JP2008246446A - Automatic washing/drying method and automatic washing/drying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for washing/drying a vessel used to prepare an efficiently analytical test solution that is incorporated into an automatic analyzer continuously performing automatic analyses, can conveniently and definitely wash an inner bottom and an inner circumferential plane of the vessel without changing positions of the cylindrical vessel with a bottom used in an analytical pretreatment device where an analytical reagent solution is continuously prepared, discharges waste liquid, and performs drying, easily performs control, and is excellent in workability in each step. <P>SOLUTION: The system includes an inner bottom washing step that washes the inner bottom of the vessel supported with an opening kept upwardly, an inner circumferential plane washing step that washes the inner circumferential plane of the vessel, a suctioning/discharging step that suctions/discharges the washing liquid and debris left inside the vessel, a drying step that dries an inside of the vessel, and a vessel rotating step that rotates the vessel in at least any of the inner bottom washing step, inner circumferential plane washing step, suctioning/discharging step, and drying step. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be incorporated into an automatic analyzer that performs automatic analysis continuously, and is an automatic cleaning / drying method and automatic cleaning / drying of a bottomed cylindrical container used in an analysis pretreatment apparatus that produces a sample liquid for analysis. Related to the machine.

Conventionally, various methods for washing and drying containers and washing dryers have been studied depending on the type, shape, and application of the container.
For example, (Patent Document 1) discloses a cleaning method and a cleaning apparatus suitable for cleaning and drying a container having a protruding portion protruding inside the container main body.
Further, in Patent Document 2, in order to reuse an electrophotographic developing unit, a cleaning unit, a toner container, etc., dirt such as toner adhering to those objects to be cleaned is removed. A suitable dry cleaning method is disclosed.
JP 2006-314936 A JP-A-9-75876

However, the above conventional technique has the following problems.
(1) The cleaning method and the cleaning apparatus of (Patent Document 1) are suitable for cleaning a container in which the protruding portion protrudes from the container mouth portion into the container, and have a problem that it lacks versatility.
Further, since the container is supported so that the container mouth is opened downward, the cleaning fluid and the drying fluid must be sprayed from the bottom to the top in order to clean the inner bottom surface of the container. There is a problem that the force of the fluid is difficult to be transmitted to the container and the efficiency of the cleaning operation is lacking.
Furthermore, since it has the protrusion part which protruded in the container inside from the container opening part, there exists a subject that residues, such as a washing | cleaning liquid and a residue, are easy to accumulate in the base of a protrusion part, and lack in the reliability of washing | cleaning.
In order to suck the residue accumulated at the base of the protruding portion, the structure of the suction pipe becomes complicated, the mass productivity is lacking, the cleaning process becomes complicated, and the workability is lacking.
In addition, when a wiping portion for wiping the inner wall of the container is provided, the mechanism becomes complicated, and in particular, by using a brush, there is a problem that contamination is likely to occur and the reliability of cleaning is lacking. Yes.
Furthermore, since it is necessary to perform the cleaning operation while relatively moving the container and the nozzle or the container and the suction pipe by the moving mechanism and the advancing / retreating mechanism, there is a problem that the control is complicated and the handling property and the efficiency of the cleaning operation are lacking. Have.
Since (2) (Patent Document 2) is a dry cleaning method, the use of washable containers is limited, and there is a problem of lacking versatility.
In particular, the container after using a solution such as a slurry has a problem that it is difficult to remove the adhered residue in a dry cleaning method in which cleaning is performed only by air injection and suction, and the reliability of cleaning is lacking. ing.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and can be incorporated into an automatic analyzer that performs automatic analysis continuously, and is a cylindrical container with a bottom that is used in an analysis pretreatment apparatus that produces a sample solution for analysis. Efficient automatic cleaning and drying method that can easily and reliably clean, drain and dry the inner bottom surface and inner peripheral surface without changing the posture of the machine, is easy to control, and has excellent workability in each process It is possible to clean and dry every corner of the container with a simple mechanism, and it is excellent in work efficiency and space saving, can be easily incorporated into a pretreatment system for analysis, and is easy to automate. It is possible to provide an automatic washing and drying machine that is excellent in handling.

In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the automatic cleaning / drying method and the automatic cleaning / drying machine of the present invention have the following configurations.
The automatic washing / drying method according to claim 1 of the present invention is an automatic washing / drying method for the container used in an analytical pretreatment apparatus for continuously preparing a sample solution for analysis in a bottomed cylindrical container. An inner bottom surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner bottom surface of the container held with the opening facing upward, an inner peripheral surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner peripheral surface of the container, and a cleaning solution or residue accumulated in the container At least one of a suction discharge process for sucking and discharging the inside, a drying process for drying the inside of the container, the inner bottom surface cleaning process, the inner peripheral surface cleaning process, the suction discharge process, and the drying process. And a container rotating process for rotating the container around its axis during one process.
With this configuration, the following operation is obtained.
(1) Since there is an inner bottom surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner bottom surface of the container held with the opening facing upward, and an inner peripheral surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner peripheral surface of the container, the interior of the container is surely covered to every corner. It can be cleaned and has excellent reliability in cleaning work.
(2) By having a suction / discharge process that sucks and discharges the cleaning liquid and solid matter or gel residue collected in the inner bottom of the container, the internal cleaning liquid and residue can be removed while holding the container with the opening facing up. Since it can discharge | emit, it is not necessary to control the attitude | position of a container, a work process can be simplified and it is excellent in handling property.
(3) The inside of the container after the inner bottom surface cleaning process, inner peripheral surface cleaning process, and suction / discharge process can be reliably dried in a short time by the drying process, and the container can be immediately recovered and used. In addition, it is possible to continuously perform a cleaning operation on a plurality of containers, and the work efficiency is excellent.
(4) For each of the inner bottom surface cleaning process, inner peripheral surface cleaning process, suction / discharge process, and drying process, a container rotating process that rotates the container around its axis can be combined to provide cleaning liquid and dry air inside the container. The efficiency and reliability of each process can be improved, and the working time can be shortened.

Here, examples of the sample solution for analysis handled by the pretreatment apparatus for analysis include soil eluate, industrial waste eluate, dissolved liquid such as granular material and resin, and slurry. In the pretreatment analyzer, a cylindrical container with a bottom is used to suspend various samples, elute the analytes contained in the sample, filter the sample solution for analysis, etc. In order to perform continuously, the container needs to be washed and dried automatically.
The inner bottom surface cleaning step and the inner peripheral surface cleaning step only have to be able to inject the cleaning liquid onto the inner bottom surface and the inner peripheral surface of the container. As the type of cleaning liquid, liquids such as tap water, industrial water, pure water, alcohol, etc., and those obtained by mixing detergent with these liquids are preferably used. Note that only one type of cleaning solution may be used, or a plurality of types may be selected and used.
A drying process should just spray a dry gas to the inner bottom face and inner peripheral surface of a container. As the kind of dry gas, air, argon, nitrogen or the like is preferably used. The time required for the drying step can be set in advance according to the size of the container.
Either the inner bottom surface cleaning step or the inner peripheral surface cleaning step may be performed first, or both may be performed simultaneously. In addition, the suction / discharge process may be performed continuously during each process of the inner bottom surface cleaning process, the inner peripheral surface cleaning process, and the drying process, or intermittently during each process or as a pre-process or a post-process of each process. You may go. In particular, when the suction and discharge process is performed simultaneously with the drying process, the cleaning liquid collected on the inner bottom surface of the container by the drying process can be sucked and discharged, and the reliability of the drying operation is excellent. By stopping the suction in the suction / discharge process after the spraying of the dry gas in the drying process is completed, the cleaning liquid can be reliably sucked and discharged to the end.

The container rotation process is not limited as long as the container can be rotated around its axis, and the rotation direction may be only one direction, or forward / reverse rotation may be switched.
The container rotation process may be continuously performed during each process of the inner bottom surface cleaning process, the inner peripheral surface cleaning process, the suction / discharge process, and the drying process, or is intermittently performed during each process or as a pre-process or a post-process of each process. It may be done automatically. In particular, when the container rotation process is started before the start of the suction / discharge process, the residue or cleaning liquid that has settled on the inner bottom surface of the container can be agitated in advance, and the residue can be dispersed in the cleaning liquid. In the process, the residue and the cleaning liquid can be sucked and discharged reliably and efficiently, and the reliability of the suction and discharge process is excellent.

The invention according to claim 2 is the automatic cleaning / drying method according to claim 1, wherein the inner bottom surface cleaning step performs cleaning by spraying a cleaning liquid onto the inner bottom center portion of the container. A cleaning step, and an inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step that performs cleaning by spraying a cleaning liquid to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface of the container, and between the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step and the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step, It has the structure provided with the internal peripheral surface washing | cleaning process.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the first aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) Inner bottom surface cleaning step is an inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step in which cleaning liquid is sprayed on the inner bottom surface center portion of the container and cleaning is performed by injecting cleaning liquid on the inner bottom surface periphery portion of the container. By having a part cleaning process, the inner bottom center of the container and the inner bottom peripheral part can be reliably cleaned according to the shape and area of the inner bottom of the container, and the versatility and reliability of the cleaning work can be improved. Excellent.
(2) First, by performing the inner bottom center washing process, the residue contained in the sample liquid for analysis that has settled in the inner bottom center of the container can be loosened and dispersed in the washing liquid. Can be discharged.
(3) By performing the inner peripheral surface cleaning step as a subsequent step of the inner bottom central portion cleaning step, the cleaning liquid and residues scattered by the inner bottom central portion cleaning step and adhered to the inner peripheral surface of the container are reliably cleaned. Since it can be removed and contamination can be prevented, it is excellent in cleaning reliability.
(4) By performing the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step as a subsequent step of the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, the residue collected on the inner bottom surface of the container together with the cleaning liquid is removed from the inner peripheral surface of the container in the inner peripheral surface cleaning step. It can be cleaned together with the residue adhering to the periphery of the inner bottom surface of the container, and is excellent in the reliability of the cleaning operation.

  Here, if the central part of the inner bottom surface of the container is recessed and residues etc. are likely to accumulate in the central part, the center of the inner bottom surface is intensively cleaned, the central part of the inner bottom surface is raised, and the peripheral part is recessed. In the case where residues and the like are likely to accumulate in the peripheral portion, the inner bottom surface can be reliably and efficiently cleaned by focusing on the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step. In particular, when the area of the inner bottom surface is large, the inner bottom surface can be cleaned to every corner by performing the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step and the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step, and the cleaning reliability is excellent.

The invention according to claim 3 is the automatic cleaning / drying method according to claim 2, wherein the inner bottom surface cleaning step agitates the cleaning liquid by injecting a gas into the cleaning liquid during the cleaning liquid injection step. It has the structure provided with the stirring process.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the second aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) The inner bottom surface cleaning step has a stirring step of stirring the cleaning liquid by injecting gas into the cleaning liquid during the cleaning liquid spraying step, so that the residue attached to the inner bottom surface of the container can be peeled off. Excellent reliability and efficiency.

  Here, air, argon, nitrogen, etc. are used suitably as gas injected in a washing | cleaning liquid at a stirring process. By injecting the gas into the cleaning liquid, the generated bubbles collide with the residue, the cleaning liquid is stirred, and the residue is peeled off and floats up. Since cleaning can be performed in a non-contact manner without using a brush or the like, contamination does not occur and reliability is excellent.

The invention according to claim 4 is the automatic cleaning and drying method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner peripheral surface cleaning step injects cleaning liquid onto the inner peripheral surface of the container. It has the structure provided with the process.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the first or second aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) Since the inner peripheral surface cleaning step includes an inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying step for injecting a cleaning liquid onto the inner peripheral surface of the container, residues adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the container can be reliably removed. Excellent reliability.
(2) By spraying the cleaning liquid onto the inner peripheral surface of the container in the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying process, the cleaning liquid and residues scattered by the inner bottom surface cleaning process and adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the container can be cleaned cleanly. , Contamination can be prevented and cleaning is highly reliable.

The invention according to claim 5 is the automatic cleaning and drying method according to claim 4, wherein the inner peripheral surface cleaning step injects a gas into the cleaning liquid during the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid injection step, and It has the structure provided with the stirring process which stirs a washing | cleaning liquid.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the fourth aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) The inner peripheral surface cleaning step has a stirring step of injecting gas into the cleaning liquid and stirring the cleaning liquid during the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying process, thereby removing the residue attached to the inner peripheral surface of the container. It is excellent in cleaning reliability and efficiency.
Here, since the stirring step is the same as that of claim 3, the description thereof is omitted.

The invention according to claim 6 is the automatic cleaning and drying method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drying step injects a dry gas onto the inner peripheral surface of the container. It has the structure provided with the gas injection process.
With this configuration, in addition to the action obtained in any one of claims 1 to 5, the following action is obtained.
(1) The drying process has a dry gas injection process for injecting dry gas onto the inner peripheral surface of the container, so that the inner peripheral surface can be reliably secured in a short time while blowing the cleaning liquid adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the container to the bottom surface side. It can be dried quickly and has excellent drying reliability and efficiency.

  Here, since dry gas is as having demonstrated in Claim 1, description is abbreviate | omitted. The direction in which the dry gas is injected in the dry gas injection step is preferably an obliquely downward direction. This is because the cleaning liquid adhering to the inner peripheral surface is moved to the bottom surface side, and the cleaning liquid collected on the inner bottom surface can be surely sucked and discharged in the suction / discharge process.

The invention according to claim 7 is the automatic cleaning and drying method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the suction and discharge step includes the inner bottom surface cleaning step, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, It has the structure performed during each process of the said drying process and / or after each process.
With this configuration, in addition to the action obtained in any one of claims 1 to 6, the following action is obtained.
(1) The suction / discharge process is performed during and / or after each of the inner bottom surface cleaning step, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, and the drying step. Each process can be continuously performed while the residue peeled off from the peripheral surface is reliably sucked and discharged, and the cleaning operation is highly efficient and reliable.

The automatic washing and drying machine according to claim 8 of the present invention is an automatic washing and drying machine for the container used in a pretreatment apparatus for analysis that continuously prepares a sample liquid for analysis in a bottomed cylindrical container. And a turntable having a container holding part for holding the bottom and / or outer peripheral part of the container with the opening facing upward, and cleaning that is inserted into the container from the opening and held in a non-contact manner with the container A cleaning unit that injects cleaning liquid and / or gas into the container, and suction that discharges the cleaning liquid and residues accumulated in the container. It has the structure provided with the nozzle and the dry gas injection nozzle which injects dry gas inside the said container.
With this configuration, the following operation is obtained.
(1) A turntable having a container holding portion for holding the bottom and / or outer periphery of the container with the opening of the container facing upward, and washing and drying inserted into the container through the opening and held in a non-contact manner with the container By providing the unit, the container can be securely held by the container holding unit during the cleaning and drying operations by the cleaning / drying unit, and only the container can be simply rotated independently of the cleaning / drying unit. Excellent efficiency and certainty of cleaning and drying work.
(2) Since the cleaning / drying unit includes the cleaning fluid ejecting unit that ejects the cleaning liquid and / or gas into the container, the interior of the container can be easily and reliably cleaned, and the cleaning reliability is excellent.
(3) Since the cleaning / drying unit has a suction nozzle that sucks and discharges the cleaning liquid and residue accumulated in the container, the cleaning liquid and the residue can be easily sucked and discharged while holding the opening of the container upward. Therefore, a special mechanism for controlling the attitude of the container is unnecessary, the structure can be simplified, and the space saving property is excellent.
(4) Since the washing / drying unit has a dry gas injection nozzle for injecting dry gas into the interior of the container, the interior of the container can be reliably dried in a short time, and the container is immediately recovered and used. Therefore, it is possible to continuously perform the cleaning operation on a plurality of containers, and the work efficiency is excellent.

Here, the container washer / dryer includes a vertical movement drive unit that moves up and down at least one of the rotary table and the cleaning / drying unit. Thereby, a turntable and a washing-drying unit can be moved up and down relatively, and alignment of both can be performed simply. The turntable can be rotated by a drive motor.
The cleaning fluid ejecting unit has one or a plurality of cleaning nozzles for ejecting cleaning liquid and / or gas. The number and arrangement of cleaning nozzles can be selected as appropriate according to the size and shape of the container, but the inner bottom center cleaning nozzle for cleaning the inner bottom center of the container and the inner bottom periphery of the container It is preferable to have an inner bottom peripheral portion cleaning nozzle for cleaning the inner peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle for cleaning the inner peripheral surface of the container.
The suction nozzle is arranged at a position where the cleaning liquid or the like accumulated at the bottom can be reliably sucked and discharged according to the shape of the bottom of the container. In the case where the bottom of the container is formed in a downward convex arc shape or the like, it is preferable that the suction nozzle is disposed in the center of the container so that the lower end of the nozzle is positioned in the vicinity of the inner bottom surface of the container.
The number and arrangement of the dry gas injection nozzles can be appropriately selected according to the length of the container, but a plurality of dry gas injection nozzles are arranged not only at the upper end of the container but also in the longitudinal direction of the container. Thus, the entire inner peripheral surface of the container can be surely dried without unevenness, and the reliability of the drying process can be improved.

The invention according to claim 9 is the automatic cleaning / drying machine according to claim 8, wherein an inner bottom center cleaning nozzle for injecting a cleaning liquid and / or gas to the inner bottom center of the container, and the container It has a configuration provided with at least one of an inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning nozzle that jets cleaning liquid and / or gas to the inner bottom surface peripheral portion.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the eighth aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) The cleaning fluid ejecting unit has an inner bottom center cleaning nozzle that ejects cleaning liquid and / or gas at the center of the inner bottom of the container, thereby reliably removing residues accumulated at the center of the inner bottom of the container. It can be used and has excellent cleaning reliability.
(2) By injecting the cleaning liquid and gas from the inner bottom center cleaning nozzle, bubbles can be generated in the cleaning liquid, so that the bubbles collide with the residue and the cleaning liquid is agitated. Since the residue can be surely peeled off and removed, the cleaning efficiency is excellent.

(3) The cleaning fluid ejecting unit has an inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning nozzle that ejects cleaning liquid and / or gas to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface of the container, thereby reliably removing residues attached to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface of the container. Therefore, even a container having a large bottom area can be reliably washed, and is excellent in versatility.
(4) By injecting the cleaning liquid and gas from the inner bottom periphery cleaning nozzle, bubbles can be generated in the cleaning liquid, so that the bubbles collide with the residue and the cleaning liquid is agitated. Since the residue can be surely peeled off and removed, the cleaning efficiency is excellent.
(5) By having both the inner bottom center cleaning nozzle and the inner bottom periphery cleaning nozzle, the entire inner bottom surface of the container can be reliably and efficiently even when the shape of the bottom surface of the container is complicated or the bottom area is large. It can be cleaned and has excellent reliability and versatility in cleaning work.

Here, it is preferable to arrange | position the inner bottom face center part washing | cleaning nozzle so that a lower end part may be located in the inner bottom face center part of a container. This is because the solid matter and the gel-like residue collected at the center of the inner bottom surface of the container are surely removed.
Further, the position and number of the inner bottom peripheral portion cleaning nozzles can be appropriately selected according to the shape and size of the container. The inner bottom surface periphery cleaning nozzle may be moved in the radial direction during the inner bottom surface cleaning process, but it is not necessary to have a drive unit by fixing it in an optimal position in advance according to the size of the container. In addition to being compact, it does not require complicated control and is easy to handle.

The invention described in claim 10 is the automatic cleaning dryer according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the cleaning fluid ejecting section injects cleaning liquid and / or gas onto the inner peripheral surface of the container. It has the structure provided with the surface washing nozzle.
With this configuration, in addition to the operation obtained in the eighth or ninth aspect, the following operation can be obtained.
(1) Since the cleaning fluid ejecting section has an inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle that injects cleaning liquid and / or gas onto the inner peripheral surface of the container, it is possible to reliably remove residues attached to the inner peripheral surface of the container. Therefore, every corner of the container can be reliably cleaned, and the cleaning reliability is excellent.
(2) By injecting the cleaning liquid and gas from the inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle, bubbles can be generated in the cleaning liquid, so that the bubbles collide with the residue, and the cleaning liquid is agitated to remove the residue from the inner peripheral surface of the container. Can be reliably peeled off and removed, so that the cleaning reliability is excellent.

  Here, the position and number of the inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle in the height direction can be appropriately selected according to the length of the container. The inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle may be moved in the vertical direction during the inner peripheral surface cleaning process, but it can be driven by fixing it in an optimal position in the height direction in advance according to the size of the container. No part is required and it is excellent in compactness, and complicated control is unnecessary and it is excellent in handleability.

As described above, according to the automatic cleaning and drying method and the automatic cleaning and drying machine of the present invention, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
(1) By having a suction / discharge step of sucking and discharging the cleaning liquid and residue accumulated in the inner bottom part of the container, the internal cleaning liquid, solid matter, and gel residue can be removed while holding the container with the opening facing upward. Since it can be discharged, there is no need to control the attitude of the container, the work process can be simplified, and an automatic washing and drying method that is easy to control and excellent in usability can be provided.
(2) For each of the inner bottom surface cleaning process, inner peripheral surface cleaning process, suction / discharge process, and drying process, a container rotating process that rotates the container around its axis can be combined to provide cleaning liquid and dry air inside the container. Thus, it is possible to provide an automatic washing and drying method excellent in usability, which is excellent in efficiency and certainty of each step, and can shorten the working time.

According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect described in claim 1, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
(1) In the inner bottom surface cleaning step, the inner bottom surface center portion cleaning step for cleaning the inner bottom surface center portion of the container and the inner bottom surface periphery portion cleaning step for cleaning the inner bottom surface periphery portion of the container are appropriately combined, thereby According to the shape and area of the bottom surface, it is possible to provide an automatic cleaning and drying method excellent in versatility and reliability of the cleaning operation that can reliably clean the central portion of the inner bottom surface and the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface of the container. .
(2) By performing the inner peripheral surface cleaning step between the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step and the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step, the analysis sample liquid precipitated on the inner bottom surface central portion of the container in the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step After the contained residue is loosened and dispersed in the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid and residue adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the container can be washed in the inner peripheral surface cleaning process and collected on the inner bottom surface of the container. By cleaning the residue adhering to the periphery of the inner bottom surface of the container in the peripheral cleaning process, it is possible to reliably clean every corner of the container, and automatic cleaning with excellent reliability of cleaning that can prevent contamination A cleaning and drying method can be provided.

According to invention of Claim 3, in addition to the effect of Claim 1 or 2, the following advantageous effects are acquired.
(1) Since the inner bottom surface cleaning step includes an agitation step in which gas is injected into the cleaning liquid and the cleaning liquid is stirred during the cleaning liquid injection step, the residue attached to the inner bottom surface of the container can be peeled off. It is possible to provide an automatic washing and drying method that is excellent in efficiency and efficiency.

According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effect described in claim 1 or 2, the following advantageous effect is obtained.
(1) The inner peripheral surface cleaning step includes an inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying step for spraying the cleaning liquid onto the inner peripheral surface of the container, so that not only the residue adhered to the inner peripheral surface of the container but also the inner bottom surface cleaning in the previous step It is possible to provide an automatic cleaning / drying method excellent in the reliability of cleaning that can reliably remove the cleaning liquid and residues scattered by the process and adhered to the inner peripheral surface of the container, and can prevent the occurrence of contamination.

According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effect described in claim 4, the following advantageous effect can be obtained.
(1) The inner peripheral surface cleaning step has a stirring step of injecting gas into the cleaning liquid and stirring the cleaning liquid during the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying process, thereby removing the residue attached to the inner peripheral surface of the container. Therefore, it is possible to provide an automatic cleaning / drying method having excellent cleaning reliability and efficiency.

According to the invention described in claim 6, in addition to the effect described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
(1) The drying process has a dry gas injection process for injecting dry gas onto the inner peripheral surface of the container, so that the inner peripheral surface can be reliably secured in a short time while blowing the cleaning liquid adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the container to the bottom surface side. Thus, it is possible to provide an automatic washing and drying method excellent in drying reliability and efficiency.

According to the invention described in claim 7, in addition to the effect described in any one of claims 1 to 6, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
(1) By performing a suction / discharge process during and / or after each of the inner bottom surface cleaning step, inner peripheral surface cleaning step, and drying step, the inner bottom surface or inner peripheral surface of the cleaning liquid sprayed in each step and the container Thus, it is possible to provide an automatic cleaning / drying method excellent in the efficiency and certainty of the cleaning operation capable of continuously performing each process while reliably sucking and discharging the residue peeled off.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
(1) A turntable having a container holding portion for holding the bottom and / or outer periphery of the container with the opening of the container facing upward, and washing and drying inserted into the container through the opening and held in a non-contact manner with the container By providing the unit, the container can be reliably held by the container holding unit during the cleaning and drying operations by the cleaning / drying unit, and only the container can be simply rotated independently of the cleaning / drying unit. It is possible to provide an automatic washing / drying machine excellent in the efficiency and certainty of the washing and drying operations.
(2) Since the cleaning / drying unit has a suction nozzle that sucks and discharges the cleaning liquid and residues accumulated in the container, the cleaning liquid and residues can be easily sucked and discharged while holding the opening of the container upward. Thus, a special mechanism for controlling the attitude of the container is unnecessary, and an automatic washing and drying machine having a simple structure and excellent space saving can be provided.

According to the invention described in claim 9, in addition to the effect described in claim 8, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
(1) By generating cleaning liquid and gas from the inner bottom center cleaning nozzle and / or inner bottom periphery cleaning nozzle to the inner bottom center and / or inner bottom periphery of the container, bubbles are generated in the cleaning liquid. Automatic cleaning with excellent cleaning efficiency that allows bubbles to collide with the residue, stirs the cleaning solution, and reliably removes and removes the residue from the inner bottom center and / or inner periphery of the container. A dryer can be provided.

According to the invention described in claim 10, in addition to the effect described in claim 8 or 9, the following advantageous effect can be obtained.
(1) By injecting cleaning liquid and gas from the inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle onto the inner peripheral surface of the container, bubbles can be generated in the cleaning liquid, causing the bubbles to collide with the residue, stirring the cleaning liquid, It is possible to provide an automatic washing / drying machine excellent in the certainty of washing that can surely remove and remove the residue from the inner peripheral surface.

Hereinafter, an automatic cleaning / drying method and an automatic cleaning / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an automatic washing / drying apparatus according to Embodiment 1 incorporated in a sample dissolving section of a continuous automatic analyzer.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an automatic cleaning / drying in the first embodiment in which a bottomed cylindrical container 20 used in an analysis pretreatment apparatus that suspends a sample and continuously prepares a sample solution for analysis is washed / dried. 1a is a cleaning liquid supply unit of the automatic cleaning dryer 1 for supplying a cleaning liquid to a cleaning drying unit 4 to be described later, 1b is a gas supply unit for supplying a gas for stirring the cleaning liquid to the cleaning drying unit 4, and 1c is a cleaning drying A dry air supply unit that supplies dry air to the unit 4, 1 d is a waste liquid recovery unit that recovers waste liquid such as cleaning liquid from the cleaning / drying unit 4, and 2 is a bottom part and an outer peripheral part of the container 20 with the opening of the container 20 facing up. The rotating table 4 of the automatic washing / drying machine 1 having the four container holding parts 3 erected so as to hold the automatic container 4 is inserted into the container 20 from the opening 20a and is held in non-contact with the container 20. Washing dryer 1 A cleaning and drying unit.
The cleaning liquid supply unit 1a, the gas supply unit 1b, the dry air supply unit 1c, and the waste liquid recovery unit 1d are connected to the cleaning / drying unit 4 through tubes, respectively, and supply cleaning liquid, gas, and dry air and recover waste liquid according to a program. .

Next, details of the washing and drying unit will be described.
FIG. 2 (a) is a schematic plan view showing a main part of the washing / drying unit in the automatic washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 (b) shows the washing / drying unit in the automatic washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment. It is a principal part schematic sectional drawing.
In FIG. 2, 4a is a base part of the cleaning / drying unit 4, 5 is a cleaning fluid injection part of the cleaning / drying unit 4 that is disposed in the base part 4 and injects cleaning liquid and / or gas into the container 20, and 6 is a container whose lower end is a container. A cleaning / drying unit that is disposed in the base 4 so as to be located at the center of the inner bottom surface 20b of the 20 and is connected to the waste liquid recovery unit 1d (see FIG. 1) and sucks and discharges the cleaning liquid and residues accumulated in the container 20 The suction nozzle 4 and 7 are disposed on the base 4 so that the lower end portion is located on the side of the suction nozzle 6, and are connected to the cleaning liquid supply portion 1 a and the gas supply portion 1 b (see FIG. 1) to connect the inner bottom surface of the container 20. An inner bottom center cleaning nozzle 8 for injecting cleaning liquid and / or gas to the center 20b, and the bottom 8 is disposed on the base 4 so that the lower end is located at the upper end of the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20. The container connected to the cleaning liquid supply unit 1a Inner peripheral surface cleaning and drying nozzle that combines the inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle that injects the cleaning liquid onto the inner peripheral surface 20c of 0 and the dry gas injection nozzle that is connected to the dry air supply unit 1c (see FIG. 1) and injects the dry gas. 8a is an injection hole formed at the tip of the inner peripheral surface cleaning and drying nozzle 8, and 9 is disposed on the base 4 so that the lower end portion is located in the periphery of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20, and the cleaning liquid supply unit 1a and An inner bottom peripheral portion cleaning nozzle of the cleaning fluid injection unit 5 that is connected to the gas supply unit 1b (see FIG. 1) and injects cleaning liquid and / or gas to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20, and the lower end of the cleaning fluid injection unit 5 is the container 20 Of the cleaning / drying unit 4 that is disposed in the base 4 so as to be located at the center in the longitudinal direction of the inner peripheral surface 20c of the cleaning unit 4 and is connected to the drying air supply unit 1c (see FIG. 1) to inject the drying gas into the container 20. Dry gas injection nozzle, 10a is dry Body is a drilled injection holes at the tip of the injection nozzle 10.

Based on the operation of the automatic washing and drying machine according to the first embodiment configured as described above, the automatic washing and drying method according to the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main part of the washing / drying unit lowering step of the automatic washing / drying method using the automatic washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the use of the automatic washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment. It is a principal part schematic sectional drawing which shows the inner bottom face center part washing | cleaning process in the inner bottom face washing | cleaning process of an automatic washing / drying method.
In FIG. 3, 25 is an analytical sample solution remaining in the container 20, and 25 a is a residue such as a sample contained in the analytical sample solution 25 attached to the inner bottom surface 20 b and the inner peripheral surface 20 c of the container 20. .
First, as shown in FIG. 3, the used container 20 after the treatment of dissolving the specimen with the test solution is held by the container holding unit 3 of the automatic washing / drying machine 1. Subsequently, in the container rotation process, the container 20 is rotated around its axis together with the turntable 2. Next, as shown in FIG. 4, suction of the suction nozzle 6 is started in preparation for the suction / discharge process, and in the cleaning / drying unit lowering process, the cleaning / drying unit 4 is lowered to enter the container 20 through the opening 20 a. insert. At the same time, in preparation for the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step of the inner bottom surface cleaning step, the cleaning liquid and gas are jetted from the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning nozzle 7 to hold the cleaning / drying unit 4 in contact with the container 20.
The suction / discharge process is started when the tip of the suction nozzle 6 reaches the sample liquid 25 for analysis remaining inside the container 20. At the same time, the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step including the stirring step is performed by the cleaning liquid 30 and the gas injected from the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning nozzle 7 to the central portion of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20. By performing the container rotation process and the suction / discharge process simultaneously with the inner bottom center cleaning process, it is possible to efficiently clean and discharge the cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a.
In addition, by starting the container rotation process before the start of the suction / discharge process, the residue 25a and the cleaning liquid 30 precipitated on the inner bottom surface 20a of the container 20 can be agitated in advance, and the residue 25a Since it can be dispersed, the residue 25a and the cleaning liquid 30 can be reliably and efficiently sucked and discharged in the suction and discharge process, and the reliability of the suction and discharge process is excellent.

FIG. 5 (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part showing the inner peripheral surface cleaning step of the automatic cleaning / drying method using the automatic cleaning / drying device of the first embodiment, and FIG. It is a principal part schematic top view which shows the internal peripheral surface washing | cleaning process of the automatic washing / drying method using a washing / drying machine.
As shown in FIG. 5, in the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid injection step of the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, the cleaning liquid 30 is injected from the injection hole 8 a of the inner peripheral surface cleaning and drying nozzle 8 onto the inner peripheral surface 20 c of the container 20. In the meantime, by performing the container rotation process and the suction / discharge process, the residue 25a adhering to the inner peripheral surface 20c can be pushed to the inner bottom surface 20b side, and the cleaning and the cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a can be efficiently discharged. it can.
By inclining the spraying direction of the cleaning liquid 30 sprayed from the spraying hole 8a of the inner peripheral surface cleaning and drying nozzle 8 in the rotational direction of the container 20 obliquely below the container 20, the residue 25a adhering to the inner peripheral surface 20c is removed. It can be reliably and efficiently collected on the inner bottom surface 20b side, and is excellent in cleaning reliability. The inner peripheral surface cleaning / drying nozzle 8 is preferably disposed so as to be rotatable with respect to the base portion 4a. This is because the direction of the injection hole 8a can be adjusted freely, the injection direction of the cleaning liquid 30 can be adjusted to an arbitrary direction, and the versatility is excellent.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part showing the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step in the inner bottom surface cleaning step of the automatic cleaning / drying method using the automatic cleaning / drying device of the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step, the cleaning liquid 30 is sprayed from the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning nozzle 9 to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface 20 b of the container 20, and the cleaning liquid 30 is discharged from the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning nozzle 9. A stirring step of stirring the cleaning liquid 30 by injecting gas is performed. In the meantime, by performing the container rotation process and the suction / discharge process, the residue 25a adhering to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface 20b can be peeled and dispersed, and the cleaning and the cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a are efficiently discharged. Can do.
In this embodiment, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step is performed in parallel with the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step. However, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step is stopped and only the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step is performed. Also good.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an essential part showing a suction / discharge process of the automatic cleaning / drying method using the automatic cleaning / drying machine according to the first embodiment.
After the inner bottom surface cleaning process (inner bottom center cleaning process, inner bottom periphery cleaning process) and inner peripheral surface cleaning process are completed, the container rotation process is stopped first, the rotation of the container is stopped, and the liquid at the center of the inner bottom surface is stopped. Stop the suction and discharge process. As a result, the cleaning liquid 30 accumulated on the inner bottom surface 20b can be reliably discharged to the end, and the suction / discharge process is excellent in reliability.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of the drying process of the automatic washing / drying method using the automatic washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 9 (a) shows the use of the automatic washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9B is a schematic plan view of the main part showing the drying process of the automatic cleaning / drying method using the automatic cleaning / drying machine according to the first embodiment. is there.
After the suction / discharge process is completed, a drying process is performed as shown in FIGS. In the drying process, first, as shown in FIG. 8, while rotating the turntable 2, the inner peripheral surface cleaning / drying nozzle 8 arranged so that the end portion is positioned at the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface 20 c of the container 20. The dry air is sprayed from the injection holes 8a, and the cleaning liquid 30 adhering to the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 is pushed down the container 20 to dry the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface 20c.
Subsequently, when a predetermined time elapses, as shown in FIG. 9, from the injection hole 10 a of the dry gas injection nozzle 10 arranged so that the end portion is located in the longitudinal center of the inner peripheral surface 20 c of the container 20. The drying gas is injected, and the cleaning liquid 30 adhering to the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 is further pushed toward the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 to dry the entire inner peripheral surface 20c. By performing the container rotation process during this time, the dry gas can be injected over the entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20, and the entire inner peripheral surface 20c can be reliably dried without any spots.

  By inclining the spraying direction of the dry gas sprayed from the spray hole 8a of the inner peripheral surface cleaning and drying nozzle 8 and the spray hole 10a of the dry gas spray nozzle 10 in the rotational direction of the container 20 obliquely below the container 20, The cleaning liquid 20 adhering to the inner peripheral surface 20c can be reliably and efficiently moved and collected from the upper end side of the inner peripheral surface 20c to the inner bottom surface 20b side, and the drying reliability is excellent. In addition, it is preferable that the inner peripheral surface cleaning / drying nozzle 8 and the dry gas injection nozzle 10 are rotatably arranged with respect to the base portion 4a. This is because the direction of the injection holes 8a and 10a can be adjusted freely, the injection direction of the dry gas can be adjusted to an arbitrary direction, and the versatility is excellent.

In the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface cleaning / drying nozzle 8 performs the inner peripheral surface cleaning step (inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying step, stirring step) and the drying step so as to be arranged on the base 4a of the cleaning / drying unit 4. Although the number of nozzles to be reduced is reduced and the cleaning / drying unit 4 is downsized, the inner peripheral surface cleaning nozzle and the dry gas injection nozzle may be provided separately.
Further, the number and arrangement of the inner bottom surface central cleaning nozzle 7, the inner peripheral surface cleaning / drying nozzle 8, the inner bottom surface peripheral cleaning nozzle 9, and the dry gas injection nozzle 10 are not limited to the present embodiment. The container 20 can be appropriately selected according to the shape and size of the container 20.
In the present embodiment, the suction / discharge process and the container rotation process are continuously performed during the inner bottom surface cleaning process, the inner peripheral surface cleaning process, and the drying process. You may perform intermittently during each process. Moreover, you may make it perform a suction discharge process after each process.

As described above, since the automatic cleaning / drying method according to the first embodiment is configured, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since there is an inner bottom surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 held with the opening 20a facing up, and an inner peripheral surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20, the inside of the container 20 Can be reliably cleaned to every corner, and the cleaning operation is highly reliable.
(2) By having a suction / discharge step of sucking and discharging the cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a accumulated in the inner bottom portion of the container 20, the internal cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a are held with the opening 20a facing upward. Therefore, it is not necessary to control the attitude of the container 20, the work process can be simplified, and the handleability is excellent.
(3) The inside of the container 20 after the inner bottom surface cleaning process, the inner peripheral surface cleaning process, and the suction / discharge process can be reliably dried in a short time by the drying process, and the container 20 can be immediately recovered and used. As a result, it is possible to continuously perform the cleaning operation on the plurality of containers 20, and the work efficiency is excellent.
(4) For each of the inner bottom surface cleaning step, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, the suction / discharge step, and the drying step, a container rotating step for rotating the container 20 around its axis is combined, so that the cleaning liquid 30 inside the container 20 Dry air or the like can be agitated, the efficiency and reliability of each process can be improved, and the working time can be shortened.
(5) The inner bottom surface cleaning step includes an inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step for cleaning the inner bottom surface 20b central portion of the container 20 and an inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step for cleaning the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20. The central portion of the inner bottom surface 20b and the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface 20b can be reliably cleaned, and the cleaning operation is highly reliable.
(6) First, by performing the inner bottom center cleaning step, the residue 25a contained in the analysis sample liquid 25 precipitated in the center of the inner bottom 20b of the container 20 can be loosened and dispersed in the cleaning liquid 30, It can discharge reliably by the suction discharge process.
(7) By performing the inner peripheral surface cleaning step as a subsequent step of the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step, the cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a, etc. scattered by the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step and adhered to the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 are removed. Since it can be reliably removed by washing and contamination can be prevented, the washing is highly reliable.
(8) By performing the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step as a subsequent step of the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step removes it from the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20, and together with the cleaning liquid 30, the inner bottom surface 20b The collected residue 25a can be washed together with the residue 25a attached to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20, and the reliability of the washing operation is excellent.
(9) The residue 25a adhering to the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 is peeled off by having an agitation step of agitating the cleaning liquid 30 by injecting gas into the cleaning liquid 30 during the cleaning liquid injection. It is excellent in cleaning reliability and efficiency.
(10) Since the inner peripheral surface cleaning step includes the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying step of spraying the cleaning liquid 30 onto the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20, the residue 25a attached to the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 is surely removed. It can be used and has excellent cleaning reliability.
(11) By spraying the cleaning liquid 30 onto the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 in the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying process, it is scattered by the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning process in the inner bottom surface cleaning process and adheres to the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 The washed liquid 30 and the residue 25a can be washed cleanly, contamination can be prevented, and the cleaning reliability is excellent.
(12) The drying step includes a dry gas injection step of injecting a dry gas to the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20, so that the cleaning liquid 30 attached to the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 is blown to the bottom side while the inner peripheral surface is blown. 20c can be reliably dried in a short time, and the reliability and efficiency of drying are excellent.
(13) The suction / discharge process is performed during each of the inner bottom surface cleaning step, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, and the drying step, whereby the cleaning liquid 30 injected in each step, the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 or the inner peripheral surface. Each process can be performed continuously while reliably discharging and discharging the residue 25a peeled off from 20c, and the efficiency and reliability of the cleaning operation are excellent.

As described above, since the automatic washing dryer in the first embodiment is configured, the following operation is obtained.
(1) The turntable 2 having the container holding part 3 that holds the bottom part and the outer peripheral part of the container 20 with the opening part 20a of the container 20 up, and the container 20 inserted into the container 20 through the opening part 20a and not in contact with the container 20 By providing the cleaning / drying unit 4 held in step S4, the container 20 can be securely held by the container holding unit 3 during the cleaning and drying operations by the cleaning / drying unit 4, and independent of the cleaning / drying unit 4. Thus, only the container 20 can be simply rotated, and the efficiency and reliability of the cleaning and drying operations are excellent.
(2) Since the cleaning / drying unit 4 includes the cleaning fluid injection unit 5 that injects the cleaning liquid 30 and gas into the container 20, the inside of the container 20 can be easily and reliably cleaned, and cleaning reliability is ensured. Excellent.
(3) Since the cleaning / drying unit 4 has the suction nozzle 6 that sucks and discharges the cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a accumulated in the container 20, the cleaning / drying unit 4 can be easily held with the opening 20a of the container 20 facing upward. Since the cleaning liquid 30 and the residue 25a can be sucked and discharged, a special mechanism for controlling the attitude of the container 20 is not required, the structure can be simplified, and the space is saved.
(4) Since the cleaning / drying unit 4 includes the inner peripheral surface cleaning / drying nozzle 8 and the dry gas injection nozzle 10 for injecting a dry gas into the container 20, the inside of the container 20 is reliably dried in a short time. Since the containers can be recovered and used immediately, the plurality of containers 20 can be continuously cleaned, and the work efficiency is excellent.
(5) The residue accumulated in the central portion of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 because the cleaning fluid ejecting section 5 has the cleaning nozzle 20 for injecting the cleaning liquid 20 and gas in the central portion of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 25a and the like can be reliably removed, and the cleaning reliability is excellent.
(6) By injecting the cleaning liquid 30 and gas from the central cleaning nozzle 7 at the inner bottom surface, bubbles can be generated in the cleaning liquid 30, so that the bubbles collide with the residue 25 a and the cleaning liquid 30 is agitated. Since the residue 25a can be reliably peeled off and removed from the center of the inner bottom surface 20b of 20, the cleaning efficiency is excellent.
(7) The residue adhering to the periphery of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 by the cleaning fluid injection unit 5 having the inner bottom surface periphery cleaning nozzle 9 for injecting the cleaning liquid 30 and gas to the periphery of the inner bottom surface 20b of the container 20 Since 25a etc. can be removed reliably, even the container 20 with a large bottom area can be reliably washed, and is excellent in versatility.
(8) Bubbles can be generated in the cleaning liquid 30 by jetting the cleaning liquid 30 and the gas from the inner bottom peripheral portion cleaning nozzle 9, so that the bubbles collide with the residue 25a and the cleaning liquid 30 is agitated. Since the residue 25a can be reliably peeled off and removed from the periphery of the inner bottom surface 20b of 20, the cleaning efficiency is excellent.
(9) Since the cleaning fluid ejecting unit 5 has the inner peripheral surface cleaning and drying nozzle 8 that injects the cleaning liquid 30 onto the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20, the residue 25a attached to the inner peripheral surface 20c of the container 20 is removed. Since it can be removed reliably, every corner of the container 20 can be reliably cleaned, and the cleaning reliability is excellent.

  The present invention cleans the inner bottom surface and the inner peripheral surface without changing the posture of the bottomed cylindrical container used in the pre-analysis processing apparatus that suspends the sample and continuously prepares the sample solution for analysis. Efficient automatic washing and drying methods that can easily and reliably perform drainage and drying, are easy to control, and are excellent in workability in each process, and clean up every corner of the container with a simple mechanism It can be dried, has excellent work efficiency and space saving, can be easily incorporated into pre-analyzers and automatic analyzers that perform continuous automatic analysis, is easy to automate, and is easy to handle It is possible to provide a washing and drying machine, and it is possible to continuously prepare sample liquids for analysis in an analysis pretreatment apparatus or an automatic analysis apparatus that performs continuous automatic analysis in a short time. Can be automated.

The schematic diagram which shows the structure of the automatic washing dryer of Embodiment 1 incorporated in the sample melt | dissolution part of a continuous automatic analyzer. (A) Main part schematic plan view of the automatic cleaning dryer of Embodiment 1 (b) Main part schematic sectional view of the automatic cleaning dryer of Embodiment 1 Main part schematic sectional drawing which shows the washing-drying unit descent | fall process of the automatic washing-drying method using the automatic washing-drying machine of Embodiment 1 Main part schematic sectional drawing which shows the inner bottom face center part washing | cleaning process in the inner bottom face washing process of the automatic washing drying method using the automatic washing dryer of Embodiment 1 (A) Schematic cross-sectional view of the main part showing the inner peripheral surface cleaning step of the automatic cleaning / drying method using the automatic cleaning / drying device of Embodiment 1 (b) Automatic cleaning / drying using the automatic cleaning / drying device of Embodiment 1 Main part schematic plan view showing the inner peripheral surface cleaning step of the method Main part schematic sectional drawing which shows the inner bottom face periphery washing | cleaning process in the inner bottom face washing process of the automatic washing / drying method using the automatic washing / drying machine of Embodiment 1 Main part schematic sectional drawing which shows the suction discharge process of the automatic washing / drying method using the automatic washing / drying machine of Embodiment 1 Main part schematic cross section which shows the drying process of the automatic washing / drying method using the automatic washing / drying machine of Embodiment 1 (A) Main part schematic sectional view showing drying process of automatic washing / drying method using automatic washing / drying apparatus of embodiment 1 (b) Drying of automatic washing / drying method using automatic washing / drying apparatus of embodiment 1 Main part schematic plan view showing the process

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automatic washing dryer 1a Cleaning liquid supply part 1b Gas supply part 1c Dry air supply part 1d Waste liquid collection | recovery part 2 Turntable 3 Container holding part 4 Cleaning drying unit 4a Base 5 Cleaning fluid injection part 6 Suction nozzle 7 Inner bottom center washing nozzle 8 Inner peripheral surface cleaning and drying nozzle 8a, 10a Injection hole 9 Inner bottom surface peripheral cleaning nozzle 10 Dry gas injection nozzle 20 Container 20a Opening portion 20b Inner bottom surface 20c Inner peripheral surface 25 Analytical sample solution 25a Residue 30 Cleaning solution

Claims (10)

An automatic washing and drying method for a container used in a pre-analysis apparatus for continuously preparing a sample solution for analysis in a bottomed cylindrical container, the inner bottom surface of the container held with an opening facing upward An inner bottom surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner peripheral surface, a inner peripheral surface cleaning step for cleaning the inner peripheral surface of the container, a suction / discharge step for sucking and discharging the cleaning liquid and residues accumulated in the container, and the interior of the container And a container rotation for rotating the container around its axis during at least one of the inner bottom surface cleaning step, the inner peripheral surface cleaning step, the suction discharge step, and the drying step. And an automatic washing and drying method comprising the steps of: The inner bottom surface cleaning step in which the cleaning is performed by spraying the cleaning liquid onto the central portion of the inner bottom surface of the container, and the inner bottom surface periphery in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface of the container to perform cleaning The automatic cleaning / drying according to claim 1, further comprising: an inner peripheral surface cleaning step between the inner bottom surface central portion cleaning step and the inner bottom surface peripheral portion cleaning step. Method. The automatic cleaning / drying method according to claim 2, further comprising a stirring step of stirring the cleaning liquid by injecting a gas into the cleaning liquid during the inner bottom surface cleaning step. The automatic cleaning / drying method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner peripheral surface cleaning step includes an inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid spraying step of spraying a cleaning liquid onto the inner peripheral surface of the container. 5. The automatic cleaning according to claim 4, wherein the inner peripheral surface cleaning step includes an agitation step of agitating the cleaning liquid by injecting a gas into the cleaning liquid during the inner peripheral surface cleaning liquid injection process. Drying method. The automatic cleaning and drying method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drying step includes a dry gas injection step of injecting a dry gas to the inner peripheral surface of the container. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction / discharge process is performed during and / or after each of the bottom cleaning process, the inner peripheral surface cleaning process, and the drying process. The automatic washing and drying method described. An automatic washing and drying machine for a container used in a pretreatment apparatus for analysis that continuously prepares a sample liquid for analysis in a cylindrical container with a bottom, wherein the bottom of the container and / or A turntable having a container holding part for holding an outer peripheral part, and a washing / drying unit that is inserted into the container through the opening and is held in non-contact with the container. A cleaning fluid ejecting unit that ejects cleaning liquid and / or gas into the container, a suction nozzle that sucks and discharges cleaning liquid and residue accumulated in the container, and a dry gas that ejects dry gas into the container An automatic washing and drying machine comprising an injection nozzle. The cleaning fluid ejecting section injects cleaning liquid and / or gas to the central portion of the inner bottom surface of the container, and the inner bottom surface periphery of the inner bottom surface of the container to inject cleaning fluid and / or gas to the peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface of the container The automatic cleaning dryer according to claim 8, comprising at least one of the partial cleaning nozzles. The said washing | cleaning fluid injection part is equipped with the internal peripheral surface washing | cleaning nozzle which injects a washing | cleaning liquid and / or gas to the said internal peripheral surface of the said container, either of Claim 8 or 9 characterized by the above-mentioned. Automatic washing dryer.

Images