Rack gripping device

Abstract

To provide a rack holding device that can improve the position accuracy of a holding position in holding a rack.SOLUTION: A rack holding device 100 comprises: a pair of hand plates 1a, 1b; a spring member 2; a moving device 3; and an interlock mechanism 4. The rack holding device 100 sandwiches and holds a rack having a plurality of specimen containers mounted thereon between the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b. The pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are arranged opposite to each other. The spring member 2 urges the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in a direction in which the hand plates approach each other. The moving device 3 moves the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in a direction to separate the hand plates from each other against the urging force of the spring member 2. The interlock mechanism 4 interlocks the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b so that the moved distances of the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in the opposite directions from each other become the same.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rack gripping device. [Background technology]

[0002] The analysis results of biological samples such as plasma, serum, and urine provide a great deal of information for diagnosing disease conditions. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a specimen testing device that automatically processes such biological samples. This specimen testing device is equipped with a rack transfer mechanism that transfers to another location a rack that holds multiple specimen containers, such as blood collection tubes, that contain biological samples as specimens. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6374058 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the rack transfer mechanism described in Patent Document 1, the rack is securely gripped by being sandwiched between a pair of gripping plates that are pulled together by a spring, ensuring positioning accuracy when transferring the rack to a predetermined location. In addition, because the gripped state of the rack is maintained by the biasing force of the spring, the rack is prevented from falling in the event of a power outage, for example. However, when the pair of gripping plates are pushed open and then closed to grip the rack, the gripping plates may be biased to one side in the opening and closing direction. In this case, the positioning accuracy of the gripping position when gripping the rack decreases. This may result in a decrease in positioning accuracy when transferring the rack to a specified location, so it is desirable to improve the positioning accuracy.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rack gripping device that can improve the positional accuracy of the gripping position when gripping a rack. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the rack gripping device according to the present invention comprises: be placed opposite each other A pair of hand plates; The pair of hand plates are biased in a direction toward each other. A spring member; The pair of hand plates are moved in directions away from each other against the biasing force of the spring members. A mobile device; The pair of hand plates are interlocked so that the distances of movement of each of the pair of hand plates in the opposite directions are the same. A linkage mechanism is provided. the interlocking mechanism includes a rotatable pinion gear disposed between the pair of hand plates, a plate-shaped first rack member fixed to one of the pair of hand plates and meshing with one side of the pinion gear, and a plate-shaped second rack member fixed to the other of the pair of hand plates and meshing with the other side of the pinion gear; the moving device includes a cam member and a motor that rotates the cam member, the cam member is connected to a rotation shaft of the motor, and the pinion gear is located coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor; A rack carrying a plurality of sample containers is sandwiched and held between the pair of hand plates. 。 [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rack gripping device that can improve the positional accuracy of the gripping position when gripping a rack. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a pair of hand plates of a rack gripping device according to an embodiment of the present invention are closed to grip a rack. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a front view showing a state in which a pair of hand plates of the rack gripping device shown in FIG. 1 are open. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the spring member, the support member, the guide rod, etc. have been removed from FIG. 2 for the sake of convenience of explanation. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2, showing a state in which the motor, mounting portion, etc. have been removed for ease of explanation. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8]10 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which the pair of hand plates are closed from an open state to a state in which the rack is gripped by rotating the cam member. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which a pair of hand plates are closed to grip a rack in a comparative example that does not have an interlocking mechanism. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are plan views for explaining the operation of the interlocking mechanism of the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which clearances are provided between a plurality of rack storage areas at the transfer destination. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a pair of hand plates 1a, 1b of a rack gripping device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention are closed to grip a rack 9. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b of the rack gripping device 100 shown in FIG. 1 are open. FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. 2. For convenience of explanation, the up, down, left, right, front, and back directions of the rack gripping device 100 are set as shown in FIG. 1. However, the actual installation direction of the rack gripping device 100 is not limited to this.

[0011] The rack gripping device 100 according to this embodiment is applied to, for example, a specimen pretreatment device (not shown) as a specimen testing device that automatically processes biological samples. 1, the rack gripping device 100 is used in a rack transfer mechanism (not shown) in a sample pretreatment device, which transfers a rack 9 carrying a plurality of sample containers 8 such as blood collection tubes to another location. That is, the rack gripping device 100 is attached to a vertical movement mechanism or a horizontal movement mechanism (not shown) provided in the rack transfer mechanism.

[0012] The rack gripping device 100 includes a pair of hand plates 1a and 1b, a spring member 2, and a moving device 3. The rack gripping device 100 grips a rack 9 carrying a plurality of sample containers 8 by sandwiching it between the pair of hand plates 1a and 1b.

[0013] The pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are arranged parallel to each other and facing each other. The hand plates 1a, 1b are, for example, rectangular frame-shaped plates. 2, the hand plates 1a and 1b are movable horizontally (left and right) along a horizontal guide rod 12 attached to the support member 5. Grips 11 that can come into contact with the sides of the rack 9 are provided on the lower parts of the hand plates 1a and 1b, respectively.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the spring member 2 biases the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in a direction toward each other. Two spring members 2 are installed in front and behind the hand plates 1a, 1b by being locked to locking portions 21 provided on the upper surfaces of the hand plates 1a, 1b. A tension coil spring is used as the spring member 2.

[0015] The moving device 3 moves the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in directions separating them from each other against the biasing force of the spring member 2. The moving device 3 has a motor 31. The support member 5 has a mounting portion 51 for the motor 31, and the motor 31 is mounted to the mounting portion 51 of the support member 5. For example, a stepping motor is used as the motor 31. However, for example, a DC servo motor may also be used.

[0016] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the spring member 2, the support member 5, the guide rod 12, etc. have been removed from Fig. 2 for the sake of convenience of explanation. Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 2, showing a state in which the motor 31, the mounting portion 51, etc. have been removed for the sake of convenience of explanation. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the movement device 3.

[0017] 4 to 6, the moving device 3 has a cam member 32 that is rotated by a motor 31. When the moving device 3 drives the motor 31, the cam member 32 is pressed against the inner surfaces of the hand plates 1a and 1b and moved outward (left and right in FIG. 4). In other words, the pair of hand plates 1a and 1b are opened.

[0018] The cam member has an arm 34 and a cam follower 35 as a rolling element. The arm 34 is formed like an elongated strip and is connected to a rotary shaft 33 of the motor 31. The cam followers 35 are rotatably disposed on both sides of the rotary shaft 33 on the arm 34 when viewed from the motor 31 side. Contact portions 13 that can come into contact with the side surfaces of the cam followers 35 are provided on the upper portions of the hand plates 1a and 1b, respectively.

[0019] 4 and 5, the rack gripping device 100 is equipped with an interlocking mechanism 4. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the interlocking mechanism 4. The interlocking mechanism 4 is a mechanism that interlocks the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b so that the distances of movement of the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in opposite directions are the same.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7, the interlocking mechanism 4 has a pinion gear 41, a first rack member 42, and a second rack member 43. The pinion gear 41 is a cylindrical gear disposed between the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b. The pinion gear 41 is rotatable about a support shaft 54 ​​(see FIG. 4) fixed to a support plate 53 (see FIG. 3) supported below the support member 5 via a support column 52 (see FIG. 3). The support shaft 54 ​​is disposed so as to be positioned coaxially with the rotation shaft 33 of the motor 31. Note that the support column 52 and the support plate 53 are omitted from FIG. 4.

[0021] The first rack member 42 is fixed to the upper part of the hand plate 1a, and the second rack member 43 is fixed to the upper part of the hand plate 1b. The first rack member 42 is plate-shaped and has teeth arranged in the left-right direction that mesh with the rear side of the pinion gear 41. The second rack member 43 is plate-shaped and has teeth arranged in the left-right direction that mesh with the front side of the pinion gear 41. Note that in Figures 5, 7, etc., only some of the teeth of the pinion gear 41, first rack member 42, and second rack member 43 are shown schematically.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, a first sensor 61 is installed on the upper front surface of the support member 5, and a first dog (shielding plate) 62 is installed on the hand plate 1a. When the rack 9 is sandwiched and gripped between the pair of hand plates 1a and 1b, the first sensor 61 detects the first dog 62. As shown in FIG. 4, a second sensor 63 is installed on the right side of the mounting portion 51 of the support member 5, and a second dog (shielding plate) 64 is installed on the upper surface of the arm 34 facing the hand plate 1a. When the arm 34 is rotated to a predetermined open position to open the pair of hand plates 1a and 1b, the second sensor 63 detects the second dog 64. As shown in FIG. 3, a third sensor 65 is installed on the upper left side of the support member 5, and as shown in FIG. 4, a third dog (shielding plate) 66 is installed on the upper surface of the arm 34 facing the hand plate 1b. When the arm 34 is rotated to a predetermined closed position to close the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b, the third sensor 65 detects the third dog 66.

[0023] Next, the operation of the rack gripping device 100 configured as above will be described. FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing how the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are closed from an open state by rotating the cam member 32 to a state in which the rack 9 is gripped.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 8, in an initial state 8A, the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are in an open state. In this case, by driving the motor 31, the arm 34 of the cam member 32 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view, and the cam follower 35 pushes the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b open. At this time, the second sensor 63 detects the second dog 64, which stops the rotation of the motor 31, and the holding torque of the motor 31 holds the rotational position of the arm 34. When gripping the rack 9, by driving the motor 31, the arm 34 is rotated clockwise in a plan view in the direction of the arrow.

[0025] 8, as the arm 34 rotates, the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b move toward each other along the guide rod 12 due to the biasing force of the spring member 2, and grip the rack 9. At this time, the first sensor 61 detects the first dog 62, confirming that the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b have securely gripped the rack 9 without swinging out. Then, even after gripping the rack 9, the motor 31 is further driven to rotate the arm 34 clockwise in a plan view in the direction of the arrow.

[0026] 8, when the third sensor 65 detects the third dog 66, the rotation of the motor 31 is stopped, and the rotational position of the arm 34 is maintained by the holding torque of the motor 31. At this time, a predetermined gap 36 is formed between the hand plates 1a, 1b and the cam follower 35. As a result, the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are brought close to each other by the biasing force of the spring member 2 and grip the rack 9 without receiving force from the cam follower 35.

[0027] 9 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are closed to grip the rack 9 in a comparative example that does not have the interlocking mechanism 4. As shown in state 8C in FIG. 8, the arm 34 is still rotated slightly after gripping the rack 9, so a gap 36 is created between the hand plates 1a, 1b and the cam follower 35. Therefore, there is a risk that the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b will be biased to one side.

[0028] Specifically, as shown in state 9A in Fig. 9, when the rack 9 is gripped, the hand plate 1a and the cam follower 35 may come into contact with each other, and a large gap 37 may be created between the hand plate 1b and the cam follower 35. In this case, the hand plates 1a, 1b and the rack 9 may be displaced in the direction of arrow A (to the left in this case). Alternatively, as shown in state 9B in Fig. 9, when the rack 9 is gripped, the hand plate 1b and the cam follower 35 may come into contact with each other, and a large gap 37 may be created between the hand plate 1a and the cam follower 35. In this case, the hand plates 1a, 1b and the rack 9 may be displaced in the direction of arrow B (to the right in this case).

[0029] Fig. 10 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the interlocking mechanism 4 of this embodiment. Fig. 10 shows a state in which the cam member 32, the motor 31, the mounting portion 51, etc. have been removed for the sake of convenience of explanation.

[0030] First, as shown in state 10A in FIG. 10, as the arm 34 (see FIG. 6, etc.) rotates, the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are closed in the direction indicated by arrow C by the biasing force of the spring member 2. At this time, the first rack member 42 and the second rack member 43 are pushed inward in the direction indicated by arrow D. At this time, the pinion gear 41 freely rotates in the direction indicated by arrow E, i.e., counterclockwise in plan view. That is, the first rack member 42 and the second rack member 43 move inward by an equal number of teeth. Therefore, as shown in state 10B in FIG. 10, the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are positioned symmetrically with respect to plane P, which passes through the center of the pinion gear 41 and the rotation shaft 33 (see FIG. 8, etc.) and is parallel to the hand plates 1a, 1b. Plane P is a symmetry plane located at the center of the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in their initial open state.

[0031] As described above, the rack gripping device 100 according to this embodiment includes a pair of hand plates 1a, 1b, a spring member 2, a moving device 3, and an interlocking mechanism 4. The rack gripping device 100 grips a rack 9 carrying a plurality of sample containers 8 by sandwiching it between the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b. The pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are arranged facing each other. The spring member 2 biases the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in directions toward each other. The moving device 3 moves the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in directions away from each other against the biasing force of the spring member 2. The interlocking mechanism 4 interlocks the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b so that the distances of movement of each of the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in opposite directions are the same.

[0032] In this embodiment, when gripping the rack 9, the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b are moved by the interlocking mechanism 4 in directions approaching each other by the same distance. Therefore, there is no risk of the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b being biased to one side, and they are always positioned symmetrically with respect to the symmetry plane of the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b in the initial open state. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a rack gripping device 100 that can improve the positional accuracy of the gripping position when gripping the rack 9.

[0033] This allows for better positioning accuracy when transferring the rack 9 to a predetermined location. For example, when multiple racks 9 are arranged in parallel at the transfer destination, a clearance L must be provided between multiple rack storage areas 91 at the transfer destination, as shown in FIG. 11, depending on the positioning accuracy when transferring the racks 9. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 11 schematically illustrates how the arrangement of the racks 9 at the transfer destination varies. According to this embodiment, the positioning accuracy of the gripping position of the rack 9 is improved, thereby improving the positioning accuracy when transferring the rack 9, and therefore the required clearance L is reduced. This allows for the miniaturization of a sample testing device, such as a sample pre-processing device, to which the rack gripping device 100 of this embodiment is applied.

[0034] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the rack 9 is held by the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b solely by the biasing force of the spring member 2. Therefore, the held state of the rack 9 is maintained by the biasing force of the spring member 2, which prevents the rack 9 from falling, for example, during a power outage. Furthermore, by utilizing the biasing force of the spring member 2, racks of different widths can be held, making it possible to accommodate a variety of racks without changing the shape or control method of the hand plates 1a, 1b. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the moving device 3 and the interlocking mechanism 4 are provided independently, so that only the biasing force of the spring member 2 acts on the rack 9 when the rack 9 is held. Therefore, the rack holding device 100 can apply just the right amount of force to the rack 9 and stably hold the rack 9.

[0035] In this embodiment, the moving device 3 has a cam member 32 and a motor 31 that rotates the cam member 32, and the cam member 32 is pressed against and moved by driving the motor 31. In this configuration, by using the cam member 32 and the motor 31, the hand plates 1a, 1b can be opened efficiently with a simple configuration.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cam member 32 has an arm 34 connected to the rotary shaft 33 of the motor 31, and cam followers 35 rotatably arranged on both sides of the rotary shaft 33 on the arm 34 when viewed from the motor 31. With this configuration, the pair of hand plates 1a, 1b can be opened more efficiently with less force.

[0037] In this embodiment, the interlocking mechanism 4 has a pinion gear 41, a first rack member 42 fixed to the hand plate 1a, and a second rack member 43 fixed to the hand plate 1b. The first rack member 42 meshes with the rear side of the pinion gear 41, and the second rack member 43 meshes with the front side of the pinion gear 41. In this configuration, the use of a rack and pinion mechanism allows the interlocking mechanism 4 to be configured simply and reliably.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the technical concept or main features thereof. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of the above-described embodiments with other configurations.

[0039] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cam member 32 has an arm 34 and a cam follower 35, but this is not limited thereto. The cam member 32 can also be formed, for example, from a single plate cam. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the arm 34 is formed to extend in the shape of a strip plate, but this is not limited thereto. The arm 34 may have another shape, such as an elliptical plate.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the interlocking mechanism 4 is configured using a rack and pinion mechanism, but is not limited to this. The interlocking mechanism 4 can also be configured using other mechanisms, such as a link mechanism. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1a, 1b Hand Plate 9 racks 8. Sample container 2 Spring member 3. Mobile Devices 5 Support member 31 Motor 32 Cam member 34 Arm 35 Cam follower (rolling element) 33 Rotation axis 4 Interlocking mechanism 41 Pinion gear 42 first rack member 43 Second rack member 100 Rack gripping device

Claims

1. A pair of hand plates arranged opposite to each other; a spring member that biases the pair of hand plates in a direction toward each other; a moving device that moves the pair of hand plates in directions away from each other against the biasing force of the spring member; a linkage mechanism that links the pair of hand plates so that the moving distances of the pair of hand plates in opposite directions are the same, the interlocking mechanism includes a rotatable pinion gear disposed between the pair of hand plates, a plate-shaped first rack member fixed to one of the pair of hand plates and meshing with one side of the pinion gear, and a plate-shaped second rack member fixed to the other of the pair of hand plates and meshing with the other side of the pinion gear, the moving device includes a cam member and a motor that rotates the cam member; the cam member is connected to a rotary shaft of the motor; the pinion gear is located coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor, A rack gripping device that grips a rack carrying a plurality of sample containers by sandwiching it between the pair of hand plates.

2. A rack gripping device as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the cam member is pressed against the hand plate and moved by driving the motor.

3. The cam member is an arm connected to a rotation shaft of the motor; rolling elements rotatably disposed on both sides of the rotation shaft of the arm as viewed from the motor side; 3. The rack gripping device according to claim 2, further comprising:

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