WO2019056232A1

WO2019056232A1 - Reaction vessel automatic loading device and sample analyzer

Info

Publication number: WO2019056232A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/102533
Authority: WO
Inventors: 汪正国; 翁彦雯; 张志�; 柴亮; 王长安; 王俊
Original assignee: 深圳迈瑞生物医疗电子股份有限公司
Priority date: 2017-09-20
Filing date: 2017-09-20
Publication date: 2019-03-28
Also published as: CN111033268A; CN111033268B

Abstract

A reaction vessel automatic loading device (1) and a sample analyzer. Pickup blocks (1024), provided with a baffle (1021B) each, are used on the reaction vessel automatic loading device (1), so as to prevent an unpredictable fault due to drop of a reaction vessel (200) into a gap between adjacent pickup blocks (1024).

Description

Reaction cup automatic loading device and sample analyzer

Technical field

The present application relates to a sample analyzer, particularly for automatically loading a cuvette.

Background technique

In the sample analyzer (such as the fully automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer), a one-time reaction cup is used for testing. During the test, the automatic reaction device of the cuvette is mainly used to automatically arrange the bulk reaction cups added to the device by the user. And transport the arranged cuvettes to the designated location for use by the test system.

Generally, the cuvette automatic loading device first picks up a cuvette scattered in a designated container of the instrument by some means, and then transports the picked cuvette to the transport mechanism, and the cuvette in the transport mechanism is robot or other The device is taken for the next related operation. Although the existing cuvette automatic loading device can successfully send the cuvette to the transfer mechanism for storage, there is still room for further improvement in its structure.

Summary of the invention

The present application provides a novel cuvette automatic loading device for preventing the reaction cup from being caught in the gap between the pickup blocks.

According to an aspect of the present application, an embodiment of the present invention provides a cuvette automatic loading device comprising:

a silo for storing the cuvette;

a picking mechanism, the picking mechanism comprising a driving structure and a plurality of picking blocks spaced apart on the driving structure, the picking block comprising a bearing surface for supporting the reaction cup, a baffle disposed opposite the bearing surface, and a connecting bearing surface And a connecting body of the baffle, the bearing surface, the connecting body and the baffle forming a receiving groove for accommodating the reaction cup, the accommodating groove has a cuvette inlet and a cuvette outlet, and the driving structure is opposite to the picking block Controlling the load-bearing surface of the pick-up block to pass through the silo obliquely upward from the lower direction for picking up, transporting and unloading the cuvette;

a transport mechanism having at least one reaction cup for storing a cuvette for placing a cuvette;

And a control unit for controlling the action of the picking mechanism.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the baffle has an upper damper surface opposite to the bearing surface, and at least one of the bearing surface and the upper damper has a chamfer outwardly disposed from the accommodating groove. It is used to increase the size of the opening of the accommodating groove.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the cuvette loaded by the cuvette automatic loading device has a suspension portion having a cross-sectional dimension d, and a cross-sectional dimension of a portion below the cuvette suspension portion For f, the load-bearing surface chamfer a range is selected to be: 0.5 (df) ≤ a ≤ 2 (df).

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the range of the chamfer b of the upper dam is selected to be 0.5f ≤ b ≤ 2f.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the baffle, the connecting body and the bearing surface are of unitary structure.

Further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device further includes a reversing mechanism disposed on one side of the picking mechanism for receiving and conveying the cuvette dropped from the picking block, the transfer mechanism Connected to the outlet of the reaction cup of the reversing mechanism.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the reversing mechanism includes a transfer groove disposed obliquely downward from a side of the pick-up mechanism, the transfer groove having a size allowing the reaction cup to extend from a portion below the suspension portion, And the width of the conveying groove is smaller than the width of the hanging portion on the reaction cup, and the conveying groove has a first groove bottom wall at least at an end close to the picking mechanism, and the distance from the bottom wall of the first groove to the upper edge of the conveying groove is smaller than the reaction The distance from the bottom of the cup to the suspension.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the bottom of the transfer groove is provided with a recess portion and/or a second groove bottom wall behind the first groove bottom wall, and the second groove bottom wall to the transfer groove The distance of the upper edge located vertically above the bottom wall of the second trough is greater than the distance from the bottom of the cuvette to the suspension portion, the second trough bottom wall and the recess allowing the lower portion of the cuvette to naturally hang down within the trough.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the reversing mechanism has a substantially V-shaped guide groove, and the bottom of the guide groove communicates with the transfer groove and extends in the same direction as the transfer groove.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the silo has a first side plate disposed along a picking block track, the first side plate sealing a lower side of the receiving groove for preventing reaction The cup falls out of the load bearing surface; the upper edge of the beginning of the transfer trough is substantially flush with the highest edge of the first side panel so that the cuvette that passes over the highest edge of the first side panel can fall into the transfer trough.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the transfer slot has a sliding zone adjacent to the pick-up mechanism and a buffer zone for buffering the cuvette, the buffer zone being engaged behind the sliding zone so that the cuvette can be moved from the sliding zone Enter the buffer area for queued cache.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the buffer area is provided with a storage state detecting unit for detecting whether the cuvette in the buffer area is arranged to a set position or whether a set number is reached, the storage state detecting unit And connecting to the control unit signal, so that the control unit stops the action of the driving structure after receiving the full signal from the storage state detecting unit.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the sliding zone is provided with a cuvette detecting unit, and the cuvette detecting unit is connected with the control unit for detecting whether a cuvette is moved from the sliding zone to the buffer zone.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the storage state detecting unit and/or the cuvette detecting unit employs a photosensor.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the first groove bottom wall is located in the sliding zone.

According to the cuvette automatic loading device of the above embodiment, the picking block of the picking mechanism includes a bearing surface for supporting the reaction cup, a baffle disposed opposite the bearing surface, and a connecting body connecting the bearing surface and the baffle, the bearing surface The connecting body and the baffle form a receiving groove for accommodating the reaction cup, and the receiving groove has a reaction cup inlet and a cuvette outlet, so that the reaction cup enters the accommodating groove and slides off from the accommodating groove to discharge. When the reaction cup does not slip from the accommodating groove for some reason, the baffle and the bearing surface respectively form a limit position on the reaction cup from both sides, thereby preventing the reaction cup from falling from the baffle and the bearing surface to the adjacent picking In the gap between the blocks.

The present application provides a novel cuvette automatic loading device for limiting the angle of sway of the cuvette when it falls into the reversing mechanism.

a silo for storing the cuvette;

a picking mechanism for picking up, transferring and unloading the cuvette;

a reversing mechanism, the reversing mechanism is coupled to the pick-up mechanism, and the reversing mechanism has a transfer groove disposed obliquely downward from a side of the pick-up mechanism, the transfer groove having a size allowing the lower portion of the cuvette to extend therein, and The width of the transfer groove is smaller than the width of the hanging portion on the cuvette, and the transfer groove has a first groove bottom wall at least at an end close to the pick-up mechanism, the first groove bottom wall The distance along the upper edge of the transfer tank is less than the distance from the bottom of the reaction cup to the suspension portion;

a transfer mechanism, the transfer mechanism is coupled to the reaction cup outlet of the transfer tank, the transfer mechanism having at least one reaction cup for storing the reaction cup for placing the reaction cup;

And a control unit for controlling the action of the picking mechanism.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the bottom of the transfer groove is provided with a recess portion and/or a second groove bottom wall behind the first groove bottom wall, and the second groove bottom wall to the transfer groove The distance of the upper edge is greater than the distance from the bottom of the reaction cup to the suspension portion, and the second groove bottom wall and the recess allow the lower portion of the cuvette to naturally hang down in the transfer groove.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the picking mechanism includes a picking block having a bearing surface for supporting the reaction cup and a lower bottom surface on the back surface of the bearing surface, the bearing surface and the lower surface At least one of them has a chamfer to increase the probability of the reaction cup entering the load bearing surface.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the range of the chamfer c of the lower bottom surface is selected to be: 0.5f ≤ c ≤ 2f.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the buffer area is provided with a storage state detecting unit for detecting whether the cuvette in the buffer area is arranged to a set position or whether a set number is reached, the storage state detecting unit And connecting to the control unit signal to feed back the storage state of the buffer area to the control unit.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the storage state detection list The element and/or cuv detection unit uses a photoelectric sensor.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the picking mechanism includes a driving structure and a plurality of picking blocks spaced apart on the driving structure, the picking block having a bearing surface for supporting the reaction cup, the driving The structure controls the picking block such that the bearing surface of the picking block can pass through the silo obliquely upward from the bottom direction for picking up, transporting and unloading the cuvette; the silo has a first side disposed along the movement track of the picking block a plate, the first side plate enclosing a side of the reaction cup outlet of the pick-up block to prevent the reaction cup from falling out of the bearing surface; the upper edge of the start end of the transfer groove is substantially flush with the highest edge of the first side plate So that the cuvette that has passed the highest edge of the first side panel can fall into the transfer trough.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the drive structure comprises a motor and a conveyor chain or timing belt driven by a motor, the pickup block being fixedly mounted on a timing belt or a drive chain.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, further comprising a stirring mechanism having a stirring block installed in the silo for agitating the cuvette and allowing the cuvette to enter the bearing surface .

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the agitating block is disposed along the picking mechanism such that the agitating block has at least a first motion trajectory that is substantially the same as the direction of movement of the bearing surface.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the silo is enclosed with the bottom of the pick-up mechanism to form a stirring chamber, and the agitating block is disposed in the stirring chamber and arranged side by side with the pick-up mechanism.

As a further improvement of the cuvette automatic loading device, the transfer mechanism comprises a mount, a rotary disk and a transfer motor, the rotary disk being rotatably disposed in the mount, the rotary disk having at least one reaction cup position, The rotating disk is mounted on the transfer motor, and the control unit is connected to the transfer motor for controlling the rotation of the transfer motor; the control unit detects the out-of-step signal of the transfer motor and drives the transfer motor to reverse After the distance is set to the rotation, the rotation is forward, and the control unit controls the transfer motor to turn on the change during the forward rotation of the transfer motor; when the control unit receives the signal of finding the zero position, the normal rotation of the transfer motor is controlled. When the control unit receives the signal of the failure to change, the control transfer motor stops working and issues a prompt message.

According to the cuvette automatic loading device of the above embodiment, the transfer groove of the reversing mechanism has a size that allows the lower portion of the cuvette to protrude, and the width of the transfer groove is smaller than the width of the hanging portion on the cuvette, so that the cuvette falls into the transfer groove. The suspension portion of the cuvette can be hung on the groove wall of the transfer groove, and the portion below the cuvette suspension portion projects into the transfer groove, so that the cuvette slides on the transfer groove through the suspension portion. At the same time, since the reaction cup falls into the transfer tank, it oscillates substantially in the transfer groove around the suspension portion. Once the swing is too large, the reaction cup will slide out of the transfer tank. In this regard, the transfer groove of the embodiment has a first groove bottom wall at an end close to the pick-up mechanism, and the distance from the bottom wall of the first groove to the upper edge of the transfer groove is smaller than the distance from the bottom of the reaction cup to the hanging portion, so that the reaction cup swings When it reaches a certain angle, it will be blocked by the bottom wall of the first groove, so as to avoid its swinging too large.

The present application provides a novel sample analyzer comprising the cuvette automatic loading device according to any of the above embodiments and a transfer mechanism for moving the cuvette provided by the cuvette automatic loading device Go to other locations.

DRAWINGS

1 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of an automatic loading device for a reaction cup of the present application;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment of Figure 1;

3 is a schematic structural view of a picking block and a chain of the picking mechanism of the present application;

Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of the structure shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a picking block of the present application;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the cuvette automatic loading device of the present application;

Figure 7 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a cuvette of the present application;

Figure 8 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a transfer tank of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the position setting of a transfer slot in an embodiment of the present application; FIG.

Figure 10 is a partial enlarged view of the structure shown in part C of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the picking block of the present application;

Figure 12 is a schematic view showing the structure of the picking block and the chain of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a schematic view showing the cooperation of the stirring block with the silo and the picking mechanism in an embodiment of the present application;

14 is a flow chart of a method for self-recovery of a transport mechanism in an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments employ associated similar component numbers. In the following embodiments, many of the details are described in order to provide a better understanding of the application. However, those skilled in the art can easily realize that some of the features may be omitted in different situations, or may be replaced by other components, materials, and methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application have not been shown or described in the specification, in order to avoid that the core portion of the present application is overwhelmed by excessive description, and those skilled in the art will describe these in detail. Related operations are not necessary, they can fully understand the relevant operations according to the description in the manual and the general technical knowledge in the field.

In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification may be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be sequentially changed or adjusted in a manner that can be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and the drawings are only for the purpose of describing a particular embodiment, and are not intended to

The serial numbers themselves for the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the described objects, and do not have any order or technical meaning. As used herein, "connected" or "coupled", unless otherwise specified, includes both direct and indirect connections (joining).

Example 1:

The first embodiment provides a cuvette automatic loading device which can automatically load the cuvette so that the disordered cuvettes are finally arranged in a certain order for subsequent operation.

Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the cuvette automatic loading device 1 includes a silo 101, a picking mechanism 102, a reversing mechanism 103, a transport mechanism 104, and a control unit (not shown). The control unit is used to control the picking mechanism 102, the reversing mechanism 103, and the transport mechanism 104.

The silo 101 is used for storing a disordered cuvette having an accommodating chamber having an open opening, which allows the operator to pour the bulk cuvette into the accommodating chamber. The open opening may also be provided with an openable lid such that the open opening is closed when no cuvette is added. The silo 101 may be in the shape of a large upper and lower, and the open opening is provided at the upper portion such that the open opening has a sufficient size to allow the operator to add the cuvette.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, in an embodiment, the picking mechanism 102 includes a driving structure 1022 and a plurality of picking blocks 1021 spaced apart from the driving structure 1022 for picking up the reaction from the silo 101 during the moving process. cup.

The pickup block 1021 includes a bearing surface 1021A for supporting the reaction cup, a baffle 1021B disposed opposite the bearing surface 1021A, and a connecting body 1021C connecting the bearing surface 1021A and the baffle 1021B. The bearing surface 1021A, the connecting body 1021C, and the baffle 1021B may be integrally formed, or may be formed by fixing the separated bearing surface 1021A, the connecting body 1021C, and the baffle 1021B to each other.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bearing surface 1021A may be a face or faces of the load-bearing body 102D. The load-bearing body 102D may be a plate-shaped body or may have any other shape.

The bearing surface 1021A, the connecting body 1021C and the baffle 1021B form a receiving groove 1021K for accommodating the reaction cup. The receiving groove 1021K is disposed obliquely downward as a whole, and has a cuvette outlet 1021H for the reaction cup to fall. Thereby, the cuvette can be slid down from the accommodating groove 1021K under the action of gravity. The cuvette outlet 1021H is typically located on the lower side of the receiving trough 1021K. The accommodating tank 1021K further has a cuvette inlet, and the cuvette inlet may preferably be disposed obliquely upward or partially obliquely upward so that the cuvette can fall from the cuvette inlet into the accommodating groove 1021K under the force of gravity. Of course, for the pickup block 1021 shown in FIG. 5, the cuvette inlet of the receiving groove 1021K includes a cuvette outlet 1021H (at the same time as an inlet and an outlet), a side opening 1021J opposite to the cuvette outlet 1021H, and a connection. The opening 1021I of the body 1021C is opposite to one side, and the reaction cups randomly enter from the openings into the accommodating groove 1021K. In addition to having the cuvette outlet 1021H simultaneously as part of the cuvette inlet, in other embodiments, the cuvette inlet and cuvette outlet of the receiving cell 1021K can be separately spaced apart.

Here, the accommodating groove 1021K is disposed obliquely downward as a whole and the cuvette inlet of the accommodating groove 1021K is disposed obliquely upwards in the process of picking up and transporting the cuvette in the picking block 1021 (ie, the picking block 1021 shown by the arrow in FIG. 3) Move up this paragraph).

In order to avoid picking up and storing more than two cuvettes in one accommodating groove 1021K, it is preferable to set the width and length of the accommodating groove 1021K to be slightly larger than the reaction cup, that is, only one cuvette can be accommodated. . Generally, the accommodating groove 1021K is disposed laterally, that is, matched with the shape when the reaction cup is lying, so that the reaction cup is accommodated in the accommodating groove 1021K in a lying manner. However, in some embodiments, it is also not excluded to place the cuvette in a vertical manner on the pick-up block 1021.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the driving structure 1022 controls the picking block 1021 so that the receiving slot 1021K of the picking block 1021 can pass through the silo obliquely upward from the lower direction during a stroke. 101, for picking up, transporting and unloading the cuvette. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, an oblique opening 1013 is disposed on the side of the silo 101, and a part of the picking mechanism 102 is inserted into the oblique opening 1013. After entering the silo 101, the picking block 1021 accommodates the slot 1021K. The upper cuvette inlet is placed in the silo 101 and disposed obliquely upward so that the cuvette falls into the accommodating groove 1021K. When the driving structure 1022 and the picking block 1021 are loaded into the oblique opening 1013, they substantially seal the oblique opening 1013 or have a small gap with the opening wall of the oblique opening 1013 so that the cuvette does not The silo 101 is dropped at the oblique opening 1013.

Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the silo 101 is divided into a large one and a small cavity by an intermediate partition. The large cavity 1011 is used to add and store a new cuvette, and the small cavity 1012 is effective. In the pick-up area, the large cavity 1011 communicates with the small cavity 1012. When the cuvette in the small cavity 1012 is reduced, the cuvette in the large cavity 1011 enters the small cavity 1012. A portion of the pick-up mechanism 102 extends obliquely upward from the small cavity 1012 such that the pick-up block 1021 sequentially passes through the small cavity 1012 under the driving of the driving structure 1022 and moves obliquely upward, thereby causing the reaction in the small cavity 1012. The cup falls on the load bearing surface 1021A of the pickup block 1021 by gravity and the surrounding reaction cup, and moves with the pickup block 1021, thereby completing the pickup of the cuvette.

The large and small cavities can prevent too many cuvettes from being stacked in the small cavity 1012, so that the pickup block 1021 does not pick up the cuvette. Of course, the silo 101 is also not limited to such a large one and two small cavities, which may also be a complete cavity or other design.

Further, the driving structure 1022 can be driven by a motor to drive a conveyor chain or a timing belt, and the pickup block 1021 is fixedly mounted on the timing belt or the transmission chain. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment, the drive structure 1022 includes a motor (not shown separately, but this does not affect the understanding of those skilled in the art) and the conveyor chain 1023. The conveyor chain 1023 and its transfer wheel are integrally inclined, and the transport chain 1023 forms a circulating working transport track. The plurality of pick-up blocks 1021 are disposed at a distance from each other on the transport chain 1023, thereby being driven by the transport chain 1023. The cuvette is transported obliquely above the cycle.

In the conventional pick-up mechanism 102, the cuvette is dropped from the accommodating groove 1021K by its own gravity. However, when contaminants are attached to the process of the reaction cup or the subsequent storage, the cuvette will not easily slide off the load bearing surface 1021A of the pickup block 1021, and thus will continue to move upward along with the pickup block 1021.

As shown in FIG. 4, there is a gap 1025 between adjacent picking blocks 1021, and when a picking block 1021 continues to move upward to the corner of the transport chain 1023 with the unloaded cuvette, The gap 1025 between adjacent picking blocks 1021 will become larger. At this time, the orientation of the pickup block 1021 is changed, and if the blocking action of the baffle 1021B is absent, the cuvette is extremely easily dropped into the slit 1025 between the two adjacent pickup blocks 1021, eventually causing the pickup mechanism 102 to be stuck. In this embodiment, the un-unloaded cuvette can only remain in the accommodating groove 1021K due to the presence of the baffle 1021B, or fall from the opening of the accommodating groove 1021K, and does not fall between the adjacent pick-up blocks 1021. In the gap 1025, the pick-up problem of the pickup mechanism 102 caused thereby is also avoided.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the baffle 1021B has an upper surface 1021E opposite to the bearing surface 1021A. At least one of the bearing surface 1021A and the upper surface 1021E has a

chamfer

1021F, 1021G disposed outwardly from the receiving groove 1021K. It is used to increase the size of the opening of the cuvette inlet so that the cuvette provides a larger inlet and it is easier to collect the cuvette. In addition, due to this special pick-up structure, when one pick-up block 1021 passes obliquely upward through the magazine 101, there may be several cuvettes stacked in one of the receiving grooves 1021K. At this time, the chamfer can also serve as a guide for the first cuvette to fall more easily into the accommodating groove 1021K than the normal cusp transition. When the first cuvette falls into the accommodating groove 1021K, the other cuvettes are more likely to fall from the picking block 1021 due to the shortage of the remaining space of the accommodating groove 1021K and the existence of the chamfering, and will not hang. On the groove wall of the receiving groove 1021K.

In one embodiment, referring to Figures 5 and 7, the cuvette 200 has a rib 202 as a hanging portion, the cross-sectional dimension of the rib (when the rib cross-section is circular, the cross-sectional dimension is the outermost The diameter of the circle formed along the base is d, and the cross-sectional dimension of the portion 203 below the suspension portion of the cuvette 200 is f (when the cross-section of the portion 203 below the suspension portion of the cuvette 200 is circular, the cross-sectional dimension is the most The diameter of the circle formed by the outer edge), the range of the load-bearing surface chamfer a is selected as:

0.5 (d-f) ≤ a ≤ 2 (d-f).

The upper baffle b range is selected as:

0.5f ≤ b ≤ 2f.

The chamfering angle is set within such a range of values, so that the accommodating groove 1021K has sufficient cavities to accommodate the cuvette 200 well, and the cuvette inlet of the accommodating groove 1021K has a larger opening. In order to facilitate the reaction cup 200 to enter the accommodating groove 1021K.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the reversing mechanism 103 is disposed at one side of the pick-up mechanism 102 for receiving and transmitting the cuvette dropped from the pick-up block 1021 , and the transfer mechanism 104 is coupled to the unloading position of the reversing mechanism 103 . (where the cuvette is dropped from the pickup mechanism 102).

The reversing mechanism 103 functions as a collection and sorting process for the picking mechanism 102 to pick up The resulting cuvettes can be arranged in order. Referring to FIG. 6, the cuvette inlet 1035 of the reversing mechanism 103 is disposed at the discharge position of the pickup mechanism 102, and enters the reversing mechanism 103 when the cuvette slides off the pickup block 1021.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9, in one embodiment, the reversing mechanism 103 can have a transfer groove 1031 disposed obliquely downward so that the cuvette 200 is sequentially moved downward along the transfer groove 1031. Even in some embodiments, the transfer slot 1031 can be configured with a buffer for queuing the cuvette 200 in the buffer. In addition to this, the reversing mechanism 103 can also be other types of transport mechanisms.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 8-10, in one embodiment, the silo 101 has a first side panel 1014 disposed along a moving track of the picking block 1021, the first side panel 1014 sealing the cuvette of the picking block 1021. The outlet 1021H side (the lower side of the receiving groove 1021K) serves to prevent the cuvette 200 from falling out of the bearing surface 1021A. The first side panel 1014 does not extend to the highest point of the one side conveyor chain 1023, and the upper edge of the beginning of the conveyor slot 1031 (near the end of the picking mechanism 102 discharge position) is substantially flush with the highest edge of the first side panel 1014. The substantially flush height difference is within ±5 mm. Only when the cuvette 200 on the pickup block 1021 has passed the highest edge of the first side plate 1014 can it fall into the transfer groove 1031.

Meanwhile, the other side of the first side panel 1014 may be provided with an opposite second first side panel 1015. The first side panel 1014 and the second side edge are respectively located at two sides of the transport chain 1023, and the picking block 1021 is respectively Limit and protect the side.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, the direction in which the reversing mechanism 103 transmits the cuvette 200 is at an angle to the direction in which the pickup mechanism 102 carries the cuvette 200, and can be used to change the conveying direction of the cuvette 200 to facilitate cooperation with subsequent structures. . Of course, in other embodiments both can maintain the same or opposite orientation settings.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the transfer mechanism 104 has at least one reaction cup position 1043 for storing the cuvette 200 for placing the cuvette 200.

In the present embodiment, the transport mechanism 104 employs a transfer tray for transporting and positioning the aligned cuvette 200 to a designated location in the system. During the rotation of the transfer disk, the cuvette 200 in the reversing mechanism 103 enters the reaction cup position 1043 of the transfer tray, and the reaction cup 200 is transported to the designated position of the system by the rotation of the transfer tray.

Referring to Figures 1 and 6, in one embodiment, the transport mechanism 104 includes a mounting base 1041 and a rotating disc 1042 having at least one reaction cup position 1043, the reaction cup position 1043 opening on one side to form an inner cup Port 1045, the rotating disk 1042 is rotatably disposed in the Mounted in the 1041. The rotating disk 1042 can be driven by a motor or other drive structure. The rotating disk 1042 is a disk structure, and the mounting seat 1041 forms a cylindrical cavity such that after the rotating disk 1042 is mounted to the cavity, the mounting seat 1041 surrounds the rotating disk 1042. One side of the mounting seat 1041 opens to form an outer cup opening 1044 that abuts the cuvette outlet 1036 of the reversing mechanism 103, and the inner cup opening 1045 is disposed on a side of the rotating disc 1042 adjacent to the mounting seat 1041 ( The outer side of the disk 1042 is rotated such that the inner cup opening 1045 can be aligned with the outer cup opening 1044 by rotation for the reaction cup 200 to enter the reaction cup position 1043.

Referring to Figures 1 and 6, in one embodiment, the transport mechanism 104 is always rotated in one direction and the transport mechanism 104 has a plurality of reaction cup positions 1043. When one of the reaction cups 1043 receives the cuvette, the transfer mechanism 104 rotates one stroke to move the next cuvette position 1043 to the cuvette outlet 1036 of the transfer tank 1031, at which time the transfer mechanism 104 waits for the cuvette 200 to enter the reaction. After the cup position 1043, another stroke is rotated to align the next reaction cup position 1043 with the cuvette outlet 1036 of the transfer tank 1031, and to rotate in this movement.

The rotary disk 1042 is mounted on a transfer motor (not shown) that is coupled to the transfer motor for controlling the rotation of the transfer motor to control the rotation of the rotary disk 1042.

The transfer motor has the possibility of out-of-step during the working process. In order to avoid the problem that the module is stopped due to the out-of-step failure during the operation of the rotating disk 1042, in one embodiment, a self-recovery method after the out-of-step is provided.

Referring to FIG. 14, when the control unit detects the out-of-step signal of the transfer motor, the transfer motor is driven to reversely rotate the set distance and then rotates in the forward direction, and the control unit controls the transfer motor to open the change during the forward rotation of the transfer motor.

When the control unit receives the signal to find the zero position, it controls the transfer motor to rotate normally.

When the control unit receives the signal of the failure to change, the control transfer motor stops working and sends a message. The operator manually intervenes according to the prompt information to perform maintenance.

Of course, after the control unit detects that the transfer motor is out of step, an out-of-step alarm can also be performed to alert the operator.

In one embodiment, the transfer motor can also rotate forward to the next cup position during the change process and determine if the zero position is found. If the zero position is found, the self-recovery process ends and the rotation is normal. If the zero is not found, continue to the next cup and continue to change. After multiple failed changes, the control unit then controls the transfer motor to stop working and issues a message.

The above describes an automatic method including both the reversing mechanism 103 and the transport mechanism 104. Loading device. In other embodiments, the reversing mechanism 103 may be omitted, and the transport mechanism 104 directly acquires the cuvette 200 dropped on the pick-up mechanism 102 and transports it. In addition, the transfer mechanism 104 can also be integrated with the reversing mechanism 103 into a structure that has both the function of the reversing mechanism 103 and the function of the transfer mechanism 104.

Referring to Figures 2 and 13, in one embodiment, a stirring mechanism is further provided, the agitating mechanism having a stirring block 105 installed in the silo 101 for agitating the cuvette 200 and enabling the cuvette 200 The entry into the bearing surface 1021A improves the picking efficiency of the picking mechanism 102.

The agitation block 105 can be driven by a separate power source. The agitating block 105 can also be controlled by the power source of the pick-up mechanism 102. For example, the agitating block 105 is driven by the driven shaft of the transport chain 1023. During the movement of the pick-up mechanism 102, the agitating block 105 is simultaneously moved up and down or in other directions. The agitating block 105 may have a motion trajectory that is substantially the same as the direction of movement of the bearing surface 1021A or vertically upward. For example, the agitation block 105 can be disposed along the pick-up mechanism 102, and its motion trajectory can be parallel to the moving direction of the corresponding pick-up block 1021, and its function is to push the stacked cuvette 200 up, so that the cuvette 200 falls during the falling process. Goes to the pickup block 1021.

Referring to Figure 13, in one embodiment, the silo 101 encloses a mixing chamber with the bottom of the picking mechanism 102. Specifically, the lower portion 1016 and the bottom wall 1017 of the side wall of the silo 101 may be enclosed with the pick-up mechanism 102 as a stirring chamber. The agitation block 105 is housed in the agitation chamber and is disposed side by side with the pickup mechanism 102.

Preferably, the pick-up mechanism 102 and the silo 101 do not form a gap with the agitation block 105. If a gap is formed, the gap has a size that prevents the cuvette 200 from falling into the gap to prevent the cuvette 200 from falling into the gap. Causes the machine to become stuck.

The agitation speed of the agitation block 105 can be matched to the speed of the conveyor chain 1023 in the pickup mechanism 102, particularly to the speed of movement of the pickup block 1021 on the conveyor chain 1023, such that the agitation block 105 agitates the cuvette 200 each time. The scattered cuvette 200 can fall on the rising pickup block 1021.

Example 2:

The second embodiment provides a reaction cup automatic loading device for solving the problem that the reaction cup falls out of the pickup mechanism due to an excessive swing angle when the reaction cup is dropped to the reversing mechanism.

Referring to Figures 1, 6, and 8, the cuvette automatic loading device 1 includes a silo 101, a picking mechanism 102, a reversing mechanism 103, a transfer mechanism 104, and a control unit (not shown).

The bin 101 is used to store the cuvette 200, which is used to pick up, transfer and unload the cuvette 200. The transfer mechanism 104 mechanism is for acquiring the cuvette 200 from the reversing mechanism 103 and delivering the cuvette 200 to a designated place. In this embodiment, the structure of the silo 101 and the transport mechanism 104 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and this is no longer a rumor. The pickup mechanism 102 can also adopt the structure as shown in Embodiment 1. However, in other embodiments, the silo 101, the pick-up mechanism 102, and the transport mechanism 104 may also employ other forms of construction. The control unit is used to control the action of the picking mechanism 102 to pick up and transport the cuvette 200 as needed.

The reversing mechanism 103 is coupled to the picking mechanism 102, and the reversing mechanism 103 has a transfer groove 1031 disposed obliquely downward from the side of the picking mechanism 102. The transfer groove 1031 has a size that allows the lower portion of the cuvette 200 to protrude, and the width of the transfer groove 1031 is smaller than the width of the hanging portion on the cuvette 200. When the cuvette 200 is dropped into the transfer tank 1031, the hanging portion of the cuvette 200 can be hung on the groove wall of the transfer groove 1031, and the portion below the suspension portion of the cuvette 200 protrudes into the transfer groove 1031, so that the reaction cup 200 slides on the transfer groove 1031 through the hanging portion.

Referring to FIG. 7, the cuvette 200 used in the embodiment includes a tubular body 201 and a rib 202 disposed outside the tubular body 201. In the cuvette 200, the rib 202 corresponds to the hanging portion of the cuvette 200. The portion below the suspension portion of the cuvette 200 is 203, and the cuvette 200 is mainly suspended by the rib 202 at the upper edge of the transfer groove 1031. Of course, in other embodiments, the suspension portion can also be other forms of structure, such as a plurality of bumps, and even in some embodiments in which the tubular bodies 201 are tapered, the suspension portion can be the tubular body 201. The outer wall allows the smaller end of the tubular body 201 to extend into the transfer slot 1031, while the larger end is suspended outside the transfer slot 1031.

Referring to FIG. 8, when the reaction cup 200 falls into the transfer tank 1031, it relies on the gravity of the reaction cup 200 itself, and it is simultaneously rotated during the sliding process. By the rotation of the reaction cup 200, the opening of the reaction cup 200 can always be made toward Onwards, the commutation of the cuvette 200 is completed. However, since the cuvette 200 falls into the transfer groove 1031, it oscillates in the transfer groove 1031 substantially around the hanging portion. For example, in Fig. 8, the cuvette 200 is shown entering the transfer tank 1031 in a bottom rightward manner, at which point the portion 203 below the suspension portion of the cuvette 200 swings downward in a clockwise direction. Similarly, when the cuvette 200 enters the transfer tank 1031 in a bottom-to-left manner, the portion 203 below the suspension portion of the cuvette 200 swings downward in a counterclockwise direction. Once this sway is too large, the cuvette 200 will be slid out or dropped from the transfer slot 1031, causing other malfunctions.

In this regard, in the present embodiment, the transfer groove 1031 has a first groove bottom wall 1032 at least at an end close to the pick-up mechanism 102, and the distance between the first groove bottom wall 1032 and the transfer groove 1031 (vertical distance, as shown in FIG. 8 The dotted line A is smaller than the distance from the bottom of the cuvette 200 to the hanging portion. When the cuvette 200 is swung to a certain angle, it is blocked by the first groove bottom wall 1032, as shown in FIG. 8, so as to prevent the sway from being excessively large, and slipping or falling from the transfer groove 1031. Moreover, when the cuvette 200 enters the transfer tank 1031 in a bottom rightward manner, the first tank bottom wall 1032 can also decelerate the cuvette 200 to prevent it from sliding down from the inside of the transfer tank 1031.

Referring to FIG. 6, the transfer mechanism 104 is coupled to a discharge position of the transfer tank 1031. The transfer mechanism 104 has at least one reaction cup position 1043 for storing the cuvette 200 for placing and transporting the cuvette 200.

With continued reference to FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the bottom of the transfer slot 1031 is provided with a recess 1034 behind the first slot bottom wall 1032. The recess 1031 means that there is no opening in the bottom wall or the bottom wall of the portion. The recess allows the lower portion of the cuvette 200 to naturally hang down in the transfer groove 1031 and then slide down sequentially.

In other embodiments, the bottom of the transfer trough 1031 is provided with a second trough bottom wall (not shown) behind the first trough bottom wall 1032. The distance from the bottom of the second groove to the upper edge of the transfer groove 1031 (vertical distance, as indicated by a broken line B in Fig. 8) is larger than the distance from the bottom of the cuvette 200 to the hanging portion. The second groove bottom wall allows the lower portion of the cuvette 200 to naturally hang down in the transfer groove 1031 and then slide down sequentially.

Of course, in other embodiments, the transfer slot 1031 can have both the above-mentioned recess 1034 and the second slot bottom wall. Further, referring to FIG. 8-10, in an embodiment, the reversing mechanism 103 has a substantially V-shaped guiding groove 1033. The bottom of the guiding groove 1033 is in communication with the conveying groove 1031 and is in the same direction as the conveying groove 1031. Extended settings. The guiding groove 1033 is used to enlarge the receiving range of the conveying groove 1031, so that the position where the reaction cup 200 is dropped on the picking block 1021 can still fall into the guiding groove 1033 even if it is not accurate enough, and slides along with the guiding surface of the guiding groove 1033. It enters the transfer slot 1031.

On the other hand, the transfer slot 1031 has a sliding area adjacent to the pick-up mechanism 102 and a buffer area for buffering the cuvette 200, the buffer area being engaged behind the sliding area, so that the cuvette 200 can enter from the sliding area into the buffer area. Queued cache. The buffer area is usually disposed at the end of the transfer slot 1031. At this time, the cuvettes 200 are sequentially arranged and sequentially cached in the transfer groove 1031, and the slide-down area can be regarded as the start end of the transfer groove 1031 (near the discharge position of the pickup mechanism 102). End) to the area of the buffer area.

The buffer area is provided with a storage state detecting unit, configured to detect whether the cuvette 200 in the buffer area is arranged to a set position or whether a set number is reached, and the storage state detecting unit is connected with the control unit to feed back a buffer to the control unit. The storage state of the zone. The control unit can determine whether to continue picking up the cuvette 200 and whether to remind the user based on the received storage status. For example, when it is detected that the cuvette 200 is full, the pickup mechanism 102 is controlled to stop picking up the cuvette 200, and the user can also be informed that the cuvette 200 buffer is full.

Further, the sliding area is provided with a cuvette 200 detecting unit, and the detecting unit 200 is connected to the control unit for detecting whether the cuvette 200 is moved from the sliding area to the buffer area. The control unit can determine whether the silo 101 needs to add the cuvette 200 according to the detection result of the detecting unit of the cuvette 200. If the reaction cup 200 is not moved from the sliding area to the buffer area for a long time, and the pickup mechanism 102 remains in operation during this time, it can be considered that the cuvette 200 in the magazine 101 is insufficient to be picked up by the pickup mechanism 102, and a reaction needs to be added. Cup 200, which reminds the user to add.

The storage state detecting unit and/or the cuvette 200 detecting unit employs a photosensor. When detecting whether the reaction cup 200 is full, the photoelectric sensor may be disposed in the buffer area or at the intersection of the buffer area and the sliding area, and the photoelectric sensor only needs to detect whether the position of the reaction cup 200 is always present in the position within a certain time. .

Generally, the first groove bottom wall 1032 can be located in the sliding area, and the buffer area is disposed in the area corresponding to the second groove bottom wall or the recess 1034, thereby ensuring that the cuvette 200 slides into the buffer area. It is possible to adjust to a state of natural drooping so as to hang in the transfer groove 1031 in a state of natural drooping, thereby increasing the number of buffers of the cuvette 200 in the buffer area.

The pickup block 1024 employed in the present embodiment may also be the pickup block 1021 shown in Embodiment 1, so that the cuvette 200 can be prevented from falling into the gap between the adjacent pickup blocks 1024.

On the other hand, the pickup block can also adopt other structures. Referring to Figures 2, 11 and 12, in an embodiment, the pick-up mechanism 102 includes a drive structure 1022 and a plurality of pick-up blocks 1024 spaced apart from the drive structure (in this embodiment, specifically on the transport chain 1023). The block 1024 has a bearing surface 1024A for supporting the cuvette 200, and the driving structure 1022 controls the picking block 1024 so that the bearing surface 1024A of the picking block 1024 can pass obliquely upward from the lower direction through the silo 101 for picking up, The cuvette 200 is shipped and unloaded.

The bearing surface 1024A is disposed obliquely, and the lower side forms a cuvette outlet 1024H. This manner is roughly equivalent to the pickup block 1021 shown in the first embodiment omitting the shutter 1021B. The silo The 101 has a first side panel 1014 disposed along the path of movement of the picking block 1024, the first side panel 1014 enclosing the side of the cuvette outlet 1024H of the picking block 1024 to prevent the cuvette 200 from falling out of the load bearing surface 1024A. The upper edge of the transfer slot 1031 (near the end of the pick-up position of the pick-up mechanism 102) is substantially flush with the highest edge of the first side panel 1014, and is substantially flush within ±5 mm, only when the reaction on the pick-up block 1024 The cup 200 can be dropped into the transfer groove 1031 after it has passed the highest edge of the first side plate 1014.

Meanwhile, the other side of the first side plate 1014 may be provided with an opposite second first side plate 1015. The first side plate 1014 and the second side edge are respectively located at two sides of the transport chain 1023, and two pairs of the picking block 1024 are Limit and protect the side.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, in the present embodiment, the picking block 1024 includes a connecting body 1024B mounted on the driving structure 1022 in addition to the bearing surface 1024A. In the same manner as the first embodiment, the driving structure 1022 can be driven by a motor to drive the transmission chain 1023 or the timing belt, and the pickup block 1024 is fixedly mounted on the timing belt or the transmission chain.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, in one embodiment, the drive structure 1022 includes a motor (not shown separately, but this does not affect the understanding of those skilled in the art) and the conveyor chain 1023. The conveyor chain 1023 and its transfer wheel are integrally tilted, and the transport chain 1023 forms a circulating working transport track. The plurality of picking blocks 1024 are disposed at a distance from each other on the transport chain 1023, thereby being driven by the transport chain 1023. The cuvette 200 is transported obliquely above the cycle.

Referring to FIG. 11, in order to enlarge the space in which the cuvette 200 enters the bearing surface 1024A, the picking block 1024 has a bearing surface 1024A for supporting the cuvette 200 and a lower bottom surface 1024C on the back surface of the bearing surface 1024A, the bearing surface 1024A and the lower surface. At least one of the bottom surfaces 1024C has

chamfers

1024D, 1024E for increasing the probability of the cuvette 200 entering the load bearing surface 1024A.

In one embodiment, the range of chamfering a of the bearing surface 1024A (consistent with the chamfer of the bearing surface 1021A shown above) is selected to be:

0.5 (d-f) ≤ a ≤ 2 (d-f).

In one embodiment, the range of chamfers c of the lower bottom surface 1024C is selected to be:

0.5f ≤ c ≤ 2f.

The chamfering effect of the lower bottom surface 1024C is to cooperate with the bearing surface 1024A of the next pick-up block 1024 to form a larger opening for the cuvette 200 to enter the load bearing surface 1024A.

This chamfer design also serves as a guide for the first cuvette 200 to more easily and accurately fall onto the bearing surface 1024A as compared to the usual sharp corner transition. And when the first one After the cup 200 falls into the bearing surface 1024A, the other cuvettes 200 are more likely to fall from the picking block 1024 because of the lack of remaining space of the bearing surface 1024A and the existence of chamfering, and will not hang on the bearing surface 1024A. On the wall of the tank.

The above embodiments 1 and 2 respectively show a cuvette automatic loading device 1, but the two embodiments are separately described for better display of their respective features, and in other embodiments, portions of the two embodiments Or all of the technical features can be combined and superimposed. For example, the reversing mechanism 103 in the embodiment 1 can adopt the reversing mechanism 103 of the embodiment 2 to prevent the reaction cup 200 from being deflected excessively. The picking structure in the embodiment 2 can be adopted. The pickup mechanism 102 shown in Embodiment 1.

Example 3:

The third embodiment provides a sample analyzer comprising a cuvette automatic loading device and a robot for providing a cuvette. The transfer mechanism is used to move the cuvette provided by the cuvette automatic loading device to other locations, and in some embodiments, the transfer mechanism can employ a robot or other mechanism having a transfer function.

The other location may be a location on the reaction device, which may be a reaction tray. The function of the reaction device is to provide one or more cup positions for placing the reaction cup; other positions may also be the sample loading positions separated from the reaction plate, and the robot transports the reaction cup to the sample loading position for the sample loading operation.

The cuvette automatic loading device employs any of the cuvette automatic loading devices 1 shown in the above embodiments 1 and 2. Alternatively, the cuvette can be picked up using any of the cuvette picking mechanisms shown in the above embodiment 1.

The invention has been described above with reference to specific examples, which are merely intended to aid the understanding of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Variations to the above-described embodiments may be made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

Claims

A cuvette automatic loading device, comprising:

a silo for storing the cuvette;

a picking mechanism, the picking mechanism comprising a driving structure and a plurality of picking blocks spaced apart on the driving structure, the picking block comprising a bearing surface for supporting the reaction cup, a baffle disposed opposite the bearing surface, and a connecting bearing surface And a connecting body of the baffle, the bearing surface, the connecting body and the baffle forming a receiving groove for accommodating the reaction cup, the accommodating groove has a cuvette inlet and a cuvette outlet, and the driving structure is opposite to the picking block Controlling the load-bearing surface of the pick-up block to pass through the silo obliquely upward from the lower direction for picking up, transporting and unloading the cuvette;

a transport mechanism having at least one reaction cup for storing a cuvette for placing a cuvette;

And a control unit for controlling the action of the picking mechanism.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 1, wherein the baffle has an upper damper surface opposite to the bearing surface, and at least one of the bearing surface and the upper damper has a self-accommodating groove outward. The chamfer is set to increase the opening size of the receiving slot.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 2, wherein the cuvette loaded by the cuvette automatic loading device has a suspension portion having a cross-sectional dimension d, and the cuvette suspension portion is below The cross-sectional dimension of the portion is f, and the range of the chamfering a of the bearing surface is selected to be: 0.5 (df) ≤ a ≤ 2 (df).
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 3, wherein the range of the chamfer b of the upper dam is selected to be 0.5f ≤ b ≤ 2f.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 1, wherein said baffle, the connecting body and the bearing surface are of unitary construction.
A cuvette automatic loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a reversing mechanism, the reversing mechanism being disposed at one side of the picking mechanism for receiving and conveying the self-picking block The falling reaction cup is connected to the reaction cup outlet of the reversing mechanism.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 6, wherein said reversing mechanism comprises a transfer groove disposed obliquely downward from a side of the pick-up mechanism, said transfer groove having a portion allowing the cuvette to be below the suspension portion a size that extends into, and the width of the transfer groove is smaller than the width of the hanging portion on the cuvette, and the transfer groove has at least one end near the pick-up mechanism a groove bottom wall, the distance from the bottom wall of the first groove to the upper edge of the transfer groove is smaller than the distance from the bottom of the reaction cup to the hanging portion.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 7, wherein the bottom of the transfer groove is provided with a recess portion and/or a second groove bottom wall behind the first groove bottom wall, the second groove The distance from the bottom wall to the upper edge of the transfer groove which is vertically above the bottom wall of the second groove is greater than the distance from the bottom of the reaction cup to the hanging portion, and the second groove bottom wall and the hollow portion enable the lower portion of the reaction cup to hang naturally Inside the transfer slot.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 7, wherein said reversing mechanism has a substantially V-shaped guide groove, and a bottom of said guide groove communicates with the transfer groove and extends in the same direction as the transfer groove .
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 7, wherein said silo has a first side plate disposed along a track of the picking block, and said first side plate encloses a lower side of the receiving groove To prevent the reaction cup from falling out of the bearing surface; the upper edge of the beginning of the transfer groove is substantially flush with the highest edge of the first side plate, so that the cuvette that passes over the highest edge of the first side plate can be dropped to the transfer Inside the slot.
A cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said transfer groove has a slide-down area adjacent to the pick-up mechanism and a buffer area for buffering the cuvette, said buffer area being coupled behind the slide-down area to cause a reaction The cup can enter the buffer area from the sliding area for queuing.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 11, wherein the buffer area is provided with a storage state detecting unit for detecting whether the cuvette in the buffer area is arranged to a set position or whether a set number is reached. The storage state detecting unit is connected to the control unit signal for causing the control unit to stop the action of the driving structure after receiving the full signal from the storage state detecting unit.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 12, wherein the sliding area is provided with a cuvette detecting unit, and the cuvette detecting unit is connected with the control unit for detecting whether there is a reaction cup from the sliding area. Move to the cache.
The cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said storage state detecting unit and/or cuvette detecting unit employs a photosensor.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 11, wherein The bottom wall of the first groove is located in the sliding zone.
A cuvette automatic loading device, comprising:

a silo for storing the cuvette;

a picking mechanism for picking up, transferring and unloading the cuvette;

a reversing mechanism, the reversing mechanism is coupled to the pick-up mechanism, and the reversing mechanism has a transfer groove disposed obliquely downward from a side of the pick-up mechanism, the transfer groove having a size allowing the lower portion of the cuvette to extend therein, and The width of the conveying groove is smaller than the width of the hanging portion on the reaction cup, and the conveying groove has a first groove bottom wall at least at an end close to the picking mechanism, and the distance from the bottom wall of the first groove to the upper edge of the conveying groove is smaller than the reaction cup The distance from the bottom to the suspension;

a transfer mechanism, the transfer mechanism is coupled to the reaction cup outlet of the transfer tank, the transfer mechanism having at least one reaction cup for storing the reaction cup for placing the reaction cup;

And a control unit for controlling the action of the picking mechanism.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 16, wherein the bottom of the transfer groove is provided with a recess portion and/or a second groove bottom wall behind the first groove bottom wall, the second groove The distance from the bottom wall to the upper edge of the transfer groove is greater than the distance from the bottom of the reaction cup to the hanging portion, and the second groove bottom wall and the recess allow the lower portion of the cuvette to naturally hang down in the transfer groove.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 16, wherein the reversing mechanism has a substantially V-shaped guide groove, and the bottom of the guide groove communicates with the transfer groove and extends in the same direction as the transfer groove. .
A cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said picking mechanism comprises a picking block having a bearing surface for supporting the reaction cup and a lower bottom surface on the back side of the bearing surface, At least one of the bearing surface and the lower bottom surface has a chamfer to increase the probability of the reaction cup entering the bearing surface.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 19, wherein the cuvette loaded by the cuvette automatic loading device has a suspension portion having a cross-sectional dimension d, and the cuvette suspension portion is below The cross-sectional dimension of the portion is f, and the range of the chamfering a of the bearing surface is selected to be: 0.5 (df) ≤ a ≤ 2 (df).
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 20, wherein the range of the chamfer c of the lower bottom surface is selected to be 0.5f ≤ c ≤ 2f.
A cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said transfer groove has a slide-down area adjacent to the pickup mechanism and a buffer area for buffering the cuvette, said buffer area being coupled behind the slide-down area to cause a reaction The cup can enter the buffer area from the sliding area for queuing.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 22, wherein the buffer area is provided with a storage state detecting unit for detecting whether the cuvette in the buffer area is arranged to the set position or whether the set number is reached. The storage state detecting unit is connected to the control unit signal for feeding back the storage state of the buffer area to the control unit.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 23, wherein the sliding area is provided with a cuvette detecting unit, and the cuvette detecting unit is connected with a control unit for detecting whether there is a reaction cup from the sliding area. Move to the cache.
A cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said storage state detecting unit and/or cuvette detecting unit employs a photosensor.
The cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said first groove bottom wall is located in the sliding zone.
A cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said picking mechanism comprises a driving structure and a plurality of picking blocks spaced apart from each other on said driving structure, said picking blocks having load-bearing capacity for supporting the reaction cup The driving structure controls the picking block so that the bearing surface of the picking block can pass through the silo obliquely upward from the bottom direction for picking up, transporting and unloading the cuvette; the silo has a trajectory along the picking block a first side plate disposed, the first side plate sealing a side of the reaction cup outlet of the picking block to prevent the reaction cup from falling out of the bearing surface; the upper edge of the starting end of the transfer groove and the first side plate The highest edge is substantially flush so that the cuvette that has passed the highest edge of the first side panel can fall into the transfer trough.
A cuvette automatic loading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein said driving structure comprises a motor and a conveyor chain or timing belt driven by a motor, said pickup block being fixedly mounted on a timing belt or a transmission On the chain.
A cuvette automatic loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 27, further comprising a stirring mechanism having a stirring block installed in the silo for agitating the cuvette And allow the cuvette to enter the load bearing surface.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 29, wherein The agitating block is disposed along the picking mechanism such that the agitating block has at least a first motion trajectory that is substantially the same as the direction of movement of the bearing surface.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to claim 30, wherein the silo is enclosed with the bottom of the pick-up mechanism to form a stirring chamber, and the agitating block is disposed in the agitating chamber and disposed side by side with the pick-up mechanism.
The cuvette automatic loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein the transport mechanism comprises a mount, a rotary disk and a transfer motor, and the rotary disk is rotatably disposed in the mount. The rotating disk has at least one reaction cup position for storing the reaction cup; the rotating disk is mounted on a transfer motor, and the control unit is connected to the transfer motor for controlling the rotation of the transfer motor; the control unit detects the transfer After the motor loses the step signal, the transfer motor is driven to reversely rotate the set distance and then rotates in the forward direction, while the control unit controls the transfer motor to open the change during the forward rotation of the transfer motor; when the control unit receives the found zero After the signal of the bit, the transfer motor is controlled to rotate normally; when the control unit receives the signal of the failure of the change, the control transfer motor stops working and sends a prompt message.
A sample analyzer, comprising the cuvette automatic loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 32, and a transfer mechanism for moving a cuvette provided by the cuvette automatic loading device to Other locations.