JPH08211069A - Test paper supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To smoothly and automatically supply a test paper and to improve operability by installing a leaf spring for preventing fall on the carrier stage of a transfer device. CONSTITUTION: When a shutter part 9 goes down to a solenoid 10, a test paper 3 is retained at the position until it drops onto a carrier stage 15 and is guided on the wall surface of a support stand groove part 13, the stage 15 moves left and right, and a stage groove part 12 reaches directly below the groove part 13. The paper 3 entering the groove part 12 is carried by the stage 15 and is turned upside down at the position of a test paper inverting mechanism 11 and is taken out. A leaf spring 14 installed for preventing fall is fixed onto the stage 15 by screws and is installed so that it covers a shutter part 9 and then the paper 3 is horizontally maintained on the spring 14 even if the shutter part 9 goes down. The spring 14 is crushed along with the travel of the stage 15 and the paper 3 slides down horizontally along the inclination on the spring 14, thus preventing the possibility of fall.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a test strip feeding device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In clinical examinations in a hospital, a test strip is used to easily examine a plurality of analysis items of a urine sample.
The test paper is a strip-shaped strip made of plastic or the like, to which a plurality of test layers impregnated with a reagent are adhered. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-91571 discloses an automatic test strip analyzer that automates the handling of test strips.

In this prior art, an arm having a test piece gripping body moves between a test paper supply mechanism and a sample table on which a sample container in which the test paper is to be dipped and a photometric mechanism are moved, and color is developed. The test strip feeding mechanism, which shows the configuration for measuring the test strip, moves the test strip 1 to the test strip transport start position by the arm.
It is supplied one by one.

The test strip supply mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-91571 is provided with a slidable bottom portion in a hopper into which the test strip is placed, and the movement of the bottom portion supplies the test strip outside the hopper. Is.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
The test strip feeding mechanism described in Japanese Patent No. 571 uses a system in which the bottom of the hopper is slid to feed an elongated strip of test strip. There is a problem that the test paper is easily caught between the transport stage and the container support table, and smooth operation is hindered.

An object of the present invention is to provide a test strip supply device and a test strip analyzer which can smoothly and automatically supply test strips.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when a test paper drops from a cylindrical container containing the test paper onto a transfer stage, a leaf spring is installed so that the test paper does not fall down, and a sliding test is performed. The feature is that the paper is supported up to the transport stage.

[0008]

[Function] The mechanism is such that the cylindrical container is rotated to move the test paper to the through groove. The test paper that has moved to the through groove is held by a shutter, the shutter is lowered at the take-out timing and dropped onto the transport stage, and the test paper is taken out by the test paper receiving groove.

In the above-described series of operations, when the shutter is lowered, the descending width of the test paper is larger than the standing width of the test paper. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the test paper will stand up. And the probability of getting into the container support becomes higher. In order to eliminate this phenomenon of falling to the stand, a tilted leaf spring is installed above the shutter, and the test paper is held horizontally on the leaf spring even when the shutter descends, so that the transport stage can move while moving. The slanted surface of the leaf spring was slid while it was horizontal, and it became possible to enter the test strip receiving groove.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The structure and operating principle of a test strip feeding device will be described with reference to FIG.

A maximum of 200 test papers 3 are accommodated in the same direction in the cylindrical container 1, and the cylindrical container is rotated counterclockwise to the position of the push-in pawl 2. As a result, the test paper 3 is pushed to the guide end surface 6 of the guide member 5 and horizontally enters the through groove 8. After entering, the cylindrical container 1 is rotated right to the support base groove portion 13 of the container support base 4 and the test paper 3 is pushed out by the separating ball 7, and at the same time, the shutter portion 9 of the transport stage 15 is moved directly below the support base groove portion 13 to release the shutter. When the section 9 is lowered by the solenoid 10, the test paper 3 is dropped onto the transport stage 15. The dropped test paper 3 is guided by the wall surface of the support base groove portion 13, the transport stage 15 moves leftward, and is held at that position until the stage groove portion 12 is located directly below the support base groove portion 13.

The test paper 3 which has entered the stage groove portion 12
Is transported to the position of the test strip reversing mechanism 11 by the transport stage 15, turned upside down, and taken out. The present invention resides in that the leaf spring 14 is installed so that the shutter portion 9 does not fall down when the shutter portion 9 descends.

Next, the structure of the leaf spring portion will be described with reference to FIG.

The leaf spring 14 is fixed to the carrying stage 15 with a screw so as to cover the shutter portion 9. Here, even if the shutter portion 9 descends, the test paper 3 is held horizontally on the leaf spring 1.

The leaf springs 14 are crushed as the transport stage 15 moves, and the test paper 3 slides down the inclination on the leaf springs 14 horizontally, so that there is no possibility of falling down.

FIG. 3 shows the operation of how the test strip is conveyed by the leaf spring.

The test paper 3 which has moved to the through groove 8 is still on the leaf spring 14 even after the shutter 9 is lowered, and is held as shown in FIG. 3 (b).

As shown in FIG. 3 (c), the held test paper 3 slips off while keeping the inclined portion of the leaf spring 14 horizontal.
As shown in (d), it enters the stage groove portion 12 and is smoothly conveyed to the test paper outlet. If the leaf spring 14 is not provided, a phenomenon such as a vertical fall 16 is likely to occur. If such a phenomenon occurs, the test paper 3 will be caught between the container support 4 and the transport stage 15 and cause a failure.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view and a front view of the leaf spring.

The leaf spring has a chevron shape and has a flat portion 17
The test paper 3 that has fallen on the slide slides down the slope portion 18 of the leaf spring 14, so that the test paper 3 can be smoothly conveyed.

[0021]

According to the present invention, since the test strip can be smoothly and automatically supplied, the operability can be remarkably improved when the test strip is applied to the automatic test strip analyzer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a test paper supply device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a leaf spring portion.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a test strip operation in a leaf spring structure.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a leaf spring portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cylindrical container, 2 ... Push-in claw, 3 ... Test paper, 4 ... Container support stand, 5 ... Guide member, 6 ... Guide end surface, 7 ... Separation ball, 8 ... Through groove, 9 ... Shutter part, 10 ... Solenoid ,
11 ... Test paper reversing mechanism, 12 ... Stage groove part, 13 ... Support stand groove part, 14 ... Leaf spring, 15 ... Conveyance stage.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A test in which a cylindrical container capable of accommodating a plurality of test papers, wherein a through groove into which the test paper is inserted is formed on a wall surface, and a guide member arranged so as to cover the through groove is formed. A paper storage container, a drive device for reciprocally rotating the test paper storage container itself, and a test paper that has come out of the test paper storage container through the through groove when the rotation of the test paper storage container is stopped. In a device provided with a transfer device that moves to an external take-out position, and a stand-up prevention leaf spring is provided on the transfer stage of the transfer device.