JPH026366Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a liquid evaporation prevention lid that prevents liquid from evaporating from a liquid container for storing and storing liquid such as reagents in a biochemical analyzer. This invention relates to a liquid evaporation prevention lid that facilitates opening of the liquid evaporation prevention lid from a container.

An example of such a liquid evaporation prevention lid is the one shown in FIG. 1, which is designed to simultaneously open and close the liquid evaporation prevention lids of two liquid containers in a container table 2 that holds a large number of liquid containers 1. This is what I did. The opening/closing mechanism of this liquid evaporation prevention lid is shown in FIGS. 2A, B, and C. That is, a shutter 6 is rotatably supported around a shaft 5 fixed to the shutter plate 4, and the shutter 6 is supported around the shaft 5 by a spring 7 inserted between the shutter plate 4 and the shutter 6 as shown in FIG. C arrow A
biased in the direction. The shutter 6 is connected at its center to a leaf spring 9, which is a lid support member, by a support member 8, and the leaf spring 9 is connected to both ends 1 of the shutter 6.
0 and 11 are connected to liquid evaporation prevention lids 14 and 15 by connecting members 12 and 13, respectively. Further, the shutter 6 is formed with an arm portion 16 that protrudes from the side opposite to the lids 14 and 15 with respect to the shaft 5, and a pressing member 17 that moves forward or backward in the directions of double arrows B and C by a drive source (not shown) of the main body. , are arranged so as to be in contact with and away from the arm 16, so when the pressing member 17 moves forward in the direction of arrow B and presses the arm 16, the shutter 6
Therefore, the liquid evaporation prevention lid 1 is connected via the leaf spring 9.
4 and 15 rotate about the shaft 5 in the direction opposite to the arrow A against the spring 7. Next, when the pressing member 17 retreats in the direction of arrow C from this state and comes into contact with and separates from the arm portion 16, the shutter 6 and the liquid evaporation prevention lids 14 and 15 are
It rotates in the direction of arrow A by the force of spring 7. Therefore, if the opening 18 of the storage liquid container 1 for reagents etc. is placed below the lids 14 and 15, the pressing member 1
The liquid evaporation prevention lid 1 is moved forward and backward by the movement of the liquid evaporation prevention lid 1.
The opening 1 of the liquid container 1 is controlled by rotating the
8 opening/closing controls can be performed. However, in the liquid evaporation prevention lid and its opening/closing mechanism having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. Since the line connecting the centers of the lids 14 and 15 coincides with the line connecting the centers of the liquid container, the stress exerted by the leaf spring 9 on the lid when the lid is separated from the opening of the liquid container is reduced. is substantially uniform around the entire circumference of the opening 18 of the liquid container.

In addition, when storing a liquid container by closing the opening with a liquid evaporation prevention lid and storing it by refrigerating, etc., the inside of the liquid container may become under negative pressure. may be adsorbed to the container. Further, the liquid content of the liquid container may adhere to the contact surface between the lid and the container, causing the lid to stick to the opening. In such a case, even if you try to move the lid toward and away from the opening of the liquid container by rotating the shutter using the pressing member, the force to close the lid due to negative pressure and the sticking force will be uniform around the entire circumference of the lid. However, there is a drawback in that the liquid evaporation prevention lid cannot be removed from the opening of the liquid container if the rotational force of the shutter is greater than the rotational force of the shutter.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and to prevent the liquid from being sucked out of the liquid container even after it has been stored by refrigeration or when a liquid evaporation prevention lid is attached to the opening of the liquid container. To provide a liquid evaporation prevention lid appropriately constructed so that the lid can be easily opened at any time.

The liquid evaporation prevention lid according to the present invention is tightly attached to the opening of the liquid container to prevent evaporation of the liquid when storing the liquid such as a reagent contained in the liquid container, and is connected when collecting the contained liquid. A liquid evaporation prevention lid that rotates to open an opening by an opening/closing means, which is made of an elastic material, and has a groove or a plurality of protrusions formed in a contact portion with the opening, and is connected to the opening/closing means. It is characterized in that a connecting member for connecting the lid is attached at a position displaced from the center of the lid.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of an example of the contact surface of the liquid evaporation prevention lid of the present invention that comes into contact with the opening of the liquid container. In this example, a plurality of protrusions 40 are continuously formed on the lower contact surface 33 of the liquid evaporation prevention lids 29, 30, concentrically with the center of the lid, as shown in FIG. 4 as a cross section along line C-C. . As can be seen from FIG.
When in close contact with the opening 18 of the liquid container 1
It closes the inside and outside of the building. Such a protrusion 4
If the liquid evaporation prevention lids 29 and 30 having 0 are formed of an elastic member, and the protrusion 40 is elastically deformed when the lid and the opening are in close contact with each other, the opening force of the shutter or leaf spring will be reduced when both are opened. In addition, the restoring force due to the elastic deformation of the protrusion 40 can be utilized, making it easier to open the lid. Furthermore, the protrusion 40 made of an elastic material is elastically deformed when the lid and the opening are attached and detached, and the contact surface of the lid and the opening of the liquid container move microscopically relative to each other, resulting in bonding between the two. It also has the effect of making things go away.

The liquid evaporation prevention lid of the present invention, which facilitates the opening of the lid and the opening of the liquid container and also seals the liquid in the liquid container when both are sealed, is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. A configuration as shown may also be used. That is, in FIG. 6, a large number of pyramid-shaped protrusions 42 are formed on the contact surfaces 33 of the liquid evaporation prevention lids 29, 30. The gap and shape between each pyramid-shaped protrusion are such that when the lid is closed, the protrusion 42
The elastic deformation of the container causes the container to be sealed.
Further, in FIG. 7, protrusions 44 coaxial with the center of the lid are disposed intermittently on the side of a portion 43 where the opening force of the lid is concentrated, and the opposite side from this portion 43 is uniformly flat. A contact surface 45 is formed. Even with this method, the inside of the liquid container is kept airtight when the containers are in close contact with each other, and when the container is opened, the airtightness is broken first from the side where the opening force is concentrated, and the internal pressure inside the liquid container becomes equal to the outside air, causing further protrusions. The liquid evaporation prevention lid can be opened more easily by utilizing the elastic restoring force of the liquid evaporation prevention lid and the relative movement of the protrusion with respect to the opening.

8A and 8B are a plan view and a side view showing the structure of an example of the opening/closing mechanism of the liquid evaporation prevention lid according to the present invention shown in FIG. 7. Since the only difference from FIG. 2 is the connection between the shutter and the liquid evaporation prevention lid, the same parts as in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals, and similar explanations are omitted. A leaf spring 21 is fixed to the center of the shutter 6 by a fulcrum member 20 having an oval cross section,
Make sure that both do not rotate. To secure these two together, holes 22 and 23 are formed in the shutter 6 and the leaf spring 21, respectively, and the fulcrum member 20 is fitted into these holes, as shown in FIG. 9 as a cross section taken along A-A. Let's do it. The central axis 2 of the holes 22 and 23 is attached to the fulcrum member 20.
A circular fulcrum portion 25 having a certain thickness is integrally formed at a position separated from the shutter 6 by a distance e.
and the leaf spring 21, and the two are held substantially parallel to each other. This support part 2
5, as can be seen from FIGS. 8 and 9, the shutter 6 and the leaf spring 21 are in contact with each other at a portion of a circular contact surface 26 centered at a point e away from the shaft 24. Liquid evaporation prevention lids 29 and 30 are connected to both ends 10 and 11 of the leaf spring 21, respectively, by connecting members 27 and 28 each having an oval cross section. The connection between the leaf spring 21 and these lids is achieved by forming an oval hole 31 in the leaf spring 21, as shown in FIG. Connecting member 27 at a position separated by distance e
This is done by connecting the lid 29 through the hole 31. The surface of the lid 29 opposite to the leaf spring 21 is a contact surface 33 with the opening 18 of the liquid container 1, and as shown in FIG. It is configured so that it can be opened. A fulcrum portion 3 is provided on the leaf spring 21 side of the lid 29.
4, and as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the support portion 34 has a circular contact surface 35 at its tip.
It comes into contact with the leaf spring at . The fulcrum member 20, the line connecting the centers of the connecting members 27 and 28, and the fulcrum part 25,
A line connecting the centers of the shafts 34 is configured to be substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft 5.

In the liquid evaporation prevention lid configured as described above, the opening 18 of the liquid container is located below the lids 29 and 30, and the pressing member 17 performs the closing and opening operations of the lid. In the sealing operation of the liquid evaporation prevention lid, the shutter 6 rotates around the arrow A by the force of the spring 7, and force is first transmitted from the shutter 6 to the leaf spring 21 through the fulcrum member 20.
At this time, since both are kept substantially parallel by the fulcrum member 20, the rotational force of the shutter is transmitted from both the penetrating portion of the fulcrum member 20 and the contact surface 26 of the circular fulcrum portion 25. Next, the leaf spring 21 is connected to the liquid evaporation prevention lid 2 at its both ends 10 and 11.
The rotational force of the shutter 6 is transmitted to the shutters 9 and 30. At this time, the leaf spring 21 and both lids 29, 30 are connected to the connecting member 2.
7 and 28, and also in contact with the fulcrum 34, the rotational force of the shutter is mainly transmitted to the lid from the fulcrum 34 provided at the center of the lid. For this reason, liquid container 1
The adhesion force of the lids 29 and 30 to the opening 18 of
The force is substantially uniform over the entire circumference of the contact surface, and the force is effectively dispersed, allowing the sealing action between the two to be performed without creating a gap. From this closed state,
When using the liquid stored in the liquid container, move the pressing member 17 on the main body side in the direction of arrow B to bias the shutter in the opposite direction to arrow A, and close the liquid evaporation prevention lids 29 and 30. Perform the opening operation. Since the shutter 6 is pressed by the pressing member, it rotates around the shaft 5 and transmits rotational force to the leaf spring 21. At this time, since the leaf spring 21 and the shutter 6 are connected only at the penetrating portion of the fulcrum member 20, the fulcrum part 25 does not come into contact with both, while the rotational force of the shutter 6 is applied to the leaf spring 21 via the fulcrum member 20. Pull. Therefore, the leaf spring 21 also has connecting members 27 and 28 at both ends.
This transmits the rotational force of the shutter to the liquid evaporation prevention lids 29 and 30, respectively. At this time, the connecting members 27, 2
8 is located eccentrically from the center of these lids 29 and 30, so that the contact surface 35 of the fulcrum portion 34 is in contact with the leaf spring 2.
1, the rotational force of the shutter is transmitted from the leaf spring 21 only through the connecting members 27 and 28.
Therefore, the rotational force of the shutter is applied unevenly to each portion of the contact surface between the lid and the opening 18 of the liquid container. That is, a large force is applied to a portion of this close contact portion that is close to the connecting member, and a small force is applied to a portion that is far from the connecting member. A large force among such non-uniform forces is larger than the force that would be generated if the rotational force of the shutter were uniform.
Therefore, the lid can be opened from the opening by easily overcoming the force of negative pressure within the liquid container and the adhesive force of the contact surface. Of course, since this part of the lid is formed with a large number of protrusions, this opening operation becomes even more reliable. In particular, it is important to distribute the force for opening the lid non-uniformly over the contact surface, since it becomes easier to open the lid if the contact surface between the lid and the opening is separated by even one point.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can be modified in many ways. For example, although the lids shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 have been described as being used together with the opening/closing mechanism shown in FIG. 2, it is also effective to use them with the opening/closing mechanism shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, the lid shown in FIG. 7 can be used with the opening and closing mechanism shown in FIG. Furthermore, various shapes, dimensions, and arrangements of the protrusions formed on the surface of the lid that contacts the container opening are conceivable.

According to the above-mentioned liquid evaporation prevention lid of the present invention, since the contact surface with the container opening is not flat but has a protrusion, the lid can be reliably opened from the opening, and when the lid is closed, the protrusion is formed. Since it deforms elastically, it can be sealed tightly.

Furthermore, since the connecting member for connecting the lid to the opening/closing device is mounted at a position displaced from the center of the lid, the peeling force that separates the lid from the opening when opening the lid is partially strong. As a result, the lid and the opening of the container can be opened more smoothly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows a conventional liquid container and its liquid evaporation prevention lid attached, Figure 2 A, B and C
2 are a plan view, a front view, and a side view showing an enlarged opening/closing mechanism of the liquid evaporation prevention lid shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the structure of an example of the liquid evaporation prevention lid according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid evaporation prevention lid of FIG. , FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the state in which the liquid evaporation prevention lid is closed to the container opening, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the structure of another example of the liquid evaporation prevention lid of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the liquid evaporation prevention lid of the present invention. FIG. 8A and B are a plan view and side view showing an opening/closing mechanism suitable for use with the liquid evaporation prevention lid of FIG. 7; The figure is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the liquid lid opening/closing mechanism shown in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B. 20... Fulcrum member, 21... Leaf spring, 22,2
3, 31... hole, 25, 34... fulcrum part, 26,
35... Contact surface, 27, 28... Connecting member, 2
9, 30...liquid evaporation prevention lid, 33...contact surface,
40...Protrusion, 42,44,45...Protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Claim for Utility Model Registration] When storing a liquid such as a reagent contained in a liquid container, the container is tightly attached to the opening of the liquid container to prevent the liquid from evaporating, and when the stored liquid is collected, it is connected. A liquid evaporation prevention lid that is rotated by an opening/closing means to open an opening, which is made of an elastic material, and has a groove or a plurality of protrusions formed in a portion that comes into contact with the opening, and is connected to the opening/closing means. A liquid evaporation prevention lid characterized in that a connecting member for preventing liquid evaporation is attached at a position displaced from the center of the lid.