Automatic boxing equipment for multi-specification pipettor tips and working method of automatic boxing equipment

Abstract

The invention provides automatic boxing equipment for multi-specification pipettor tips and a working method of the automatic boxing equipment. The equipment comprises a structure system, a storage system, an arrangement system, a translation system, a recovery system, a sensor system and a control system. The storage system is located on the upper portion in the structure system, the arrangement system is located below the storage system, the suction head box is arranged on the translation system, the translation system is fixed to the upper portion of the bottom face of the box body and located below the arrangement system, the recovery system is fixed to the upper portion of the bottom face of the box body and located behind the arrangement system, and the sensor system is arranged on the arrangement system. The storage system, the arrangement system, the translation system, the recovery system and the sensor system are connected with the control system, and the control system controls all driving parts in the equipment to act according to received control instructions and feedback information of all sensors, so that the suction heads are inserted into the suction head box. According to the device, the suction heads of different sizes can be automatically and efficiently loaded into the suction head box, the efficiency can be improved, the suction head mounting diversity is met, and the pollution risk of the suction heads is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to an automatic boxing device for pipette tips of multiple specifications and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Pipette is a precision device commonly used in laboratories. Its core function is to accurately transfer liquids between containers. The pipette tip is a disposable accessory to ensure accurate and consistent transfer of liquids in various studies. In order to avoid cross-contamination, new tips are required for each step of liquid operation, and these tips should be placed in a dedicated tip box in advance for easy use. At present, most laboratories use manual boxing methods or use quick-install dispensers to box. Manual boxing is a repetitive and monotonous process that requires technicians to place the tips into the tip box one by one. This method is not only inefficient, but the tips are easily accidentally dropped during operation, which may cause contamination and affect the accuracy and reliability of the experiment. Although the emergence of the quick-install dispenser is intended to simplify this process, it still requires technicians to perform a series of complex steps. Although this dispenser can theoretically speed up the boxing speed, in actual operation, due to the need to adjust the tips and other complex operations, its time-saving effect is not obvious. In addition, the quick-install dispenser still has the risk of tip drop contamination. In addition, different specifications of pipette tips require quick-loading box dispensers of corresponding sizes. Too many tools increase the complexity of management. This diversity offsets the convenience brought by the quick-loading box dispenser to a certain extent.

[0003] In summary, the existing boxing methods have efficiency and pollution problems. Designing an automatic, efficient, multi-specification pipette tip boxing device is an urgent problem that technicians in this field need to solve. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to the technical problems raised above, a multi-specification pipette tip automatic box loading device and a working method thereof are provided, which can automatically and efficiently load tips of different sizes into a tip box. The device improves efficiency, meets the diversity of tip installation, and avoids the risk of tip contamination.

[0005] The technical means adopted by the present invention are as follows:

[0006] An automatic boxing device for pipette tips of multiple specifications, comprising: a structural system and a storage system, an arrangement system, a translation system, a recovery system, a sensor system and a control system arranged inside the structural system;

[0007] The storage system is located above the structural system, and is used to store different types of tips and control the release of the tips into the arrangement system; the arrangement system is located below the storage system, and is used to arrange the tips in the guide groove in an orderly manner, and send the excess tips to the recovery system; the tip box is placed on the translation system, and the translation system is fixed above the bottom surface of the box of the structural system and located below the arrangement system, and is used to realize the horizontal movement of the tip box; the recovery system is fixed above the bottom surface of the box and located behind the arrangement system, and is used to send the excess tips back to the corresponding silo on the storage system; the sensor system is arranged on the arrangement system, and is used to detect the status of the tips and determine whether the tip box is full;

[0008] The storage system, arrangement system, translation system, recovery system and sensor system are all connected to a control system, and the control system controls the actions of the driving components in the device according to the received control instructions and feedback information from the sensors to insert the tips into the tip box.

[0009] Furthermore, the structural system includes a box body, an upper cover and a front door, the box body is located at the outermost side of the equipment, and the storage system, arrangement system, translation system, recovery system, sensor system and control system are placed inside the box body; the upper cover is located on the upper side of the box body and is transparent and can be lifted; the front door is located on the front side of the box body and is transparent and can be opened horizontally.

[0010] Furthermore, the arrangement system includes a fixed guide groove wall, a movable guide groove wall, a brush linear screw motor, a guide groove brush, a push linear screw motor, a push rod, a guide groove baffle, a drop track, a translation push rod and a baffle servo, the fixed guide groove wall is fixed to the back plate of the box body of the structural system through a bracket, and the fixed guide groove wall and the movable guide groove wall constitute a guide groove; the fixed end of the translation push rod is fixed to the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box body, and the movable end is connected to the movable guide groove wall;

[0011] The brush linear screw motor is fixed on the upper side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box body, located on the right side of the guide groove and parallel to the guide groove; the guide groove brush is fixed on the nut of the brush linear screw motor, and the brush head of the guide groove brush contacts the upper surface of the fixed guide groove wall and the movable guide groove wall;

[0012] The push linear screw motor is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box body, located below the translation push rod and directly below the brush linear screw motor, parallel to the guide groove; the push rod is fixed on the nut of the push linear screw motor, located directly below the guide groove;

[0013] The falling track is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box body and is located on the left side of the guide groove; the baffle servo is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box body and is located on the side of the falling track, and the output shaft of the baffle servo passes through the falling track and is connected with the guide groove baffle, and the guide groove baffle has three gears: an open gear, a closed gear and a recovery gear.

[0014] Furthermore, the translation system has two degrees of freedom of movement in the horizontal direction, including an X-axis linear screw motor, an X-axis linear guide, an X-axis translation plate, a Y-axis linear screw motor, a Y-axis linear guide, a Y-axis translation plate and a clamp, the X-axis linear screw motor and the X-axis linear guide are arranged on the bottom surface of the box of the structural system along the X-axis, the X-axis translation plate is slidably connected above the X-axis linear guide, and the output end of the X-axis linear screw motor is connected to the X-axis translation plate; the Y-axis linear guide and the Y-axis linear screw motor are arranged on the X-axis translation plate along the Y-axis, the Y-axis translation plate is slidably connected above the Y-axis linear guide, and the output end of the Y-axis linear screw motor is connected to the Y-axis translation plate; the clamp is installed on the Y-axis translation plate for clamping the suction head box.

[0015] Furthermore, the recycling system includes a lifting frame, a lifting mechanism, a limiting structure, a left recycling slide, a right recycling slide, a recycling box, a classification slide, a classification baffle and a classification steering gear. The lifting frame is fixed to the bottom of the box body of the structural system, close to the middle of the back plate of the box body; the recycling box is installed on the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism is used to drive the recycling box to rise and fall. The limiting structure is fixed to one side above the lifting frame, and the recycling box is turned over under the action of the limiting structure;

[0016] The classification slide is fixed to the back plate of the box body through a bracket, and is located on the upper side of the left and right silos, with the large opening side facing downward; a circular hole is opened in the middle of the classification slide, and the classification baffle is located on the upper side of the classification slide. A rotating shaft is provided in the middle of the classification baffle, and the rotating shaft passes through the circular hole of the classification slide; the classification steering gear is fixed to the lower side of the classification slide, and the output shaft of the classification steering gear is connected to the rotating shaft of the classification baffle;

[0017] The left recovery slide is located on the left side of the guide groove, the upper side of the left recovery slide is fixed on the falling track of the arrangement system, the lower side is fixed on the lifting frame, and the lower side opening is located above the left side of the initial position of the recovery box; the right recovery slide is located on the right side of the guide groove, the upper side of the right recovery slide is fixed on the fixed guide groove wall of the arrangement system, the lower side is fixed on the lifting frame, and the lower side opening is located above the right side of the initial position of the recovery box.

[0018] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes a sprocket chain group, a lifting motor and a lifting platform, the lifting motor is fixed at the bottom of the box, the sprocket chain group is located inside the lifting frame, there is a sprocket group at the top and bottom, and the two sprocket groups are connected by a chain; the output shaft of the lifting motor is connected to the sprocket at the bottom of the sprocket chain group to drive the sprocket chain group to move; the lifting platform is fixed to the lifting frame through pulleys on both sides and connected to the chain, and slides up and down with the movement of the chain; the recovery box is hinged on the lifting platform;

[0019] The limiting structure is a recovery box limiting rod arranged transversely.

[0020] Further, the storage system comprises a left silo, a left silo door, a left door-opening steering gear, a right silo, a right silo door and a right door-opening steering gear, wherein the left silo and the right silo are respectively fixed to the back plate of the box of the structural system through brackets and are located side by side below the classification slide of the recycling system;

[0021] The left silo door is located below the opening of the left silo and is hinged to the left silo; the left door-opening servo is fixed on a bracket on the left silo side, and the output shaft of the left door-opening servo is connected to the left silo door; the right silo door is located below the opening of the right silo and is hinged to the right silo; the right door-opening servo is fixed on a bracket on the right silo side, and the output shaft of the right door-opening servo is connected to the right silo door.

[0022] Furthermore, the sensor system includes a horizontal camera and a bird's-eye view camera. The horizontal camera is fixed on the upper side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box of the structural system, located above the baffle servo of the arrangement system, and the lens faces the upper side of the guide groove; the bird's-eye view camera is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box, located on the side of the guide groove and above the translation system, and the lens faces downward and faces the translation system.

[0023] Furthermore, the control system includes a motor driver, an expansion circuit board, a circuit board bracket, a main control circuit board, a touch screen display, a power button and a power cord, the motor driver, the expansion circuit board and the main control circuit board are all fixed on the circuit board bracket, the circuit board bracket is fixed on the upper side of the bottom surface of the box body of the structural system, the touch screen display and the power button are arranged on the front of the box body and the lower side of the front door of the structural system, and the power cord is located on the side of the box body.

[0024] The present invention also provides a working method of a multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device, comprising the following steps:

[0025] S1. In the preparation stage, open the upper cover according to actual needs, put different tips in the left and right bins, and do not add tips when the bins are full; open the front door to put in the tip box, and fix the tip box with a clamp; start the power button, select the set program on the touch screen display, if it is a tip and tip box of other specifications and sizes, set the parameters according to the size; after setting, start the box loading process;

[0026] S2, the box loading process includes: the translation push rod adjusts the distance between the movable guide groove wall and the fixed guide groove wall according to the selected suction head size; the translation system moves the suction head box to the bottom of the falling track, so that the hole in the suction head box is directly below the falling track; at the same time, the corresponding silo door opening servo of the selected suction head rotates, the silo door opens, and the suction head falls from the silo into the guide groove, and the door opening servo is rotated to close the silo door; at this time, some suction heads enter the guide groove, and some suction heads are scattered in the upper half of the guide groove; the guide groove baffle is adjusted to the closing gear, and the brush linear screw motor is started to drive the guide groove brush to move horizontally from left to right, and some suction heads scattered in the upper half of the guide groove fall into the guide groove, and the remaining suction heads that have not fallen into the guide groove are pushed into the right recovery slide by the guide groove brush and enter the recovery box. The guide groove brush is reset after moving, and the guide groove baffle can prevent the suction heads in the guide groove from being pushed out by the guide groove brush;

[0027] S3, the recycling process includes: the lifting motor drives the lifting platform and the recycling box to rise through the sprocket chain group. When it rises to the specified height, the lifting motor stops, the recycling box tilts under the action of the recycling box limit rod, the suction head in the recycling box is poured into the classification slide, and the classification steering gear drives the classification baffle to guide the suction head into the corresponding material bin. After a fixed time, the lifting motor reverses, and the lifting platform returns to the initial position. Without the interference of the recycling box limit rod, the recycling box is restored to its original horizontal state from tilting under the action of gravity, and the whole is reset;

[0028] S4. When the silo door is open and the horizontal camera cannot detect the suction head, the equipment determines that there are no remaining suction heads in the silo, and the recycling process is carried out at this time; when the suction head is still not detected, the system determines that there are no remaining suction heads, and the touch screen display prompts;

[0029] S5, the guide slot baffle is adjusted to the open position, and the linear screw motor drives the push rod to push the suction head in the guide slot from right to left. At this time, the horizontal camera monitors the suction head falling in real time. Every time a suction head falls, the translation system moves once to align the next hole position with the falling track; until the suction head box is full or there is no suction head in the guide slot;

[0030] S6. If there is no suction head in the guide groove, the above process is repeated until the suction head box is full; the top-down camera detects whether the suction head box is full. If there is a shortage, the translation system will align the missing hole with the falling track for replenishment;

[0031] S7. If the tip box is full, the guide slot baffle is adjusted to the recovery gear position, and the push rod pushes out the remaining tips in the guide slot one by one. The tips fall into the recovery box through the left recovery slide, and the recovery process is repeated;

[0032] S8, the end stage, open the front door, take out the tip box, and turn off the power button.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0034] 1. The present invention relieves operators. It is a repetitive, boring and mechanical work for operators to insert the tips into the tip box. In the present invention, operators only need to make a simple selection without manual intervention, which can save valuable time for operators.

[0035] 2. The present invention improves efficiency. The present invention can automatically load the pipette tips into the tip box with high speed and accuracy, thus improving the efficiency of box loading.

[0036] 3. The present invention has a variety of choices. The present invention is provided with two silos, which are equipped with suction heads of different sizes. Operators can choose according to their needs, so it has a variety of choices.

[0037] 4. The present invention has an intelligent detection function. The present invention is equipped with multiple cameras and judgment logic, which can automatically detect whether the suction head box is full and supplement the missed positions. It can also determine whether the silo needs to be supplemented with suction heads.

[0038] 5. The present invention has strong versatility. The present invention has learning ability, and can set parameters according to the size of the pipette tip and the tip box, and is suitable for tips of different specifications.

[0039] 6. The present invention has good interactivity. The present invention is equipped with a touch screen display, and parameter selection and various prompts can be interactively displayed on the screen in real time.

[0040] Based on the above reasons, the present invention can be widely promoted in the fields of medicine and the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0042] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 2 This is the internal structure of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement system and sensor system structure of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the top view.

[0046] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the storage system and recycling system structure of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Left view of .

[0048] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the translation system of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 8 It is a working schematic diagram of the recovery system of the present invention.

[0050] In the figure: 1, storage system; 101, left silo; 102, left door servo; 103, left silo door; 104, right silo; 105, right door servo; 106, right silo door;

[0051] 2. Arrangement system; 201. Fixed guide groove wall; 202. Mobile guide groove wall; 203. Brush linear screw motor; 204. Guide groove brush; 205. Push linear screw motor; 206. Push rod; 207. Guide groove baffle; 208. Drop track; 209. Suction head; 210. Translation push rod; 211. Baffle servo;

[0052] 3. Translation system; 301. X-axis linear screw motor; 302. X-axis linear guide rail; 303. X-axis translation plate; 304. Y-axis linear screw motor; 305. Y-axis linear guide rail; 306. Y-axis translation plate; 307. Clamp; 308. Tip box;

[0053] 4. Recovery system; 401. Lifting frame; 402. Recovery box limit rod; 403. Left recovery slide; 404. Right recovery slide; 405. Sprocket chain assembly; 406. Lifting motor; 407. Recovery box; 408. Lifting platform; 409. Classification slide; 410. Classification baffle; 411. Classification servo;

[0054] 5. Sensor system; 501. Horizontal camera; 502. Top-down camera;

[0055] 601, motor driver; 602, expansion circuit board; 603, circuit board bracket; 604, main control circuit board; 605, touch screen display; 606, power button; 607, power cord;

[0056] 701, box body; 702, upper cover; 703, front door. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0058] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0060] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. Meanwhile, it should be clear that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, method and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, method and equipment should be considered as a part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0061] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention: the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contours of each component itself.

[0062] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below their position devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0063] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. If not otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0064] like Figure 1-8As shown, the present invention provides a multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device, including a storage system 1, an arrangement system 2, a translation system 3, a recovery system 4, a sensor system 5, a control system and a structural system; wherein the above-mentioned systems are all located inside the structural system, and the structural system is used to provide support and protection for other systems; the storage system 1 is located at the top of the structural system, and is used to store different types of pipette tips 209 and control the release of the pipette tips 209 into the arrangement system 2; the arrangement system 2 is located below the storage system 1, and is used to arrange the pipette tips 209 in an orderly manner in the guide groove, and send the excess pipette tips 209 to the recovery system 4; the translation system 3 is located below the arrangement system 2 and is fixed on Above the bottom of the box 701, there are two degrees of freedom for horizontal movement, which are used to realize the horizontal movement of the tip box 308; the recovery system 4 is located above the bottom of the box 701 and behind the arrangement system 2, and is used to return the excess tips 209 to the corresponding silo; the sensor system 5 is set on the arrangement system 2, and is used to detect the state of the tips 209 and determine whether the tip box 308 is full; the storage system 1, the arrangement system 2, the translation system 3, the recovery system 4 and the sensor system 5 are all connected to the control system, and the control system controls the action of each driving component in the device according to the received control instructions and the feedback information of each sensor, so as to realize the insertion of the tips 209 into the tip box 308. Figure 1 As shown, the X direction and the opposite direction of X represent the front and rear directions respectively, the Y direction and the opposite direction of Y represent the left and right directions respectively, and the Z direction and the opposite direction of Z represent the top and bottom directions respectively.

[0065] like Figure 1-2 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the structural system includes a box body 701, an upper cover 702 and a front door 703, wherein the box body 701 is located at the outermost side of the device, and contains a storage system 1, an arrangement system 2, a translation system 3, a recovery system 4, a sensor system 5 and a control system; the upper cover 702 is located on the upper side of the box body 701, is transparent and can be lifted; the front door 703 is located on the front side of the box body 701, is transparent and can be opened horizontally.

[0066] The control system includes a motor driver 601, an expansion circuit board 602, a circuit board bracket 603, a main control circuit board 604, a touch screen display 605, a power button 606 and a power cord 607. The main control circuit board 604, the expansion circuit board 602 and the motor driver 601 are fixed to the circuit board bracket 603 by bolts, and the circuit board bracket 603 is fixed to the upper side of the bottom surface of the box body 701 by bolts; a power button 606 and a touch screen display 605 are installed on the box body 701 under the front door 703, the power button 606 is used to turn the power on and off of the entire device, and the touch screen display 605 is used to select the corresponding programs of the suction tips 209 and suction tip boxes 308 of different sizes, and provide real-time feedback on the progress and problems in the box loading process; a power cord 607 is installed on the right side of the box body 701 for connecting the power supply.

[0067] like Figure 3-4 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the arrangement system 2 includes a fixed guide groove wall 201, a movable guide groove wall 202, a brush linear screw motor 203, a guide groove brush 204, a push linear screw motor 205, a push rod 206, a guide groove baffle 207, a drop track 208, a translation push rod 210 and a baffle servo 211. The fixed guide groove wall 201 is fixed to the back plate of the box 701 through a bracket; the fixed guide groove wall 201 and the movable guide groove wall 202 together form a guide groove for arranging the suction heads 209; the fixed end of the translation push rod 210 is fixed to the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box 701, and the movable end is fixed to the movable guide groove wall 202, which is used to push the movable guide groove wall 202 to adjust the guide groove spacing to adapt to suction heads 209 of different sizes; the brush linear screw motor 203 is fixed in the box 701. The guide groove brush 204 is located on the upper side of the horizontal bracket, on the right side of the guide groove and parallel to the guide groove, and is used to provide power for the guide groove brush 204; the brush linear screw motor 203 mainly includes a motor, a screw and a nut, etc. The output end of the motor is connected to the screw, and the nut is connected to the screw. The guide groove brush 204 is fixed on the nut of the brush linear screw motor 203, and the brush head of the guide groove brush 204 is in contact with the upper surface of the fixed guide groove wall 201 and the movable guide groove wall 202, and is used to sweep the scattered suction heads 209 into the guide groove wall 201. The push linear screw motor 205 is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal support in the middle of the box body 701, below the translation push rod 210, and directly below the brush linear screw motor 203, parallel to the guide groove, and is used to provide power for the push rod 206; the push linear screw motor 205 mainly includes a motor, a screw and a nut, etc. The output end of the motor is connected to the screw, the nut is connected to the screw, and the push rod 206 is fixed to the push linear screw motor 2 05, located just below the guide slot, used to push the suction head 209 into the falling track 208 in sequence; the falling track 208 is fixed to the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box 701, located on the left side of the guide slot, used to guide the falling suction head 209; the baffle servo 211 is fixed to the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box 701 and located on the side of the falling track 208, and the output shaft passes through the falling track 208 and is directly connected to the guide slot baffle 207, used to control the position of the guide slot baffle 207. The rotating shaft of the guide slot baffle 207 passes through the side of the falling track 208, and there are three gears: open, close and recycle, which are used to control whether the suction head 209 can fall and when to enter the left recycle slide 403.

[0068] The sensor system 5 includes a horizontal camera 501 and a top-view camera 502. The horizontal camera 501 is fixed on the upper side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box 701, located above the baffle servo 211, with the lens facing the upper side of the guide groove, and is used to monitor the arrangement and falling of the suction head 209; the top-view camera 502 is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box 701, located on the side of the guide groove and above the translation system 3, with the lens facing downward and facing the translation system 3, and is used to identify the installation status of the suction head box 308.

[0069] like Figure 5-6 , Figure 8As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the recovery system 4 includes a lifting frame 401, a recovery box limit rod 402, a left recovery slide 403, a right recovery slide 404, a sprocket chain group 405, a lifting motor 406, a recovery box 407, a lifting platform 408, a classification slide 409, a classification baffle 410 and a classification servo 411. The lifting frame 401 is fixed to the bottom of the box body 701, close to the middle of the back plate, and is used to fix other components; the lifting motor 406 is fixed to the bottom of the box body 701, and the output shaft is connected to the sprocket in the sprocket chain group 405. The lifting motor 406 can drive the sprocket chain group 405 to move, which is used to provide power for the lifting platform 408; the sprocket chain group 405 is located on the inner side of the lifting frame 401, and there is a sprocket group on the upper and lower sides, which are connected by chains to transmit power to the lifting platform 408; the lifting platform 408 is fixed to the lifting frame 401 through pulleys on both sides and is connected to the chain. It can slide up and down with the movement of the chain to complete the lifting action; the recovery box 407 is hinged on the lifting platform 408 and can be turned over under the action of the recovery box limit rod 402. Used to place the suction heads 209 to be recycled and pour the suction heads 209 into the classification slide 409; the recycling box limit rod 402 is fixed on one side above the lifting frame 401, and is used to limit and flip the recycling box 407; in this embodiment, a protruding short rod is provided on the side of the recycling box 407 close to the recycling box limit rod 402. When the recycling box 407 is lifted to a specified height, the recycling box limit rod 402 contacts the short rod and presses down the short rod to realize the flipping of the recycling box 407; the classification slide 409 is fixed to the back plate of the box body 701 through a bracket, located on the upper side of the left and right silos, with the large opening side facing downward, and a round hole is opened in the middle of the classification slide 409; the classification servo 411 is fixed on the lower side of the classification slide 409, and the output shaft is directly connected to the rotating shaft of the classification baffle 410, which is used to provide power for the classification baffle 410. The classification baffle 410 is located on the upper side of the classification slide 409, and is used to guide the suction head 209 into the corresponding material bin. There is a rotating shaft in the middle of the classification baffle 410, and the rotating shaft passes through the circular hole of the classification slide 409; the upper side of the left recovery slide 403 is fixed on the falling track 208, located on the left side of the guide groove, and the lower side is fixed on the lifting frame 401, and the lower side opening is located above the left side of the initial position of the recovery box 407, and is used to recover the suction head 209 in the guide groove; the upper side of the right recovery slide 404 is fixed on the fixed guide groove wall 201, located on the right side of the guide groove, and the lower side is fixed on the lifting frame 401, and the lower side opening is located above the right side of the initial position of the recovery box 407, and is used to recover the suction head 209 that has not entered the guide groove.

[0070] The storage system 1 includes a left silo 101 , a left silo door 103 , a left door-opening steering gear 102 , a right silo 104 , a right silo door 106 and a right door-opening steering gear 105 . The left silo 101 is fixed on the back plate of the box body 701 and below the classification slide 409 through a bracket, and is used to store the suction head 209; the left silo door 103 is located below the opening of the left silo 101 and is hinged to the left silo 101 to control the suction head 209 to fall; the left door-opening servo 102 is fixed on the bracket on the side of the left silo 101, and the output shaft is directly connected to the left silo door 103 to control the opening and closing of the left silo door 103; the right silo 104 is fixed on the back plate of the box body 701 and below the classification slide 409 through a bracket, and is used to store the suction head 209; the right silo door 106 is located below the opening of the right silo 104 and is hinged to the right silo 104 to control the suction head 209 to fall; the right door-opening servo 105 is fixed on the bracket on the side of the right silo 104, and the output shaft is directly connected to the right silo door 106 to control the opening and closing of the right silo door 106.

[0071] like Figure 7 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the translation system 3 includes an X-axis linear screw motor 301, an X-axis linear guide 302, an X-axis translation plate 303, a Y-axis linear screw motor 304, a Y-axis linear guide 305, a Y-axis translation plate 306 and a fixture 307. The X-axis linear screw motor 301 and the X-axis linear guide 302 are fixed on the bottom surface of the box 701 along the X-axis, the X-axis translation plate 303 is connected to the X-axis linear screw motor 301 and slidably cooperates with the X-axis linear guide 302; the Y-axis linear guide 305 and the Y-axis linear screw motor 304 are arranged on the X-axis translation plate 303 along the Y-axis, and the Y-axis translation plate 306 is connected to the Y-axis linear screw motor 304 and slidably cooperates with the Y-axis linear guide 305. The fixture 307 is located on the Y-axis translation plate 306 and is used to clamp the suction head box 308.

[0072] In this embodiment, the structural form of the Y-direction translation plate 306 and the clamp 307 includes but is not limited to: two adjacent sides of the Y-direction translation plate 306 are provided with an X-direction baffle and a Y-direction baffle, and the other two sides are provided with mounting plates, and the clamp 307 is mounted on the two mounting plates, and the clamp 307 includes two front plates and two sets of screws, each set of at least two screws is connected to the corresponding mounting plates, and the two front plates are respectively mounted on the two sets of screws near one end of the suction head box 308. The two side surfaces of the suction head box 308 are closely attached to the X-direction baffle and the Y-direction baffle, and the two sets of screws are adjusted so that the two front plates are closely attached to the other two side surfaces of the suction head box 308.

[0073] The present invention also provides a working method of a multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device, comprising the following steps:

[0074] S1. In the preparation stage, open the upper cover 702 according to actual needs, put different suction tips 209 in the left material bin 101 and the right material bin 104. If the material bin is full, no need to add; open the front door 703 to put the suction tip box 308 and fix it with the clamp 307. Start the power button 606 and select the set program on the touch screen display 605. If the suction tips 209 and suction tip boxes 308 are of other specifications and sizes, the parameters can be set according to the size. After setting, start the box loading process.

[0075] S2, the automated process of box loading is as follows: the translation push rod 210 adjusts the distance between the movable guide groove wall 202 and the fixed guide groove wall 201 according to the size of the selected suction head 209. The translation system 3 moves the suction head box 308 to the bottom of the drop track 208, so that the inner hole of the suction head box 308 is directly below the drop track 208; at the same time, the corresponding silo door opening servo of the selected suction head 209 rotates, the silo door opens, the suction head 209 falls from the silo into the guide groove, and the silo door opening servo is rotated to close the silo door. At this time, some suction heads 209 enter the guide groove, and some suction heads 209 are scattered in the upper half of the guide groove. The guide groove baffle 207 is adjusted to the closed position, and the brush linear screw motor 203 is started to drive the guide groove brush 204 to move horizontally from left to right. Some of the suction heads 209 scattered in the upper half of the guide groove fall into the guide groove, and the remaining suction heads 209 that have not fallen into the guide groove are pushed into the right recovery slide 404 by the guide groove brush 204 and enter the recovery box 407. The guide groove brush 204 is reset after moving. The guide groove baffle 207 prevents the suction heads 209 in the groove from being pushed away by the guide groove brush 204.

[0076] S3, such as Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown, the recycling process is as follows: the lifting motor 406 drives the lifting platform 408 and the recycling box 407 to rise through the sprocket chain group 405. When it rises to the specified height, the lifting motor 406 stops, and the recycling box 407 will tilt under the action of the recycling box limit rod 402. The suction head 209 in the recycling box 407 is poured into the classification slide 409, and the classification servo 411 drives the classification baffle 410 to guide the suction head 209 into the corresponding silo. After a fixed time, the lifting motor 406 reverses and the lifting platform 408 returns to the initial position. In the absence of interference from the recycling box limit rod 402, the recycling box 407 is restored to its original horizontal state by gravity, and the whole is reset.

[0077] S4. When the silo door is open and the horizontal camera 501 cannot detect the suction head 209, the device determines that there is no suction head 209 remaining in the silo, and the recycling process is performed. When the suction head 209 is still not detected, the system determines that there is no suction head 209 remaining, and the touch screen display 605 prompts.

[0078] S5, the guide groove baffle 207 is adjusted to the open gear, and the linear screw motor 205 drives the push rod 206 to push the suction head 209 in the guide groove from right to left. At this time, the left horizontal camera 501 monitors the drop of the suction head 209 in real time. Every time a suction head 209 falls, the translation system 3 moves once to align the next hole position with the falling track 208. Until the suction head box 308 is full or there is no suction head 209 in the guide groove.

[0079] S6, if there is no suction head 209 in the guide groove, repeat the above process until the suction head box 308 is full. The top-view camera 502 detects whether the suction head box 308 is full. If there is a shortage, the translation system 3 will align the missing hole with the falling track 208 for replenishment.

[0080] S7. If the suction head box 308 is full, the guide groove baffle 207 is adjusted to the recovery gear position, and the push rod 206 pushes out the remaining suction heads 209 in the guide groove one by one. The suction heads 209 fall into the recovery box 407 through the left recovery slide 403, and the recovery process is repeated.

[0081] S8, end stage, open the front door 703, take out the tip box 308, and turn off the power button 606.

[0082] In summary, the present invention provides an automatic boxing device for pipette tips of multiple specifications, which liberates operators and improves the boxing efficiency. It has a variety of choices for boxing tips, has an intelligent detection function, and has good versatility and interactivity.

[0083] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic boxing device for pipette tips of multiple specifications, characterized in that: include: A structural system and a storage system (1), an arrangement system (2), a translation system (3), a recovery system (4), a sensor system (5) and a control system arranged inside the structural system; The storage system (1) is located above the structural system and is used to store different types of suction tips (209) and control the release of the suction tips (209) into the arrangement system (2); the arrangement system (2) is located below the storage system (1) and is used to arrange the suction tips (209) in an orderly manner in the guide groove and send the excess suction tips (209) into the recovery system (4); the suction tip box (308) is placed on the translation system (3), and the translation system (3) is fixed to the box body (7) of the structural system. 01) above the bottom surface and below the arrangement system (2), and is used to enable the suction head box (308) to move horizontally; the recovery system (4) is fixed above the bottom surface of the box body (701) and is located behind the arrangement system (2), and is used to return the excess suction heads (209) to the corresponding silo on the storage system (1); the sensor system (5) is arranged on the arrangement system (2), and is used to detect the state of the suction heads (209) and determine whether the suction head box (308) is full; The storage system (1), arrangement system (2), translation system (3), recovery system (4) and sensor system (5) are all connected to a control system. The control system controls the actions of the driving components in the device according to the received control instructions and feedback information from the sensors, so as to enable the suction tip (209) to be inserted into the suction tip box (308).

2. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural system comprises a box body (701), an upper cover (702) and a front door (703); the box body (701) is located at the outermost side of the device, and the storage system (1), the arrangement system (2), the translation system (3), the recovery system (4), the sensor system (5) and the control system are placed inside the box body (701); the upper cover (702) is located on the upper side of the box body (701) and is transparent and can be lifted; the front door (703) is located on the front side of the box body (701) and is transparent and can be opened horizontally.

3. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arrangement system (2) comprises a fixed guide groove wall (201), a movable guide groove wall (202), a brush linear screw motor (203), a guide groove brush (204), a push linear screw motor (205), a push rod (206), a guide groove baffle (207), a drop track (208), a translation push rod (210) and a baffle steering gear (211); the fixed guide groove wall (201) is fixed to the back plate of a box body (701) of the structural system through a bracket; the fixed guide groove wall (201) and the movable guide groove wall (202) form a guide groove; the fixed end of the translation push rod (210) is fixed to the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box body (701), and the movable end is connected to the movable guide groove wall (202); The brush linear screw motor (203) is fixed on the upper side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box (701), located on the right side of the guide groove and parallel to the guide groove; the guide groove brush (204) is fixed on the nut of the brush linear screw motor (203), and the brush head of the guide groove brush (204) is in contact with the upper surface of the fixed guide groove wall (201) and the movable guide groove wall (202); The linear push screw motor (205) is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal support in the middle of the box body (701), located below the translation push rod (210), and directly below the linear brush screw motor (203), parallel to the guide groove; the push rod (206) is fixed on the nut of the linear push screw motor (205), and located directly below the guide groove; The falling track (208) is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box (701) and is located on the left side of the guide groove; the baffle servo (211) is fixed on the lower side of the horizontal bracket in the middle of the box (701) and is located on the side of the falling track (208); the output shaft of the baffle servo (211) passes through the falling track (208) and is connected to the guide groove baffle (207); the guide groove baffle (207) has three gears: an opening gear, a closing gear and a recovery gear.

4. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The translation system (3) has two degrees of freedom of movement in the horizontal direction, and comprises an X-direction linear screw motor (301), an X-direction linear guide rail (302), an X-direction translation plate (303), a Y-direction linear screw motor (304), a Y-direction linear guide rail (305), a Y-direction translation plate (306) and a fixture (307); the X-direction linear screw motor (301) and the X-direction linear guide rail (302) are arranged on the bottom surface of a box body (701) of the structural system along the X direction; the X-direction translation plate (303) is slidably connected to the X-direction linear guide rail (304); 2), the output end of the X-direction linear screw motor (301) is connected to the X-direction translation plate (303); the Y-direction linear guide rail (305) and the Y-direction linear screw motor (304) are arranged on the X-direction translation plate (303) along the Y direction, the Y-direction translation plate (306) is slidably connected above the Y-direction linear guide rail (305), and the output end of the Y-direction linear screw motor (304) is connected to the Y-direction translation plate (306); the clamp (307) is installed on the Y-direction translation plate (306) and is used to clamp the suction head box (308).

5. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The recovery system (4) comprises a lifting frame (401), a lifting mechanism, a limiting structure, a left recovery slide (403), a right recovery slide (404), a recovery box (407), a classification slide (409), a classification baffle (410) and a classification steering gear (411); the lifting frame (401) is fixed to the bottom of a box body (701) of the structural system, close to the middle of the back plate of the box body (701); the recovery box (407) is installed on the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism is used to drive the recovery box (407) to rise and fall; the limiting structure is fixed to one side above the lifting frame (401), and the recovery box (407) is turned over under the action of the limiting structure; The classification slide (409) is fixed to the back plate of the box (701) through a bracket, and is located on the upper side of the left and right silos, with the large opening side facing downward; a circular hole is opened in the middle of the classification slide (409), and the classification baffle (410) is located on the upper side of the classification slide (409). A rotating shaft is provided in the middle of the classification baffle (410), and the rotating shaft passes through the circular hole of the classification slide (409); the classification steering gear (411) is fixed to the lower side of the classification slide (409), and the output shaft of the classification steering gear (411) is connected to the rotating shaft of the classification baffle (410); The left recovery slide (403) is located on the left side of the guide groove, the upper side of the left recovery slide (403) is fixed on the falling track (208) of the arrangement system (2), the lower side is fixed on the lifting frame (401), and the lower side opening is located above the left side of the initial position of the recovery box (407); the right recovery slide (404) is located on the right side of the guide groove, the upper side of the right recovery slide (404) is fixed on the fixed guide groove wall (201) of the arrangement system (2), the lower side is fixed on the lifting frame (401), and the lower side opening is located above the right side of the initial position of the recovery box (407).

6. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises a sprocket chain group (405), a lifting motor (406) and a lifting platform (408), wherein the lifting motor (406) is fixed at the bottom of the box body (701), the sprocket chain group (405) is located inside the lifting frame (401), and has a sprocket group at the top and bottom, respectively, and the two sprocket groups are connected by a chain; the output shaft of the lifting motor (406) is connected to the sprocket at the middle and lower part of the sprocket chain group (405), driving the sprocket chain group (405) to move; the lifting platform (408) is fixed to the lifting frame (401) through pulleys on both sides, and is connected to the chain, and slides up and down with the movement of the chain; the recovery box (407) is hinged on the lifting platform (408); The limiting structure is a recovery box limiting rod (402) arranged transversely.

7. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage system (1) comprises a left silo (101), a left silo door (103), a left door-opening steering gear (102), a right silo (104), a right silo door (106) and a right door-opening steering gear (105); the left silo (101) and the right silo (104) are respectively fixed to the back plate of a box body (701) of the structural system through brackets and are located side by side below a classification slideway (409) of a recovery system (4); The left silo door (103) is located below the opening of the left silo (101) and is hinged to the left silo (101); the left door-opening steering gear (102) is fixed on a bracket on the side of the left silo (101), and the output shaft of the left door-opening steering gear (102) is connected to the left silo door (103); the right silo door (106) is located below the opening of the right silo (104) and is hinged to the right silo (104); the right door-opening steering gear (105) is fixed on a bracket on the side of the right silo (104), and the output shaft of the right door-opening steering gear (105) is connected to the right silo door (106).

8. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor system (5) comprises a horizontal camera (501) and a top-view camera (502); the horizontal camera (501) is fixed on the upper side of a horizontal bracket in the middle of a box (701) of the structural system, located above a baffle servo (211) of the arrangement system (2), with its lens facing the upper side of the guide groove; the top-view camera (502) is fixed on the lower side of a horizontal bracket in the middle of the box (701), located on the side of the guide groove and above the translation system (3), with its lens facing downward and facing the translation system (3).

9. The multi-specification pipette tip automatic boxing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system comprises a motor driver (601), an expansion circuit board (602), a circuit board bracket (603), a main control circuit board (604), a touch screen display (605), a power button (606) and a power cord (607); the motor driver (601), the expansion circuit board (602) and the main control circuit board (604) are all fixed on the circuit board bracket (603); the circuit board bracket (603) is fixed on the upper side of the bottom surface of a box body (701) of the structural system; the touch screen display (605) and the power button (606) are arranged in front of the box body (701) and on the lower side of the front door (703) of the structural system; and the power cord (607) is located on the side of the box body (701).

10. A working method of the automatic boxing device for multi-specification pipette tips according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The steps include: S1. In the preparation stage, the upper cover (702) is opened according to actual needs, and different suction tips (209) are placed in the left material bin (101) and the right material bin (104). When the material bins are full, no suction tips (209) are added; the front door (703) is opened to place the suction tip box (308), and the suction tip box (308) is fixed with a clamp (307); the power button (606) is turned on, and the set program is selected on the touch screen display (605). If the suction tips (209) and suction tip boxes (308) are of other specifications and sizes, the parameters are set according to the size; After setting up, start the boxing process; S2, the box loading process includes: the translation push rod (210) adjusts the distance between the movable guide groove wall (202) and the fixed guide groove wall (201) according to the size of the selected suction head (209); the translation system (3) moves the suction head box (308) to the bottom of the drop track (208), so that the inner hole of the suction head box (308) is directly below the drop track (208); at the same time, the corresponding silo door opening servo of the selected suction head (209) rotates, the silo door opens, the suction head (209) falls from the silo into the guide groove, and the door opening servo is rotated to close the silo door; at this time, part of the suction heads (209) enter the guide groove , some suction heads (209) are scattered in the upper half of the guide groove; the guide groove baffle (207) is adjusted to the closed gear, the brush linear screw motor (203) is started, and the guide groove brush (204) is driven to move horizontally from left to right, and some suction heads (209) scattered in the upper half of the guide groove fall into the guide groove, and the remaining suction heads (209) that have not fallen into the guide groove are pushed into the right recovery slide (404) by the guide groove brush (204) and enter the recovery box (407). The guide groove brush (204) is reset after moving, and the guide groove baffle (207) can prevent the suction heads (209) in the guide groove from being pushed out by the guide groove brush (204); S3, the recycling process includes: the lifting motor (406) drives the lifting platform (408) and the recycling box (407) to rise through the sprocket chain group (405), when it rises to a specified height, the lifting motor (406) stops, the recycling box (407) tilts under the action of the recycling box limit rod (402), the suction head (209) in the recycling box (407) falls into the classification slideway (409), the classification steering gear (411) drives the classification baffle (410) to guide the suction head (209) into the corresponding material bin, after a fixed time, the lifting motor (406) reverses, the lifting platform (408) returns to the initial position, and without the interference of the recycling box limit rod (402), the recycling box (407) recovers from the tilt to the original horizontal state under the action of gravity, and the whole is reset; S4. When the silo door is opened and the horizontal camera (501) cannot detect the suction head (209), the device determines that there are no remaining suction heads (209) in the silo, and the recycling process is carried out at this time; when the suction head (209) is still not detected, the system determines that there are no remaining suction heads (209), and the touch screen display (605) prompts; S5, the guide groove baffle (207) is adjusted to the open gear position, and the linear screw motor (205) drives the push rod (206) to push the suction head (209) in the guide groove from right to left. At this time, the horizontal camera (501) monitors the falling of the suction head (209) in real time. Every time a suction head (209) falls, the translation system (3) moves once to align the next hole position with the falling track (208); until the suction head box (308) is full or there is no suction head (209) in the guide groove; S6. If there is no suction head (209) in the guide groove, the above process is repeated until the suction head box (308) is full; the top-view camera (502) detects whether the suction head box (308) is full. If there is a shortage, the translation system (3) will align the missing hole position with the falling track (208) for replenishment; S7, if the suction head box (308) is full, the guide groove baffle (207) is adjusted to the recovery gear position, and the push rod (206) pushes out the remaining suction heads (209) in the guide groove one by one, and the suction heads (209) fall into the recovery box (407) through the left recovery slide (403), and the recovery process is repeated; S8, end stage, open the front door (703), take out the tip box (308), and turn off the power button (606).

Images