Test tube placement assembly and method of controlling the same

Abstract

The application relates to a test tube placing assembly and a control method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of detection equipment. The test tube placing assembly comprises a test tube rack provided with a self-locking part and a jack for accommodating a sample test tube, and a socket assembly comprising a bottom plate, a socket main body, a self-locking driving device, a rotating shaft, a top rod and an elastic part. The socket main body is provided with a slot for inserting the test tube rack, the bottom of the slot is provided with a positioning hole corresponding to the position of the self-locking part, the rotating shaft is provided with a cam, the top rod is installed between the cam and the self-locking part, one end of the elastic part is abutted against the top rod, and the other end is abutted against the socket main body, so that the top rod has a tendency to move away from the self-locking part. The rotating shaft can be rotated to make the cam be located at a self-locking state position and a release state position. The test tube placing assembly is characterized in that the rotating shaft, the cam, the top rod and the elastic part are matched, a driving device such as a stepping motor is used, the self-locking function of placing the test tube rack on the socket main body is realized, and the test tube placing assembly has the advantages of simple structure and compact structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of testing equipment technology, and in particular to a test tube placement assembly and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of science and technology, laboratories in fields such as biology, chemistry, environment, pharmaceutical research and development, and food, as well as hospitals, disease control centers, and blood banks, are increasingly adopting automated equipment for testing. Among these automated devices, the pipetting of sample solutions is both important and widespread. Faced with increasingly complex research subjects and ever-increasing sample volumes, a large number of sample processing systems have emerged. Test tube rack sockets, as a fundamental component of these systems, play a crucial role. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a reagent rack socket that offers stable sample introduction, high placement accuracy, high throughput, and a reasonable human-machine interaction.

[0003] However, conventional test tube rack sockets currently lack a self-locking function, which makes the equipment susceptible to malfunctions due to human intervention during operation; or test tube rack sockets with a self-locking function have a complex structure, leading to decreased equipment stability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a test tube placement component to address the problems of the aforementioned test tube rack sockets lacking self-locking function or having complex structures. This component can self-lock according to experimental needs and has the advantages of simple and compact structure.

[0005] A test tube placement assembly, comprising:

[0006] A test tube rack, equipped with a self-locking mechanism and insertion holes for receiving sample test tubes; and

[0007] A socket assembly includes a base plate, a socket body, a self-locking drive device, a rotating shaft, a push rod, and an elastic element. The socket body and the self-locking drive device are both fixed to the base plate. The socket body has a slot for inserting a test tube rack. The bottom of the slot has an alignment hole corresponding to the position of the self-locking element. The rotating shaft has a cam, and the alignment hole is opposite to the cam. The push rod is installed between the cam and the self-locking element. One end of the elastic element abuts against the push rod, and the other end abuts against the socket body, causing the push rod to tend to move away from the self-locking element. The rotating shaft can rotate under the drive of the self-locking drive device, positioning the cam in a self-locking state and a released state. When the cam is in the self-locking state, the push rod, pushed by the cam, overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element and passes through the alignment hole to engage with the self-locking element. When the cam is in the released state, the push rod, under the action of the elastic element, moves away from the self-locking element.

[0008] The aforementioned test tube placement assembly cleverly utilizes the cooperation of the rotating shaft and cam with the push rod and elastic element, and a simple driving device such as a stepper motor, to achieve the self-locking function of placing the test tube rack on the socket body. It has the advantages of simple and compact structure.

[0009] In one embodiment, there are at least two test tube racks, and the number of cams and slots matches the number of test tube racks. The cams are circumferentially arranged around the rotating shaft, and the slots are arranged in parallel. In practical applications, several test tube racks are typically required to hold sample tubes to meet the needs of sample volume and throughput. Arranging the slots in parallel allows for a similar modular structure, enabling the arrangement of multiple test tube racks within the test tube placement assembly.

[0010] In one embodiment, when the rotating shaft is in the working state, only one of the cams is in the self-locking state, while the rest are in the released state; when the rotating shaft is in the stopped state, all cams are in the released state. Typically, only one set of test tube racks is in operation, while the remaining slots are open. This design effectively solves this problem and utilizes this feature to enable continuous operation without shutting down the machine.

[0011] In one embodiment, the self-locking component is a self-locking baffle. When the cam is in the self-locking position, the push rod passes through the alignment hole and contacts the self-locking baffle, preventing the test tube rack from sliding relative to the slot. Alternatively, the self-locking component has a locking hole. When the cam is in the self-locking position, the push rod passes through the alignment hole and inserts into the locking hole. It is understood that other components in the art capable of cooperating with the push rod to complete the self-locking function can be used in this scenario; however, the above configuration has the advantages of good stability and strong operability.

[0012] In one embodiment, the self-locking drive device is a stepper motor. The stepper motor drives a rotating shaft with a cam mounted on it. When the cam rotates, it pushes a push rod upwards. After the cam rotates, it is reset by a spring. One rotation of the motor achieves one intermittent upward reciprocating motion.

[0013] In one embodiment, the push rod has a flange edge, and the elastic element abuts against the flange edge; the cam has a guide ramp between the rotating shaft and the cam apex.

[0014] In one embodiment, the test tube rack further includes a limiting ring, which includes a limiting mounting part and a limiting strip. The limiting mounting part is a ring-shaped structure and matches the inner diameter of the insertion hole opening. The limiting strip is fixed to the limiting mounting part and extends towards the bottom of the insertion hole. The limiting strip is made of an elastic material. The limiting strip and the inner wall of the insertion hole form a test tube receiving cavity for accommodating sample test tubes. The test tube receiving cavity gradually narrows from the upper end to the lower end of the insertion hole.

[0015] By using the aforementioned limiting ring, the test tube rack can be applied to test tubes of different diameters, avoiding the problem of replacing the tube sleeve, and has strong compatibility.

[0016] In one embodiment, the ring of the limiting mounting portion has an opening, and the limiting strip consists of at least two strips.

[0017] In one embodiment, the slot has a guide slope on the inner wall of the end into which the test tube rack is inserted, making the inner diameter of the slot opening larger than the average inner diameter of the slot. By providing a dovetail-shaped guide structure at the slot opening, the problem of uneven test tube rack placement caused by insufficient guiding movement, thus avoiding inaccurate final positioning, is avoided. Furthermore, the guide slope facilitates easy insertion of the reagent tube rack, improving the user experience.

[0018] In one embodiment, the socket assembly further includes a barcode scanning mechanism located beside the slot, with its scanning window facing the slot.

[0019] Furthermore, the limiting strip is designed to push the test tube towards the scanning mechanism, which helps to ensure consistent and accurate positioning.

[0020] In one embodiment, the socket assembly further includes a baffle and a first magnetic attractor. The baffle is mounted on the base plate and located at the end of the slot for fixing the position of the test tube rack. The first magnetic attractor is disposed at the bottom of the slot. The test tube rack is provided with a second magnetic attractor that matches the position of the first magnetic attractor. The first magnetic attractor and the second magnetic attractor attract each other.

[0021] The socket assembly also includes a sensing circuit board, which is used to receive signals from the scanning mechanism and control the operation of the self-locking drive device.

[0022] Understandably, in addition to signal reception and control, the aforementioned sensing circuit board may be equipped with indicator lights and other display devices to show whether the test tube rack is self-locked, that is, to display the self-locked state (warning light) or the released state (operation light) at the corresponding position of each test tube rack, so as to facilitate the user to select the test tube rack that needs to be replaced for plugging and unplugging operations.

[0023] The present invention also discloses a control method for the above-mentioned test tube placement assembly, comprising the following steps:

[0024] Self-locking: The self-locking drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the cam to rotate to the self-locking position, pushing the push rod to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element, passing through the alignment hole and cooperating with the self-locking element to lock the test tube rack onto the socket assembly;

[0025] Release: The self-locking drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the cam to rotate to the release state position. Under the elastic force of the elastic element, the push rod moves away from the self-locking element and leaves the self-locking element.

[0026] In one embodiment, the test tube placement assembly is a test tube placement assembly with a barcode scanning mechanism, and further includes the following steps:

[0027] Scanning: Insert the test tube rack into the slot of the socket body and scan it as it passes through the scanning window of the scanning mechanism to identify the location code (such as a barcode) and type code (such as a QR code) of the sample test tube.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] The present invention provides a test tube placement assembly that ingeniously utilizes the cooperation of a rotating shaft and cam with a top rod and elastic element to achieve a self-locking function for placing the test tube rack on the socket body using a stepper motor or other driving device. It has the advantages of simple and compact structure.

[0030] Furthermore, utilizing the mechanism principle of a rotating shaft and a cam, a stepper motor drives the rotating shaft to rotate. A cam is mounted on the rotating shaft. When the cam rotates, it causes the push rod to rise. After the cam rotates, it is reset by a spring. One rotation of the motor achieves one intermittent upward reciprocating motion, which can be used for continuous operation without stopping. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the test tube placement assembly structure;

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded view;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the test tube rack;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a self-locking structure;

[0035] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Exploded view;

[0036] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the test tube rack structure;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the assembled test tube rack.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a top view of the socket body.

[0039] Among them: 100, test tube rack; 111, limiting installation part; 112, limiting strip; 120, self-locking component; 210, base plate; 220, socket body; 221, slot; 221a, guide slope; 230, self-locking drive device; 240, rotating shaft; 241, cam; 250, top rod; 260, elastic component; 270, barcode scanning mechanism; 280, baffle plate; 290, sensing circuit board; 300, test tube. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0041] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0043] Example

[0044] A test tube placement assembly, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, it includes: a test tube rack 100 and a socket assembly.

[0045] The test tube rack 100 is equipped with a self-locking component 120 and insertion holes for accommodating sample test tubes 300, such as... Figure 3 As shown. In this embodiment, the self-locking component 120 is a self-locking baffle.

[0046] The socket assembly includes a base plate 210, a socket body 220, a self-locking drive device 230, a rotating shaft 240, a push rod 250, and an elastic element 260. The socket body 220 and the self-locking drive device 230 are both fixed to the base plate 210. The socket body 220 has a slot 221 for inserting the test tube rack 100. The bottom of the slot 221 has an alignment hole corresponding to the position of the self-locking element. Figure 3-4 As shown, the rotating shaft 240 is provided with a cam 241, the alignment hole is positioned opposite to the cam 241, the push rod 250 is installed between the cam 241 and the self-locking member 120, one end of the elastic member 260 abuts against the push rod 250 and the other end abuts against the socket body 220, causing the push rod 250 to tend to move away from the self-locking member 120. The rotating shaft 240 can rotate under the drive of the self-locking drive device 230, so that the cam 241 is in the self-locking state. In the self-locking and release states, when the cam 241 is in the self-locking state, the push rod 250 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member 260 under the pushing action of the cam 241 and passes through the alignment hole to cooperate with the self-locking member 120. That is, the baffle of the self-locking member 120 blocks the push rod 250 to prevent the test tube rack 100 from sliding relative to the slot 221, thereby realizing the locking function. When the cam 241 is in the release state, the push rod 250 moves away from the self-locking member 120 under the action of the elastic member 260.

[0047] In this embodiment, there are four test tube racks 100. The number of cams 241 and slots 221 is the same as the number of test tube racks 100, also four. The four cams 241 are arranged circumferentially around the rotating shaft 240, and the four slots 221 are arranged in parallel. In practical applications, several test tube racks 100 are usually required to hold sample tubes 300 to meet the requirements of sample volume and throughput. Arranging the slots 221 in parallel allows for a similar modular structure, enabling the arrangement of multiple test tube racks 100 in this test tube placement assembly.

[0048] When the rotating shaft 240 is in the working state, only one of the cams 241 is in the self-locking state, while the rest are in the released state. When the rotating shaft 240 is in the stopped state, all cams 241 are in the released state. Normally, only one set of test tube racks 100 is working, while the other slots 221 are open. The above configuration effectively solves this problem and utilizes this feature to enable continuous operation without stopping the machine.

[0049] Specifically, the self-locking drive device 230 is a stepper motor. The stepper motor drives the rotating shaft 240, on which a cam 241 is mounted. When the cam 241 rotates, it pushes the push rod 250 upward. After the cam 241 rotates, it is reset by a spring. The mechanism works by achieving one intermittent upward reciprocating motion for each rotation of the motor.

[0050] For ease of installation, in this embodiment, the top rod 250 is provided with a flange edge, and the elastic element 260 abuts against the flange edge; and the cam 241 is provided with a guide ramp from the rotating shaft 240 to the apex of the cam 241.

[0051] Considering the varying diameters of standard test tubes (300), it is sometimes necessary to change the tube sleeve for different sizes of test tubes (300), which affects testing efficiency. In this embodiment, as... Figure 5-6 As shown, the test tube rack 100 also includes a limiting ring, which includes a limiting mounting part 111 and a limiting strip 112. The limiting mounting part 111 has a ring-shaped structure and matches the inner diameter of the insertion hole opening. The limiting strip 112 is fixed to the limiting mounting part 111 and extends towards the bottom of the insertion hole. The limiting strip 112 is made of elastic material. The limiting strip 112 and the inner wall of the insertion hole form a test tube receiving cavity for accommodating sample test tubes 300. The test tube receiving cavity gradually narrows from the upper end to the lower end of the insertion hole. Through the use of the limiting ring, the test tube rack 100 can be applied to test tubes 300 of different diameters, improving compatibility.

[0052] Specifically, the ring of the limiting installation part 111 has an opening, which reduces the requirements for the machining accuracy of the limiting ring and facilitates the installation of the limiting ring into the insertion hole. There are two limiting strips 112.

[0053] In this embodiment, as Figure 7 As shown, the slot 221 has a guide slope 221a on the inner wall of the end into which the test tube rack 100 is inserted, making the inner diameter of the slot 221 opening larger than the average inner diameter of the slot 221. By setting a dovetail-shaped guide structure at the opening end of the slot 221, the problem of uneven placement of the test tube rack 100 due to insufficient guiding movement is avoided, thus preventing inaccurate final positioning. Furthermore, the guide slope 221a facilitates easy insertion of the reagent tube rack, thereby improving the user experience.

[0054] To further enhance the automation of the test tube placement assembly, the socket assembly also includes a barcode scanning mechanism 270, which is located beside the slot 221 with its scanning window facing the slot 221. The limiting strip 112 is configured to push the test tube 300 towards the barcode scanning mechanism 270, which helps to ensure consistent and accurate positioning.

[0055] In this embodiment, to improve the stability and uniformity of the insertion position of the test tube rack 100 and facilitate the connection of subsequent processes, the socket assembly further includes a baffle 280 and a first magnetic attractor. The baffle 280 is installed on the base plate 210 and located at the end of the slot 221 to fix the position of the test tube rack 100. The first magnetic attractor is located at the bottom of the slot 221. The test tube rack 100 is provided with a second magnetic attractor that matches the position of the first magnetic attractor. The first magnetic attractor and the second magnetic attractor attract each other.

[0056] The socket assembly also includes a sensing circuit board 290, which is used to receive signals from the scanning mechanism 270 and control the operation of the self-locking drive device 230.

[0057] Understandably, in addition to signal reception and control, the aforementioned sensing circuit board 290 may be equipped with indicator lights or other display devices to show whether the test tube rack 100 is self-locked. That is, it can display whether the test tube rack 100 is in a self-locked state (warning light) or a released state (operation light) at the corresponding position of each test tube rack 100, so that the user can select the test tube rack 100 that needs to be replaced for plugging and unplugging operations.

[0058] Example 2

[0059] The control method for the test tube placement assembly in Example 1 includes the following steps:

[0060] Scanning: Insert the test tube rack into the slot of the socket body and scan it as it passes through the scanning window of the scanning mechanism to identify the location code (such as a barcode) and type code (such as a QR code) of the sample test tube.

[0061] Self-locking: The self-locking drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the cam to rotate to the self-locking position, pushing the push rod to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element, passing through the alignment hole to block the self-locking element, preventing the test tube rack from sliding in the slot, and locking the test tube rack on the socket assembly.

[0062] Release: The self-locking drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the cam to rotate to the release state position. Under the elastic force of the elastic element, the push rod moves away from the self-locking element, releasing the locking state of the self-locking element.

[0063] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0064] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A test tube placement assembly, characterized in that, include: A test tube rack with a self-locking mechanism and insertion holes for accommodating sample test tubes; A socket assembly includes a base plate, a socket body, a self-locking drive device, a rotating shaft, a push rod, and an elastic element. The socket body and the self-locking drive device are both fixed to the base plate. The socket body has a slot for inserting a test tube rack. The bottom of the slot has an alignment hole corresponding to the position of the self-locking element. The rotating shaft has a cam, and the alignment hole is opposite to the cam. The push rod is installed between the cam and the self-locking element. One end of the elastic element abuts against the push rod, and the other end abuts against the socket body, causing the push rod to tend to move away from the self-locking element. The rotating shaft can rotate under the drive of the self-locking drive device, so that the cam is in a self-locking state and a released state. When the cam is in the self-locking state, the push rod, under the pushing action of the cam, overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element and passes through the alignment hole to engage with the self-locking element. When the cam is in the released state, the push rod, under the action of the elastic element, moves away from the self-locking element. The self-locking component is a self-locking baffle. When the cam is in the self-locking position, the push rod passes through the alignment hole and contacts the self-locking baffle, preventing the test tube rack from sliding relative to the slot. or, The self-locking component is provided with a locking hole. When the cam is in the self-locking state position, the push rod passes through the alignment hole and is inserted into the locking hole.

2. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test tube rack has at least two components, and the number of cams and slots matches the number of test tube racks. The cams are arranged circumferentially around the rotating shaft, and the slots are arranged parallel to each other.

3. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the rotating shaft is in the working state, only one of the cams is in the self-locking state, and the rest of the cams are in the released state; when the rotating shaft is in the stopped state, all the cams are in the released state.

4. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The push rod has a flange edge, and the elastic element abuts against the flange edge; the cam has a guide ramp between the rotating shaft and the cam apex.

5. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test tube rack also includes a limiting ring, which includes a limiting mounting part and a limiting strip. The limiting mounting part is a ring-shaped structure and matches the inner diameter of the insertion hole opening. The limiting strip is fixed to the limiting mounting part and extends towards the bottom of the insertion hole. The limiting strip is made of elastic material. The limiting strip and the inner wall of the insertion hole form a test tube receiving cavity for accommodating sample test tubes. The test tube receiving cavity gradually narrows from the upper end to the lower end of the insertion hole.

6. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ring of the limiting installation part has an opening, and there are at least two limiting strips.

7. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slot has a guide slope on the inner wall of the end into which the test tube rack is inserted, so that the inner diameter of the slot opening is larger than the average inner diameter of the slot.

8. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The socket assembly also includes a barcode scanning mechanism, which is located next to the slot and has its scanning window facing the slot.

9. The test tube placement assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The socket assembly further includes a baffle and a first magnetic attractor. The baffle is mounted on the base plate and located at the end of the slot for fixing the position of the test tube rack. The first magnetic attractor is located at the bottom of the slot. The test tube rack is provided with a second magnetic attractor that matches the position of the first magnetic attractor. The first magnetic attractor and the second magnetic attractor attract each other. The socket assembly also includes a sensing circuit board, which is used to receive signals from the scanning mechanism and control the operation of the self-locking drive device.

10. The control method for the test tube placement assembly according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Self-locking: The self-locking drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the cam to rotate to the self-locking position, pushing the push rod to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element, passing through the alignment hole and cooperating with the self-locking element to lock the test tube rack onto the socket assembly; Release: The self-locking drive device drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the cam to rotate to the release state position. Under the elastic force of the elastic element, the push rod moves away from the self-locking element and leaves the self-locking element.

11. The control method for the test tube placement assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that, The test tube placement assembly is the test tube placement assembly according to claim 7, comprising the following steps: Scanning: Insert the test tube rack into the slot of the socket body and scan it as it passes through the scanning window of the scanning mechanism to identify the location code and type code of the sample test tube.

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