JPH046002A - Vacuum filling apparatus for liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suck and exhaust the air of a comparatively small space to obtain a constant vacuum state in a short time by sucking and exhausting the air of only an internal space partitioned through a returnable container and a nozzle case and by injecting a liquid from an injection nozzle into a corresponding tubular container. CONSTITUTION:A lift table 1 is made to rise when a returnable container V with tubular containers S fitted in fit holes (v) is carried onto the pedestal 2 of the lift table 1. When the lift table 1 rises, injection nozzles 6... hung from a nozzle case 4 are inserted into respective tubular containers S... while O-rings 5 arranged on the under surface of the peripheral wall part 4a of the nozzle case 4 comes in contact with the top surface peripheral part of the returnable container V. As a result, an internal space formed by the returnable container V and the inner surface of the nozzle case 4 is intercepted from the outside air. After that, when a vacuum pump is operated, the air of the internal space is sucked and exhausted through an air supply and exhaust port 7. When the internal space reaches a constant vacuum state and a valve 3 is switched, a serum separating agent is injected from the injection nozzle 6 into the tubular container S. Thus, this constitution enables a suction space to become smaller and reach a constant vacuum state in a short time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a method for injecting a viscous liquid such as a serum separating agent into a tubular container such as a blood collection container by suctioning and evacuating the tubular container to a certain vacuum state. The present invention relates to a device for filling a liquid with a liquid.

(Prior Art) In general, it is difficult for tubular containers such as blood collection containers to stand upright independently, and for this reason, these tubular containers are usually transported in dedicated transport containers called returnable containers. The container is inserted into the insertion hole formed in the container in a royal position, and transported through the transportation container. On the other hand, when a serum separating agent is injected into a tubular container such as a blood collection container, the inside of the container is kept in a constant vacuum state to prevent air from entering the container.

For these reasons, conventionally, in order to inject a serum separating agent etc. into a tubular container fitted into the insertion hole of a returnable container, an attachment that blocks the outside air is tightly attached to the opening of the tubular container.
The idea was to pump the gas to a certain level of vacuum and then inject it. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a large number of fitting holes v0... are formed in the returnable container v0, and a tubular container S... is formed in each of these fitting holes v0...
is inserted in an upright position. Meanwhile, the returnable container■ has been carried into the designated location. Above, there are many injection nozzles 01.
... are standing by, and attachments 03 ... are fixed at intermediate positions of these injection nozzles 01 .... This attachment 03 is provided with a gasket 04 on its lower surface that is in close contact with the upper end opening of the tubular container S to block it from the outside air, and is also provided with an air supply/exhaust port 05 that penetrates between its upper and lower surfaces. .

Therefore, the tubular container S/
... is inserted in an upright position, and its returnable container■.

After transporting it directly under valve 02, transfer it to a returnable container ■.

, each corresponding injection nozzle O1... is inserted into the inside of each tubular container S.... Then, the upper end opening of the tubular container S comes into contact with the gasket 04 of the attachment 03 fixed to each injection nozzle 01, and is brought into close contact with the outer air so as to be shut off. In this state, a vacuum pump (not shown) is operated to pump air inside the tubular container S to the air supply/exhaust port 0.
When the inside of the tubular container S reaches a certain vacuum state, a certain amount of serum separating agent is injected from the injection nozzle 01.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in such conventional technology, since the amount of air to be sucked is only the volume of the tubular container S, the time required for suction is short, and it can be handled with a small-capacity vacuum pump. However, the shape and strength of the opening of the tubular container S,
Furthermore, depending on the precision, it is difficult to maintain airtightness, and since the number of attachments 03 equal to the number of injection nozzles 01 is required, there is a problem that the overall size of the apparatus increases.

It is also possible to cover the entire returnable container v0 with a vacuum box or the like to isolate it from the outside air and to suck and exhaust the air in the blocked space, but in addition to the volume of the tubular container ■. The disadvantage is that a large vacuum source and a long suction time are required because the entire large volume of space that has been shut off, including the space, must be suctioned and evacuated to a constant vacuum state.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art, and it provides a constant vacuum state by easily suctioning and evacuating a relatively small space in a tubular container that is transported using a returnable container. The present invention provides a vacuum suction device for a tubular container that can be obtained.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a returnable container having a solid structure in which a plurality of fitting holes into which tubular containers can be fitted is provided, a plurality of injection nozzles, and a container connected to a vacuum source. It consists of a nozzle case that is provided with an air supply/exhaust port and a sealing member is arranged around the bottom of the periphery of the nozzle case, and a returnable container with a tubular container fitted therein is carried into a predetermined position, and the returnable container or nozzle case is removed. At least one of the returnable containers and the nozzle case are brought into close contact with each other by raising and lowering at least one of the returnable containers and the nozzle case, and the internal space defined by the returnable containers and the nozzle case is suctioned and exhausted, and the liquid is injected from the injection nozzle into the corresponding tubular container. It is characterized by the fact that

(Function) When a tubular container is fitted into a plurality of fitting holes provided in a returnable container in an upright state, and the returnable container is carried into a predetermined position in this state, a nozzle case waiting above the returnable container, Alternatively, raise and lower the returnable container to bring it into close contact with the nozzle case. As a result, the injection nozzle vertically disposed on the nozzle case is inserted into the corresponding tubular container, and the internal space defined by the returnable container and the nozzle case is isolated from the outside air by the sealing member.

On the other hand, since returnable containers have a solid structure except for a number of fitting holes into which tubular containers are fitted, when the vacuum source connected to the nozzle case is activated, Air is sucked and exhausted from the space formed by the returnable container and the inner surface of the nozzle case, including the tubular container fitted into the matching hole in an upright state. When this internal space reaches a certain vacuum state, a serum separating agent or the like is injected into the tubular container from the injection nozzle.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a lift table which can be raised and lowered by an air cylinder (not shown) or the like, and pedestals 2, 2 for cushioning and supporting a returnable container V are fixed on the lift table 1. On the other hand, above the lift table 1, a nozzle case 4 with a valve 3 fixed thereto is disposed. This nozzle case 4 has a circumferential wall portion 4a that substantially matches the outline of a returnable container V to be described later, and a ceiling portion 4b that integrally connects the circumferential wall portion 4a, and has an inverted circular cross-section as a whole. There is. When the nozzle case 4 comes into contact with the returnable container (2), the entire lower surface of the peripheral wall 4a of the nozzle case 4 is covered with O2 so that the internal space formed by the returnable container V and the nozzle case 4 can be isolated from the outside air. A sealing member such as a ring 5 is provided.

In addition, a plurality of injection nozzles 6 communicating with the valve 3 are vertically installed on the ceiling 4b of the nozzle case 4.
Further, the peripheral wall portion 4a is formed with an air supply/exhaust lower portion that communicates between the inside and outside of the peripheral wall portion 4a. A vacuum source such as a vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to this supply/exhaust lower.

On the other hand, as is clear from the drawing, the returnable container (■) has a solid rectangular structure with a plurality of fitting holes (V) into which the tubular container (S) is fitted.
It is preferable that the upper peripheral edge of the upper surface be formed into a smooth surface so that the above-mentioned O-ring 5 can be brought into close contact with it.

With this configuration, when the returnable container V is carried onto the pedestal 2 of the lift table 1 with the tubular container S fitted into the fitting hole V, the lift table 1 is raised. When the lift table 1 rises, each tubular container S...
When the injection nozzle 6 vertically disposed in the nozzle case 4 is inserted into the nozzle case 4, the O-ring 5 disposed on the lower surface of the peripheral wall 4a of the nozzle case 4 comes into contact with the upper peripheral edge of the returnable container V.

As a result, the internal space formed by the returnable container V and the inner surface of the nozzle case 4 is cut off from the outside air.

Thereafter, when a vacuum pump (not shown) is operated, the air in the internal space is sucked and exhausted through the supply and exhaust lower. When a certain vacuum state is reached, by switching the valve 3, the serum separating agent is injected into the tubular container S from the injection nozzle 6.
Inject into. When the injection is completed, suction by the vacuum pump is stopped, the supply/exhaust lower is communicated with the atmosphere, and the lift table 1 is lowered. After this, the returnable container V into which the tubular container S into which the serum separating agent has been injected is inserted is transported to the next step.

In this embodiment, the returnable container (2) is moved up and down by the lift table 1, but the nozzle case 4 can also be moved up and down.

Moreover, it can be applied to a wide range of applications other than injection of serum separating agents.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, the returnable container is formed into a solid structure only provided with a fitting hole for the tubular container, and the nozzle case is brought into contact with the top surface of the returnable container, thereby allowing the outside air to flow through the container. By configuring the system so that only the internal space defined by the returnable container and the nozzle case is suctioned and exhausted, the suction space can be made as small as possible, and at the same time, the insulation effect from outside air is improved. A constant vacuum state can be reached in a short time without using a large vacuum pump. In addition, since there is no direct contact with the tubular container, suction work can be performed without being affected by the strength or accuracy of the end of the tubular container, and the viscous liquid can be filled without bubbles with an overall compact device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings illustrate the liquid vacuum filling device of the present invention,
Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing the state before vacuum suction work, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the vacuum suction state,
FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view showing a vacuum suction state according to the prior art. S... Tubular container ■... Returnable container 1... Table 4... Nozzle case 5... 0 ring 6... Injection nozzle 7... Supply/exhaust port 1 Figure 21-S - ”

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A returnable solid container with a plurality of fitting holes into which a tubular container can be fitted, a plurality of injection nozzles, an air supply/exhaust port connected to a vacuum source, and a peripheral portion thereof. A returnable container with a sealing member arranged around the entire bottom of the nozzle case and a tubular container fitted therein is carried into a predetermined position, and at least one of the returnable container or the nozzle case is raised and lowered to separate the returnable container and the nozzle. A vacuum filling device for liquid, characterized in that the cases are brought into close contact with each other, the internal space divided by the returnable container and the nozzle case is suctioned and evacuated, and the liquid is injected from the injection nozzle into the corresponding tubular container. .