JP5816837B2 - Transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport apparatus.

  A culture apparatus is known as an apparatus that appropriately controls temperature, humidity, and the like and efficiently cultures a culture such as cells. Generally, a rack called a stacker that can store a plurality of containers containing cultures is stored in a storage shelf of a culture chamber in a culture apparatus. And a conveyance apparatus accommodates the container which accommodated the culture in the storage location designated of the stacker (for example, refer patent document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 4282564

  By the way, for example, when the system for controlling the transport device ends improperly, it may be unclear where the container is stored in the stacker on the storage shelf. In order to determine in which position of the stacker the container is stored, for example, a sensor or the like for detecting the presence or absence of the container may be provided for all the container storage destinations. However, in such a case, it is necessary to install sensors as many as the number of container storage destinations, which raises a problem that the cost of the system increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive conveyance device that can determine whether or not a stored item is stored in a storage destination such as a rack.

In order to achieve the above object, a transport device according to one aspect of the present invention is mounted on a base having a plate that moves in a horizontal direction and a first position of the plate, and receives a horizontal external force. When the stored item is stored at a second position of the member that moves from the first position and the storage shelf that stores the stored item, the member receives the external force in the horizontal direction from the stored item. The moving unit for moving the base and the plate, the detecting unit for detecting whether or not the member has moved from the first position, and detecting that the member has moved from the first position Then, it is determined that the stored item is stored in the second position, and if it is not detected that the member has moved from the first position, the stored item is stored in the second position. and a determination unit that it has not been accommodated, The serial storage material is the container in which a plurality of containers is stored in the storage member or the housing member is housed in multiple stages, it said member is a mounting table in which the stored articles are placed.

  It is possible to provide an inexpensive conveyance device that can determine whether or not a stored item is stored in a storage destination such as a rack.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the incubator 10 to which this invention is applied. 1 is a perspective view of an incubator 10. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an incubator unit 30. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the container 100 and the tray 110. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the stacker. 4 is a perspective view showing a mechanism of a transport device 43. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a transfer table 62. FIG. It is a side view at the time of seeing the conveyance table 62 from + Y direction. It is a side view at the time of seeing the conveyance table 62 from + X direction. It is a figure which shows an example in case the slide plates 402 and 403 are moving to + X direction. It is a figure which shows an example in case the slide plates 402 and 403 are moving to -X direction. It is the figure which looked at the state in which the mounting base 500 was mounted in the conveyance table 62 from + Y direction. It is the figure which looked at the state in which the mounting base 500 was mounted in the conveyance table 62 from the + X direction. It is a figure which shows the state at the time of the mounting base 500 moving to + X direction. It is a figure which shows the state which receives external force, when the mounting base 500 moves to + X direction. It is a figure which shows the state at the time of the mounting base 500 moving to -X direction. It is a figure which shows the state which receives external force, when the mounting base 500 moves to -X direction. It is the figure which looked at the state in which the mounting base 700 was mounted in the conveyance table 70 from the + Y direction. It is the figure which looked at the state in which the mounting base 700 was mounted in the conveyance table 70 from the + X direction. It is the figure which looked at the state at the time of the mounting base 700 moving to -X direction from + Y direction. It is the figure which looked at the state at the time of the mounting base 700 moving to-X direction from + X direction. It is the figure which looked at the state at the time of the mounting base 700 moving to -X direction and receiving external force from + Y direction. It is the figure which looked at the state at the time of the mounting base 700 moving to -X direction and receiving external force from + X direction. It is the figure which looked at the state at the time of the mounting base 700 moving to + X direction from + Y direction. It is the figure which looked at the state at the time of the mounting base 700 moving to + X direction and receiving external force from + Y direction. It is the figure which looked at the state at the time of the mounting base 700 moving to + X direction and receiving external force from + X direction. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a front surface of a slide plate 403 and a back surface of a mounting table 700. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of a structure of the incubator 10 and the control part 15. FIG. It is a figure which shows the functional block implement | achieved by the microcomputer 92. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process performed when carrying in a container. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the conveyance table 62 at the time of carrying in a container. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the conveyance table 62 at the time of carrying in a container. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the conveyance table 62 at the time of carrying in a container. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the conveyance table 62 at the time of carrying in a container. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a storage state confirmation process. It is a figure for demonstrating the position Pc of the conveyance table 62 at the time of a storage state confirmation process being performed.

  At least the following matters will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

== Outline of the incubator 10 ==
The outline of the incubator 10 to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a front view of the incubator 10 in a state where the front (+ Y side) door is opened, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the incubator 10. In the present embodiment, a part of the configuration of the incubator 10 is appropriately omitted in the drawings so that the configuration of the incubator 10 can be easily understood. Here, the X-axis direction is the left-right direction with respect to the incubator 10, the Y-axis direction is the front-rear direction with respect to the incubator 10, and the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction with respect to the incubator 10.

The incubator 10 is an apparatus for culturing a culture such as a cell (specimen) or a microorganism, and includes an outer box 20 and an inner box 21.
The outer box 20 is a housing of the so-called incubator 10 and is a substantially rectangular box having an opening on the front surface. Inside the outer box 20, as with the outer box 20, an inner box 21 having an opening on the front surface is provided so as to be covered with the outer box 20. Further, a front door 25 that opens or closes the opening of the inner box 21 is provided on the front surface of the outer box 20. The space formed in the inner box 21 when the front door 25 is closed becomes the culture chamber 22.

On the right side surface of the outer box 20 of the incubator 10, a loading / unloading port 26 penetrating from the outside of the culture chamber 22 into the culture chamber 22 is provided.
The carry-in / out port 26 is an opening formed for carrying a container containing the culture or a stacker containing the container into the culture chamber 22 or carrying it out of the culture chamber 22. An outer opening type loading / unloading door 27 is attached to the right side surface of the outer box 20 so that the loading / unloading port 26 can be opened or closed. The carry-in / out door 27 is configured to rotate about a hinge (support shaft) provided in the vertical direction and to open outward at 90 ° with respect to the opening surface of the carry-in / out port 26.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inner box 21 is provided with an incubator unit 30 for storing a stacker and the like. The incubator unit 30 includes an installation table 40, storage shelves 41 and 42, a transport device 43, and an observation device 44. It has.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the incubator unit 30. A storage shelf 41 including shelf plates 45 a to 45 c, a storage shelf 42 including shelf plates 46 a to 46 c, and a transport device 43 are installed on the installation table 40 placed on the bottom surface of the inner box 21. In FIG. 3, a part of the configuration of the incubator unit 30 is omitted as appropriate so that the relationship between the configurations of the incubator unit 30 can be easily understood.

  Here, the container and the stacker will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a container 100 that stores a culture (including a liquid such as a culture solution) and a tray 110 that holds the container 100. The container 100 is stored in an opening provided in the tray 110.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the stacker 200 (storage member). The stacker 200 is a substantially rectangular box with openings on the front and back surfaces. The stacker 200 accommodates, for example, ten trays 110a to 110j in the vertical direction.

  The storage shelf 41 in FIGS. 1 and 3 is a shelf for storing the observation device 44 and the plurality of stackers 200, and is attached to the installation base 40 so that the storage shelf 41 is provided near the left wall surface of the inner box 21. ing. Further, on the storage shelf 41, three shelf plates 45a to 45c are attached in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

  Similar to the storage shelf 41, the storage shelf 42 is a shelf for storing a plurality of stackers 200, and is attached to the installation base 40 so that the storage shelf 42 is provided near the right wall surface of the inner box 21. In addition, three shelf boards 46a to 46c are attached to the storage shelf 42 in the vertical direction. Each of the shelf boards 45a to 45c and the height at which the shelf boards 46a to 46c are attached are the same.

  Up to three stackers 200 can be stored side by side on the shelf plate in the Y-axis direction, and for example, the observation device 44 can be stored and installed instead of the stacker 200 as needed. However, the stacker 200 or the like is not normally stored (placed) in the space immediately inside the loading / unloading port 26, that is, the innermost space (+ Y direction) on the shelf 46b, and the container 100 (tray 110) and the stacker 200 are not stored. It is used as a delivery place or a standby place when carrying in / out from outside via the carry-in / out port 26.

  The transport device 43 is a device that transports the container 100 and the stacker 200. Although details of the transfer device 43 will be described later, the transfer device 43 is attached to be movable on a rail 47 attached along the Y-axis direction of the surface of the installation table 40. The rail 47 is attached at a position between the storage shelf 41 and the storage shelf 42.

The observation device 44 is a device for observing the culture stored in the container 100, and includes an observation table 50 and a camera 51.
The container 100 transported by the transport device 43 is placed on the observation table 50 together with the tray 110. In addition, the observation table 50 is provided with a motor that moves the observation table 50 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions so that the container 100 can be easily photographed by the camera 51. The camera 51 captures images and images of the culture in the container 100.

== Details of Conveying Device 43 ==
Here, the detail of the conveying apparatus 43 is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the mechanism of the transport device 43. The transport device 43 includes a slide device 60, a rail member 61, a mechanical component including a transport table 62, and a control unit 15 that controls the operation of the mechanical component as shown in FIG. The control unit 15 will be described later.

  The slide device 60 is movably attached to a rail 47 along the Y-axis direction. Then, the slide device 60 moves (slides) on the rail 47 as a motor (for Y axis) provided therein rotates. A rail member 61 is attached to the slide device 60 along the vertical direction. A transfer table 62 is attached to the rail member 61 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction. The transport table 62 moves (slides) in the Z-axis direction when a motor (for Z-axis) provided in the slide device 60 rotates.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining the outline of the transport table 62, FIG. 8 is a front view of the transport table 62 viewed from the + Y-axis direction, and FIG. 9 shows the transport table 62 in the −X-axis direction. It is the side view seen from. In FIG. 7, in order to explain the structure of the transfer table 62, some components (sensors, reflectors, etc. described later) are omitted for convenience. In FIG. 7, the slide plates 402, 403 and the like are drawn in close contact with each other, but in reality, a gap is provided between the plates so that the plates can slide.

  The mounting plate 400 is a plate formed by being bent into an L shape. A slider (not shown) that can move on the rail member 61 along the Z-axis direction is attached to the back surface of the mounting plate 400. A base plate 401 and slide plates 402 and 403 are provided on the horizontal surface of the mounting plate 400. Then, the conveyance table 62 moves (slides) in the Z-axis direction as a motor (for Z-axis) provided in the slide device 60 rotates.

  A pinion 430 rotated by a motor 415 and a pinion 431 are attached to the base plate 401. A belt 440 that transmits the rotation of the pinion 430 to the pinion 431 is provided between the pinions 430 and 431. For this reason, if the motor 415 (for example, stepping motor) rotates, the pinion 431 will also rotate in the same rotation direction. A rack 420 is attached to the surface of the base plate 401 along the X-axis direction.

  A rack 421 combined with the pinions 430 and 431 is attached to the bottom surface of the slide plate 402 along the X-axis direction. Therefore, the slide plate 402 moves (slides) along the X-axis direction when the motor 415 rotates. Further, the slide plate 402 is provided with a belt 441 for transmitting the rotations of the pinions 432 and 433 and the pinions 432 and 433 to each other. The pinions 432 and 433 are combined with a rack 422 and a rack 420 attached to the bottom surface of the slide plate 403 along the X-axis direction. For this reason, when the slide plate 402 moves in the X-axis direction, the slide plate 403 also moves along the X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, the pinions 430 to 433 rotate so that the slide plate 402 and the slide plate 403 move (slide) in the same direction in the X-axis direction. Rails 410a and 410b are attached to the surface of the slide plate 403 along the X-axis direction. Although details will be described later, a mounting table on which the container is mounted is mounted on the slide plate 403 so as to sandwich the rails 410a and 410b.

  The optical sensor 450 is a sensor (so-called regressive reflection type sensor) that detects reflected light of light from a light emitting element (not shown) provided therein. The optical sensor 450 is attached to the front surface of the slide plate 403 so that light is emitted toward the front. Here, a state in which the optical sensor 450 detects reflected light is an “on” state, and a state in which the reflected light is not detected is an “off” state.

  The reflection plate 451 (detection plate) is a plate that reflects the light from the optical sensor 450 and is attached to the front surface of the slide plate 402 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the slide plate 402. In this embodiment, when the centers of the base plate 401 and the slide plates 402 and 403 are substantially coincident with each other, the light sensor 450 and the reflection are in positions where the light from the light sensor 450 is not reflected by the reflection plate 451. The plate 451 is installed.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state when the slide plates 402 and 403 move in the + X direction. When the motor 415 rotates and the slide plates 402 and 403 move in the + X direction, the light from the optical sensor 450 is not reflected by the reflection plate 451. Therefore, in such a case, the optical sensor 450 is always “off”.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, when the slide plates 402 and 403 move in the −X direction, the light reflected by the reflection plate 451 enters the optical sensor 450. Therefore, the optical sensor 450 is “ON”. Thus, in this embodiment, based on the state of the optical sensor 450 (“ON” or “OFF”), for example, whether or not the center of the slide plate 403 is shifted from the slide plate 402 in the −X direction, That is, it can be determined whether or not the slide plate 403 is slid in the −X direction. The transport table 62 corresponds to a base, and the slide plate 403 corresponds to a plate that moves in the horizontal direction.

== About the mounting table ==
12 and 13 are diagrams for explaining the mounting table 500 mounted on the slide plate 403. FIG. In FIGS. 12 and 13, only the main configuration of the transport table 62 such as the slite plate 403 is shown for convenience.

  The mounting table 500 (member) is a table on which the container 100 is mounted. When the container 100 and the tray 110 are mounted on the mounting table 500, for example, the tray 110 is fixed to the mounting table 500 by a fixing member (not shown).

  Sliders 510 a, 510 b, 511 a, and 511 b are provided on the bottom surface of the mounting table 500. The mounting table 500 is attached so that the sliders 510a, 510b, 511a, and 511b can move on the rails 410a and 410b. Further, here, for example, springs 530 and 531 are provided between the sliders 510 a and 511 a and the slide plate 403.

  The springs 530 and 531 (elastic members) are arranged so that the center of the mounting table 500 is substantially equal to the center of the slide plate 403 when an external force in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) is not applied to the mounting table 500. This is for determining 500 installation positions.

  Hereinafter, the installation position of the mounting table 700 with respect to the slide plate 403 so that the center of the mounting table 500 and the center of the slide plate 403 are substantially equal is referred to as a position A (first position).

A reflection plate 520 and a shielding plate 521 are attached to the front surface of the mounting table 500 so as to be perpendicular to the slide plate 403, for example.
The reflector 520 reflects light from the optical sensor 450 in the same manner as the reflector 451. In this embodiment, when the mounting table 500 is installed at the position A, the reflecting plate 520 is attached to the mounting table 500 so that the reflecting plate 520 is disposed on the + X side of the optical sensor 450.
The shielding plate 521 shields light from the optical sensor 450. Further, the shielding plate 521 absorbs light from the optical sensor 450 so that the reflected light of the shielding plate 521 becomes substantially zero. In the present embodiment, when the mounting table 500 is installed at the position A, the shielding plate 521 is attached to the mounting table 500 so that the shielding plate 521 is disposed on the −X side with respect to the optical sensor 450. Further, the shielding plate 52 is provided closer to the optical sensor 450 (−Y side) than the reflection plate 451 on the Y axis.

  Therefore, when the mounting table 500 is placed at the position A, the optical sensor 450 is in the “off” state. The optical sensor 450, the reflection plates 451 and 520, and the shielding plate 521 correspond to a detection unit.

<< Changes in the state of the optical sensor 450 >>
First, the state of the optical sensor 450 when the mounting table 500 mounted on the slide plate 403 moves in the + X direction will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state where the mounting table 500 does not receive an external force when the mounting table 500 is moved in the + X direction. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the mounting table 500 when the mounting table 500 is moved in the + X direction. It is a figure which shows the state at the time of receiving the external force of -X direction. Here, for the sake of convenience, only main components are illustrated. Further, as described above, when the slide plate 403 or the like is moved in the + X direction, the optical sensor 540 is “off”.

  As shown in FIG. 14, since the mounting table 500 does not receive external force, the mounting table 500 moves in the same manner as the slide plate 403. Further, since the position of the reflection plate 520 with respect to the optical sensor 450 does not change, the optical sensor 450 maintains the “off” state.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, when the mounting table 500 is moved in the + X direction and the mounting table 500 receives an external force in the −X direction, the mounting table 500 moves from the position A on the slide plate 403 in the −X direction. Slide. As a result, the reflecting plate 520 also moves in the −X direction, and the reflected light from the reflecting plate 520 is incident on the optical sensor 540. Therefore, the optical sensor 540 changes from “off” to “on”.

  Next, the state of the optical sensor 450 when the mounting table 500 mounted on the slide plate 403 moves in the −X direction will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the mounting table 500 does not receive an external force when the mounting table 500 is moved in the −X direction. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the mounting table 500 is moved in the −X direction. It is a figure which shows the state when the mounting base 500 receives the external force of the + X direction. In FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, only main components are shown for convenience. Further, as described above, when the slide plate 403 or the like is moved in the −X direction, the optical sensor 540 is “ON”.

  As shown in FIG. 16, since the mounting table 500 does not receive external force, the mounting table 500 moves in the same manner as the slide plate 403. In this case, since the position of the shielding plate 521 with respect to the optical sensor 450 does not change, the optical sensor 450 maintains the “on” state.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17, when the mounting table 500 is moved in the −X direction and the mounting table 500 receives an external force in the + X direction, the mounting table 500 slides from the position A on the slide plate 403 in the + X direction. To do. As a result, the light from the optical sensor 540 is shielded by the shielding plate 521. Therefore, the state of the optical sensor 540 changes from “on” to “off”.

  As described above, when the mounting table 500 receives an external force in the direction opposite to the moving direction and the mounting table 500 moves from the predetermined position A, the state of the optical sensor 450 changes.

== Other embodiment of transfer table and mounting table ==
18 and 19 are diagrams showing another embodiment of the transfer table and the mounting table. In the transfer table 70, rails 610a and 610b, a proximity sensor 600, a detection plate 601, and a spring hinge 620 are provided instead of the rails 410a and 410b, the optical sensor 450, and the reflection plate 451 used in the transfer table 62. . The mounting table 700 is provided with a detection plate 710 instead of the reflection plate 520 and the shielding plate 521. For this reason, the newly provided block is demonstrated here. In FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, for example, the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

  The sliders 510a and the like of the mounting table 700 are attached to the rails 610a and 610b installed on the surface of the slide plate 403. Here, when the mounting table 700 receives an external force from the + X direction, the rails 610a and 610b move the mounting table 700 in the −Y direction as well as the −X direction, and when the mounting table 700 receives an external force from the −X direction, The mounting table 700 is shaped to move in the + Y direction as well as the + X direction.

  The proximity sensor 600 is a capacitive sensor that turns on or off according to the distance to the opposing detection plates (detection plates 601 and 700). Specifically, the proximity sensor 600 is “ON” when the distance to the opposing detection plate is short, and “OFF” when the distance to the detection plate is long. The proximity sensor 600 is attached to the front surface of the slide plate 403.

  The detection plate 601 is fixed to a spring hinge 620 attached to the front surface of the slide plate 402. The detection plate 601 is fixed to the spring hinge 602 so as to be perpendicular to the slide plate 402 when the detection plate 601 does not receive an external force. In the spring hinge 620, when the detection plate 601 receives an external force in the + Y direction, an internal spring (not shown) applies an elastic force to the detection plate 601 so that the detection plate 601 is perpendicular to the slide plate 402.

  A detection plate 710 is attached to the front surface of the mounting table 700 so as to be perpendicular to the slide plate 403, for example. In addition, the detection plate 710 is provided on the + Y side with respect to the detection plate 620.

  In the present embodiment, as in the case of the mounting table 500 described above, when the mounting table 700 is installed on the slide plate 403, the position A is such that the center of the mounting table 700 and the center of the slide plate 403 are substantially equal. The mounting table 700 is mounted.

  In addition, when the mounting table 700 is installed at the position A, the detection plate 601 is disposed on the −X side of the proximity sensor 600 so that the proximity sensor 600 and the detection plates 601 and 710 do not face each other, and the detection plate 710 is in proximity. The sensor 600 is arranged on the + X side. Therefore, when the mounting table 700 is placed at the position A, the proximity sensor 600 is in an “off” state. The proximity sensor 600 and the detection plates 601 and 700 correspond to detection units.

<< Regarding Changes in State of Proximity Sensor 600 >>
First, the state of the proximity sensor 600 when the mounting table 700 mounted on the slide plate 403 moves in the −X direction will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 23.

  20 and 21 are diagrams for explaining a state in which the mounting table 700 does not receive an external force when the mounting table 700 is moved in the −X direction. FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate the mounting table 700 in the −X direction. It is a figure for demonstrating the state when the mounting base 700 receives the external force of + X direction when moving to a direction. Here, for the sake of convenience, only main components are illustrated.

  As shown in FIG. 20, since the mounting table 700 does not receive external force, the mounting table 700 moves in the same manner as the slide plate 403. Therefore, when the slide plate 403 moves and the proximity sensor 600 faces the detection plate 601, the proximity sensor is turned “on”. Further, when the mounting table 700 continues to move in the −X direction, the proximity sensor 600 and the detection plate 601 always face each other, so the proximity sensor 600 continues to be “ON”.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, when the mounting table 700 is moved in the −X direction and the mounting table 700 receives an external force in the + X direction, the mounting table 700 also moves in the + Y direction together with the + X direction. . In the present embodiment, the mounting table 700 moved in the + Y direction tilts the detection plate 601 joined by the spring hinge 620 in the + Y direction. As a result, the distance between the proximity sensor 600 and the detection plate 601 is increased, and the proximity sensor 600 is changed from “on” to “off”.

  Next, the state of the proximity sensor 600 when the mounting table 700 mounted on the slide plate 403 moves in the + X direction will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 24, since the mounting table 700 does not receive external force, the mounting table 700 moves similarly to the slide plate 403. When the slide plate 403 moves in the + X direction, since the proximity sensor 600 does not face the detection plate 710, the proximity sensor 600 remains “off”.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, when the mounting table 700 is moved in the + X direction and the mounting table 700 receives an external force in the −X direction, the mounting table 700 moves in the −Y direction as well as the −X direction. Moving. As a result, a part of the proximity sensor 600 and the detection plate 710 face each other, and the distance between the proximity sensor 600 and the detection plate 710 is shortened. Accordingly, the proximity sensor 600 changes from “off” to “on”.

  Thus, when the mounting table 700 receives an external force in the direction opposite to the moving direction and the mounting table 700 moves from the predetermined position A, the state of the proximity sensor 600 changes. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to detect whether the mounting bases 500 and 700 are displaced from the position A on the slide plate 403 based on the states of various sensors (the optical sensor 450 and the proximity sensor 600).

  In the present embodiment, the rails 610a and 610b are used to move the mounting table 700 in the + Y direction according to the external force in the −X direction and to move the mounting table 700 in the −Y direction according to the external force in the + X direction. However, it is not limited to this. For example, grooves 810 a to 810 d as shown in FIG. 27 may be provided on the surface of the slide plate 403, and pins 800 a to 800 d that fit in the grooves 810 a to 810 d may be provided on the bottom surface of the mounting table 700. With such a configuration, the pins 800a to 800d move along the grooves 810a to 810d. Therefore, the mounting table 700 is moved in the + Y direction according to the external force in the -X direction, and the external force in the + X direction is changed. Accordingly, the mounting table 700 can be moved in the -Y direction. Although not shown in FIG. 27, springs are provided inside the grooves 810a to 810d so that the mounting table 700 stays at the position A when the mounting table 700 does not receive an external force in the horizontal direction. .

<< Overview of Control Unit 15 that Controls Operation of Incubator 10 >>
Here, the control unit 15 that controls the operation of the transport device 43 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 28, only the blocks related to the control of the transfer device 43 in the incubator 10 are illustrated. In FIG. 28, detailed description of blocks common to other drawings is omitted as appropriate.

  The transport device 43 in the incubator 10 includes an X-axis motor 415 for moving the slide plate 403 and the like in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis motor 416 for moving the slide device 60 in the Y-axis direction, and a transport table 62. Is provided with a Z-axis motor 417 for movement in the Z-axis direction. Further, the transport device 43 includes a position sensor 418 that outputs position information of the slide plates 402 and 403, the slide device 60, and the transport table 62.

The control unit 15 is a device that performs overall control of the incubator 10 and includes an operation panel 90, a storage device 91, and a microcomputer 92.
The operation panel 90 is a panel for the user to set the operation of the isolator 10. The operation result of the operation panel 90 is transmitted to the microcomputer 92, and the control unit 15 controls each block of the incubator 10 based on the operation result. The operation panel 90 displays operation results, the state of the incubator 10 (for example, temperature and humidity), and various types of information.
The storage device 91 stores program data executed by the microcomputer 92 and various data. The microcomputer 92 implements various functions by executing the program data stored in the storage device 91.

== Functional block of microcomputer 92 ==
FIG. 29 is a diagram showing functional blocks implemented in the microcomputer 92 when the microcomputer 92 executes the program data. In the microcomputer 92, a moving unit 300, determination units 301 and 302, and a display unit 303 are realized.

The moving unit 300 controls the motors 415 to 417 based on the operation result of the operation panel 90 (hereinafter referred to as operation result) and the output of the position sensor 418 to move the transport table 62, the slide plate 403, and the like.
The determination unit 301 determines whether or not the container 100 (first-arrival product) is stored in a predetermined storage position of the stacker 200 based on detection results of various sensors (the optical sensor 450 and the proximity sensor 600).
The determination unit 302 performs determination processing (processing executed by the determination unit 301) on whether or not the container 100 (first-in-order product) is stored at all positions that can be stored in the storage shelves 41 and 42 of the incubator 10. It is determined.
The display unit 303 (output unit) displays the determination result of the determination unit 301 on the operation panel 90. For example, when the determination unit 301 determines that the container 100 is stored in a predetermined storage position, the display unit 303 includes information indicating that the container 100 is already stored in the predetermined storage position (for example, “ A warning display “) is displayed on the operation panel 90.

== An example of import processing ==
FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed when the container 100 is loaded and stored in the stacker 200.
Here, the user operates the operation panel 90 to specify in advance a storage destination (hereinafter referred to as storage position B) in which the container 100 is stored, and the container 100 to be stored is placed on the transfer table 62. It shall be placed together. 31 to 34 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the transport table 62 when the container 100 is stored in the storage position B (second position), and will be referred to as appropriate. In FIGS. 31 to 34, the storage position B shows a state where the container is not stored in advance.

  First, the moving unit 300 controls the motors 415 to 417 to move the transport table 62 to the position Qa in the storage position B (S100). As shown in FIG. 31, the position Qa is a position where the container (not shown) mounted on the mounting table 500 can be stored in the storage position B when moved in the horizontal direction.

  Then, as illustrated in FIG. 32, the moving unit 300 controls the motor 415 to move the slide plate 403 to the position Pa (S101). Although the slide plate 402 operates in the same manner as the slide plate 403, a detailed description of the operation is omitted here for convenience. The determination unit 301 determines whether or not the state of the optical sensor 450 has changed while the process S101 is being performed (S102). If the state of the optical sensor 450 does not change (S102: NO), that is, no container is stored in the storage position B and the mounting table 500 is not subjected to an external force in the horizontal direction, (S103). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 33, the moving unit 300 lowers the transport table 62 to the position Qb in order to store the container placed on the placing table 500 in the housing position B (S104). Then, as shown in FIG. 34, the moving unit 300 moves the slide plate 403 to the position Pb (S105).

  On the other hand, when the state of the optical sensor 450 changes during the process S101 (S102: YES), that is, the container is stored in the storage position B, and the mounting table 500 receives a horizontal external force. Then, the determination unit 301 determines that there is a pre-arrival product (S106). Thereafter, the moving unit 300 stops the movement of the slide plate 403 (S107), and moves the slide plate 403 to the position Pb (S108). In addition, the display unit 303 displays “warning display” on the operation panel 90 (S109). Then, the moving unit 300 moves the transport table 62 to a predetermined standby place (inside the carry-in / out port 26) in the incubator 10 (S110). Although not specifically stated here, the determination result of the determination unit 301 is sequentially stored in the storage device 91. In addition, the display unit 303 may display a warning message together with a request to the user. Then, when all the storage destinations are closed while the container is placed on the mounting table 500, the user may be asked to perform the next process.

== Example of storage state confirmation processing ==
FIG. 35 shows whether or not containers (first-in products) are stored in all the positions n (“n” = 1 to i) of the stacker 200 stored in the storage shelves 41 and 42 of the incubator 10. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process which confirms. Note that the processing in FIG. 35 is executed, for example, when the system or the like that operates the control unit 15 ends illegally or when the system or the like is first activated. Further, the storage state confirmation process is executed according to an instruction from the user. Furthermore, when this process is executed, it is assumed that no container is placed on the placing table 500.

  First, the moving unit 300 moves the transport table 62 to the position Qa at the storage position k (the initial value of “k” is “1”) at the n storage positions (S200). Note that the position Qa is the same position as the position Qa in the storage position B shown in FIG.

  Then, the moving unit 300 controls the motor 415 to move the slide plate 403 to the position Pc at the storage position k (S201). The position Pc is a position where an external force is applied from the container in which the mounting table 500 is stored, if the container is stored in the storage position k. Therefore, when the container is stored in the storage position k, the moving unit 300 moves the mounting table 500 so as to receive an external force. The position Pc is a position closer to the transport table 62 than the position Pa. The determination unit 301 determines whether or not the state of the optical sensor 450 has changed when the process S201 is being executed (S202). Thus, in the process S201, since the slide plate 403 is moved only to the position Pc, in the process S202, it can be determined whether or not the container is stored in the storage position k in a shorter time. If the state of the optical sensor 450 does not change (S202: NO), the determination unit 301 determines that there is no pre-arrival product at the storage position k (S203). Then, the display unit 303 displays that there is no pre-arrival product on the operation panel 90 (S204).

  On the other hand, when the state of the optical sensor 450 changes (S202: YES), the determination unit 301 determines that there is a pre-arrival product at the storage position k (S205). Then, the moving unit 300 stops moving the slide plate 403 (S206), and the display unit 303 displays “warning display” on the operation panel 90 (S207).

  Further, when the process S204 or the process S207 is executed, the moving unit 300 moves the slide plate 403 to the position Pb in the storage position k (S208). Then, the determination unit 302 determines whether or not the determination unit 301 has determined all “n” storage positions in the incubator 10 (S209). When the determination unit 301 determines all “n” “n” storage positions (S209: YES), the determination unit 302 ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the determination unit 301 has not determined all “n” storage positions (S209: NO), the determination unit 301 determines the next storage position (here, storage position “k + 1”). ) Is designated (S201), and the moving unit 300 is caused to execute the process S200 for the storage position k + 1. Although not specifically described here, it is assumed that the determination result of the determination process S202 executed by the determination unit 301 is sequentially stored in the storage device 91.

  The incubator 10 of the present embodiment has been described above. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a sensor or the like for each container storage destination in order to determine whether or not the container is stored in the container storage destination. For this reason, the cost of the system in the incubator 10 can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the presence / absence of a container as a storage destination is determined based on whether or not the mounting table 500 on which the container is mounted has moved from the predetermined position A. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a device for determining the presence / absence of a container as a storage destination, and thus the device can be simplified.

  The optical sensor 450 or the like operates as an origin sensor that detects whether the center of the slide plate 403 is shifted in the −X direction from the center of the base plate 401, for example. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with a case where both a general origin sensor and a sensor for confirming the presence / absence of a storage destination are provided.

For example, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 30, in the present embodiment, it is possible to confirm the presence or absence of a first-in-place item when performing a process of storing a container.
Further, when a container is already stored in the specified storage destination, “warning display” is displayed on the operation panel 90.
In addition, when the system for operating the control unit 15 is illegally terminated, the storage state confirmation process shown in FIG. 35 is executed. For this reason, it is possible to grasp all the states of the storage locations where the incubator 10 can be stored, that is, whether or not the containers are stored in the storage destinations.

  In addition, the said embodiment is for making an understanding of this invention easy, and is not for limiting and interpreting this invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

In the present embodiment, “warning display” is displayed when there is a first-in product, but for example, an alarm sound may be output.
In the present embodiment, the optical sensor 450 or the like is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, if a sensor capable of detecting whether or not the mounting table 500 is displaced from the position A due to a horizontal external force is used, the same effect as in the present embodiment can be obtained.
Further, any member that is placed on the slide plate 403 and moves by an external force in the horizontal direction is not limited to the placement table. For example, even if it is a rod-shaped member etc., the same effect as this embodiment can be acquired.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the presence or absence of the container accommodated in the stacker in an incubator was detected, However, It is not restricted to an incubator. For example, by using a configuration similar to that of the transfer table 62 and the like, it is possible to appropriately detect the presence or absence of storage items stored in a general multistage rack or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Incubator 15 Control part 20 Outer box 21 Inner box 22 Incubation room 25 Front door 26 Loading / unloading 27 Loading / unloading door 30 Incubator unit 40 Installation stand 41, 42 Storage shelf 43 Conveying device 44 Observation device 45a-45c, 46a-46c Shelf plate 47 Rail 60 Slide device 61 Rail member 62, 70 Transfer table 90 Operation unit 91 Storage device 92 Microcomputer 100 Container 110 Tray 200 Stacker 300 Moving unit 301, 302 Determination unit 303 Display unit 400 Mounting plate 401 Base plate
402, 403 Slide plate 410, 610 Rail 420-422 Rack 430-433 Pinion 440, 441 Belt 450 Optical sensor 451, 520 Reflector 500, 700 Mounting base 510, 511 Slider 521 Shield plate 530, 531 Spring 600 Proximity sensor 601 710 Detection plate 620 Spring hinge

Claims (6)

A base having a plate that moves horizontally;
A member that is placed at a first position of the plate and moves from the first position when subjected to a horizontal external force;
When the stored item is stored at the second position in the storage shelf for storing the stored item,
A moving part for moving the base and the plate so that the member receives the horizontal external force from the stored item;
A detection unit for detecting whether or not the member has moved from the first position;
When it is detected that the member has moved from the first position, it is determined that the stored item is stored in the second position, and the member has moved from the first position. And a determination unit that determines that the stored item is not stored in the second position if it is not detected ,
The stored item is a storage member in which a plurality of containers are stored in multiple stages or the container stored in the storage member,
The member is a mounting table on which the stored items are mounted;
A conveying device characterized by the above. It is a conveying apparatus of Claim 1 , Comprising:
The moving unit moves the plate along a predetermined axial direction in the horizontal direction,
The detection unit further detects whether the plate has moved in one direction in the predetermined axial direction from the center of the base;
A conveying device characterized by the above. It is a conveyance apparatus of Claim 2 , Comprising:
When it is determined that the stored item is not stored in the second position when the stored item to be stored in the second position is placed on the mounting table, the moving unit is Moving the base and the plate so that the stored items placed on the mounting table are stored in the second position;
A conveying device characterized by the above. It is a conveying apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-3 ,
An output unit that outputs information indicating that the stored item is stored in the second position when it is determined that the stored item is stored in the second position;
A conveying device characterized by the above. It is a conveyance apparatus of Claim 4 , Comprising:
When it is determined that the stored item is stored in the second position, the moving unit moves the base to a predetermined standby position.
A conveying apparatus characterized by that. A conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the mounting table is not receiving the external force in the horizontal direction, the mounting table further includes an elastic member that moves the mounting table to the first position,
The moving unit is
Based on a predetermined instruction, the base and the plate are sequentially moved so that the mounting table receives the external force in the horizontal direction from each of the stored items at all positions that can be stored in the storage shelf,
The detection unit detects whether the mounting table has moved from the first position at all the positions;
The determination unit determines whether or not the stored items are stored in all the positions;
A conveying device characterized by the above.