JPH1172369A - Apparatus and method for detection of exhaustion of liquid in bottle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an apparatus and a method in which a liquid amount inside a bottle is confirmed precisely. SOLUTION: This apparatus is constituted so as to be provided with a bottle 1 which comprises a transparent or translucent part and with a light emitting part 2 and a light receiving part 3 which are arranged in a height H at a prescribed liquid-exhaustion warning level so as to sandwich the transparent or translucent part of the bottle 1. In this case, the face 5 of the bottle 1 which is faced with the light receiving part 2 is used as a face on which light from the light emitting part 2 advancing in a liquid having a refractive index (n) inside the bottle 1 is incident at an angle of incidence of θ>=sin<-1> (1/n). Then, when a level inside the bottle 1 is higher than the height H at the liquid- exhaustion warning level, the light from the light emitting part 2 is totally reflected inside the liquid so as not to be received by the light receiving part 3. When the level inside the bottle 1 is lower than the height H at the liquid- exhaustion warning level, the light from the light emitting part 2 is passed inside the bottle 1 so as to be received by the light receiving part 3, and the exhaustion of the liquid is detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle used for an automatic inspection apparatus for nucleic acids, blood, and the like and filled with a liquid such as a reagent.
In particular, the present invention relates to a detection device for detecting liquid shortage using an optical principle and a liquid shortage detection method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automatic test by an automatic test apparatus for testing nucleic acids, blood, and the like, a reagent solution or the like is sucked from a bottle containing a liquid such as a reagent and transported to a test plate or the like and discharged. Therefore, during the automatic test, the reagents and diluent required for the test run out, so that the series of test operations is not interrupted, so that the reagents and diluent etc. It is necessary to check the liquid volume. For example,
A case where a liquid such as a reagent is stored in a bottle 50 as shown in FIG. 9 will be described as an example. The bottle 50 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the horizontal direction, and has a bottle port 50a at one end of the upper surface thereof. In the bottle 50, 0 indicates the bottle bottom level, h (t) indicates the remaining liquid level, and h0 indicates the liquid filling level.

A nozzle 52 having a disposable chip 51 attached to the tip of the bottle 50 is lowered into the bottle 50 to suck a reagent solution or the like. At this time, the lowerable level of the nozzle 52 is up to hN, and when the liquid level becomes lower than that, the reagent liquid or the like cannot be sucked. This bottle 50
The liquid volume (dead volume) Vd of the liquid that cannot be sucked is S × hN, where S is the bottom area. Therefore, various methods have conventionally been used as a method for checking the remaining amount of the liquid. As one of the methods, first, a liquid level detection method by a user's eye measurement, second, a liquid level detection method by operation software, third, a liquid level detection method by electrode contact, and fourth, a liquid level by ultrasonic waves. There are surface detection methods and the like.

[0004] A liquid level detection method using the second calculation software is as follows.
When installing the bottle, the user inputs the amount of the filled liquid to the automatic inspection device. After the end of a series of inspection operations, the automatic inspection device subtracts the amount of liquid used for the inspection operation from the currently remaining liquid amount. From this difference, it is determined whether or not the amount of liquid necessary for the next series of inspection work is necessary, and if it is insufficient, a warning is issued before the start of the next series of inspection work. The liquid level detection method by contact of the third electrode is a method in which the nozzle with the electrode pair is lowered into the bottle, the liquid level is detected by the disappearance of the electrical insulation, and the remaining amount of the liquid is measured from the lowered amount of the nozzle. . The fourth ultrasonic liquid level detection method is a method of measuring the remaining amount of liquid from the reciprocating time of ultrasonic waves between the tip of the nozzle and the liquid surface.

[0005]

However, each of the above methods for checking the remaining amount has the following problems. The liquid level detection method based on the first user's eye measurement has artificial problems such as forgetting to perform the eye measurement or erroneous eye measurement. The liquid level detection method using the second calculation software has an artificial problem that the user forgets to input the filling amount or erroneously inputs the filling amount. In addition, there is a problem due to the nature of the liquid. For example, in order to accurately calculate the remaining amount of liquid by calculation, an automatic inspection device has a function of storing characteristics of each type of liquid such as whether or not the liquid is non-volatile in order to correct an error due to volatilization of the liquid. Is required. The liquid level detection method based on the contact of the third electrode has a problem of liquid contamination by the contacted nozzle. The fourth liquid level detection method using ultrasonic waves includes an ultrasonic sensor, an electric circuit for driving the ultrasonic sensor, a measuring electric circuit for measuring the reciprocating time of the ultrasonic wave, and an operation for calculating the remaining amount of liquid from the reciprocating time of the ultrasonic wave. There is a problem that devices such as circuits are not cheap.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object the above-mentioned problems due to the above-mentioned artificial problems, problems due to the properties of liquids, and further problems of liquid contamination. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid shortage detection device and a liquid shortage detection method capable of accurately confirming the liquid amount in a bottle without causing a problem that manufacturing cost is increased.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for detecting a liquid shortage in a bottle, comprising: a bottle having a transparent or translucent portion at least in part; A light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion disposed so as to face each other across a transparent or translucent portion of the bottle at a height of, and the surface of the bottle facing the light-receiving portion has a refractive index n in the bottle. Is a surface on which light from a light emitting unit traveling in the liquid is incident at an incident angle θ ≧ Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n), and when the liquid level in the bottle is higher than the predetermined level, the light emitting unit Light is totally reflected in the liquid and the light receiving unit does not receive light, and when the liquid level in the bottle is lower than the predetermined level, light from the light emitting unit passes through the bottle, Detection of liquid shortage of bottle detecting light out by light receiving part It is the location.

[0010] Further, in the bottle liquid drainage detecting device according to the present invention, in addition to the structure described in claim 1, the bottle is transparent or translucent in at least a part of which has a small horizontal width. A projection or corner having a certain portion is formed, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion face each other across a transparent or translucent portion of the projection or the corner, and the liquid in the bottle is characterized in that: It is a cut detection device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for detecting a liquid shortage in a bottle, wherein a part of a rectangular parallelepiped is cut perpendicularly to a horizontal direction, and at least a part having a small width in a horizontal direction is transparent or semi-transparent. A bottle formed with a projection or a corner having a transparent portion, a rectangular parallelepiped storage case for storing the bottle, and a projection or a corner from the inner side surface of the storage case at a predetermined height. To face each other across the transparent or semi-transparent part of the, comprises a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit projecting horizontally, the surface of the bottle facing the light receiving unit,
The surface from which the light from the light emitting portion traveling in the liquid having the refractive index n in the bottle is incident at an incident angle θ ≧ Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n), and the liquid level in the bottle is higher than the predetermined level. When high, the light from the light emitting unit is totally reflected in the liquid and is not received by the light receiving unit, and when the liquid level in the bottle is lower than the predetermined level, the light from the light emitting unit is A bottle liquid shortage detection device that passes through the bottle and is received by the light receiving unit to detect liquid shortage.

Further, in the bottle liquid drainage detecting device according to the present invention as set forth in claim 4, in addition to the configuration as set forth in claim 3, the protrusion or the corner is formed at one end of the bottle. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are mounted so as to be erected on a single substrate with a distance capable of accommodating the protrusion or the corner therebetween, and the substrate is provided between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. The running-out detecting device is characterized in that the running-out detecting device is mounted on an inner side surface of the storage case so as to store the protrusion or the corner therebetween.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the bottle drainage detecting device according to the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to the third aspect, the protrusion or the corner is formed by intersecting a cut surface at a right angle. Is a device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle which is formed to protrude horizontally at one end of the bottle.

[0012] In addition, the bottle drainage detecting device according to the present invention as set forth in claim 6 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration as set forth in claim 1 or 3, the bottle is provided with a bottle on one end side of the upper surface thereof. An apparatus for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle having a mouth, wherein a bottom of the bottle is inclined at a predetermined angle from the other end side opposite to the bottle mouth toward the bottle mouth side.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting a liquid shortage in a bottle, the method comprising the steps of: providing a bottle having a transparent or translucent portion at least in part; Using a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit disposed so as to face each other with a certain portion therebetween, light from the light emitting unit traveling in the liquid having the refractive index n in the bottle is incident at an incident angle θ.
The surface of the bottle facing the light receiving unit is constituted by a surface that can be incident at ≧ Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n), and when the liquid level in the bottle is higher than the predetermined level, light from the light emitting unit is emitted. When the liquid level in the bottle is lower than the predetermined level, the light from the light emitting unit passes through the bottle and the light receiving unit This is a method for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle that receives light to detect a liquid shortage.

An apparatus for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle according to the present invention is a device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle filled with a liquid such as a reagent, and at least when the liquid does not exist in the optical path. A bottle having a part that transmits light, a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part arranged to receive light emitted across the light-transmitting part of the bottle; The surface of the bottle is formed such that, when the liquid is present, the bottle is formed such that the light is totally reflected by the inner surface of the bottle facing the light receiving portion and the light receiving portion does not receive light. It is a detection device.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a bottle drainage detecting device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a projection or a corner of the bottle as viewed from above, and also a diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining device connection. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a bottle filled with a liquid such as a reagent, 2 denotes a light emitting unit, and 3 denotes a light receiving unit.

The bottle 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a protrusion or a corner 1b having a narrow horizontal width at one end. In addition, one end of the upper surface of the bottle 1 has a bottle mouth 1a.
Is provided. The protrusions or corners 1b are formed by cutting one end of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped bottle perpendicularly to the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the cut surfaces 4 and 5 intersect at right angles, and a portion serving as an optical path is transparent or translucent so as not to hinder the progress of light from the light emitting unit 2 to the light receiving unit 3. It is a flat surface. still,
If there is no influence on the liquid such as the reagent, the projection or the corner 1b and the entire bottle 1 may be made transparent or translucent. The light emitting section 2 is formed of a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode, and the light receiving section 3 is formed of a light receiving element such as a photodiode. As light, infrared light is used so as not to malfunction due to a fluorescent lamp or the like in the inspection room.

The light-emitting unit 2 and the light-receiving unit 3 are provided at a predetermined liquid-hearing warning level H with the protrusion or the corner 1b interposed therebetween. The height H of the predetermined liquid-out warning level is determined, for example, by the following equation. H = (Vd + R) / S. This is a value obtained by adding the amount R of the liquid required for a series of inspection operations to the dead volume Vd where the nozzle of the automatic inspection device cannot be sucked, and dividing the sum by the bottom area S. Further, the other end 1c of the bottle 1 opposite to the bottle mouth 1a is lifted and fixed at a predetermined angle Ψ so that the liquid concentrates on the bottle mouth 1a. This reduces the actual dead volume Vd. Instead of lifting up and fixing by the predetermined angle Ψ, the inner surface of the bottom of the bottle 1 is set in advance from the other end 1c opposite to the bottle opening 1a.
It may be inclined toward the a side. Further, instead of tilting to the bottle mouth 1a side, the bottle mouth 1a side is made deeper than the other end side 1c opposite to the bottle mouth to form a liquid pool just below the bottle mouth 1a. The same effect can be obtained.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.
Since the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 are provided on the side a and the bottle 1 is inclined toward the bottle opening 1a, the height H of the predetermined liquid shortage alarm level is close to (Vd + R) / S. Can be set to a relatively small value. Conversely, when the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are provided on the other end side opposite to the bottle mouth and the bottle is inclined toward the bottle mouth, the height H of the predetermined liquid out alarm level is (Vd + R ) / S can be set to a relatively large value close to / S.

Next, the surface 5 of the bottle 1 facing the light receiving section 3
Will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, a cut surface 5 is a surface facing the light receiving unit 3, and is formed such that light from the light emitting unit 2 traveling in a liquid having a refractive index n is totally reflected at the cut surface 5. ing. The condition that the light from the light emitting unit 2 traveling in the liquid having the refractive index n is totally reflected at the cut surface 5 is a medium outside the bottle 1, that is,
Assuming that the refractive index of air is n ₀ = 1 and the incident angle θ on the cut surface 5 is θ ≧ Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n). The cut surface 5 is formed so as to satisfy this condition.

By the way, from the condition of the above total reflection,
Since the liquid such as the reagent has a different refractive index depending on the type, the formation of the bottle surface 5 facing the light receiving section 3 must be processed differently for each type of liquid. On the other hand, it has been confirmed that the refractive indexes of various liquids such as reagents used in the automatic inspection device are within a predetermined range. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the formation of the surface 5 of the bottle facing the light receiving unit 3 is devised so that the same bottle can be used for a liquid having a refractive index within the predetermined range. . That is, the cut surfaces 4 and 5 intersect at right angles. The cut surfaces 4 and 5 intersect at a right angle, the light from the light emitting unit 2 is incident at an incident angle θ ₁ = π / 4, and the refractive index n ₀ = 1
When the light from the light emitting section 2 traveling in the liquid in the bottle 1 is incident on the liquid having the refractive index n in the bottle 1 from the air, the incident angle θ = (π / 2−θ) ₂ ) incident.

In the cut surface 4, Sinθ ₁ / Sinθ ₂ = n / n ₀ √2 / Sinθ ₂ = n / 1 Sinθ ₂ = √2 / n (1) In the cut surface 5, Sinθ ₃ / Sinθ = n / n _{0 Sinθ 3 / Sin (π /} 2-θ 2) = n / 1 Sinθ 3 / Cosθ 2 = n Sinθ 3 = n × Cosθ 2 (2) equation (1) and (2) from Sinθ ₃ = √ (n ² -2) In the case of an ideal optical axis, in order to satisfy the condition of total reflection, from π / 2 <θ ₃ , Sin θ ₃ = √ (n ² -2)> 1√3 <n (3)

From the above, if the refractive index n is a liquid in the range of √3 <n, the bottle 1 of this embodiment can detect the liquid shortage. Since the refractive indexes of various liquids such as reagents used in the automatic inspection apparatus are within this range, the bottle 1 having the cut surfaces 4 and 5 crossed at right angles as in the present embodiment.
It can be seen that the use of the formula (1) does not require changing the processing of the surface 5 of the bottle 1 facing the light receiving unit 3 according to the type of liquid.

Next, the connection of the main parts of the bottle draining device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The light receiving unit 3 is a CP
U and the like.
Is connected to a display device 7 such as a CRT. Bottle 1
If the liquid level inside the bottle is lower than a predetermined liquid shortage alarm level height H, the light from the light emitting unit 2 travels in the air inside the bottle, and is not reflected by the cut surface 5 of the bottle 1 and received. It reaches part 3. The light receiving unit 3 having received the light from the light emitting unit 2 transmits a light receiving signal to the control block 6. The control block 6 that has received the light receiving signal causes the display device 7 to display an “out of liquid alarm”.

A method for detecting a liquid shortage by the bottle liquid shortage detecting device having the above structure will be described with reference to FIGS.
By arranging the light-emitting unit 2 and the light-receiving unit 3 so as to face each other across the transparent or translucent part of the protrusion or the corner 1b of the bottle 1 at a predetermined liquid-out alarm level H, 1 is higher than a predetermined liquid shortage alarm level height H, the light from the light emitting unit 2 is refracted when moving from the air to the liquid having the refractive index n on the cut surface 4 so that the optical axis is refracted. It is entered in a state shifted from. And then,
The light from the light emitting unit 2 traveling in the liquid in the bottle 1 is incident on the surface 5 of the bottle facing the light receiving unit 3 at an incident angle θ ≧
By making the surface 5 incident at Sin ^-1 (1 / n),
Light from the light emitting section 2 that has traveled in the liquid in the bottle 1 is totally reflected at the cut surface 5. As described above, when the liquid level in the bottle 1 is higher than the predetermined liquid shortage alarm level height H, the light from the light emitting unit 2 is prevented from reaching the light receiving unit 3 and the light receiving signal is sent to the control block 6. Is not sent, and the display device 7 does not display the "out of liquid alarm".

When the liquid level in the bottle 1 is lower than the predetermined liquid shortage alarm level height H, the light from the light emitting unit 2 is caused to travel through the air in the bottle 1, and the light is emitted from the cut surface 4 and the cut surface 5. The light is made to travel straight through the bottle 1 along the optical axis indicated by the two-dot chain line without reaching total reflection, and reach the light receiving section 3. And a light receiving unit 3 that receives light from the light emitting unit 2
Then, a light receiving signal is transmitted to the control block 6, and the control block 6 having received the light receiving signal causes the display device 7 to display an “out of liquid alarm”. In this manner, when the liquid level in the bottle 1 is lower than the predetermined liquid shortage alarm level height H, the liquid shortage in the bottle 1 is detected.

As described above, the apparatus and method for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle according to the present invention need only form the bottle 1 in a predetermined shape and arrange the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 at predetermined positions. Since no manual operation such as visual measurement of the liquid level and input of the filling amount is required, there is no error due to the manual operation. Further, since the determination as to whether or not the liquid has run out is made based on the presence or absence of a signal indicating whether or not the light receiving unit 3 has received light, it is necessary to consider properties such as the volatility of the liquid in order to calculate the remaining amount of the liquid. And there is no problem due to the nature of the liquid. Furthermore, no expensive circuitry is required. In addition, since it is not in contact with the liquid, there is no problem of contaminating the liquid.

Further, since the light emitting section 2 and the light receiving section 3 are arranged close to the projection or the corner 1b of the bottle 1, the light emitting section 2 and the light receiving section 3 are arranged around the bottle 1. As a result, unnecessary protrusions and the like are reduced, and the sense of unity between the bottle, the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 is increased. Therefore, the shape of the space occupied by the bottle, the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 is not complicated, and the arrangement space for disposing the bottle 1, the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 in the automatic inspection apparatus is easily secured. Become.

Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view in which the protrusions or corners of the bottle 10 are viewed from above, and a part of the rectangular parallelepiped is cut perpendicularly to the horizontal direction to form the protrusions or corners of the bottle in FIG.
This is the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. However, the difference from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that the cut section 14 and the cut section 15 do not intersect at right angles. Also in this case, the surface of the bottle facing the light receiving unit 3, that is, the cut surface 15, emits the light from the light emitting unit 2 traveling in the liquid having the refractive index n in the bottle 10 at the incident angle θ.
It is formed so as to be incident at ≧ Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n). When the liquid level in the bottle 10 is higher than a predetermined liquid-out alarm level, the light from the light emitting unit 2 is totally reflected in the liquid, the light receiving unit 3 does not receive light, and the bottle When the liquid level in the liquid 10 is lower than the predetermined liquid out alarm level, the light from the light
And the light receiving unit 3 receives the light to detect the liquid shortage.

FIG. 5 is a view of one end side of the bottle 20 as viewed from above, and is an example in which a corner portion of a rectangular parallelepiped bottle is used as it is without forming a special projection or corner portion on the bottle 20. The light-emitting unit 2 and the light-receiving unit 3 are arranged so as to face each other with a corner at one end of the rectangular parallelepiped bottle 20 at a predetermined liquid-warning level H. Also in this case, at least the portion of the bottle sandwiched between the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 is transparent or translucent, and the light from the light emitting unit 2 passes through the air in the bottle 20 and the light receiving unit 3 can be reached. The surfaces 24 and 25 of the bottle sandwiched between the light-emitting unit 2 and the light-receiving unit 3 are orthogonal to each other, and the surface 25 of the bottle facing the light-receiving unit 3 is in the liquid having the refractive index n in the bottle 20. The light from the light emitting unit 2 that travels in the direction is incident at an incident angle θ ≧ Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n). Therefore, the same operation and effect as those of the bottle liquid shortage detecting device shown in FIG. 1 are obtained. In addition, the bottle draining device shown in FIG. 5 has the advantage that a conventionally used rectangular bottle can be used as it is.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 (a) is a top view of the protrusion or corner of FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 (a) is the protrusion or corner of FIG. FIG. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 30 denotes a bottle, 31 denotes a storage case, 32 denotes a spacer, and 33 denotes a substrate. FIG.
In the figure, those having the same functions as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the difference from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that the bottle mouth of the bottle 30 is provided on the side opposite to the light emitting / receiving element, and the bottle 30 is further placed in a rectangular parallelepiped storage case 31. It is that you are.

The bottle 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a protrusion or a corner 30b having a narrow horizontal width at one end. The other end of the upper surface of the bottle 30 is provided with a bottle mouth 30a. The protrusion or corner 30b
Is formed by cutting one end of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped bottle perpendicularly to the horizontal direction, similarly to the bottle 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7A, the cut surfaces 4 and 5 intersect at right angles, and a portion serving as an optical path is transparent or formed so as not to hinder the progress of light from the light emitting unit 2 to the light receiving unit 3. It is translucent and has a flat surface. And
The cut surface 5, which is a surface facing the light receiving unit 3, is formed such that light from the light emitting unit 2 traveling in the liquid having the refractive index n is totally reflected at the cut surface 5.

The storage case 31 is a rectangular parallelepiped storage case having a volume capable of storing the bottle 30. When the bottle 30 is stored in the storage case 31, two triangular prism-shaped spaces are formed between the cut surfaces 4 and 5 of the protrusions or corners 30 b and the inner wall of the storage case 31. The light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 are disposed in these two spaces, respectively.
The light-emitting unit 2 and the light-receiving unit 3 are opposed to each other from the inner side surface of the storage case 31 with the transparent or translucent portion of the projection 30 or the corner 30b interposed therebetween at a predetermined liquid level warning level H. , Projecting horizontally. Further, in the storage case 31, one end 31a on the opposite side to the bottle mouth 30a is lifted and fixed by a predetermined angle Ψ in order to concentrate the liquid on the bottle mouth side 30a of the stored bottle 30. This reduces the actual dead volume Vd. Instead of lifting up and fixing by the predetermined angle Ψ, the inner surface of the bottom of the storage case 31 is
May be inclined from one end 31a opposite to the bottle opening 30a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting section 2 and the light receiving section 3 are separated from each other by a distance capable of accommodating a projection or a corner 30b formed by the cut surfaces 4 and 5 therebetween. It is mounted so as to stand on one substrate 33. The substrate 33 is mounted on the inner side surface of the storage case 31 so as to store the protrusion or the corner 30b between the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3. The distance that the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 horizontally project from the inner side surface of the storage case 31 to the cut surfaces 4 and 5 of the bottle 30 is adjusted by the spacer 32, and the distance between the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 is adjusted. The distance is a distance at which each lightly abuts the cut surfaces 4 and 5 constituting the protrusions or the corners 30b of the bottle 30.

The height H of the predetermined warning level at which the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 are disposed is determined by the position on the substrate 33 on which the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 are mounted. Therefore,
When it is desired to change the height H of the out-of-liquid alarm level in which the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 are provided when the substrate 33 is mounted on the storage case 31, the height of the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 is changed. Good.

According to the apparatus for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle of the present invention having the above structure, a part of the rectangular parallelepiped is cut perpendicularly to the horizontal direction to form a projection or a corner 30b on the bottle 30. Is stored in a rectangular parallelepiped storage case 31, and the inner side surface of the storage case 31 is housed in a space formed between the inner side surface of the storage case 31 and the protrusion or the corner 30b of the bottle. Since the light-emitting unit 2 and the light-receiving unit 3 are provided, the appearance of the device for detecting the out-of-liquid state of the bottle is a single rectangular parallelepiped and has a simple shape. In addition, simply by placing the bottle 30 in the storage case 31, the light-emitting unit 2 and the light-receiving unit 3 are arranged at the predetermined liquid-out alarm level H of the bottle. The installation of the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 in the bottle can be easily performed. Further, when the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 are mounted on a single substrate 33, the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 can be attached to the storage case 31 simply by mounting the substrate 33 on the inner side surface of the storage case.
At a predetermined position. Therefore, it is easy to install the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3 on the bottle 30.

The bottle stored in the storage case 31 is not limited to the bottle whose cut surfaces 4 and 5 cross at a right angle.
The bottle 10 shown in FIG. 4 and the bottle 40 shown in FIG.
It may be. A protrusion or a corner that can be housed is formed between the light emitting unit 2 and the light receiving unit 3, and the surface of the bottle facing the light receiving unit 3 advances in the liquid having the refractive index n in the bottle. The light from the light emitting unit 2 has an incident angle θ ≧ Sin
Any bottle may be used as long as it has a surface incident at ^-1 (1 / n).

[0037]

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and method for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle according to the present invention, wherein a bottle is formed in a predetermined shape, and a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are positioned at predetermined positions. It is only necessary to dispose them, and no artificial operation such as visual measurement of the liquid level or input of the filling amount is required, so that there is an effect that there is no error due to the artificial operation. In addition, since whether or not the liquid has run out is determined by the presence or absence of a signal indicating whether or not the light receiving unit has received light, it is necessary to consider properties such as the volatility of the liquid in order to calculate the remaining amount of the liquid. Therefore, there is an effect that no problem occurs due to the properties of the liquid. In addition, there is no need for calculation software or circuits for calculating the remaining amount of liquid,
This has the effect of being inexpensive. In addition, since there is no contact with the liquid, there is an effect that the problem of contaminating the liquid does not occur.

Further, according to the apparatus for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle according to the present invention as set forth in claim 2, in addition to the effect as set forth in claim 1, a light emitting section and a light receiving section are provided around a projection or a corner of the bottle. Are arranged close to each other, so that unnecessary protrusions and the like due to the arrangement of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit around the bottle are reduced, and the sense of unity between the bottle and the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit is increased.
Therefore, the shape of the space occupied by the bottle, the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit is not complicated, and it is easy to secure an arrangement space when the bottle, the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit are installed in the automatic inspection device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect described in the first aspect, the bottle drainage detecting device according to the present invention is provided in an automatic inspection device because its appearance is a single rectangular parallelepiped and a simple shape. This has the effect of making it easier to secure the installation space when performing. In addition, since the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit can be easily installed in the bottle simply by placing the bottle in the storage case, there is an effect that the bottle can be easily replaced.

[0040] Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the third aspect, the bottle liquid depletion detecting device according to the present invention further comprises a single substrate on which the light emitting section and the light receiving section are mounted, wherein the storage case is provided. Since the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit can be arranged at predetermined positions of the storage case simply by mounting the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit on the inner side surface, the installation of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit on the bottle becomes easier.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the third aspect, the protrusion or the corner portion projects horizontally at one end of the bottle. Since the cut surfaces are formed so as to intersect at right angles, the liquid from the light-emitting portion can emit light from the light-emitting portion even if the liquid is within a predetermined refractive index range, even if the liquid has a different refractive index. Total internal reflection. As a result, even liquids having a different refractive index are liquids within a predetermined refractive index range.
This has the effect that the bottle can be inspected for liquid shortage without changing the shape of the bottle.

In addition, according to the device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle according to the present invention described in claim 6, in addition to the effect described in claim 1 or 3, the bottle may be connected to one end of the upper surface thereof. Since the bottom of the bottle is inclined at a predetermined angle from the other end side opposite to the bottle mouth toward the bottle mouth side, the liquid tends to concentrate on the bottle mouth side. As a result, when the remaining amount of the liquid becomes small, the dead volume in which the nozzle of the automatic inspection device cannot be sucked is reduced, and the liquid such as the reagent can be used without waste.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a bottle liquid shortage detecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a projection or a corner of the bottle shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating device connection of the bottle liquid shortage detection device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view showing a protrusion or a corner of another bottle out-of-liquid detecting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating another bottle out-of-liquid detecting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of still another bottle out-of-liquid detecting device according to the present invention.

7A and 7B are a top view and a side view of a protrusion or a corner shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a top view showing a projection or a corner of another bottle out-of-liquid detection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a bottle used in the automatic inspection device.

[Description of Signs] 1 Bottle 1a Bottle mouth 1b Projection or corner 1c Opposite to bottle mouth 2 Light emitting unit 3 Light receiving unit 4 Cutting surface 5 Cutting surface H Height of liquid out alarm level 傾斜 Inclined angle of bottle

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Shinkichi Oishi 9-52, Ashihara-cho, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Furuno Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle filled with a liquid such as a reagent, comprising: a bottle having a transparent or translucent part at least in part; A light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion are provided so as to face each other with the transparent portion interposed therebetween, and a surface of the bottle facing the light-receiving portion is formed by a light-emitting portion traveling in a liquid having a refractive index n in the bottle. Light is incident angle θ ≧
Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n), and when the liquid level in the bottle is higher than the predetermined level,
When the light from the light emitting unit is totally reflected in the liquid and is not received by the light receiving unit, and when the liquid level in the bottle is lower than the predetermined level,
A device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle, wherein the light from the light emitting unit passes through the inside of the bottle, and the light receiving unit receives the light to detect the liquid shortage. 2. A projection or a corner having a transparent or translucent portion is formed on at least a part of the bottle having a narrow horizontal width, and a transparent or translucent portion of the projection or the corner is formed. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit face each other. 3. A device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle filled with a liquid such as a reagent, wherein a part of a rectangular parallelepiped is cut perpendicularly to a horizontal direction, and at least a part having a narrow horizontal width is transparent or transparent. A bottle formed with a projection or a corner having a translucent portion; a rectangular parallelepiped storage case for storing the bottle; and a protrusion or a corner from the inner side surface of the storage case at a predetermined height. A light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion protruding horizontally so as to face each other with a transparent or translucent portion of the portion interposed therebetween; and a surface of the bottle facing the light-receiving portion, a liquid having a refractive index n in the bottle. The light from the light emitting part traveling inside is incident angle θ ≧
Sin ⁻¹ (1 / n), and when the liquid level in the bottle is higher than the predetermined level,
When the light from the light emitting unit is totally reflected in the liquid and is not received by the light receiving unit, and when the liquid level in the bottle is lower than the predetermined level,
A device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle, wherein the light from the light emitting unit passes through the inside of the bottle, and the light receiving unit receives the light to detect the liquid shortage. 4. The projection or the corner is formed on one end side of the bottle, and the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are separated by a distance capable of accommodating the projection or the corner therebetween. Mounted on a single substrate, and the substrate is mounted on the inner side surface of the storage case so as to store the protrusion or the corner between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. The apparatus for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle according to claim 3, wherein: 5. The bottle according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion or the corner is formed so as to protrude in a horizontal direction at one end of the bottle with a cut surface crossing at a right angle. Out of liquid detection device. 6. The bottle has a bottle mouth on one end side of the upper surface, and the bottom of the bottle is at a predetermined angle from the other end side opposite to the bottle mouth toward the bottle mouth side. The device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the device is inclined. 7. A method for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle filled with a liquid such as a reagent, comprising: a bottle having a transparent or translucent part at least in part; By using a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit arranged to face each other with a transparent part interposed therebetween, light from the light emitting unit traveling in the liquid having a refractive index of n in the bottle is incident angle θ ≧ Sin ⁻¹ ( 1 / n) constitutes the surface of the bottle facing the light receiving portion by the surface that can be incident at 1 / n), and when the liquid level in the bottle is higher than the predetermined level,
When the light from the light emitting unit is totally reflected in the liquid and the light receiving unit does not receive the light, and when the liquid level in the bottle is lower than the predetermined level,
A method for detecting a liquid shortage in a bottle, wherein light from the light emitting unit passes through the bottle, and the light receiving unit receives the light to detect liquid shortage. 8. A device for detecting a liquid shortage of a bottle filled with a liquid such as a reagent, wherein the bottle has a light transmitting portion at least in part when the liquid does not exist in an optical path; A light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit arranged to receive light emitted across the portion that transmits light, and the surface of the bottle facing the light-receiving unit, when the liquid is present, the light-receiving unit A bottle out-of-liquid detecting device, wherein the bottle is formed such that the light is not totally reflected by an inner surface of the opposing bottle and the light receiving unit does not receive light.