JP7389449B2 - Method and device for opening a ground glass stopper - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for opening a glass stopper that is fitted into the opening of a glass container body without the need for manual intervention.

In recent years, data integrity (completeness of data) has been attracting attention in the pharmaceutical industry and the like. Therefore, from the viewpoint of data integrity, it is desired to automate the work of diluting samples for analysis using glass instruments so that all work data can be accurately recorded.
On the other hand, it has traditionally been difficult to automatically remove a glass stopper (hereinafter referred to as a "ground glass stopper") that is fitted into the opening of a glass container such as a volumetric flask, making analysis work difficult. This has become a bottleneck when automating the process.

Generally, in a glass appliance equipped with a ground glass stopper, both the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the opening in the container body and the cross-sectional shape with respect to the central axis of the glass stopper are not perfectly circular.
For this reason, when performing analytical work using glass instruments, etc., the glass stopper is inserted into the opening of the container body and rotated to fit, and then after the necessary work is completed, the glass stopper is pulled out and opened. When doing so, a situation often occurred in which the glass stopper could not be removed.
There are various possible reasons for this, but for example, the outer surface of a glass stopper, which also has a non-smooth surface, may become stuck in the inner surface of the opening of a glass container body that has a non-smooth surface, making it impossible to remove the stopper. Alternatively, precipitates or foreign matter produced by a chemical reaction or the like of the contents housed in the glass container body may adhere to the opening of the container body or the glass stopper, making it difficult to remove the glass stopper.
If the above-mentioned situation occurs in the ground glass stopper, the glass stopper cannot be easily pulled out even if a strong force is applied to the glass stopper in the pulling direction.
Further, while glass generally has the advantage of being excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance, it has the disadvantage of being brittle and easily damaged compared to metals and synthetic resins. For this reason, applying a large external force to open a ground glass stopper that has become difficult to open has not been an appropriate measure because there is a risk of damaging the glassware itself.
Under these circumstances, when manually opening a ground glass stopper, the person relies on their own senses and attempts to open the stopper while delicately adjusting the force and direction of the force applied to the glass stopper. There is. Alternatively, attempts may be made to open the stopper by heating the inserted part of the ground glass stopper with a burner to thermally expand the glass.
On the other hand, if you want to completely automate this kind of work, you will need to assess the state of the glass stopper that has become difficult to open, and what direction should be taken to open the stopper. It has not been easy to replace the decision-making process of how much force should be applied to the object with a simple device or simple logic.
For this reason, until now it has not been possible to completely automate the opening operation of ground glass stoppers.

At present, no prior art has been discovered that has the problem of automating the opening work of ground glass stoppers as the present invention has, but as prior art in the related technical field, for example, stoppers made of rubber or synthetic resin, etc. , several inventions related to devices for automatically opening or removing synthetic resin screw caps have been disclosed.

More specifically, prior art documents related to automatic opening of a rubber or synthetic resin stopper provided in the opening of a glass instrument include, for example, "Cap opening device for blood collection tube" in Patent Document 1, and "Cap opening device for blood collection tube" in Patent Document 2. Devices such as "Vacuum Blood Collection Tube Opening Device", "Test Tube Cap Opening Device" of Patent Document 3, and "Vacuum Blood Collection Tube Opening Device" of Patent Document 4 are known.
Furthermore, as a prior art document related to automatic opening of a stopper and screw-type cap provided at the opening of a glass appliance, for example, "Cap opening device and dispensing device" of Patent Document 5 is known.
In addition, prior art documents related to automatic opening of screw-type caps provided on openings of glass appliances include, for example, the "opening jig" of Patent Document 6 and the "automatic cap removal device" of Patent Document 7. something is known.
The applicant of the present invention has previously invented and applied for an invention related to automatic opening of a screw-type cap (“Cap removing device and automatic cap removing device using the same” in Patent Document 8).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-339733 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-264418 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-228379 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-263558 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-14770 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-295694 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-39438 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-147595

In the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 8 as described above, the stopper or screw-type cap to be operated is usually made of rubber or synthetic resin. Therefore, even if the object to be attached is a glass container such as a test tube, the risk that the stopper or screw-type cap to be operated will be damaged during operation is extremely low.
In other words, in the case of the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 8, the cap or screw cap can be easily opened or unsealed by applying a force exceeding the maximum static friction force to the stopper or screw cap. be able to.
On the other hand, if you apply a force that exceeds the maximum static friction force to a ground glass stopper that has become difficult to open, there is no guarantee that the ground glass stopper will open reliably, and It may become even more difficult to escape. Furthermore, the risk that the glass stopper and/or the glass container body will be damaged becomes extremely high.
Therefore, it is not possible to automatically open ground glass stoppers, which have become difficult to open, simply by combining conventional techniques for automatically opening or unsealing stoppers made of rubber or synthetic resin or screw-type caps. There wasn't.

The present invention has been made in response to such conventional circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a method and apparatus for automatically opening a ground glass stopper without manual intervention.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for opening a ground glass stopper that has become difficult to open without manual intervention.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus in which glassware is less likely to be damaged when a ground glass stopper that has become difficult to open is opened without manual intervention.

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention is a method for opening a glass stopper that is fitted into an opening of a glass container body in a ground state, and the first invention provides A glass stopper holding step in which the glass stopper is held by the holding structure; a container body holding step which is performed before or after the glass stopper holding step and in which the container body is held by the second holding structure; and a container body holding step in which the glass stopper is pulled out from the container body. a first glass stopper opening step of opening the glass stopper, and the first glass stopper opening step includes an operation of pulling out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis by the first holding structure, and simultaneously pulling out the glass stopper or The present invention is characterized in that a torque of a desired value or less is applied to the container body in either forward or reverse directions with respect to the central axis of the glass stopper.
In the first aspect of the invention having the above configuration, the glass stopper holding step has the effect of holding the glass stopper by the first holding structure. Moreover, the container body holding step is performed before or after the above-mentioned glass stopper holding step, and has the effect of holding the container body by the second holding structure.
Furthermore, in the first glass stopper opening step, the first holding structure pulls out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis, and at the same time, the glass stopper or the container body is rotated forward and backward about the central axis of the glass stopper. By performing an operation that applies a torque of less than a desired value in either direction, the fitting position of the glass stopper at the opening of the container body can be adjusted in the circumferential direction of the glass stopper while preventing damage to the glass stopper and the container body. (either in the forward or reverse direction) and has the effect of displacing the glass stopper even slightly in the lifting direction.
In addition, in the first glass stopper opening process, by setting the torque applied to the glass stopper or the container body to a desired value or less, the glass stopper may be pulled out by performing the first glass stopper opening process. This has the effect of avoiding the situation where it becomes even more difficult.
In addition, in the present invention, the reason why torque is applied to the glass stopper or the container body is not to apply an external force exceeding the maximum static friction force to the glass stopper or the container body, but to apply torque to the glass stopper or the container body at the opening of the container body. This is to displace the fitting position of the plug even slightly. Further, in the present invention, applying torque to the glass stopper or the container body may become a factor that makes it more difficult to pull out the glass stopper. For this reason, in the first invention, the torque applied to the glass stopper or container body not only needs to be set to such an extent that the glass stopper or container body is not damaged, but also the torque applied to the glass stopper or container body must be set to such an extent that the fitting position of the glass stopper or container body is determined. It is desirable to set it to a smaller value within the range that can be displaced.
Then, in the first glass cap opening process, the fitting position of the glass cap in the opening of the container body is even slightly displaced, thereby significantly reducing the maximum static friction force of the glass cap on the inner surface of the opening of the container body. In this case, the glass stopper is pulled up and opened by the first holding structure.
In addition, in the first opening step in the first invention, it is necessary to set an upper limit value of the torque to be applied to the glass stopper or the container body in order to prevent damage to the glass stopper or the container body when operating the glass stopper or the container body. There is. On the other hand, the degree of torque that the glass stopper or container body that is the object of operation can withstand depends on the composition, size (diameter, etc.), thickness, contact area between the two, scratches, etc. of the glass that makes up the glass stopper or container body. It cannot be uniformly identified because it varies depending on the presence or absence of foreign matter, the presence or absence of foreign matter, etc. Therefore, in the first invention, instead of specifically specifying the upper limit value of the torque to be applied to the glass stopper or container body that is the object of operation, it is described as "torque less than a desired value".

A method for opening a ground glass stopper, which is a second invention, is the first invention described above, which is performed when the glass stopper cannot be opened in the first glass stopper opening step. 2, the second glass cap opening step includes an operation of pulling out the glass cap in the direction of its central axis by the first holding structure, and at the same time, operations A to O shown below. It is characterized by performing either of D. Further, operation A is "an operation of applying a torque of a desired value or less to the glass stopper or the container body in either forward or reverse direction with the central axis of the glass stopper as the base axis." Furthermore, operation B is a "switching operation for switching between operations in which a torque of a desired value or less is applied to the glass stopper or the container body in the forward and reverse directions with respect to the central axis of the glass stopper." In addition, operation C is "an operation that applies vibration to the glass stopper in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper." Further, operation D is "an operation of applying vibration to the glass stopper in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the glass stopper."
The second invention with the above configuration is a glass stopper that cannot be opened even after carrying out the first glass stopper opening step in the first invention, that is, a glass stopper that is more difficult to open. This is a method of automatically opening the bottle.
More specifically, in the second glass stopper opening step in the second invention, the first holding structure pulls out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis, and at the same time performs any of the above operations A to D. By doing this, while preventing damage to the glass stopper and the container body, the fitting position of the glass stopper at the opening of the container body can be changed to the position of the glass stopper at the time when the first glass stopper opening process is completed. It has the effect of even slightly displacing the fitting position of the glass stopper in the opening of the container body from the installed position.
In addition, in the second glass stopper opening process, by setting the torque that acts on the glass stopper or the container body to a desired value or less, the second glass stopper opening process is performed, which causes the glass stopper to open. This has the effect of preventing this from becoming even more difficult.
Note that for the same reason as the first invention, the torque applied to the glass stopper or the container body in the second glass stopper opening step only needs to be set to an extent that the glass stopper or the container body is not damaged. It is desirable to set the value to a smaller value within a range that allows the fitting position of the glass stopper or container body to be displaced.
Then, in the second glass cap opening process, the fitting position of the glass cap in the opening of the container body is displaced even slightly, thereby significantly reducing the maximum static frictional force of the glass cap on the inner surface of the opening of the container body. In this case, the glass stopper is pulled up and opened by the first holding structure.
In addition, by performing operation A at the same time as the operation of pulling out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis using the first holding structure, the glass stopper can be pulled out slightly in the circumferential direction (either forward or backward direction) and in the pulling direction of the glass stopper. However, it has the effect of displacing it. In addition, by performing operation B at the same time as the first holding structure pulls out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis, the glass stopper is pulled out in the circumferential direction (forward and reverse directions) and in the pulling direction of the glass stopper. It has the effect of causing even a slight displacement. Further, by performing operation C at the same time as the first holding structure pulls out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis, it has the effect of displacing the glass stopper even slightly in the pulling direction. In addition, by performing operation D at the same time as the first holding structure pulls out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis, the glass stopper is even slightly displaced in the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the glass stopper and in the pulling direction of the glass stopper. It has this effect.
In addition, also in the second opening step in the second invention, in order to prevent damage to the glass stopper or container body when operating the glass stopper or container body, an upper limit value of the torque to be applied to the glass stopper or the container body is set. There is a need. On the other hand, as mentioned above, it is not possible to specify how much torque the glass stopper or container body to be operated can withstand. Therefore, in the second invention as well, instead of specifically specifying the upper limit value of the torque to be applied to the glass stopper or container body that is the object of operation, it is described as "torque less than a desired value".

A method for opening a ground glass stopper, which is a third invention, is the above-mentioned second invention, in which in the second glass stopper opening step, when performing operation A or operation B, operation C or operation D is performed. It is characterized by the fact that it is carried out at the same time.
The third invention with the above configuration automatically removes a glass stopper that cannot be opened even after performing the second glass stopper opening step in the second invention, that is, a glass stopper that is more difficult to open. This is a method of opening the bottle.
In the second glass cap opening step of the third invention, when performing operation A or operation B, operation C or operation D is also performed, thereby preventing damage to the glass stopper and the container body. This has the effect of making it easier for the fitting position of the glass stopper to shift in the opening of the body.
In the second glass stopper opening step of the third invention, the fitting position of the glass stopper in the opening of the container body is even slightly displaced, thereby reducing the maximum static friction of the glass stopper on the inner surface of the opening of the container body. If the force is significantly reduced, the glass stopper is pulled up and opened by the first holding structure.

A method for opening a ground glass stopper, which is a fourth invention, is that in any one of the first to third inventions described above, when the container body is held by the second holding structure, the central axis of the container body is It is characterized in that it is movable relative to the holding surface of the second holding structure.
In the fourth invention having the above configuration, in the first glass cap opening step or the second glass cap opening step, the axis serving as the reference for the operation of the first holding structure and the axis for the operation of the second holding structure are used. If the reference axes do not completely match but are slightly deviated, by displacing the center axis of the container body relative to the holding surface of the second holding structure, each of the first and second holding structures can be adjusted. It has the effect of making it easier to align the axes that serve as the reference for operation.
As a result, in the first glass cap opening process or the second glass cap opening process, the axis that serves as the reference for the operation of the first holding structure and the axis that serves as the reference for the operation of the second holding structure are separated. Even if they do not match perfectly, they have the effect of suppressing stress from acting locally on the glass appliance (glass stopper and/or container body) to be operated.

The fifth invention, an opening device for a ground glass stopper, is a device for automatically opening a glass stopper that is fitted into the opening of a glass container body in a ground state, and holds the glass stopper. a first holding structure that holds the container body, a second holding structure that holds the container body, and a desired direction of moving the first holding structure or the second holding structure in either forward or reverse directions about the central axis of the glass stopper. a rotation mechanism that applies a torque of less than a value, and the first holding structure includes a slide mechanism that slides the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis and away from the container body. It is something to do.
The fifth invention having the above configuration specifies the first invention described above as a product invention (device).
Furthermore, in the fifth aspect of the invention, the first holding structure has the function of holding the glass stopper. Furthermore, the second holding structure has the function of holding the container body. In addition, the rotation mechanism has the function of applying a torque of a desired value or less to the first holding structure or the second holding structure in either the forward or reverse direction with the central axis of the glass stopper as the basic axis. Further, the slide mechanism has the function of sliding the glass stopper held by the first holding structure in the direction of its central axis and in the direction away from the container body.
According to the fifth invention as described above, the first holding structure performs an operation of pulling out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis, and at the same time pulls out the glass stopper or the container body around the central axis of the glass stopper. It has the effect of applying a torque of a desired value or less in either the forward or reverse direction.
As a result, if the fitting position of the glass stopper in the opening of the container body is even slightly displaced, and the maximum static frictional force of the glass stopper on the inner surface of the opening of the container body is thereby significantly reduced, the first retention The structure allows the glass stopper to be pulled up and opened.
The reason why the torque applied to the glass stopper or container body by the rotation mechanism in the fifth invention is specified as "less than a desired value" is that in the first opening step of the above-mentioned first invention. This is the same reason why the torque applied to the glass stopper or container body is specified as being "less than a desired value."

The opening device for a ground glass stopper, which is a sixth invention, is the above-mentioned fifth invention, wherein the first holding structure is arranged in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper and/or in the direction orthogonal to the central axis of the glass stopper. The invention is characterized in that it includes a vibration generator that generates vibrations.
In addition, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the first holding structure is "equipped with a vibration generator that generates vibrations in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper and in the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the glass stopper". The first holding structure is "equipped with both a vibration generator that generates vibrations in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper and a vibration generator that generates vibrations in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the glass stopper." and when the first holding structure is "equipped with a vibration generator that simultaneously applies vibrations in two directions: the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper and the direction orthogonal to the central axis of the glass stopper." It is.
According to the sixth invention as described above, there is an effect that the fitting position of the ground glass stopper, which is difficult to open, is easily displaced at the opening of the container body.
When the glass stopper is pulled out, vibration is applied to the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis or in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the glass stopper, thereby causing even the slightest displacement of the insertion position of the glass stopper. When the maximum static frictional force of the glass stopper on the inner surface of the opening of the container body is thereby significantly reduced, the glass stopper is pulled up and opened by the first holding structure.

A seventh invention, the opening device for a ground glass stopper, is the above-mentioned sixth invention, wherein the vibration generator is a vibration generator that generates vibration in the central axis direction of the glass stopper, and They are arranged in pairs at opposing positions around the center axis of the stopper, and by vibrating the pair of vibration generators in the same phase, vibrations are generated in the direction of the center axis of the glass stopper. This is characterized by adding vibration to the glass stopper in a direction orthogonal to the central axis of the glass stopper by causing the paired vibration generators to vibrate in opposite phases.
The seventh invention with the above configuration is a concrete and detailed description of the sixth invention.
In the seventh invention having the above configuration, when the pair of vibration generators provided in the first holding structure are vibrated in the same phase, external forces acting in a direction orthogonal to the central axis of the glass stopper cancel each other out. be done. As a result, vibration is applied to the glass stopper in a direction parallel to its central axis direction.
In addition, when the pair of vibration generators provided in the first holding structure are vibrated in opposite phases, the external force acting in the direction parallel to the central axis of the glass stopper is canceled out, while the center of the glass stopper is External forces acting perpendicular to the axis do not cancel out. As a result, an external force is applied to the glass stopper in a direction perpendicular to its central axis.
Therefore, according to the seventh invention, there is an effect of making it easier for the fitting position of the glass stopper to shift compared to the case where the vibration generator is not provided.

The opening device for a ground glass stopper, which is an eighth invention, is provided in any one of the fifth to seventh inventions described above, and is interposed between the first holding structure and the glass stopper, or It is characterized in that it is provided with a deformable material that is interposed between the holding structure and the container body and is deformable in a restorable manner.
The eighth aspect of the invention having the above configuration has the same effect as each of the fifth to seventh inventions described above. Further, in the eighth invention, in the deformable material, the axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the first holding structure and the axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the second holding structure do not completely coincide with each other and are slightly shifted. In this case, it has the effect of slightly displacing the central axis of the glass stopper with respect to the holding surface of the first holding structure or the central axis of the container body with respect to the holding surface of the second holding structure.
This prevents stress from acting locally on the glassware (glass stopper and/or container body) even if the respective axes that serve as the reference for the operation of the first and second holding structures do not perfectly match. It has the effect of suppressing

A ninth invention is a ground glass stopper opening device according to the eighth invention, wherein the deformable material is interposed between the second holding structure and the container body, and the second holding structure is The second holding structure is characterized in that the container body is disposed on the bottom side of the body and includes a suction mechanism, and the container body is held in an upright state by suctioning the bottom surface of the second holding structure by the suction mechanism. be.
The ninth invention with the above configuration has the same effect as the eighth invention. Further, in the ninth aspect of the invention, the deformable material interposed between the second holding structure and the container body moves the second holding structure when the first holding part or the second holding part rotates. It has the effect of slightly displacing the central axis of the container relative to the holding surface as necessary.
Furthermore, in the ninth invention, the second holding structure provided with a suction mechanism disposed on the bottom side of the container body has the function of holding the container body in an upright state by suctioning the bottom surface of the container body. .
As a result, even if the axis on which the first holding structure operates and the axis on which the second holding structure operates do not completely match, the glassware (glass stopper and/or container body) ) has the effect of suppressing stress from acting locally.

According to the first invention, there is an effect that the ground glass stopper can be opened without manual intervention.
As a result, it is possible to automate a series of analysis operations using glass instruments equipped with ground glass stoppers. In this case, it is possible to automate a series of analysis operations using glass instruments equipped with ground glass stoppers, and data integrity can be achieved.

According to the second invention, there is a high possibility that the ground glass stopper that could not be opened in the first glass stopper opening step in the first invention can be opened.
Therefore, according to the second invention, the effects of the first invention described above can be further improved.

According to the third invention, the effects of the second invention described above can be further improved.

According to the fourth invention, in addition to the effects of each of the first to third inventions described above, when opening a ground glass stopper without manual operation, the glass apparatus to be operated (glass stopper and/or or container body) can be more reliably prevented from being damaged.
Therefore, according to the fourth invention, the effects of each of the first to third inventions described above can be exerted more reliably.

The fifth invention specifies the first invention described above as a product invention (device).
Therefore, the fifth invention has the same effect as the above-described first invention.
Further, according to the fifth aspect of the invention, it is possible to provide a device that has a simple structure and can open a ground glass cap without manual intervention.

A sixth invention provides the same effect as the fifth invention described above, and in addition, it is possible to automatically open a glass stopper compared to a case where the opening device for a ground glass stopper does not include a vibration generator. You can increase your sexuality.
As a result, compared to the fifth invention, it is possible to provide a cap opening device for a ground glass cap with higher performance.

In addition to the same effect as the above-mentioned sixth invention, the seventh invention provides one type of vibration generator necessary for applying vibration in the central axis direction of the glass stopper and in the orthogonal direction thereof. I can do it.
Therefore, according to the seventh invention, the structure of the high-performance automatic cap opening device can be simplified. As a result, according to the seventh invention, a high-performance automatic cap opening device can be provided at a low cost.

In addition to the same effects as those of the fifth to seventh inventions, the eighth invention provides a standard for the operation of the first holding structure when opening a glass appliance equipped with a ground glass stopper. It is possible to prevent the glassware from being damaged due to a misalignment between the axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the second holding structure and the axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the second holding structure.
Therefore, according to the eighth invention, a more reliable device can be provided compared to each of the fifth to seventh inventions described above.

In the ninth invention, glass appliances to be operated are assumed to have various sizes and external shapes.
According to the ninth invention, in addition to the same effect as the above-mentioned eighth invention, glassware having various sizes and external shapes (including glassware whose bottom surfaces are not flat) can be placed in an upright state. can be held in In other words, according to the ninth invention, there is no need to change the shape of the holding surface of the second holding structure depending on the external shape and size of the glass appliance to be operated.
Therefore, according to the ninth invention, it is possible to provide a device with high versatility for glassware of various shapes and sizes at a low cost.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a ground glass stopper opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a method for opening a ground glass stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of a ground glass stopper opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first holding structure in the ground glass stopper opening device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view of the first holding structure in the ground glass stopper opening device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a ground glass stopper opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram of a ground glass stopper opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the back side; FIG.

A method and apparatus for opening a ground glass cap according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

First, prior to explaining the method for opening a ground glass stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention, an outline of an opening device for a ground glass stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an opening device for a ground glass stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The opening device 1 for a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment is a device for opening a glass stopper 15 that is fitted into an opening 14a of a glass container body 14 in a ground state without manual intervention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first holding structure 2 that holds the glass stopper 15 and a second holding structure that holds the container body 14. 3, and a rotation mechanism 4B for applying a torque of a desired value or less to the second holding structure 3 in either forward or reverse direction with the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 as a basic axis; The structure 2 includes a slide mechanism 5 that slides the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a and away from the container body 14.
Note that in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second holding structure 3 is provided with a rotation mechanism 4B, but Instead of providing the rotation mechanism 4B, the first holding structure 2 is provided with a rotation mechanism 4A that applies a torque of a desired value or less to the glass stopper 15 in either the forward or reverse direction with its central axis 15a as the base axis. You can leave it there.
This embodiment specifies a procedure for automatically opening a glass stopper 15 from a glass appliance 24 using the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment as described above as a method invention. This is a method for opening a ground glass stopper.

Next, a method for opening the ground glass stopper according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for opening a ground glass stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure thereof will be omitted.
The first step in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment is a container body holding structure in which the container body 14 is held by the second holding structure 3 of the ground glass stopper opening device 1 shown in FIG. This is a process (step S01).
Further, the step following this step S01 is a glass stopper holding step (step S02) in which the glass stopper 15 is held by the first holding structure 2 of the ground glass stopper opening device 1 shown in FIG. 1 above.

Note that Step S01 and Step S02 in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment may be performed in the order shown in FIG. 2, or may be performed by replacing Step S02 and Step S01.
Furthermore, at the time of completing step S01 and step S02, or after completion, the axis on which the operation of the first holding structure 2 is based and the axis on which the operation of the second holding structure 3 is based are determined. It is desirable to keep them approximately the same. Moreover, as for the technique of aligning the axes that serve as the reference for the operation as described above, conventionally known centering techniques can be employed without any problem.

The process that follows after completing steps S01 and S02 is a first glass cap opening process (step S03) in which the glass cap 15 is pulled out from the container body 14 and opened.
In this step S03, as shown in FIG. 2, the glass stopper 15 is pulled out in the direction of its central axis 15a by the first holding structure 2, and at the same time, the container body 14 is moved around the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15. This is a step in which a torque of less than a desired value is applied in either the forward or reverse direction.

Conventionally, various methods have been proposed for opening a ground glass stopper. In contrast, in order to automatically open the glass stopper 15 of the glassware 24, the inventors of the present application have variously changed the operations on the glass stopper 15 and the container body 14, and various combinations thereof. As a result of trying various changes, it was found that while pulling out the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a, applying torque to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14 in either the forward or reverse direction with the central axis 15a as the basic axis It has been found that this method is particularly effective for opening the stopper 15.
As a result of the above-described operation, if even a slight displacement occurs in the fitting position of the glass stopper 15 in the opening 14a of the container body 14, the maximum static frictional force of the glass stopper 15 against the opening 14a of the container body 14 will be significantly increased. It has been found that the glass plug 15 can be easily pulled out without applying a large torque to the glass plug 15 after the glass plug 15 has been lowered.
On the other hand, the above-described operations on the glass stopper 15 may further encourage the glass stopper 15 to become stuck in the opening 14a of the container body 14 depending on the case. In this case, it may become more difficult to pull out the glass stopper 15 because the above-described operation has been performed.
Therefore, when performing the above-mentioned operation on the glass stopper 15, it is necessary to apply a torque to an extent that does not damage the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14, and also apply a torque to the extent that the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14 is not damaged. It is desirable that the torque applied be smaller.
In other words, the present invention is not a technique of opening the glass stopper 15 by applying an external force exceeding the maximum static friction force to the glass stopper 15 fitted into the opening 14a of the container body 14, The fitting position of the glass stopper 15 fitted into the opening 14a of the container body 14 is slightly displaced by some means, thereby significantly reducing the maximum static frictional force of the glass stopper 15 against the opening 14a of the container body 14. This technique allows the glass stopper 15 to be pulled out without relying on a large external force.

Therefore, when step S03 as described above in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment is performed, displacement of the fitting position of the glass stopper 15 in the opening 14a of the container body 14 is likely to occur.
In this case, the glass stopper 15 can be easily pulled out from the opening 14a and opened without applying a large external force to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14.

Further, the step to be performed when the glass stopper 15 cannot be opened (step S04) even when the above-mentioned first glass stopper opening step (step S03) is carried out is the second glass stopper shown below. This is a cap opening step (step S05).
As shown in FIG. 2, this step S05 is a step in which the first holding structure 2 pulls out the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a, and at the same time performs any of the following operations A to D. It is.
Note that the above-mentioned "action A" is "an action of applying a torque of a desired value or less to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14 in either forward or reverse direction with the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 as a base axis." Moreover, "operation B" is "a switching operation for switching between operations in which a torque of a desired value or less is applied to the glass stopper or the container body in the forward and reverse directions with the central axis of the glass stopper as the base axis." Further, "action C" is "an action of applying vibration to the glass stopper 15 in the direction of the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15". "Operation D" is "an operation of applying vibration to the glass stopper 15 in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15."

As described above, in step S05 of the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, the first holding structure 2 performs the operation of pulling out the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a, and at the same time performs the above-mentioned operation A. By performing any one of the operations D to D, the fitting position of the glass stopper 15 can be more easily displaced in the opening 14a of the container body 14.
When step S05 shown in FIG. 2 is carried out, if the fitting position of the glass stopper 15 is even slightly displaced, and the maximum static friction force of the glass stopper 15 at the opening 14a of the container body 14 is significantly reduced. The glass stopper 15 can be pulled out from the opening 14a of the container body 14.

In addition, if the glass stopper 15 cannot be opened (step S06) even when the second glass stopper opening step (step S05) described above is performed, the glass stopper 15 is opened as shown in FIG. Step S05 may be repeated until the bottle can be opened.

Furthermore, in step S05 of the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, especially when performing operation A or operation B, operation C or operation D may be performed together (optional component).
In this case, a torque lower than a desired value is applied to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14, and at the same time, a torque is applied to the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a and/or in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 15a. By applying vibration, the displacement of the fitting position of the glass stopper 15 can be made more likely to occur than when the above-mentioned vibration is not applied to the glass stopper 15.
As a result, the possibility of opening the glass stopper 15 without manual intervention can be improved by the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment.

It should be noted that the more diverse the directions of external forces acting on the glassware 24 equipped with the ground glass stopper, or the more types of external forces (pulling, torque, vibration, etc.) acting on the glassware 24, the greater the distance between the glassware 24 and the glass stopper. Although it becomes easier to pull out the glass stopper 15, there is also a higher risk that the glassware 24 will be damaged when the glass stopper 15 is opened.
Therefore, in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, first, the direction of the external force to be applied to the glassware 24, the type of external force to be applied to the glassware 24, and the direction of the external force to be applied to the glassware 24 are determined. An attempt is made to open the glass stopper 15 by reducing the size to the minimum necessary size (step S03), and if the glass stopper 15 cannot be opened, the direction of the external force to be applied to the glassware 24 and/or the direction of the external force acting on the glassware 24 is determined. It is desirable that the type of external force applied and the frequency with which the external force is applied to the glassware 24 be increased in stages.

More specifically, in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, first, while pulling out the glass stopper 15 using the opening device 1 for a ground glass stopper, a desired position is applied to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14. A torque equal to or less than the value of is applied (step S03 in FIG. 2). At this time, if the glass stopper 15 cannot be opened even if the torque applied to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14 reaches a preset value (step S04 in FIG. 2), the glass stopper 15 or the container body The same operation is performed again on the glassware 24 by reversing the direction of the torque applied to the glassware 14 (corresponding to the case where operation A is selected in step S05 in FIG. 2).
If the glass stopper 15 still cannot be opened even after performing step S05 (step S06 in FIG. 2), step S05 is performed in which operation A is selected a desired number of times while reversing the direction of torque action each time. repeat.
Furthermore, if the glass stopper 15 still cannot be opened (step S06 in FIG. 2), the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment is configured so that the process moves to step S05 in which operation B is selected. You can.

If the glass stopper 15 still cannot be opened even after repeating step S05 for selecting operation B described above a desired number of times (step S06 in FIG. 2), the process moves to step S05 for selecting operation C or operation D. The method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to this embodiment may also be configured.
In addition, if the glass stopper 15 still cannot be opened even after performing step S05 of selecting operation C or operation D described above (step S06 in FIG. 2), operation A or operation B and operation C or operation D are selected. The method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment may be configured so as to proceed to step S05 in which both are selected at the same time (corresponding to the third invention of the present application).
Therefore, by configuring the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment as described above, the direction of the external force acting on the glass appliance 24 and/or the type of external force acting on the glass appliance 24 can be changed. , and the frequency at which the external force is applied to the glassware 24 can be increased step by step. In this case, the glass stopper 15 can be opened without manual effort while minimizing the physical load on the glassware 24.

As mentioned earlier, in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, when performing step S03 or step S05, the axis serving as the reference for the operation of the first holding structure 2 and the second It is desirable that the axes on which the holding structure 3 operates are substantially aligned.
However, when actually operating the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, the axis that serves as the reference for the operation of the first holding structure 2 and the reference axis for the operation of the second holding structure 3 are used. There are cases where it is not possible to keep the axes substantially aligned.
Alternatively, even if the axis that serves as the reference for the operation of the first holding structure 2 and the axis that serves as the reference for the operation of the second holding structure 3 substantially match, the central axis 14b of the glassware 24 to be operated may be biased. It is also assumed that the central axis 14b is distorted or the central axis 14b is distorted.
In such a case, the axis on which the first holding structure 2 operates and the axis on which the second holding structure 3 operates do not substantially match, or the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 and the container If step S03 or step S05 is performed before the central axes 14b of the bodies 14 do not substantially match, stress due to the mismatch of these axes will act locally on the glassware 24, and in the worst case, the glassware 24 will be damaged. Put it away.

In view of these circumstances, in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, when the container body 14 is held by the second holding structure 3, for example, the holding surface 9a of the second holding structure 3 ( The central axis 14b of the container body 14 may be displaceable (see FIG. 1) (optional component).
More specifically, for example, a restorably deformable deformable material 11 may be interposed between the holding surface 9a and the container body 14 in the second holding structure 3 (optional component).
In this case, if the axis on which the first holding structure 2 operates and the axis on which the second holding structure 3 operates do not substantially match, the deformable material 11 deforms as desired and the container body 14 By displacing the central axis 14b of the glassware 24 as desired, it is possible to prevent unintended stress from acting locally on the glassware 24 due to the mismatch of these axes.
In addition, in the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, the central axis 14b of the container body 14 is made displaceable with respect to the holding surface 9a of the second holding structure 3 (see FIG. 1). Instead of providing the deformable member 11, some kind of structure may be provided to enable the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 to be displaced with respect to the holding surface of the first holding structure 2. In this case as well, it is possible to suitably prevent the glassware 24 from being damaged when performing step S03 or step S05.

In addition, the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment will be described using an example in which the deformable material 11 is interposed between the holding surface 9a of the second holding structure 3 and the container body 14. However, methods for relieving unintended stresses on glassware 24 need not be limited to those described above.
For example, pressure detection sensors are provided at various locations on the holding surface 9a of the second holding structure 3, and an axis serving as a reference for the operation of the second holding structure 3 is set so that the pressure acting on the holding surface 9a is approximately uniform. A similar effect can also be achieved by providing a configuration for adjusting.
Alternatively, the positions of the axes that serve as the reference for the operation of the first holding structure 2 and the second holding structure 3 are detected by processing images obtained by optical means, and these positions are determined based on the detected values. A similar effect can also be achieved by providing a configuration that eliminates the misalignment.

According to the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment as described above, the glass stopper 15 can be opened with high reliability by simply adding a simple operation to the glass fixture 24. .
In this case, by using the ground glass stopper opening device 1, the work of opening a ground glass stopper can be automated. As a result, a series of analysis operations using the glass instrument 24 equipped with a ground glass stopper can be completely automated.
Therefore, according to the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper according to the present embodiment, it becomes possible to automate the work in a series of analysis operations using the glass instrument 24 equipped with a ground glass stopper, thereby realizing data integrity. can do.

Next, an example of a specific form of the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 to 7.
First, the first holding structure 2 and its peripheral equipment in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5.
FIG. 3 is a side view of a ground glass stopper opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 4 is a top view of the 1st holding structure in the stopper opening device for the ground glass stopper based on embodiment of this invention. Furthermore, FIG. 5 is a front view of the first holding structure in the ground glass stopper opening device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that FIG. 4 is a view of the holding chucks 7, 7 shown in FIG. 3 and their surroundings as viewed from the direction indicated by the symbol E in the same figure. Further, FIG. 5 is a view of the holding chucks 7, 7 shown in FIG. 4 and their surroundings as viewed from the direction indicated by the symbol H in the same figure. Furthermore, the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the explanation of the structure thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 4, the first holding structure 2 in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment has a pair of structures that can sandwich and hold the head 15c of the glass stopper 15, for example. It is equipped with holding chucks 7, 7. Moreover, such holding chucks 7, 7 are opened and closed by, for example, an opening and closing mechanism 8 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the holding chucks 7, 7 slide in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 (direction indicated by symbol G in FIG. 4), and are held together. By approaching or separating, the state in which the head 15c of the glass stopper 15 is held by the holding chucks 7 and 7 can be switched between a state in which the head 15c of the glass stopper 15 is held and a state in which it is opened. Note that FIG. 4 shows a state in which the head 15c of the glass stopper 15 is being held between the holding chucks 7, 7.
Although FIG. 4 shows an example in which the holding chucks 7, 7 in the first holding structure 2 are opened and closed by sliding, the method for opening and closing the holding chucks 7, 7 is as described above. does not need to be specified. For example, each of the holding chucks 7, 7 is provided with a rotation axis, and by rotating each of the holding chucks 7, 7 about this rotation axis, the holding chucks 7, 7 are opened and closed. Good too. Further, as the opening/closing mechanism 8 in the opening device 1 for a ground glass stopper of this embodiment, any conventional opening/closing structure of holding chucks 7, 7 other than those described above can be adopted without any problem.

Furthermore, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, the opening/closing mechanism 8 provided with the holding chucks 7, 7 as described above further includes a moving mechanism that runs on a rail, for example, or includes a rack and a pinion. (See FIGS. 3 and 4). Note that there is no need to specify the specific configuration of the slide mechanism 5, and the opening/closing mechanism 8 including the holding chucks 7, 7 is arranged in the direction of the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 (direction indicated by symbol F in FIG. 3). Any configuration may be used as long as it is configured so that it can be slid.
Therefore, by sliding the holding chucks 7, 7 equipped with the opening/closing mechanism 8 by the slide mechanism 5, the glass stopper 15 is pulled out in the direction of its central axis 15a in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment. The operation can be performed (see FIG. 4).
Furthermore, the slide mechanism 5 that slides the opening/closing mechanism 8 provided with the holding chucks 7, 7 as described above may be used by being attached to, for example, a support 16 erected on the stand 20 (see FIG. 3). reference).

Further, in addition to the above-described configuration, the first holding structure 2 in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment has a structure in which the glass stopper 15 is provided in the direction of its central axis 15a and/or The vibration generator 6 may be provided with a vibration generator 6 that can apply vibration in a direction orthogonal to the vibration direction (optional component).
When the first holding structure 2 includes the vibration generator 6 as described above, when the glass stopper 15 is pulled out in the direction of its central axis 15a, the vibration generating device 6 is moved in a desired direction relative to the glass stopper 15. vibration can be added.
In this case, when the glass stopper 15 is pulled out, the fitting position of the glass stopper 15 in the opening 14a of the container body 14 can be easily displaced.
If the insertion position of the glass stopper 15 can be displaced even slightly during the operation of pulling out the glass stopper 15, the glass stopper 15 can be pulled out with high reliability.

Furthermore, in the first holding structure 2 of the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, the same type of vibration generator 6 is installed in each of the holding chucks 7, 7, as shown in FIGS. (optional component). In addition, as the vibration generator 6 in this case, for example, a striking cylinder that vibrates in substantially the same direction as the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 can be used.
A vibration generator 6 (for example, a striking cylinder) is provided on each of the holding chucks 7, 7, and a pair of vibration generators is generated while the head 15c of the glass stopper 15 is held between the holding chucks 7, 7. When the devices 6 are vibrated in the same phase (hereinafter, this operation is referred to as "operation X"), it is possible to add vibration to the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a.
Further, a vibration generator 6 (for example, a striking cylinder) is provided on each of the holding chucks 7, 7, and the pair is held in a state where the head 15c of the glass stopper 15 is held between the holding chucks 7, 7. When the vibration generators 6 are made to vibrate in opposite phases (hereinafter, this operation is referred to as "operation Y"), vibration is applied to the glass stopper 15 in a direction perpendicular to its central axis 15a. be able to.

More specifically, when performing the above-mentioned operation A component force is also generated and applied to the glass stopper 15. At this time, each of the pair of vibration generators 6 is provided at a position facing each other around the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15, and these vibration generators 6 vibrate in the same phase, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effect. Component forces in the direction orthogonal to the central axis 15a are canceled out. As a result, only vibrations are applied to the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a.
On the other hand, when performing the above-described operation Y, a component force is generated in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15. At this time, each of the pair of vibration generators 6 is provided at a position facing each other centering on the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15, and since the vibration generators 6 vibrate in opposite phases, the above-mentioned central axis Component forces in the direction orthogonal to 15a are not canceled out. Further, when performing this operation Y, vibrations generated in the pair of vibration generators 6 in a direction parallel to the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 are canceled out. As a result, when performing operation Y, only vibrations in the direction perpendicular (substantially perpendicular) to the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 are applied to the glass stopper 15.

As described above, the first holding structure 2 according to the present embodiment includes the vibration generator 6 that generates vibration in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis 15a direction of the glass stopper 15, and further includes the vibration generator 6. an operation of applying vibration to the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a (action It is possible to easily realize two types of operations: an operation of adding vibration in a direction perpendicular (substantially perpendicular) to the concentric axis 15a (operation Y).
In this case, both the above-mentioned operations X and Y can be achieved by only providing one type of vibration generator 6, so the structure of the cap opening device 1 for ground glass caps according to this embodiment is simplified. be able to.

In addition, when the first holding structure 2 according to the present embodiment includes only one pair of vibration generators 6 consisting of, for example, impact cylinders, the vibration generator 6 is provided with a vibration generating device 6 that is made of a striking cylinder, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 over the entire circumference of the glass stopper 15. vibration cannot be added.
In this case, vibrations may be repeatedly applied to the glass stopper 15 while rotating the glass stopper 15 little by little about its central axis 15a.
Alternatively, by providing the first holding structure 2 with a plurality of pairs of vibration generators 6 consisting of, for example, impact cylinders, the frequency of rotating the glass stopper 15 little by little about its central axis 15a can be reduced. This operation can be reduced or made unnecessary.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 6, and 7, the second holding structure 3 and its peripheral equipment in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 6 is a front view of a ground glass stopper opening device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 7 is a diagram of the opening device for a ground glass stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the back side. Note that FIG. 6 is a view of the entire ground glass stopper opening device 1 viewed from the direction indicated by the symbol D shown in FIG. Components that are the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and explanations of their configurations will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 6, the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment holds the container body 14 of the glassware 24 in the second holding structure 3, and then holds the second holding structure 3. The first retaining structure 2 may be moved in front of the column 16 on which it is arranged so that the first retaining structure 2 retains the glass stopper 15 of the glassware 24 (optional component).
In this case, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 6, the second holding structure 3 has a mounting table 9 on which the container body 14 is placed, and a container body 14 held on this mounting table 9. It is equipped with a rotation mechanism 4B that can apply a torque of a desired value or less in each of the forward and reverse directions using the central axis 14b as a base, and a position control mechanism 12 that moves the mounting table 9 in a desired direction. Good too.

When the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, the container body 14 is installed on the mounting table 9 at the installation position S (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). After the holding of the container body 14 by the second holding structure 3 is completed, the cylinder 12a and the piston 12b in the position control mechanism 12 are operated to move the mounting table 9 to the open position T in front of the support column 16. Bye. In addition, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, the mounting table 9 and the piston 12b are connected by a connecting shaft 12c. In addition, the connecting shaft 12c is inserted into a hole 20a formed in the thickness direction of the stand 20 on which the support column 16 is erected, so that the connecting shaft 12c is inserted into the mounting table located from the back side of the stand 20 to the upper surface side of the stand 20. 9 (second holding structure 3).
Then, the position control mechanism 12 is operated to place the mounting table 9 on which the container body 14 of the glassware 24 is held directly below the first holding structure 2 (opening position S), and in this state, the holding chuck 7 , 7 to hold the head 15c of the glass stopper 15, preparations for opening the glass stopper 15 are completed.
In addition, in the cap opening device 1 for a ground glass cap according to the present embodiment, by using a different form (not shown), after the glass cap 15 in the glass appliance 24 is held by the first holding structure 2, the second holding structure 3 may be configured to hold the container body 14 of the glassware 24 and complete preparations for opening the glass stopper 15.

Next, a specific example of the second holding structure 3 in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 6, the second holding structure 3 includes, for example, a mounting table 9 on which a glass instrument 24 is placed, and a vacuum chamber inserted through the mounting table 9 in the thickness direction. A suction tube 18 and a vacuum suction equipment 10 connected to this tube 18 may be provided.
When the second holding structure 3 according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, the glass instrument 24 to be operated is placed on the mounting table 9, and the bottom surface of the container body 14 is removed by the vacuum suction equipment 10. By suctioning the glassware 24 on the mounting table 9, it is possible to hold the glassware 24 in an upright state.

Glass appliances 24 equipped with ground glass stoppers to be operated in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment can be of various sizes and shapes. Among such glassware 24, especially those used by being placed on a flat surface, the bottom surface of the glassware 24 is substantially flat, regardless of the external shape. What they have in common is that there is.
Therefore, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, especially when the second holding structure 3 holds the glass appliance 24 whose bottom surface is substantially flat, the second holding structure 3 By including at least the mounting table 9, the tube 18 connected to the bottom surface (holding surface 9a) of this mounting table, and the vacuum suction equipment 10 connected to this tube 18, the holding surface 9a of the mounting table 9 can be Glassware 24 having a substantially flat bottom surface can be attracted and held.
Therefore, when using the second holding structure 3 comprising the mounting table 9, the tube 18, and the vacuum suction equipment 10 as described above, it is especially important for the glassware 24 of the type to be placed on a flat surface. A highly versatile ground glass stopper opening device 1 can be provided.

Furthermore, in the second holding structure 3 of the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 6, the container body 14 is held on the mounting table 9 by vacuum suction. In this case, a restorably deformable deformable member 11 may be interposed between the container body 14 and the mounting table 9 (optional component).
In this case, the second holding structure 3 equipped with the mounting table 9, the tube 18, and the vacuum suction equipment 10 can maintain the upright state of the glassware 24 (for example, a round-bottom flask, etc.) whose bottom surface is not flat. can be retained.
In this case, when the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the deformable material 11 between the mounting table 9 and the container body 14, compared to the case where the deformable material 11 is not provided, the glassware It is possible to provide a device with higher versatility for 24 sizes and shapes at a low cost.
Furthermore, when the second holding structure 3 includes the deformable member 11 interposed between the mounting table and the container body 14, when the glass stopper 15 is opened, the first holding structure 3 holding the glass stopper 15 An axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the holding structure 2 (in this case, the same as the center axis 15a of the glass stopper 15) and an axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the second holding structure 3 that holds the container body 14 (here, the same as the center axis 15a of the glass stopper 15) (same as the central axis 14b of the container body 14) do not completely match and are slightly shifted, the deformable material 11 is deformed by the pressing force of the container body 14, so that the deformable material 11 is It is also possible to achieve the effect that the position of the central axis 14b of the container body 14 can be displaced.
That is, when opening the glass stopper 15, the center axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 and the center axis 14b of the container body 14 can be made to substantially coincide.
In this case, the cause is that the axis on which the first holding structure 2 operates and the axis on which the second holding structure 3 operates do not substantially match during the opening operation of the glass stopper 15. This can prevent unintentional breakage of the glassware 24 due to stress acting locally on the glassware 24 (glass stopper 15 and/or container body 14).

Note that when the deformable member 11 is provided on the mounting table 9 according to this embodiment, the deformable member 11 has a through hole that communicates with the hollow part of the tube 18 in order to hold the glassware 24 on the deformable member 11 by vacuum suction. It is necessary to have a hole 11a.
In this case, while holding the glassware 24 in an upright state by vacuum suction on the mounting table 9, when an unintended stress is applied to the glassware 24, the deformable material 11 is deformed and the container body 14 is By displacing the position of the central axis 14b as desired, the stress acting on the glassware 24 can be alleviated. As a result, it is possible to prevent the glass appliance 24 from being damaged when the glass stopper 15 is opened by the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment.
Further, as the material of the deformable member 11, a flat plate or a sheet made of a resilient material such as rubber, synthetic resin, silicone, etc. can be used.

Further, the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment can move the container body 14 held on the mounting table 9 as described above in the forward and reverse directions as desired with respect to the central axis 14b thereof as a base axis. It is equipped with a rotation mechanism 4B (see FIG. 1) that can apply a torque equal to or less than the value of .
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the mounting table 9 is provided with a gear 21 on the back side thereof, and this gear 21 can be rotated in the forward or reverse direction. By rotating in each direction, the mounting table 9 is configured to rotate in the forward and reverse directions about its central axis (same as the central axis 14b of the container body 14) in conjunction with this operation. There is.
Further, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a motor 17 including a gear 22 is provided at a stopper opening position S on the back side of the stand 20. Thereby, the gear 21 can be brought into mesh with the gear 22 by operating the position control mechanism 12 and moving the gear 21 together with the mounting table 9 to the opening position S. Then, by operating the motor 17 in this state, torque is applied to rotate the mounting table 9 in forward and reverse directions about its central axis (same as the central axis 14b of the container body 14). be able to.
Therefore, according to the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment as described above, when opening the glass stopper 15, the operation of pulling out the glass stopper 15 in the direction of its central axis 15a is simultaneously performed. The holding structure 3 of No. 2 adds an operation (above-mentioned operation A) of applying a torque of a desired value or less to the container body 14 in either forward or reverse directions around the central axis 14b, or A switching operation (the above-mentioned operation B) can be added to switch the operation of applying a torque equal to or less than a desired value to the body 14 in the forward and reverse directions with respect to the central axis 14b thereof as a base axis.

In addition, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, a second holding structure 3 of a type that holds the container body 14 by vacuum suction on the mounting table 9 as shown in FIGS. Instead, it is also possible to use a second holding structure 3 of a type that clamps and holds the container body 14 (optional component).
In the ground glass stopper opening device 1 configured as described above, for example, the vicinity of the opening 14a of the container body 14 can be held by the second holding structure 3. In this case, it is possible to make it difficult for the axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the first holding structure 2 and the axis that serves as a reference for the operation of the second holding structure 3 to occur. Therefore, when using the second holding structure 3 of the type that clamps and holds the container body 14 in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, especially when the size of the glassware 24 is large or when the container When the strength of the body 14 is extremely low, it is possible to prevent the glassware 24 from being damaged when the glass stopper 15 is opened.

Furthermore, when using a type in which the second holding structure 3 holds the container body 14 by holding it therebetween, the deformable material 11 may be interposed between the holding tool that holds the container body 14 and the container body 14. (optional component).
In this case, when the container body 14 is held by an unillustrated clamping tool (second holding structure 3), the central axis 14b of the container body 14 can be displaced with respect to the holding surface.
In this case as well, as in the case where the mounting table 9 includes the deformable material 11, it is possible to prevent the glassware 24 from being damaged due to unintended stress being applied locally when the glass stopper 15 is opened. .

In addition, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, the glass stopper 15 is subjected to only a pulling operation, or while adding a pulling operation and a vibration operation (action C and/or action D). , a case where an operation (operation A or operation B) is applied to apply a torque of a desired value or less to the container body 14 in either forward or reverse directions or in each direction with the central axis 14b as a base axis. Although described as an example, the cap opening device 1 for a ground glass cap is designed so that torque can be applied to the glass cap 15 (operation A or operation B) instead of applying torque to the container body 14. (optional component, not shown).
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, instead of providing the second holding structure 3 with the rotation mechanism 4B, the first holding structure The structure 2 may include a rotation mechanism 4A. Also in this case, the same effects as in the case where the second holding structure 3 includes the rotation mechanism 4B can be exhibited.
Furthermore, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the first holding structure 2 is provided with the rotation mechanism 4A, the second holding structure 3, which is the mounting table 9, or having a similar function. The deformable material 11 may be provided between the clamping tool (not shown) and the container body 14, or the deformable material 11 may be interposed between the glass stopper 15 and the first holding structure 2.
In this case, although there is a disadvantage that the vibration generated in the vibration generator 6 becomes difficult to be transmitted to the glass stopper 15, there are cases where action A or action B is added to the glass stopper 15, or in addition to this, the glass stopper 15 When adding operation C and/or operation D to the glass stopper 15, it is possible to exhibit the advantage that the glass stopper 15 can be prevented from being damaged.

Alternatively, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the second holding structure 3 includes the rotating mechanism 4B, or when the first holding structure 2 includes the rotating mechanism 4A, In either case, the deformable material 11 may be provided both between the first holding structure 2 and the glass stopper 15 and between the second holding structure 3 and the container body 14 (optional component). ).
In this case, if the size of the glassware 24 to be operated is particularly small or the strength of the glassware 24 is low, there is an advantage that the risk of the glassware 24 being damaged when opening the glass stopper 15 can be reduced. .
In this case, the material and thickness of the deformable material 11 interposed between the first holding structure 2 and the glass stopper 15 and the deformable material interposed between the second holding structure 3 and the container body 14 are also determined. The material and thickness of 11 do not necessarily have to be the same.
More specifically, for example, the deformable material 11 interposed between the first holding structure 2 and the glass stopper 15 is made of a hard or thin material in order to improve the transmission of vibrations from the vibration generator 6. May be adopted. On the other hand, in contrast, the deformable member 11 interposed between the second holding structure 3 and the container body 14 is designed to facilitate the displacement of the central axis 14b of the container body 14 with respect to the holding surface 9a. A soft material may be used as the deformable material 11, or the thickness of the deformable material 11 may be made sufficiently thick.

Furthermore, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, a case where vibration (action C or action D) is applied only to the glass stopper 15 is given as an example, but the opening 14a of the container body 14 is A similar effect can be expected when adding vibration to.
In the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, each operation of the first holding structure 2 and its related equipment, as well as the second holding structure 3 and its related equipment, is controlled by the control unit 13, for example. controlled as desired.

Furthermore, as described in the explanation of the method 23 for opening a ground glass stopper, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, when torque is applied to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14, , it is necessary to adjust the value so that it is less than or equal to the desired value.
In view of these circumstances, the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a torque detection sensor that detects the torque acting on the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14, for example. The configuration may be such that the output of the motor 17 can be controlled as desired by the control section 13. In this case, there is an advantage that an optimum torque can be applied to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14 according to the size and strength of the glassware 24 to be operated. In this case, it is possible to provide a cap opening device 1 for a ground glass cap that has high performance and excellent versatility.
Alternatively, instead of controlling using the torque detection sensor as described above, a configuration may be adopted in which, for example, a servo motor is used as the motor 17 so that the torque acting on the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14 can be automatically controlled. . In this case, compared to the case where the torque is controlled using a torque detection sensor or the control unit 13, there is an advantage that the structure of the cap opening device 1 for a ground glass cap can be simplified. In this case, the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to this embodiment can be provided at a low cost.

Further, as described above, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, when applying torque to the glass stopper 15 or the container body 14 of the glass appliance 24, the first holding structure 2, the second Any of the holding structures 3 may be used. In this case, it is necessary to match the axis on which the first holding structure 2 operates as a reference and the axis on which the second holding structure 3 operates as much as possible.
In view of these circumstances, in the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the first holding structure 2 is provided with the slide mechanism 5 and the rotation mechanism 4A, and the second holding structure 3 is simply provided with the slide mechanism 5 and the rotation mechanism 4A. It may be configured to hold the container body 14 (optional component). Alternatively, in addition to the above configuration, the first holding structure 2 or the second holding structure 3 may be configured to include a vibration generator 6 (optional component).
When the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, while the glass stopper 15 is pulled out by the first holding structure 2, the glass stopper 15 is also held by the first holding structure 2. Torque can be applied to. Further, in this case, since the second holding structure 3 does not include the rotation mechanism 4B, the axis that serves as the reference for the operation of the first holding structure 2 and the reference axis for the operation of the second holding structure 3 Problems (damage to the glassware 24) due to misalignment of the axes are less likely to occur.
Therefore, according to the ground glass stopper opening device 1 according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, in order to align the center axis 15a of the glass stopper 15 and the center axis 14b of the container body 14 when opening the glass appliance 24. or equipment for alleviating the situation where these axes do not match can be simplified. Therefore, according to the ground glass stopper opening device 1 having the above-described structure, a high-performance device can be provided at a low cost.

As described above, the present invention is a method and apparatus for opening a ground glass stopper without manual intervention, and can be used in technical fields related to analysis equipment and the like.

1... Opening device for ground glass stoppers 2... First holding structure 3... Second holding structure 4A, 4B... Rotating mechanism 5... Slide mechanism 6... Vibration generator 7... Holding chuck 8... Opening/closing mechanism 9... Mounting table 9a...Holding surface 10...Vacuum suction equipment 11...Deformable material 11a...Through hole 12...Position control mechanism 12a...Cylinder 12b...Piston 12c...Connection shaft 13...Control unit 14...Container body 14a...Opening 14b...Central axis 15 ...Glass stopper 15a...Center axis 15c...Head 16...Strut 17...Motor 18...Tube 19...Rail 20...Base 20a...Hole 21...Gear 22...Gear 23...How to open a ground glass stopper 24...Glass utensil S... Installation position T…Opening position

Claims (5)

A method for opening a glass stopper that is fitted into the opening of a glass container body, comprising:
a glass stopper holding step of holding the glass stopper with a first holding structure;
Performed before or after the glass stopper holding step,The container body is inserted through a deformable material that has a through hole and is deformable in a restorable manner.Second holding structureto keepa container body holding step;
a first glass stopper opening step of pulling out the glass stopper from the container body and opening it;
a second glass stopper opening step performed when the glass stopper cannot be opened in the first glass stopper opening step;Equipped with
The first glass cap opening step includes:
In the second holding structure, by continuing to draw suction through the through hole, the container body is erected while maintaining a state in which its central axis can be displaced with respect to the holding surface of the second holding structure. Mama,
The glass stopper or the container body is attached to the glass stopper.inPerforms an operation that applies a torque of less than a desired value in either the forward or reverse direction using the center axis as the pivot.At the same time,
The first holding structure performs an operation of pulling out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis.stomach,
The second glass cap opening step includes:
In the second holding structure, by continuing to draw suction through the through hole, the container body is erected while maintaining a state in which its central axis can be displaced with respect to the holding surface of the second holding structure. Mama,
At the same time, the first holding structure performs an operation of pulling out the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis;
A method for opening a ground glass stopper, characterized by performing either operation C or operation D shown below.
Operation C: Operation of applying vibration to the glass stopper in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper.
Operation D: Operation of applying vibration to the glass stopper in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the glass stopper. In the second glass cap opening step, the operation C or the operation DWhen performingAction A or action Bto be carried out together withA claim characterized in that1How to open a ground glass stopper as described in .
Operation A: Operation of applying a torque of a desired value or less to the glass stopper or the container body in either forward or reverse direction with the central axis of the glass stopper as a base axis.
Operation B: Switching operation of applying a torque of a desired value or less to the glass stopper or the container body in forward and reverse directions with respect to the central axis of the glass stopper as a base axis. The vibration in the operation C is generated by vibrating a pair of vibration generators that vibrate in the same direction as the central axis direction of the glass stopper in the same phase,
3. The method for opening a ground glass stopper according to claim 1, wherein the vibration in the operation D is generated by vibrating a pair of vibration generating devices in opposite phases. A device for automatically opening a glass stopper that is fitted into the opening of a glass container body,
a first holding structure that holds the glass stopper;
a second holding structure that holds the container;
a rotation mechanism that applies a torque of a desired value or less to the first holding structure or the second holding structure in either forward or reverse direction with the central axis of the glass stopper as a base axis;
The first holding structure includes:
a slide mechanism that slides the glass stopper in the direction of its central axis and away from the container body;and,
The structure is configured to be able to generate vibrations to be applied to the glass stopper, and when the glass stopper cannot be opened by the opening operation by the combination of the rotation mechanism and the slide mechanism, the slide mechanism moves the glass stopper to its center. A vibration generator that simultaneously performs the pulling operation in the axial direction and also performs one of the following operations C and D;Equipped with
The second holding structure includes:
a suction mechanism arranged on the bottom side of the container body;
a deformable material that is interposed between the bottom surface of the container body and the suction mechanism, is deformable so as to be restorable, and has a through hole drilled through the thickness direction thereof and connected to the suction mechanism;
When the glass stopper is pulled out by the first holding structure, the bottom side is suctioned by the suction mechanism, and while the container body is erected, its central axis is aligned with the holding surface of the second holding structure. This makes it possible to displace theA cap opening device for a ground glass cap, which is characterized by:
Operation C: Operation of applying vibration to the glass stopper in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper using the vibration generator.
Operation D: Operation of applying vibration to the glass stopper in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the glass stopper using the vibration generator. The vibration generator is a vibration generator that generates vibration in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper, and is arranged in pairs at opposing positions centering on the central axis of the glass stopper,
By causing the pair of vibration generators to vibrate in the same phase, vibration is applied to the glass stopper in the direction of the central axis of the glass stopper,
5. A vibration generator according to claim 4, wherein vibration is applied to the glass stopper in a direction orthogonal to the central axis of the glass stopper by causing the pair of vibration generators to vibrate in opposite phases. Opening device for ground glass stoppers.

Images