JPH09281112A - Cooler - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a drive lock type cooler with low contamination by providing a cooler in contact with a block body with good thermal conductivity punched with a plurality of holding holes, with a connection pipe parts communicating the bottoms of the holding holes in the block body with each other and opening part of the connection pipe parts on the side of the block body. SOLUTION: The cooler 1 is provided with a Peltier element 2, a controller 3, an aluminum block 4, test tube holder holes 5a to 5c, test tubes 6a and 6b, connection pipe parts 7, 8 and 9 in X, Z and Y axes direction punched in the bottom of the holder holes and an opening 10 of the connection pipe parts. When the cooler 1 is operated via the controller 3, the Peltier element 2 is cooled, the block 4 connecting the element 2 is cooled and the water vapor in the surrounding air condenses on the block 4. The condensed water on the inner wall of the holder holes gathers on the bottom, goes to the opening 10 through the connection pipe parts 7, 8 and 9 in X, Y and Z axes directions and is drained through a guide tube 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cooler used in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry or analytical chemistry. In the present invention, the cooler includes a low temperature thermostatic device.

In the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, coolers are sometimes used for the purpose of controlling the temperature conditions of experiments to be constant.
In the field of analytical chemistry, after setting multiple samples to be measured by the autosampler part of the automatic biochemical analyzer or environmental sample analyzer, the deterioration and decay of the samples may occur while waiting for the actual analysis operation. It is sometimes used for the purpose of cooling the sample to prevent it.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional drive lock type cooler comprises a heat conductive block body having a holding hole for holding a test tube and a cold heat source in contact with the block body.
The holding hole is closed at the bottom of the hole.

[0004]

The drive lock type cooler, unlike the constant temperature water bath type cooler, does not use water as a heat medium, and therefore has a characteristic that there is no contamination caused by a drop of water drops or the like on the test tube. . However, when the cooler is operated, water vapor in the air will condense on the outer wall of the test tube or on the block body, and this condensed water will not be collected and discharged in the holding hole. It adheres to the outer wall and sometimes falls into other test tubes.
When such a situation occurs, the greatest feature of the drive lock type cooler that there is little contamination is impaired.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooler provided with a means for discharging the condensed water accumulated in such a holding hole.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a hole is formed in the bottom of a holding hole formed in a block body so that the bottom of each holding hole and the side surface or the bottom surface of the block body. The openings provided in the above are connected to each other through the communication pipe. The opening is provided at a position lower than the bottom surface of the holding hole for discharging the condensed water.

In the present invention, as the material of the block body having good heat conductivity, aluminum is often used, but other metals such as iron and copper can be used, and an alloy is also acceptable.

In the present invention, the cold heat source may be an apparatus utilizing a Peltier element or a refrigerating cycle, or an apparatus composed of a water tank for simply circulating ice water, a pump and a water channel.

Further, in the present invention, the block body and the cold heat source may be in contact with each other at the bottom portion or the side surface portion of the block body. When the bottom of the block is in contact with the cold heat source, if the opening of the communicating pipe provided in the block is provided on the side surface of the block, both processing and handling will be easy.
On the other hand, when the side surface of the block body is in contact with the cold heat source, if the opening is provided on the other side surface or bottom surface that is not in contact with the cold heat source, processing and handling will be easy. Of course, as long as the above-mentioned positional relationship of height is satisfied, the opening can be provided at an arbitrary position, and one or more arbitrary number can be provided in each block. When a plurality of blocks are brought into contact with a single cooling / heating body, the communication pipes of the blocks can be connected to each other.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cooler according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a cooler according to the present invention, 2 is a Peltier element which is a cooling source, 3 is a control device, 4 is an aluminum block, 5a 5b 5c is a test tube holding hole, 6a 6b is a test tube, and 7 is An X-axis direction communication pipe part formed at the bottom of the holding hole 5, 8 a communication pipe part formed in the Z-axis direction, 9 a communication pipe part formed in the Y-axis direction, 10 an opening part of the communication pipe part, 11 Is a conduit.

When the cooler 1 is operated through the controller 3, the Peltier element 2 cools and the aluminum block 4 in contact with the Peltier element 2 cools. If the aluminum block 4 cools, the water vapor in the surrounding air will condense and adhere to the aluminum block 4. Among these dew condensation water, the dew condensation water on the inner wall of the holding hole 5 gathers at the bottom by the action of gravity and reaches the opening 10 through the communicating pipe portions 7, 8, 9 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, respectively. It is discharged to any place through the conduit 11.

The communicating pipe portion 7 bored in the block 4 was machined vertically from the upper part of the holding hole by using a drill. Further, the communication pipe portions 8 and 9 are each formed by drilling from one side surface using a drill, and then the opening portion opened on the side surface is tightly plugged with a screw. This sealing can also be performed by driving a rivet into the opening.

It is not necessary that the directions X, Y and Z of the communication pipe section intersect at an exact angle of 90 degrees, and it is sufficient that the condensed water flows toward the opening 10 by the action of gravity.

Next, another embodiment of the cooler according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 2 shows an aluminum block according to another embodiment. In FIG. 2, 21 is a test tube holding hole,
22 is a communication pipe part. The holding hole 21 of this example holds a relatively large capacity test tube, and has a single holding hole in an aluminum block. In this case, the communication pipe portion 22 is a through hole that is formed obliquely from the lower side surface toward the bottom surface of the holding hole 21.

Further, in another embodiment of the present invention,
The communicating pipe portion in the block can be formed at the same time when the block is cast.

[0018]

In the cooler according to the present invention, the dew condensation water remaining in the holding hole is effectively discharged through the communication pipe section. As a result, a drive lock type cooler with less contamination can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cooler according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a block of another cooler according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cooler 2 Peltier element 5 Holding hole 7, 8, 9 Communication pipe part 10 Opening part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooler comprising a heat-conductive block body having one or more holding holes for holding a test tube and a cold heat source in contact with the block body, wherein the block body has a holding hole. A cooler characterized by comprising a communicating pipe portion for communicating the bottom portions with each other, and at least one portion of the communicating pipe portion being opened to a side surface or a bottom surface of the block body.