Texture analyzer, its sample cell, and method for detecting sample hardness

Abstract

The present application relates to a texture analyzer, a sample slot and a method for testing sample hardness. The sample slot of the texture analyzer of the present application comprises: a shell, the shell comprises a side wall that is closed in the circumferential direction, the side wall is arranged to form a cavity, the side wall is provided with an opening and at least two pairs of slots, each pair of slots is distributed on both sides of the opening, and each pair of slots is spaced apart from each other in the height direction of the side wall; a carrier plate is inserted into the slot, the carrier plate divides the cavity into at least two sample chambers in the height direction, the sample chamber is used to place samples, the carrier plate is provided with through holes, and the projections of the through holes of each carrier plate in the height direction at least partially overlap. The sample slot provided in the present application forms at least two sample chambers spaced apart in the vertical direction, and can perform hardness puncture testing on at least two samples in the same batch. It has a compact structure, does not take up space, is simple to operate, and has high detection efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of food testing, and in particular to a texture analyzer, a sample slot of a texture analyzer, and a method for testing the hardness of a sample using the texture analyzer. Background Art

[0002] Texture analyzers, also known as physical property testers or analyzers, are used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and material industries to quantitatively measure physical parameters such as sample temperature and hardness. Traditional texture analyzers can only test one sample at a time, making them inefficient when testing a large number of samples. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a texture analyzer and a sample slot thereof, and also provide a sample hardness detection method to address the problem of low efficiency in sample hardness detection.

[0004] A sample tank for a texture analyzer, comprising:

[0005] A housing, the housing comprising a circumferentially closed sidewall, the sidewall enclosing a cavity, the sidewall being provided with an opening and at least two pairs of slots, each pair of slots being located on either side of the opening, the pairs of slots being spaced apart from each other in a height direction of the sidewall;

[0006] A carrier plate is inserted into the card slot, and the carrier plate divides the cavity into at least two sample chambers in the height direction. The sample chambers are used to place samples. Through holes are provided on the carrier plate, and the projections of the through holes of each carrier plate in the height direction at least partially overlap.

[0007] In one embodiment, the invention further includes a substrate, and the housing is disposed on the substrate.

[0008] In one embodiment, the area of the through hole on the upper surface of the carrier is larger than the area of the through hole on the lower surface of the carrier.

[0009] In one embodiment, the side wall includes a front side wall, a right side wall, a rear side wall and a left side wall that are adjacently connected, the opening and the slot are opened on the front side wall, and a first groove is provided on the inner surface of at least one of the right side wall and the left side wall, and the side surface of the first groove serves as a bearing surface for supporting the carrier plate.

[0010] In one embodiment, a second groove communicating with the first groove is provided on the inner surface of the rear side wall.

[0011] In one embodiment, a limiting plate is further included. The carrier plate is provided with at least one strip-shaped hole on the periphery of the through hole, and the limiting plate is inserted into the strip-shaped hole along the height direction of the cavity.

[0012] In one embodiment, there are multiple strip-shaped holes on the carrier plate, and multiple limiting plates, which are selectively inserted into the strip-shaped holes at different positions. The distribution of the multiple strip-shaped holes has at least one of the following characteristics:

[0013] A plurality of strip-shaped holes are distributed radially at intervals on the outer periphery of the through hole;

[0014] A plurality of strip-shaped holes are distributed at intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the through hole;

[0015] A plurality of strip-shaped holes are partially connected along the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the through hole.

[0016] In one embodiment, the housing further includes a top cover, the top cover is connected to the top end of the side wall, and the top cover has the same structure as the carrier board.

[0017] In one embodiment, the housing further includes a bottom plate connected to the bottom end of the side wall, and the bottom plate has the same or similar structure as the carrier plate.

[0018] A texture analyzer, comprising:

[0019] A host having a test platform and a test pin movably disposed above the test platform;

[0020] The sample slot is any one of the sample slots mentioned above, the sample slot is placed on the test platform, and the test needle is aligned with the through hole of the carrier plate.

[0021] A method for testing sample hardness, comprising:

[0022] Place at least two samples spaced apart in the vertical direction;

[0023] Using a test needle to sequentially penetrate the at least two samples from top to bottom, and generating a puncture force curve of the test needle;

[0024] The hardness values of the at least two samples are obtained according to the obtained force curves.

[0025] The above-mentioned texture analyzer, its sample slot, and sample hardness testing method, on the one hand, can fully utilize the space at height by forming at least two sample chambers spaced apart in the vertical direction, saving the space occupied by the texture analyzer, and have the advantages of small size and compact structure; on the other hand, each sample chamber can hold one sample, and hardness puncture testing can be performed on at least two samples in the same batch, which can realize batch testing and high testing efficiency; on the other hand, the test needle can be used to puncture at least two samples in the same movement stroke, and at least two samples can be tested without repeated operations, which is simple to operate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a texture analyzer provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the sample tank of the texture analyzer provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the sample tank in another state.

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the shell of the sample tank shown.

[0030] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the sample trough carrier plate shown.

[0031] Figure 6 for Figure 2 Schematic cross-section of the sample tank shown.

[0032] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Magnified schematic diagram of the circled part.

[0033] Figure 8 A side view of the partial structure of the texture analyzer excluding the sample tank provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a flow chart of a sample hardness detection method provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Description of reference numerals:

[0036] Sample slot 100; cavity 101; sample chamber 102; opening 103; card slot 104; first groove 105;

[0037] Housing 10; side wall 12; front side wall 121; right side wall 122; rear side wall 123; left side wall 124; top cover 14; bottom plate 16;

[0038] Carrier-20; through hole-201; strip hole-203;

[0039] Limiting plate-30; Base plate-40;

[0040] Host 200; test platform 210; test pin 220; slider 230; main control board 240. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0042] The texture analyzer provided in this application can be used to detect and analyze the physical properties of food, medicine and chemical products, such as the hardness of food. The food can be, but is not limited to, solid food and its manufacturing raw materials, such as biscuits, soybeans, etc. Figure 1 As shown, the texture analyzer provided in one embodiment of the present application includes a sample tank 100 and a main unit 200, wherein the sample tank 100 is replaceably fixed on the main unit 200. The sample tank 100 is used to place samples, and the main unit 200 can perform hardness puncture testing on the samples in the sample tank 100. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG, a sample holder 100 of a texture analyzer according to one embodiment of the present application comprises a housing 10 and a carrier plate 20. The housing 10 defines a cavity 101. The carrier plate 20 is removably inserted into the housing 10 to separate the cavity 11 into at least two sample chambers 102 arranged in sequence in the height direction. The sample chambers 102 are used to hold samples, such as soybeans, whose hardness is to be measured.

[0043] Specifically, the carrier plate 20 is provided with through holes 201 for holding samples. The projections of the through holes 201 of each carrier plate 20 in the height direction at least partially overlap, so that the test needle 220 for puncturing the sample can be conveniently placed through these samples in sequence. In some embodiments, the shape, size, and position of each through hole 201 can be exactly the same, thereby simplifying the production configuration of the carrier plate 20 and making the placement of samples more automated. For example, after the carrier plate 20 is inserted into the housing 10, a robot can be used to place samples in batches. Alternatively, a batch of carrier plates 20 are on the assembly line, and the carrier plates 20 with samples configured are then transported to the housing 10 to form an inserted fit with the housing 10.

[0044] When the test needle 220 punctures the sample stuck in the through hole 201 from top to bottom, a puncture force curve can be formed by obtaining a change signal representing the puncture force of the test needle 220. By analyzing and converting the values of each point on the puncture force curve, the hardness value of each sample can be obtained.

[0045] Also refer to Figure 4 In one embodiment, the housing 10 includes a sidewall 12 that forms a closed structure in the circumferential direction. The sidewall 12 encloses the cavity 101. An opening 103 is formed in the sidewall 12 for allowing samples to enter and exit the cavity 101. At least two pairs of slots 104 are formed on both sides of the opening 103. The slots 104 are for inserting the carrier plates 20. When different numbers of carrier plates 20 are inserted into the slots 104, the cavity 101 can be divided into different numbers of sample chambers 102 distributed along the height direction, thereby enabling batch testing of different numbers of samples.

[0046] The side wall 12 has a predetermined height extending in the vertical direction. Figure 4 The dimension in the Z-axis direction of the central coordinate axis. The height of the sidewall 12 determines the height of the cavity 101. The spacing between adjacent slots 104 can be adjusted based on the specific type and specifications of the sample to be tested, thereby appropriately setting the minimum height of the sample chamber 102. Furthermore, the horizontal cross-section of the cavity 101 can be configured to various shapes based on the specific type and specifications of the sample to be tested. For example, the cross-section of the cavity 101 can be prismatic, square, round, or circular.

[0047] Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the cavity 101 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The sidewall 12 includes a front sidewall 121, a right sidewall 122, a rear sidewall 123 and a left sidewall 124 that are adjacent to each other. More specifically, the front sidewall 121, the right sidewall 122, the rear sidewall 123 and the left sidewall 124 can be connected end to end in the circumferential direction. The front, back, left and right directions are based on the Figure 4 The coordinate axis is defined as follows: the X-axis is the left-right direction, and the Y-axis is the front-back direction. The positive X-axis direction is right, the negative X-axis direction is left, the positive Y-axis direction is front, and the negative Y-axis direction is back. It should be understood that this definition is intended to more clearly describe the specific structure of this embodiment and does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The opening 103 and the slot 104 are provided on the front side wall 121.

[0048] A first groove 105 is provided on the inner surface of the left side wall 124. The first groove 105 extends horizontally. The first groove 105 is recessed along the inner surface of the left side wall 124 to form a bottom surface and two side surfaces. The bottom surface is parallel to the inner surface of the left side wall 124, and the side surfaces are perpendicular to the bottom surface. The bottom surface of the first groove 105 is aligned with the end of a corresponding latching slot 104. Therefore, when the carrier plate 20 is inserted into the latching slot 104, it can also be inserted into the first groove 105 to support the carrier plate 20. This arrangement allows the sample to withstand greater puncture force when placed on the carrier plate 20, thereby expanding the range of sample applications. It is understood that the end of the latching slot 104 can also fall at any point within the depth of the first groove 105, or the end of the latching slot 104 can further extend horizontally to a position offset from the bottom surface of the first groove 105. In other words, as long as the side surface of the first groove 105 can serve as a bearing surface for the carrier plate 20, it is sufficient.

[0049] In some embodiments, a first groove 105 with the same structure as that on the inner surface of the left wall 124 may also be provided on the inner surface of the right side wall 122. When the carrier board 20 is inserted into the card slot 104, it can also be inserted into the first grooves 105 of the left and right side walls 124 and 122 at the same time, or it can be selectively inserted into the first groove 105 of one of the side walls.

[0050] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a second groove (not shown) is provided on the inner surface of the rear side wall 123 and communicates with the first groove 105. Similarly, the second groove extends horizontally. When the inner surfaces of both the left side wall 124 and the right side wall 122 are provided with the first groove 105, the carrier board 20 can be inserted into both the first groove 105 and the second groove when inserted into the slot 104, thereby providing better support for the carrier board 20.

[0051] like Figure 5As shown, in some embodiments, the area of the through hole 201 on the upper surface of the carrier plate 20 is larger than the area of the through hole 201 on the lower surface of the carrier plate 20. Because the through hole 201 is used to hold the sample, the through hole 201 is configured to be larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. This allows the sample to be more easily secured when placed on the carrier plate 20 and is less likely to shift during placement and puncture, thereby facilitating the testing process. Furthermore, the size of the through hole 201 can be configured to taper from top to bottom, forming a recessed structure on the upper surface of the carrier plate 20. This facilitates secure placement of the sample and further positions the sample during puncture, preventing lateral movement of the sample on the upper surface of the carrier plate 20 due to the puncture force. The size of the recess can be flexibly adjusted based on the type and size of the sample. For example, when the sample is a granular bean product, the recess can be configured to resemble a spherical or quasi-spherical structure, so that at least one-third of the sample's height is embedded in the recessed structure of the carrier plate 20. Even if the sample is subjected to a horizontal force component due to misalignment of the puncture site during the puncture process, the sample will be prevented from moving on the carrier 20 due to the obstruction and restriction of the pit structure.

[0052] Also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The sample tank 100 further includes a limiting plate 30. A strip-shaped hole 203 is defined on one side of the carrier plate 20 near the front sidewall 121. The limiting plate 30 can be inserted into the strip-shaped hole 203 along the height direction of the cavity 101. In some embodiments, after the sample is placed in the sample chamber 102, the limiting plate 30 can be inserted into the strip-shaped hole 203 to close the cavity 101, that is, the sample chamber 102 in the front direction of the cavity 101. The sample can be constrained by the limiting plate 30, the right sidewall 122, the rear sidewall 123, and the left sidewall 124 to prevent position changes during the detection process.

[0053] In some embodiments, the carrier plate 20 may include multiple strip-shaped holes 203. The multiple strip-shaped holes 203 are radially spaced apart around the periphery of the through-hole 201. Furthermore, the limiting plates 30 may also be multiple. By selecting different numbers of limiting plates 30 and inserting them into the strip-shaped holes 203 at different radial positions, the size of the sample chamber 102 can be adjusted to accommodate samples of different sizes. During testing, the periphery of the sample can be brought into direct contact with each limiting plate 30 or each sidewall 12, thereby preventing the sample from shifting in position on the carrier plate 20.

[0054] like Figure 5As shown, the carrier plate 20 has three strip-shaped holes 203 on the front and rear sides of the through hole 201, and two strip-shaped holes 203 on the right and left sides of the through hole 201. A limiting plate 30 can be provided on each of the front, back, left, and right sides of the through hole 201. The limiting plates 30 are inserted into the strip-shaped holes 203 at different locations to form sample chambers 102 of various sizes.

[0055] On the other hand, a plurality of strip-shaped holes 203 may be spaced apart or partially connected along the circumferential direction on the periphery of the through hole 201. Figure 3 In the illustrated carrier plate 20, four strip-shaped holes 203 are spaced apart around the circumference of the through hole 201, i.e., in front, rear, left, and right sides of the through hole 201. In other embodiments, some of the strip-shaped holes 203 may be interconnected, provided that the structural strength of the carrier plate 20 is maintained.

[0056] Figure 5 The strip holes 203 shown are all straight strips. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The limiting plates 30 shown in the figure are all straight. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the shapes of the strip-shaped holes 203 and the limiting plates 30 can be adjusted based on the type and specifications of the sample. For example, the strip-shaped holes 203 can be curved. For another example, when the front side of the through hole 201 is connected to the strip-shaped hole 203 on the right side, the shape of the strip-shaped hole 203 can actually be considered a broken line.

[0057] In some embodiments, to facilitate assembly and removal of the limiting plate 30, the limiting plate 30 may be loosely fitted with the strip-shaped hole 203. In other embodiments, to prevent displacement of the limiting plate 30, the limiting plate 30 may be tightly fitted with the strip-shaped hole 203 to prevent loosening of the limiting plate 30. The limiting plate 30 may also be bonded to the carrier plate 20.

[0058] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown in , the housing 10 also includes a top cover 14, which is connected to the top end of the side wall 12, and the top cover 14 has the same structure as the carrier 20. That is, the top cover 14 can serve as another carrier 20 for placing samples. In this way, the top of the top cover 14 is equivalent to forming an open sample chamber 102. In other embodiments, the top cover 14 can also be connected to the part near the top end of the side wall 12, so that the part of the side wall 12 extends beyond the top cover 14, so that the sample chamber 102 formed above the top cover 14 also has a semi-enclosed structure in the height direction. The top cover 14 can be integrally formed with the side wall 12, or it can be connected by other means such as bonding and screwing.

[0059] In some embodiments, the housing 10 further includes a bottom plate 16, which is connected to the bottom end of the side wall 12, or to a portion of the side wall 12 near the bottom end. The bottom plate 16 has the same structure as the carrier plate 20. In other words, the bottom plate 16 can also serve as another carrier plate 20 for placing samples. In this way, another sample chamber 102 is formed between the bottom plate 16 and the carrier plate 20 above. The bottom plate 16 can be integrally formed with the side wall 12, or it can be connected by other means such as bonding or screwing.

[0060] The base plate 16 can also have a similar structure to the carrier plate 20. The term "similar structure" used in this application can encompass different scenarios. In the first scenario, the corresponding structures on the base plate 16 and the carrier plate 20 are identical, such as both having through holes 201 and strip holes 203, but the sizes of the base plate 16 and the carrier plate 20 are different. For example, because the base plate 16 is located at the bottom of the side wall 12, it can have a larger area to support the side wall 12. When the base plate 16 has a sufficiently large area, multiple side walls 12 can be arranged on the base plate 16, forming a structure in which multiple housings 10 are distributed horizontally and share the base plate 16, or even a matrix structure comprising multiple housings 10.

[0061] In the second case, the bottom plate 16 is the same size as the carrier plate 20, and the bottom plate 16 has structures corresponding to the through holes 201 and the strip holes 203 of the carrier plate 20, but the specific shapes are not exactly the same. For example, a groove that does not penetrate the bottom plate 16 can be formed on the bottom plate 16 at the position corresponding to the strip hole 203 on the carrier plate 20 ( Figure 6 (not shown), the shape of the groove is the same as that of the strip-shaped hole 203. For another example, a blind hole with the same radial dimensions can be formed on the bottom plate 16 at a position corresponding to the through hole 201 on the carrier plate 20. Of course, a through hole with the same structure as the through hole 201 on the carrier plate 20 can also be formed on the bottom plate 16.

[0062] The sample holder 100 described above can accommodate different numbers of carrier plates 20 and different numbers of retaining plates 30 to accommodate samples of different types and sizes. For example, a carrier plate 20 can be inserted into each pair of slots 104, or one or more pairs of slots 104 can be left vacant, so that the height of two adjacent carrier plates 20 is greater than the distance between adjacent pairs of slots 104, to accommodate samples of greater height. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier plate 20 is inserted into every other pair of the card slots 104 , so that the height of the formed sample chamber 102 is twice the distance between the adjacent pairs of card slots 104 .

[0063] For another example, you can choose to use a limiting plate 30, which is inserted into the strip hole 203 near the front side wall 121, so that the limiting plate 30 forms a circumferential boundary of the sample chamber 102 with the right side wall 122, the rear side wall 123 and the left side wall 124. Alternatively, you can choose to use two or three limiting plates 30, so that the corresponding limiting plates 30 and the side walls form a circumferential boundary of the sample chamber 102. In this way, a variety of sample chambers 102 of different radial sizes can be obtained. In addition, when a predetermined number of limiting plates 30 are used, by inserting the limiting plates 30 into the strip holes 203 at different radial positions, a variety of sample chambers 102 of different radial sizes can also be obtained.

[0064] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the sample tank 100 further includes a base plate 40, and the housing 10 is disposed on the base plate 40. The base plate 40 can serve as a transfer mechanism for the test platform 210 of the texture analyzer, and the base plate 40 can further be provided with connection holes and other structures for connecting to the test platform 210.

[0065] Combine Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown, in a texture analyzer provided by one embodiment of the present application, a test platform 210 and a test needle 220 are provided on the host 200. The test needle 220 is used to puncture the sample. The test needle 220 can move up and down relative to the test platform 210. For example, a liftable slider 230 can be provided on the test platform 210, and the test needle 220 is provided on the slider 230 and can follow the slider 230 to rise and fall relative to the test platform 210. The sample slot 100 is detachably provided on the test platform 210. When different types of samples or different physical properties of samples need to be detected, different types of sample slots 100 can be placed on the test platform 210. As shown Figure 1 As shown, when the sample slot 100 is placed and fixed on the test platform 210, the test needle 220 is aligned with the through hole 201 of the carrier 20, and the test needle 220 can sequentially pierce the samples placed on the carrier 20 to test the hardness of the samples.

[0066] A main control board 240 may also be provided within the test platform 210, and may be electrically connected to the test needle 220. The main control board 240 may control the lifting and lowering motion of the slider 230 and may also receive information about the force applied to the test needle 220 during the puncture process. Specifically, for example, a transmission mechanism and a power source may be provided on the slider 230 and the test platform 210. The mechanical force generated by the power source may be used to drive the slider 230 up and down via the transmission mechanism. For example, a pressure sensor may be provided on the test needle 220, and the pressure sensor may be electrically connected to the main control board 240.

[0067] like Figure 9As shown, an embodiment of the present application also provides a method for detecting sample hardness. The method includes the following steps:

[0068] Step 501: Place at least two samples spaced apart in the vertical direction. For example, by using the texture analyzer provided in any of the above embodiments, the samples are placed manually or through other automated equipment on the carrier 20 arranged in the vertical direction, specifically, clamped at the through hole 201 of the carrier 20. After placement, the limiting plate 30 can also be inserted into the strip hole 203 in the front direction of the carrier 20 to close the sample chamber 102 in the front direction of the cavity 101. In some other embodiments, the sample can also be placed at the through hole 201 of the carrier 20 first, and then the carrier 20 can be inserted into the card slot 104 of the shell 10. Then, as needed, a suitable number of limiting plates 30 are inserted into the strip holes 203 at other suitable positions on the carrier 20.

[0069] Step 502: Use a test needle to sequentially pierce multiple samples from top to bottom, and generate a puncture force curve for the test needle. For example, by using the texture analyzer provided by any of the above-described embodiments, pre-setting the movement rate and stroke of the test needle 220, the test needle 220 is moved from top to bottom, sequentially piercing each sample on the carrier plate 20. During the puncture process, the force information applied to the test needle 220 at each time point is fed back by a pressure sensor to the main control board 240 of the texture analyzer. The main control board 240 can store, process, and output this force information to generate a visual puncture force curve. For example, the main control board 240 can establish a communication connection with a computer terminal, visually presenting the relevant data on the computer terminal.

[0070] Step 503: Obtain hardness values for the multiple samples based on the obtained force curves. For example, data representing the hardness values of the samples can be obtained by analyzing the numerical changes and peak values at various time points in the force curves. If necessary, multiple batches of samples can be tested, or the sample placement can be adjusted and multiple force curves can be obtained through multiple punctures. The relevant data can then be processed to remove noise and artifacts to obtain corrected hardness values.

[0071] The above-mentioned texture analyzer, its sample slot and sample hardness detection method provided by the present application, on the one hand, can fully utilize the space in height by forming at least two sample chambers spaced apart in the vertical direction, saving the space occupied by the texture analyzer, and has the advantages of small size and compact structure; on the other hand, each sample chamber can hold one sample, and hardness puncture detection can be performed on at least two samples in the same batch, which can realize batch detection and high detection efficiency; on the other hand, the test needle can be used to puncture at least two samples in the same action stroke, and the detection of at least two samples can be realized without multiple operations, which is simple to operate.

[0072] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned 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.

[0073] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sample tank of a texture analyzer, characterized in that: include: A housing, the housing comprising a circumferentially closed sidewall, the sidewall enclosing a cavity, the sidewall being provided with an opening and at least two pairs of slots, each pair of slots being located on either side of the opening, the pairs of slots being spaced apart from each other in a height direction of the sidewall; A carrier plate is inserted into the card slot, the carrier plate divides the cavity into at least two sample chambers in the height direction, the sample chambers are used to place samples, the carrier plate is provided with through holes, the projections of the through holes of the carrier plates in the height direction at least partially overlap, and the through holes are used to align the test needles; A limiting plate, wherein the carrier plate is provided with at least one strip-shaped hole on the periphery of the through hole, and the limiting plate is inserted into the strip-shaped hole along the height direction of the cavity; There are multiple strip-shaped holes on the carrier plate, and multiple limiting plates, which are selectively inserted into the strip-shaped holes at different positions. The distribution of the multiple strip-shaped holes has at least one of the following characteristics: A plurality of strip-shaped holes are distributed radially at intervals on the outer periphery of the through hole; A plurality of strip-shaped holes are distributed at intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the through hole; A plurality of strip-shaped holes are partially connected along the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the through hole; The housing further includes a top cover connected to the top end of the side wall, and the top cover has the same structure as the carrier plate.

2. The sample tank according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a base plate, on which the housing is arranged.

3. The sample tank according to claim 1, wherein The area of the through hole on the upper surface of the carrier board is larger than the area of the through hole on the lower surface of the carrier board.

4. The sample tank according to claim 1, wherein The side walls include a front side wall, a right side wall, a rear side wall and a left side wall that are adjacent to each other. The opening and the slot are provided on the front side wall. A first groove is provided on the inner surface of at least one of the right side wall and the left side wall. The side surface of the first groove serves as a bearing surface for supporting the carrier plate.

5. The sample tank according to claim 4, characterized in that A second groove communicating with the first groove is provided on the inner surface of the rear side wall.

6. The sample tank according to claim 5, characterized in that The first groove and the second groove both extend in a horizontal direction.

7. The sample tank according to claim 4, characterized in that: The front side wall, the right side wall, the rear side wall and the left side wall are sequentially connected end to end in a circumferential direction.

8. The sample tank according to claim 1, wherein: The housing further includes a bottom plate connected to the bottom end of the side wall, and the bottom plate has the same structure as the carrier plate.

9. A texture analyzer, characterized in that include: A host having a test platform and a test pin movably disposed above the test platform; A sample slot, wherein the sample slot is the sample slot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the sample slot is placed on the test platform, and the test needle is aligned with the through hole of the carrier plate.

10. A method for detecting sample hardness using the texture analyzer according to claim 9, characterized in that: include: Place at least two samples spaced apart in the vertical direction; Using a test needle to sequentially penetrate the at least two samples from top to bottom, and generating a puncture force curve of the test needle; The hardness values of the at least two samples are obtained according to the obtained force curves.

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