JPH05200688A - Conveyor of closed sample vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an inexpensive sample vessel conveyor capable of conveying this sample vessel surely without damaging the sample vessel. CONSTITUTION:If a linear solenoid 16 attracts a solenoid shaft 17 at the time of storage of a sample vessel 2, a closing plate 35 is also shifted toward this linear solenoid 16 consequently. At this time, a roller 24 moves along an opening formed in this closing plate 35, whereby both hands 32 and 33 are opened. Immediately after that, the roller 24 escapes from a groove part 27g of a guide plate 27, while these hands 32, 33 are shifted toward the solenoid 16. At the time of extraction of the sample vessel 2, the closing plate 35 is shifted in the opposite direction to the solenoid 16 by an attraction operation stop of the solenoid. At this time, the hands 32, 33 are constituted so as to hole the sample vessel 2 between after moving in an opened state intact.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for conveying a closed sample container, which is arranged in a sample container holder and extracts a closed sample container and conveys it to an arbitrary position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A plurality of closed sample containers arranged in a sample container holder are extracted, and after inversion mixing and stirring, the closed sample container is placed in a predetermined position of the sample container holder. There is a carrier.

5 and 6 are operation explanatory views of the above-mentioned transport device.

In FIG. 5, a plurality of sample containers 2 each having a sample sealed therein by a sealing plug 3 are removably held at equal intervals in a sample rack (sample container holder) 1. Then, the sample container 2 is transferred by one pitch in the direction of arrow A by a drive mechanism (not shown). In the illustrated state, when the openable and closable hands 32 and 33 held by the chuck mechanism 36 at the top dead center of the take-out position are opened, the vertically rotatable transport mechanism 39 capable of vertically rotating is lowered and stopped at the bottom dead center. ..

Then, the hands 32 and 33 are closed, and the sample container 2 is sandwiched and held, and the vertical rotation transport mechanism 3 is held.
9 rises, starts rotating at top dead center, and rotates to a position orthogonal to the nozzle drive mechanism 40 (clockwise dead center indicated by arrow B). During the rotation, the lower part of the reversing shaft 34 which is vertically fixed below the chuck mechanism 36 contacts the shaft 41 fixed to the nozzle drive mechanism 40 and the rotatable roller 42. Therefore, the chuck mechanism 36, which is rotatable about the drive unit 37 and the fulcrum shaft 5, tilts and stops at the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. Therefore, the sample container 2 also tilts and stops.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, when the vertical rotation transfer mechanism 39 descends by the stroke L, the reversing shaft 34 slides while being in contact with the roller 42. As a result, the chuck mechanism 36 further rotates, and the sample container 2 is tilted with the sealing plug 3 facing downward and stopped. By repeating the above operation with the stroke set to L, the sample container 2 can be swung to mix and stir the sample inside.

After mixing and stirring for a predetermined time, the sample container 2 stops at the lower side (solid line position in FIG. 6) and the nozzle 43 moves to pierce the central portion of the rubber sealing plug 3 to suck the internal sample. Then, the sucked internal sample is supplied to an analyzer (not shown) or the like.

After the suction is completed, the nozzle 43 is attached to the centrifugal smearing mechanism 4.
Then, the sample is discharged onto the slide glass 45. The nozzle 43 has an automatic reversing structure so that it is horizontal when piercing and vertical when discharging.

During this time, the sample rack 1 advances by one pitch. Therefore, the empty holding portion at the extraction (extraction) position moves to the return position, and the next sample container moves to the extraction position instead.

After the suction is completed, the vertical rotation transport mechanism 39 moves up to the top dead center, rotates and descends to the bottom dead center at the returning position, and the sample container 2 held therein is mounted on the sample rack 1.
As described above, the sample rack 1 has been moved forward by one pitch, so that it will be attached to the original holding portion. After mounting, the hands 32 and 33 are opened and then retracted, and the vertical rotation transport mechanism 39 is rotated to the removal position with the bottom dead center position, and the next sample container 2 is pinched, and the above-described operation is sequentially repeated. Become.

As a holder for holding the sample container, there is a sample rack arranged in a line, or a turntable arranged in the same circumference on a disk. In each case, the space between the sample containers is kept to a minimum in order to make the shape as small as possible.

There are the following two devices as the above-mentioned transfer device for the closed sample container for picking up the sample container from the sample container holder, extracting and transferring the sample container.

(1) At the time of extracting the sample container, the hand descends to the sample container with the hand open, and the side surface of the sample container is sandwiched and raised from both sides. In addition, when the sample container is accommodated, the device is configured so as to rise from the sample container with the hand open after the accommodation.

(2) For example, JP-A-63-187158
As shown in the publication, at the time of extracting a sample container, a hand that is always closed by spring pressure or the like is projected from the side direction of the sample container, and the sample container is forcibly inserted along the side wall of the sample container. Further, there is an apparatus configured such that, when the sample container is stored, after the storage, the hand holding the sample container by spring pressure or the like is moved in the lateral direction of the sample container to forcibly remove it.

[0015]

However, the above-mentioned conventional conveying device has the following problems.

In the transfer device described in (1) above,
Since the hand is opened, the narrow middle of the adjacent sample containers is lowered, so that the hand may hit the adjacent sample containers. Further, even when it rises, since the outer diameter of the closed stopper is usually larger than the outer diameter of the sample container, the hand may be caught and the closed sample container may be lifted.

JP-A-63-1871 described in (2) above.
In the transport device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58, since the hand is forcibly inserted, it is necessary to have a structure in which the sample container or the sample rack itself does not move, which complicates the configuration. Also, for example, if a bar code label is attached to the sample container, the label will come off or the bar code will be scratched, resulting in poor identification, so use a special sample container. I had to.

An object of the present invention is to inexpensively realize an apparatus for conveying a closed sample container which can surely convey the sample container without damaging the sample container.

[0019]

In order to achieve the above object, the apparatus for transporting a closed sample container according to the present invention is constructed as follows.

The reciprocating driving means for reciprocating the linear pressing member and the one hand moving the pressing member in one direction are moved forward by a predetermined distance while keeping the two hands open. A hand opening / closing and forward / backward drive means for closing one hand and moving the pressing member in the other direction to open the two hands and moving backward by a predetermined distance while maintaining the open state. And

[0021]

In the apparatus for transporting a closed sample container according to the present invention, when the closed sample container is extracted by the hand opening / closing and forward / backward driving means, the two hands are moved forward by a predetermined distance while being kept open to each other. The two hands are closed and the closed sample container is sandwiched. When the closed sample container is stored, the two hands are opened by the hand opening / closing and forward / backward driving means, and the closed sample container is separated from the hand. Then, the two hands are moved backward by a predetermined distance while being kept in the open state.

[0022]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a main portion of a carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the example of FIG.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, bearings 6 and 7 are fixed to both sides (left and right sides in the figure) of the base member 4, and a fulcrum shaft 5 is rotatably supported by these bearings 6 and 7. ing. Then, one end of the fulcrum shaft 5 is horizontally held by a fulcrum shaft support formed on the base member 15 (fixed to the vertical rotation transport mechanism 39).

A spring holder 9 is fixed to the other end of the fulcrum shaft 5, and one end of a torsion spring 8 is fixed to the spring holder 9. The other end of the torsion spring 8 has a base 4
It is fixed to. The torsion spring 8 is always supported by the fulcrum shaft 5 when viewed from the side of the sample container 2 housed in the sample rack 1.
A clockwise rotational force is applied to the chuck mechanism 36 with the center of the. Therefore, an inversion stopper 38 is provided to stop the chuck mechanism 36 at a fixed horizontal position. A resin bearing 11 having a small friction coefficient is inserted inside the slider 10, and the slider 10 is rotatable and slidable with respect to the fulcrum shaft 5. The arms 19 and 20 are openably and closably held by the shaft 26 as a fulcrum, and a force is always applied in a direction of closing by the pulling spring 31, that is, a direction of pinching the sample container 2. The spring hook 21 is a tension spring 31.
It is for hooking. The hands 32 and 33 have a structure capable of holding the sample container 2 vertically.

On the other hand, each of the arms 19 and 20 has a shaft 23.
Is fixed vertically, and the roller 2 is rotatably attached to these shafts 23.
4 and the roller 25 are held. And Roller 2
4 is a window (opening) of the guide plate 27 fixed to the base 4.
It is possible to rotate along with, and the roller 25 is the opening / closing plate 3
5 can be rotated along the window (opening). Grooves 27g having the same shape as the outer diameter of the roller 24 but shallower than the radius of the roller 24 are provided on both sides of the window of the guide plate 27 in the vertical direction at the left end in FIG. The window portion of the opening / closing plate 35 has a window width D at the left end in FIG. 1 that is substantially equal to the window width C of the guide plate 27, and gradually widens along the inclined portion 35c as it advances to the right. When the wide flat portion 35f is formed, the guide plate 27
The window width is almost equal to the left edge width. Rollers 29 are rotatably held on both sides of the opening / closing plate 35 in the vertical direction in FIG. The roller 29 is rotatable along oval holes of the same shape, which are horizontally provided at symmetrical positions on both side surfaces (vertical direction side in FIG. 1) of the guide plate 27.

The linear solenoid 16 is attached to the base 15, and the linear solenoid shaft 17 of the linear solenoid 16 is aligned with the fulcrum shaft 5. The linear solenoid 16 supports one end of the opening / closing plate 35.
Therefore, the rollers 29 on both sides rotate in accordance with the linear movement of the linear solenoid shaft 17 along the oval holes. The spring 18 is for returning the linear solenoid shaft 17 to the normal state. The detent 30 whose one end is fixed to the slider 10 is inserted into an elliptical hole horizontally provided on one side surface of the guide plate 27. Therefore, base 4
The tilt caused by the rotation of the slider 1
Since it is transmitted to 0, the sample container 2 also tilts. One end of the tension spring 14 is attached to the spring hook 12 fixed to the slider 10, and the other end is attached to the opening / closing plate 35.

Next, the operation of extracting and containing the sample container 2 will be described.

When the linear solenoid 16 is energized, the linear solenoid shaft 17 is attracted in the direction of arrow B in FIG. Along with this, the opening / closing plate 35 having one end held is also moved. Since the force of the pulling spring 31 acts on the arms 19 and 20, each roller 2
The force is applied in the direction of opening, that is, in the direction in which they move away from each other. As described above, the guide plate 27 is provided with the window portion for rotating the roller 24, and on both sides of the left end thereof, grooves having the same shape as the outer diameter of the roller 24 and shallower than the radius are provided. There is. In the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, since the roller 24 is inserted in the groove, the opening / closing plate 35
Even if the roller 25 starts moving, the roller 25 only rotates the wide flat portion 35f until the inclined portion 35c of the opening / closing plate 35 contacts the roller 25, and the position of the roller 25 does not move. Therefore, the pulling spring 14 only extends and the slider 10 does not move. When the opening / closing plate 35 moves further, both inclined portions 35
The rollers 25 are brought closer to each other by c. As a result, the hands 32 and 33 are released.

Window width C of guide plate 27 and window width D of opening / closing plate 35
Since the rollers have the same width, when the distance between the rollers 25 and 25 becomes small, the force of the pulling spring 14 causes the roller 24 to move to the dotted line position 2
The slider 10 is pulled back until it reaches 4 '. That is, the hands 32 and 33 are retracted with the hands open (the sample container 2 is separated).

After the sample container 2 sealed by the sealing plug 3 is housed in the sample rack 1, the hands 32 and 33 are released from the sample container 2 as described above.

When the sample container 2 is extracted from the sample rack 1, the sample container 2 to the hand 3 described above are used.
This is the reverse operation when opening 2, 33. That is, when the energization of the linear solenoid 16 is stopped, the linear solenoid shaft 17 is pushed back by the force of the sill spring 18 and tries to return to the normal state. Therefore, the opening / closing plate 35 is also pushed back, the roller 25 follows it, and the hands 32 and 33 approach from the side of the sample container 2 in the opened state. And
When the roller 24 enters the groove 27g, the hand 3
2, 33 are closed, and the sample container 2 is sandwiched.

As described above, the series of movements of the hands 32 and 33 are retracted after completion of the opening, and conversely, closed after the projection is completed.

The chuck mechanism 36 and the drive unit 37
Is the same as in the example of FIGS.
By 9 the descending, ascending and rotating are performed.

Next, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the solenoid 16
The relationship between the load and its load is explained. However, in the following description, frictional resistance is not considered.

In general commercially available linear solenoids, the smaller the stroke, the greater the suction force.
The position of mm (3 mm used in the present invention) is usually the maximum suction force. In the present invention, the stroke L0 is smaller than the effective stroke (19 mm) of the linear solenoid.
It is designed to reciprocate between ~ L14 (14 mm).
Since the spring constants of the tension spring 14 and the tail spring 18 are constant, the straight lines shown in FIG. 4 are obtained.

The relationship between the force of the pulling spring 31 and the load f when the opening / closing plate 35 moves is that the stroke L0 to L7 (7 mm) until the inclined portion of the opening / closing plate 35 contacts the roller 25 is: The component force of the tension spring 31 is not working. Immediately after the contact, the component force of the pulling spring acts at a right angle to the inclined part.
The load f7 to f11 between L11 (4 mm) increases constantly.
Further, the component force becomes smaller and smaller between the strokes L11 to L14 (3 mm).

In the figure, F8-F10, F12, and F13 are not shown.

The total load in FIG. 4 is the total of the load of the pulling spring 14, the load of the bobbin spring 18, and each fn.

If not constructed as in the present invention but constructed such that the force of the pulling spring 31 is applied simultaneously with the start of the suction operation of the linear solenoid 16, the state shown by the dotted line in FIG. You must use a solenoid.
On the other hand, according to the present invention, a small linear solenoid can sufficiently operate.

The moment of the linear solenoid (about 100 ms)
Since the hand can be opened / closed / moved in / out during the suction / escape operation described below), a highly efficient system can be realized.

Although the sample container is conveyed in the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention can be applied not only to the sample container but also to a rod-shaped object.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the apparatus for conveying a closed sample container, the two hands are kept open when the closed sample container is extracted by the hand opening / closing and forward / backward drive means. The two hands are advanced by a predetermined distance while keeping them closed, the two hands are closed, and the closed sample container is sandwiched from the side surface. Further, when the closed sample container is accommodated, the two hands are opened by the hand opening / closing and forward / backward driving means, and the closed sample container is separated from the hand. Then, the two hands are moved backward by a predetermined distance while being kept in the open state. Therefore, during extraction and storage of the sample container, the sample rack does not move slightly and does not need to be fixed, and the bar code label does not peel off or rub,
It is possible to inexpensively realize a highly reliable transport device that does not have troubles such as getting caught in and out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the example shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a load variation of a linear solenoid applied to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between a stroke and a load of a linear solenoid applied to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a sample container transporting device.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view of the sample container transporting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sample rack 2 ... Sample container 3 ... Sealing plug 5 ... Support shaft 10 ... Slider 11 ... Bearing 12 ... Spring holder 14, 31 ... Pulling spring 16 ... Linear solenoid 18 ... Spring spring 19, 20 ... Arm 24, 25 ... Roller 26 ... Shaft 27 ... Guide plate 29 ... Rolls 32, 33 ... Hand 35 ... Open / close plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A closed sample in which a plurality of closed sample containers arranged in a straight line at equal intervals are sandwiched by two hands and conveyed to arbitrary positions, and the sample in the closed sample container is inverted and mixed and stirred. In a container transporting device, a reciprocating drive means for reciprocating a linear pressing member, and with the movement of the pressing member in one direction, the two hands are moved forward by a predetermined distance while keeping the two hands open. , Closing and closing the two hands, and moving the pressing member in the other direction to bring the two hands into the open state, and moving backward and forward by a predetermined distance while maintaining the open state. An advancing drive means, and a carrier device for a closed sample container, comprising: 2. The apparatus for transporting a closed sample container according to claim 1, wherein the hand opening / closing and forward / backward driving means has one end fixed to the pressing member, and a width on one end side is larger than a width on the other end side. An opening / closing plate having a small opening, a fulcrum shaft that rotatably supports the two hands, a base member that movably supports the fulcrum shaft in the axial direction, and one end fixed to the base member. A guide plate having an opening whose width on one side is larger than the width on the other end side and supported by each of the two hands, and moves along the opening of the opening / closing plate and the opening of the guide plate. An apparatus for transporting a hermetically sealed sample container, comprising a possible hand opening / closing member, and a spring member attached between the fulcrum shaft and one end of the opening / closing plate.