JP5894878B2 - Sample container rack - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a specimen container rack, and more particularly to a specimen container rack that accommodates a rod-like specimen container such as a Spitz tube and has improved air permeability to a portion filled with a test material in the specimen container.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a specimen container rack formed of urethane foam is often used as a rack for accommodating rod-shaped specimen containers such as Spitz tubes.
7 (a) to 7 (c) show an example of a conventional urethane foam rack. 7A is a perspective view showing the entire rack, FIG. 7B is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 7C is a bottom view thereof. The specimen container rack 50 shown in the figure is configured by laminating plate-like urethane foam members in four layers.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7A, a thick top plate 51 made of rigid urethane foam is disposed in the first layer, and the side of the specimen container (not shown) is disposed in the second layer. A side holding member 53 having a small thickness and made of a flexible urethane foam is provided.
Further, a middle plate 52 having the same shape and shape as the top plate 51 is disposed in the third layer, and the fourth layer has a thickness made of rigid urethane foam for holding the tip of a specimen container (not shown). A small bottom plate 54 is arranged.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the top plate 51 and the middle plate 52 are arranged with a plurality of cylindrical through holes 55 penetrating the upper and lower surfaces thereof, and the diameter thereof is a Spitz tube or the like. The specimen container is formed in a size that can be inserted.
The side holding member 53 is provided with a plurality of X-shaped holding holes 56 penetrating the upper and lower surfaces thereof in accordance with the positions of the through holes 55 of the top plate 51 and the intermediate plate 52.
When viewed in plan as shown in FIG. 7B, in the cylindrical through-hole 55, four protrusions 56a formed by the X-shaped holding hole 56 protrude toward the hole center. Since the side holding plate 53 is formed of a flexible urethane foam having elasticity, when the sample container is inserted into the holding hole 56, the side of the container is pressed by the four protrusions 56a so that the sample container is stable. To be held.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, the bottom plate 54 is provided with a plurality of X-shaped holding holes 57 penetrating the upper and lower surfaces in accordance with the positions of the through holes 56 of the top plate 51 and the intermediate plate 52. It has been. The X-shaped holding hole 57 is formed in the same shape as the X-shaped holding hole 56 of the side portion holding member 53. Unlike the side holding member 53, the bottom plate 54 is formed of a hard urethane foam so that the tip of the sample container is held so as not to be laterally displaced, but the sample container is not penetrated. Has been made.

According to the sample container rack 50 configured as described above, the side of the sample container inserted into the through hole 55 is held by the holding hole 56 of the side holding member 53, and the tip of the sample container is the bottom plate. It is held by 54 holding holes 57. For this reason, the sample container is not accidentally pulled out and the position of the tip of the container is not shifted, and the impact is mitigated by the side holding member 53 that is an elastic material, so that it can be safely stored.
Incidentally, the specimen container rack made of urethane foam is described in Patent Document 1.

JP 2008-202940 A

However, in the specimen container rack 50 made of urethane foam shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, the holding hole 57 which is a through hole is provided in the bottom plate 54, but the circumference of the specimen container is cylindrical. Since the structure is surrounded by the inner wall of the through-hole 55, there is a problem that the air permeability of the accommodation space is poor and it is difficult to manage the portion filled with the test material in the specimen container at a desired temperature.
Specifically, a cooling agent is arranged around the rack to cool the sample container in the rack, but the inside of the rack is blocked by the peripheral wall of the rack, so that there is a problem that the cool air does not flow through the rack. .

  The present invention has been made under the circumstances as described above, and provides a sample container rack that is excellent in air permeability and can easily perform temperature control of a portion of the sample container filled with a test material. The purpose is to do.

  A sample container rack according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a rack that accommodates a rod-shaped sample container, and is formed in a rectangular box shape with an open bottom side, and the sample is placed on the top plate side. A casing in which a plurality of container insertion holes into which containers can be inserted is arranged, and a bottom plate portion that closes the bottom side opening of the casing, and the tip of the sample container inserted from the container insertion hole is held on the bottom plate portion A tip holding portion is provided for each container insertion hole, and a bottom lid member in which a plurality of column bodies are erected between a plurality of arranged tip holding portions, and an elastic material and is formed in a plate shape A holding hole that is supported by the upper ends of the plurality of pillars and that holds the side portion of the sample container by inserting the sample container inserted through the container insertion hole is formed for each container insertion hole. And a case holding member. The side surface of the grayed, through holes for communicating the casing and out is formed, on the tip holding portion characterized in that the through-hole penetrating vertically is formed.

When the sample container is accommodated in the thus configured sample container rack, the sample container may be inserted through the container insertion hole and pushed in until the tip of the sample container reaches the tip holding portion of the bottom plate portion. Thereby, the tip of the sample container is held by the tip holding part, and the side part of the sample container is held by the holding hole of the side holding member. Here, since the side portion holding member that holds the side portion of the sample container is formed of an elastic material, it is possible to relieve the impact applied to the sample container and to hold the sample container so that it does not come out unexpectedly. .
In addition, a through-hole penetrating the inside and outside of the casing is provided on the side surface of the casing, and a through-hole penetrating vertically is also provided in the tip holding portion, so that the test material in the specimen container disposed in the space in the casing The air permeability from the outside of the rack to the filled portion is good. Therefore, it is possible to easily manage the temperature of the portion of the sample container that is filled with the test material. Specifically, when the coolant is arranged around the rack, the cold air passes through the through-hole provided in the side surface of the casing and the through-hole provided in the tip holding portion of the bottom lid member. A portion that flows through the space and is filled with the test material in the specimen container accommodated in the space can be cooled to a desired temperature.

Further, it is desirable that a partition wall surrounding the periphery of each tip holding portion is provided on the upper surface side of the bottom plate portion.
Since each tip holding part is surrounded by the partition wall in this way, even if the tip of the sample container is lifted off from the tip holding part, for example, when the whole rack is inclined at a large angle, The positional deviation of the tip can be prevented.

The container insertion hole is formed in a cylindrical shape having a predetermined height, and the side holding member is sandwiched between an upper end of the column body and a lower end of the cylindrical container insertion hole. It is desirable that
By comprising in this way, a plate-shaped side part holding member can be stably arrange | positioned in the predetermined position in a casing.

  Moreover, the said side part holding member which is an elastic material can be formed with a soft urethane foam, for example. The casing and the bottom cover member are preferably formed of a material having a wide embrittlement temperature range (withstands from low temperature to high temperature) and high mechanical strength (high impact resistance). Deformation and breakage due to contact with dry ice or dropping can be prevented. In addition, as such a material, polyethylene is preferable from the viewpoint of suppressing the material cost.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a sample container rack that is excellent in air permeability and that can easily perform temperature control of a portion of the sample container filled with a test material.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire sample container rack according to the present invention. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the sample container rack of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sample container rack of FIG. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the bottom lid member provided in the sample container rack of FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a locking member used when the casing and the bottom cover member constituting the sample container rack of FIG. 1 are engaged. FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing an entire conventional specimen container rack, FIG. 7B is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 7C is a bottom view thereof.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a sample container rack according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire sample container rack according to the present invention. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sample container rack 1 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sample container rack 1 of FIG.
The sample container rack 1 is largely composed of three members as shown in FIG. That is, a rectangular box-shaped polyethylene casing 2 whose bottom surface is opened, a polyethylene bottom lid member 3 that closes the bottom-side opening of the casing 2, and an upper end side of the bottom lid member 3 that is supported in the casing 2. It is comprised by the side part holding member 4 made from a flexible urethane foam (elastic material) which is arrange | positioned and hold | maintains the side surface of the sample container 30. FIG.
Since the casing 2 and the bottom cover member 3 are made of polyethylene, they have a wide embrittlement temperature range (withstands from low to high temperatures) and high mechanical strength (high impact resistance). ing. Therefore, for example, deformation or breakage due to contact with dry ice or dropping can be prevented.

The casing 2 has a predetermined height (for example, 50 mm), and a plurality of pieces (in the figure, 5 × 10 rows = 50 pieces) can be inserted in the top and bottom sides of the casing 2 so that the rod-like specimen containers 30 can be inserted. ) Cylindrical portions 5 (container insertion holes) are arranged. The diameter of the cylindrical portion 5 is formed such that the sample container 30 can be inserted with a margin (for example, a diameter of 17 mm for a sample container having a diameter of 16 mm).
The cylindrical portions 5 each have a predetermined height dimension (for example, 10 mm), and are arranged on the back surface of a thin top plate that forms the upper surface of the casing 2, for example (or the upper surface of the casing 2 is formed). A plurality of cylindrical portions 5 may be formed in a thick top plate. In the casing 2, a hollow space S is formed below the cylindrical portion 5.

Further, in the casing 2, a plurality (four in the figure) of through-holes 6 are provided at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction on both side walls 2 a in the longitudinal direction. A plurality (two in the figure) of through-holes 7 are also provided in the lateral side walls 2b in the short direction at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction. The through holes 6 and 7 are formed in a circular shape with a predetermined diameter (for example, 10 mm), and the air permeability between the outer side and the inner side (space S) of the casing 2 is good via the through holes 6 and 7. ing.
Further, in the casing 2, a plurality (three in the figure) of horizontally elongated locking holes 2c are formed in the vicinity of the lower end of the side wall 2a in the longitudinal direction along the lower end edge of the side wall 2a. Of these locking holes 2c, a projection 9a of a bottom cover member 3 described later is locked to two at both ends, and a locking member 11 described later is locked to one of the middle, thereby It is firmly engaged with the bottom lid member 3.

  Further, the bottom cover member 3 has a substantially rectangular bottom plate portion 8 as shown in FIG. 4 (a plan view (lower surface) viewed from below), and has a predetermined height as shown in FIG. A peripheral wall 9 having a height of 35 mm (for example, 35 mm) is erected. The outer dimension of the peripheral wall portion 9 is designed to be slidable to the inner side surfaces of the side walls 2a and 2b of the casing 2 so that the casing 2 and the bottom cover member 3 can be stably engaged. It has become.

Also, laterally long projections 9a are provided on the left and right ends, respectively, in the vicinity of the lower end of the side surface of the bottom cover member 3 in the longitudinal direction. These protrusions 9 a can be locked in two locking holes 2 c provided at the left and right lower ends of the side wall 2 a of the casing 2.
A laterally long through hole 9b is formed at the center of the bottom lid member 3 in the vicinity of the lower end of the side surface in the longitudinal direction. When the projection 9a is locked to the locking hole 2c, the through hole 9b is aligned with the locking hole 2c provided at the center lower end of the side wall 2a of the casing 2 so as to communicate with the through hole 9b. Yes. Then, the locking member 11 shown in FIG. 6 is inserted from the through-hole 9b side, and the claw portion 11a is locked to the locking hole 2c, whereby a stronger engagement is possible.

  Further, a plurality of dome-shaped recesses 10 (tip holding portions) are arranged on the bottom plate portion 8 of the bottom lid member 3 in accordance with the arrangement of the cylindrical portion 5 of the casing 2 as shown in FIG. The dome-shaped recess 10 is configured to hold the tip of the specimen container 30 by being recessed downward in a dome shape as shown in FIG. 5 (a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4). In addition, a through-hole 10 a having a predetermined diameter (for example, 5 mm) is formed at the center of the dome-shaped recess 10, so that air permeability from the lower surface side of the sample container rack 1 to the tip of the sample container 30 is ensured. ing. In the bottom lid member 3, as shown in FIG. 5, a raised portion 13 is provided below the peripheral wall portion 9 so that the lower end of the dome-shaped recess 10 is in a state of floating in a hollow state.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a partition wall 14 is provided on the upper surface side of the bottom plate portion 8 so as to partition each dome-shaped recess 10, and the partition wall intersects the cross in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction. A cross column 12 (column) projecting upward is provided at each intersection of 14.
In addition, since each dome-shaped recess 10 is surrounded by the partition wall 14, the tip of the sample container 30 may be lifted off the dome-shaped recess 10, for example, when the entire rack is inclined greatly. In addition, it is possible to prevent the positional deviation of the tip of the sample container 30.
In addition, when the bottom lid member 3 and the casing 2 are engaged with each other, the peripheral wall portion 9 has positions corresponding to each other so that the through holes 6 and 7 on the side surface of the casing 2 communicate with the space S in the casing 2. A U-shaped hole 9c is formed at the top.

Further, the side holding member 4 made of soft urethane foam (elastic material) is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and in the casing 2, the upper end of the cross column body 12 formed on the bottom lid member 3, It is pinched by the lower end of the cylindrical part 5 of the casing 2.
In the casing 2, a plurality of positioning pins 2d protruding downward are provided on the ceiling surface (lower ends of the plurality of cylindrical portions 5), and the plurality of positioning pins 2d are held by the side as shown in FIG. By being inserted into a plurality of positioning holes 4c formed on the upper surface side of the member 4, alignment in the horizontal direction is performed. That is, when the sample container rack 1 is assembled, first, the side holding member 4 is temporarily placed in the casing 2 by inserting the pin 2d in the casing 2 into the hole 4c. Then, by engaging the bottom lid member 3 with the casing 2, the cross pillar 12 supports the side holding member 4 from below.

The side holding member 4 is formed with a plurality of X-shaped holding holes 4 a penetrating vertically in accordance with the arrangement of the cylindrical portion 5 of the casing 2, and the rod-shaped sample container 30 is inserted therethrough. Thus, the side portion of the sample container 30 is held.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, an X-shaped holding hole 4 a is arranged below each cylindrical portion 5, and the four protrusions 4 b formed by the holding holes 4 a are formed at the center of the diameter of the cylindrical portion 5. The projection 4b of the holding hole 4a is exposed below the cylindrical portion 5). The four protrusions 4b are configured to be in pressure contact with the side portion of the sample container 30 inserted into the cylindrical portion 5 so that the sample container 30 is held.
The side holding member 4 may be colored in a predetermined color in advance, and for example, the color of the side holding member 4 may be properly used depending on the type of specimen. By doing so, the four colored projections 4b can be confirmed from the cylindrical portion 5, and the specimen type can be easily identified.

When the sample container 30 is accommodated in the sample container rack 1 configured as described above, the sample container 30 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 5 from above and pushed in until the tip of the sample container 30 reaches the dome-shaped recess 10 of the bottom cover member 3. Good. As a result, the tip of the sample container 30 is held in the dome-shaped recess 10, and the side portion of the sample container 30 is pressed and held by the protrusion 4 b of the side holding member 4.
Here, since the side portion holding member 4 that holds the side portion of the specimen container 30 is formed of a soft urethane foam that is an elastic material, the impact applied to the specimen container 30 is reduced and the specimen container 30 is unexpectedly moved. It can be held so as not to come off.
Further, since the through holes 6 and 7 are provided in the side walls 2 a and 2 b of the casing 2 and the through hole 10 a is provided in the dome-shaped recess 10, the side wall 2 a and 2 b in the sample container 30 disposed in the space S in the casing 2. The air permeability from the outside of the rack 1 to the portion filled with the inspection material is good. Therefore, temperature management (for example, cooling to a predetermined temperature, etc.) of the portion of the specimen container 30 filled with the test material can be easily performed. Specifically, when the coolant is arranged around the rack, the cold air (as indicated by arrows in FIG. 1), through holes 6 and 7 provided in the side walls 2a and 2b of the casing 2, and the bottom cover member 3 flows through the space S in the casing 2 through the through-hole 10a provided in the dome-shaped recess 10 and cools the portion filled with the test material in the specimen container 30 accommodated in the space S to a desired temperature. can do.

In the embodiment, the side portion holding member 4 is sandwiched in the casing 2 by the upper end of the cross pillar 12 formed on the bottom lid member 3 and the lower end of the cylindrical portion 5 of the casing 2. The configuration is as follows.
However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and the side holding member 4 may be configured to be supported by at least the upper end of the cross pillar 12 formed on the bottom lid member 3 in the casing 2.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the casing 2 and the bottom cover member 3 were formed, for example with polyethylene, and the side part holding member 4 was formed with the flexible urethane foam, for example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the casing 2 and the bottom cover member 3 may be formed of a material having a wide brittle temperature range and high mechanical strength, and the side portion holding member 4 may be formed of an elastic material.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sample container rack 2 Casing 2a Side wall 2b Side wall 2c Locking hole 2d Positioning pin 3 Bottom cover member 4 Side part holding member 4a Holding hole 4b Protrusion 4c Positioning hole 5 Cylindrical part (container insertion hole)
6 Through-hole 7 Through-hole 8 Bottom plate 9 Peripheral wall 10 Dome-shaped recess (tip holding part)
11 Locking member 11a Locking claw 12 Cross column (column)
13 Raising part 30 Sample container

Claims (4)

A sample container rack for storing rod-shaped sample containers,
A casing in which a plurality of container insertion holes into which the specimen container can be inserted are arranged on the top plate side, which is formed in a rectangular box shape whose bottom side is opened,
A bottom plate portion that closes the bottom side opening of the casing is provided, and a tip holding portion that holds the tip of the sample container inserted from the container insertion hole is provided for each of the container insertion holes and arranged on the bottom plate portion. A bottom cover member in which a plurality of pillars are erected between a plurality of tip holding portions;
A holding hole that is formed in a plate shape by an elastic material and supported by upper ends of the plurality of pillars and holds a side portion of the sample container by inserting the sample container inserted from the container insertion hole, A side holding member formed for each container insertion hole,
The specimen container rack is characterized in that a through-hole for communicating the inside and outside of the casing is formed in a side surface of the casing, and a through-hole penetrating vertically is formed in the tip holding portion.   2. The specimen container rack according to claim 1, wherein a partition wall surrounding each tip holding portion is provided on the upper surface side of the bottom plate portion. The container insertion hole is formed in a cylindrical shape having a predetermined height dimension,
The specimen container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side holding member is sandwiched between an upper end of the column and a lower end of the cylindrical container insertion hole. rack.   The said side part holding member is formed with the flexible urethane foam, The said casing and the said bottom cover member are formed with polyethylene, The Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Sample container rack.

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