Instrument action assembly pressing plate locking device suitable for automation

Abstract

The invention discloses an instrument action assembly pressing plate locking device applicable to automation, which belongs to the technical field of laboratory automation instruments and comprises an adapter module, a spinning cover plate, a clamping mechanism and a driving mechanism. The adapter module is mounted on equipment, and a plurality of fixing slots are formed in the adapter module and are used for placing sample tubes; the clamping mechanism is arranged at the output end of the driving mechanism and is in butt joint with a clamping jaw grabbing frame on the spinning cover plate through a fingertip structure at the tail end of the clamping mechanism, so that the spinning cover plate is connected and grabbed; the driving mechanism is used for driving the clamping mechanism to move to the position above the spinning cover plate, clamping the spinning cover plate and the clamping mechanism, driving the spinning cover plate to the position above the sample tube, pressing the spinning cover plate downwards to be in butt joint with the adapter module, pressing the sample tube and rotating the sample tube. Original manual operation is converted into linear downward pressing and 90-degree rotation actions, the complexity and control requirements for an automatic execution mechanism are greatly reduced, and the device has the advantages of being high in automation degree, high in universality and adaptability, low in cost and short in transformation period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of laboratory automation instruments, and more particularly relates to a pressure plate locking device for an instrument action component suitable for automation. Background Art

[0002] As fields like life sciences, materials science, and drug discovery evolve toward high-throughput, standardized, and intelligent processes, laboratory automation has become a core tool for improving efficiency and ensuring reliable results. The maturity of technologies like automated liquid handling systems and robotic transfer platforms has gradually enabled full automation of the entire process, from sample distribution to testing and analysis. However, sample pretreatment steps (such as homogenization and grinding) remain a weak point in the automation chain. These processes require frequent equipment manipulation, and the covers must be tightened to ensure a seal, preventing sample tubes from falling off or otherwise failing to achieve optimal processing results. Currently, these instruments commonly utilize manual capping. The typical operation involves the operator placing a container containing material (such as a centrifuge tube, homogenizer, or grinding jar) into a designated slot on the instrument and then manually tightening and securing the cover. During this process, the operator must precisely align the threads and apply sufficient torque to ensure a tight seal, while avoiding overtightening that could damage or deform the sample tubes. Even for skilled operators, manual tightening of the nuts cannot guarantee absolute consistency and optimality from time to time, severely limiting the throughput and efficiency of the overall experimental process, introducing human variability, and impacting the reproducibility and comparability of sample processing results.

[0003] This type of equipment design leads to two major automation transformation bottlenecks: High complexity of movement: Tightening the nut requires precise thread engagement + rotational torque control, which places high demands on the motion accuracy and force control sensitivity of the automation mechanism. This leads to extremely complex design of automation transformation solutions, long programming and debugging cycles, high implementation costs, and reliability is easily affected by mechanism wear and positioning accuracy.

[0004] Poor equipment adaptability: Developing customized automation upgrade kits is extremely expensive, with a long development cycle and poor versatility. The sizes and locking mechanisms of equipment covers from different manufacturers vary greatly, and there is no unified interface standard. This cannot meet the urgent needs of laboratories for economical, rapid, and unified automation transformation of a large number of existing equipment of multiple brands and models.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide an automated and applicable instrument action component pressure plate locking device is a problem that technical personnel in this field urgently need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides an instrument action component pressure plate locking device suitable for automation, which efficiently and stably solves the pressure cover mechanism adaptation problem faced by the above-mentioned homogenizers, grinders, centrifuges and other existing experimental instruments that rely on manual tightening of nuts to fix the cover during the automation transformation process.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: An automated instrument action component pressure plate locking device includes an adapter module, a spin-on cover plate, a clamping mechanism, and a driving mechanism; the adapter module is installed on the equipment, and is provided with a plurality of fixed slots for placing sample tubes; the clamping mechanism is provided at the output end of the driving mechanism, and is used to clamp the spin-on cover plate; the driving mechanism is used to drive the clamping mechanism to move above the spin-on cover plate, dock the spin-on cover plate and the clamping mechanism, drive the spin-on cover plate to above the sample tube, press the spin-on cover plate downward to dock the adapter module, compress the sample tube, and rotate it.

[0008] Furthermore, the adapter module includes an adapter body, a locking sleeve and a guide fastening nut; the locking sleeve is used to dock with the spin-on cover plate, and the lower end is fixed to the center position of the adapter body by a fixing pin; the guide fastening nut is arranged above the locking sleeve and is used to tighten and fix the locking sleeve and the equipment.

[0009] Furthermore, rotating ears are provided on both sides of the upper end of the locking sleeve, and the lower surface of the rotating ears is set to be a plane smoothly connected to the spiral surface; a longitudinal cutting plane is also provided on the side wall of the locking sleeve for clamping the spin-on cover plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the spin-on cover plate includes a base plate, a fixed frame and two sets of locking clips; the lower end surface of the base plate presses the sample tube, and the upper end surface is fixedly connected to the fixed frame; a through hole is provided at the center position of the base plate for cooperating with and docking the locking sleeve; two sets of locking clips are centrally symmetrically slidably arranged inside the fixed frame for docking the clamping mechanism and clamping the locking sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, the locking spring includes a clamping claw grabbing frame and a sliding arm; a sliding rail is provided on the inner wall of the fixed frame at the outer side of the sliding arm, which is slidably connected to the side wall of the sliding arm; the clamping claw grabbing frame is fixed on the side of the sliding arm away from the sliding rail; a clamping claw grabbing hole is provided in the center of the clamping claw grabbing frame for connecting the clamping mechanism; one end of the sliding arm away from the clamping claw grabbing frame abuts against the protrusion of the fixed frame; the sliding arm is connected to the fixed frame by a spring and is located on the side of the protrusion; the inner side wall of the middle section of the sliding arm is set to an inward concave arc shape, which is the same shape as the through hole in the center of the bottom plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper surface of one end of the sliding arm away from the clamping claw grabbing frame is set as a threaded inclined surface for threaded engagement with the locking sleeve rod.

[0013] Furthermore, the clamping mechanism includes a base, an electric clamp and two groups of clamping columns; one end of the electric clamp is fixedly connected to the end of the driving mechanism through the base, and the other end is connected to the two groups of clamping columns; the end of the clamping column is provided with an end fingertip that is compatible with the clamping hole.

[0014] Furthermore, the two groups of end fingertips are provided with protrusions on the relative outer sides, which are adapted to the grooves provided at the bottom of the inner wall of the clamping claw grasping frame, and are used for the end fingertips to dock with the clamping claw grasping frame, fix the limiting rotary cover plate and the clamping mechanism.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: The present invention provides an instrument action component pressure plate locking device suitable for automation, focusing on solving the core pain points of the automated transformation of manual capping of key pre-processing equipment such as homogenizers, grinders, and centrifuges.

[0016] Through the standard action of "hole-press-tighten", the originally complex tightening, multi-point tightening and other diverse manual operations are uniformly converted into simple and reliable linear press + 90° rotation actions, thereby greatly reducing the complexity and control requirements of the automated actuator.

[0017] The present invention can be installed quickly without making permanent changes or damage to the original equipment. Designers or operators only need to perform simple component replacement to complete the task of modifying the equipment.

[0018] The present invention provides strong versatility and adaptability. Through the core innovative component - the detachable and replaceable "multi-functional adapter connector", it can flexibly respond to the modification needs of different instrument models and different cover structures, and realize the adaptation of a set of core docking mechanisms to multiple devices.

[0019] This invention not only overcomes the technical difficulties of automation transformation, but also provides laboratories with a practical, cost-effective and efficient automation upgrade solution for existing equipment with its excellent versatility, extremely simple installation method, low cost and rapid deployment capability, which effectively promotes the leap in the overall automation level and operating efficiency of the laboratory. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the adapter module of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the spin-on cover plate of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention after the spinning cover plate is docked with the locking sleeve rod.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the locking clip of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the driving mechanism of the present invention.

[0027] Among them, in the figure: 10-Adapter module; 11-Adapter body; 12-Locking sleeve; 13-Guide fastening nut; 20-Spin-on cover; 21-Base plate; 22-Fixed frame; 23-Locking spring; 231-Gripper grabbing frame; 232-Sliding arm; 233-Slide rail; 30-Clamping mechanism; 31-Base; 32-Electric gripper; 33-Clamping column; 34-End fingertip; 40-Drive mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Please see the attached Figure 1-6The present invention provides an automated, applicable instrument motion assembly plate locking device, comprising: an adapter module 10, a spin-on cover plate 20, a clamping mechanism 30, and a drive mechanism 40. The adapter module 10 is mounted on equipment such as a homogenizer, grinder, or centrifuge, and is provided with several fixed slots for accommodating sample tubes. The clamping mechanism 30 is disposed at the output end of the drive mechanism 40 and is used to clamp the spin-on cover plate 20. The drive mechanism 40 is configured as the end effector of a robotic arm or truss and is used to drive and rotate the clamping mechanism 30 and the spin-on cover plate 20. When not in use, the spin-on cover plate 20 is placed in a dedicated storage location on the equipment, within the operating range of the drive mechanism 40. During operation, the drive mechanism 40 drives the clamping mechanism 30 to move above the spin-on cover plate 20, docks the spin-on cover plate 20 with the clamping mechanism 30, and then drives the spin-on cover plate 20 above the sample tube, pressing the spin-on cover plate 20 downward to compress the sample tube and rotating it 90° to achieve spin-on tightening.

[0030] The adapter module 10 includes an adapter body 11 , a locking sleeve 12 and a guide fastening nut 13 .

[0031] The adapter body 11 is mounted on the device, and the locking sleeve 12 is used to dock with the spin-on cover plate 20. The lower end is fixed to the center of the adapter body 11 by a fixing pin. Rotating ears are provided on both sides of the upper end of the locking sleeve 12. The lower surface of the rotating ears is configured to smoothly connect with the spiral surface. The spiral surface portion is used to ensure that the rotary clamping mechanism can always maintain a contact line during the tightening process, making the rotational action smoother. The flat portion is to increase the contact area between the rotating ears and the spin-on cover plate 20 after tightening, so that the two surfaces are tightly fitted and stably maintained in a clamped state. The locking sleeve 12 is entirely made of aluminum alloy, and the top flat surface is chamfered to facilitate docking with the spin-on cover plate 20.

[0032] The side wall of the locking sleeve 12 is also provided with a longitudinal plane for clamping the spin-on cover 20 to prevent rotation after clamping.

[0033] The guide fastening nut 13 is arranged above the locking sleeve 12 and is threadedly connected to a fixing rod provided on the device, so as to be used for tightening and fixing the locking sleeve 12 and the device.

[0034] In order to reduce the precision requirement for docking the spinning cover plate 20 with the adapter module 10, the upper end of the guide fastening nut 13 is designed as an oblique guide with a radius difference of 4mm between the inner circle and the outer circle, which ensures the guidance to the greatest extent while ensuring the basic tightening function.

[0035] The spin-on cover plate 20 includes a base plate 21, a fixed frame 22 and two sets of locking clamps 23; the lower end surface of the base plate 21 presses the sample tube, and the upper end surface is fixedly connected to the fixed frame 22; a through hole is provided at the center of the base plate 21 for docking with the locking sleeve 12; the two sets of locking clamps 23 are centrally symmetrically slidably provided inside the fixed frame 22 for docking with the clamping mechanism and clamping the locking sleeve 12.

[0036] The locking spring 23 includes a clamping claw grabbing frame 231 and a sliding arm 232; a sliding rail 233 is provided on the inner wall of the fixed frame 22 at the outer side of the sliding arm 232, and is slidably connected to the side wall of the sliding arm 232; the clamping claw grabbing frame 231 is fixed on the side of the sliding arm 232 away from the sliding rail 233; a clamping claw grabbing hole is provided in the center of the clamping claw grabbing frame 231 for connecting the clamping mechanism; the end of the sliding arm 232 away from the clamping claw grabbing frame 231 abuts against the protrusion of the fixed frame 22; The sliding arm 232 is connected to the fixed frame 22 on one side of the protrusion through a spring, so that the sliding arm 232 abuts against the protrusion at the end of sliding; the upper surface of the end of the sliding arm 232 away from the clamping claw grasping frame 231 is set as a threaded bevel, in order to engage with the locking sleeve 12 for threaded engagement, so that the rotation action can be smooth and fluent; the inner side wall of the middle section of the sliding arm 232 is set as an inward concave arc shape, and has the same shape as the through hole in the center of the bottom plate 21, so that the locking sleeve 12 can smoothly pass through the spinning cover plate 20 when docking.

[0037] The clamping mechanism 30 includes a base 31, an electric clamping jaw 32, and two sets of clamping columns 33. One end of the electric clamping jaw 32 is fixedly connected to the end of the drive mechanism 40 via the base 31, and the other end is connected to the two sets of clamping columns 33, driving the two sets of clamping columns 33 to dock and clamp the spin-on cover 20. The electric clamping jaw 32 is directly powered and controlled by the drive mechanism 40.

[0038] One end of the clamping column 33 is connected to the electric clamping jaw 32, and the other end is provided with a terminal fingertip 34 that adapts to the clamping jaw's gripping hole. The height of the terminal fingertip 34 is less than the depth of the clamping jaw's gripping hole, which prevents the terminal fingertip 34 from damaging the spin-on cover plate 20 after entering the clamping jaw's gripping hole. Both sets of terminal fingertips 34 are provided with protrusions on the opposite sides, which adapt to the grooves provided on the bottom of the inner wall of the clamping jaw's gripping frame 231. After the terminal fingertip 34 is inserted, it docks with the clamping jaw's gripping frame 231, thereby securing and limiting the spin-on cover plate 20 and the clamping mechanism 30. The driving mechanism 40 drives the clamping mechanism 30 to move above the spin-on cover plate 20, and lowers it so that the end fingertip 34 extends into the clamping claw grabbing hole. The electric clamping claw 32 drives the two groups of clamping columns 33 to move relatively outward along the slide rail 233. The protrusion of the end fingertip 34 cooperates with the groove of the clamping claw grabbing frame 231 to achieve docking. After docking, the spin-on cover plate 20 can be driven to move above the adapter module 10.

[0039] The automated operation process of the present invention is: 1) The driving mechanism 40 moves to a position above the placement of the spin-on cover plate 20 .

[0040] 2) Control the electric gripper 32 to grip the spin-on cover plate 20 .

[0041] 3) The driving mechanism 40 carries the locking sleeve 12 and moves to the top of the adapter module 10 .

[0042] 4) The driving mechanism 40 accurately lowers the spin-on cover 20 so that it is locked onto the locking sleeve 12 of the adapter module 10 .

[0043] 5) The end of the driving mechanism 40 is rotated 90 degrees to achieve spinning fastening.

[0044] 6) The electric clamp 32 releases the spin-on cover 20 .

[0045] Finished state: The spin-on cover plate 20 is firmly screwed and fastened onto the sample tube.

[0046] The device of the present invention can transform the original equipment into an automated equipment. When the equipment is transformed, the adapter module of the present invention replaces the original sample tube adapter on the original equipment. This replacement process is smooth and will not damage the instrument.

[0047] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Reference can be made to the common and similar parts between the various embodiments. For the devices disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method description.

[0048] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An automated instrument action component pressure plate locking device, characterized in that: The invention comprises an adapter module (10), a spin-on cover plate (20), a clamping mechanism (30) and a driving mechanism (40); the adapter module (10) is installed on the equipment, and a plurality of fixed slots are provided on the adapter module (10) for placing sample tubes; the clamping mechanism (30) is provided at the output end of the driving mechanism (40) for clamping the spin-on cover plate (20); the driving mechanism (40) is used to drive the clamping mechanism (30) to move above the spin-on cover plate (20), dock the spin-on cover plate (20) and the clamping mechanism (30), drive the spin-on cover plate (20) to above the sample tube, press the spin-on cover plate (20) downward to dock the adapter module (10), press the sample tube and rotate.

2. The automatic instrument motion component pressure plate locking device according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The adapter module (10) comprises an adapter body (11), a locking sleeve (12) and a guide fastening nut (13); the locking sleeve (12) is used to dock with the spin-on cover (20), and the lower end is fixed to the center position of the adapter body (11) by a fixing pin; the guide fastening nut (13) is arranged above the locking sleeve (12) and is used to screw and fix the locking sleeve (12) and the device.

3. The automated instrument motion assembly pressure plate locking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Rotating ears are provided on both sides of the upper end of the locking sleeve (12), and the lower surfaces of the rotating ears are provided with a plane that is smoothly connected to the spiral surface; a longitudinal plane is also provided on the side wall of the locking sleeve (12) for clamping the spin-on cover plate (20).

4. The automated instrument motion assembly pressure plate locking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The spin-on cover plate (20) includes a base plate (21), a fixed frame (22) and two sets of locking retaining springs (23); the lower end surface of the base plate (21) presses the sample tube, and the upper end surface is fixedly connected to the fixed frame (22); a through hole is provided at the center of the base plate (21) for cooperating with the locking sleeve (12); the two sets of locking retaining springs (23) are centrally symmetrically slidably provided inside the fixed frame (22) for docking the clamping mechanism and clamping the locking sleeve (12).

5. The automatic instrument motion assembly pressure plate locking device according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The locking spring (23) includes a clamping claw grabbing frame (231) and a sliding arm (232); a sliding rail (233) is provided on the inner wall of the fixed frame (22) at the outer side of the sliding arm (232), and is slidably connected to the side wall of the sliding arm (232); the clamping claw grabbing frame (231) is fixed on the side of the sliding arm (232) away from the sliding rail (233); a clamping claw grabbing hole is provided in the center of the clamping claw grabbing frame (231) for connecting the clamping mechanism; one end of the sliding arm (232) away from the clamping claw grabbing frame (231) abuts against the protrusion of the fixed frame (22); the sliding arm (232) is connected to the fixed frame (22) on the side of the protrusion through a spring; the inner side wall of the middle section of the sliding arm (232) is set to be a concave arc, which is the same shape as the through hole in the center of the bottom plate (21).

6. The automated instrument motion assembly pressure plate locking device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper surface of one end of the sliding arm (232) away from the clamping claw grabbing frame (231) is configured as a threaded bevel for thread-engaging with the locking sleeve (12).

7. The automated instrument motion assembly pressure plate locking device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism (30) comprises a base (31), an electric clamping jaw (32) and two groups of clamping columns (33); one end of the electric clamping jaw (32) is fixedly connected to the end of the driving mechanism (40) through the base (31), and the other end is connected to the two groups of clamping columns (33); the end of the clamping column (33) is provided with an end fingertip (34) adapted to the gripping hole of the clamping jaw.

8. The automated instrument motion assembly pressure plate locking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The two groups of terminal fingertips (34) are provided with protrusions on the relative outer sides, which are adapted to the grooves provided on the bottom of the inner wall of the clamping claw grabbing frame (231), so as to connect the terminal fingertips (34) with the clamping claw grabbing frame (231) and fix the limited rotary pressing cover plate (20) and the clamping mechanism (30).

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