Transport object distribution device, pneumatic sending system and sending method of sample container

Abstract

The present invention discloses a conveying object distribution device, a pneumatic sending system and a sending method with a sample container, wherein the conveying object distribution device of the present scheme connects a plurality of sending components and a cache conveying member by setting a distribution mechanism, the distribution mechanism has a discharge chute and at least two material guide chutes for receiving the conveying objects at the cache conveying member, the lower end of each material guide chute is connected to the inlet of a sending component, the distribution mechanism is also provided with a structure for identifying the length of the conveying object at the discharge chute, according to the identified length of the conveying object, the conveying object at the discharge chute is transferred to the material guide chute corresponding to the length of the conveying object through the transfer mechanism, so that conveying objects of different lengths enter different sending components for classified sending, effectively meeting the needs of classified sending of sending objects of different lengths.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic conveying equipment, in particular to a conveying object distribution device, a pneumatic sending system and a sending method for a container with a sample. Background Art

[0002] In hospitals, laboratories and other places where in-tube samples need to be analyzed and tested, containers such as tubes or bottles containing samples need to be transported from the collection point to the corresponding analysis point for analysis. Therefore, it is necessary to use a conveying system to transport containers such as tubes or bottles.

[0003] Application number 202021337054.4 discloses a blood collection tube transmission and transmitter, which collects the blood collection tubes and transmits them to a sending component. By supplying air into the sending component, the blood collection tubes in the sending component are sent to the designated testing department via a conveying track.

[0004] The problem with this structure is that it can only transport containers of one length. When the lengths of the containers are multiple and each length of container needs to be transported to one testing department, for example, when there are two lengths of blood collection tubes, the short blood collection tube needs to be transported to one testing department and the long blood collection tube needs to be transported to another testing department, the above structure cannot complete the corresponding transportation. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems existing in the prior art and to provide a transport object distribution device, a pneumatic sending system and a sending method for a container with a sample.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] The conveying object distribution device comprises a silo with an inlet at the end face, a loading part, a buffer storage part and a sending component, wherein the buffer storage part is connected to at least two sending components through a distribution mechanism, and the distribution mechanism comprises

[0008] A material discharge chute is obliquely arranged below the discharge port of the buffer storage member to receive the conveyed object output by the buffer storage member, and its lower end extends to the outside of the silo and the length extending out of the silo is not less than the length of the conveyed object;

[0009] An identification device, at least used to determine the length of the conveying object at the unloading chute;

[0010] The number of the material guide chutes is not less than 2 and they are arranged obliquely, and the lower end of each of the material guide chutes is connected to the feed port of a sending component;

[0011] A transfer mechanism having a structure for transferring the conveying object at the unloading chute to any of the material guide chutes;

[0012] The material discharge chute comprises an inclined surface, the upper section of the inclined surface and the side plates on both sides thereof form a material receiving trough directly opposite to the material discharge port of the buffer storage member, the two sides of the lower section of the inclined surface are respectively connected with a material guide chute, the top of the side where the material guide chute is connected to the inclined surface is not higher than the inclined surface, the transfer mechanism comprises a limiter and a translation drive mechanism that at least drives it to translate from directly above the material guide chute on one side to directly above the material guide chute on the other side, the limiter encloses a limit space that can limit the conveying object and the inlet faces the material discharge end of the material receiving trough;

[0013] The limiting member further defines a receiving space connected to the middle area of ​​the inner end of the limiting space, wherein the receiving space is accessible to the small end of the conveyed object but not to the large end of the conveyed object, and a third sensor with a sensing area facing the receiving space is disposed on the inclined surface or the limiting member;

[0014] The unloading chute is a chute with a lower opening and a limiting portion, and the transfer assembly includes a vacuum adsorption group, which is connected to a mechanism that drives the lifting and translation of the vacuum adsorption group.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the limiting member includes a U-shaped body and connecting arms connected to two side arms of the U-shaped body, the two connecting arms are connected to a sliding member, and the sliding member is slidably disposed on a guide rail and connected to a mechanism that drives it to slide back and forth along the guide rail.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the identification device is two sensors provided on the limiting member and combined to determine the length of the conveying object in the limiting space.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the top surface of the material guide chute on the side where it connects with the inclined surface is an inclined plane that inclines from the inclined surface toward the inside of the guide chute.

[0018] The conveying object distribution device includes a sending component and a distribution mechanism, wherein the distribution mechanism includes a discharge chute, a guide chute, a transfer mechanism and a sensor for determining whether there is a conveying object in the discharge chute; the discharge chute includes a fixed-position inclined plane, the upper section of the inclined plane and the side plates on both sides thereof form a material receiving trough, and the two sides of the lower section of the inclined plane are respectively connected to a guide chute, the top of the side where the guide chute is connected to the inclined plane is not higher than the inclined plane, and the lower end of each guide chute is connected to a feed port of a sending component; the transfer mechanism includes a limiter with a gap arranged on the inclined plane and a translation drive mechanism that drives it to translate at least from directly above the guide chute on one side to directly above the guide chute on the other side, the limiter encloses a limit space that can limit the conveying object and whose inlet faces the discharge end of the receiving chute.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, there are two sensors and they are combined to determine the length of the conveying object at the unloading chute.

[0020] A pneumatic sending system comprises any of the above-mentioned transport object distribution devices, wherein the first connection port of each sending component is connected to an output pipeline, and the second connection port thereof is connected to an air supply pipeline.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the output pipeline at least includes a lifting zone pipeline and a flat zone pipeline connected thereto, and the inner diameter of the flat zone pipeline is larger than the inner diameter of the lifting zone pipeline.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the first connection port of the sending component is connected to the output pipeline, and the second connection port thereof is connected to the air supply pipeline. The air supply flow rate or air supply pressure of the air supply pipeline can be adjusted according to the different pipe sections of the output pipeline according to the conveying object.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the gas supply pipeline includes two gas supply branches which are connected in parallel and can be opened and closed independently. The gas supply branches have a flow controller, and a sensor is arranged at the rear of the connection area between the lifting zone pipeline and the flat zone pipeline.

[0024] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for sending a container with a sample, comprising the following steps:

[0025] S1, allowing blood collection tubes of different lengths to enter the unloading chute, determining the length of the blood collection tubes in the unloading chute through a sensor and sending it to the control system;

[0026] S2, the control system controls the transfer mechanism to transfer the blood collection tube in the unloading chute to the material guide chute corresponding to the length, and at the same time controls the sending rotating block of the sending component connected to the material guide chute to rotate until the sending channel thereon is connected with the discharge port of the material guide chute, and the blood collection tube enters the sending channel from the material guide chute;

[0027] S3, the control system controls the sending rotating block to rotate until the two ends of the sending channel are connected to the output pipeline and the air supply pipeline respectively

[0028] S4, the control system controls the gas supply pipeline to pass gas into the sending channel to complete the transportation of the blood collection tube.

[0029] Preferably, in S3, the control system controls the motor according to the position of the cap end of the blood collection tube at the unloading chute determined by the third sensor so that the cap end of the blood collection tube into which the sending rotating block rotates is in a downward state.

[0030] Preferably, in S4, after the blood collection tube enters the pipeline in the flat area from the pipeline in the lifting area, one air supply branch is shut off.

[0031] The advantages of the technical solution of the present invention are mainly reflected in:

[0032] The present solution connects a plurality of sending components and a cache conveyor by setting up a distribution mechanism, the distribution mechanism having a discharge chute and at least two material guide chutes for receiving the conveying objects at the cache conveyor, the lower end of each material guide chute being connected to the inlet of a sending component, the distribution mechanism also having a structure for identifying the length of the conveying object at the discharge chute, according to the identified length of the conveying object, the conveying object at the discharge chute is transferred to the material guide chute corresponding to the length of the conveying object through the transfer mechanism, so that conveying objects of different lengths enter different sending components for classified sending, effectively meeting the needs of classified sending of sending objects of different lengths.

[0033] The distribution mechanism of this solution adopts a structure in which the inclined plane and the guide chute are connected on both sides of the lower section. The transfer of the conveying object on the inclined plane can be achieved through a simple limiter and its translation. The structure is simple and easy to implement. When the vacuum adsorption component is used to transfer the conveying object, the types that can be classified can be effectively expanded, thereby effectively meeting the needs of classified conveying of conveying objects of more lengths.

[0034] This solution uses a combination of sensors to determine the length of the conveyed object. It has a simple structure and is easy to implement. Compared with the image recognition method, it has lower software and hardware costs, does not require an image analysis process, is less affected by the outside world, has faster data acquisition efficiency and higher accuracy, and also reduces the data processing volume of the control system.

[0035] Through the spatial shape design formed at the limit piece, combined with the sensor, the positions of both ends of the conveyed object can be effectively determined. The structure is simple and easy to implement. Compared with the image recognition method, the software and hardware costs are lower, the data acquisition efficiency is faster, the accuracy is higher, and the data processing volume of the control system is also reduced.

[0036] The conveying system of this scheme can effectively avoid the conveying speed of the conveyed object in the flat area pipeline from being too fast, which may cause sample damage, by designing the pipe diameters of different sections of the output pipeline. Further combined with the design of the air supply pipeline, the air supply flow rate is controlled according to the different sections of the conveying pipeline determined by the sensor, which can effectively ensure that the change in the conveying speed of the conveyed object is as small as possible and that the conveying speed of the items in the flat area pipeline and the falling area pipeline is not too fast, so as to reduce the impact on the sample. Furthermore, an air leakage hole is opened in the falling area pipeline, which can effectively realize the leakage of airflow and avoid the problem of excessive speed caused by the airflow exerting additional thrust on the descending conveyed object.

[0037] The sensor provided on the output pipe can count the number of conveying objects outputted from the output pipe, thereby increasing the counting function and verifying the distribution data according to the distribution mechanism, which is beneficial for data statistics and analysis and avoiding omissions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of the conveying object distribution device of the present invention (part of the baffle structure of the housing and the trough is hidden in the figure)

[0039] Figure 2 is a second perspective stereoscopic view of the conveying object distribution device of the present invention (the outer shell, part of the baffle of the silo and the first mounting plate are hidden in the figure);

[0040] Figure 3 is a first-perspective stereoscopic diagram of the distribution mechanism and the sending component in the transport object distribution device of the present invention (only a motor of the sending component is shown in the figure);

[0041] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a block in the dispensing mechanism of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An end view of

[0043] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional diagram of a stopper in the dispensing mechanism of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 7 is a second perspective stereoscopic diagram of the distribution mechanism and the sending component in the transport object distribution device of the present invention (only one motor of the sending component is shown in the figure);

[0045] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the connection between the sending component, the air supply pipeline and the output pipeline in the pneumatic sending system of the present invention;

[0046] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of an output pipeline connected to a sending component in a pneumatic sending system of the present invention having a drop zone pipeline;

[0047] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of a drop zone pipeline of an output pipeline connected to a sending component in a start-up sending system of the present invention having a deceleration buffer zone;

[0048] Fig.11 yes Fig.10 A partial schematic diagram of a first implementation of a deceleration buffer in FIG.

[0049] Fig.12 yes Fig.10 A partial schematic diagram of a second implementation of the deceleration buffer;

[0050] Fig.13 It is a stereoscopic diagram of the pneumatic sending system of the present invention (only part of the output pipeline and part of the structure of the air supply pipeline are shown in the figure). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The purpose, advantages and features of the present invention will be illustrated and explained by the non-limiting description of the following preferred embodiments. These embodiments are only typical examples of the application of the technical solution of the present invention, and any technical solution formed by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation falls within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0052] In the description of the scheme, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplified description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Moreover, in the description of the scheme, with the operator as a reference, the direction close to the operator is the proximal end, and the direction away from the operator is the distal end.

[0053] The following is an explanation of the conveying object distribution device disclosed by the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 , Attachment Figure 2 As shown, it includes a silo 100 with an inlet on the end face, a loading part 200, a buffer storage part 300 and a sending component 400. The specific structures of the silo 100, the loading part 200, the buffer storage part 300 and the sending component 400 are consistent with the structure of the Chinese invention patent with application number 202021337054.4, announcement number CN212531516U and name "A blood collection tube transmission and sending machine". Of course, in addition to the above-mentioned structures of the silo 100, the loading part 200, the buffer storage part 300 and the sending component 400, this solution also has the shell, feed port and other structures of the above-mentioned patent.

[0054] Compared with the above-mentioned prior art structure, a major innovative improvement of the present invention is: Figure 1 , Attachment Figure 2 As shown, the buffer storage element 300 is connected to at least two of the sending components 400 through a distribution mechanism 500, and the distribution mechanism 500 includes

[0055] A discharge chute 510 is obliquely disposed below the discharge port of the buffer storage unit 100 to receive the conveying object A output by the buffer storage unit, and its lower end extends to the outside of the silo and the length extending out of the silo is not less than the length of the conveying object A;

[0056] An identification device, at least used to determine the length of the conveying object A at the unloading chute;

[0057] The material guide chutes 520 are not less than 2 in number and are arranged obliquely, and the lower end of each of the material guide chutes is connected to a feed port of a sending component;

[0058] The transfer mechanism 540 has a structure for transferring the conveying object A at the unloading chute to any of the material guide chute.

[0059] By adopting such a structure, the output device of the present scheme can identify the lengths of the conveying objects A of different lengths entering the output device and select the conveying path of each length of the conveying objects A according to the identification structure, so that the conveying objects of the same length are transported to the corresponding sending component 400, so that the conveying objects of different lengths can be classified and sent to different locations, effectively meeting the classified sending needs of multi-length containers.

[0060] The specific structure of the distribution mechanism 500 can be designed according to different needs. For example, when the conveying object has only two lengths, the first structure described below can be used; when the conveying object has more than three lengths, the second structure can be used. Of course, the second structure can also be used for conveying objects of two lengths.

[0061] A first possible structure of the distribution mechanism 500 is as follows:

[0062] As attached Figure 3 , Attachment Figure 4 As shown, the unloading chute 510 includes an inclined surface 511, the width of which is slightly larger than the maximum outer diameter of the conveying object, which is of course not necessary, as long as it can support the conveying object A. The inclined surface 511 is specifically the top surface of a block 512 fixed on the first fixed plate 7, the lower end of the block 512 extends to the feed port of the sending component 400, the upper section 5111 of the inclined surface 511 (the part located in the silo 100) is vertically connected to the side plates 513 on both sides thereof and extending above the inclined surface 511 to form a receiving trough 514 located directly below the discharge port of the buffer storage member 300, the conveying object falling from the buffer storage member 300 falls into the receiving trough 514 and slides downward along the inclined surface 511 to its lower section 5112, the lower section 5112 is located outside the silo 100, and the length of the lower section 5112 is not less than the length of the conveying object.

[0063] As attached Figure 3 , Attachment Figure 4As shown, the two sides of the lower section 5112 of the inclined surface 511 are respectively connected to a material guide chute 520, and the top of the side where the material guide chute 520 is connected to the inclined surface 511 is not higher than the inclined surface, so that the conveying object at the lower section 5112 can roll into the material guide chute 520 on either side and slide along the material guide chute 520 to the corresponding sending component 400.

[0064] As attached Figure 5 As shown, in order to reduce the impact when the conveyed object falls from the inclined surface 511 into the material guide chute 520, the top surface of the two material guide chutes 520 on the side connected with the inclined surface 511 is an inclined plane 521 inclined from the inclined surface to the inside of the guide chute. At the same time, the two material guide chutes 520 and the inclined surface 511 are integrally formed, that is, they are both parts of the block 512, so as to facilitate production.

[0065] As attached Figure 3 , Attachment Figure 6 As shown, when the conveying object slides down to the lower section 5112, it is restricted by the transfer mechanism 540 to move in translation at the lower section 5112 and toward one of the two guide chutes 520. The transfer mechanism 540 includes a limiter 541 and a translation drive mechanism 542 that at least drives it to move in translation from just above the guide chute on one side to just above the guide chute on the other side. The limiter 541 is gap-set above the inclined surface 511, and encloses a limit space 5411 that can limit the conveying object and the inlet 5412 faces the discharge end of the receiving chute 514.

[0066] Specifically, as shown in the attached Figure 6 As shown, the limiting member 541 includes a U-shaped body 5413 and a connecting arm 5415 connected to two side arms 5414 of the U-shaped body 5413. The space enclosed by the U-shaped body 5413 is the above-mentioned limiting space 5411. When the limiting member 541 faces the lower section 5112 of the inclined surface 511, the conveying object sliding from the upper section 5111 to the lower section 5112 enters the limiting space 5411 and cannot roll to the two sides of the inclined surface 511 at will. When the limiting member 541 is driven to translate by the translation drive mechanism, the conveying object in the limiting space 5411 is driven to translate synchronously.

[0067] Of course, in other embodiments, the limiting member 541 may not be a U-shaped member. For example, it may only have two side arms 5414, and a limiting protrusion is formed on at least one of the opposite surfaces of the two side arms 5414 to prevent the conveyed object from continuing to slide down the inclined surface.

[0068] As attached Figure 6As shown, in order to facilitate the conveying object to enter the limited space 5411, the limited space 5411 is divided into an entrance section 5416, a guide section 5417 and an inner section 5418 which are arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The width of the entrance section 5411 is greater than the width of the inner section 5418, and the width of the guide section 5417 decreases linearly from one end connected with the entrance section 5416 to the other end.

[0069] As attached Figure 2 , Attachment Figure 3 As shown, the two connecting arms 5415 are used to connect the translation drive mechanism 542. They are arranged at an obtuse angle with the side wall 5411 and extend vertically. Each connecting arm 5415 and the side arm 5411 connected thereto are integrally formed. Of course, they can also be two independent parts connected together by welding or screwing. In other embodiments, the connecting arm 5415 is not necessary, and the stopper 541 can only include a U-shaped body.

[0070] As attached Figure 3 As shown, the two connecting arms 5415 are connected to a sliding member 543, and the sliding member 543 is slidably arranged on a guide rail 544 and connected to a mechanism that drives it to reciprocate along the guide rail 544. The guide rail 544 is fixed on the first fixed plate 7 and is located outside the silo 200, and its two ends extend to the outside of the two material guide chutes 520, so that the limiter 541 can move to the outside of the two material guide chutes 520. The sliding member 543 is connected to the movable nut of the lead screw 546 through a connecting member 545. The screw of the lead screw 546 is rotatably arranged on the outer side of the first fixed plate 7 and connected to a motor 547 that drives it to rotate. The motor 547 is also fixed on the outer side of the first fixed plate 7, and drives the screw to rotate, driving the movable nut to rotate, thereby driving the sliding member 543 to slide along the guide rail 544, and the sliding member 543 drives the limiter 541 to move. The motor 547 , the lead screw 546 , the connecting member, the sliding member 543 and the guide rail 544 constitute the translation driving mechanism 542 .

[0071] Of course, the connecting member, the sliding member and the guide rail 544 can also be omitted, and the connecting arm 5415 of the limit member 541 is directly connected to the movable nut of the lead screw. Or in another embodiment, the lead screw and the motor can also be replaced by other devices or mechanisms that can produce linear movement, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or a combination of two cylinders can be used to achieve the corresponding action.

[0072] Various feasible methods can be used to identify the length of the conveying object at the lower section. For example, in one method, the identification device can be an image acquisition device (not shown in the figure) installed on the outer side of the first mounting plate 7, and the lens of the image acquisition device is facing the lower section 5112 of the inclined surface 511. The length of the conveying object is determined by image analysis. The specific image analysis technology is a known technology and will not be described here.

[0073] However, in this method, a sensor needs to be configured to determine whether there is a conveying object at the lower section 5112 of the inclined surface 511 to trigger the image acquisition device to perform image acquisition. At the same time, the software and hardware costs of using the image acquisition device are also higher.

[0074] In a more preferred manner, the length of the conveyed object is determined by the combined signal of two sensors (not shown in the figure), each of which is used to detect whether there is a conveyed object at the corresponding position in the limited space, and the sensor can be various known proximity sensors, through-beam sensors, etc. Figure 6 As shown, the first sensor (not shown in the figure) is arranged at a position of the side arm 5414 of the limiting member 541 close to the entrance of the limiting space 5411, and the second sensor (not shown in the figure) is arranged at a position of the side arm 5414 close to the inner end of the limiting space 5411, and at least one of the corresponding positions of the side arm 5414 is formed with a hole or groove for installing the two sensors, and preferably, two through holes 5410 are formed at both of the side arms 5414. Of course, the specific installation positions of the first sensor and the second sensor can be adaptively adjusted according to the length of the transport object to be identified, which is not limited here. At the same time, the first sensor and the second sensor can also be installed on the block 512 where the inclined surface 511 is located.

[0075] When the second sensor can sense the conveying object and the first sensor cannot sense the conveying object, the conveying object located in the limited space is short; when both the first sensor and the second sensor sense the conveying object, the conveying object located in the limited space is long.

[0076] Furthermore, when the transport object is output, the orientation of the transport object needs to be determined. For example, when transporting a blood collection tube, it needs to be transported with the cap end facing downward. Therefore, the positions of the two ends of the transport object need to be determined before the transport object enters the sending component so that the transport object can be adjusted to the corresponding state after entering the sending component.

[0077] In one embodiment, the positions of the two ends of the transport object can also be determined by capturing a picture of the transport object on the inclined surface using an image capture device. Figure 4 , Attachment Figure 6 , Attachment Figure 7 As shown, in another preferred embodiment, the limit member 541 further defines a accommodating space 5419 connected to the middle area of ​​the inner end of the limit space 5411, and a third sensor (not shown in the figure) with a sensing area facing the accommodating space 5419 is provided at the end of the inclined surface 511, and the third sensor is arranged in a mounting hole or groove 5113 arranged at the end of the inclined surface and facing the accommodating space, and the width of the accommodating space 5419 is larger than the outer diameter of the small end of the conveying object and smaller than the outer diameter of its large end.

[0078] When the transport object falls into the lower section of the inclined plane with its large end (the cap end of the blood collection tube) facing downward and is located in the limiting space 5411, its large end cannot enter the accommodation space 5419, and the third sensor cannot sense the transport object. On the contrary, when the transport object falls into the lower section of the inclined plane with its small end (the end of the blood collection tube opposite to the cap end) facing downward and is located in the limiting space 5411, its small end enters the accommodation space 5419, and the third sensor senses the transport object at this time, so that the positions of the two ends of the transport object can be conveniently determined through the signals of the third sensor.

[0079] A second possible structure of the allocation mechanism is as follows:

[0080] The unloading chute is a chute with a lower opening and a limiting portion. For example, the chute is a U-shaped chute formed by an inclined surface and side plates on both sides of the inclined surface. A limiting portion is provided at the lower end of the U-shaped chute so that the conveyed object located therein will not slide out from the lower end of the U-shaped chute. The chute extends from below the discharge port of the buffer storage unit 300 to the outside of the silo, and the length extending to the outside of the silo is not less than the length of the conveyed object, and the length of the chute between the limiting portion and the silo is not less than the length of the conveyed object. At this time, the sensors for identifying the length of the conveyed object can be installed at the two side plates of the U-shaped chute and the number can be consistent with the number of the material guide chute 520. The judgment principle is similar to the above judgment principle, which is determined by determining the number of conveyed objects identified.

[0081] At this time, the number of the material guiding chutes 520 can be 2 or more, and preferably their extension direction is consistent with the extension direction of the chute. At the same time, the transfer assembly can include a vacuum adsorption group (not shown in the figure), and the vacuum adsorption group is connected to a mechanism that drives its lifting and translation.

[0082] The specific structure of the vacuum adsorption group can adopt various known feasible structures. When a vacuum adsorption component is adopted, it usually includes a suction head and a vacuum pipeline connected to the suction head. The number of suction heads can be set according to the length of the conveying object. The shape of the lower end of the suction head can be set to a shape matching the outer contour of the conveying object. For example, when the conveying object is a tubular object, the lower end of the suction head can be set to a matching arc surface.

[0083] The structure for driving the translation and lifting of the vacuum adsorption assembly can be obtained by setting a cylinder on the sliding member of the above-mentioned translation drive mechanism 542, and the cylinder shaft of the cylinder is set vertically, and the cylinder shaft is connected to the vacuum adsorption group. When the cylinder shaft of the cylinder is extended, it can drive the vacuum adsorption group to fall into the chute to absorb or grab the conveying object therein, and then when the cylinder shaft of the cylinder is retracted, the translation drive mechanism drives the cylinder and the vacuum adsorption group to translate as a whole until the conveying object on the vacuum adsorption group is located directly above the corresponding material guide chute, and then the cylinder drives the vacuum adsorption group to fall, and put the conveying object into the corresponding material guide chute for conveying.

[0084] Of course, the extension directions of the multiple material guide chutes 520 can also be random, that is, they are not arranged in parallel. At this time, by adjusting the structure that drives the vacuum adsorption component to move, the conveying object grasped by the adsorption component can be placed in each of the material guide chutes 520. For example, the mechanism that drives the vacuum adsorption component to move can produce a structure of X, Y, and Z three-axis movement and rotation. The specific technology is known and will not be elaborated here.

[0085] The lower end of each of the guide chutes is connected to a feed port of a sending component 400. The sending components 400 may be multiple independent devices or integrated into a whole. Figure 7As shown, when there are two material guide chutes 520, the two sending rotating blocks 410 of the two sending assemblies 400 are located in a sending fixed seat 420, and a large feed port 421 is formed on the sending fixed seat 420. The lower ends of the two material guide chutes extend into the feed port 421 and correspond to one sending rotating block 410 respectively. The sending channel 411 of the sending rotating block 410 can be rotated to communicate with the feed port 421 and thus communicate with the lower end of the material guide chute 520. Two pairs of coaxial connection ports are provided on the sending fixed seat 420, and each pair of connection ports matches the position of a sending rotating block 410. The sending channel of the sending rotating block 410 can be rotated to be coaxial with a pair of connection ports for sending. One of each pair of connection ports is at the top and the other is at the bottom. A pipe joint 450 is provided at each connection port. The specific structure of the pipe joint is a known technology, which is selected according to needs and is not limited here. The transmission fixing seat 420 is fixed on the tripod 430 , and the tripod 430 is arranged at both ends of the transmission fixing seat. The motors 440 connected to the two transmission rotating blocks 410 are located at both ends of the transmission fixing seat 420 .

[0086] When the equipment is working, the automatic operation of the entire equipment is controlled by a known feasible control system, which will not be described in detail here.

[0087] Example 2

[0088] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that: Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the silo 100, the loading part 200, the buffer storage part 300 and the like in the above-mentioned embodiment 1 are all omitted, and only at least two sending components and a distribution mechanism 500 are provided. At this time, the conveying object can be directly placed on the discharge chute. At the same time, only one sensor can be provided at the discharge chute in the distribution mechanism 500 to determine whether there is a conveying object in the lower section of the discharge chute. When working, it is not necessary to distinguish the length of the conveying object, but to speed up the sending rhythm of the entire equipment by forming two conveying channels to improve the sending efficiency.

[0089] Of course, a more optimal structure is a structure that combines the length recognition and direction recognition in the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0090] Example 3

[0091] This embodiment further discloses a pneumatic delivery system, which is used to deliver various tubular, columnar or bottle-shaped objects, preferably used for the delivery of blood collection tubes, such as the attached Fig. 9 As shown, it includes the transport object distribution device of the above-mentioned embodiment or the structure with only one sending component 400 disclosed in application number 202021337054.4.

[0092] Here, a sending component 400 is taken as an example for explanation. One connection port of the sending component 400 is connected to the output pipe 600, and the other connection port is connected to the gas supply pipeline 700. The gas supply pipeline 700 is used to transport gas to the sending channel 411 of the sending rotating block 410 of the sending component 400, so that the transport object in the sending channel 411 enters the output pipe 600 under the action of the airflow and is transported to the corresponding position.

[0093] Among them, as attached Figure 8 , Attachment Fig.13 As shown, the output pipeline 600 at least includes a lifting zone pipeline 610 and a flat zone pipeline 620 connected thereto, and their connection area is arc-shaped so as to facilitate the smooth passage of the transported object. The lifting zone pipeline 610 can be arranged vertically or tilted, preferably arranged vertically, with its lower end connected to the connection port at the top of the sending component 400, and its upper end vertically extending upward out of the housing of the transported object distribution device, and a guide sleeve for the lifting zone pipeline 610 to pass through is provided on the housing. The flat zone pipeline is horizontal as a whole, and of course, there can be a certain height difference at different positions of the flat zone pipeline, for example, the flat zone pipeline is a hose and can have a certain curvature.

[0094] Usually, the inner diameters of the lifting zone pipeline 610 and the flat zone pipeline 620 are the same. However, when the transport object is a tube containing samples such as blood samples or biological fluids, excessive transport speed may cause sample abnormalities, affecting the safety of the samples and the subsequent effective detection and analysis. Since the transport object only needs a smaller airflow thrust to move in the flat zone pipeline 620, that is, the air flow required for the transport object in the flat zone pipeline 620 is smaller than that in the lifting zone pipeline. The air flow supplied by the air supply pipeline 700 is usually constant. At this time, the speed of the transport object in the flat zone pipeline 620 is faster than that in the lifting zone pipeline, which greatly increases the risk of sample abnormalities.

[0095] Therefore, in order to reduce the thrust of the airflow in the flat zone pipeline, the inner diameter of the flat zone pipeline 620 is made larger than the inner diameter of the lifting zone pipeline 610, so that under the condition of the same airflow, the thrust generated by the airflow is reduced by increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flat zone pipeline 620. More preferably, the value of the inner diameter of the flat zone pipeline 620 being larger than the maximum outer diameter of the transport object is about 2 times the value of the inner diameter of the lifting zone pipeline 610 being larger than the maximum outer diameter of the transport object. Specifically, the inner diameter of the lifting zone pipeline 610 is 1-2mm larger than the maximum outer diameter of the transport object, more preferably 1-1.5mm, and the inner diameter of the flat zone pipeline 620 is 2-4mm larger than the maximum outer diameter of the transport object, more preferably about 3mm. At this time, in order to facilitate the connection of pipelines with different diameters, the flat zone pipeline 620 and the lifting zone pipeline 610 are connected by various known pipeline connectors 660, and preferably, the pipeline connector 660 is located at the outlet of the arc turning section.

[0096] As attached Fig. 9 As shown, the output pipe 600 also includes a drop zone pipe 630 connected to the flat zone pipe 620, and their connection area is arc-shaped to facilitate the passage of the transported object. The inner diameter of the drop zone pipe 630 is equivalent to the inner diameter of the flat zone pipe 620. When there is no environmental restriction for the layout, the drop zone pipe 630 can be inclined, but the inclined manner of the drop zone pipe 630 is inconvenient for the actual building structure. Therefore, the drop zone pipe 630 is preferably arranged vertically, and at this time, the transported object can fall freely under the action of gravity.

[0097] As attached Fig. 9 As described, a pressure relief mechanism is provided at the falling zone pipe 630, and the pressure relief mechanism is a group of air leakage holes 631 opened on the falling zone pipe 630. The position and number of the air leakage holes 631 can be designed as needed. Preferably, they are arranged at a certain distance behind the connection area of ​​the falling zone pipe 630 and the flat zone pipe, and the aperture is preferably between 3-5mm, so that the airflow delivered to the falling zone pipe 630 can be discharged from the air leakage holes 631, avoiding continuing to apply thrust to the transported object, thereby helping to reduce the falling speed of the transported object.

[0098] In the falling zone pipe 630, the conveying speed of the conveying object will become very fast under the dual effects of gravity and airflow, and the closer to the discharge end, the greater the speed. When the conveying object is a tube containing samples such as blood samples or biological fluids, excessive conveying speed will cause sample abnormalities. At the same time, excessive output speed also increases the impact on the sample, affecting the safety of the sample and affecting subsequent effective detection and analysis.

[0099] As attached Fig.10As shown, in order to avoid the above-mentioned problem, the drop zone pipe 630 has a deceleration buffer zone 632, and a group of friction buffer portions 633 are distributed from top to bottom in the deceleration buffer zone 632, and the inner cross-sectional area of ​​each friction buffer portion 633 is smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of ​​other positions of the drop zone pipe.

[0100] Since a plurality of friction buffers 633 are provided, when the conveying object A moves to the deceleration buffer zone 632, it can rub against each of the friction buffers 633 to reduce its speed. Through layer-by-layer friction, the speed of the conveying object in the falling zone pipe 620 is continuously reduced to a reasonable range.

[0101] The drop zone pipe 630 may be inclined or vertical. Fig.10 As shown, the drop zone pipe 630 is preferably vertically arranged, and its length can be designed according to the actual required conveying distance, and the conveyed object is in free fall motion in the drop zone pipe 630. The lower end of the deceleration buffer 632 is adjacent to the lower end 634 of the drop zone pipe, the length of the deceleration buffer is between 1-2m, preferably not less than 1.5m, and the spacing L between adjacent friction buffers 633 is between 3-5cm.

[0102] The conveyed object freely falls and continuously accelerates in the falling zone pipe 630. When it falls into the deceleration buffer zone 632, the conveyed object contacts the first friction buffer portion 633 and begins to decelerate by friction. As the conveyed object A continues to contact multiple friction buffer portions 633, it continues to decelerate. Since the lower end of the deceleration buffer portion 632 is at the lower end of the falling zone pipe 630, when the conveyed object is output from the falling zone pipe 630, its falling speed is basically reduced to 0. At this time, the conveyed object can fall into the material receiving container under the action of its own gravity, which greatly avoids the problem of the conveyed object overspeeding in the falling zone pipe and being subjected to excessive impact when falling into the material receiving container.

[0103] There are many feasible ways to form the friction buffer portion 633. In one feasible way, as shown in the attached Fig.11 As shown, in the falling zone pipe 630, at least the deceleration buffer zone 632 is a section of hose, and the friction buffer portion 633 is formed by a group of clamps 635 sleeved on the outer periphery of the hose, and the inner diameter φ1 of the hose in the clamping area of ​​the clamp 635 is smaller than the inner diameter φ2 of other positions of the hose; the hose 635 can be various known soft plastics, preferably silicone; the clamp 635 can be various known rubber bands or cable ties or metal clamps or plastic clamps or metal clamps or plastic clamps, etc. with a certain width.

[0104] In another embodiment, the friction buffer 633 is obtained by not deforming the hose by the clamp 635 to change its inner diameter. Fig.12 As shown, in this embodiment, a convex portion 636 is formed on the inner wall of the falling zone pipe 630. The convex portion 636 can be a circular convex portion or a semi-circular convex portion, and the upper end area of ​​the convex portion 636 is a slope. At this time, the pipe corresponding to the deceleration buffer zone 632 can be obtained by injection molding.

[0105] As attached Figure 8 , Attachment Fig. 9 As shown, when there are multiple sending components 400, they can share a set of air supply pipelines 700, or each sending component 400 can be connected to a set of air supply pipelines 700, and the design can be carried out according to different needs. The air supply pipeline 700 can adopt various known structures, which are usually assembled from airflow generating devices (blower, air compressor, air pump, etc.), pipelines, pressure relief valves (not shown in the figure), flow control valves, solenoid valves and other valve bodies, pressure gauges (not shown in the figure), etc.

[0106] The innovation of this solution is that the gas supply flow rate of the gas supply pipeline 700 can be adjusted according to the different pipe sections of the output pipeline 600 according to the transport object.

[0107] As attached Figure 8 -Attached Fig.13 As shown, a sending component is configured with a set of air supply pipelines 700 as an example for explanation, the air supply pipeline 700 includes an airflow generating device 710, the airflow generating device 710 is arranged in the housing of the transport object distribution device and is located below the sending fixed seat 420 of the sending component 400. The output end of the airflow generating device 710 is connected to the access pipeline 720, and the access pipeline 720 is connected to two parallel and independently openable and closed air supply branches 740 through a tee 730, each of the air supply branches 740 includes a pipeline 741, and at least a flow controller 742 and a solenoid valve 743 with a front-to-back position relationship are arranged on the pipeline 741, and the solenoid valve 743 is fixed in the housing of the transport object distribution device. The flow controller 742 is preferably a throttle valve, and the solenoid valve 743 is connected to a control system (not shown in the figure), and the output end of the pipeline 741 is connected to a confluence pipeline 760 through a tee 750, and the confluence pipeline 760 is connected to the connection port at the bottom of the sending component 400. The gas supply pipeline 700 also includes a structure for detecting and controlling the pressure in the pipeline. For example, a pressure relief valve and a pressure gauge are provided at the access pipeline 720, or a pressure relief valve located in front of the solenoid valve can be provided at each gas supply branch. The corresponding technology is known technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0108] As attached Figure 8 -Attached Fig.10 As shown, a first shutoff trigger sensor 640 for determining whether the transported object has completely entered the smooth zone pipeline 620 is provided at the rear of the connection area between the lifting zone pipeline 610 and the smooth zone pipeline 620. Furthermore, a second shutoff trigger sensor 650 for determining whether the transported object has entered the drop zone pipeline 630 is provided at the connection position between the smooth zone pipeline 620 and the drop zone pipeline 630, and the second shutoff trigger sensor 650 is connected to the control system.

[0109] When the air is supplied to the sending channel of a sending component, the control system opens the electromagnetic valves 733 of the two parallel air supply branches 740 for supplying air to the sending component at the same time, thereby outputting a larger air flow rate so that the transport object in the sending component enters the lifting zone pipeline 610. When the transport object passes through the first shutoff trigger sensor 640, it is confirmed that the transport object has completely entered the flat zone pipeline 620. At this time, the control system controls the electromagnetic valve of one of the air supply branches 740 to close, thereby reducing the air supply flow rate to half, so as to effectively reduce the fluid thrust of the flat zone pipeline and avoid the transport object from having too high a speed in the flat zone pipeline. At this time, the pressure relief valve (not shown in the figure) in the air supply pipeline can discharge the excess air flow in the pipeline to maintain a stable air pressure in the pipeline. When the transport object passes through the second shutoff trigger sensor 650, the control system controls the air supply pipeline 700 to stop supplying air to the output pipeline 600. Specifically, when multiple sending components share a set of air supply pipelines 700, the control system controls the two solenoid valves of the two air supply branches 740 connected to the output pipeline 600 where the conveying object is located to be shut down; when one sending component has an independent set of air supply pipelines, the airflow generating device 710 can be controlled to stop, and of course the two solenoid valves of the two air supply branches can also be shut down.

[0110] Of course, in other embodiments, the pipeline for supplying air to each sending component may not be provided with two parallel air supply branches 740, but the air supply flow rate may be adjusted by a flow controller, and the specific structure of the flow controller is a known technology and will not be described in detail here. During operation, when the transport object is located in the pipeline of the lifting area, the flow controller maintains a large flow rate, when the transport object enters the pipeline of the flat area, the flow rate of the flow controller is reduced to a predetermined value, and when the transport object enters the pipeline of the falling area, the air supply pipeline stops supplying air (the airflow generating device stops and / or the valve controlling the on-off of the pipeline is closed).

[0111] Example 4

[0112] This embodiment further discloses a method for sending blood collection tubes using the above-mentioned pneumatic sending system, which includes the following steps:

[0113] S1, blood collection tubes of different lengths are placed in the unloading chute, and the length of the blood collection tubes in the unloading chute is determined by the sensor and sent to the control system; when there are only the distribution mechanism and the sending component, the blood collection tubes are directly placed in the unloading chute. When there are a silo 100, a loading part 200 and a buffer storage part 300, the blood collection tubes are placed in the inlet of the shell, and after the blood collection tubes enter the silo 100, they are transported to the unloading chute by the loading part 200 and the buffer storage part 300.

[0114] S2, the blood collection tube entering the discharge chute slides along the inclined surface to its lower section and is limited on the inclined surface by the limiter of the transfer mechanism 540. At this time, the control system determines the length of the blood collection tube according to the combined signal of the two sensors on the limiter, controls the motor to drive the limiter to translate and transfer the blood collection tube in the discharge chute to the material guide chute corresponding to its length. At the same time, the control system controls the sending rotating block of the sending component connected to the material guide chute to rotate until the sending channel thereon is connected to the discharge port of the material guide chute, and the blood collection tube enters the sending channel from the material guide chute.

[0115] S3, the control system controls the sending rotating block to rotate until the two ends of the sending channel are connected to the output pipeline and the air supply pipeline respectively; and the control system controls the motor 440 to drive the sending rotating block to rotate until the cap end of the blood collection tube is in a downward state according to the direction of the cap end of the blood collection tube determined by the third sensor at the inclined surface.

[0116] S4, the control system controls the gas supply pipeline 700 to pass gas into the sending channel to complete the delivery of the blood collection tube. The specific gas supply process is operated according to the process of the gas supply pipeline supplying gas to a sending component, which will not be described here.

[0117] There are many implementation methods of the present invention, and all technical solutions formed by equivalent transformation or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conveying object distribution device, comprising a silo with an inlet, a loading part, a buffer storage part and a sending component, characterized in that: The buffer storage element is connected to at least two of the sending components via a distribution mechanism, and the distribution mechanism includes A material discharge chute is obliquely arranged below the discharge port of the buffer storage member to receive the conveyed object output by the buffer storage member, and its lower end extends to the outside of the silo and the length extending out of the silo is not less than the length of the conveyed object; An identification device, at least used to determine the length of the conveying object at the unloading chute; The number of the material guide chutes is not less than 2 and they are arranged obliquely, and the lower end of each of the material guide chutes is connected to the feed port of a sending component; A transfer mechanism having a structure for transferring the conveying object at the unloading chute to any of the material guide chutes; The material discharge chute comprises an inclined surface, the upper section of the inclined surface and the side plates on both sides thereof form a material receiving trough directly opposite to the material discharge port of the buffer storage member, the two sides of the lower section of the inclined surface are respectively connected with a material guide chute, the top of the side where the material guide chute is connected to the inclined surface is not higher than the inclined surface, the transfer mechanism comprises a limiter and a translation drive mechanism that at least drives it to translate from directly above the material guide chute on one side to directly above the material guide chute on the other side, the limiter encloses a limit space that can limit the conveying object and the inlet faces the material discharge end of the material receiving trough; The limiting member further defines a receiving space connected to the middle area of ​​the inner end of the limiting space, wherein the receiving space is accessible to the small end of the conveyed object but not to the large end of the conveyed object, and a third sensor with a sensing area facing the receiving space is disposed on the inclined surface or the limiting member; The unloading chute is a chute with a lower opening and a limiting portion, and the transfer mechanism includes a vacuum adsorption group, and the vacuum adsorption group is connected to a mechanism that drives the lifting and translation thereof.

2. The conveying object distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting member includes a U-shaped body and connecting arms connected to two side arms of the U-shaped body. The two connecting arms are connected to a sliding member. The sliding member is slidably arranged on a guide rail and is connected to a mechanism that drives it to slide back and forth along the guide rail.

3. The conveying object distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The identification device is two sensors arranged on the limiting member and combined to judge the length of the conveying object in the limiting space.

4. The conveying object distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface of the side where the material guiding chute is connected with the inclined surface is an inclined plane that inclines from the inclined surface toward the inside of the material guiding chute.

5. A conveying object distribution device, comprising a sending component, characterized in that: It also includes a distribution mechanism, which includes a material discharge chute, a material guide chute, a transfer mechanism and a sensor for determining whether a conveying object exists in the material discharge chute; the material discharge chute includes a fixed-position inclined plane, the upper section of the inclined plane and the side plates on both sides thereof form a material receiving trough, and the two sides of the lower section of the inclined plane are respectively connected to a material guide chute, the top of the side where the material guide chute is connected to the inclined plane is not higher than the inclined plane, and the lower end of each of the material guide chute is connected to a feed port of a sending component; the transfer mechanism includes a gap set at The limiting member on the inclined surface and the translation driving mechanism driving it to translate at least from directly above the material guide chute on one side to directly above the material guide chute on the other side, the limiting member encloses a limiting space that can limit the conveyed object and the inlet is facing the discharge end of the material receiving chute; the limiting member also defines a accommodating space connected to the middle area of ​​the inner end of the limiting space, the accommodating space can be entered by the small end of the conveyed object but not by the large end of the conveyed object, and the inclined surface or the limiting member is provided with a third sensor with a sensing area facing the accommodating space.

6. The conveying object distribution device according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are two sensors which are combined to determine the length of the conveying object at the unloading chute.

7. Pneumatic sending system, characterized in that: It comprises the transport object distribution device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first connection port of each sending component is connected to the output pipeline, and the second connection port thereof is connected to the air supply pipeline.

8. The pneumatic sending system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The output pipeline at least includes a lifting area pipeline and a flat area pipeline connected thereto, and the inner diameter of the flat area pipeline is larger than the inner diameter of the lifting area pipeline.

9. The pneumatic sending system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The gas supply flow rate or gas supply pressure of the gas supply pipeline can be adjusted according to the conveying object in different pipe sections of the output pipeline.

10. The pneumatic sending system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The gas supply pipeline includes two gas supply branches connected in parallel and capable of being switched on and off independently. The gas supply branches are provided with a flow controller. A sensor is arranged at the rear of the connection area between the lifting zone pipeline and the flat zone pipeline.

11. The method for sending a sample container with a pneumatic sending system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The steps include: S1, allowing blood collection tubes of different lengths to enter the unloading chute, determining the length of the blood collection tubes in the unloading chute through a sensor and sending it to the control system; S2, the control system controls the transfer mechanism to transfer the blood collection tube in the unloading chute to the material guide chute corresponding to the length, and at the same time controls the sending rotating block of the sending component connected to the material guide chute to rotate until the sending channel thereon is connected with the discharge port of the material guide chute, and the blood collection tube enters the sending channel from the material guide chute; S3, the control system controls the sending rotating block to rotate until the two ends of the sending channel are connected to the output pipeline and the air supply pipeline respectively S4, the control system controls the gas supply pipeline to pass gas into the sending channel to complete the transportation of the blood collection tube.

12. The method for sending a container with a sample according to claim 11, characterized in that: In S3, the control system controls the motor according to the position of the cap end of the blood collection tube at the unloading chute determined by the third sensor so that the cap end of the blood collection tube rotates in the sending rotating block to face downward.

13. The method for sending a container with a sample according to claim 11, characterized in that: In S4, after the blood collection tube enters the pipeline in the flat area from the pipeline in the lifting area, one gas supply branch is shut off.

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