JPH0531598U - Plate stocker - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A mechanism was added so that the cells can be sequentially taken out from the stocker that stocked a large number of culture plates used for cell culture, etc. Plate stocker [Structure] The culture plate is tilted and stocked in a stocker body with a box shape whose inner width is smaller than the length of the culture plate and whose upper and lower parts have openings for inserting and removing the culture plate. A plate table that is pin-connected to a slide table that slides up and down at the bottom of the stocker and that moves and rotates on a shaft that has a positioning frame at the rear end and that is fixed is provided manually or by a robot hand. It is a plate stocker with a structure in which it can be taken out one by one from the culture plate at the bottom by rotating the plate stocker.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 This invention relates to a stocker for stocking various culture plates used for cell culture, etc., and particularly to a stocker structure for automating the insertion and removal of the culture plate.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 The culture plate is a plastic (or glass) plate coated with culture medium on top of which a lid is attached. Traditionally, to stock culture plates, the culture plates are placed horizontally with the lids closed and stacked vertically to stock. In order to perform the culturing work automatically, it is necessary to take out the stocked culture plates one by one from the stocker and supply them to the next process. For that purpose, the stocked culture plates are taken out one by one from the top or bottom of the stocker.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

 However, in the method of taking out from the upper part, in order to take out the uppermost culture plate horizontally, it is necessary to raise the whole stock of the stacked culture plates by one and take it out horizontally. It is necessary to provide an actuator for lifting, a ball screw, and a sensor for positioning. Therefore, there is a drawback that the mechanism is complicated and the entire stocker becomes large. If the plate stock is taken out from the bottom, the claws etc. on the top of the lid will obstruct the taking out so that the plates can be stacked easily. In addition, a mechanism for taking out the bottom plate is required, which has the drawback of increasing the size of the stocker as described above.

As described above, the conventional device has a device configuration using an actuator, a ball screw, a sensor, and the like. Therefore, the mechanism is complicated, the device is large, and the number of constituent parts is large, so that there are many causes of failure and maintenance of the device. There was also the problem of poor performance, and there was also the problem that a large force and torque were required to remove the culture plate, and the removal device was large.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In this invention, in the plate stocker, the inner width of the stocker main body is made smaller than the length of one side of the culture plate so that the culture plates can be stacked in an inclined manner and moved on the shaft fixed to the base at the bottom of the stocker main body. In addition, a rotatable plate table is provided, and a plate table having the same inclination as that of the initially stacked culture plates is rotated by a manual or mechanical means so that the slide table is vertically movable. It is designed such that the stock culture plates are pushed up and the lowermost culture plates are sent out onto the plate table. With a simple structure, the culture plates can be easily taken out one by one into the transport device. The above problems are solved.

Further, by providing a flat plate that easily slides inside the wall surface of the stocker body, it is possible to easily push up the culture plate.

Specific examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the plate stocker of the present invention has a stocker body 1 fixed on a base 10. The stocker body 1 is box-shaped, its inner width is slightly smaller than the length of the culture plate, the upper part is open so that the culture plate can be inserted, and the lower part is provided with an outlet. A shaft support 3 is provided on the lower rear surface of the stocker body 1, and two LM shafts 4 are fixed between the shaft support 3 and the base 10. There is a slide table 5, and its linear bushing 6 slides on the LM shaft 4 so that the slide table 5 can be moved up and down. Further, a plate table 2 having guides 11 on both sides and a positioning frame 12 at the rear end is rotatably connected to a slide table 5 by pins 7. The plate table 2 is supported on a shaft 9 having two bearings 8 in the middle thereof. With this structure, when the rear end is pushed down so that the plate table 2 becomes horizontal, the plate table 2 moves laterally but rotates about the bearing 8 as a fulcrum, and the slide table 5 connected to the other end by the pin 7 has the LM. It slides on the shaft 4 and moves upward.

Further, FIG. 4 particularly shows that a plate 14 is provided on the side wall 1 of the stocker body 1 so as to easily slide up and down via rollers 15, and the culture plate 13 is stocked therein. is there.

[0009]

[Action]

 2 and 3 are drawings showing the state of stocking and taking out of the culture plate by this apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, the culture plate 13 is inserted into the stocker through the upper opening. Since the length of the culture plate 13 is larger than the inner width of the stocker body 1, the culture plates are stacked with a certain inclination as shown in FIG. At that time, the plate table 2 is in an inclined position parallel to the culture plate. Here, when the rear end of the plate table 2, for example, the position of the positioning frame 12 is pushed down in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 with a hand or the hand of a transfer robot, the culture plate 13 on the plate table 2 is in the second stage from the bottom. The above culture plate is pushed up and rotated in the same manner as the plate table 2. When the plate table 2 approaches parallel to the base 10, it is pushed out in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 due to the weight of the second and higher culture plates, and is automatically sent out along the guide 11 to the positioning frame 13. The culture plates stocked in this way are positioned one by one on the plate table 2 by the guide 11 and the positioning frame 12 and taken out at a constant parallel position. The removed culture plate is transferred to the next process manually or by a transfer robot. Since the take-out position is constant, it is easy to transfer the culture plate to the transfer robot when it is applied to an automatic culture device.

In the above case, if the side wall of the stocker body 1 is made to easily slide up and down as shown in FIG. 4, it becomes easier to push up the culture plate 13 by the plate table 2.

[0011]

[Effect of the device]

 As described in detail above, the stocker for supplying the culture plate according to claim 1 does not need an actuator, a ball screw, a sensor or the like in the device, and has a very simple structure, so that the device can be made compact. At the same time, the number of parts that make up the device can be greatly reduced, and the cost of maintaining the device can be reduced. By doing so, the cost of the device can be reduced, and a plate stocker, which is extremely effective when incorporated as a culture plate supply unit in a system such as an automatic cell culture device, is provided.

The invention of claim 2 has the effect that the culture plate can be pushed up more easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a specific example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a state where the culture plates are stocked in the stocker.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the culture plate taken out from the stocker of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Stocker body 2 Plate table 3 Shaft support 4 LM shaft 5 Sliding table 6 Linear bushing 7 Pin 8 Bearing 9 Shaft 10 Base 11 Guide 12 Positioning frame 13 Culture plate 14 Flat plate 15 Roller

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A stocker for stocking a culture plate used for culturing cells or the like, which is a box-like shape having an inner width of one side smaller than the length of the culture plate on the base 10 and an opening through which the culture plate can be inserted and removed. A stocker body 1 having a mouth is provided, and a slide table 5 which moves vertically by being guided by a vertically fixed LM shaft 4 is provided at the bottom of the stocker body 1, and the slide table 5 has guides 11 on both sides and a rear end. Positioning frame 12
A plate stocker in which one ends of a plate table 2 having a pin are rotatably connected to each other by a pin 7, and the plate table 2 is rotatably supported on a shaft 9 having a bearing 8 at an intermediate portion thereof. 2. The plate stocker according to claim 1, wherein a flat plate that easily slides up and down is provided on a side wall of the stocker body, and a culture plate is inserted between the flat plates.