JPH02216059A - Storage/carrier of container for measuring liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable storage of containers neatly by arranging a cell comprising the containers holding testing liquid to be stored in parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof. CONSTITUTION:A conveying area 2000 so provided for the moving of a cell is arranged while a processing work area 4000 is arranged. A storage mechanism is provided to hold a cell of an initial state while a delivery mechanism 101 is provided to move the cell in a direction crossing a length-wise array to be delivered to a conveying path 201 to form an initial state storage area 1000. Moreover, a conveying mechanism 200 is provided to move the cell by a specified value as being delivered from the mechanism 101 while a discharge mechanism 350 to discharge the cell finished with the job to form a conveying area 2000. A storage mechanism is provided to house the cell finished with the job discharged from the mechanism 350 while an uptake mechanism is provided to form a job end storage area 3000. Thus, a container storing/conveying work is accomplished efficiently in a relatively narrow occupation space as basic component part of an automatic apparatus.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a device for storing a group of containers containing a test liquid and for transporting the group of stored containers in accordance with the purpose of test work. It is related to.

[Conventional technology]

This type of test liquid container contains 1
There are two types: one in which each book is formed independently, and the other in which a group of small containers are connected in a row to form a row.

In addition, liquid test work includes a liquid injection process such as injecting or sucking out the required amount of the test liquid and test liquid, a processing process such as stirring or heating the liquid in the container, and a reflection process for the liquid. Liquid processing work such as inspection processes that detect light, scattered light, transmitted light, etc., or detect the amount of current and static electricity, and move, position, or store liquid containers to designated locations for these processes. It consists of various work processes such as storage, movement, and transportation processes, including container loading and unloading operations.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

- Various automation devices have been developed that automatically perform each of the work steps listed below.

As a basic component of automated equipment, it would be convenient to have a device that is configured to efficiently and efficiently perform the above-mentioned storage, movement, and transportation operations such as container loading and unloading in a relatively small occupied space. There is an issue in that it is desired to provide the following.

[Means to solve the problem]

This invention uses a cell formed by arranging a plurality of small containers in a row that contain the liquid necessary for the test, and includes an initial state storage area for storing the cells in the initial state, and a predetermined area for the test. A finished state storage area is provided for storing the cells in the finished state after completing the processing work, and a processing work area is provided for carrying out the liquid processing work. A liquid test container storing and transporting device having a structure, the transporting area having a structure for moving the cell in contact with one side of the initial state storage area and one side of the finished state 1 imaginary storage area. and an area arrangement means for arranging a processing work area between the initial state storage area and the final state storage fill area and above the transport area, and an arrangement in which the longitudinal directions of the plurality of cells are arranged in parallel. A storage mechanism is provided for storing cells in an initial state, and a storage mechanism is provided for moving the cells in a direction crossing the longitudinal arrangement and sending out the stored cells from one end of the arrangement to a conveyance path. an initial state storage area configuring means that is provided with a delivery mechanism to configure an initial state storage area; and a transport path that is provided from a side surface of the initial state storage area to a side surface of the final state storage area to carry the cells sent out by the transport delivery mechanism. a conveyance area configuring means that configures a conveyance area by providing a conveyance mechanism for moving a predetermined amount along the conveyance path and a discharge mechanism for discharging finished state cells from the conveyance path to a finished state storage area; A storage mechanism is provided for storing cells in a finished state ejected by the mechanism in an array parallel to each longitudinal direction, and a mechanism for moving and taking in cells in a direction crossing the longitudinal arrangement. The above-mentioned problems can be solved by providing an apparatus that includes a take-in mechanism and end state storage area configuring means for configuring the end state storage area.

〔Example〕

Examples will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1A shows the planar arrangement of the entire device, and in the figure, the transport area 2000 is arranged in contact with one side of each of the initial state storage area 1000 and the finished state storage area 3000,
Further, the processing work area 4000 is the initial state storage area 100.
0 and the finished state storage area 3000 and in the area above the transport mechanism.

FIG. 1B shows the arrangement of each mechanism part in each area, and in the figure, 100 is a loader, 104 is a take-out mechanism, and 200 is a
is a transport mechanism, 201 is a transport passage, 300 is an unloader,
350 represents a discharge mechanism, 400 represents a cell, and 500 represents a cell tray.

The cell tray 500 includes cells 4 formed by a group of containers described later.
As shown in FIG. 2, this is an auxiliary tool for assisting the movement of the cell 00, and as shown in FIG. The base portion 501 and the support portion 502 are integrally molded from a material with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum.
The structure is such that the heat applied to the cell 400 is easily transferred to the cell 400 supported by the support portion 502.

The supporting portion 502 has members 5 at both ends each having a C-shaped cross section.
10, and the intermediate member is a member 5 having an intermediate H-shaped cross section.
03, and are arranged with the open side of each cross section facing each other with a gap provided, and the opposing gap portion of each member 503 and 510 forms a vertical hole 504 by four parts of the cross section of each member. This vertical hole 5
In 2004, each container 401 of the cell 400 shown in the third article was housed, and the central axis 403 of each container 401 was supported in a vertical posture with the opening surface of the container 401 facing upward.

There are open windows 505 on both sides of the vertical hole 5040 due to the above-mentioned gap.
or formed. Recesses 506 are formed on one longitudinal side of the base 501 with a predetermined interval M maintained therebetween. This recess 506 is a protrusion 2 protruding from the transport mechanism 200, which will be described later.
03 is engaged, and this engagement causes the transport mechanism 200 to move and transport the cell tray 500 in its longitudinal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 1).

A notch 507 cut downward is formed at one end of the cell tray 500 in the longitudinal direction, and this notch 507 is connected to the loader 1.
00 is configured to engage with a projection 105 provided on one side of the transport mechanism 20 when mounted on the loader 100.
The recess 506 is located on the side opposite to the cell tray 500 so that it serves to identify one side in the longitudinal direction of the cell tray 500 and prevents incorrect insertion. The structure is such that both ends of the cell tray 500 in the longitudinal direction are aligned.

The cell 400 is a group of containers containing a test liquid, and as shown in FIG. 3, the flanges 402 provided on the two edges of a plurality of small containers 401 are connected together to form a row, for example, six containers. containers 401 are integrally formed with a gap 405 between the sides of each container.

A cell having six containers 401 is supported by a required number of cells 400, for example three cells 400 or one cell i-lay 500, with the gap 405 inserted into the member 503 of the cell tray 500.

The loader 100 is a main mechanical part arranged in the initial state storage area 100, and the loader]00 has a cell tray 500.
The longitudinal axis is the conveyance passage 20 of the conveyance mechanism 200.
They are stored in parallel to each other.

In this storage state, each cell I/ray 500 t40-
The cell tray 500 is mounted on a delivery mechanism 101 provided in the cell tray 500, and is moved in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cell tray 500.

In other words, the side surface of the loader 100 in contact with the transport mechanism 200 serves as a delivery port 102, and the cell tray 500 is moved toward this delivery port 102.

The delivery mechanism 101 is composed of a horizontal belt horizontally installed type Hel-1-conhair mechanism, and the mechanism seen from a vertical plane is shown in FIG. 4.

A belt 103 and a loader 100 that constitute a belt converter
Two belts 103 are installed on the floor of the cell tray 500, and the cell tray 500 is placed on top of these two belts 103.
3 is driven, the cell tray 500 placed on the cell tray 500 moves toward the outlet 102.

An ejection mechanism 104 is provided at the outlet 1026 of the loader 100 . This take-out mechanism 104 performs the operation of taking out only one cell tray 500 sent by the sending mechanism 101.

FIG. 4 shows a loader 100 and a delivery port 1 of this loader 100.
．． The structure of the take-out mechanism 104 installed in 02 is shown.

As shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 103 is installed on two sides of the floor plate 106 constituting the loader 00, and is driven in the direction of the arrow x as necessary. As a result, the cell tray 500 mounted on the Helll 1.03
is carried in the direction of arrow x every time the belt 103 is driven. A take-out mechanism 1 is provided at the outlet 102 of the loader 100.
04 can be established.

The take-out mechanism 104 includes a movable plate 110 swingably supported under the floor plate 106, an eccentric cam 108 that swings the movable plate 110, and an eccentric cam 108 that rotates one rotation at a predetermined rotational speed. morph 109, a protrusion 111 provided at the swinging free end of the movable plate 110, and an additional 1f of the protrusion 111.
FL Insulator 11.3 that detects the top dead center position and bottom dead center position of the flat plate 112 extended to the movable free end side and the movable plate 110.
．． 1.14.

The flat plate 112 is also formed as the conveyance path 201 of the first fastest mechanism 200, and the vertical outer surface of the heel 202 constituting the conveyance mechanism 200 is placed on its tip side.

A protrusion 203 is formed on the outer surface of the belt 202, and a recess 506 formed in the cells 1 to 500 engages with this protrusion 203, and by this engagement, the cell tray 500
is transported by the transport mechanism 200.

The ejecting operation by the first ejecting mechanism 104 is performed by the ejecting mechanism 35 described later.
0 is activated based on the detection of the timing at which the cell 1-ray 500 is discharged to the unloader 300.
The number of cell trays 500 on the cell tray 500 is limited to a predetermined number. When working in the processing work area 4000, the number of cell trays 500 is limited to one when the cell tray 500 moves forward and backward in the transport path 201 in a mixed manner.

Therefore, while a predetermined preceding cell tray 500 is present on the transport path 201 of the transport mechanism 200, the movable plate 110 of the take-out mechanism 104 is maintained in the substantially horizontal position shown in the figure, and the cell delivery port] 02 of the loader 100 and the transport A protruding piece 111 is made to protrude between the mechanisms 200, and the subsequent cell tray 500
Prevent them from getting close to Hell l-202 of the fastest mechanism 200. Further, the sensor 6 indicates that the cell tray 500 has been taken out to the general feeding path 201 by the operation of the taking out mechanism 104.
Detected by 01.

On the other hand, the preceding predetermined cell tray 500 is unloader 300
When the sensor 602 detects that the cell trays 500 arranged on the loader 100 are ejected, the belt 103 constituting the cell delivery mechanism 10 is activated to send out the cell trays 500 arranged on the loader 100.
102. However, since the leading cell tray 500 is restrained by the protrusion 11, the cells 1 to 500 do not actually move.

In conjunction with the activation of the delivery mechanism 101, the extraction mechanism 104 is also activated, and when the motor 109 that drives the extraction mechanism 104 starts rotating, the eccentric cam 108 is sufficiently decelerated by the reduction gear to rotate, for example, 25 times per minute. The eccentric cam 108 reaches the bottom dead center after about 1.4 seconds, and the sensor 114 detects that it has reached the bottom dead center position, and the motor 10
9 is paused.

When the eccentric cam 108 reaches the bottom dead center position, the movable plate 110
In the illustrated example, the left side is facing downward. As a result, the protruding piece 111 is pulled downward from Hell I-103,
The cell 1-ray 500 located at the head is pressed by the belt 103 against the cell 1-202 that constitutes the transport mechanism 200. At this time, the projection 203 is stopped at a position facing the recess 506 of the cell 1-lay 500, and the recess 506 engages with the projection 203 at the same time as the cell tray 500 is pressed against the cell I-202.

When the leading cell I-ray 500 reaches a state where it is pressed against the cell ray 202 constituting the transport mechanism 200, the sensor 601 detects the feeding of the cell ray 500 and starts the motor 109 of the take-out mechanism 104 again. Eccentric cam 10
8 back to the top dead center position.

When the eccentric cam 108 returns to the top dead center position, the protruding piece 111 protrudes upward from the cell tray 50.
A state is reached in which the delivery of 0 is restricted.

Furthermore, the flat plate LI2 (lay 500) is slightly lifted from the position of the belt 103 to match the height of the cell tray 500 with the conveyance path 201. As a result, the cell tray 500 becomes free at this point, and the belt 202 is activated. Conveyance is started by this.

Next, the transport mechanism 200 will be explained using FIG. 5.

1. The fastest mechanism 200 is constituted by a belt conveyor mechanism of a vertical belt horizontally installed type, and the belt 202 is arranged along a straight line connecting the outlet 102 of the loader 100 and the intake port 301 of the unloader 300.

In other words, the corner of the rectangle whose long side is the straight line connecting the loader] 00 and the unloader 300 is Boo'J 203.204°20
5. Arrange 206 and 207, and connect these pulleys 203 to 20
7. Stretch Hell I-202. A driving pulley is also attached to the pulley 206 on the same axis, and a motor 208 is connected to this driving pulley.

Further, the pulley 206 is provided with a position detection mechanism 211. This position detection mechanism 211 has tongue pieces 212 and notches 21 on the periphery.
3 is formed at a predetermined pitch, and the tongue piece 2
12 and a sensor 216 that detects the passage of the notch 213.

The cell 400 supported by the tongue piece 212 and the cell I/ray 500
The cut 212 corresponds to a pinch that moves the cell 400 by one container, and the cut 212 corresponds to a pitch that moves the container 401 of the cell 400 one container. In other words, the tongue piece 212 corresponds to the amount of movement of the protrusion 203 formed on the hell 1-202 by one pitch. In this example, one pitch of the projections 203 corresponds to six containers 401.

The position of the cell tray 500 being transported is detected by counting the pulse signals output from the position detection mechanism 211, and the cell tray 500 is stopped at a desired position.
From the stop position, the container 401 can be intermittently fed one pitch at a time, or can be moved in the opposite direction.

The cell tray 500 is transported to the end of the transport path 201,
Upon reaching the intake port 301, the sensor 602 detects dirt and stops driving the transport mechanism 200.

At the same time, the ejection mechanism 350 that ejects the cell tray 500 from the transport path 201 to the unloader 300 is activated.

Next, the structure of the ejection mechanism 350 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

The ejection mechanism 350 is used for cells 1 to 1 on the conveyance ill path 201.
The lay 500 is transferred to the unloader 3 from the opposite side of the conveyance path 201.
00 and discharges the cell tray 500 from the first fastest path 20i.

At all times, the protrusion 351 or the cell tray 50 as shown in FIG.
0 is guided to be positioned within the conveyance path 201. When the discharge mechanism 350 starts operating, the protrusion 351 descends to open the intake port 301 of the unloader 300.

When the intake port 301 of the unloader 300 is opened, the protruding plate 361 is pushed out, and the cell tray 500 is pushed out toward the unloader 300 and stored in the unloader 300.

If the cell trays 500 that were previously discharged are present in the intake port 301, the cell trays 500 can be pushed into the ζ unloader 300 one by one.

The protruding piece 351 is formed by bending a swinging free end of a swinging plate 352, one end of which is pivotally supported. The swing plate 352 swings up and down according to the amount of eccentricity of the cam 353, with the protrusion 351 as a free rotation end. That is, the cam 353 has a stepped portion 353A, and the cam 353 normally stops at a position before the stepped portion 353.

Therefore, the swing plate 352 is waiting at the top dead center position, and the protruding piece 351 blocks the conveyance path 201 and the intake port of the unloader 300.

When the motor 354 is activated and the cam 353 begins to rotate clockwise in the example of FIG.

When the roller 352A falls onto the stepped portion 353A of the cam 353, the rocking plate 352 rotates downward, causing the protrusion 351 to descend. This operation causes the transport path 201 and the unloader 30 to
0 is opened.

On the other hand, when the motor 354 is started, the discharge mechanism 350 is also started. a discharge mechanism 350 and a cam 353;
An eccentric cam 362 is mounted on the same axis and is rotated once each time the mok 354 starts, and an eccentric cam 36 is mounted on the same axis.
2, a sliding plate 363 that slides in the horizontal direction, a rotating arm 364 that is linked to the free end of the sliding plate 363, and a protruding plate 361 that is axially coupled to the free rotating end of the rotating arm 364. It consists of

The eccentric cam 362 is a U-shaped member 3 installed on the sliding plate 363.
65, and is rotated by the motor 354, thereby causing the sliding plate 363 to slide left and right.

As shown in FIG. 7, the eccentric cam 362 is stopped at the left position and is on standby. When the motor 354 is activated, the eccentric cam 362 rotates counterclockwise in the example shown in FIG. 7, causing the sliding plate 363 to slide to the right.

As the sliding plate 363 slides to the right, the rotating arm 364 rotates clockwise, moving the protruding plate 361 to the right.

As the protrusion plate 361 moves to the right, the tip of the protrusion plate 361 pushes the cell tray 500 and discharges the cell tray 500 from the transport path 201.

FIG. 8 shows a plan layout of the ejection mechanism 350.

The cam 353 and the eccentric cam 362 are mounted on the same shaft 365 (t
i:l and are integrally driven to rotate by a motor 354. The motor 354 has a reduction gear, and rotates the shaft 365 by sufficiently decelerating the rotation of the motor to, for example, several tens of revolutions per minute.

The shaft 365 rotates once and then stops. This stop position is determined by the sensor 3 that detects the rotational position of the cam 353, as shown in FIG.
66.

In addition, each sensor 601, 602, 113, 114215
・216 is a combination of an electronic light-emitting cell and a light-receiving cell, and uses changes in the output of the light-receiving cell as a detection signal to operate an electric control circuit (not shown) for controlling each required mechanism. It is designed to.

For this reason, the cell 4 assembled into the cell I-ray 500
Each container 401 of 00 is moved forward and backward by a predetermined pinch by the transport mechanism 200, and is positioned at a predetermined position corresponding to each work mechanism of the process required for the liquid processing work provided in the processing work area 4000. When each process is completed, the unloader 300 in the finished state storage area 3000 moves to the intake port 301 on one side of the cell tray 500, and the open window portion 50 of the cell tray 500
5 is used as a light emitting/receiving window, and a corresponding optical testing mechanism is provided on both sides or one side of the conveyance path 201 to perform processing work.

Alternatively, a heating mechanism may be provided at a suitable location such as on the lower surface side of the transport path 201 to heat the required liquid in the container 401 via the cell tray 500.

The loader 300 forms the main component of the finished state storage area 3000, and the cell tray 500 is connected to the ejection mechanism 35.
This is the place where it is stored while being pushed by the
As shown in FIG. B and FIGS. 6 to 8, the bottom surface of the cell tray 500 is a flat surface made of a material that is easy to slide and that allows the heating of the liquid stored in the cells 400 to easily radiate heat through the cell tray 500, such as a metal plate. and side plates 303 and 303 for guiding both ends of the cell tray 500 in the longitudinal direction.
It has a box-like structure with 304.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, as described above, the initial state storage area and the final state storage area are configured to store cells in which a group of containers for storing a test liquid are formed in a row, and are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction. , a group of containers can be stored in an orderly manner, and since a transport area with a transport path is arranged in contact with one side of each storage area, cells can be transported in a long horizontal direction at a predetermined pitch to facilitate liquid processing work. can be made to move appropriately.

Furthermore, since the liquid processing work area is arranged between the initial state storage area and the finished state storage area and above the transfer area, it is arranged with an efficient space occupation rate for the entire device. Therefore, it is possible to provide a device in which the entire device is assembled into a small occupied space.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show examples, and FIG. 1A is a plan layout of each area of the entire device, FIG. 1B is a plan layout of each mechanism of the entire device,
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a container group movement aid (cell tray), Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a container group (cell), and Fig. 4 is a vertical left side view of the mechanical part of the initial state storage area and IIC feeding area. 5 is a vertical left side view of the horizontal portion of the conveyance area, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the mechanical portion of the finished state storage area. 1000: Initial state storage area, 2000: Transport area, 3000: Finished state storage area, 4000: Processing work area, 100: l:l-da, 200:) Jlal,
300:'? Unloader 400: cell, 500: cell tray.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) An initial state storage area for storing the cells in the initial state (hereinafter referred to as the initial cell) using a cell formed by arranging a plurality of small containers in a line that contain the liquid necessary for the test. and a finished state storage area for storing the cell in the finished state after completing the predetermined processing work for the test (hereinafter referred to as the finished cell), and a processing work for performing the liquid processing work. A container storage and transportation device for a liquid test having a structure for moving the cell across each of these regions, the apparatus comprising: a, one side surface of the initial state storage region (hereinafter referred to as the initial storage side surface); A transport area having a structure for moving the cell is arranged in contact with one side surface (hereinafter referred to as the end state storage side) of the end state storage area, and the initial state storage area and the end state storage area. area arrangement means for arranging the processing work area between the storage area and above the transport area; b. an arrangement in which the plurality of cells are arranged in parallel in each longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as longitudinal parallel arrangement); ) to provide a storage mechanism for storing the initial cells, and to move the initial cells in a direction intersecting the longitudinal parallel arrangement and send them out from one end side of the longitudinal arrangement to a conveyance path described later. (c) an initial state storage area configuring means for configuring the initial state storage area by providing a delivery mechanism; c. a transport area configuring means for configuring the transport area by providing a transport mechanism for moving the cell by a predetermined distance along a transport path; d. for discharging the finished cell from the transport path to the finished state storage area; A discharging mechanism is provided extending from the finished state storage area to the transport area, and a storage mechanism is provided for storing the finished cells discharged by the discharge mechanism in the longitudinal direction parallel arrangement, so that the finished state storage area 1. A liquid test container storage and conveyance device comprising: end state storage area configuring means. (2) Claims: The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: (a) the delivery mechanism in the initial state storage area is arranged with the plane of the belt horizontal and intersecting with the longitudinal arrangement; (a) a cross-movement mechanism forming means formed by a horizontal belt conveyor mechanism of a horizontally installed type with a portion extending in the direction; (b) a conveyance mechanism in the conveyance area, with the plane of the belt perpendicular to the conveyance path; a conveying mechanism configuring means formed by a belt conveyor mechanism of a vertical belt horizontally installed type having a portion extending linearly along the conveyance path; c. a storage mechanism configuring means formed by a discharge mechanism for pushing the end cell from the opposite side into the end state storage area; and a flat surface made of a material on which the bottom surface of the end cell can easily slide and which can easily dissipate heat. What is claimed is: 1. A container storage and transportation device for liquid testing, characterized by comprising: (3) Claims The device according to claim 1, comprising: a. a flange portion arranged with a gap between each side surface of the plurality of containers, and provided on the upper edge side of each container; (b) a plurality of support parts for inserting into each gap of the cells and supporting the cells on each side of the container; a cell tray for assisting the movement of the cells, which is formed on the upper surface side of a rectangular base with a gap corresponding to the part thereof, and a recessed part for engaging with the protrusion described later; c. A container storage and conveyance device for liquid testing, comprising a conveyance protrusion belt means provided with protrusions arranged at intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the belt in the vertical belt conveyor mechanism for conveying the cell tray.