A sample adding head and a sample adding device

Abstract

The disclosure provides a sample adding head and a sample adding device. The sample adding head can be installed in the sample adding device. The sample adding head comprises a sample adding cylinder and a flow control component arranged in the sample adding cylinder. The sample adding cylinder has a containing space for containing a sample. The sample adding cylinder is provided with a first end cover for sealing at one end and a second end cover for sample adding at the other end. The second end cover is provided with a sample adding hole for allowing powder to flow out. The flow control component is arranged in the sample adding cylinder. The flow control component can control the speed of the powder flowing out of the sample adding cylinder. The sample adding head uses the sample adding cylinder to contain the sample, uses the sample gravity to add the sample, and uses the flow control component arranged in the sample adding cylinder to quantitatively and constantly add the sample. The error caused by the size of the powder particles to the quantitative accuracy can be ignored.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sample dispensing head and a sample dispensing device. Background Technology

[0002] Powder weighing and dispensing are routine laboratory operations. Automated powder weighing should be widely used in laboratory automation projects. Existing weighing equipment often uses vibration to add powder samples. The amount of powder added is controlled by controlling the vibration frequency and amplitude of the input device. However, it is difficult to achieve an ideal control result for the vibration and slope of the equipment. Moreover, vibration-based addition cannot overcome the errors caused by the size of the powder particles and the resulting measurement inaccuracies. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above technical problems, this disclosure provides a sample dispensing head and a sample dispensing device.

[0004] One embodiment of this disclosure provides a sample dispensing head, the sample dispensing head comprising:

[0005] A sample dispensing cylinder has a accommodating space for holding a sample. One end of the sample dispensing cylinder is provided with a first end cap for sealing, and the other end is provided with a second end cap for dispensing the sample. The second end cap is provided with a dispensing hole that allows the powder to flow out.

[0006] A flow control component is disposed inside the sample dispensing cylinder, and the flow control component can control the speed at which the powder flows out of the sample dispensing cylinder; the flow control component includes a stirring element, which can stir the sample inside the sample dispensing cylinder, and the bottom of the stirring element is provided with a plurality of material guide grooves, and when the material guide grooves correspond to the sample dispensing holes, the sample flows out from the sample dispensing cylinder;

[0007] During the sample addition process, the stirring element and the sample addition cylinder rotate relative to each other to accelerate the sample flow, and the flow rate of the powder is controlled by the guide groove.

[0008] According to the scheme, the sample dispensing head uses a sample dispensing cylinder to hold the sample and uses the sample's own gravity for dispensing. A flow control component is set in the sample dispensing cylinder to perform quantitative and constant-speed dispensing. The error caused by the size of the powder particles to the measurement accuracy can be ignored.

[0009] In some embodiments, the stirring element includes a fixed shaft and a plurality of vortex blades disposed on the fixed shaft, the bottom of the vortex blades being close to the inner wall of the second end cap, and the gap between the outer edge of the vortex blades and the second end cap gradually increasing from the bottom to the top of the second end cap.

[0010] According to the scheme, under the action of the vortex plate, the powder sample in the sample cylinder spirals down, making it less likely to accumulate. In addition, the gap between the outer extension of the vortex plate and the second end cap can squeeze and grind the powder, preventing blockage at the sample dispensing hole and solving the problem of blocky or large-particle powder affecting the sample dispensing accuracy.

[0011] In some embodiments, the guide groove is located at the bottom of the fixed shaft, and the number of guide grooves is the same between adjacent vortex plates.

[0012] According to this scheme, the material guide troughs are evenly distributed, which is conducive to uniform material discharge and improves the efficiency of sample addition.

[0013] In some embodiments, the stirring element includes a fixed shaft and a stirring block disposed at one end of the fixed shaft. The stirring block is adapted to the second end cap, and the gap between the stirring block and the second end cap gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the second end cap. When the stirring block and the second end cap rotate relative to each other, the gap between the stirring block and the second end cap can grind the powder.

[0014] According to the scheme, a stirring block is used to stir the powder sample in the sample loading cylinder. On the one hand, the internal structure of the sample loading cylinder is simple and easy to manufacture. On the other hand, the stirring block can increase the grinding area, which can fully stir and grind the powder sample with poor flowability, which is conducive to the powder flowout and improves the sample loading efficiency.

[0015] In some embodiments, the feed channel is disposed on the side wall of the mixing block, and the inner wall of the second end cap is provided with protrusions for grinding.

[0016] In some designs, the feed chute is inclined.

[0017] According to the scheme, the inclined setting of the feed chute is conducive to compressing the powder sample and facilitating discharge.

[0018] In some embodiments, the flow control component further includes a clamping block sleeved on the fixed shaft, the outer surface of the clamping block being configured to move along the inner surface of the sample dispensing cylinder to remove powder adhering to the inner surface of the sample dispensing cylinder.

[0019] According to the scheme, adding a clamping block to the fixed shaft can clean the powder sample adhering to the inner wall of the sample dispensing cylinder, avoid the accumulation of powder sample with poor flowability on the inner wall of the sample dispensing cylinder, and control the dispensing rate by controlling the pressure applied by the clamping block.

[0020] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a sample addition device, including:

[0021] A base, on which a weighing balance is provided for placing a container for receiving powder;

[0022] A sample dispensing module is disposed above the base and is used to add a quantitative amount of powder sample into the container. The sample dispensing module includes a sample dispensing head as described above, a first driving component for driving the sample dispensing head to work, and a second driving component for driving the sample dispensing head to move toward or away from the container.

[0023] According to the scheme, the first drive component and the second drive component work together to drive the sample dispensing head for automatic sample dispensing, and quantitative and constant-speed sample dispensing can be performed by setting a weighing balance on the base.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first drive assembly includes a movable base for mounting the sample dispensing head and a clamping assembly. The movable base is provided with a bearing seat for fixing the sample dispensing head and a first drive member connected to the bearing seat. The clamping assembly is used to clamp the fixed shaft.

[0025] When the fixed shaft is clamped, the first driving member drives the bearing seat to rotate the sample dispensing cylinder, so that the sample dispensing cylinder rotates relative to the fixed shaft, thereby enabling the sample dispensing head to work.

[0026] In some embodiments, the movable base is further provided with a second driving member, which is connected to the clamping block to drive the clamping block to move up and down along the fixed axis. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure will be described below.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the sample application head in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a sample-adding head in one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the vortex plate in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a structure of the second end cap in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the sample application head in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 6 This is another structural cross-sectional view of the sample feeding head in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stirring component in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the second end cap in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the sampling device in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the sampling device in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the sample application head in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Various embodiments according to this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to components having substantially the same or similar structure and function, and repeated descriptions of them are omitted. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," "lower," etc., used herein are described with respect to the accompanying drawings of this disclosure. The term "comprising A, B, C, etc. in sequence" only indicates the order in which the included components A, B, C, etc., are arranged, and does not exclude the possibility of including other components between A and B and / or between B and C. The description of "first" and its variations is merely for distinguishing components and does not limit the scope of this disclosure; "first component" may be written as "second component," etc., without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0040] The accompanying drawings in this specification are schematic diagrams used to illustrate the concept of this disclosure, and schematically show the shapes of the parts and their interrelationships.

[0041] This disclosure relates to a powder weighing and dispensing process in the laboratory, which can be applied to life sciences, chemistry and other fields. In existing experimental operations, although manual weighing is highly accurate, it is inefficient and prone to sample contamination. Existing automated powder weighing and dispensing devices mostly use vibration, which makes it difficult to control the dispensing accuracy and is greatly affected by the size of powder particles. The dispensing head involved in this disclosure adopts different dispensing methods according to the flowability of the sample and controls the flow rate of the sample through a flow control component. The control is simple and is not affected by the size of powder particles. It is suitable for dispensing samples with different flowability and has high practicality.

[0042] Figure 1This is a structural diagram of a sample dispensing head disclosed herein. The sample dispensing head 100 includes a sample dispensing cylinder 10 and a flow control component disposed within the sample dispensing cylinder 10. The sample dispensing cylinder 10 has a accommodating space for holding a sample. One end of the sample dispensing cylinder 10 is provided with a first end cap 11 for sealing, and the other end is provided with a second end cap 12 for dispensing the sample. Figure 4 As shown, the second end cap 12 is provided with a sample dispensing hole 121 for powder to flow out; the flow control component is disposed inside the sample dispensing cylinder 10, and the flow control component can control the speed at which the powder flows out of the sample dispensing cylinder; the flow control component includes a stirring component, which can stir the sample in the sample dispensing cylinder, and the bottom of the stirring component is provided with a plurality of guide grooves 24, when the guide grooves 24 correspond to the sample dispensing hole 121, the sample flows out from the sample dispensing cylinder 10.

[0043] In practical applications, after the sample is added to the accommodating space of the sample loading cylinder 10, the first end cap 11 is closed. Under the action of gravity, the sample tends to slide down or accumulate at the sample loading hole 121 at the bottom of the sample loading cylinder 10. When the stirring element and the sample loading cylinder 10 rotate relative to each other, the sample flows in the sample loading cylinder 10 under the action of the stirring element to avoid accumulation. When the guide groove 24 on the stirring element corresponds to the sample loading hole 121, the sample can flow out from the sample loading hole 10.

[0044] The first end cap 11, the second end cap 12 and the sample feeding cylinder 10 can be either interference fit or screw fit.

[0045] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the stirring component includes a fixed shaft 21 and a plurality of vortex blades 22 disposed on the fixed shaft 21. The bottom of the vortex blades 22 is close to the inner wall of the second end cap 12, and the gap between the outer edge of the vortex blades 22 and the second end cap 12 gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the second end cap 12. Specifically, three vortex blades 22 are provided, and the three vortex blades 22 are circumferentially distributed along the axial direction of the fixed shaft 21. The gap between the outer edge of the vortex blades 22 and the second end cap 12 can control the flow rate of the sample and can also grind the sample.

[0046] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, the guide groove 24 is disposed at the bottom of the fixed shaft 21, and the number of guide grooves 24 between adjacent vortex plates 22 is the same. Preferably, the guide grooves 24 are inclined. Specifically, the number of guide grooves 24 is set to six, the number of sample feeding holes 121 corresponding to the guide grooves 24 is six, and the number of guide grooves 24 between adjacent vortex plates 22 is two, which is beneficial for uniform material discharge.

[0047] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the stirring component includes a fixed shaft 21 and a stirring block 23 disposed at one end of the fixed shaft 21. The stirring block 23 is adapted to the second end cap 12, and the gap between the stirring block 23 and the second end cap 12 gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the second end cap 12. When the stirring block 23 and the second end cap 12 rotate relative to each other, the gap between the stirring block 23 and the second end cap 12 can grind the powder. Specifically, in order to increase the extrusion area between the stirring block 23 and the second end cap 12, the stirring block 23 and the second end cap 12 are adapted in shape, both being funnel-shaped structures.

[0048] In this embodiment, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the feed trough 24 is disposed on the side wall of the stirring block 23, and the inner wall of the second end cap 12 is provided with a protrusion 122 for grinding. Preferably, the feed trough 24 is inclined.

[0049] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the flow control component also includes a clamping block 25, which is sleeved on the fixed shaft 21. The outer surface of the clamping block 25 is configured to move along the inner surface of the sample dispensing cylinder 10 to remove powder adhering to the inner surface of the sample dispensing cylinder 10. Specifically, the outer wall of the clamping block 25 fits against the inner wall of the sample dispensing cylinder 10. When the clamping block 25 moves, it removes the powder from the inner wall of the sample dispensing cylinder 10, which is beneficial for dispensing powders with poor flowability and improves dispensing efficiency.

[0050] This disclosure also provides a sample dispensing device 200 including the above-described sample dispensing head, which can realize automated sample dispensing, such as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the sample dispensing device includes a base 30, a sample dispensing module 40, and a protective unit; wherein a weighing balance 31 for placing a container is provided on the base 30, and the container is used to receive powder. The container can be placed on the weighing balance (not shown in the figure).

[0051] The sample addition module 40 is disposed above the base 30. The sample addition module 40 is used to add a quantitative amount of powder sample into the container. The sample addition module 40 includes the above-mentioned sample addition head 100, a first driving component for driving the sample addition head 100 to work, and a second driving component for driving the sample addition head to move toward or away from the container.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11As shown, the first driving assembly includes a movable base 41 for mounting the sample dispensing head and a clamping assembly 42. The movable base 41 is provided with a bearing seat 43 for fixing the sample dispensing head 100 and a first driving member 44 connected to the bearing seat 43. The clamping assembly 42 is used to clamp the fixed shaft 21. More specifically, the sample dispensing cylinder 10 of the sample dispensing head 100 is fixed inside the bearing seat 43. The first driving member 44 can be a motor, and the output end of the motor is connected to the gears on the periphery of the bearing seat 43 through gears to form a driving assembly. The first driving member 44 drives the sample dispensing cylinder to rotate by gear transmission. The clamping assembly 42 can be a clamping cylinder, and the output end of the cylinder is provided with two clamping blocks to clamp the fixed shaft 21.

[0053] When the fixed shaft 21 is clamped, the first driving member 44 drives the bearing seat 43 to rotate the sample dispensing cylinder 10 around the fixed shaft 21 so that the sample dispensing head 100 can work.

[0054] Preferably, in order to maintain the stable rotation of the sample feeding cylinder 10, both ends of the sample feeding cylinder 10 are fixed by bearing seats 43.

[0055] In this embodiment, the second driving component can be a linear module. The movable seat 41 is mounted on the linear module, and the linear module drives the movable seat 41, on which the sample dispensing head 100 is mounted, to move toward or away from the container.

[0056] In one embodiment, the movable seat is further provided with a second driving member 45, which is connected to the pressing block 25 to drive the pressing block 25 to move up and down along the fixed shaft 21. Specifically, the pressing block 25 is sleeved on the fixed shaft 21, and the second driving member 45 is connected to the pressing block 25 through a gear set. The connecting part of the pressing block is provided with a thread, which cooperates with the gear set to drive up and down through a screw drive. The second driving member 25 can be a motor.

[0057] In one embodiment, such as Figure 9 As shown, the sample dispensing device 200 also includes a protective unit, which is movably disposed around the container. Specifically, the protective unit includes a protective cover 51, which surrounds the base 30. Furthermore, the protective cover 51 can move up and down along the side plate 60. Specifically, a slide rail and a slider are installed on the side plate 60, and the protective cover 51 is mounted on the slider, which is driven up and down by a synchronous belt.

[0058] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

[0059] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A sample head for powder weighing and dispensing processes in a laboratory, characterized in that, include: A sample dispensing cylinder has a accommodating space for holding a sample. One end of the sample dispensing cylinder is provided with a first end cap for sealing, and the other end is provided with a second end cap for dispensing the sample. The second end cap is provided with a dispensing hole that allows the powder to flow out. A flow control component is disposed inside the sample dispensing cylinder, and the flow control component can control the speed at which the powder flows out of the sample dispensing cylinder; the flow control component includes a stirring element, which can stir the sample inside the sample dispensing cylinder, and the bottom of the stirring element is provided with a plurality of material guide grooves, and when the material guide grooves correspond to the sample dispensing holes, the sample flows out from the sample dispensing cylinder; During the sample addition process, the stirring element and the sample addition cylinder rotate relative to each other to accelerate the sample flow, and the flow rate of the powder is controlled by the guide groove. The stirring component includes a fixed shaft and a stirring block disposed at one end of the fixed shaft. The stirring block is adapted to the second end cover. When the stirring block and the second end cover rotate relative to each other, the gap between the stirring block and the second end cover can grind the powder. The feed trough is located on the side wall of the mixing block.

2. The sample head of claim 1, wherein, The gap between the stirring block and the second end cap gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the second end cap.

3. The sample head of claim 1, wherein, The inner wall of the second end cap is provided with protrusions for grinding.

4. The sample head of claim 3, wherein, The feed chute is inclined.

5. The sample head of claim 3, wherein, The flow control component further includes a clamping block sleeved on the fixed shaft. The outer surface of the clamping block is configured to move along the inner surface of the sample dispensing cylinder to remove powder adhering to the inner surface of the sample dispensing cylinder.

6. A sample head for powder weighing and dispensing processes in a laboratory, characterized in that, include: A sample dispensing cylinder has a accommodating space for holding a sample. One end of the sample dispensing cylinder is provided with a first end cap for sealing, and the other end is provided with a second end cap for dispensing the sample. The second end cap is provided with a dispensing hole that allows the powder to flow out. A flow control component is disposed inside the sample dispensing cylinder, and the flow control component can control the speed at which the powder flows out of the sample dispensing cylinder; the flow control component includes a stirring element, which can stir the sample inside the sample dispensing cylinder, and the bottom of the stirring element is provided with a plurality of material guide grooves, and when the material guide grooves correspond to the sample dispensing holes, the sample flows out from the sample dispensing cylinder; During the sample addition process, the stirring element and the sample addition cylinder rotate relative to each other to accelerate the sample flow, and the flow rate of the powder is controlled by the guide groove. The stirring component includes a fixed shaft and a plurality of vortex blades disposed on the fixed shaft. The bottom of the vortex blades is close to the inner wall of the second end cap, and the gap between the outer extension of the vortex blades and the second end cap compresses and grinds the powder. The guide groove is located at the bottom of the fixed shaft.

7. The sample head of claim 6, wherein, The gap between the outer edge of the vortex plate and the second end cap gradually increases from the bottom to the top of the second end cap.

8. The sample head of claim 7, wherein, The number of guide grooves between adjacent vortex plates is the same.

9. The sample head of claim 8, wherein, The feed chute is inclined.

10. A sample application device, wherein, include: A base, on which a weighing balance is provided for placing a container for receiving powder; A sample adding module is arranged above the base, and is used for adding a quantitative powder sample into the container; the sample adding module comprises the sample adding head according to any one of claims 1-9, a first driving assembly for driving the sample adding head to work, and a second driving assembly for driving the sample adding head to move towards or away from the container.

11. The sample application device of claim 10, wherein, The first driving assembly comprises a moving seat for mounting the sample adding head, a bearing seat for fixing the sample adding head arranged on the moving seat, and a first driving member connected with the bearing seat; the clamping assembly is used for clamping the fixing shaft; After the fixing shaft is clamped, the first driving member drives the bearing seat to rotate the sample adding cylinder, so that the sample adding cylinder rotates relative to the fixing shaft, so as to make the sample adding head work.

12. The sample application device of claim 11, wherein, The moving seat is further provided with a second driving member connected with the pressing block, so as to drive the pressing block to move up and down along the fixing shaft.

Images