JP5963370B2 - Cap holding rack unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cap holding rack unit that aligns and accommodates caps that seal the opening of a microtube, and in particular, discovers and designs drugs in drug discovery, ie medicine, biotechnology and pharmacy. Cap the same number of microtubes that are aligned and housed in a tube rack that is used to enclose drug discovery samples in the process at the same pitch as the tube rack to seal the openings at once. It is related with the cap holding | maintenance rack unit which accommodates.

In the field of drug discovery research, it is necessary to conduct experiments for storing and analyzing large quantities of samples at low temperatures with high efficiency.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a solution in which a sample is dissolved is injected into a small cylindrical or square cylindrical container called a microtube MT, and this microtube MT is, for example, SBS (Society for Biomolecular Screening). ) Cascade storage in a tube storage rack R having a total of 384 sections of 16 rows × 24 columns in accordance with the standard, and the opening of the microtube MT is sealed with a removable cap C for storage and transportation. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Such a tube storage rack R has a very short pitch of 4.5 mm according to the above-mentioned standard, so that the cap C is attached to the opening of the microtube MT stored in the tube storage rack R by a machine. Was extremely difficult.
For this reason, it is necessary to manually attach the caps C one by one, and in order to attach the caps C to all the openings of the 384 microtubes MT accommodated in the tube accommodation rack R, it is considerably necessary. It took time and effort.
For this reason, without using individual caps, a sealing material such as aluminum foil is directly bonded to the microtubes stored in the tube storage rack, and one microtube is cut by cutting the sealing material together with the microtubes. A device that eliminates the trouble of attaching caps one by one is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Further, the present inventors use a cap rack 510 having accommodation openings 511 having the same pitch as the tube accommodation rack R as shown in FIG. 9, and the microtube MT is provided in all the accommodation openings 511 of the cap rack 510. The cap C of the microtube MT accommodated in the tube accommodation rack R is placed in advance, the cap rack 510 is placed on the tube accommodation rack R, and the cap C aligned with the accommodation opening 511 of the cap rack 510 is arranged. Developed a method to push all the way into the opening.
The accommodation opening 511 of the cap rack 510 is opened up and down, and the cap C is normally held by the accommodation opening 511 of the cap rack 510 and is elastically deformed by being pushed in so as to pass through the accommodation opening 511. It is configured.
Caps 510 aligned and accommodated in the respective accommodation openings 511 of the cap rack 510 are pushed downward from above at the same time, so that the openings of all the microtubes MT accommodated in the tube accommodation rack R are sealed with the caps C at a time. It becomes possible to do.
And in order to implement such a cap mounting method efficiently, the cap alignment apparatus which aligns a cap with the accommodation opening part of a cap rack for a short time is also well-known (for example, refer patent document 3).
Furthermore, there are known ones in which a large number of aligned caps are integrated with a sheet or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

JP 2007-33061 A JP 2007-296475 A JP 2009-204406 A Table 2010-150415

In the case of directly adhering a sheet material to a microtube as shown in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to peel off or break the sheet material to open the sample from the microtube.
At that time, there is a possibility that an adhesive or a broken strip may be mixed into the sample, which has a problem of adversely affecting the sample.
Moreover, since the broken pieces and the adhesive remain attached to the opened microtube, there is a problem in that an extra step for removing them is required at the time of reuse.

In the case where a large number of caps are accommodated and held in the cap rack as shown in Patent Document 3, since the caps are loosely inserted from above into each accommodation opening, a small size is required when handling a cap rack in which caps are aligned. There is a possibility that the cap may come off from the accommodation opening due to vibration or impact, and if there is even one unaligned cap, it cannot be pushed all at once into the opening of the microtube accommodated in the tube accommodation rack. There was a problem that it became an obstacle to labor saving.
As shown in Patent Document 4, when a large number of aligned caps are integrated into a sheet shape, a dedicated cap designed for that purpose is required, and the equipment and processes for integration are complicated. There was a problem.
Further, in order to handle the microtubes individually, it is necessary to peel off or break the sheet material, and there is a possibility that the sample may be adversely affected by the adhesive or broken pieces.
Furthermore, there is a problem that the opened cap is difficult to reuse.

  The present invention solves these problems, and with a simple configuration, without using a dedicated cap or providing complicated additional equipment, does not cause adhesive residue or breakage, It is an object of the present invention to provide a cap holding rack unit that facilitates the reuse of microtubes and caps and can be easily handled without dropping a large number of caps in an aligned state.

  A cap holding rack unit according to the present invention includes a cap rack capable of holding a large number of caps in a storage opening, and a cover plate placed on the cap rack, the cover plate including the storage opening. A plurality of through-holes through which caps having the same pitch cannot pass, and the cap rack and the cover plate have a plurality of positioning portions for defining the mounting positions of the cover plates on the cap rack, The through holes are provided so as to be positioned above the accommodation openings when the cover plate is positioned and placed on the cap rack, thereby solving the problems.

According to the cap holding rack unit of the first aspect, by placing the cover plate on the cap rack that holds and holds the cap, the cap that is loosely inserted into each receiving opening from above can be fixed from above. Thus, since the cap is not detached from the accommodation opening due to vibration or impact during handling, the cap rack that accommodates and holds the cap increases the degree of freedom of movement and storage, and can be handled easily.
The cover plate has a large number of through-holes through which caps having the same pitch as the receiving openings cannot pass, and the cap rack and the cover plate have a plurality of positioning portions that define the mounting positions of the cover plate on the cap rack. In addition, when the cover plate is positioned and placed on the cap rack, the plurality of through-holes are provided so as to be positioned above the accommodation openings, respectively, so that the push-in member remains placed on the cover plate. It is possible to push the caps aligned with the accommodation openings of the cap rack together into the openings of the microtubes accommodated in the tube accommodation rack without the need to remove the cover plate. Handling becomes easy.
Furthermore, the plurality of positioning portions can prevent the cover plate from being displaced or dropped during handling.

According to the configuration of claim 2, the outer peripheral edge of the cover plate has a chamfered portion at least at a corner on one surface side in the front and back direction, so that the cap can be integrated with the opening of the microtube at the same time. After being pushed in, the cover plate can be easily lifted when being removed, and handling becomes even easier.
According to the configuration of the third aspect, the plurality of positioning portions are configured to define the front and back when the cover plate is placed on the cap rack, so that the chamfered portion of the outer peripheral edge of the cover plate is Even if it is provided only on one surface, it can be placed so that the chamfered portion is on the cap rack side.
According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the positioning portion is disposed asymmetrically with respect to the center line in the longitudinal direction of at least one side, so that the cover plate can be easily mounted on the cap rack. It is possible to define the front and back of the.

According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the cap rack is formed in a shape that is placed on the upper surface of the outer frame portion of the other cap rack when overlapped with the other cap rack, and the cover plate When the cap rack is placed at a specified position on the upper surface of the cap rack, the cap rack is formed in a shape to be placed on the upper surface, so that the cover plate is stored in a state of being placed on the cap rack that holds and holds the cap. At the same time, it is possible to store the cap racks in parallel without tilting, as in the case of stacking the cap racks alone, and it is possible to move the stacks without collapsing even if they are stacked in multiple stages.
According to the configuration described in claim 6, the cover plate itself is prevented from slipping or falling off from the cap rack due to vibration, impact, or the like, and even if the cover plate is lightweight, it is loosely accommodated and held in the accommodation opening. The cap in the state can be securely pressed from above to prevent it from falling off.

1 is an overall perspective view of a cap holding rack unit and a tube storage rack according to an embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view before the cap alignment of the cap rack shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the cap rack shown in FIG. 1. The partial cross section figure of the cap holding | maintenance rack unit and tube accommodation rack which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view at the time of stacking | stacking of the cap holding | maintenance rack unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Cross-sectional explanatory drawing at the time of stacking shown in FIG. The perspective view of the conventional tube accommodation rack and microtube. The perspective view of the conventional cap. The perspective view of the conventional cap rack.

  The cap alignment apparatus of the present invention includes a cap rack capable of holding a large number of caps in the accommodation opening, and a cover plate placed on the cap rack, and the cover plate is a cap having the same pitch as the accommodation opening. Has a large number of through-holes that cannot be passed, and the cap rack and cover plate have multiple positioning parts that define the mounting position of the cover plate on the cap rack, and uses a dedicated cap with a simple configuration Without any additional equipment or complicated additional equipment, leaving no adhesive residue or fragments, and facilitating reuse of microtubes and caps, without having to drop many caps in an aligned state Any specific embodiment may be used as long as it can be handled.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a cap holding rack unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is placed on a cap rack 110 that can hold a large number of caps C in a storage opening 111, and the cap rack 110. Cover plate 120.
The cap rack 110 and the cover plate 120 are formed in a rectangular shape.
The cap rack 110 is made of a synthetic resin material, and an accommodation opening 111 that is partitioned vertically and horizontally by a lattice portion 117 is formed inside the outer frame portion 113 when viewed from above.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a cap locking projection 114 is provided on the inner wall of the lattice portion 117, and the cap C engages with the cap locking projection 114 within the accommodation opening 111. The cap C is elastically deformed by being accommodated and held and pushed from above and passes below the accommodating opening 111.
The cap C engages with the cap locking projection 114 and is housed and held in the housing opening 111 so that the upper surface thereof is substantially flush with the upper surface of the cap rack 110.

The cover plate 120 has through holes 121 having the same pitch as the accommodation openings 111 of the cap rack 110.
When the cover plate 120 is placed on the cap rack 110, the through-hole 121 is provided so as to be positioned above all the housing openings 111 at a specified position to be described later, and a pushing member that pushes the cap C downward. (Not shown) can pass therethrough, and the cap C is formed in such a size that it cannot pass through.
Further, the outer peripheral edge 123 of the cover plate 120 has a chamfered portion 124 on the lower surface side when it is placed at a specified position to be described later, and after the cap C is pushed into the microtube MT all at once, When removing the plate 120, it can be easily lifted.

Each of the cap rack 110 and the cover plate 120 is provided with a plurality of positioning portions that define the mounting position of the cover plate 120 on the cap rack 110.
The positioning portion of the cap rack 110 is formed by four positioning projections 112 protruding on the opposing short sides of the outer frame portion 113, and the positioning portion of the cover plate 120 is formed by four positioning holes 122. When the positioning hole 122 is fitted, the mounting position of the cover plate 120 on the cap rack 110 is defined.
Of the four positioning protrusions 112 and the positioning holes 122, the three positioning protrusions 112b and the positioning holes 122b are provided at a distance b from the center line L of the short sides of the rectangular cap rack 110 and the cover plate 120. Only the other positioning protrusion 112a and positioning hole 122a are provided at a distance a shorter than the distance b, and the positioning protrusion 112a, positioning hole 122a, positioning protrusion 112b, and positioning hole 122b are on the center line L of the short side. They are arranged asymmetrically.

When the cover plate 120 is placed on the cap rack 110, if the front and back sides are reversed, positioning by the four positioning protrusions 112 and the positioning holes 122 cannot be performed, so that the front and back sides of the cover plate 120 are defined.
Thus, the chamfered portion 124 of the cover plate 120 can be placed so as to be positioned on the cap rack 110 side.
The chamfered portion 124 may have any shape such as a curved surface or an inclined surface, and the entire outer peripheral edge may be formed on an inclined surface.
The four positioning protrusions 112 and the positioning holes 122 are formed so as to closely fit each other, and the cover plate 120 is positioned on the top of the cap rack 110 and fixed with the cap C pressed. Is configured to do.

It should be noted that the positioning hole 122 of the cover plate 120 may be a recess that does not penetrate one side, the positioning portion of the cap rack 110 may be a recess, and the positioning portion of the cover plate 120 may be a protrusion. It is possible to define the front and back sides of the cover plate 120 without arranging them asymmetrically.
Moreover, it may replace with a hole and a recessed part, and may provide a notch in the outermost edge.
Further, a plurality of positioning portions of the cap rack 110 and the cover plate 120 may be mixed, and positioning portions having different structures may be arranged asymmetrically to define the front and back sides of the cover plate 120.

According to the cap holding rack unit 100 configured as described above, even when the cap rack 110 is handled while being held in the cap rack 110, the cover plate 120 can be placed at a predetermined position from above. The cap C can be pushed into the openings of the microtubes MT accommodated in the tube accommodating rack R without removing the cap C from the accommodating opening 111 due to vibration or impact, and with the cover plate 120 placed. It becomes possible.
Further, since it is not necessary to fix the cap C with a film or an adhesive, it is not necessary to provide complicated additional equipment, and after the cap C is pushed into the openings of the microtubes MT accommodated in the tube accommodating rack R all at once. In addition, since the adhesive remains and no broken pieces are generated, it is easy to reuse the microtube MT and the cap C.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, it is also possible to store and handle a plurality of cap holding rack units 100 in a stacked state while the cover plate 120 is placed.
As schematically shown in FIG. 6I, the cap rack 110 is formed in a shape that is placed on the upper surface of the outer frame portion 113 of the other cap rack 110 when the cap rack 110 is overlapped with the other cap rack 110. ing.
At this time, when the cover plate 120s having a short side is used, if the position is shifted when overlapping each other, only one side (right side in the figure) is shown as shown in (II) of FIG. It may be placed on the cover plate 120s, and the other side (left side in the figure) may not be placed, and may overlap in an inclined state.

In the cap holding rack unit 100 of the present embodiment, the cover plate 120 has a shape in which the cap rack 110 is placed on the upper surface, and the length of each side is substantially the same as the length of each side of the upper surface of the cap rack 110. It is formed in length.
When the other cap rack 110 is stacked on the upper surface of the cap rack 110 in a predetermined position, the other cap rack 110 is placed on the upper surface of the cover plate 120 as shown in FIG. Even if the positions are slightly shifted when they are placed, they are not inclined and overlapped, and even if they are stacked in multiple stages, they can be moved without being collapsed.
The cap rack may be placed on the top surface in another shape such that only a part of the outer periphery of the cover plate 120 protrudes to the same length as each side of the top surface of the cap rack 110.

100 ... Cap holding rack units 110, 510 ... Cap racks 111, 511 ... Accommodating openings 112 ... Positioning protrusions (positioning parts)
113 ... Outer frame part 114 ... Cap locking projection part 117 ... Lattice part 120 ... Cover plate 121 ... Through hole 122 ... Positioning hole (positioning part)
123 ... Outer peripheral edge 124 ... Chamfered portion MT ... Micro tube C ... Cap R ... Tube housing rack L ... Center line

Claims (6)

A cap rack capable of holding a large number of caps in the accommodation opening; and a cover plate placed on the cap rack;
The cover plate has a large number of through-holes through which caps having the same pitch as the receiving openings cannot pass,
The cap rack and the cover plate have a plurality of positioning portions that define the mounting position of the cover plate on the cap rack;
The cap holding rack unit, wherein the plurality of through-holes are provided so as to be positioned above the accommodation opening when the cover plate is positioned and placed on the cap rack.   The cap holding rack unit according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral edge of the cover plate has a chamfered portion at least at a corner portion on one surface side in the front-back direction.   3. The cap holding rack unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of positioning portions are configured to define front and back surfaces when the cover plate is placed on a cap rack. 4.   4. The cap holding rack unit according to claim 3, wherein the positioning portion is disposed asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal center line of at least one side. 5. The cap rack is formed in a shape that is placed on the upper surface of the outer frame portion of another cap rack when overlapped with another cap rack,
The said cover plate is formed in the shape in which the said cap rack is mounted in an upper surface, when it mounts in the prescription | regulation position of the said other cap rack upper surface. The cap holding rack unit according to any one of the above.   The cap holding rack unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the positioning portion of the cover plate and the cap rack is formed by a pair of a concave portion and a convex portion that are closely fitted.

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