JPH0647864U - Carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] An object of the present invention is to provide a conveying device having a simple structure in which conveyed objects arranged at a constant pitch can be rearranged at different pitches. [Structure] A drive belt 7 is stretched around a pulley group 6 which is rotatably provided by a drive unit 8 and whose pulleys whose diameters are changed in a differential manner are coaxially integrally arranged and fixed to the drive belt 7. The plurality of second transport units 4 engaged with each other engage the guide rail 2 and are separated from each other with the fixed first transport unit 3 as a reference.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a carrier device, and more particularly to a carrier device that rearranges conveyed objects arranged at a constant pitch in different pitches.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 With the development of medical analysis technology, it is desired that various kinds of drugs and many samples such as blood should be quickly transported between the inside of the analyzer and other analyzers for efficient analysis work. Has been done.

Normally, liquids such as specimens and chemicals are put in a test tube 42 or a dedicated container and stored and held in a storage holder 44 arranged at a constant pitch, as shown in FIG. By arranging the test tubes 42 and the dedicated containers at a fixed pitch in this way, it is possible to automatically and efficiently carry the liquid 40 or the substance such as the test tubes 42 or the dedicated containers or the specimens contained in them. is doing.

For example, a dispensing device 50 as shown in FIG. 5 is composed of three-dimensional robot arms 52X, 52Y, 52Z, and holds a dispensing nozzle 54, which is a transporting means, in a transporting section 56 to freely set a three-dimensional space. To the first storage holder 58, which stores a container containing a liquid such as a chemical, and sucks the liquid in a fixed amount by the dispensing nozzle 54, and stores a test tube containing a sample such as blood. It is an automatic device for continuously injecting the liquid into the storage holder 44.

In the field of medical analysis, it is very difficult to reduce the actual analysis time in the present day when the analysis technique is maturing. In other words, in order to carry out analysis work efficiently, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of the transport device. In response to such demands, recently, a multi-transport type transport device capable of providing a plurality of transport means has been devised. For example, it is a carrying device which can hold a plurality of dispensing nozzles 54, which are the carrying means provided in the dispensing device 50, arranged in a line. In this case, the dispensing nozzle 54 is fixedly arranged with the same pitch as the storage pitch of the storage holder containing the liquid or sample. In other words, it is possible to increase the carrying capacity by the number of arrangements of the carrying means, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of analysis work.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the multi-transport type transport device as described above has a storage pitch of the first storage rack in which the liquid to be transported is stored and a destination to which the liquid is transported, for a pitch having a plurality of transport means. That is, it is necessary that the storage pitches of the second storage racks in which the samples and the like are stored are the same. Therefore, there is a problem in that a dedicated storage rack must be prepared in accordance with the conveyance means pitch of the conveyance device.

Therefore, the present invention provides a transporting device that can transport a transported product regardless of the transporting pitch, that is, a transporting device having a simple structure that can rearrange transported products arranged at a constant pitch at different pitches. The purpose is to

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a guide rail extending in the transport movement direction and (n + 1) transport portions that engage with the guide rail, one of the transport portions being a reference for transport movement. A first transport unit fixed at a position, and a second transport unit in which the other n slide units are slidably separated from the reference position along the guide rail; The diameters are equal to n driving belts that are provided in parallel and that engage with each of the n second transport units and independently slide the n second transport units. A pulley group in which n variable pulleys are coaxially integrally arranged, and the diameters of the pulleys are smaller in order from the drive belt that engages with the second transport section on the side closer to the first transport section. To the larger one, and engage with the pulley group, And having a driving unit for rotating the pulley groups.

[0009]

In the transporting device of the present invention, a pulley group whose diameters are changed in equal difference is provided by a single driving unit with respect to the first transporting unit fixed at the reference position of the guide rail extending in the transporting direction. When rotated, the plurality of drive belts stretched around each of the pulley groups are driven differentially by an amount corresponding to the diameter, so that they are slidably separated from each other and are engaged with the drive belts. The second transport unit is driven by an amount equal to the diameter of the first transport unit according to the diameter.

[0010]

【Example】

 A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The transporting device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided in a dispensing device (not shown), and is guided to guide rails 2a and 2b extending in the transporting movement direction by a first transporting device fixed at a reference position of the transporting movement. The part 3 and the second transport parts 4a, 4b, 4c slidably separated from the reference position along the guide rail are engaged with each other. Each of the first transfer section 3 and the second transfer sections 4a, 4b, 4c is provided with one dispensing nozzle 5 for sucking and discharging liquid in the dispensing apparatus. The second conveyors 4a, 4b, 4c are fixed to the drive belts 7a, 7b, 7c stretched around the pulley group 6 by fixing pieces 9a, 9b, 9c, respectively. Then, the second conveyor 4 is displaced by the drive belt 7 while being guided by the guide rail 2.

A feature of the present invention is that a pulley group 6 formed by integrally arranging pulleys 6a, 6b, and 6c whose diameters are changed in a non-uniform manner coaxially is integrated into a single drive unit 8 such as a pulse motor. Thus, the drive belts 7a, 7b, and 7c that are rotated and stretched are driven to displace the second transport units 4a, 4b, and 4c in an isosteric manner.

A driving state of the transport device configured as described above will be described. The diameter ratio of each of the pulleys 6a, 6b, 6c of the pulley group 6 changes in an equal difference, for example, 6a: 6b: 6c = 1: 2: 3. A drive belt 7a is stretched around the pulley 6a, and a part of the drive belt 7a is fixed by a fixing piece 9a to the second conveyance unit 3 which is closest to the first conveyance unit 3 fixed to the guide rail 2. The transport unit 4a is fixed. Similarly, the drive belts 7b and 7c are stretched around the pulleys 6b and 6c, and the second conveyors 4b and 4c are fixed to the drive belts 7a and 7c by fixing pieces 9b and 9c, respectively.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the second transport units 4a, 4b, 4c that slide and move are gathered on the first transport unit 3 that serves as a reference for transport movement.

Next, the separating operation of the second transport unit 4 will be described. When the drive unit 8 is rotated clockwise by a predetermined amount, the pulleys 6a, 6b, 6c of the pulley group 6 have a diameter ratio of 6a: 6b: 6c = 1: 2: 3, so that the drive belt 7a, The driving amounts L _a , L _b , and L _{c of} the 7 b and 7 _c are also La _a : L _b : L _c = 1: 2: 3. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the second transport units 4a, 4b, and 4c are displaced by distances L _a , L _b , and L _c with respect to the fixed first transport unit 3, respectively. At this time, the driving amounts L _a , L _b , and L _c are equal, so that L _a : L _b : L _c = L _a : 2L _a : 3L _a , and thus the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 3 pitch and 4a, the second conveyance portion 4a and the pitch of the second conveying portion 4b, and both the second conveying portion 4b pitch between the second conveying unit 4c L _a. Further, when the drive unit 8 is rotated counterclockwise, the second transport unit 4 can be concentrated on the first transport unit 3 described above.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a dispensing device 30 having the transport device 1 as described above. The three-dimensional robot arms 32X, 32Y, and 32Z allow the carrier device 1 to freely move in the three-dimensional space. First, the transfer device 1 is moved onto the first storage rack 34 by the three-dimensional robot arm 32, and the drive unit inside the transfer device 1 is driven to set the transfer unit pitch according to the storage pitch of the storage rack 34. The pulley group is rotated to separate the second transport units 4a, 4b and 4c from each other. Then, the liquid such as the reagent stored in the storage rack 34 is sucked by each dispensing nozzle 38, and moved to the second storage rack 36 containing the sample and the like. In this case as well, in order to set the transport unit pitch according to the storage pitch of the storage rack 36, the pulley group is rotated and the second transport units 4a, 4b, 4c are driven and displaced. Then, a liquid such as a reagent is discharged from each of the dispensing nozzles 38 into a test tube or the like stored in the storage rack 36 to complete the dispensing work.

In the embodiment, the first transport unit 3 serving as the transport reference position is located farthest from the drive unit 8, but may be located closest to the drive unit 8. In that case, when the second transport units are separated from each other, the drive unit 8 may be rotated counterclockwise. When the second transport unit 4 is provided on the left and right sides of the first transport unit 3 as the center, when the second transport unit is fixed to the drive belt 7 by the fixing piece 9, by changing the fixing position, It is possible to separate the second transport unit 4 from the first transport unit 3 to the left and right.

Further, by using a timing belt as the drive belt 7 and a timing pulley as the pulley 6, it is possible to perform high-accuracy transport unit driving by eliminating slippage between the belt and the pulley during driving. it can.

In the present embodiment, the case where the delivery apparatus of the present invention is provided in the dispensing apparatus has been described as an example, but it goes without saying that the delivery apparatus can also be mounted in another apparatus that requires delivery. If a gripping means such as an air chuck is provided instead of the dispensing nozzle, solid substances such as test tubes and containers can be transported.

[0020]

[Effect of device]

 The present invention is configured as described above, and since a single drive unit rotates a group of pulleys in which the diameters of the pulleys are changed in a non-uniform manner, a plurality of transport units can be arranged at a desired pitch depending on the rotation amount of the drive unit. It is possible to make the same pitch displacement.

Therefore, it is possible to rearrange the conveyed objects arranged at a constant pitch at different pitches, so that it is possible to convey between different storage pitches with a simple configuration, and the compatibility of the conveying pitch between the devices can be achieved. Therefore, the transport efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual perspective view illustrating a carrying device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual perspective view for explaining a mutually separated state of a transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dispensing device equipped with a transport device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual perspective view of a storage rack that has been conventionally used.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional dispensing device equipped with a transporting and leaving device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Transport Device 2 Guide Rail 3 First Transport Section 4 Second Transport Section 6 Pulley Group 7 Drive Belt 8 Drive Section

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A guide rail extending in the transporting direction, and (n + 1) transporting parts engaged with the guide rail, one of the transporting parts being fixed at a reference position of the transporting movement. A transport unit including a first transport unit and a second transport unit in which the other n units are slidably separated from each other along the guide rail from the reference position; n driving belts that engage with each of the n second transport units and independently slide and move the n second transport units, and n pulleys whose diameters change evenly A group of pulleys that are integrally arranged coaxially, and are stretched in order from a driving belt that engages with the second conveying unit on the side closer to the first conveying unit, from a pulley having a smaller diameter to a pulley having a larger diameter. And a pulley group engaged with the pulley group to rotate the pulley group. Conveying apparatus characterized by having a dynamic portion.