JP2007155656A - Fluid feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To directly operate linearly a pipe material without interposing an intermediate member, when operating linearly the pipe material using a direct-driven motor, to compactify a positioning mechanism for operating linearly the pipe material, to eliminate an error caused by the intermediate member, and to enhance positioning precision. <P>SOLUTION: In this fluid feeder 1 for delivering and/or sucking a fluid, the motor is constituted of the direct-driven motor 8 for operating linearly a motor shaft 10 relatively to a motor main body 11, when operating linearly the pipe material 7 interposed in a fluid supply passage, the pipe material 7 is insertion-fixed to a shaft hole 10a formed along an axial center of the motor shaft 10, and the insertion-fixed pipe material 7 is operated linearly based on driving of the direct-driven motor 8. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid supply device such as a dispenser that discharges and / or sucks fluid.

  In general, in sample analysis processes, it is necessary to perform highly accurate positioning when dispensing reagents, moving containers, reacting specimens in containers, stirring, etc. For example, liquids such as reagents are placed in multiple containers. A dispenser that injects in a distributed manner, an agitator that stirs a sample in a test tube by inserting a stirring rod, an analysis of a sample in a container by stopping proximity of various sensors, an analyzer that promotes a reaction, and the like are known. Many of these apparatuses are provided with a linear positioning drive mechanism that linearly moves the operating body. For example, a dispenser is provided with a linear positioning drive mechanism that linearly operates needles that serve as a discharge port and a suction port for a reagent solution. .

  However, the conventional linear positioning drive mechanism uses a rotary motor with a rotating motor shaft as a power source, connects one end of a feed screw to the motor shaft via a coupling, and connects the middle to an operating body via a connecting nut member. Since it has a structure in which the other end is rotatably supported on the base body, the number of parts and the structure of the drive mechanism are complicated, and there is an inconvenience that increases the cost.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate the need for such a complicated mechanism and to make it inexpensive, a linear positioning mechanism using a linear motor as a power source has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). The linear motion motor described in Patent Document 1 includes a motor shaft formed of a screw shaft and a motor body in which a rotating nut that is screwed to the motor shaft is housed, and the motor shaft is relatively moved by rotational driving of the rotating nut. However, in the linear positioning mechanism, a so-called linear shaft motor can be applied. This linear shaft motor includes a motor shaft made up of rod-shaped magnets in which N poles and S poles are alternately arranged, and a motor main body with a coil member incorporated therein, and the motor shaft is relatively straightened by excitation of the coil member. It operates (for example, refer to Patent Documents 2 to 5).

  The linear positioning mechanism described in Patent Document 1 is applied to a cylinder unit that dispenses a reagent, and a piston is linearly operated by a driving force of a linear motion motor. It is also proposed to apply to linear motion of pipe material. For example, if a linear motion motor is connected to the dispensing device (2) shown in Patent Document 6, a linear motion of the needle (11) by the linear motion motor is possible.

However, in such a linear positioning mechanism, since the dispensing device (2) is interposed between the linear motion motor and the needle (11), it is difficult to make the device compact. In particular, in a linear positioning mechanism in which a plurality of needles (11) are connected in series or each of these needles (11) is independently linearly operated, not only the size of the apparatus and the complexity of the structure are significant. There is a problem that the cost is significantly increased. In this case, in addition to errors such as screwing tolerance of the linear motion motor itself, there are errors in connection between the linear motion motor and the dispensing device (2) and mounting errors of the needle (11) with respect to the dispensing device (2). This may affect the required positioning accuracy.
JP 2004-308690 A JP 2004-125699 A JP 2004-129440 A JP 2004-129441 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-297844 JP-A-2005-24477

  The present invention was devised to eliminate such problems as described above, and is intended to linearly move the fluid supply path using a linear motion motor. The linear positioning mechanism that linearly moves the fluid supply path can be made compact, and as a result, it is possible to make the linear positioning mechanism compact. In particular, a plurality of fluid supply paths are connected in series, or these fluid supply paths In the linear positioning mechanism that linearly moves each independently, not only the downsizing of the device and the simplification of the structure become remarkable, but also the cost can be greatly reduced, and the error due to the intermediate member is increased. An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid supply apparatus that can eliminate the problem and improve positioning accuracy.

  In order to solve the above problems, a fluid supply apparatus according to the present invention is a fluid supply apparatus that discharges and / or sucks fluid. When the fluid supply path is linearly operated by driving a motor, the motor is connected to the motor body. A linear motion motor that relatively linearly moves the motor shaft, and a shaft hole formed along the axis of the motor shaft is used as a fluid supply path, and the fluid supply path is used for the linear motion motor. A linear operation is performed based on the drive.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, the fluid supply path is linearly operated using a linear motor, and the fluid supply path is directly linearly operated without using an intermediate member. As a result, the linear positioning mechanism that linearly operates the fluid supply path can be made compact. In particular, a plurality of fluid supply paths can be connected in series, or these fluid supply paths can be independently operated linearly. In the linear positioning mechanism, not only the miniaturization of the device and the simplification of the structure become remarkable, but also the cost can be greatly reduced, and further, the increase in error due to the intermediate member is eliminated, and the positioning accuracy is improved. I can plan.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a fluid supply apparatus that exemplifies an embodiment of the present invention as a preferred embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a fluid supply apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the fluid supply apparatus 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied to a dispenser (quantitative dispenser) that dispenses (discharges) a test solution (fluid) to a specimen container 2. In the specimen container 2, the test solution container 3 for storing the test solution, the pump 5 for sucking the test solution from the test solution container 3 through the tube 4, and the test solution sent from the pump 5 through the flexible tube 6 A pipe material (part of the fluid supply path) 7 to be discharged into the pipe, a linear motion motor 8 that linearly moves the pipe material 7 in the vertical direction, and a bracket 9 that supports the linear motion motor 8 and the pipe material 7 Composed.

  A linear motion motor 8 according to the first embodiment includes a motor shaft 10 formed of a bar magnet in which N poles and S poles are alternately arranged, and a motor main body 11 having a coil member therein, and the motor shaft is excited by excitation of the coil member. 10 is a linear shaft motor that relatively linearly operates 10. Normally, the motor shaft 10 of a linear shaft motor is configured by arranging disk-shaped magnets (permanent magnets) 12 constituting N poles and S poles in series in an outer pipe 13. The shaft 10 is formed with a shaft hole 10a penetrating the shaft center portion by applying a donut-shaped magnet 12 having a round hole formed in the center. The bracket 9 is a U-shaped fixing member in a front view. The bracket 9 fixes and supports the motor body 11 of the linear motor 8 and supports the motor shaft 10 slidably up and down via a pair of upper and lower guides 14. Yes.

  The pipe material 7 is, for example, a stainless steel tube, and a needle portion 7 a serving as a reagent solution discharge port is formed at a lower end portion of the pipe material 7, and an upper end portion is connected to the pump 5 via the tube 6. The linear motion of the pipe material 7 by the linear motion motor 8 is directly performed without an intermediate member. Specifically, the pipe material 7 is inserted and fixed in the shaft hole 10 a formed along the axis of the motor shaft 10, and the pipe material 7 inserted and fixed is linearly moved in the vertical direction based on the drive of the linear motion motor 8. Make it work. In this case, the shaft hole 10 a is used as a supply path, and the supply path as a flow path is configured as a pipe material 7.

  The pipe material 7 is preferably detachable with respect to the motor shaft 10 in order to enable cleaning and replacement. For example, an upper stopper plate 15 is fixed to the upper end portion of the pipe material 7 and a detachable lower stopper plate 16 is attached to the lower end portion. In this way, after the pipe material 7 is inserted into the shaft hole 10a of the motor shaft 10 from above, the lower stopper plate 16 is attached to the lower end portion of the pipe material 7 so that the pipe material 7 is attached to the motor shaft 10 and fixed. The pipe material 7 can be detached from the motor shaft 10 by the reverse procedure. In the present embodiment, the upper limit of the motor shaft 10 is detected by detecting the lower stopper plate 16 with the photo sensor 17 provided on the bracket 9. The bracket 9 is provided with a brake solenoid 18, and the brake shaft 18 is braked on the outer periphery of the motor shaft 10, whereby the stop position of the motor shaft 10 is maintained.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the fluid supply apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. However, about the structure common to the said embodiment, the same code | symbol as the said embodiment is attached | subjected and description of the said embodiment is used.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a fluid supply apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the fluid supply apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention is different from the above embodiment in that the motor shaft 10 is linearly guided by a linear guide mechanism 19. The linear guide mechanism 19 is, for example, a U-shaped movable part 20 that integrally supports upper and lower ends of the motor shaft 10 and guides the movable part 20 to the fixed part 21 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. A guide portion 22 is provided. When the linear guide mechanism 19 is used to linearly guide the motor shaft 10, not only the support strength of the motor shaft 10 is increased, but also the motor shaft 10 is linearly guided with higher accuracy than the motor body 11 to improve positioning accuracy. Can be planned.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a fluid supply apparatus 1C according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. However, about the structure common to the said embodiment, the same code | symbol as the said embodiment is attached | subjected and description of the said embodiment is used.

  FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a fluid supply apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the fluid supply device 1C according to the third embodiment of the present invention shows an application example to a dispensing device that performs a dispensing step of sucking, storing, and discharging a test solution. The point which uses a linear stepping motor as the dynamic motor 23, and the point provided with the cylinder unit 24 instead of a pump differ from the said embodiment. The linear stepping motor used as the linear motion motor 23 includes a motor shaft 25 formed of a screw shaft, and a motor main body 26 provided with a rotating nut screwed into the motor shaft 25. The motor shaft 25 is driven by rotation of the rotating nut. The motor shaft 25 needs to be prevented from rotating when used, but is not only cheaper than a linear shaft motor but also has no brake applied. There is also an advantage that the stop position of the motor shaft 25 can be held. Further, if the pipe material 7 is inserted and fixed in the shaft hole 25a of the motor shaft 25 and a test solution (usually maintained at a low temperature) is flowed, the temperature rise of the motor shaft 25 can be suppressed. It becomes possible to suppress tolerance fluctuations and improve positioning accuracy.

The motor shaft 25 of the third embodiment is linearly guided by the linear guide mechanism 27 as in the second embodiment. The linear guide mechanism 27 is, for example, a U-shaped movable portion 28 that integrally supports upper and lower ends of the motor shaft 25 and guides the movable portion 28 to the fixed portion 29 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. A guide unit 30 is provided. When the motor shaft 25 is linearly guided using such a linear guide mechanism 27, not only the support strength of the motor shaft 25 is increased, but also the motor shaft 25 is linearly guided with higher accuracy than the motor body 26, and the positioning accuracy is improved. Can be planned. The cylinder unit 24 includes, for example, a syringe 31 that stores a test solution, a piston 32 that slides inside the syringe 31, and a motor (linear stepping motor) 33 that linearly operates the piston 32. .

  In the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, the fluid (sample solution) supply path in the fluid supply device 1 that discharges and / or sucks fluid is linearly operated by driving the linear motor 8. The motor shaft 10 of the linear motor 8 uses a shaft hole 10a formed along the axis thereof as a direct or indirect flow path as a fluid supply path. Since the linear operation is performed based on the drive, the shaft hole 10a is supplied with fluid to communicate with the pump 5 and the cylinder unit 24 to a metering dispenser or a dispensing device for discharging / inhaling the test solution. It can be used as a part of a path, and by a cylinder unit mechanism such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cylinder itself has a function of sucking, storing, and discharging a test solution, and a cylinder unit 3 of a cylinder unit 24. Respect may also be utilized as a fluid supply passage having a reservoir function. As a result, while the fluid supply path is linearly operated using the linear motor 8, the fluid supply path can be directly linearly operated without using an intermediate member. As a result, the fluid supply path The linear positioning mechanism that linearly moves the fluid can be made compact. In particular, in the linear positioning mechanism in which a plurality of fluid supply paths are connected in series or each of these fluid supply paths is independently operated linearly, the device In addition to the remarkable reduction in size and simplification of the structure, there is an advantage that the cost can be greatly reduced, and further, an increase in error due to the intermediate member can be eliminated and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

  Further, the fluid supply path is constituted by the pipe material 7, the pipe material is inserted and fixed in the shaft hole 10 a of the motor shaft 10, and the pipe material 7 inserted and fixed is configured in the fluid supply path, whereby the linear motion motor Since the linear movement is made based on the driving of the pipe 8, the pipe 7 can be operated directly without interposing an intermediate member between the linear motion motor 8 and the pipe 7 and, as a result, the pipe The linear positioning mechanism for linearly moving the material 7 can be made compact. In particular, in a linear positioning mechanism in which a plurality of pipe members 7 are connected in series or each of these pipe members 7 is independently linearly operated, not only the downsizing of the apparatus and the simplification of the structure become remarkable. A significant cost reduction can be achieved. In addition, since the increase in error due to the intermediate member is eliminated, the positioning accuracy can be improved.

  Moreover, since the pipe material 7 is detachable from the motor shaft 10, it can be arbitrarily cleaned and replaced. For example, it is possible to cope with a usage mode such as replacing the pipe material 7 with a new one every certain period of use, or removing the pipe material 7 and cleaning it every time the type of the test solution is changed. Moreover, since the diameter dimension of the pipe material 7 can be arbitrarily selected within the range of the diameter dimension of the shaft hole 10a, there is an advantage that the versatility of the dispenser (fluid supply device) is enhanced. Moreover, since the pipe material 7 of this embodiment has the needle part 7a in one end part, compared with the case where a needle is comprised with another member, reduction of a number of parts and cost reduction can be aimed at.

  The linear motion motor 8 of the present embodiment includes a motor shaft 10 composed of a bar magnet in which N poles and S poles are alternately arranged, and a motor main body 11 with a coil member provided therein, and the motor is excited by excitation of the coil member. Since the linear shaft motor relatively moves the shaft 10 linearly, it is possible not only to ensure as long a linear operation stroke as possible, but also to prevent the motor shaft 10 from rotating.

It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid supply apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the fluid supply apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid supply apparatus which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1A Fluid supply device 1B Fluid supply device 1C Fluid supply device 2 Sample container 3 Sample solution container 4 Tube 5 Pump 6 Tube 7 Pipe material 7a Needle part 8 Direct acting motor 9 Bracket 10 Motor shaft 10a Shaft hole 11 Motor body 12 Magnet 13 Outer pipe 14 Guide 15 Upper Stop Plate 16 Lower Stop Plate 17 Photo Sensor 18 Brake Solenoid 19 Linear Guide Mechanism 20 Movable Part 21 Fixed Part 22 Guide Part 23 Linear Motion Motor 24 Cylinder Unit 25 Motor Shaft 25a Shaft Hole 26 Motor Main Body 27 Linear Guide Mechanism 28 Movable part 29 Fixed part 30 Guide part 31 Syringe 32 Piston

Claims (6)

  In a fluid supply apparatus that discharges and / or sucks fluid, when the fluid supply path is linearly operated by driving the motor, the motor is constituted by a linear motion motor that linearly operates the motor shaft relative to the motor body. And using a shaft hole formed along the axis of the motor shaft as a fluid supply path, and linearly operating the fluid supply path based on the drive of the linear motion motor. .   The fluid supply path is made of a pipe material, and the pipe material is inserted and fixed in the shaft hole of the motor shaft. The pipe material thus inserted and fixed is formed in the fluid supply path, and based on the driving of the linear motion motor. The fluid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply device is linearly operated.   The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pipe member is detachable from the motor shaft.   A needle serving as a fluid discharge port and / or suction port is formed at one end of the pipe material, and a pump and / or cylinder unit is connected to the other end of the pipe material via a flexible tube. The fluid supply device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein   The linear motion motor includes a motor shaft made of a rod-shaped magnet in which N poles and S poles are alternately arranged, and a motor body with a coil member incorporated therein, and the motor shaft is relatively linearly aligned by excitation of the coil member. 5. The fluid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply device is a linear shaft motor that is operated. The linear motion motor includes a motor shaft formed of a screw shaft and a motor main body having a rotary nut screwed into the motor shaft, and relatively linearly moves the motor shaft by rotationally driving the rotary nut. 5. The fluid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply apparatus is a linear stepping motor.