Microsphere automatic encapsulation machine

Abstract

This invention provides an automated microsphere packaging machine, comprising a reagent cup feeding device, a microsphere feeding device, and a packaging device. The reagent cup feeding device includes a reagent cup container with a top cup mechanism and an output channel. The top cup mechanism ejects the reagent cup from the container into the output channel. The microsphere feeding device includes a swingable microsphere box with a microsphere outlet hole. An outlet switch is located below the outlet hole, and a microsphere positioning mechanism is located below the outlet hole. The packaging device includes a film winding mechanism and a sealing mechanism. The film winding mechanism provides the sealing film to the sealing mechanism. A reagent cup transfer device is located between the microsphere positioning mechanism and the sealing mechanism to deliver the reagent cup containing microspheres into the sealing mechanism for packaging. The reagent cup feeding device and the microsphere feeding device work together, and the microspheres are delivered to the packaging device via the reagent cup transfer device for packaging, achieving automated microsphere loading and packaging, replacing manual labor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of biochemical technology, and in particular to an automated microsphere packaging machine. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, there are relatively few dry chemical microspheres on the market that require operation in a vacuum glove box. The manual operation, where operators wear gloves and individually place microspheres into reagent cups in a vacuum environment, is extremely inefficient. Furthermore, the varying force applied by the operators when using tweezers can easily cause microspheres to break, resulting in significant resource waste. Manually placing microspheres in a vacuum environment also requires placing each reagent cup containing microspheres onto a sealing machine for sealing, which is labor-intensive and cannot meet the needs of mass production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automated microsphere packaging machine.

[0004] This invention employs the following method: an automatic microsphere packaging machine, comprising a reagent cup feeding device, a microsphere feeding device, and a packaging device. The reagent cup feeding device includes a reagent cup container, which is equipped with a top cup mechanism. The reagent cup container has an output channel, and the top cup mechanism is used to push the reagent cups in the reagent cup container out to the output channel. The microsphere feeding device enables quantitative supply of microspheres and includes a swingable microsphere box. The microsphere box has a ball outlet hole, and an outlet switch is provided below the ball outlet hole to control the opening and closing of the ball outlet hole. A ball positioning mechanism is provided below the ball outlet hole to position and place the reagent cups delivered from the output channel. The packaging device includes a film winding mechanism and a sealing mechanism. The film winding mechanism is connected to the sealing mechanism and is used to provide a packaging film for the sealing mechanism. A reagent cup transfer device is provided between the ball positioning mechanism and the sealing mechanism to send the reagent cups containing microspheres into the sealing mechanism for packaging.

[0005] Preferably, the top cup mechanism includes a first driving member and a top cup member. The top cup member is disposed inside the reagent cup container and is connected to the first driving member. The height inside the reagent cup container gradually decreases from the position away from the top cup mechanism to the position closer to the top cup mechanism. The output channel is provided on one side of the top cup member. The first driving member is used to drive the top cup member to move within the reagent cup container and push the reagent cup out into the output channel.

[0006] Preferably, a stop plate is provided above the top cup component inside the reagent cup container, and the distance between the stop plate and the top cup component after it moves to the top is less than the length of the reagent cup. The stop plate gradually moves from the bottom to the top towards the side of the top cup component opposite to the stop plate, which is used to knock the reagent cup placed vertically on the top cup component off. A lever is provided on one side of the movement trajectory of the top cup component, which is used to knock the reagent cup with one end extending beyond the edge of the top cup component opposite to the lever off the top cup component. The tail end of the output channel is connected to a guide frame, and the guide frame has a guide groove to allow the reagent cup to move onto the ball positioning mechanism.

[0007] Preferably, the microsphere feeding device further includes a ball guide hopper disposed below the ball outlet hole. The microsphere box is oscillatingly mounted on the mounting base. The ball loading and positioning mechanism is disposed below the ball guide hopper. A second driving mechanism is also installed on the mounting base at a position opposite to the microsphere box. The second driving mechanism is used to drive the microsphere box to oscillate relative to the ball guide hopper. The outlet switch is an oscillating plate. The oscillating plate is hinged to the lower side of the microsphere box and opposite to the ball outlet hole. When the microsphere box swings upward, the oscillating plate blocks the ball outlet hole. When the microsphere box swings downward, the oscillating plate opens the ball outlet hole.

[0008] Preferably, the oscillating plate has different masses on both sides of the hinge point. The mass of the oscillating plate on the side of the hinge point closer to the ball outlet is less than the mass on the side farther from the ball outlet. When the microball box swings upward, the oscillating plate swings relative to the microball box under its own weight, so that the oscillating plate can block the ball outlet. The oscillating plate bends at the hinge point, with the bending angle away from the microball box and opposite to the ball guide hopper. The bending point of the oscillating plate abuts against the edge of the ball guide hopper when the microball box swings downward.

[0009] Preferably, the reagent cup transfer device includes a guide plate and a pushing mechanism. The guide plate has a guide groove in the middle. The pushing mechanism is installed on the guide plate. One end of the guide groove is connected to the ball-filling positioning mechanism and the sealing mechanism. The other end of the guide groove is connected to a feeding box. The pushing mechanism includes a displacement drive and a pushing member. The pushing member is driven by the displacement drive to move parallel to the guide groove, which is used to push the reagent cup on the ball-filling positioning mechanism to the sealing mechanism along the guide groove.

[0010] Preferably, the pushing component includes a telescopic displacement plate and a telescopic guide rail. The telescopic displacement plate is mounted on the telescopic guide rail and driven by a telescopic drive component. The telescopic displacement plate is located on the front side of the guide plate. The telescopic guide rail is mounted on the displacement drive component. Multiple cup-shifting pins are spaced horizontally on the telescopic displacement plate. The cup-shifting pins are located on the upper surface of the guide plate and on the upper side of the guide groove.

[0011] Preferably, the ball-loading positioning mechanism includes a movable seat, which is located at one end of the guide plate near the reagent cup container. The movable seat has a U-shaped groove for receiving the reagent cup delivered by the output channel. The movable seat is driven to move by a third driving member. The two ends of the U-shaped groove of the movable seat in the axial direction are respectively used to connect with the output channel and the guide groove. The third driving member is used to drive the movable seat to move from the reagent cup receiving station to the microsphere receiving station, and the microsphere receiving station is opposite to the inlet end of the guide groove.

[0012] Preferably, the sealing mechanism includes a sealing drive, a lifting and moving part, and a reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly. The sealing drive is mounted on a mounting base and drives the lifting and moving part. A heating head is mounted on the lifting and moving part and faces the reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly. The reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly is located below the sealing drive. A sealing cutter is provided on the reagent cup positioning assembly. The film provided by the film winding mechanism passes between the sealing cutter and the heating head. The sealing and positioning assembly is connected and cooperates with the reagent cup transfer device to deliver the reagent cup to the sealing cutter. The sealing cutter cooperates with the heating head to seal the film at the mouth of the reagent cup.

[0013] Preferably, the reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly includes a lifting drive, a top cup seat on the lifting drive, a top cup groove on the top cup seat, a cutting hole in the sealing cutter, the top cup seat being located directly below the cutting hole, the cutting hole matching the size of the reagent cup, and the size of the heating head matching the size of the cutting hole; the film winding mechanism includes an unwinding roller, a rewinding roller, and several guide rollers.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides an automatic microsphere packaging machine. Compared with the prior art, this invention has at least the following technical effects: 1. It can achieve quantitative supply of microspheres. Through the ball outlet hole on the microsphere box, each time the microsphere box tilts towards the ball outlet hole, the microspheres in the microsphere box naturally slide into the ball outlet hole under the action of gravity, filling it. Since the size of the ball outlet hole and the microspheres cannot be changed, the ball outlet hole can only be filled with a quantitative amount of microspheres. Excess microspheres cannot enter the ball outlet hole. Afterwards, the microsphere box swings in the opposite direction and tilts away from the ball outlet hole, and the excess microspheres will move to the other side of the microsphere box. One side is concentrated (preventing microspheres from continuing to slide into the microsphere holes when they are open). After opening the outlet switch, the microspheres in the outlet holes fall into the guide hopper and then into the reagent cup via the guide channel. By controlling the number of swings of the microsphere box, a fixed amount of microspheres can be loaded into the reagent cup, eliminating the need for manual loading. The automatic sliding of microspheres into the reagent cup prevents them from being damaged. The reagent cup feeding device automatically loads reagent cups to the microsphere loading station, and then the reagent cup transfer device sends them to the sealing mechanism for sealing. This achieves automatic filling and sealing of microspheres, replacing manual labor, reducing labor intensity, and improving production efficiency. 2. Through the cooperation of the top cup mechanism's top cup component and drive component, reagent cups can be ejected one by one from the reagent cup container to the output channel, and then output to the microsphere loading station, replacing manual loading and effectively saving manpower and reducing labor intensity. 3. The outlet switch is configured with the swing plate positioned so that one end is closer to the ball outlet hole. When the microsphere box swings upward, the swing plate completely abuts against the ball outlet hole, preventing microspheres from falling out when the box is filled. When the box swings downward, away from the outlet hole, the bend in the swing plate abuts against the upper edge of the guide hopper. As the box continues to swing downward, the edge of the guide hopper pushes against the swing plate, causing it to swing in the direction of opening the ball outlet hole. This reduces electrical control and achieves purely mechanical opening and closing, significantly reducing electrical failure rates and circuit design complexity, thus helping to lower production costs. 4. The sealing cutter of the sealing positioning assembly works in conjunction with the heating head to seal the membrane onto the reagent cup port and cut the membrane as a whole, completing the microsphere encapsulation and achieving automated sealing. 5. By installing a second roller on the push rod, the friction between the push rod and the microsphere box is reduced, decreasing wear and extending service life. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automated microsphere packaging machine according to the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of an automated microsphere packaging machine according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 This is another partially enlarged schematic diagram of an automated microsphere packaging machine according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the reagent cup feeding device of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of the reagent cup feeding device of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the reagent cup feeding device of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional view of the reagent cup feeding device of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the microsphere feeding device of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the microsphere feeding device of the present invention from another perspective.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the microsphere feeding device of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection state between the microsphere box and the swing plate of the microsphere feeding device of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the microsphere feeding device of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the reagent cup transfer device of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the reagent cup transfer device of the present invention from another perspective.

[0029] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0030] 1-Reagent cup feeding device, 11-Reagent cup container, 111-Output channel, 112-Support plate, 113-Paddle, 114-Baffle, 12-Top cup mechanism, 121-First driving component, 1211-First guide rail, 1212-First slider, 1213-First synchronous pulley, 1214-First synchronous belt, 122-Top cup component, 13-Guide frame;

[0031] 2-Microball feeding device, 21-Ball guide hopper, 211-Ball guide channel, 22-Microball material box, 221-Ball outlet hole, 23-Second drive mechanism, 231-Second drive component, 232-Second guide rail, 233-Second slider, 234-Top rod, 235-Second roller, 24-Swing plate, 25-Hinge seat;

[0032] 3- Packaging device; 31- Film winding mechanism; 32- Sealing mechanism; 321- Sealing drive; 322- Lifting and moving component; 323- Reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly; 3231- Lifting drive; 3232- Top cup holder; 324- Heating head; 325- Sealing cutter; 326- Guide component;

[0033] 4-Reagent cup transfer device, 41-Guide plate, 411-Guide groove, 42-Pushing mechanism, 421-Displacement drive, 422-Pushing component, 4221-Telescopic displacement plate, 4222-Telescopic drive, 423-Cup transfer needle;

[0034] 5-Ball loading and positioning mechanism, 51-Moving seat, 52-Third driving component;

[0035] 6-Mounting base,

[0036] 7-Feeding box. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0038] Please see Figures 1 to 14An automatic microsphere packaging machine includes a reagent cup feeding device 1, a microsphere feeding device 2, and a packaging device 3. The reagent cup feeding device 1 includes a reagent cup container 11, which is equipped with a top cup mechanism 12. The reagent cup container 11 has an output channel 111, and the top cup mechanism 12 is used to push the reagent cups inside the reagent cup container 11 into the output channel 111. The microsphere feeding device enables quantitative supply of microspheres and includes a swingable microsphere box 22. The microsphere box 22 has a ball outlet hole 221. An outlet switch is provided on the lower side to control the opening and closing of the ball outlet 221. Below the ball outlet 221, a ball positioning mechanism 5 is provided to position and place the reagent cup delivered from the output channel 111. The packaging device 3 includes a film winding mechanism 31 and a sealing mechanism 32. The film winding mechanism 31 is connected to the sealing mechanism 32. The film winding mechanism 31 is used to provide a packaging film for the sealing mechanism 32. A reagent cup transfer device 4 is provided between the ball positioning mechanism 5 and the sealing mechanism 32 to send the reagent cup containing microspheres into the sealing mechanism 32 for packaging. This system enables precise microsphere supply. Through the outlet hole 221 on the microsphere container 22, each time the container tilts upwards towards the outlet hole 221, the microspheres inside slide naturally into the outlet hole 221 under gravity, filling it completely. Since the dimensions of both the outlet hole 221 and the microspheres are fixed, the outlet hole 221 can only hold a fixed quantity of microspheres; excess microspheres cannot enter. Afterwards, the container tilts in the opposite direction away from the outlet hole, causing excess microspheres to concentrate on the other side of the container (preventing them from continuing to slide when the outlet hole is open). After the microspheres are inserted into the microsphere holes, the outlet switch is opened, and the microspheres in the outlet holes 221 fall into the guide ball hopper 21 and then into the reagent cup through the guide ball channel 211. By controlling the number of swings of the microsphere box 22, a certain amount of microspheres can be loaded into the reagent cup. There is no need for manual loading of microspheres. The microspheres automatically slide into the reagent cup, which can prevent the microspheres from being damaged by clamping. The reagent cup feeding device 1 realizes the automatic loading of reagent cups to the microsphere loading station. Then, the reagent cup transfer device 4 sends them to the sealing mechanism 32 for sealing. This realizes the automatic filling and sealing of microspheres, which replaces manual labor, reduces labor intensity, and helps to improve production efficiency.

[0039] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 7Preferably, the top cup mechanism 12 includes a first driving member 121 and a top cup member 122. The top cup member 122 is disposed inside the reagent cup container 11 and is connected to the first driving member 121. The height inside the reagent cup container 11 gradually decreases from the position away from the top cup mechanism 12 to the position closer to the top cup mechanism 12 (to facilitate the concentration of reagent cups towards the top cup member 122, excluding the output channel portion). The output channel 111 is disposed on one side of the top cup member 122. The first driving member 121 is used to drive the top cup member 122 to move within the reagent cup container 11, pushing the reagent cups out into the output channel 111. Through the cooperation of the top cup member 122 and the first driving member 121 of the top cup mechanism 12, reagent cups can be pushed out one by one from the reagent cup container 11 into the output channel 111, and then output to the microsphere loading station via the output channel 111, replacing manual loading one by one, which can effectively save manpower and reduce labor intensity.

[0040] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 7 Preferably, a stop plate 112 is provided inside the reagent cup container 11 above the top cup member 122, and the distance between the stop plate 112 and the top cup member 122 after it is moved to the top is less than the length of the reagent cup. The stop plate 112 gradually moves from the bottom to the top towards the side of the top cup member opposite to the stop plate 112, which is used to knock down the reagent cup that is vertically placed on the top cup member. In this way, as the top cup member 122 pushes the vertical reagent cup upward, the reagent cup gradually tilts and then falls off the top cup member 122, which is used to knock down the reagent cup that is vertically placed on the top cup member. This ensures that only the reagent cup that is horizontally placed on the top cup member 122 can be pushed out to the output channel 111. A lever 113 is provided beside the movement trajectory of the top cup component 122 to knock off reagent cups whose edges extend beyond the opposite edge of the top cup component 122 and the lever 113. As the reagent cups move upwards driven by the top cup component 122, some of the reagent cups may have edges extending beyond the edge of the top cup component 122. When moving upwards, these reagent cups will come into contact with the lever 113 and be knocked off, preventing them from continuing to move upwards with the top cup component 122. Preferably, the lever 113 is made of an elastic material, such as silicone or rubber, but this is not a limitation. A guide frame 13 is connected to the end of the output channel 111. The guide frame 13 has a guide groove, the end of which connects to the ball-loading positioning mechanism 5, allowing the reagent cups to move onto the ball-loading positioning mechanism 5. The size of the guide groove matches the diameter of the reagent cup, and a limiting ring is provided on the upper edge of the reagent cup, allowing the reagent cup to hang within the guide groove.

[0041] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 7Preferably, a partition 114 is provided inside the reagent cup container 11 between the top cup component 122 and the output channel 111. The partition 114 divides the reagent cup container 11 into two parts, and the top cup component 122 moves along the partition 114. The top cup component 122 is located at the angle between one side of the partition 114 and the two side walls connected to the reagent cup container 11; the lever 113 is fixed to the partition 114. The top cup component 122, the side wall of the reagent cup container 11, and the partition 114 cooperate to push the reagent cup upward and out into the output channel 111.

[0042] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 7 Preferably, the top cup component 122 is a first roller. The size of the first roller matches the size of the reagent cup. The first roller can prevent the reagent cup from making hard contact with the top cup component 122, thus preventing the reagent cup from breaking. The top cup component 122 can also be a structure in which the upper end is an arc-shaped curved surface integrated with the slider, and is not limited thereto.

[0043] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 7 Preferably, the reagent cup container 11 is mounted on the mounting base 6. The first driving component 121 includes a first guide rail 1211 longitudinally fixed to the lower side of the reagent cup container 11. A first slider 1212 is mounted on the first guide rail 1211, and the top cup component 122 is mounted on the upper end of the first slider 1212. The first slider 1212 can move within the reagent cup container 11. The first driving component 121 also includes first synchronous pulleys 1213 located above and below the first guide rail 1211. A first synchronous belt 1214 is disposed between the two first synchronous pulleys 1213. The first slider 1212 is fixedly connected to the first synchronous belt 1214, and one of the first synchronous pulleys 1213 is driven by a motor. The slider can also be driven by a cylinder or by a lead screw and nut motor, and is not limited thereto.

[0044] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 7 Preferably, the output channel 111 gradually descends from the head end near the top cup 122 to the tail end, allowing the reagent cup to slide freely out of the output channel 111.

[0045] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12Preferably, the microsphere feeding device 2 further includes a ball guide hopper 21 disposed below the ball outlet 221. The microsphere box 22 is oscillatingly mounted on the mounting base 6. The ball loading and positioning mechanism 5 is disposed below the ball guide hopper 21. A second driving mechanism 23 is also mounted on the mounting base 6 at a position opposite to the microsphere box 22. The second driving mechanism 23 is used to drive the microsphere box 22 to oscillate relative to the ball guide hopper 21. The outlet switch is a swing plate 24, which is hinged to the lower side of the microsphere box 22 and opposite to the ball outlet 221. When the microsphere box 22 swings upward, the swing plate 24 blocks the ball outlet 221. When the microsphere box 22 swings downward, the swing plate 24 opens the ball outlet 221, so that only the microspheres in the ball outlet 221 can fall out.

[0046] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12 Preferably, the swing plate 24 has different masses on both sides of the hinge point. The mass of the swing plate 24 on the side of the hinge point closer to the ball outlet 221 is less than the mass on the side farther from the ball outlet 221. When the microball box 22 swings upward, the swing plate 24 swings relative to the microball box 22 under its own weight, so that the swing plate 24 can block the ball outlet 221. The swing plate 24 bends at the hinge point, and the bending angle is away from the microball box 22 and opposite to the ball guide hopper 21. When the microball box 22 swings downward, the bending point of the swing plate 24 abuts against the edge of the ball guide hopper 21. The outlet switch is configured such that the swing plate 24 is positioned so that one end is close to the ball outlet hole 221. When the microball box 22 swings upward, the swing plate 24 completely abuts against the ball outlet hole 221, preventing the microballs from falling out of the hole when the microball box 22 fills the ball outlet hole 221. When the microball box 22 swings downward and is far away from the ball outlet hole 221, the bent part of the swing plate 24 abuts against the upper edge of the guide hopper 21. As the microball box 22 continues to swing downward, the edge of the guide hopper 21 abuts against the swing plate, causing it to swing in the direction of opening the ball outlet hole 221. This reduces electrical control and achieves purely mechanical opening and closing, significantly reducing the electrical failure rate and the difficulty of circuit design, thus helping to reduce production costs. Of course, a motor or other device can also be used to drive the swing plate 24 to open and close the ball outlet hole 221; other switches or valves can also be used as the outlet switch, as long as they can close the ball outlet hole 221 when the microball box 22 swings upward and open it when it swings downward, and are not limited to this.

[0047] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12Preferably, two microsphere containers 22 are provided, symmetrically arranged on the upper side of the ball guide hopper 21, and each is driven by one of the second driving mechanisms 23. The two microsphere containers 22 can be used to hold microspheres of different components respectively. By controlling the number of swings of the two containers, different microspheres can be loaded into the reagent cup in the required proportion. Of course, more microsphere containers 22 can also be provided, with multiple microsphere containers 22 arranged around the ball guide hopper 21, or one ball guide hopper 21 connected to one microsphere container 22. Finally, the ends of the ball guide channels 211 of multiple ball guide hoppers 21 can be connected together to realize quantitative filling of microspheres of various components into cups, and this is not a limitation.

[0048] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12 Preferably, a hinge seat 25 is provided above the ball guide hopper 21, and the two microball boxes 22 are respectively hinged to both sides of the hinge seat 25. The ball outlet hole 221 is opened on the bottom surface of the microball box 22 near the hinge seat 25. The two microball boxes 22 share one ball guide hopper 21, which saves the production cost of the equipment.

[0049] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12 Preferably, the second driving mechanism 23 includes a second driving member 231 and a second guide rail 232 longitudinally mounted on the mounting base 6. A second slider 233 is provided on the second guide rail 232, and a push rod 234 is provided on the second slider 233. The push rod 234 abuts against the lower surface of the microsphere box 22. The second driving member 231 drives the slider to move along the guide rail to drive the microsphere box 22 to swing. The driving member abuts against the bottom surface of the microsphere box 22 via the push rod 234. When rising, the upward push causes the microsphere box 22 to swing upward; when swinging downward, it is mainly swayed by its own weight. The downward movement speed of the push rod 234 is used to control the downward swing speed of the microsphere box 22, significantly simplifying the transmission structure and helping to reduce production costs.

[0050] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12 Preferably, the second driving component 231 includes a second motor, a second synchronous belt, and two second synchronous pulleys, which are respectively installed on the upper and lower sides of the second guide rail 232. The second synchronous belt is installed between the two second synchronous pulleys, and the second slider 233 is fixedly connected to the second synchronous belt. The driving component can also be a cylinder or a motor lead screw nut, and is not limited thereto.

[0051] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12 Preferably, a second roller 235 is installed on the top rod 234 for contacting the microball box 22, reducing the friction between the microball box 22 and the top rod 234 when the microball box 22 swings, which helps to increase the service life.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 8 to 12 Preferably, a photoelectric sensor is also installed at the ball guide channel 211 of the ball guide bucket 21 to detect the number of microballs falling.

[0053] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figures 13 to 14 Preferably, the reagent cup transfer device 4 includes a guide plate 41 and a pushing mechanism 42. The guide plate 41 has a guide groove 411 in the middle. The pushing mechanism 42 is mounted on the guide plate 41. One end of the guide groove 411 connects to the ball-filling positioning mechanism 5, and the other end connects to the sealing mechanism 32. The pushing mechanism 42 includes a displacement drive component 421 and a pushing component 422. The pushing component 422 is driven by the displacement drive component 421 to move parallel to the guide groove 411, pushing the reagent cup on the ball-filling positioning mechanism 5 along the guide groove 411 to the sealing mechanism 32. This allows the reagent cup, after being filled with microspheres, to automatically move to the sealing mechanism 32 for sealing, reducing manual intervention. Preferably, the displacement drive component 421 is a linear drive component consisting of a synchronous belt, synchronous pulley, and motor; it can also be a lead screw nut and motor, or a cylinder, and is not limited thereto.

[0054] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figures 13 to 14 Preferably, the pushing component 422 includes a telescopic displacement plate 4221 and a telescopic guide rail. The telescopic displacement plate 4221 is mounted on the telescopic guide rail and driven by a telescopic drive component 4222. The telescopic displacement plate is located in front of the guide plate 41, and the telescopic guide rail is mounted on the displacement drive component 421. Multiple cup-transferring needles 423 are spaced horizontally on the telescopic displacement plate 4221. The cup-transferring needles 423 are located on the upper surface of the guide plate 41 and above the guide groove 411. After the reagent cup is pushed forward one position, the telescopic drive component drives the displacement plate 4222 away from the guide plate 41. The displacement drive component 421 then drives the telescopic guide rail to move backward one position. Afterward, the telescopic drive component drives the displacement closer to the guide plate 41. This allows the reagent cups to be pushed forward one by one to the sealing mechanism 32 and pushed out of the guide groove 411 after sealing. Preferably, the telescopic drive component can be a lead screw and nut motor or a telescopic cylinder, but is not limited to these.

[0055] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figures 8 to 10Preferably, the ball-loading positioning mechanism 5 includes a movable seat 51, which is located at one end of the guide plate 41 near the reagent cup container 11. The movable seat 51 has a U-shaped groove for receiving the reagent cup delivered by the output channel 111. The movable seat 51 is driven to move by a third driving member 52. The two ends of the U-shaped groove of the movable seat 51 are respectively used to connect with the output channel 111 and the guide groove 411. The third driving member 52 is used to drive the movable seat 51 to move from the reagent cup receiving station to the microsphere receiving station, which is opposite to the inlet end of the guide groove 411. Setting the microsphere receiving station at the inlet end of the guide groove 411 can reduce the moving distance and number of times the movable seat 51 moves, which helps to improve production efficiency. The third driving member 52 can be a linear motion moving mechanism composed of components such as a motor, lead screw, and nut, which is a mature existing product and will be described in detail here.

[0056] Please see Figures 1 to 3 Preferably, the sealing mechanism 32 includes a sealing drive 321, a lifting and moving part 322, and a reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly 323. The sealing drive 321 is mounted on the mounting base 6 and drives the lifting and moving part 322. A heating head 324 is mounted on the lifting and moving part 322 and faces the reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly 323. The reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly 323 is located below the sealing drive 321 and has a sealing cutter 325. The film provided by the film winding mechanism 31 passes between the sealing cutter 325 and the heating head 324. The sealing and positioning assembly is connected to the reagent cup transfer device 4 to deliver the reagent cup to the sealing cutter 325. The sealing cutter 325 cooperates with the heating head 324 to seal the film at the mouth of the reagent cup. The system also includes a guide component 326, which comprises multiple optical shafts. A lifting and moving component 322 consists of a lifting plate and a heat insulation plate, etc. The lifting plate is mounted between the multiple optical shafts. A heating head 324 is mounted on the lower side of the lifting plate, and a heat insulation plate is provided between the heating head and the lifting plate. A partition plate 114 is also provided between the lifting plate and the sealing drive component 321 for heat insulation. Preferably, the sealing drive component 321 is an electric telescopic cylinder, and the push rod of the electric telescopic cylinder is connected to the lifting plate. This allows the heating head 324 to approach or move away from the sealing cutter 325.

[0057] Please see Figures 1 to 3Preferably, the reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly 323 includes a lifting drive 3231, a top cup seat 3232 on the lifting drive 3231, a top cup groove on the top cup seat 3232, a film cutting hole in the sealing cutter 325, the top cup seat 3232 being located directly below the film cutting hole, the film cutting hole matching the size of the reagent cup, and the size of the heating head 324 matching the size of the film cutting hole; the film winding mechanism 31 includes an unwinding roller, a rewinding roller, and several guide rollers, etc., so that the film for sealing can be stretched and flattened through the position between the sealing cutter 325 and the heating head 324, and is driven by a motor. This is a mature prior art and will be described in detail below. The reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly 323 also includes a base plate, which is fixed to the guide plate 41. A sealing cutter 325 is fixed to the base plate, with its cutting hole aligned with the guide groove 411. This allows the lifting drive 3231 to drive the top cup holder 3232 upwards, moving the reagent cup onto it and into the cutting hole, thus achieving sealing and cutting. A gap is provided between the base plate and the guide plate 41 for the passage of the cup transfer needle 423.

[0058] The present invention has the following working principle:

[0059] First, the reagent cup is poured into the reagent cup container 11. The initial position of the top cup 122 is at the bottom of the reagent cup container 11. The driving component drives the first slider 1212 to move upward, thereby moving the top cup 122 upward. The top cup 122 will push the reagent cup on it upward. Due to the size limitation of the top cup 122, only one reagent cup can be placed horizontally on the top cup 122. The other reagent cups will naturally slide back to the reagent cup container 11. When the top cup 122 continues to move upward to the upper edge of the partition 114 (before reaching the upper edge of the partition 114, if the reagent cup is in a vertical state, the top of the reagent cup will contact the abutment 112 and then change from a vertical state to a vertical state), the top cup will continue to rise. When tilted, the reagent cup will fall from the top cup 122 into the reagent cup container 11. If the reagent cup is not entirely horizontal on the top cup 122 and a part of it is exposed on the side away from the top cup 122 and the side wall of the reagent cup container 11, it will be blocked by the lever 113 on that side, causing the reagent cup to be knocked off. This ensures that the reagent cup is pushed out in the same posture each time, which helps to achieve accurate feeding. The reagent cup will slide down to the output channel 111 and fall into the output channel 111. Then, it will move through the output channel 111 and the guide groove of the guide frame 13 to the U-shaped groove of the moving seat 51. After that, the third drive unit 52 drives it to move to the lower side of the guide ball bucket 21. The program controls the number of swings of the microsphere hopper. The second drive mechanism 23 drives the microsphere box 22 to swing up and down. Each time the microsphere box 22 swings up, one microsphere inside slides into the ball outlet 221 (at this time, the weight of the swing plate 24 and the part opposite to the ball outlet 221 presses against the bottom surface of the microsphere box 22, blocking the ball outlet 221). Then, the second drive mechanism 23 drives the microsphere box 22 to swing down, causing the remaining microspheres in the microsphere box 22 to move to the side away from the ball outlet 221. As the microsphere box 22 swings down and approaches the ball guide hopper 21, the ball guide hopper 21... The upper edge of the swing plate 24 is pressed against the bend of the swing plate 24, and the side of the swing plate 24 away from the ball outlet 221 is pressed against the lower surface of the microsphere box 22. In this way, the side of the swing plate 24 opposite to the ball outlet 221 is moved away from the ball outlet 221, so that the ball outlet 221 is opened and the microspheres fall into the ball guide hopper 21. Then, they enter the reagent cup through the ball guide channel 211 of the ball guide hopper 21. This cycle is repeated until the reagent cup is filled with a specified number of microspheres. The two microsphere boxes 22 swing independently and can fill the reagent cup with two kinds of microspheres in the required ratio.After the microspheres are loaded, the displacement drive 421 and the telescopic drive work together to move the transfer needle 423, which is closest to the reagent cup container 11 and mounted on the telescopic displacement plate 4221, to the side of the microsphere receiving station closest to the reagent cup container 11. Then, the displacement drive 421 drives the telescopic displacement movement, which in turn drives the transfer needle 423 to push the reagent cup forward along the guide groove 411. Through the cooperation of multiple transfer needles 423, the telescopic displacement plate 4221 pushes the reagent cup containing the microspheres to the top of the lifting seat of the reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly 323 by multiple extensions, retractions, and forward and backward movements. Then, the lifting drive 3231 drives the lifting seat to move upward so that the reagent cup is located in the top cup groove. After that, the lifting drive 3231 drives the lifting seat to move upward so that the mouth of the reagent cup is located above the cutting hole of the sealing cutter 325. The heating head 324... Driven by the sealing drive 321, the membrane is pressed down onto the mouth of the reagent cup, heating it to connect it to the mouth of the reagent cup. The membrane then engages with the cutting edge of the sealing cutter 325 to cut the membrane, completing the sealing process. Afterwards, the sealing drive 321 drives the heating head 324 to move upward and reset, while the lifting drive 3231 drives the lifting seat to move downward and reset. The unwinding and rewinding rollers of the film winding mechanism 31 rotate, moving the membrane forward so that the uncut portion moves above the sealing cutter 325. As the lifting seat gradually moves downward, the reagent cup is re-hung on the guide groove 411. The displacement drive 421 drives the telescopic displacement plate 4221 to move forward, causing the cup-moving needle 423 to move forward, pushing the sealed reagent cup out of the guide groove 411 and into the unloading box 7. The reagent cup to be sealed is then moved to the sealing mechanism 32, and this cycle repeats continuously.

[0060] Several points should be noted: First, in the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly, and can be mechanical or electrical connection, or internal connection between two components, or direct connection. "Up", "down", "left", "right", etc. are only used to indicate relative positional relationship. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may change.

[0061] Secondly: The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed in this invention only involve the structures involved in the embodiments disclosed in this invention. Other structures can refer to the general design. In the absence of conflict, the same embodiment and different embodiments of this invention can be combined with each other.

[0062] Finally, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions that fall within the scope of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0063] It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principles of this invention should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. An automated microsphere packaging machine, characterized in that: The device includes a reagent cup feeding device, a microsphere feeding device, and a packaging device. The reagent cup feeding device includes a reagent cup container equipped with a top cup mechanism and an output channel. The top cup mechanism ejects the reagent cup from the container into the output channel. The microsphere feeding device enables quantitative supply of microspheres and includes a swingable microsphere box with a microsphere outlet. An outlet switch is located below the outlet to control its opening and closing. A microsphere positioning mechanism is located below the outlet to position the reagent cup from the output channel. The packaging device includes a film winding mechanism and a sealing mechanism. The film winding mechanism is connected to the sealing mechanism and provides support for the sealing mechanism. The device provides a packaging film. A reagent cup transfer device is provided between the ball loading and positioning mechanism and the sealing mechanism to send the reagent cup containing microspheres into the sealing mechanism for packaging. The microsphere feeding device also includes a ball guide hopper located below the ball outlet hole. The microsphere box is oscillatingly mounted on the mounting base. The ball loading and positioning mechanism is located below the ball guide hopper. A second drive mechanism is also installed on the mounting base at a position opposite to the microsphere box. The second drive mechanism is used to drive the microsphere box to oscillate relative to the ball guide hopper. The outlet switch is an oscillating plate. The oscillating plate is hinged to the lower side of the microsphere box and opposite to the ball outlet hole. When the microsphere box swings upward, the oscillating plate blocks the ball outlet hole. When the microsphere box swings downward, the oscillating plate opens the ball outlet hole. The swing plate has different masses on both sides of the hinge point. The mass of the swing plate on the side of the hinge point closer to the ball outlet is less than the mass on the side farther from the ball outlet. When the microball box swings upward, the swing plate swings relative to the microball box under its own weight, so that the swing plate can block the ball outlet. The swing plate bends at the hinge point, with the bending angle away from the microball box and opposite to the ball guide bucket. The bend of the swing plate abuts against the edge of the ball guide bucket when it tilts downward after the microball box swings down. The film winding mechanism includes unwinding rollers, rewinding rollers, and several guide rollers.

2. The automatic microsphere packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top cup mechanism includes a first driving member and a top cup member. The top cup member is disposed inside the reagent cup container and is connected to the first driving member. The height inside the reagent cup container gradually decreases from the position away from the top cup mechanism to the position closer to the top cup mechanism. The output channel is provided on one side of the top cup member. The first driving member is used to drive the top cup member to move within the reagent cup container and push the reagent cup out into the output channel.

3. The automatic microsphere packaging machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reagent cup container has a stop plate located above the top cup component, and the distance between the stop plate and the top cup component after it moves to the top is less than the length of the reagent cup. The stop plate gradually moves from the bottom to the top of the top cup component towards the side opposite to the stop plate, which is used to knock the reagent cup that is placed vertically on the top cup component off. A lever is provided on one side of the movement trajectory of the top cup component, which is used to knock the reagent cup that has one end extending beyond the edge of the top cup component opposite to the lever off the top cup component. The end of the output channel is connected to a guide frame, and the guide frame has a guide groove to allow the reagent cup to move onto the ball positioning mechanism.

4. The automatic microsphere packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reagent cup transfer device includes a guide plate and a pushing mechanism. The guide plate has a guide groove in the middle. The pushing mechanism is installed on the guide plate. One end of the guide groove is connected to the ball positioning mechanism and the sealing mechanism. The other end of the guide groove is connected to a feeding box. The pushing mechanism includes a displacement drive and a pushing member. The pushing member is driven by the displacement drive to move parallel to the guide groove, which is used to push the reagent cup on the ball positioning mechanism to the sealing mechanism along the guide groove.

5. The automatic microsphere packaging machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pusher includes a telescopic displacement plate and a telescopic guide rail. The telescopic displacement plate is mounted on the telescopic guide rail and driven by a telescopic drive component. The telescopic displacement plate is located on the front side of the guide plate. The telescopic guide rail is mounted on the displacement drive component. Multiple cup-shifting pins are spaced horizontally on the telescopic displacement plate. The cup-shifting pins are located on the upper surface of the guide plate and on the upper side of the guide groove.

6. The automatic microsphere packaging machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ball-loading positioning mechanism includes a movable seat located at one end of the guide plate near the reagent cup container. The movable seat has a U-shaped groove for receiving the reagent cup delivered from the output channel. The movable seat is driven to move by a third driving member. The two ends of the U-shaped groove of the movable seat in the axial direction are respectively used to connect with the output channel and the guide groove. The third driving member is used to drive the movable seat to move from the reagent cup receiving station to the microsphere receiving station, and the microsphere receiving station is opposite to the inlet end of the guide groove.

7. The automatic microsphere packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing mechanism includes a sealing drive, a lifting and moving part, and a reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly. The sealing drive is mounted on a mounting base and drives the lifting and moving part. A heating head is mounted on the lifting and moving part and faces the reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly. The reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly is located below the sealing drive and has a sealing cutter. The film provided by the film winding mechanism passes between the sealing cutter and the heating head. The sealing and positioning assembly is connected to the reagent cup transfer device to deliver the reagent cup to the sealing cutter. The sealing cutter cooperates with the heating head to seal the film at the mouth of the reagent cup.

8. The automatic microsphere packaging machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The reagent cup sealing and positioning assembly includes a lifting drive, a top cup seat on the lifting drive, a top cup groove on the top cup seat, a cutting hole in the sealing cutter, the top cup seat being located directly below the cutting hole, the cutting hole matching the size of the reagent cup, and the size of the heating head matching the size of the cutting hole.

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