JP7549335B2 - Crushing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a homogenizer that homogenizes various samples, such as microorganisms, plant tissue, animal tissue, organic materials, and inorganic materials, for analysis.

In a known crushing device, the analysis target such as microorganisms, plant tissue, or animal tissue is placed in a crushing container together with a crushing medium (e.g., crushing balls such as microbes), and the crushing container is vibrated at high speed, causing the crushing medium in the crushing container to collide with the analysis target, thereby crushing the analysis target (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 4100567 Patent No. 5351242

As described above, the crushing device requires a mechanism for vibrating the crushing container containing the object to be analyzed at high speed. The crushing device is configured to use a rotating motor as the driving source, but the crushing container is not simply vibrated, but is reciprocated while being oscillated in all directions, front to back and left to right, within a certain area. For this reason, the crushing device requires a holding mechanism for holding the crushing container, which is reciprocated at high speed while being oscillated in all directions. Such a holding mechanism has a structure for reciprocating while being oscillated in all directions within a certain area, without rotating the crushing container.

The holding mechanism that holds the crushing container is provided with a restraining means that prevents rotational motion while reciprocating at high speed. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration that uses magnets as the restraining means. Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration that uses a link mechanism as the restraining means.

However, the restraining means in such a crushing device performs a reciprocating motion at high speed while swinging the crushing container in all directions within a certain area without rotating it, which results in a complex configuration, a large device, and problems with stability, reliability, and certainty.

The present invention aims to provide a crushing device that is stable, reliable, and reliable while achieving compactness by configuring the holding mechanism for holding the crushing container that performs such complex operations with a simple and reliable mechanism.

A crushing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
A rotating shaft that is rotated by an electric motor;
an inclined axis having a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a central axis of rotation of the rotation shaft;
a container holding part that holds a holder that is rotatably held around a tilt central axis of the tilt shaft and that houses a crushing container;
A crushing main body portion fixed together with the electric motor and having a surface facing the container holding portion;
A rotation restriction mechanism is provided, the rotation restriction mechanism being configured with a plurality of magnets arranged to face each of the opposing surfaces of the container holding unit and the crushing main unit,
The container holder and the crushing main body are configured so that adjacent magnets on each of their opposing surfaces have different polarities.

According to the present invention, the holding mechanism for holding the crushing container that performs the crushing operation is constructed with a simple and reliable mechanism, thereby achieving compactness while providing a crushing device that is stable, reliable, and sure.

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a right side of a crushing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a right side view showing a crushing mechanism in the crushing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a crushing mechanism in a crushing device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a crushing mechanism in a crushing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a crushing mechanism in a crushing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a drive mechanism, a rotation shaft, and a tilt shaft in the crushing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of a crushing mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a part of the crushing mechanism according to the second embodiment from the bottom side. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a part of the crushing mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a part of the crushing mechanism according to the third embodiment from the bottom side.

Below, a tabletop type crushing device will be described as a specific embodiment of the crushing device of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the crushing device of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the tabletop type crushing device described in the following embodiment, but includes the configuration of a crushing device based on a technology equivalent to the technical idea having the technical features described in the following embodiment.

The numerical values, shapes, configurations, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the contents disclosed in the embodiments. Among the components in the following embodiments, those components that are not described in an independent claim that indicates a top-level concept are described as optional components. Note that the drawings may mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding.

First, various embodiments of the crushing device of the present invention will be illustrated.
The crushing device according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises:
A rotating shaft that is rotated by an electric motor;
an inclined axis having a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a central axis of rotation of the rotation shaft;
a container holding part that holds a holder that is rotatably held around a tilt central axis of the tilt shaft and that houses a crushing container;
A crushing main body portion fixed together with the electric motor and having a surface facing the container holding portion;
A rotation restriction mechanism is provided, the rotation restriction mechanism being configured with a plurality of magnets arranged to face each of the opposing surfaces of the container holding unit and the crushing main unit,
The container holder and the crushing main body are configured so that adjacent magnets on each of their opposing surfaces have different polarities.

In the crushing device of the first aspect configured as described above, the holding mechanism for holding the holder that performs the complex crushing operation is constructed with a simple and reliable mechanism, resulting in a device that is compact while also being stable, reliable, and sure.

The crushing device of the second aspect of the present invention may be such that, in the rotation restraint mechanism described in the first aspect, the multiple magnets provided in the container holding section are arranged along a circumference centered on the tilt central axis, and the multiple magnets provided in the crushing main body section are arranged along a circumference centered on the rotation central axis.

The crushing device of the third aspect of the present invention may be such that, in the rotation restraint mechanism described in the first aspect, the multiple magnets provided in the container holding section are arranged at equal intervals on a circumference centered on the tilt central axis, and the multiple magnets provided in the crushing main body section are arranged at equal intervals on a circumference centered on the rotation central axis.

The crushing device of the fourth aspect of the present invention may be such that, in the rotation restraint mechanism described in the first aspect, the multiple magnets provided in the container holding section are arranged as a group concentrated along a circumference centered on the tilt central axis, and the multiple magnets provided in the crushing main body section are arranged as a group concentrated along a circumference centered on the rotation central axis, and each group of multiple magnets is arranged to face each other.

The crushing device of the fifth aspect of the present invention may be any of the first to fourth aspects, in which the opposing magnets in the container holding section and the crushing main body section are arranged so that their polarities are different.

A crushing device of a sixth aspect of the present invention may be configured such that, in the rotation restraint mechanism described in any of the first to fifth aspects, when the electric motor is driven and the container holding part is performing a crushing operation, the opposing surfaces of magnets at the closest position on the opposing surfaces of the container holding part and the crushing main body part are arranged parallel to each other .

The seventh aspect of the present invention is a crushing device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a stopper fixed to the crushing body portion,
The container holder may be configured so that when the container holder rotates by a predetermined angle or more, the stopper comes into contact with the container holder to prohibit the container holder from rotating.

The crushing device of an eighth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the rotating shaft is provided so as to protrude upward in a vertical direction,
The inclined shaft is provided at a protruding end of the rotating shaft, protruding upward at a position eccentric to the position of the rotation center axis of the rotating shaft and having a predetermined inclination angle,
The container holder may be rotatably provided on the tilt axis so that the intersection of the rotation center axis of the rotation axis and the tilt center axis of the tilt axis becomes the center of motion for the crushing operation.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a crushing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the first embodiment, the vertical upward direction is defined as the Z direction (+), two mutually perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane are defined as the X direction and the Y direction, the front direction of the device is defined as the X direction (+), and the direction from the left side to the right side of the device is defined as the Y direction (+).

Figure 1 is an external view showing the right side of a tabletop crushing device 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, in the crushing device 1, a crushing mechanism 2 is held inside a case 3. The case 3 has an upper case 3a and a lower case 3b. The upper case 3a is provided as an upper cover for the crushing mechanism 2 and is openable and closable relative to the lower case 3b by a hinge part 4. The crushing mechanism 2 is fixed to the lower case 3b via an elastic member 5 as a vibration absorbing member. An operation part 6 is provided on the front side of the lower case 3b for setting various parameters such as the crushing rotation speed and crushing time in the crushing device 1. In addition, a control part 7 is provided inside the lower case 3b for controlling the operation of the crushing mechanism 2 based on commands from the operation part 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, the driving mechanism 20 including the motor 8, which is an electric motor serving as the driving source of the crushing mechanism 2, is provided inside the lower case 3b and suspended in the internal space of the lower case 3b. The driving mechanism 20 is suspended from the base 10 of the crushing main body 9 in the crushing mechanism 2 and is fixed to the base 10. As described above, the base 10 is fixed to the lower case 3b via an elastic member 5, which is a vibration absorbing member such as a spring or rubber body. Note that the motor 8 can be started only when the upper case 3a is closed by the lower case 3b, and a safety mechanism is provided so that the motor 8 does not start when the upper case 3a is open. A servo motor is used as the motor 8, which is the driving source of the crushing mechanism 2 in the first embodiment, and the configuration is such that accurate rotation drive control is performed. An encoder is provided at the bottom of the motor 8.

The drive mechanism 20 disposed inside the lower case 3b is suspended from the base 10 so that the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 faces upward in the Z direction (vertical direction). The drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 is linearly connected to the rotating shaft 12 of the crushing mechanism 2 via a coupling 19 (see FIG. 5), and the rotational motion of the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 12 of the crushing mechanism 2. The rotating shaft 12 of the crushing mechanism 2 penetrates the inside of the crushing main body 9 in the Z direction (vertical direction) and is rotatably held by a bearing (main body bearing 17).

When the upper case 3a and the lower case 3b are closed, the internal space of the upper case 3a and the internal space of the lower case 3b are partitioned spaces. Even if foreign matter such as liquid or powder from the crushing mechanism 2 scatters in the internal space of the upper case 3a, the foreign matter will not enter the internal space of the lower case 3b. In other words, the space between the base 10 and the lower case 3b is sealed with a stretchable member (rubber, bellows, etc.) 26 that has elasticity.

Figure 2 is a side view showing the crushing mechanism 2 disposed inside the case 3. As shown in Figure 2, a motor fixing member 21 for suspending the motor 8 is protruding from a base 10 fixed to the lower case 3b via an elastic member 5. Therefore, the crushing device 1 of embodiment 1 has a configuration in which vibrations from the crushing mechanism 2 and the drive mechanism 20 are not easily transmitted to the case 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the crushing mechanism 2 is provided with a container holding section 14 that holds a plurality of holders 13 (three holders in the first embodiment). The container holding section 14 is supported by an inclined shaft 18 described later via a bearing (container holding bearing 16) so as to be relatively rotatable. The inside of the holder 13 held by the container holding section 14 has a structure in which the crushing container 13a is closely accommodated and held. The crushing container 13a accommodated and held by the holder 13 is, for example, a long and thin cylindrical container with a bottom, and a lid member is screwed to the top to seal the inside of the crushing container 13a. The crushing container 13a may have a structure with a higher degree of sealing by interposing a seal member between the container and the lid member. The crushing container 13a contains an analysis target (crushed object) and a crushing medium, such as a metallic crushing ball or fine beads. The crushing container 13a may contain only an analysis target (crushed object).

In the first embodiment, the number of holders (crushing containers 13a) 13 held in the container holding section 14 in the crushing mechanism 2 is described as three, but this number can be set appropriately depending on the specifications of the crushing device 1. The capacity (size) of the crushing container 13a housed in the holder 13 can be several milliliters to several tens of milliliters depending on the characteristics and properties of the object to be crushed. Furthermore, the configuration and shape (dimensions and size) of the crushing medium (crushing balls) housed inside the crushing container 13a can be set appropriately depending on the characteristics and properties of the object to be analyzed.

In the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment, the rotation of the drive mechanism causes the holder 13 of the container holding unit 14 to reciprocate (vibrate) at high speed while oscillating in all directions, front, back, left and right, and the crushing container 13a in each holder 13 also vibrates at high speed, causing the crushing medium in the crushing container 13a to collide with the subject to be analyzed. Details of the mechanism (three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism) for causing the holder 13 of the container holding unit 14 to reciprocate (vibrate) while oscillating, and the three-dimensional vibration operation (crushing operation) of "high-speed reciprocating motion while oscillating in all directions, front, back, left and right" will be described later.

As described above, in the crushing mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 2, the base 10 is fixed to the lower case 3b via the elastic member 5, and the crushing body 9 and the motor 8 of the drive mechanism 20 are fixed to the base 10. The drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 is connected to the rotating shaft 12 that passes through the crushing body 9 via a coupling 19 (see FIG. 5). The rotating shaft 12 is rotatably held by the body bearing 17 (see FIG. 4) provided in the center of the crushing body 9. In other words, the crushing body 9 in the crushing mechanism 2 is a fixed part that does not move together with the base 10 and the motor body.

On the other hand, an inclined shaft 18 (see FIG. 4) inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis of the rotating shaft 12 protrudes from the tip of the rotating shaft 12 connected to the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8. This inclined shaft 18 rotatably holds the container holding part 14 via a container holding bearing 16. In other words, the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8, the rotating shaft 12 penetrating the center part of the crushing main body part 9, and the inclined shaft 18 form a rotating part. On the other hand, the container holding part 14 that holds the holder 13 is restricted from rotating by a rotation restriction mechanism described below, and becomes a stationary part that performs a three-dimensional vibration operation (crushing operation) while remaining within a certain area.

[Rotation constraint mechanism]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the crushing mechanism 2 provided inside the case 3. In FIG. 3, the elastic member 5 attached to the base 10 is shown, but the lower case 3b to which the elastic member 5 is fixed is omitted. In FIG. 3, the motor 8, the crushing main body 9, and the base 10 shown on the lower side are fixed parts that do not move, and the rotating shaft 12 and the inclined shaft 18 provided at the center part of the container holding part 14 via the container holding bearing 16 are rotating parts. The container holding part 14 rotatably held by the inclined shaft 18 via the container holding bearing 16 is a stationary part that vibrates three-dimensionally within a certain area. This stationary part is restricted from rotating together with the rotating part by a magnetic restraining force, and is configured to perform a three-dimensional vibration operation (crushing operation) in which the stationary part oscillates in all directions, front to back and left to right, while vibrating up and down while staying stationary within a certain area relative to the fixed part.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the fixed part and the rotating part of the crushing mechanism 2. In Figure 4, as in Figure 3, the lower case 3b to which the elastic member 5 is fixed is omitted. As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of lower magnets 22 are arranged on the same circumference at substantially equal intervals on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9, which is the fixed part. In the configuration of embodiment 1, six lower magnets (first magnets) 22 are arranged on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9 with a central angle of 60 degrees, and are arranged so that the center positions of the lower magnets 22 are equidistant from the center of the crushing main body 9. In addition, the plurality of lower magnets 22 arranged on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9 are arranged so that their polarities (N pole, S pole) are alternated. In other words, the polarities of adjacent lower magnets 22 on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9 are different.

The lower magnet 22 used in the first embodiment is, for example, a neodymium magnet with an adhesive force of 5.5 kgf or more (below 80°C). Specifically, it is a cylindrical neodymium magnet with an outer diameter of 15 mm and a height of 10 mm. However, the lower magnet 22 in the present invention is not limited to the above specifications, and may be any permanent magnet that can continuously maintain a predetermined adhesive force.

As described above, the central portion of the crushing body 9 in which the lower magnets 22 are arranged at substantially equal intervals is penetrated by the rotating shaft 12 connected to the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8. The crushing body 9 rotatably holds the rotating shaft 12 via the body bearing 17. In addition, the inclined shaft 18 protrudes from the tip, which is the upper end of the rotating shaft 12. The container holding portion 14, which is the stationary portion, is rotatably held by this inclined shaft 18 via the container holding bearing 16. In other words, the inclined shaft 18 is configured to perform a revolving motion by the rotation of the rotating shaft 12. The plate-shaped container holding portion 14 is configured to hold multiple holders 13 at positions on a plane perpendicular to the inclined shaft 18. The approximate center positions of the multiple holders 13 are positions on the same circumference on a plane perpendicular to the inclined shaft 18, and are equidistant from the central axis of the inclined shaft 18. As a result, the holder 13 held by the container holding part 14 swings in all directions, front to back and left to right, while reciprocating up and down, performing a three-dimensional vibration movement while remaining stationary within a specified area.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a part of the crushing mechanism 2 as seen from below. In Figure 5, the motor 8 of the drive mechanism 20 is shown, as well as the rotating shaft 12, which is the rotating part, and the container holding part 14, which is the stationary part. Fixed parts such as the crushing main body part 9 and the base 10 are omitted in Figure 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 is connected to the rotating shaft 12 via a coupling 19. As shown in FIG. 4, the inclined shaft 18 is protruded from the tip of the rotating shaft 12, and the container holding body 24, which is the main body of the container holding part 14, which is the stop part, is provided on this inclined shaft 18. The container holding body 24 has a lower surface facing the upper surface of the crushing body 9. On the lower surface of this container holding body 24, a plurality of upper magnets (second magnets) 23 are arranged on the same circumference at substantially equal intervals so as to face the lower magnet (first magnet) 22. That is, the upper magnets 23 are arranged in six pieces with a central angle of 60 degrees, similar to the arrangement positions of the lower magnets 22, and are arranged on the same circumference on a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the inclined shaft 18, and are arranged at positions equidistant from the central axis of the inclined shaft 18. The position equidistant from the central axis of the inclined shaft 18 is the center position of the upper magnets 23. In addition, the upper magnets 23, which are disposed at equal intervals on the underside of the container-holding main body 24, are arranged so that their polarities (N pole, S pole) alternate, similar to the lower magnets 22. That is, in the crushing mechanism 2, the magnets (22, 23) at opposing positions in the upper magnet 23 of the container-holding main body 24 and the lower magnet 22 of the crushing main body 9 are arranged with different polarities.

As described above, the container-holding main body 24 equipped with the upper magnet 23 is disposed at an angle to the crushing main body 9 equipped with the lower magnet 22, and the container-holding main body 24 performs a three-dimensional vibration operation (crushing operation). The distance between the lower magnet 22 and the upper magnet 23 at the closest point is set to a predetermined gap, for example, a distance of 2 mm to 10 mm, depending on the magnet specifications, the specifications of the motor 8 which is an electric motor, the state of the motor load, etc. The upper magnet 23 used in the first embodiment has the same specifications as the lower magnet 22 described above, but a magnet with different specifications may also be used.

In the configuration of embodiment 1, a lower magnet (first magnet) 22 is provided on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9, and an upper magnet (second magnet) 23 is provided on the lower surface of the container holding main body 24. However, the lower magnet (first magnet) 22 and the upper magnet (second magnet) 23 may be provided on opposing surfaces, and for example, each magnet (22, 23) may be provided on a surface having a step on the opposing surface.

As described above, in the rotation restraint mechanism in the first embodiment, a plurality (even number) of lower magnets 22 are arranged on the same circumference at substantially equal intervals on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9, which is the fixed part. On the other hand, on the lower surface of the container holding main body 24 of the container holding part 14, which is the stopping part, upper magnets 23 are arranged on the same circumference at substantially equal intervals in the same manner as the arrangement position of the lower magnets 22 so that they can face the lower magnets 22. In addition, since the upper magnets 23 and the lower magnets 22 are arranged so that their polarities (N pole, S pole) are alternated, the N pole and S pole magnets (22, 23) are arranged to face each other on the opposing surfaces. For this reason, a large suction force is generated at a predetermined position between the upper surface of the crushing main body 9 and the lower surface of the container holding main body 24, and the stopping part (such as the container holding part 14) is reliably stopped within a certain area relative to the fixed part (such as the crushing main body 9), and the crushing operation is performed.

In the rotation restraint mechanism in the first embodiment, the multiple lower magnets (first magnets) 22 provided on the upper surface of the crushing body 9 are arranged along a circumference centered on the rotation axis A of the rotating shaft 12, and the multiple upper magnets (second magnets) 23 provided on the lower surface of the container holding body 24 of the container holding part 14 are arranged along a circumference centered on the tilting axis B of the tilting shaft 18. In addition, the upper surface of the crushing body 9 is a surface perpendicular to the rotation axis A of the rotating shaft 12, and the lower surface of the container holding body 24 is a surface perpendicular to the tilting axis B of the tilting shaft 18. Therefore, the lower surface of the container holding body 24 is a surface inclined with respect to the upper surface of the crushing body 9. As a result, the three-dimensional vibration movement of the container holding body 24 due to the rotation of the rotating shaft 12 causes the opposing lower magnet 22 and upper magnet 23 to repeatedly approach and move away from each other. The opposing lower magnet 22 and upper magnet 23 are arranged so that when they approach each other most, they are positioned so that they are almost completely opposite each other, creating the greatest force of attraction.

Therefore, when the multiple upper magnets (second magnets) 23 provided on the underside of the container holding body 24 approach the lower magnet (first magnet) 22, the magnetic surface of the lower end surface of the upper magnet (second magnet) 23 may be arranged parallel to the magnetic surface of the upper end surface of the opposing lower magnet 22, thereby generating a large suction force.

As described above, in the crushing device 1 of embodiment 1, the container holding part 14 generates a magnetic restraining force of the rotation restraint mechanism between the opposing surfaces, and is restricted from rotating together with the rotating part that orbits around the inclined shaft 18, and performs a three-dimensional reciprocating motion while remaining stationary within a certain area. Therefore, the holder (crushing container 13a) 13 held by the container holding part 14 performs a three-dimensional vibration motion (crushing operation) in which it reciprocates up and down while oscillating in all directions, front to back and left to right, within a certain area.

When replacing the container holding bearing 16 that rotatably holds the container holding part 14 in the crushing device 1 of embodiment 1, the container holding part 14 can be easily removed by removing the stopper 25 described below and rotating the container holding part 14 to make the polarity of the opposing magnets the same. In addition, according to the inventor's experiments, it was confirmed that in a configuration in which magnets of different polarities are alternately arranged on opposing surfaces, as in the rotation constraint mechanism of embodiment 1, the load behavior in the drive mechanism 20 (motor 8) is stable, the rotation of the rotating shaft 12 is smooth, and the container holding part 14 performs stable three-dimensional reciprocating motion (crushing operation) within a specified area.

[Three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism]
Next, a three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism for driving the container holder 14 with a three-dimensional reciprocating motion within a certain area in the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment will be described.

As described above, in the crushing mechanism 2 of the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment, in order to drive the container holding part 14 with a three-dimensional reciprocating motion, an inclined shaft 18 is provided that extends at a predetermined angle (θ) from an eccentric position relative to the rotating shaft 12 connected to the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8, which is an electric motor in the drive mechanism 20. The container holding part 14 is provided via a container holding bearing 16 so that it can rotate relative to the inclined shaft 18. In addition, the aforementioned rotation restraint mechanism is provided to prevent the container holding part 14 from rotating together with the rotating shaft 12 when the motor 8 is started.

Figure 6 is a side view showing the motor 8 of the drive mechanism 20 in the crushing mechanism 2, and the rotating shaft 12 and tilting shaft 18 connected to the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 via a coupling 19. In Figure 6, the central axis of the rotating shaft 12 connected to the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 is called the rotation central axis A, and the central axis of the tilting shaft 18, which is inclined at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the rotation central axis A, is called the tilting central axis B. In addition, the intersection P of the rotation central axis A and the tilting central axis B is at the mounting position of the container holding bearing 16 and the container holding part 14 on the tilting shaft 18. This intersection P is the central position of the movement of the container holding part 14 for the crushing operation. Therefore, the tilting central axis B of the tilting shaft 18 is eccentric from the position of the rotation central axis A at the protruding end of the rotation shaft 12. Therefore, at the intersection point P, which is the center position of the crushing operation, the center positions of the multiple holders 13 (approximate center of gravity positions of the holders 13 including the crushing container 13a) are arranged on concentric circles on a plane perpendicular to the tilt axis 18.

The inclined shaft 18 has a predetermined inclination angle θ, for example, an angle ranging from several degrees to several dozen degrees (in the configuration of embodiment 1, the inclination angle θ is set to, for example, 8 degrees), with respect to the rotation center axis A of the rotating shaft 12, and is protruded at an eccentric position at the protruding end of the rotating shaft 12. Therefore, the inclined shaft 18 rotates with the rotation of the rotating shaft 12. With the rotation of the inclined shaft 18, the container holding part 14 also tries to start rotating, but the rotation of the container holding part 14 is restricted by the magnetic restraining force of the rotation restraint mechanism described above. As a result, the container holding part 14 oscillates in all directions, front to back and left to right, while remaining stationary within a certain area, and moves up and down to perform a three-dimensional vibration movement. That is, in this three-dimensional vibration movement, the holder 13 (crushing container 13a) held by the container holding part 14 oscillates back to front and left to right, and at the same time moves up and down at high speed. At this time, the motor 8 is driven and controlled to a desired speed of several thousand revolutions (e.g., 2000 to 5000 rpm). In this way, a three-dimensional vibration operation (crushing operation) is performed at high speed on the holder 13 and the crushing container 13a held by the container holding unit 14, so that the crushing medium contained inside the crushing container 13a collides with the object to be analyzed, and the object to be analyzed is crushed reliably. The container holding unit 14 may be configured to include a container holding bearing 16.

In the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment, a rod-shaped stopper 25 protruding upward is provided on the crushing main body 9 (see FIG. 4). The stopper 25 is provided to prevent unnecessary rotational movement of the container holding part 14 when the holder 13 is attached to the container holding part 14, or when the crushing container 13a is placed inside the holder 13 and the lid is fastened to the holder 13. When the container holding part 14 rotates a certain angle, the protruding end of the stopper 25 abuts against the edge of the recess 24a (see FIG. 5) formed in the container holding main body 24 of the container holding part 14, thereby prohibiting the rotational movement of the container holding part 14.

When the crushing device 1 performs a three-dimensional vibration operation (crushing operation) with the container holding part 14 stopped within a certain area, the container holding part 14 is stopped within a certain area without rotating due to the rotation restraint mechanism. Therefore, the protruding end of the stopper 25 is positioned inside the recess 24a of the container holding main body part 24 during the crushing operation. By positioning the permanent magnet in the rotation restraint mechanism at a desired position so that the protruding end of the stopper 25 is positioned inside the recess 24a of the container holding main body part 24 during the crushing operation, it is possible to configure the protruding end of the stopper 25 to be maintained at a desired position inside the recess 24a of the container holding main body part 24.

As described above, in the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment, a rotation restraint mechanism is provided in which a plurality of magnets (an even number) are arranged facing each other on the opposing surfaces of the container holding part 14 that holds the holder 13, which is the retaining part, and the crushing main body part 9, which is the fixed part. In addition, in the rotation restraint mechanism, the magnets arranged facing each other are arranged with alternating north and south poles on the opposing surfaces, so that the retaining part and the fixed part strongly attract each other at a predetermined position, and even if the retaining part tries to rotate relative to the fixed part, it repels the adjacent permanent magnets of the same pole on each opposing surface, and is reliably held in the predetermined position.

In the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment, a three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism with a rotation restraining mechanism configured as described above is provided to vibrate the container holding part 14, which is the stationary part, three-dimensionally at high speed within a certain area (crushing operation). Therefore, in the crushing operation, the crushing medium contained inside the crushing container 13a collides with the object to be analyzed, and the object to be analyzed is reliably crushed. In the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment, the holding mechanism for holding the crushing container 13a, which performs complex movements, is configured with a simple and reliable mechanism, achieving compactness while being stable, certain, and reliable.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, the crushing device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The description of the second embodiment will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. In the description of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for elements having the same functions as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions may be omitted to avoid duplication. In addition, the basic crushing operation of the crushing device 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, so the second embodiment will mainly be described with respect to the differences from the first embodiment.

The crushing device 1 of the second embodiment differs from the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment in the number and arrangement of the lower magnets (first magnets) 22 arranged on the upper surface of the crushing device main body 9, which is the fixed part, and the upper magnets (second magnets) 23 arranged on the lower surface of the container holding main body 24, which is the retention part; the rest of the configuration is the same.

Figure 7 is a perspective view from above of the crushing main body 9, which is the fixed part of the crushing mechanism 2 in embodiment 2, and the rotating shaft 12, which includes the tilted shaft 18 that rotates when the motor 8 is started, which is the rotating part. In Figure 7, the lower case 3b to which the elastic member 5 is fixed is omitted, as in Figure 4 described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, four lower magnets 22 are arranged on the same circumference at substantially equal intervals on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9, which is the fixed part. That is, in the configuration of embodiment 2, four lower magnets 22 are arranged on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9 at intervals of a central angle of 90 degrees, and are arranged so that the central positions of the lower magnets 22 are equidistant from the center of rotation of the rotating shaft 12. In addition, the multiple lower magnets 22 arranged on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9 are arranged so that their polarities (north pole, south pole) alternate.

Figure 8 shows the motor 8, which is the drive mechanism in the second embodiment, and is a perspective view of the container holder 14, which is the retention part, from below. In Figure 8, fixed parts such as the crushing main body 9 and the base 10 are omitted, as in Figure 5 described in the first embodiment above.

As shown in FIG. 8, the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 is connected to the rotating shaft 12 via a coupling 19. As in the configuration of the first embodiment, the inclined shaft 18 is protruded from the tip of the rotating shaft 12, and the container holding body 24, which is the main body of the container holding part 14, which is the stop part, is provided on this inclined shaft 18. On the lower surface of the container holding body 24, four upper magnets (second magnets) 23 are arranged on the same circumference at substantially equal intervals so as to face the lower magnet (first magnet) 22 arranged on the upper surface of the crushing body 9. That is, the upper magnets 23 are arranged at four central angles of 90 degrees, similar to the arrangement position of the lower magnets 22, and are arranged so that the center position of the upper magnets 23 is the same distance from the center of the inclined shaft 18. In addition, the upper magnets 23 arranged at equal intervals on the lower surface of the container holding body 24 are arranged so that their polarities (N pole, S pole) alternate, similar to the arrangement position of the lower magnets 22. The lower magnet 22 and upper magnet 23 used in embodiment 2 have the same specifications.

As described above, in the rotation restraint mechanism in embodiment 2, four lower magnets 22 are arranged at substantially equal intervals on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9, which is the fixed part, while upper magnets 23 are arranged at substantially equal intervals on the lower surface of the container holding main body 24, which is the stopping part, in a similar arrangement position so as to face the lower magnets 22. Furthermore, the lower magnets 22 and the upper magnets 23 are arranged so that their polarities (north pole, south pole) alternate. Therefore, the magnets (22, 23) of the north pole and the south pole in the opposing positions generate an attractive force with each other, and a repulsive force is generated with respect to the magnets adjacent to the opposing magnets because the polarities are the same, so that the stopping part (such as the container holding part 14) is reliably stopped within a certain area relative to the fixed part (such as the crushing main body 9).

The crushing device 1 of the second embodiment is also equipped with the three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism described in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the crushing device 1 of the second embodiment, the container holding part 14 does not rotate together with the orbital motion of the tilt shaft 18 due to the magnetic restraining force of the rotation restraining mechanism, but instead oscillates in all directions, front to back and left to right, while remaining stationary in a certain area, and essentially performs a reciprocating motion in the up and down direction. As a result, the holder 13 held by the container holding part 14 performs a three-dimensional vibration motion within a certain area relative to the fixed part of the crushing main body part 9, and the desired crushing operation is performed.

As described above, the crushing device 1 of embodiment 2 is provided with a three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism with a rotation restraint mechanism configured as described above, so that the crushing medium contained inside the crushing container 13a collides with the object to be analyzed during the crushing operation, thereby reliably crushing the object to be analyzed. The crushing device 1 of embodiment 2 has a holding mechanism for holding the crushing container 13a, which performs complex movements, configured with a simple and reliable mechanism, thereby achieving compactness while providing stability, certainty, and reliability.

(Embodiment 3)
Hereinafter, the crushing device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The description of the third embodiment will focus on the differences from the first and second embodiments. In the description of the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for elements having the same functions as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof may be omitted to avoid duplication. The basic crushing operation of the crushing device 1 according to the third embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, so that the third embodiment will mainly be described with respect to the differences from the first and second embodiments.

The crushing device 1 of the third embodiment differs from the crushing device 1 of the first embodiment in the positions of the lower magnet (first magnet) 22 arranged on the upper surface of the crushing device main body 9, which is the fixed part, and the upper magnet (second magnet) 23 arranged on the lower surface of the container holding main body 24, which is the retention part; the rest of the configuration is the same.

Figure 9 is a perspective view from above of the crushing main body 9, which is the fixed part of the crushing mechanism 2 in embodiment 3, and the rotating shaft 12, which includes the tilted shaft 18 that rotates when the motor 8 is started, which is the rotating part. In Figure 9, the lower case 3b to which the elastic member 5 is fixed is omitted, as in Figure 4 described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

As shown in FIG. 9, six lower magnets 22 are arranged on the upper surface of the crushing body 9, which is the fixed part. In the third embodiment, three lower magnets 22 are arranged adjacent to each other to form one magnet group (first lower magnet group 22A). In addition, three lower magnets 22 are arranged adjacent to each other at a position facing the first lower magnet group 22A with the rotation shaft 12 in between to form one magnet group (second lower magnet group 22B). In the first lower magnet group 22A, a permanent magnet (22) with an N pole is arranged at its center, and a permanent magnet (22) with an S pole is arranged on both sides of it. On the other hand, in the second lower magnet group 22B, a permanent magnet (22) with an S pole is arranged at its center, and a permanent magnet (22) with an N pole is arranged on both sides of it. That is, the polarity arrangement of the first lower magnet group 22A and the second lower magnet group 22B, which face each other across the rotating shaft 12, is different.

Figure 10 shows the motor 8, which is the drive mechanism in the third embodiment, and is a perspective view of the container holder 14, which is the retention part, from below. In Figure 10, fixed parts such as the crushing main body 9 and the base 10 are omitted, as in Figure 5 described in the first embodiment above.

In the configuration of the third embodiment, as in the configuration of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the drive shaft 11 of the motor 8 is connected to the rotating shaft 12 via a coupling 19. An inclined shaft 18 is protruded from the tip of the rotating shaft 12, and the container holding main body 24, which is the main body of the container holding part 14, which is the stop part, is provided on this inclined shaft 18. On the lower surface of the container holding main body 24, a first upper magnet group 23A and a second upper magnet group 23B are arranged so as to face the first lower magnet group 22A and the second lower magnet group 22B arranged on the upper surface of the crushing main body 9. That is, the upper magnet 23 is arranged so that three upper magnets 23 are adjacent to each other, similar to the first lower magnet group 22A and the second lower magnet group 22B, to form one magnet group. In addition, the first upper magnet group 23A has a configuration in which a permanent magnet (23) with an S pole is placed at the center, and a permanent magnet (23) with an N pole is placed on either side of it. On the other hand, the second upper magnet group 23B has a permanent magnet (23) with an N pole is placed at the center, and a permanent magnet (23) with an S pole is placed on either side of it. In other words, the polarity arrangement is different between the first upper magnet group 23A and the second upper magnet group 23B, which face each other across the rotating shaft 12. The lower magnet 22 and upper magnet 23 used in embodiment 3 have the same specifications.

As described above, the rotation restraint mechanism in embodiment 3 is configured such that multiple magnet groups are arranged with different polarities to face each other on opposing surfaces, namely the upper surface of the crushing main body 9, which is the fixed part, and the lower surface of the container holding main body 24, which is the retaining part. As a result, the permanent magnets (22, 23) with N and S poles that face each other at the top and bottom of the retaining part (such as the container holding part 14) and the fixed part (such as the crushing main body 9) are attracted with a large attractive force, and the retaining part is reliably maintained in a retained state within a certain area relative to the fixed part.

The crushing device 1 of the third embodiment is also equipped with the three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism described in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the crushing device 1 of the third embodiment, the container holding part 14 does not rotate together with the orbital motion of the tilted shaft 18 due to the magnetic restraining force of the rotation restraining mechanism, but oscillates in all directions, front to back and left to right, while remaining stationary in a certain area, and essentially reciprocates in the up and down direction, and the holder 13 held by the container holding part 14 performs a three-dimensional vibration motion within a certain area relative to the fixed part of the crushing main body part 9, thereby ensuring a reliable crushing operation.

As described above, the crushing device 1 of embodiment 3 is provided with a three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism with a rotation restraint mechanism configured as described above, so that during the crushing operation, the crushing medium contained inside the crushing container 13a collides with the object to be analyzed, thereby reliably crushing the object to be analyzed. The crushing device 1 of embodiment 3 has a holding mechanism for holding the crushing container 13a, which performs complex movements, configured with a simple and reliable mechanism, achieving compactness while also providing stability, certainty, and reliability.

In the crushing device 1 of the first, second and third embodiments of the present invention, the container holding portion 14 for holding the crushing container 13a has a configuration that can be easily formed by processing a plate material, and is a configuration that can achieve weight reduction. As a result, the load on the drive mechanism is reduced, and it is possible to achieve energy savings in the motor that serves as the drive source, high-speed operation, and weight and size reduction of the device.

The crushing device 1 of the first, second and third embodiments of the present invention is configured so that the container holding part 14 can hold the crushing container 13a cooled by liquid nitrogen and perform the crushing operation, and the holder 13 may be configured so that a heat insulating part can be provided on the top of the holder 13. Note that the crushing device of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the first, second and third embodiments, and may be configured so that the container holding part has a cooling water circulation path and can be cooled by cooling water.

The crushing device of the present invention is configured based on the configurations described in the first, second, and third embodiments, and on the same technical ideas as those configurations, and is provided with a small, highly reliable rotation restraint mechanism and three-dimensional reciprocating mechanism, making it possible to achieve miniaturization and to construct a crushing device that is stable, reliable, and secure.

Although the present invention has been described in the embodiments with a certain degree of detail, these configurations are exemplary and the disclosure of the embodiments may vary in the details of the configuration. In the present invention, substitutions, combinations, and changes in the order of elements in the embodiments may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

As described above, the embodiment has been described as an example of the technology of the present invention. For that purpose, the detailed description and the attached drawings have been disclosed. Therefore, the components described in the detailed description and the attached drawings may include components that are not essential for solving the problem. Therefore, just because those non-essential components are described in the detailed description and the attached drawings, they should not be immediately recognized as essential to those non-essential components.

The present invention provides a homogenizer that is stable, reliable and sure, and is useful when analyzing various samples such as microorganisms, plant tissues, animal tissues, organic materials, inorganic materials, etc., and can provide a product with high market value.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Crushing device 2 Crushing mechanism 3 Case 3a Upper case 3b Lower case 4 Hinge section 5 Elastic member 6 Operation section 7 Control section 8 Motor 9 Crushing main body section (fixed section)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Pedestal 11 Drive shaft 12 Rotation shaft 13 Holder 13a Crushing container 14 Container holding portion (retention portion)
15 Tilt axis (rotating part)
16 Container holding bearing 17 Body bearing 18 Inclined shaft 19 Coupling 20 Drive mechanism 21 Motor fixing member 22 Lower magnet (first magnet)
23 Upper magnet (second magnet)
24 Container holding main body (retention part)
24a: Recess 25: Stopper 26: Expandable member A: Rotation axis B: Tilt axis P: Intersection (center of movement of crushing operation)

Claims (8)

A rotating shaft that is rotated by an electric motor;
an inclined axis having a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a central axis of rotation of the rotation shaft;
a container holding part that holds a holder that is rotatably held around a tilt central axis of the tilt shaft and that houses a crushing container;
A crushing main body portion fixed together with the electric motor and having a surface facing the container holding portion;
A rotation restriction mechanism is provided, the rotation restriction mechanism being configured with a plurality of magnets arranged to face each of the opposing surfaces of the container holding unit and the crushing main unit,
A crushing device configured such that adjacent magnets on each of the opposing surfaces of the container holding part and the crushing main body have different polarities. The crushing device according to claim 1, wherein in the rotation restraint mechanism, the multiple magnets provided in the container holding section are arranged along a circumference centered on the tilt central axis, and the multiple magnets provided in the crushing main body section are arranged along a circumference centered on the rotation central axis. The crushing device according to claim 1, wherein in the rotation restraint mechanism, the multiple magnets provided in the container holding section are arranged at equal intervals on a circumference centered on the tilt central axis, and the multiple magnets provided in the crushing main body section are arranged at equal intervals on a circumference centered on the rotation central axis. The crushing device according to claim 1, wherein in the rotation restraint mechanism, the multiple magnets provided in the container holding section are arranged as a group concentrated along a circumference centered on the tilt central axis, and the multiple magnets provided in the crushing main body section are arranged as a group concentrated along a circumference centered on the rotation central axis, and the multiple magnet groups are arranged so as to face each other. The crushing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the opposing magnets in the container holding section and the crushing main body section are arranged so that their polarities are different. A crushing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the rotation restraint mechanism, when the electric motor is driven and the container holding section is performing a crushing operation, the opposing surfaces of the magnets at the closest position on the opposing surfaces of the container holding section and the crushing main body section are arranged so as to be parallel . A stopper is provided which is fixed to the crushing body.
The crushing device according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper is contacted with the container holder when the container holder is rotated by a predetermined angle or more to prohibit the container holder from rotating. The rotation shaft is provided so as to protrude upward in a vertical direction,
The inclined shaft is provided at a protruding end of the rotating shaft, protruding upward at a position eccentric to the position of the rotation center axis of the rotating shaft and having a predetermined inclination angle,
8. The crushing device according to claim 1, wherein the container holding part is rotatably mounted on the tilting axis so that the intersection of the rotation center axis of the rotating axis and the tilting center axis of the tilting axis becomes the center of movement of the crushing operation.

Images