Automatic clamping device for cryopreservation tubes

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of sample access in a biological sample library, and specifically provides an automatic clamping device for a cryopreservation tube, comprising a shell, an air bag, a piston, a supporting member and a driving member; the piston is movably arranged inside the shell, and an air cavity is enclosed between the piston and the shell, and the piston is used to move along the axial direction of the shell to change the volume of the air cavity; the air bag and the supporting member are both arranged inside the shell, the air bag is located in the middle of the supporting member and is connected to the air cavity, and a clamping opening is enclosed between the air bag and the supporting member; wherein the piston moves inside the shell to inflate and deflate the air bag; at the same time, the driving member drives the supporting member to move, which is beneficial to control the size of the clamping opening so as to clamp and release the cryopreservation tube; the air bag and the supporting member fix and clamp the cryopreservation tube from both inside and outside ranges to ensure the stability of the clamping.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sample storage and access in a biological sample library, and in particular to an automatic clamping device for a cryopreservation tube. Background Art

[0002] The cryotube transfer module in the cryogenic biological sample library is a device that transfers cryotubes from a target cryobox to an empty cryobox. The cryotube transfer module is generally composed of an X, Y, and Z three-way drive module, a tube ejection module, and a cryotube clamping device. The tube ejection module is responsible for pre-ejecting the cryotube to be taken out, and then the cryotube clamping device clamps and fixes the cryotube. Finally, the X, Y, and Z three-way drive module is used to take the cryotube out of the target cryobox and transfer it to the empty cryobox.

[0003] However, the existing cryotube clamping devices are mostly electric clamps or vacuum clamps. The vacuum clamps are expensive, complex in structure, and require a vacuum device. The electric clamps require motor drive and program control, are expensive and cannot clamp stably. If the force is too small, the cryotube is likely to fall off, and if the force is too large, the cryotube is likely to be damaged. Summary of the invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is that the existing freezing tube clamping device has high cost and cannot clamp stably. If the force is too small, the freezing tube is easy to fall off, and if the force is too large, the freezing tube is easy to be damaged.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following technical solutions:

[0006] A device for automatically clamping a cryopreservation tube comprises a shell, an air bag, a piston, a supporting member and a driving member; the piston is movably arranged inside the shell, the piston and the shell enclose an air cavity, and the piston is used to move along the axis direction of the shell to change the volume of the air cavity;

[0007] The airbag and the abutment member are both arranged inside the shell, the airbag is communicated with the air cavity, and the airbag and the abutment member are enclosed to form a clamping opening;

[0008] The driving member is disposed on the piston and is used to move synchronously with the piston. When the piston moves to reduce the volume of the air cavity, the driving member is used to drive the abutting member to move toward the side close to the airbag.

[0009] The automatic freezing tube clamping device provided by the present invention has, compared with the prior art, the following beneficial effects but not limited to:

[0010] The shell provides an installation carrier for the entire device, and the cryogenic tube is inserted into the clamping opening at the lower end of the shell to enable the entire device to clamp the cryogenic tube; wherein, the piston moves in the shell to cause the volume of the air cavity to change, and since the air cavity is connected to the air bag, the air bag can be inflated and deflated; at the same time, the driving member moves synchronously with the piston to drive the abutment member to move, which is beneficial to control the size of the clamping opening to facilitate the clamping and release of the cryogenic tube; the air bag and the abutment member fix and clamp the cryogenic tube from both the inside and outside ranges, ensuring the stability of the clamping and effectively preventing the cryogenic tube from falling or being damaged during the clamping process.

[0011] Preferably, the automatic freezing tube clamping device further comprises a partition and a clamping frame, wherein the partition is fixedly arranged inside the shell and divides the inside of the shell into an upper operating space located above and a lower operating space located below;

[0012] The piston is arranged in the upper operating space, and the piston, the partition and the shell form the air cavity; the clamping frame is arranged in the lower operating space, the air bag is embedded in the peripheral side wall of the clamping frame, and an air inlet is arranged in the middle of the clamping frame, the upper end of the air inlet passes through the partition and is connected with the air cavity, and a plurality of air vents are evenly arranged on the circumferential wall of the lower end of the air inlet, and the air vents are used to connect the air bag and the air inlet.

[0013] Preferably, a plurality of the abutting members are provided in the lower operating space, and the abutting members are evenly arranged in a ring shape along the circumference of the inner wall of the shell, and the clamping frame is located in the middle of the lower operating space.

[0014] Preferably, the abutment member comprises a pull rod and a limiting cylinder, the limiting cylinder is a hollow thin-walled circular cylinder, the limiting cylinder is horizontally placed and one end of the limiting cylinder is fixed to the inner wall of the shell, a through hole is formed just above the limiting cylinder, the pull rod is arranged inside the limiting cylinder and is slidably connected to the limiting cylinder, and the other end of the limiting cylinder is formed with a through hole;

[0015] The driving member also includes a pressure rod, and a plurality of the pressure rods are evenly arranged on the lower end surface of the piston. The pressure rods penetrate the partition and extend into the through hole. The pressure rods are used to push the pull rod to move toward the airbag.

[0016] Preferably, the pull rod is a cylinder, the pull rod is horizontally placed inside the limiting cylinder, a notch is provided in the middle of the side wall of the limiting cylinder, an inclined surface is provided in the notch, and the pressure rod is provided directly above the notch.

[0017] Preferably, the abutment member also includes a spring guide column and a first spring. The spring guide column is provided at one end of the pull rod. The outer diameter of the spring guide column is smaller than the outer diameter of the pull rod. The first spring is sleeved on the spring guide column. One end of the first spring contacts the end face of the pull rod, and the other end contacts the inner end face of the limit cylinder having the through hole.

[0018] Preferably, the automatic freezing tube clamping device also includes a fixing plate and an annular elastic clamping band, the end of the spring guide column away from the pull rod is connected to the fixing plate, and the side of the fixing plate close to the airbag is connected to the elastic clamping band.

[0019] Preferably, the automatic freezing tube clamping device further comprises a gas pressure component, and the gas pressure component is used to drive the piston to reciprocate in the housing along the axis direction of the housing;

[0020] The air-compressing component includes a fixed frame, a push-pull block and a push-pull rod. A movable opening is provided on the top cover of the shell, and the push-pull block is slidably connected to the shell through the movable opening. The fixed frame is provided on the inner wall of the top cover near the movable opening, and the push-pull block is slidably connected to the fixed frame. The push-pull rod is fixedly installed between the lower end of the push-pull block and the upper end surface of the piston.

[0021] Preferably, the air-compressing component further comprises a second spring, and the second spring is used to be arranged between the lower end surface of the push-pull block and the fixing frame, so that the push-pull block always has a tendency to move upward.

[0022] Preferably, a limiting groove is provided on the side wall of the push-pull block, and the limiting groove includes a deep groove, a shallow groove and a transition groove, the depth of the deep groove is greater than the depth of the shallow groove, and the transition groove is an oblique groove, one end of the transition groove is smoothly transitionally connected to the deep groove, and the other end of the transition groove is staggeredly connected to the shallow groove in depth;

[0023] The compressed air component also includes a connecting rod and an elastic clamp, the upper end of the connecting rod is provided with an elastic clamp, the lower end of the connecting rod is used to be rotatably mounted on the lower end of the fixing frame, and the upper end of the connecting rod is limited in the limiting groove by the elastic clamp. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A fully cutaway stereoscopic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The embodiment shown has a full cutaway stereoscopic view of a cryotube, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure when the pressure rod is not in contact with the inclined surface of the pull rod;

[0026] Figure 3for Figure 1 The embodiment shown has a full cutaway stereoscopic view of a cryotube, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure after the pressure rod has completed pushing the inclined surface of the pull rod;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment has a stereoscopic view of a cryotube;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A perspective view of the abutment member in the illustrated embodiment;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 An exploded perspective view of the illustrated embodiment;

[0030] Figure 7 for Figure 1 The three-dimensional view of the compressed air component in the embodiment shown Figure 1 ;

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 1 The three-dimensional view of the compressed air component in the embodiment shown Figure 2 .

[0032] Description of reference numerals:

[0033] 1-shell, 11-partition, 12-upper operating space, 13-lower operating space, 14-clamp, 15-inlet, 16-vent, 17 movable port, 2-air bag, 3-abutment, 31-pull rod, 32-limiting cylinder, 33-perforation, 34-through hole, 35-notch, 36-inclined surface, 37-first spring, 38-spring guide column, 4-piston, 5-air compression component, 51-fixed frame, 52-push-pull block, 53-push-pull rod, 54-second spring, 55-deep groove, 56-shallow groove, 57-transition groove, 58-connecting rod, 59-elastic clamp, 6-cryostorage tube, 61-tube body, 62-connecting tube, 7-pressure rod, 8-fixed plate, 9-elastic clamp. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following is a further detailed description of the implementation of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present application but cannot be used to limit the scope of the present application.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that, in the coordinate system XYZ provided in this document, the positive direction of the X-axis represents the right, the reverse direction of the X-axis represents the left, the positive direction of the Y-axis represents the front, the reverse direction of the Y-axis represents the back, the positive direction of the Z-axis represents the top, and the reverse direction of the Z-axis represents the bottom; the meanings of the Z-axis, X-axis, and Y-axis are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the 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 on the present invention.

[0037] See also Figure 1-Figure 8 The present invention provides an automatic freezing tube clamping device, comprising a shell 1, an air bag 2, a piston 4, a supporting member 3 and a driving member; the piston 4 is movably arranged inside the shell 1, and an air cavity is enclosed between the piston 4 and the shell 1, and the piston 4 is used to move along the axis direction of the shell 1 to change the volume of the air cavity;

[0038] The airbag 2 and the abutment member 3 are both arranged inside the housing 1, the airbag 2 is communicated with the air cavity, and a clamping opening is enclosed between the airbag 2 and the abutment member 3;

[0039] The driving member is disposed on the piston 4 and is used to move synchronously with the piston 4 . When the piston 4 moves to reduce the volume of the air cavity, the driving member is used to drive the abutting member 3 to move toward the side close to the airbag 2 .

[0040] The piston 4 moves along the axial direction of the housing 1, so that the air cavity is inflated to inflate the airbag 2, and at the same time, the driving member follows the movement of the piston 4 to drive the abutment member 3 to move toward the side close to the airbag 2, and the outer wall of the inflated airbag 2 and the clamping opening formed by the moved abutment member 3 are reduced to facilitate clamping the cryopreservation tube 6. Alternatively, the air cavity is deflated to deflate the airbag 2, and at the same time, the driving member drives the abutment member 3 to move away from the airbag 2, and the outer wall of the deflated airbag 2 and the clamping opening formed by the moved abutment member 3 are expanded to facilitate releasing the cryopreservation tube 6.

[0041] Specifically, the cryopreservation tube 6 includes a tube body 61 and a connecting tube 62 arranged at the upper end of the tube body 61. The clamping opening is a hollow annular structure, which is conducive to the connection tube 62 being inserted into the clamping opening. When clamping, the upper end of the cryopreservation tube 6 extends into the lower end of the shell 1 so that the airbag 2 is located in the connecting tube 62, and the abutment 3 is located outside the connecting tube 62. The outer wall of the inflated airbag 2 is used to abut against the inner wall of the connecting tube 62, and the abutment 3 moving close to the airbag 2 is used to abut against the outer wall of the connecting tube 62, thereby realizing the clamping of the cryopreservation tube 6 in turn.

[0042] In this embodiment, the shell 1 provides an installation carrier for the entire device, and the cryogenic tube 6 is inserted into the clamping opening at the lower end of the shell 1 to enable the entire device to clamp the cryogenic tube 6; wherein, the piston 4 moves in the shell 1 to cause the volume of the air cavity to change, and since the air cavity is connected to the air bag 2, the air bag 2 can be inflated and deflated; at the same time, the driving member moves synchronously with the piston 4 to drive the abutment member 3 to move, which is beneficial to control the size of the clamping opening to facilitate the clamping and release of the cryogenic tube 6; the air bag 2 and the abutment member 3 fix and clamp the cryogenic tube 6 from both inside and outside, ensuring the stability of the clamping and effectively preventing the cryogenic tube 6 from falling or damaging the cryogenic tube 6 during the clamping process.

[0043] See also Figure 2-Figure 4 Preferably, the automatic freezing tube clamping device further comprises a partition 11 and a clamping frame 14, wherein the partition 11 is fixedly arranged inside the shell 1 and divides the inside of the shell 1 into an upper operating space 12 located above and a lower operating space 13 located below;

[0044] The piston 4 is arranged in the upper operating space 12, and the piston 4, the partition 11 and the shell 1 form the air cavity; the clamping frame 14 is arranged in the lower operating space 13, and the airbag 2 is embedded in the peripheral side wall of the clamping frame 14, and an air inlet 15 is arranged in the middle of the clamping frame 14, and the upper end of the air inlet 15 passes through the partition 11 and is connected with the air cavity, and a plurality of air ducts 16 are evenly arranged on the circumferential wall of the lower end of the air inlet 15, and the air duct 16 is used to connect the airbag 2 and the air inlet 15.

[0045] Specifically, the clamping frame 14 includes a mounting frame and a connecting frame for connecting the mounting frame and the partition 11, the air inlet duct 15 is used to be set in the connecting frame, and a plurality of mounting cavities are evenly arranged in the mounting frame along its circumferential direction, and the mounting cavity is opened toward the side of the outer wall of the clamping frame 14. There are multiple airbags 2, and the multiple airbags 2 are annularly embedded in the peripheral side wall of the clamping frame 14. The mounting cavity is used to install the airbags 2, and the air inlet duct 15 is arranged in the middle of the clamping frame 14 and is located in the middle of the multiple mounting cavities.

[0046] Alternatively, an annular mounting cavity is provided in the mounting frame, and an annular opening coaxial with the mounting cavity is provided on one side of the mounting cavity facing the outer wall of the clamp frame 14, or, the mounting cavity is provided with multiple openings evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the outer wall of the clamp frame 14, the airbag 2 is an annular airbag, and the annular airbag is embedded in the peripheral side wall of the clamp frame 14, and the air inlet 15 is provided in the middle of the clamp frame 14 and in the middle of the annular mounting cavity.

[0047] In this embodiment, when the piston 4 moves downward, the air between the piston 4 and the partition 11 is pressed into the interior of the airbag 2 along the air inlet 15 and the air vent 16 on the clamp 14, so that the volume of the airbag 2 becomes larger, and part of the airbag 2 bulges out from the opening and tightly abuts against the inner wall of the connecting tube 62 of the cryogenic tube 6, so that the airbag 2 abuts against the inner wall of the cryogenic tube 6.

[0048] Preferably, a plurality of the abutting members 3 are disposed in the lower operating space 13 , and the plurality of the abutting members 3 are evenly arranged in a ring shape along the circumference of the inner wall of the shell 1 , and the clamping frame 14 is located in the middle of the lower operating space 13 .

[0049] The plurality of abutting members 3 are evenly arranged on the inner wall of the shell 1 along the circumferential direction of the shell 1 and are in a ring shape, and the clamping frame 14 is located at the center of the circle where the plurality of abutting members 3 are located.

[0050] Specifically, the clamping frame 14 is located at the center of the circle where the multiple abutment members 3 are located, and the airbag 2 is located in the middle of the center of the circle where the multiple abutment members 3 are located. At this time, the clamping opening enclosed between the airbag 2 and the abutment members 3 is a hollow ring structure, so that the connecting tube 62 on the freezing tube 6 can be inserted into the clamping opening as a whole.

[0051] In this embodiment, the airbag 2 is located in the middle of the center of the circle where the multiple abutment members 3 are located. The airbag 2 is used to abut the inner wall of the cryogenic tube 6, and the abutment member 3 is used to abut the outer wall of the cryogenic tube 6, so that the cryogenic tube 6 is fixedly clamped from both inside and outside. When the airbag 2 and the abutment member 3 abut on the inner and outer sides of the cryogenic tube 6 respectively, they apply force evenly, thereby ensuring the stability of clamping and effectively preventing the cryogenic tube 6 from falling or being damaged during the clamping process.

[0052] See also Figure 5-Figure 6Preferably, the abutment member 3 includes a pull rod 31 and a limiting cylinder 32, the limiting cylinder 32 is a hollow thin-walled circular cylinder, the limiting cylinder 32 is horizontally placed and one end is fixed to the inner wall of the shell 1, a through hole 33 is opened just above the limiting cylinder 32, the pull rod 31 is arranged inside the limiting cylinder 32 and is slidably connected to the limiting cylinder 32, and the other end of the limiting cylinder 32 is opened with a through hole 34;

[0053] The driving member includes a pressure rod 7 , and a plurality of the pressure rods 7 are evenly arranged on the lower end surface of the piston 4 . The pressure rods 7 penetrate the partition 11 and extend into the through hole 33 . The pressure rods 7 are used to push the pull rod 31 to move toward the airbag 2 .

[0054] Specifically, the number of the pressure rods 7 is consistent with the number of the abutment members 3 , and a plurality of pressure rod holes are evenly arranged on the partition 11 , so that the pressure rod 7 passes through the partition 11 and is slidably connected to the partition 11 , and the pressure rod holes have a guiding effect on the pressure rod 7 .

[0055] In this embodiment, the piston 4 moves downward to inflate the airbag 2. At the same time, the multiple pressure rods 7 at the lower end of the piston 4 are inserted into the limiting cylinder 32 through the through hole 34 to push the pull rod 31 to move toward the airbag 2, so as to clamp the outer wall of the connecting tube 62 that clamps the cryogenic tube 6 at the clamping opening, and fix the cryogenic tube 6 from the outer wall again; wherein, the piston 4 moves downward to inflate the airbag 2 and moves the pull rod 31 toward the airbag 2 to achieve the purpose of adjusting the clamping opening, and clamps the cryogenic tube 6 from both inside and outside ranges, which is conducive to ensuring the stability of clamping.

[0056] See also Figure 5-Figure 6 Preferably, the pull rod 31 is a cylinder, the pull rod 31 is horizontally placed inside the limiting cylinder 32 and a slot 35 is provided in the middle of the side wall of the limiting cylinder 32, a slope 36 is provided in the slot 35, the pressure rod 7 is provided directly above the slot 35, and the lower end of the pressure rod 7 is aligned with the slope 36.

[0057] In this embodiment, the pressure rod 7 is inserted into the limiting cylinder 32 through the through hole 34 and is inserted into the slot 35 on the pull rod 31. Due to the pushing action of the inclined surface 36 in the slot 35, as the pressure rod 7 continues to move downward, the pull rod 31 moves toward the direction close to the airbag 2, so that the distance between the tail end of the pull rod 31 and the inflated airbag 2 is reduced, that is, the clamping opening becomes smaller, which is conducive to clamping the tube cover of the cryopreservation tube 6.

[0058] In other embodiments, the driving member includes a driving magnet, and a repulsive magnet is provided at one end of the pull rod 31 close to the inner wall of the shell 1. When the driving magnet moves downward with the piston 4 and approaches the abutment member, the repulsive effect between the repulsive magnet and the driving magnet causes the repulsive magnet to move along the limiting cylinder 32 toward the direction close to the airbag 2, thereby reducing the distance between the tail end of the pull rod 31 and the inflated airbag 2, that is, the clamping opening becomes smaller, which is conducive to clamping the tube cap of the cryopreservation tube 6.

[0059] Preferably, the abutment member 3 also includes a spring guide column 38 and a first spring 37. The spring guide column 38 is provided at one end of the pull rod 31. The outer diameter of the spring guide column 38 is smaller than the outer diameter of the pull rod 31. The first spring 37 is sleeved on the spring guide column 38. One end of the first spring 37 contacts the end face of the pull rod 31, and the other end contacts the inner end face of the limit cylinder 32 having the through hole 34.

[0060] In this embodiment, the pressure rod 7 continues to move downward, and the inner end face of the limiting cylinder 32 having the through hole 34 and the end face of the pull rod 31 compress the first spring 37, so that the pull rod 31 and the spring guide column 38 move toward the direction close to the airbag 2, so that the distance between the tail end of the spring guide column 38 and the inflated airbag 2 is reduced, so as to clamp the outer wall of the connecting tube 62 of the cryogenic tube 6 and fix the cryogenic tube 6 from the outer wall; wherein, the first spring 37 makes the pull rod 31 always have a tendency to move away from one end of the airbag 2, which is beneficial for the pull rod 31 to reset when the airbag 2 is deflated, so as to release the cryogenic tube 6.

[0061] Preferably, the automatic freezing tube clamping device also includes a fixing plate 8 and an annular elastic clamp 9, the end of the spring guide column 38 away from the pull rod 31 is connected to the fixing plate 8, and the side of the fixing plate 8 close to the airbag 2 is connected to the elastic clamp 9.

[0062] Specifically, the elastic clamping band 9 is circular and is used to be coaxially arranged with the clamping opening.

[0063] The diameter of the elastic clamping band 9 is larger than the outer diameter of the connecting tube 62 of the cryopreservation tube 6, and is smaller than or equal to the outer diameter of the maximum size when the clamping opening is opened.

[0064] In this embodiment, the pressure rod 7 continues to move downward, and the pull rod 31 moves toward the direction close to the airbag 2, so that the distance between the tail end of the spring guide column 38 and the inflated airbag 2 is reduced, thereby reducing the inner diameter of the elastic clamp 9, so that the elastic clamp 9 clamps the outer wall of the connecting tube 62 of the cryogenic tube 6, fixing the cryogenic tube 6 from the outer wall.

[0065] During specific operation, after the device as a whole clamps the cryogenic tube 6, the cryogenic tube 6 is taken out of the target cryogenic box, and then the cryogenic tube 6 transfer module transfers the entire device to the top of the empty cryogenic box, and then the cryogenic tube 6 is inserted into the empty tube position of the empty cryogenic box, and then the piston 4 is moved upward so that the piston 4 is away from the partition 11, and the air bag 2 is deflated through the air duct 16 and the air inlet duct 15 to release the inner wall of the cryogenic tube 6, and the pressure rod 7 moves upward with the piston 4, and the lower end of the pressure rod 7 moves upward relative to the pull rod 31, and the pull rod 31 pulls the elastic clamp 9 under the action of the first spring 37 to release the outer wall of the cryogenic tube 6.

[0066] See also Figure 7-Figure 8 Preferably, the automatic freezing tube clamping device also includes a pneumatic component 5, and the pneumatic component 5 is used to drive the piston 4 to reciprocate in the shell 1 along the axial direction of the shell 1.

[0067] In this embodiment, the air-compressing component 5 acts on the piston 4 so that when the piston 4 moves downward, the air-compressing component 5 is in a compressed state, and the airbag 2 is inflated; the air-compressing component 5 acts on the piston 4 so that when the piston 4 moves upward, the air-compressing component 5 is in a deflated state, and the airbag 2 is deflated.

[0068] The compressed air component 5 includes a fixed frame 51, a push-pull block 52 and a push-pull rod 53. A movable opening 17 is provided on the top cover of the shell 1. The push-pull block 52 is slidably connected to the shell 1 through the movable opening 17. The fixed frame 51 is provided on the inner wall of the top cover near the movable opening 17. The push-pull block 52 is slidably connected to the fixed frame 51. The push-pull rod 53 is fixedly installed between the lower end of the push-pull block 52 and the upper end surface of the piston 4.

[0069] In this embodiment, the push-pull block 52 is pushed through the movable opening 17 to move up and down on the fixing frame 51 , so as to drive the piston 4 at the lower end of the push-pull rod 53 to move up and down.

[0070] Preferably, the air-compressing component 5 further includes a second spring 54 , and the second spring 54 is used to be arranged between the lower end surface of the push-pull block 52 and the fixing frame 51 , so that the push-pull block 52 always has a tendency to move upward.

[0071] In this embodiment, the second spring 54 allows the push-pull block 52 to always have a tendency to move upward, which is beneficial for the push-pull block 52 to reset when the airbag 2 is deflated, so as to release the cryotube 6.

[0072] See also Figure 8 Preferably, a limiting groove is provided on the side wall of the push-pull block 52, and the limiting groove includes a deep groove 55, a shallow groove 56 and a transition groove 57. The depth of the deep groove 55 is greater than the depth of the shallow groove 56. The transition groove 57 is an oblique groove. One end of the transition groove 57 is smoothly connected to the deep groove 55, and the other end of the transition groove 57 is staggered in depth with the shallow groove 56.

[0073] The air compression component 5 also includes a connecting rod 58 and an elastic clamp 59. The upper end of the connecting rod 58 is provided with an elastic clamp 59. The length of the elastic clamp 59 is used for compression. The lower end of the connecting rod 58 is used to be rotatably mounted on the lower end of the fixing frame 51. The upper end of the connecting rod 58 is limited in the limiting groove by the elastic clamp 59.

[0074] Specifically, the upper end of the push-pull block 52 is fixedly mounted on the cryotube 6 transfer module.

[0075] In this embodiment, when the push-pull block 52 moves downward relative to the fixed frame 51, the connecting rod 58 will move along the limiting groove, and the push-pull block 52 will compress the second spring 54. When the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 moves from the shallow groove 56 to the deep groove 55, at this time, due to the depth difference between the shallow groove 56 and the deep groove 55, the elastic clamp 59 will be stuck in the deep groove 55. When the push-pull block 52 moves upward again relative to the fixed frame 51, the elastic clamp 59 will only move along the deep groove 55; similarly, when the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 moves from the transition groove 57 to the shallow groove 56, at this time, due to the depth difference between the transition groove 57 and the shallow groove 56, the elastic clamp 59 will be stuck in the deep groove 55. When the push-pull block 52 moves downward again relative to the fixed frame 51, the elastic clamp 59 will move along the shallow groove 56.

[0076] During specific operation, in the initial state, the cryopreservation tube 6 transfer module moves the entire device to insert the connecting tube 62 of the cryopreservation tube 6 into the clamping opening. At this time, the pressure rod 7 is not inserted into the slot 35, and the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 is located at the connection between the shallow groove 56 on the limiting groove and the transition groove 57. The airbag 2 is in an uninflated state, and the pull rod 31 pulls open the elastic clamp 9 under the action of the first spring 37. Then, the cryogenic tube 6 transfer module will push the push-pull block 52 to move downward. At this time, since the bottom of the clamp 14 has been pressed against the bottom of the connecting tube 62, the clamp 14 will not be able to continue to move. At this time, as the push-pull block 52 continues to move downward, the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 can only move along the shallow groove 56 due to the high height of the transition groove 57. The push-pull block 52 compresses the second spring 54 and pushes the piston 4 to move downward. The air between the piston 4 and the partition 11 is pressed into the interior of the air bag 2 along the air inlet 15 and the air vent 16 on the clamp 14, so that the volume of the air bag 2 becomes larger and tightly presses the outer wall of the connecting tube 62 on the cryogenic tube 6, thereby fixing the air bag 2 and the cryogenic tube 6. At the same time, the multiple pressure rods 7 at the lower end of the piston 4 begin to be inserted into the notch 35 on the pull rod 31 through the through hole 34. Due to the pushing effect of the inclined surface 36 in the notch 35, as the pressure rod 7 continues to move downward, the pull rod 31 will begin to compress the first spring 37 and move toward the direction close to the air bag 2, so that the diameter of the elastic clamp 9 becomes smaller, so as to clamp the outer wall of the connecting tube 62 of the cryopreservation tube 6 and fix the cryopreservation tube 6 from the outer wall again. When the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 moves from the shallow groove 56 to the deep groove 55 along the limiting groove, the push-pull block 52 stops moving downward. At this time, the pressure rod 7 has extended a distance from the limiting tube 32, and the air pressure in the air bag 2 is much greater than the air pressure required to clamp the cryopreservation tube 6. Then, the push-pull block 52 starts to move upward in the opposite direction. At this time, the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 will move to the middle of the top of the limiting groove under the limiting action of the deep groove 55. At this time, the piston 4 will move upward a little distance relative to the push-pull block 52, but because the pressure rod 7 has extended a reserved distance from the limiting cylinder 32, and the air pressure in the air bag 2 is much greater than the air pressure required to clamp the cryogenic tube 6, the distance that the piston 4 moves upward relative to the push-pull block 52 does not affect the control of the elastic clamp 9 by the slot 35 and the clamping of the connecting tube 62 on the cryogenic tube 6 by the air bag 2.

[0077] At this time, as the push-pull block 52 continues to move upward, the entire device will be driven upward through the connecting rod 58, and the first cryogenic tube 6 will be taken out of the target cryogenic box. Then, the cryogenic tube 6 transfer module will transfer the entire device to the top of the empty cryogenic box, and then insert the cryogenic tube 6 into the empty tube position of the empty cryogenic box; as the cryogenic tube 6 is pressed into the empty cryogenic box, the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 will move to the right top end of the deep groove 55 until the cryogenic tube 6 is fully inserted. Then the push-pull block 52 moves upward in the opposite direction. At this time, the elastic clamp 59 at the upper end of the connecting rod 58 will move along the transition groove 57 to the shallow groove 56 under the guidance of the transition groove 57, and the piston 4 moves upward relative to the partition 11. The air bag 2 releases pressure to release the inner end of the cryogenic tube 6. The pressure rod 7 moves upward relative to the pull rod 31. The pull rod 31 and the spring guide column 38 pull the elastic clamp 9 open under the action of the first spring 37, release the outer end of the cryogenic tube 6, and return to the initial state of the entire device. Then, the next cryogenic tube 6 to be taken out is taken out in the same way.

[0078] Although the disclosure is disclosed as above, the protection scope of the disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and these changes and modifications will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic clamping device for cryopreservation tubes, characterized in that: The invention comprises a shell (1), an air bag (2), a piston (4), a supporting member (3) and a driving member; the piston (4) is movably arranged inside the shell (1); an air cavity is enclosed between the piston (4) and the shell (1); the piston (4) is used to move along the axis direction of the shell (1) so that the volume of the air cavity changes; The airbag (2) and the abutment member (3) are both arranged inside the shell (1); the airbag (2) is communicated with the air cavity; and a clamping opening is enclosed between the airbag (2) and the abutment member (3); The driving member is arranged on the piston (4) and is used to move synchronously with the piston (4); when the piston (4) moves to reduce the volume of the air cavity, the driving member is used to drive the abutting member (3) to move toward the side close to the airbag (2); It also comprises a partition (11) and a clamping frame (14), wherein the partition (11) is fixedly arranged inside the shell (1) and divides the inside of the shell (1) into an upper operating space (12) located at the top and a lower operating space (13) located at the bottom; the piston (4) is arranged in the upper operating space (12), and the piston (4), the partition (11) and the shell (1) enclose the air cavity; the clamping frame (14) is arranged in the lower operating space (13), the air bag (2) is embedded in the peripheral side wall of the clamping frame (14), an air inlet (15) is arranged in the middle part of the clamping frame (14), the upper end of the air inlet (15) passes through the partition (11) and is connected to the air cavity, and a plurality of air vents (16) are evenly arranged on the circumferential wall of the lower end of the air inlet (15), and the air vents (16) are used to connect the air bag (2) and the air inlet (15); The abutment member (3) comprises a pull rod (31) and a limiting cylinder (32), wherein the limiting cylinder (32) is a hollow thin-walled circular cylinder, the limiting cylinder (32) is horizontally placed and one end of which is fixed to the inner wall of the shell (1), a through hole (33) is provided just above the limiting cylinder (32), the pull rod (31) is arranged inside the limiting cylinder (32) and is slidably connected to the limiting cylinder (32), and a through hole (34) is provided at the other end of the limiting cylinder (32); the driving member comprises a pressure rod (7), a plurality of pressure rods (7) are evenly arranged on the lower end surface of the piston (4), the pressure rod (7) passes through the partition (11) and extends into the through hole (33), and the pressure rod (7) is used to push the pull rod (31) to move toward the airbag (2).

2. The automatic freezing tube clamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of the abutting members (3) are arranged in the lower operating space (13), and the plurality of the abutting members (3) are evenly arranged in a ring shape along the circumference of the inner wall of the shell (1), and the clamping frame (14) is located in the middle of the lower operating space (13).

3. The automatic freezing tube clamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pull rod (31) is a cylinder, and is horizontally placed inside the limiting cylinder (32). A notch (35) is provided in the middle of the side wall of the limiting cylinder (32), and an inclined surface (36) is provided inside the notch (35). The pressure rod (7) is arranged directly above the notch (35).

4. The automatic freezing tube clamping device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The abutment member (3) further comprises a spring guide column (38) and a first spring (37). The spring guide column (38) is provided at one end of the pull rod (31). The outer diameter of the spring guide column (38) is smaller than the outer diameter of the pull rod (31). The first spring (37) is mounted on the spring guide column (38). One end of the first spring (37) contacts the end face of the pull rod (31), and the other end contacts the inner end face of the limit tube (32) having the through hole (34).

5. The automatic freezing tube clamping device according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a fixing plate (8) and an annular elastic clamp (9), wherein the end of the spring guide column (38) away from the pull rod (31) is connected to the fixing plate (8), and the side of the fixing plate (8) close to the airbag (2) is connected to the elastic clamp (9).

6. The automatic freezing tube clamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a gas pressure component (5), wherein the gas pressure component (5) is used to drive the piston (4) to reciprocate in the housing (1) along the axial direction of the housing (1); The air-compressing component (5) comprises a fixed frame (51), a push-pull block (52) and a push-pull rod (53); a movable opening (17) is provided through the top cover of the shell (1); the push-pull block (52) is slidably connected to the shell (1) through the movable opening (17); the fixed frame (51) is provided on the inner wall of the top cover near the movable opening (17); the push-pull block (52) is slidably connected to the fixed frame (51); and the push-pull rod (53) is fixedly installed between the lower end of the push-pull block (52) and the upper end surface of the piston (4).

7. The automatic freezing tube clamping device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air-compressing component (5) further comprises a second spring (54), which is arranged between the lower end surface of the push-pull block (52) and the fixing frame (51) so that the push-pull block (52) always has a tendency to move upward.

8. The automatic freezing tube clamping device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The side wall of the push-pull block (52) is provided with a limiting groove, and the limiting groove includes a deep groove (55), a shallow groove (56) and a transition groove (57). The depth of the deep groove (55) is greater than the depth of the shallow groove (56). The transition groove (57) is an oblique groove. One end of the transition groove (57) is smoothly connected to the deep groove (55), and the other end of the transition groove (57) is staggered in depth with the shallow groove (56). The air compression component (5) further comprises a connecting rod (58) and an elastic clamp (59); the upper end of the connecting rod (58) is provided with the elastic clamp (59); the lower end of the connecting rod (58) is rotatably mounted on the lower end of the fixing frame (51); the upper end of the connecting rod (58) is limited in the limiting groove by the elastic clamp (59).

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