JP2753729B2 - Test tube printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure that characters are printed on the external surface of a test tube without error by providing a test tube stand for aligning test tubes along the travelling position of an ink jet nozzle head in front of said position, and also a drive position for rotation of the test tube. CONSTITUTION:Test tubes T are placed upright in holes 21 on a test tube stand, and a printing command is given to a computer. A rotation drive device of test tubes consists of all reception rollers 25 which rotate in the same direction by circulation of a rope 26 as friction still works between the rope 26 and the reception roller 25 under the pressure of a free pulley 27, whereas the rope 26 stretched between a drive pulley 28 and a driven pulley 29 circulates by power of a drive motor 30. The test tubes T rotate by rotation of the reception roller 25. If the jet outlet of an ink jet nozzle head 2 is placed at a position for printing each test tube T when the nozzle head 2 shuttles back and forth, ink particles ejected from the jet outlet of the nozzle head 2 land in dots on the external surface of the test tube T, and thus characters are printed.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for a test tube with a computer, which is suitable for use in, for example, blood tests, chemical tests, water quality tests, and the like.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, when various liquids are tested using a test tube, information on the test is displayed on the test tube, for example, in the case of a blood test, the name or number of the blood sampler is displayed. In general, a label was attached to the outer surface of the test tube, and the indication was written by hand with a writing instrument such as magic ink or a ballpoint pen.

The efficiency of handwriting varies depending on the test content, but in the case of a blood test, four people can do it in half a day if they need five test tubes per blood sampler. He had about 400 entry skills.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

When writing information in a test tube by hand with a writing instrument in this way, it is extremely inefficient and, in addition, it is easy to make mistakes in writing. Was. In addition, even if there was no mistake in the entry, there were also cases where the character was not legible or erroneously deciphered due to the special character style.

Regarding efficiency, especially in the case of blood tests in hospitals, it is often necessary to submit results in a short period of time. Since the outer surface of the device had a round shape that was inconvenient to fill in, there was no way to improve efficiency. For example, since the displayed information is a simple display, even if a rubber stamp can be used on a flat surface, it is troublesome to press the rubber stamp while turning the rubber stamp along the outer surface of the test tube. Therefore, it was not possible to use a rubber stamp from the viewpoint of efficiency.

On the other hand, a method may be employed in which a label is previously pressed on the surface of a label before being attached to a test tube, or printing is performed by a printer of a computer. However, also in this case, since the label is manually attached to the test tube, the work efficiency cannot be expected to be high, and mistakes in application and damage to the test tube cannot be avoided.

Conventionally, computer printing devices are classified into wire dots, thermal transfer, ink jet, and the like.However, all of them can print on flat paper. Nothing could be printed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an apparatus capable of safely printing a plurality of characters on the outer surface of a test tube while being a computer printing apparatus.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present inventors have conducted various experiments and studies on a method of displaying characters on the outer surface of a test tube safely and efficiently. Focusing on the inferiority of the pipe's destructive power, the present invention was completed here.

That is, according to the configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object, a test tube stand for arranging test tubes along the running position is provided at the front of the position where the inkjet nozzle head runs, The gist of the present invention is a printing device for a test tube with a computer, which is provided with a driving device for rotating the test tube and is capable of printing a plurality of characters on the outer surface of the test tube by rotating the test tube.

[Action]

According to the above configuration, a program is previously set up by a computer, and necessary items are instructed by a computer command.
Alternatively, printing can be performed on the outer surface of the test tube by an input operation each time. When printing, a test tube is inserted into a test tube stand, and the computer is instructed by operating the computer. Then, the ink jet nozzle head moves from one end to the other end, and when the ink ejection port reaches a position where printing is to be performed on the test tube, ink is ejected from the ejection port and printing is performed on the outer surface of the test tube.

〔Example〕

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The drawing shows an embodiment, in which a test tube printing apparatus includes a frame F, an apparatus main base 1, an inkjet nozzle head 2, and a transfer apparatus 3 for the nozzle head 2.
, A test tube stand 4, a rotation driving device 5 for the test tube T, and the like. Reference numeral 6 denotes a table on which a CRT of a computer is placed.

The apparatus main base 1 is placed on a frame F in an assembled form supported by both side plates 9 and 9, and has a substantially mountain shape in which a front surface 10 and a rear surface 11 are inclined.

The nozzle head 2 is held by the transfer device 3 so as to be perpendicular to the test tube T set in the rotary driving device 5 by the test tube stand 4. And the transfer device 3
The nozzle head 2 is reciprocated between both ends of the apparatus main base 1. However, it is possible to stop instantaneously when the ink ejection port is located at a position of the test tube T where printing is to be performed. .

Reference numeral 13 denotes a detector for detecting whether or not the test tube T is set in the rotary driving device 5, and reference numeral 14 denotes a detection for determining whether or not the upper bottom plate 20 is provided when the short test tube T is set. The detection signal is sent to the computer, and the result is analyzed and printed on the test tube T.

The test tube stand 4 is provided at an upper part of the position of the front surface 10 of the apparatus main base 1 at a rear inclination along the front surface 10, and the front and rear side plates 15,
It is assembled from 16, upper and lower holding plates 17 and 18, a bottom plate 19 and, if necessary, an upper bottom plate 20. The upper and lower holding plates 17 and 18 are provided with holes 21 into which the test tubes T are inserted. The lower end of the test tube T is received and held by the bottom plate 19, but when printing on the short test tube T, the lower end is received and held by the test tube stand 4 in which the upper bottom plate 20 is incorporated. Since the number of short test tubes T used is small, the upper bottom plate 20 is provided only at one end.

The rotation driving device 5 for the test tubes includes a plurality of receiving rollers 25 arranged at equal intervals in a lateral direction so as to receive all the test tubes T at a backward inclination, a rope 26 in contact with the receiving rollers 25, and A free pulley 27, a drive pulley 28 on which a rope 26 is hung, a driven pulley 29, and the like are shown. Reference numeral 30 denotes a drive motor for moving the drive pulley 28, whose speed and rotation direction can be arbitrarily set.

The receiving roller 25 is formed by connecting upper and lower wheels 25a and 25b with a shaft 35, and is supported by a support plate. Upper and lower cars 25a, 25b
A rubber ring 37 is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the rubber tube to increase friction with the test tube T. Also, get off 25b with rubber ring 37
A groove 38 on which the rope 26 is hung is formed on the outer peripheral surface above the. And a test tube T between each adjacent receiving roller 25, 25
Is to be received.

The free pulleys 27 are arranged every two receiving rollers 25, 25, and are pressed against the receiving rollers 25, 25 via the ropes 26, so that all the receiving rollers 25 are circulated by the rope 26. Are simultaneously rotated in the same direction and at the same speed.

When using the above-described test tube printing device, the test tube T is inserted into the hole 21 of the test tube stand 4 to be set up, and the computer is instructed to print.

Then, with respect to the rotary driving device of the test tube, the rope 26 stretched between the driving pulley 28 and the driven pulley 29
Is circulated by the power of the drive motor 30, but the free pulley
Since the friction between the rope 26 and the receiving roller 25 is maintained by the presser 27, all the receiving rollers 25 rotate in the same direction due to the circulation of the rope 26. Then, the test tube T is received so as to be sandwiched between the pair of receiving rollers 25, 25,
Because it is in contact with the upper and lower wheels 25a, 25b, the receiving roller 25
The test tube T is rotated by the rotation of.

The test tube T comes into contact with the rubber rings 37, 37 of the upper and lower wheels 25a, 25b,
Of course, the friction between the test tube T and the rotation speed is very smooth because the friction is always kept constant because the friction is always stable because the contact is due to the stable and stable force due to the inclination. There is no variation in both receiving rollers 25, 25
, The test tube T rotates at a uniform speed with the center being constant. Therefore, troubles such as misalignment and distortion of printing are reliably prevented.

Regarding printing, when the nozzle of the ink jet nozzle head 2 reciprocates, when the nozzle of the nozzle head 2 is located at the printing position of each test tube T, ink particles emitted from the nozzle of the nozzle head 2 are dotted. Arrives at the outer surface of the test tube T and is printed. Further, the rotation of the test tube T may be stopped during printing. The movement of the nozzle head 2 is performed by a driving device whose speed can be arbitrarily set. Further, the amount of head movement can be automatically determined based on the presence or absence of the test tube T (detector 13).

Incidentally, this ink jet printing method is based on a charge control method, in which a character to be printed is divided into pixels in a dot matrix, ink particles are charged with a voltage proportional to positional information of each pixel, and the ink particles are further statically charged. This is a method of printing pixel characters (characters composed of dots) by deflecting in an electric field to reach a test tube.

As described above, unlike the wire dot method, the vibrating body does not directly touch the test tube T, so that the test tube T does not break during printing at all, and is safe for this non-contact printing. Printing is possible.

The printing may be performed by attaching a label on the outer surface of the test tube, or may be performed directly on the outer surface of the test tube.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the test tube is set up on the test tube stand and printing is performed, there is no possibility that the test tube slides down from the hand at that time. There is no danger of breaking the test tube during printing, and not only prevention of erroneous writing but also safety of the test tube can be achieved at the same time. In addition, since a plurality of characters can be printed on the outer surface of the test tube by rotating the test tube, necessary information can be entered, and an excellent effect that the test tube can be printed very quickly, accurately and efficiently. is there.

In addition, when the test tube is rotated by receiving the pair of receiving rollers, stable rotation of the test tube can be obtained, so that there is an effect that printing can be performed orderly without distortion.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 shows an embodiment, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part viewed from a side, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view viewed from an arrow P side in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view from an arrow Q side in FIG. FIG. T: Test tube, 2: Nozzle head 4: Test tube stand, 5: Drive unit 25: Receiving roller

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hitoshi Masuda 2-12-54 Toyota-cho, Toyama-shi, Toyama Naka Naka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. -2 Pharmaceutical University Dormitory 2-201 (56) References JP-A-57-73136 (JP, A) JP-B-61-51938 (JP, B2)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A test tube stand for arranging test tubes along the running position is provided in front of a position where the inkjet nozzle head runs, and a driving device for rotating the test tubes is provided. A printing device for a test tube with a computer configured to print a plurality of characters on its outer surface by rotation. 2. A test tube stand is inclined, and a plurality of receiving rollers are arranged on the inclined side so that a pair of test tubes can be received on its side, and the rotation of the receiving roller causes the test tubes to rotate. 3. The test tube printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein