifting platform, when the lifting platform reaches the buckling claw action position, the at least one upright post acts on the at least one buckling claw to drive the at least one buckling claw to release the at least one material returning post, and the lifting platform continues to descend to the lower limit position.

8. The tube capping device of claim 7, wherein the at least one latch comprises a first end, a second end, a middle pivot and a spring, the middle pivot being located between the first end and the second end and pivotally connected to the lift table; the spring is positioned between the second end and the lifting platform; in the lifting stroke of the lifting platform, when the lifting platform reaches the action position of the buckling claw, the at least one upright post is separated from the second end of the at least one buckling claw, and the spring drives the first end to buckle the at least one material returning post; in the descending stroke of the lifting platform, when the lifting platform reaches the action position of the buckling claw, the at least one upright post is abutted against the second end of the at least one buckling claw, so that the first end is separated from the at least one material returning post.

9. The test tube capping device of claim 3, further comprising a tray conveying module, wherein the tray conveying module is arranged on the frame and is used for conveying the test tube tray into or away from between the lifting platform and the pressing plate.

10. The tube capping device of claim 9, further comprising a tray slide rail assembled on the frame and located between the tray transport module and the pressing plate for guiding the upper cap tray into or away from between the tray transport module and the pressing plate.