JP7365039B2 - Stirring device and stirring method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stirring device and a stirring technique, and relates to a technology that is effective when applied to, for example, a stirring device and a stirring technique in which a stirring blade is used to stir a liquid to be stirred poured into a container.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-93319 (Patent Document 1) describes a stirring device that can be used more safely by omitting the trouble of installing and setting various parts during use.

JP 2011-245400 A (Patent Document 2) relates to a safety jig for stirring and mixing and a stirring and mixing method that can safely and easily perform the work of stirring and mixing liquid materials in a flexible container such as a poly beaker. The technology is described.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-85073 (Patent Document 3) describes a technology related to a liquid mixing and stirring device for powder used to obtain a liquid turbidity of powder such as a barium contrast agent.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-93319 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-245400 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-85073

For example, when stirring a liquid to be stirred poured into a container such as a beaker or a test tube, a stirring blade attached to a motor may be used. However, if the stirring blade used to stir one container is used to stir another container, the liquid to be stirred poured into one container will mix with the liquid to be stirred in the other container via the stirring blade. . For this reason, it is necessary to use a new stirring blade for each container to be stirred, but currently, stirring blades are manually replaced for each container. Therefore, the labor cost for stirring work increases. For this reason, it is desired to automate a series of stirring operations including replacement of stirring blades.

Other objects and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

A stirring device in one embodiment includes a stirring blade storage part that stores stirring blades, a container storage part that stores a container, a stirred liquid injection part that injects a liquid to be stirred into a container, and an injector that injects a liquid to be stirred. The apparatus includes a transport mechanism that transports the container to a standby part, a stirring part to which a stirring blade can be attached and detached, and a control part that controls stirring of a liquid to be stirred by the stirring blade. Here, the stirring unit includes a stirring blade rotating unit that can rotate the stirring blade, a stirring blade driving unit that can move the stirring blade up and down, a stirring blade attaching/detaching unit that attaches and detaches the stirring blade to the stirring blade rotating unit, and a container. and a container holding part that holds the container.

According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide a stirring device that can realize automation of stirring work.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a stirring device in an embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the example of a structure of the stirring blade storage part in embodiment. It is a figure showing the typical composition of the stirring section in an embodiment. It is a figure showing the typical composition of the stirring section in an embodiment. It is a figure showing the typical composition of the stirring section in an embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the conveyance operation of the stirring part in embodiment. It is a flow chart explaining operation of a stirring device in an embodiment. It is a flow chart explaining operation of a stirring device in an embodiment.

In all the drawings for explaining the embodiment, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals in principle, and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted. Note that, in order to make the drawings easier to understand, hatching may be added even in a plan view.

<Overall configuration of stirring device>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a stirring device 1 in this embodiment.

In FIG. 1, a stirring device 1 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a stirring blade storage section 10 that stores stirring blades 100A of a first size and stirring blades 100B of a second size smaller than the first size. The stirring blade storage section 10 stores a plurality of stirring blades 100A and a plurality of stirring blades 100B. Note that if there is no need to distinguish between the stirring blade 100A and the stirring blade 100B, the stirring blade 100A and the stirring blade 100B are collectively referred to as the stirring blade 100.

Next, the stirring device 1 also has a container storage section 11 that stores containers 110A and 110B of mutually different sizes. This container storage section 11 stores a plurality of containers 110A and a plurality of containers 110B. Note that when there is no need to distinguish between the container 110A and the container 110B, the container 110A and the container 110B are collectively referred to as the container 110. This container 110 is, for example, a beaker or a test tube. Here, for example, a liquid to be stirred is poured into the containers 110A and 110B. At this time, for example, the stirring blade 100A is used to stir the liquid to be stirred poured into the container 110A. On the other hand, for example, the stirring blade 100B is used to stir the liquid to be stirred poured into the container 110B.

Next, the stirring device 1 includes a liquid to be stirred injector 12 that injects the liquid to be stirred into the inside of the container 110 . The liquid to be stirred injection unit 12 includes, for example, a balance 121 and is configured such that the container 110 can be placed on the balance 121. The liquid to be stirred injection unit 12 is configured to be able to inject the liquid to be stirred into the inside of the container 110 placed on the balance 121.

Specifically, the stirred liquid injection unit 12 includes, for example, a bottle filled with liquid, a liquid tube pump connected to the bottle, and a nozzle connected to the liquid tube pump. By operating the , the liquid filled in the bottle is injected into the container 110 from the nozzle. The liquid to be stirred injection unit 12 also has a powder feeder for putting powder into the container 110, and the powder is also put into the container 110 by this powder feeder. In this way, the stirred liquid injector 12 is configured so that the liquid and powder can be put into the container 110. In the stirred liquid injection section 12, the amount of liquid and powder to be put into the container 110 can be accurately measured by the balance 121 in which the container 110 is placed.

The liquid to be stirred, which is a mixture of liquid and powder, placed in the container 110 can be, for example, an ink sample or a barium contrast agent, but is not limited thereto, and is a mixture of liquid and powder, It includes a wide range of mixed liquids that require uniform stirring of powder into liquid.

Next, the stirring device 1 includes a transport mechanism 14 that transports the container 110 filled with the liquid to be stirred from the liquid to be stirred injection section 12 to the standby stage 13. This transport mechanism 14 is composed of, for example, a robot arm. The transport mechanism 14 also takes out one container 110 from among the plurality of containers 110 stored in the container storage section 11 and places the taken out container 110 on the balance 121 of the stirred liquid injection section 12. It is also configured to do so. Further, the conveyance mechanism 14 can take out one stirring blade 100 from among the plurality of stirring blades 100 stored in the stirring blade storage section 10 and place the taken out stirring blade 100 in the stirring blade storage area 15. It is configured so that it can be done. That is, the transport mechanism 14 composed of a robot arm is configured to be able to transport the container 110 and the stirring blade 100.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the stirring device 1 has a stirring section 16 to which a stirring blade 100 arranged in a stirring blade storage place 15 can be attached and detached. This stirring section 16 is configured to be movable, for example, in the x direction shown in FIG. ing. In the present embodiment, the stirring section 16 is configured to attach and detach the stirring blades 100 arranged in the stirring blade storage area 15, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the stirring section 16 can be configured to It is also possible to configure the stirring blade 100 stored in the stirring blade storage part 10 to be directly attachable and detachable without using the stirring blade 14. Furthermore, the stirring section 16 is also configured to be able to hold the container 110 placed on the standby stage 13. In this way, the stirring section 16 is configured to be movable while holding both the container 110 and the stirring blades 100.

Specifically, the stirring unit 16 moves onto the container 110 with the stirring blade 100 attached to the stirring unit 16, and immerses the stirring blade 100 in the liquid to be stirred poured into the container 110. After the container 110 is operated, the container 110 is also held and is configured to be transported to a high temperature bath 17 which is one of the container placement sections. Here, the high temperature tank 17 is filled with a liquid such as water at a first temperature (40° C. or 80° C.), and the stirring unit 16 moves the container 110 transported from the standby stage 13 to the high temperature tank 17. It is configured to be placed in Thereby, the container 110 containing the liquid to be stirred is kept at the first temperature in the high temperature tank 17. In this state, the stirring unit 16 is configured to be able to rotate the stirring blade 100 and reciprocate in the vertical direction (z direction). The liquid is stirred while being maintained at a first temperature. That is, the stirring section 16 is configured so that the attached stirring blade 100 can be rotated, and is configured so that it can reciprocate in the vertical direction. In other words, the stirring section 16 is configured so that the stirring blade 100 can stir the liquid to be stirred contained inside the container 110 . Note that the stirring blade 100 is configured to be able to reciprocate also in the horizontal direction (x direction + y direction).

Further, the stirring section 16 is configured to be able to integrally transport the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred and the container 110 from the high temperature tank 17 to the low temperature tank 18 , and also transports the container 110 into the low temperature tank 18 . In the arranged state, the stirring blade 100 is configured to stir the liquid to be stirred contained inside the container 110. For example, the low temperature tank 18 is filled with a liquid such as water at a second temperature (4° C.) lower than the first temperature, and the container 110 containing the liquid to be stirred is heated to the second temperature in the low temperature tank 18. is kept warm. In this state, the stirring unit 16 is configured to be able to rotate the stirring blade 100 and reciprocate in the vertical direction (z direction). The liquid is stirred while being maintained at the second temperature. At this time, the stirring blade 100 is configured to be able to reciprocate also in the horizontal direction (x direction + y direction).

Note that, after stirring the liquid to be stirred contained in the container 110 with the container 110 placed in the low-temperature bath 18, the stirring unit 16 stirs the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred and the container 110. The structure is such that the two are integrally moved to the standby stage 13 again.

The stirring device 1 further includes a liquid injection section 19. The liquid injection section 19 has a balance 191 for placing the container 110 which is placed on the standby stage 13 after the stirring process by the stirring section 16 has been completed and the stirring blade 100 has been taken out. The stirring device 1 is configured so that the container 110 placed on the standby stage 13 is placed on the balance 191 of the liquid injection section 19 by a transport mechanism 14 consisting of a robot arm. The liquid injection unit 19 is configured to inject liquid into a container 110 disposed on the balance 191. Thereafter, the container 110 into which the liquid has been injected by the liquid injection section 19 is returned to the container storage section 11.

The stirring device 1 configured in this manner includes a control section 20 that performs necessary controls to operate the stirring device 1, such as controlling the stirring of the liquid to be stirred by the stirring blades 100, for example. Specifically, the control unit 20 controls, for example, the transport mechanism 14 consisting of a robot arm to control the operation of taking out the container 110 from the container storage section 11 and the operation of taking out the stirring blade 100 from the stirring blade storage section 10. It is configured as follows. Further, the control unit 20 is configured to control the stirring operation by the stirring unit 16, the holding operation of the container 110, the transporting operation of the stirring blade 100 and the container 110, and the like. This control unit 20 is composed of, for example, a computer. As described above, the stirring device 1 in this embodiment is configured.

<Configuration of stirring blade storage section>
Next, a configuration example of the stirring blade storage section 10 will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the stirring blade storage section in this embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the stirring blade storage unit 10 according to the present embodiment has a rack 102 arranged above a saucer 101, and this rack 102 has a relatively large size stirring blade 100A and a relatively small size stirring blade 100A. A stirring blade 100B is held. The large-sized stirring blade 100A is used to stir the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the large-sized container (110A), while the small-sized stirring blade 100B is used to stir the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the small-sized container (110B). It is used to stir the stirred liquid. In this way, the stirring blade storage section 10 is configured to be able to store stirring blades 100 of a plurality of sizes corresponding to containers (110A, 110B) of different sizes.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the stirring blade storage section 10 is arranged such that stirring blades 100A and 100B of different sizes are adjacent to each other. For example, focusing on the stirring blade 100A, the stirring blade 100A has a blade part 103, a hook part 104, and a chuck part 105, and by hooking the hook part 104 on the rack 102, stirring can be carried out. Feather 100A is held on rack 102. Similarly, the stirring blade 100B also has a blade part 103, a hook part 104, and a chuck part 105, and by hooking the hook part 104 on the rack 102, the stirring blade 100B is also held on the rack 102. .

Note that the blade part 103 of the stirring blade 100 is a part used for stirring the liquid to be stirred. On the other hand, the chuck part 105 of the stirring blade 100 is a part that is attached to the stirring part 16 shown in FIG.

As described above, the stirring blade storage section 10 in this embodiment is configured.

<Detailed configuration of stirring section and conveyance operation>
Next, a detailed configuration example of the stirring section 16 will be described.

3 to 5 are diagrams showing the schematic configuration of the stirring section in this embodiment.

3 to 5, the stirring device (1) according to the present embodiment includes a transport rail 201 that transports the stirring section 16 in the x direction, and a transport rail 201 that transports the stirring section 16 along the extending direction (x direction) of the transport rail 201. It has a transport section 202 for transporting. Thereby, the stirring section 16 is configured to be able to move integrally with the conveying section 202 in the extending direction (x direction) of the conveying rail 201.

The stirring section 16 has a stirring motor 203A connected to the stirring blade 100. The stirring blade 100 is configured to be rotatable by the stirring motor 203A. Further, the stirring unit 16 includes a stirring blade driving unit 203B that can move the stirring blade 100 in the vertical direction (z direction), and can reciprocate only the stirring blade 100 in the vertical direction (z direction). . As a result, the combination of the stirring motor 203A and the stirring blade driving section 203B allows the stirring blade 100 to be configured to be rotatable and capable of reciprocating in the vertical direction (z direction). Furthermore, the stirring blade 100 is configured to be able to reciprocate in the horizontal direction (x direction + y direction) as well.

Here, the stirring blade 100 is connected to the stirring motor 203A by a chuck 206. Specifically, the chuck 206 is configured such that the chuck portion 105 (see FIG. 2) of the stirring blade 100 can be inserted therein. After inserting the chuck part (105) of the stirring blade 100 into the chuck 206, the chuck part (105) of the stirring blade 100 is tightened by rotating the chuck 206 in one direction. Thereby, the stirring blade 100 is fixed to the chuck 206. On the other hand, when the chuck 206 is rotated in the opposite direction, the grip of the stirring blade 100 by the chuck 206 is loosened, and the stirring blade 100 is removed from the chuck 206. In this manner, in this embodiment, the chuck 206 allows the stirring blade 100 to be detachably attached to the stirring motor 203A.

At this time, the chuck 206 is automatically rotated by a pair of chuck rotating parts 204A and 204B shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. That is, for example, the chuck rotating section 204A is configured to be connected to and rotated by the motor 205A. Similarly, the chuck rotating section 204B is configured to be connected to and rotated by a motor 205B. As a result, after both the chuck rotating section 204A and the chuck rotating section 204B are brought into contact with the chuck 206, the chuck rotating section 204A is rotated by the motor 205A, and the chuck rotating section 204B is rotated by the motor 205B. The stirring blade 100 can be fixed to the stirring motor 203A. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the chuck 206, the pair of chuck rotation parts 204A, 204B, and the pair of motors 205A, 205B constitute a stirring blade attachment/detachment unit for attaching/detaching the stirring blade 100. In particular, the pair of chuck rotation parts 204A and 204B constitute a chuck attachment/detachment unit for rotating the chuck 206.

Next, in FIGS. 3 to 5, the stirring section 16 has a pair of container holding sections 207A and 207B that hold the containers 110. By bringing the pair of container holders 207A and 207B into contact with the container 110, the container 110 is held by the pair of container holders 207A and 207B. Furthermore, in the stirring section 16, the pair of container holding sections 207A and 207B are configured not only to hold the container 110 but also to vibrate the container 110 in the horizontal direction (x direction + y direction). has been done.

Next, in FIGS. 3 to 5, the stirring section 16 includes, for example, an overall drive section 203C for integrally moving the stirring blade 100 and the container 110 in the vertical direction (z direction). As a result, the stirring unit 16 includes a stirring blade drive unit 203B that vertically moves the stirring blade 100 separately from the container 110, and an overall drive unit 203C that moves the stirring blade 100 and the container 110 integrally in the vertical direction. This means that it has

Specifically, the stirring blade drive unit 203B integrally moves the stirring motor 203A, the stirring blade attachment/detachment unit (the chuck 206, the pair of chuck rotation parts 204A, 204B, and the pair of motors 205A, 205B), and the stirring blade 100 in the vertical direction. It is configured to be movable. In other words, in the stirring blade drive section 203B, the container holding sections 207A, 207B and the container 110 cannot be moved. Therefore, when the container 110 is fixed by the container holding parts 207A and 207B, the stirring blade driving part 203B can reciprocate the stirring blade 100 in the vertical direction. The stirring liquid can be stirred with stirring blades 100. On the other hand, the overall drive unit 203C includes a stirring motor 203A, a stirring blade driving unit 203B, a stirring blade attachment/detachment part (a chuck 206, a pair of chuck rotation parts 204A and 204B, and a pair of motors 205A and 205B), a stirring blade 100, and a container holding part. 207A, 207B and the container 110 are configured to be able to move integrally in the vertical direction.

The stirring section 16 in this embodiment is configured as described above.

In this embodiment, the chuck 206 is fastened to the chuck part 105 of the stirring blade 100 (see FIG. 2) by rotating the chuck rotation parts 204A and 204B, which are chuck attachment/detachment units. However, the chuck attachment/detachment unit is not limited to this, and may be configured, for example, from a chuck holding section that simply fixes and holds the chuck 206 without rotating. In this case, the chuck 206 is fastened to the chuck part (105) of the stirring blade 100 by rotating the stirring motor 203A while the chuck 206 is held by the chuck holding part. As a result, the chuck 206 can fix the stirring blade 100 to the stirring motor 203A.

Next, the transport operation of the stirring section 16 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the transport operation of the stirring section in this embodiment.

In FIG. 6, first, a container 110 is placed on the standby stage 13, and a liquid to be stirred is poured into the inside of this container 110. The container 110 into which the liquid to be stirred is injected is held by the container holding section 207A and the container holding section 207B of the stirring section 16. On the other hand, the stirring blade 100 is immersed in the liquid to be stirred, and by using the chuck rotation part 204A and the chuck rotation part 204B for the chuck 206, the stirring blade 100 is fixed to the stirring motor 203A by the chuck 206. There is. The stirring blade 100 fixed to the stirring motor 203A is immersed in the liquid to be stirred. In this state, the container 110 held by the container holding section 207A and the container holding section 207B of the stirring section 16 is transported from the standby stage 13. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the components of the stirring section 16 in this embodiment are integrated with the stirring blade 100 and the container 110 by using the conveying section (202) and the overall drive section (203C). transported. Specifically, the stirring motor 203A, the chuck 206, the chuck rotating parts 204A and 204B, the stirring blades 100, the container holding parts 207A and 207B, and the container 110, which constitute the stirring part 16, are integrally moved from the standby stage 13 to the high temperature tank 17. transported towards.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the container 110 held by the container holding parts 207A and 207B is placed in the high temperature bath 17. Specifically, the container 110 is placed in the high temperature tank 17 via an adapter 171 that is provided so that the container 110 is not submerged in the liquid (water) at the first temperature that fills the high temperature tank 17 . In this way, according to the stirring section 16 of the present embodiment, the container 110 and the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred inside the container 110 can be conveyed integrally. That is, according to the stirring unit 16 in this embodiment, the container 110 containing the liquid to be stirred can be transported from the standby stage 13 to the high temperature bath 17 with the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred. .

<Operation of stirring device>
The stirring device 1 in this embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below with reference to the drawings.

7 and 8 are flowcharts explaining the operation of the stirring device 1 in this embodiment. Below, the operation of the stirring device 1 in this embodiment will be explained using FIG. 1, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8.

In FIG. 1, first, the control unit 20 extracts one container 110 from among the plurality of containers 110 stored in the container storage section 11 by controlling the transport mechanism 14 consisting of a robot arm. After that, the container 110 extracted by the transport mechanism 14 is placed on the balance 121 provided in the stirred liquid injection section 12 (S101 in FIG. 7).

Next, by controlling the stirred liquid injection unit 12 by the control unit 20, a stirred liquid consisting of, for example, liquid and powder is injected into the container 110 placed on the balance 121 (see FIG. S102). Then, the control unit 20 places the container 110 placed on the balance 121 on the standby stage 13 by controlling the transport mechanism 14 made up of a robot arm. As a result, the container 110 filled with the liquid to be stirred is placed on the standby stage 13 (S103 in FIG. 7).

Subsequently, the control unit 20 extracts one stirring blade 100 from among the plurality of stirring blades 100 stored in the stirring blade storage section 10 by using the transport mechanism 14, for example, by controlling the transport mechanism 14. (S104 in FIG. 7), the stirring blade 100 extracted by the transport mechanism 14 is placed in the stirring blade storage area 15. However, the control section 20 can also be configured to extract one stirring blade 100 from the stirring blade storage section 10 by controlling the stirring section 16 without using the transport mechanism 14 consisting of a robot arm. .

The control unit 20 then attaches the stirring blade 100 to the stirring motor 203A (see FIGS. 3 to 5) using the chuck 206 (see FIGS. 3 to 5) by controlling the stirring unit 16 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). 7 S105). Next, the control unit 20 controls the stirring unit 16 to move the stirring blade 100 attached to the stirring motor (203A) to the liquid to be stirred contained in the container 110 placed on the standby stage 13. (S106 in FIG. 7). Specifically, the control unit 20 attaches the stirring blade 100 to the stirring motor (203A) and connects and detaches the stirring blade with the stirring blade drive unit 203B (see FIGS. 3 to 5) so that the stirring blade 100 is immersed in the liquid to be stirred. (chuck rotating parts 204A, 204B, motors 205A, 205B, chuck 206 (see FIGS. 3 to 5)).

Next, the control unit 20 transports the stirring blade 100, the container 110, and the entire stirring unit 16 integrally from the standby stage 13 to the high temperature tank 17 with the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred. The stirring section 16 is controlled (S107 in FIG. 7). That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 20 controls the stirring unit 16 to move the container 110 to the standby stage with the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred contained inside the container 110. 13 to a high temperature tank 17.

Thereafter, the control unit 20 places the container 110 in the high temperature tank 17 by controlling the stirring unit 16 (S108 in FIG. 7). The control unit 20 then holds the container 110 in the container holder (207A, 207B) by controlling the stirring motor (203A), the stirring blade drive unit (203B), and the container holder (207A, 207B). While the container 110 is placed in the high temperature tank 17, the liquid to be stirred poured into the container 110 is stirred by the stirring blade 100 (S109 in FIG. 7). For example, the control unit 20 vibrates the container holder (207A, 207B) in the horizontal direction (x direction + y direction) to vibrate the container 110 while stirring the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the inside of the container 110. The stirring motor (203A), the stirring blade driving section (203B), and the container holding section (207A, 207B) are controlled so that stirring is performed using the stirring blade 100. Thereby, the liquid to be stirred contained inside the container 110 is stirred by the stirring blade 100 while being maintained at the first temperature (for example, 40° C. or 80° C.).

Next, the control unit 20 controls the stirring unit so that the stirring unit 16, the stirring blade 100, and the container 110 are integrally conveyed from the high temperature tank 17 to the low temperature tank 18 with the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred. 16 (S110 in FIG. 7).

Thereafter, the control unit 20 places the container 110 in the low temperature bath 18 by controlling the stirring unit 16 (S111 in FIG. 7). The control unit 20 then holds the container 110 in the container holder (207A, 207B) by controlling the stirring motor (203A), the stirring blade drive unit (203B), and the container holder (207A, 207B). While the container 110 is placed in the low-temperature bath 18, the liquid to be stirred poured into the container 110 is stirred by the stirring blade 100 (S112 in FIG. 7). For example, the control unit 20 vibrates the container holder (207A, 207B) in the horizontal direction (x direction + y direction) to vibrate the container 110 while stirring the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the inside of the container 110. The stirring motor (203A), the stirring blade driving section (203B), and the container holding section (207A, 207B) are controlled so that stirring is performed using the stirring blade 100. Thereby, the liquid to be stirred contained inside the container 110 is stirred by the stirring blade 100 while being maintained at the second temperature (for example, 4° C.).

Thereafter, the control unit 20 controls the stirring unit 16 so that the stirring unit 16, the stirring blade 100, and the container 110 are integrally conveyed from the low temperature bath 18 to the standby stage 13 with the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred. (S113 in FIG. 8). Thereby, the container 110 is placed on the standby stage 13 (S114 in FIG. 8).

Next, the control unit 20 controls the stirring unit 16 to take out the stirring blade 100 immersed in the liquid to be stirred from the inside of the container 110, and then the control unit 20 controls the transport mechanism 14, which is a robot arm. By controlling the container 110 placed on the standby stage 13, the container 110 is placed on the balance 191 provided in the liquid injection part 19 (S115 in FIG. 8). Then, the control unit 20 injects the liquid into the container 110 by controlling the liquid injection unit 19. Thereafter, for example, by controlling the transport mechanism 14 by the control unit 20, the container 110 placed on the balance 191 of the liquid injection unit 19 is stored in the container storage unit 11 (S116 in FIG. 8).

On the other hand, by controlling the stirring unit 16 by the control unit 20, after the stirring blade 100 is removed from the stirring motor (203A) of the stirring unit 16 (S117 in FIG. 8), the removed stirring blade 100 is stored in the stirring blade storage. 10 (S118 in FIG. 8).

The stirring device 1 in this embodiment operates as described above. In particular, in the stirring device 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the extraction operation of the container 110, the injection operation of the liquid to be stirred into the container 110, the extraction operation of the stirring blade 100, the attachment/detachment operation of the stirring blade 100, and the stirring All operations such as the integral conveyance operation of the blade 100 and the container 110 and the stirring operation of the liquid to be stirred are automated. Therefore, according to the stirring device 1 in this embodiment, stirring work can be automated. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, unmanned stirring work can be realized. That is, by using the stirring device 1 according to the present embodiment for stirring work, it is possible to reduce the labor cost associated with the stirring work. Furthermore, it is possible to improve the efficiency of stirring work.

<Features of the embodiment>
Next, the feature points in this embodiment will be explained.

The first characteristic point of the present embodiment is that, for example, in FIG. It is automatically attached to the stirring motor 203A (see FIGS. 3 to 5) using the chuck 206 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). As a result, according to the first feature of this embodiment, it is possible to attach the stirring blade 100 to the stirring motor (203A) without relying on manual labor. That is, in this embodiment, a stirring blade attachment/detachment section including a chuck (206) and chuck rotation parts 204A, 204B (see FIGS. 3 to 5) is provided, and the stirring blade attachment/detachment section is controlled by the control section 20. It is composed of As a result, according to this embodiment, the stirring blade 100 can be automatically attached to the stirring motor (203A).

In particular, this embodiment has great technical significance in that the chuck (206) is used to attach the stirring blade 100 to the stirring motor (203A). This is because if the chuck (206) allows the stirring blade 100 to be inserted into the chuck (206), then the stirring blade 100 can be fixed to the stirring motor (203A) by tightening the chuck (206). In other words, even if the diameter of the chuck part 105 (see FIG. 2) of the stirring blade 100 is different, as long as the chuck part (105) can be inserted into the chuck (206), the stirring blade 100 can be inserted into the chuck (206). This is because it can be fixed to the stirring motor (203A). That is, this embodiment is excellent in that stirring blades 100A and 100B having different diameters can be fixed to the stirring motor (203A) using the same chuck (206). Thereby, for example, stirring blades 100A and 100B of different sizes can be arranged in the stirring blade storage section 10 of FIG. 1. This means that, according to the first feature of this embodiment, it is possible to select an appropriate size of stirring blade 100 depending on the size of container 110. In this way, the present embodiment has excellent versatility in that one stirring device 1 can automatically stir liquids to be stirred poured into containers 110 of different sizes using the stirring blades 100. It can be said that there is.

Furthermore, this embodiment has a great advantage in that any one stirring blade 100 can be selected from the plurality of stirring blades 100 stored in the stirring blade storage section 10 and used for stirring the liquid to be stirred. be. This is because, for example, the liquid to be stirred poured into the containers 110 often has different components in each container 110. In this case, for example, if the stirring blade 100 used to stir the liquid to be stirred that is injected into a certain container 110 is used to stir the liquid to be stirred which is injected into a different container 110, the particles attached to the stirring blade Stirring liquids with different components will be mixed together. Regarding this point, in the present embodiment, since any one stirring blade 100 can be selected from a plurality of stirring blades 100, an unused stirring blade 100 that is not used for stirring is selected as a selection criterion. This can prevent mixed liquids with different components adhering to the stirring blades 100 from being mixed together. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically achieve the stirring operation of a plurality of containers 110 while maintaining the independence of the components of the liquid to be stirred injected into each of the plurality of containers 110, which is a major technical improvement. have significance.

Next, the second feature of this embodiment is that, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the stirring blade 100 and the container 110 are integrally conveyed while the stirring blade 100 is immersed in the liquid to be stirred. It is in. As a result, since the stirring blade 100 is transported together with the container 110 while being immersed in the liquid to be stirred poured into the container 110, dripping of the liquid to be stirred adhering to the stirring blade 100 can be prevented. I can do it. That is, for example, when the stirring blade 100 is taken out from the container 110 into which the liquid to be stirred is poured and the container 110 and the stirring blade 100 are transported separately, the liquid to be stirred attached to the stirring blade 100 may drip. There is sex. On the other hand, when stirring blade 100 and container 110 are transported integrally as in the second feature of this embodiment, no liquid drips from stirring blade 100 during the transport operation. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, contamination of the stirring device 1 due to dripping can be suppressed.

Furthermore, as in the second characteristic point of the present embodiment, when the stirring blade 100 and the container 110 are conveyed integrally, the stirring blade 100 is again added to the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the inside of the container 110. There is no need for alignment for immersion. This means that control of the stirring device 1 by the control unit 20 can be suppressed from becoming complicated, and thereby, malfunctions of the stirring device 1 due to complicated control can be reduced.

Next, the third characteristic point of this embodiment is, for example, as shown in FIG. The point is that the liquid to be stirred, which is injected into the tank, is stirred by the stirring blades 100. For example, if the liquid to be stirred poured into the inside of the container 110 is stirred by the stirring blades 100 without holding the container 110 by the pair of container holding parts 207A and 207B, the viscosity of the liquid to be stirred may cause the liquid to be stirred in the container. 110 is dragged by the rotational movement of the stirring blade 100 and the reciprocating movement in the vertical direction (z direction). As a result, the container 110 moves during the stirring operation by the stirring blades 100, making it difficult to perform the stirring operation successfully. Regarding this point, according to the third feature of the present embodiment, even when stirring the liquid to be stirred by the stirring blade 100, the container 110 is held by the pair of container holding parts 207A and 207B. There is. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the container 110 from moving during the stirring operation by the stirring blade 100. Therefore, according to the third characteristic point of the present embodiment, since the container 110 is fixed by the pair of container holding parts 207A and 207B, the container 110 does not move and the liquid to be stirred by the stirring blade 100 is fixed. Stirring can be performed reliably. Furthermore, in this embodiment, while holding the container 110 with the pair of container holding parts 207A and 207B, the pair of container holding parts 207A and 207B are vibrated in the horizontal direction (x direction + y direction). You can also do that. In this case, the liquid to be stirred can be sufficiently stirred by the synergistic effect of the operation of reciprocating the stirring blade 100 in the vertical direction (z direction) while rotating and the operation of vibrating the container 110 in the horizontal direction. Can be done.

The invention made by the present inventor has been specifically explained based on the embodiments thereof, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. Needless to say.

1 Stirring device 10 Stirring blade storage unit 11 Container storage unit 12 Stirred liquid injection unit 13 Standby stage 14 Transport mechanism 15 Stirring blade storage 16 Stirring unit 17 High temperature tank 18 Low temperature tank 19 Liquid injection unit 20 Control unit 100 Stirring blade 100A Stirring blade 100B Stirring blade 101 Saucer 102 Rack 103 Wing part 104 Hook part 105 Chuck part 110 Container 110A Container 110B Container 121 Balance 171 Adapter 191 Balance 201 Conveyance rail 202 Conveyance part 203A Stirring motor 203B Stirring Wing drive unit 203C Overall drive unit 204A Chuck rotation unit 204B Chuck rotating section 205A Motor 205B Motor 206 Chuck 207A Container holding section 207B Container holding section

Claims (8)

a stirring blade storage section that stores stirring blades;
a container storage section for storing containers;
a stirred liquid injection part that injects the stirred liquid into the container;
a transport unit that transports the container into which the liquid to be stirred is injected;
a stirring section to which the stirring blade can be attached and detached;
a control unit that controls stirring of the liquid to be stirred by the stirring blade;
a container arranging section for arranging the container;
A stirring device comprising:
The stirring section is
a stirring blade rotating section capable of rotating the stirring blade;
a stirring blade drive unit capable of moving the stirring blade up and down;
a stirring blade attachment/detachment unit for attaching and detaching the stirring blade to the stirring blade rotation unit;
a container holding part that holds the container;
has
The control unit includes:
controlling the stirring unit so that the stirring blade is attached to the stirring blade rotation unit and the stirring blade is immersed in the liquid to be stirred;
controlling the stirring unit so that the stirring unit, the stirring blade, and the container are integrally conveyed to the container placement unit with the stirring blade immersed in the liquid to be stirred, and
In a state where the container is placed in the container placement part while holding the container in the container holding part, the stirring part is moved so that the stirring blade stirs the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the inside of the container. Control , stirring device. The stirring device according to claim 1,
The stirring blade storage section stores a plurality of the stirring blades,
The stirring device, wherein the control unit controls the stirring unit to select one of the plurality of stirring blades and attach the selected stirring blade to the stirring blade rotation unit. The stirring device according to claim 2 ,
The plurality of stirring blades include
a first stirring blade of a first size;
a second stirring blade of a second size smaller than the first size;
Includes a stirring device. The stirring device according to claim 1,
The stirring unit is a stirring device in which the stirring blade is configured to be movable also in a horizontal direction. The stirring device according to claim 1 ,
The container arrangement section is
a high temperature tank maintained at a first temperature;
a cryostat maintained at a second temperature lower than the first temperature;
including;
The control unit includes:
With the stirring blade immersed in the liquid to be stirred, the stirring part, the stirring blade, and the container are integrally conveyed to a first container placement part of either the high temperature tank or the low temperature tank. The stirring section is controlled as follows, and
The stirring is performed so that the liquid to be stirred, which is injected into the inside of the container, is stirred by the stirring blade while the container is held in the container holding portion and the container is placed in the first container placement portion. control the parts, and
The stirring is carried out so that the stirring part, the stirring blade, and the container are integrally conveyed from the first container arrangement part to the other second container arrangement part with the stirring blade immersed in the liquid to be stirred. control the parts, and
While holding the container in the container holding part and placing the container in the second container placement part, the stirring is performed so that the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the inside of the container is stirred by the stirring blade. A stirring device that controls the volume. The stirring device according to claim 1 ,
The control section controls the inside of the container while applying vibration to the container by vibrating the container holding section while holding the container in the container holding section and placing the container in the container placement section. A stirring device that controls the stirring section so that the stirring blade stirs the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the stirring device. The stirring device according to claim 1,
The stirring blade attachment/detachment part is
a chuck into which the stirring blade can be inserted and which can be connected to the stirring blade rotation part;
a chuck attachment/detachment unit for rotating the chuck;
has
The control unit controls the stirring unit to attach the stirring blade to the stirring blade rotation unit by fixing the stirring blade to the chuck by rotating the chuck using the chuck attachment/detachment unit. A stirring device. a stirring blade storage section that stores stirring blades;
a container storage section for storing containers;
a stirred liquid injection part that injects the stirred liquid into the container;
a transport unit that transports the container into which the liquid to be stirred is injected;
a stirring section to which the stirring blade can be attached and detached;
a control unit that controls stirring of the liquid to be stirred by the stirring blade;
a container arranging section for arranging the container;
Equipped with
The stirring section is
a stirring blade rotating section capable of rotating the stirring blade;
a stirring blade drive unit capable of moving the stirring blade up and down;
a stirring blade attachment/detachment unit for attaching and detaching the stirring blade to the stirring blade rotation unit;
a container holding part that holds the container;
A stirring method using a stirring device, comprising:
(a) a step in which the control unit controls the stirring unit so that the stirring blade is attached to the stirring blade rotation unit and the stirring blade is immersed in the liquid to be stirred;
(b) The control unit controls the stirring unit to integrally transport the stirring unit, the stirring blade, and the container to the container placement unit with the stirring blade immersed in the liquid to be stirred. the process of controlling
(c) The control unit, while holding the container in the container holding unit and arranging the container in the container placement part, uses the stirring blade to control the liquid to be stirred that is injected into the container. controlling the stirring section to stir;
Stirring methods, including:

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