Refrigerator and automatic storage system

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator and an automatic storage system.The refrigerator comprises a shell, a partition structure, a driving mechanism and a box taking mechanism, the partition structure divides the shell into a first cavity and a second cavity, the driving mechanism is located in the first cavity, and the box taking mechanism is located in the second cavity; the separation structure comprises a separation plate and a first telescopic separation piece capable of being contracted and unfolded. The driving mechanism can enable the box taking mechanism to move in the first direction and the vertical direction and can also enable the box taking mechanism to output movement in the second direction, and therefore three-axis movement of the box taking mechanism is achieved. Therefore, when the box taking mechanism moves in the first direction, the driving mechanism needs to integrally move in the first direction, the first telescopic isolation piece correspondingly stretches out and draws back, the box taking mechanism outputs movement in the second direction, and the box taking mechanism moves in the vertical direction, the overall position of the driving mechanism is not changed at the moment; therefore, real isolation of the first cavity and the second cavity is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and more specifically, relates to a refrigerator and an automatic storage system. Background Art

[0002] In the field of biological sample storage, ultra-low temperature refrigerators are needed to store biological samples. Automated refrigerators are important basic equipment for research in the medical and biological fields. Through low-temperature storage, blood, stem cells and immune cell biological tissues can be kept active for a long time. In the prior art, samples are generally stored in cryogenic tubes, and then the cryogenic boxes containing cryogenic tubes are stored in automated refrigerators.

[0003] In an automated refrigerator, cryogenic tubes and boxes need to be put into and taken out of storage by a robot. The motor that controls the robot is prone to malfunctions under low temperature conditions. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and an automated storage system to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art that the motor for controlling the manipulator is prone to failure under low temperature conditions.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: to provide a refrigerator, comprising:

[0006] shell;

[0007] A partition structure, the partition structure is located in the shell and divides the shell into a first cavity and a second cavity, the temperature of the first cavity is higher than the temperature of the second cavity; a plurality of sample racks arranged along a first direction are arranged in the second cavity; the partition structure includes a partition plate and a first telescopic isolation member that can be contracted and expanded, the partition plate has a first opening extending along the first direction, the first telescopic isolation member is used to block the first opening, and the first telescopic isolation member is connected to a motion output end of a driving mechanism that moves in the first direction;

[0008] a box taking mechanism, driven by the driving mechanism and located in the second cavity; and

[0009] The driving mechanism is located in the first cavity and is slidably arranged on the partition structure along the first direction. The driving mechanism can drive the box taking mechanism to move in the first direction and the vertical direction. The driving mechanism can also enable the box taking mechanism to output movement in the second direction to take and place samples from the sample rack. The first direction, the second direction and the vertical direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0010] Optionally, the driving mechanism includes a mounting plate, a first movable module, a second movable module and a third movable module, and the first telescopic isolation member is connected to the mounting plate; the first movable module includes a first driver and a first transmission assembly connected to the first driver, and the first transmission assembly is used to drive the mounting plate to move along the first direction; the second movable module includes a second driver and a second transmission assembly connected to the second driver, and the second transmission assembly is used to drive the box taking mechanism to move in a vertical direction; the third movable module includes a third driver for driving the box taking mechanism to output the second direction movement; the first driver, the second driver and the third driver are all fixed to the mounting plate.

[0011] Optionally, the driving mechanism outputs rotational motion to the box taking mechanism via a transmission rod, and the transmission rod is used to drive the box taking mechanism to output motion in a second direction; the transmission rod is connected to the third driver, and the transmission rod is located in the second cavity.

[0012] Optionally, the box retrieval mechanism includes a fixed seat, a third transmission assembly and a push-pull member for pushing and pulling the sample tray on the sample rack, the motion input end of the third transmission assembly moves synchronously with the transmission rod, the motion output end of the third transmission assembly is connected to the push-pull member, so that the push-pull member reciprocates in the second direction, the push-pull member has a first positioning portion extending in the vertical direction, and the sample tray has a second positioning portion that is positioned and matched with the first positioning portion in the vertical direction.

[0013] Optionally, the third transmission assembly includes a third driving sprocket, a plurality of third driven sprockets and a third transmission chain, the third driving sprocket is provided with a transmission hole adapted to the transmission rod, the transmission rod extends into the transmission hole so that the transmission rod and the third driving sprocket rotate synchronously, the rotation axes of the third driving sprocket and the third driven sprocket are parallel to the vertical direction, and the push-pull member is fixedly connected to the third transmission chain.

[0014] Optionally, the first transmission assembly also includes a gear connected to the first driver and a rack meshing with the gear, and the rack is fixedly arranged on the partition structure; the second transmission assembly also includes a second driving sprocket, a second driven sprocket and a second transmission chain connected to the second driver, the second driven sprocket and at least part of the second transmission chain are located in the second cavity, and the second transmission chain is fixedly connected to the box taking mechanism.

[0015] Optionally, the partition structure also includes an isolation frame fixed on the partition plate and a workbench fixed on the isolation frame, the driving mechanism is arranged on the side of the workbench facing away from the partition plate, the workbench is provided with a second opening arranged opposite to the first opening, the partition plate, the isolation frame and the workbench form a transition space, and the transition space is located between the first cavity and the second cavity.

[0016] Optionally, the driving mechanism includes a first movable module for driving the box taking mechanism to move in a first direction, and a second telescopic isolation member is provided to block the second opening, and the second telescopic isolation member is connected to a motion output end of the first movable module.

[0017] Optionally, the first telescopic isolation piece and the second telescopic isolation piece are both made of accordion fabric.

[0018] Optionally, the driving mechanism comprises a first moving module for driving the box taking mechanism to move in a first direction;

[0019] The first telescopic isolation member includes two first telescopic units, wherein two ends of one of the first telescopic units are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first moving module and the first end of the first opening, and two ends of the other first telescopic unit are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first moving module and the second end of the first opening, and the first end and the second end are respectively two ends of the first opening in the length direction thereof;

[0020] Alternatively, the first telescopic isolation member is provided with a first through hole for the connection structure between the driving mechanism and the box taking mechanism to pass through, and two ends of the first telescopic isolation member are respectively fixed to two ends of the first opening.

[0021] Optionally, the sample rack has a plurality of supporting structures arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and a plurality of sample trays are arranged on the supporting structures in a one-to-one correspondence along the vertical direction.

[0022] Optionally, the second cavity has a movable channel extending along the first direction and multiple cargo picking channels extending along the second direction, the multiple cargo picking channels are all connected to the movable channel, and the box picking mechanism takes out the sample box along the second direction; the end of the supporting structure away from the movable channel has a protruding limiting portion, and the end of the supporting structure close to the movable channel has an inclined portion inclined downward.

[0023] The present invention also provides an automated storage system, comprising a plurality of the above-mentioned refrigerators, wherein two adjacent refrigerators are connected to each other.

[0024] The refrigerator and the automated storage system provided by the present invention have the beneficial effects that: compared with the prior art, the refrigerator of the present invention includes a shell, a partition structure, a driving mechanism and a box taking mechanism, and the partition structure divides the space inside the shell into a first cavity for accommodating the driving mechanism and a second cavity for storing the sample box. By setting the partition structure, the transfer of the coldness of the second cavity to the first cavity can be reduced, so that the driving mechanism is in a higher temperature environment. The partition structure includes a first telescopic partition, so that when the driving mechanism drives the box taking mechanism to move along the first direction, the mutual isolation of the first cavity and the second cavity can still be maintained, and the transfer of the coldness of the second cavity to the first cavity is further reduced. Moreover, the driving mechanism can make the box taking mechanism move in the first direction and the vertical direction, and can also make the box taking mechanism output the movement in the second direction, so as to realize the three-axis movement of the box taking mechanism. Therefore, when the box taking mechanism moves in the first direction, the driving mechanism needs to move in the first direction as a whole, the first telescopic partition is correspondingly telescoped, the box taking mechanism itself outputs the movement in the second direction, and when the box taking mechanism moves in the vertical direction, the overall position of the driving mechanism remains unchanged at this time, so as to realize the real isolation of the first cavity and the second cavity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, 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 only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 A front view of the internal structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 A side view of the internal structure of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of a supporting structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a driving mechanism and a box taking mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a driving mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 The three-dimensional structure of the box taking mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0034] Fig. 9 The three-dimensional structure of the box taking mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0035] Fig.10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a push-pull member and a sample tray provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Among them, the reference numerals in the figure are:

[0037] 10-housing; 101-box taking-out opening; 11-first cavity; 12-second cavity; 13-transition space; 14-moving channel; 15-taking-out channel;

[0038] 20-partition structure; 21-partition plate; 22-isolation frame; 23-workbench; 24-second telescopic isolation member;

[0039] 30-driving mechanism; 31-first moving module; 311-first driver; 312-first transmission assembly; 3121-gear; 3122-rack; 32-second moving module; 321-second driver; 322-second transmission assembly; 3221-second driving sprocket; 3222-second transmission chain; 3223-second driven sprocket; 323-vertical slide; 324-vertical slide; 33-third moving module; 331-third driver; 332-transmission rod; 34-mounting plate;

[0040] 40-box taking mechanism; 41-fixed seat; 42-third transmission assembly; 421-third driving sprocket; 4211-transmission hole; 422-third driven sprocket; 423-third transmission chain; 43-pushing and pulling member; 431-first positioning part; 44-third slide rail;

[0041] 50 - sample rack; 51 - supporting structure; 511 - limiting portion; 512 - inclined portion; 52 - sample tray; 521 - second positioning portion; 61 - vertical slide plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0044] It should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by terms such as "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0045] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0046] In the field of biological sample storage, ultra-low temperature refrigerators are needed to store biological samples. Automated refrigerators are important basic equipment for research in the medical and biological fields. Through low-temperature storage, blood, stem cells and immune cell biological tissues can be kept active for a long time. In the prior art, samples are generally stored in cryogenic tubes, and then the cryogenic boxes containing cryogenic tubes are stored in automated refrigerators.

[0047] In an automated refrigerator, cryogenic tubes and boxes need to be put into and taken out of storage by a robot. The motor that controls the robot is prone to malfunctions under low temperature conditions.

[0048] In order to alleviate and solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a refrigerator, the interior of the refrigerator is divided into a first cavity 11 and a second cavity 12 by a partition structure 20, the driving mechanism 30 is arranged in the first cavity 11, the sample rack 50 and the box removal mechanism 40 are arranged in the second cavity 12, and when the box removal mechanism 40 moves in the first direction under the action of the driving mechanism 30, the first telescopic isolation member in the partition structure 20 can follow the movement, so that the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12 always remain isolated from each other, thereby reducing the transfer of cold from the second cavity 12 to the first cavity 11, so that the driving mechanism 30 in the first cavity 11 is maintained at a relatively high temperature.

[0049] The refrigerator provided by the embodiment of the present invention is now described. The refrigerator in the embodiment of the present invention is used to store samples. Specifically, the samples can be placed in a sample box, and the sample box is stored in the refrigerator.

[0050] See also Figures 1 to 4 The refrigerator includes a shell 10, a partition structure 20, a driving mechanism 30, and a box taking mechanism 40 driven by the driving mechanism 30. The partition structure 20 is located in the shell 10 and divides the shell 10 into a first cavity 11 and a second cavity 12. The temperature of the first cavity 11 is higher than the temperature of the second cavity 12. The driving mechanism 30 is located in the first cavity 11 and is slidably arranged on the partition structure 20 along a first direction. The box taking mechanism 40 is located in the second cavity 12. A plurality of sample racks 50 arranged along the first direction are arranged in the second cavity 12. The driving mechanism 30 can drive the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the first direction and the vertical direction. The driving mechanism 30 can also enable the box taking mechanism 40 to output a movement in the second direction to take and place samples from the sample rack 50. The partition structure 20 includes a partition plate 21 and a first telescopic isolation member that can be retracted and expanded. The partition plate 21 has a first opening extending along the first direction. The first telescopic isolation member is used to block the first opening, and the first telescopic isolation member is connected to the motion output end of the driving mechanism 30 that moves in the first direction. The first direction, the second direction and the vertical direction are perpendicular to each other. The first direction and the second direction are both horizontal directions.

[0051] The outer shell 10 is the external shell structure of the refrigerator. The partition structure 20, the driving mechanism 30, the box taking mechanism 40, etc. are all arranged inside the outer shell 10. The outer shell 10 is used to protect the above mechanisms.

[0052] The partition structure 20 is fixed inside the housing 10, and the internal space of the housing 10 is divided into a first cavity 11 and a second cavity 12. The first cavity 11 is used to accommodate the drive mechanism 30, and the second cavity 12 is used to store the sample box. Since the second cavity 12 needs to freeze the sample, the temperature inside it is relatively low, which can be as low as minus 80 degrees. Through the blocking of the partition structure 20, the temperature of the first cavity 11 is higher than that of the second cavity 12, reducing the occurrence of failure of the drive mechanism 30. Specifically, the sample box is placed on a sample rack 50, and the number of sample racks 50 is multiple, and they are arranged in sequence along the first direction.

[0053] The driving mechanism 30 is arranged inside the first cavity 11. The driving mechanism 30 is a power source inside the refrigerator, and generally includes a motor, a motor, a steering gear, etc. The driving mechanism 30 is used to drive the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the first direction and the vertical direction, and the driving mechanism 30 is slidably arranged on the partition structure 20, which means that when the driving mechanism 30 outputs the movement in the first direction, the driving mechanism 30 as a whole and the box taking mechanism 40 both move in the first direction, and when the driving mechanism 30 outputs the movement in the vertical direction, only the box taking mechanism 40 moves in the vertical direction. The driving mechanism 30 can also enable the box taking mechanism 40 to output the movement in the second direction to take and place the sample from the sample rack 50, which means that the driving mechanism 30 provides power for the box taking mechanism 40, and the box taking mechanism 40 can output the movement in the second direction to achieve the taking and placing of the sample.

[0054] The box taking mechanism 40 is used to take and place the sample box from the sample rack 50, and is connected to the driving mechanism 30 and driven by the driving mechanism 30. Since the driving mechanism 30 is connected to the box taking mechanism 40, a connection structure is provided between the driving mechanism 30 and the box taking mechanism 40, and the connection structure is partially located in the first cavity 11 and partially located in the second cavity 12.

[0055] The partition structure 20 includes a partition plate 21 and a first telescopic partition. The partition plate 21 is provided with a first opening, the length direction of the first opening is parallel to the first direction, and the first opening is for the connecting structure of the driving mechanism 30 and the box taking mechanism 40 to pass through and move in the first direction. The first telescopic partition blocks the first opening and is connected to the motion output end of the driving mechanism 30 that moves in the first direction. When the first moving module 31 is working, one side of the first telescopic partition is stretched and the other side is contracted to ensure that the first opening is in a blocked state, and the cold in the second cavity 12 is not easily transferred to the first cavity 11.

[0056] In the driving mechanism and the box-taking mechanism in the related art, when the box-taking mechanism moves in the first direction and the second direction, a two-dimensional avoidance space is required. Therefore, an opening that can adapt to the two-dimensional movement needs to be opened between the first cavity and the second cavity, and it is impossible to achieve complete sealing. However, the driving mechanism 30 in the present invention only needs to move in the first direction, and the movement of the box-taking mechanism 40 in the second direction is performed inside the second cavity 12, which can achieve true cavity sealing.

[0057] The refrigerator in the above embodiment includes a shell 10, a partition structure 20, a driving mechanism 30 and a box removal mechanism 40. The partition structure 20 divides the space inside the shell 10 into a first cavity 11 for accommodating the driving mechanism 30 and a second cavity 12 for storing the sample box. By setting the partition structure 20, the transfer of the coldness of the second cavity 12 to the first cavity 11 can be reduced, so that the driving mechanism 30 is in a higher temperature environment. In addition, the partition structure 20 includes a first telescopic isolation member, so that when the driving mechanism 30 drives the box removal mechanism 40 to move along the first direction, the mutual isolation of the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12 can still be maintained, further reducing the transfer of the coldness of the second cavity 12 to the first cavity 11. The driving mechanism 30 can make the box removal mechanism 40 move in the first direction and the vertical direction, and can also make the box removal mechanism 40 output the movement in the second direction. Therefore, the driving mechanism 30 only needs to move in the first direction as a whole to meet the three-axis movement of the box removal mechanism 40, and then the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12 can be truly isolated through the partition structure 20.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 2 The first cavity 11 is located above the second cavity 12, so that the refrigerator in this embodiment is an upper and lower split refrigerator.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 1 The housing 10 is provided with a box taking-out opening 101 , from which the target sample box can be taken out.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, the housing 10 is further provided with an emergency door which is connected to the second cavity 12. When special circumstances such as power outages and fires occur, the emergency door can be opened to directly transfer samples or dismantle automated equipment.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figures 2 to 4 The partition structure 20 also includes an isolation frame 22 fixed on the partition plate 21 and a workbench 23 fixed on the isolation frame 22. The driving mechanism 30 is arranged on the side of the workbench 23 facing away from the partition plate 21. The workbench 23 is provided with a second opening arranged opposite to the first opening. The partition plate 21, the isolation frame 22 and the workbench 23 enclose a transition space 13, and the transition space 13 is located between the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12. The length direction of the second opening is parallel to the first direction. The isolation frame 22 is located between the partition plate 21 and the workbench 23. When there is no shielding structure at the first opening and the second opening, the first cavity 11, the transition space 13 and the second cavity 12 are connected in sequence. When the first opening is blocked with a first telescopic isolation member, the second cavity 12 and the transition space 13 are separated to reduce the transfer of cold from the second cavity 12 to the transition space 13.

[0062] By arranging an isolation frame 22 between the partition plate 21 and the workbench 23 , the distance between the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12 can be increased, and a transition space 13 is formed inside the isolation frame 22 to reduce the cold transfer between the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12 .

[0063] In other embodiments, the driving mechanism 30 may be directly slidably disposed on the partition plate 21 .

[0064] In some embodiments, the isolation frame 22 includes four isolation plates connected end to end in sequence, so that the isolation frame 22 is frame-shaped, and the two open ends of the isolation frame 22 are respectively covered by the partition plate 21 and the workbench 23.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first opening and the second opening are of the same size and are arranged completely opposite to each other. Alternatively, the first opening and the second opening are arranged partially staggered. Alternatively, the orthographic projection of the first opening is located within the orthographic projection of the second opening. Alternatively, the orthographic projection of the second opening is located within the orthographic projection of the first opening.

[0066] In some embodiments, see Figures 2 to 4 The driving mechanism 30 includes a first moving module 31 for driving the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the first direction, and a second telescopic isolation member 24 is provided to block the second opening, and the second telescopic isolation member 24 is connected to the motion output end of the first moving module 31. The driving mechanism 30 includes a first moving module 31, and the first moving module 31 is used to output the motion in the first direction, and the motion output end of the first moving module 31 can output the motion in the first direction accordingly, that is, the driving mechanism 30 can at least drive the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the first direction, so that the box taking mechanism 40 moves between each sample rack 50, and can take and place the sample boxes on each sample rack 50. When the first moving module 31 of the driving mechanism 30 is working, the box taking mechanism 40 moves in the first direction, and the second opening is also used for the connecting structure of the driving mechanism 30 and the box taking mechanism 40 to pass through and move. Correspondingly, as the first moving module 31 works, one side of the second telescopic isolation member 24 is stretched, and the other side is stretched, so that the second opening is always kept in a closed state.

[0067] The second opening can be blocked by the second telescopic isolation member 24, and the second telescopic isolation member 24 can be extended and retracted along with the movement of the first movable module 31, so as to always keep the second opening in a closed state, thereby separating the transition space 13 and the first cavity 11 from each other, further increasing the difficulty of cold transfer between the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12, and keeping the first cavity 11 at a relatively high temperature.

[0068] In some embodiments, the second telescopic isolation member 24 includes two second telescopic units, wherein two ends of one second telescopic unit are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first mobile module 31 and the first end of the second opening, and two ends of the other second telescopic unit are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first mobile module 31 and the second end of the second opening, and the first end and the second end are respectively two ends of the second opening in the length direction thereof. That is to say, in the first direction, one of the second telescopic units is located at one end of the first mobile module 31, and the other second telescopic unit is located at the other end of the first mobile module 31, and when the first mobile module 31 is working, one of the second telescopic units stretches and the other second telescopic unit contracts.

[0069] In some embodiments, the second telescopic isolation member 24 is provided with a second through hole for the connection structure between the driving mechanism 30 and the box removal mechanism 40 to pass through, and the two ends of the second telescopic isolation member 24 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the second opening. When the first moving module 31 is working, the motion output end of the driving mechanism 30 moves in the first direction, and the second telescopic isolation member 24 partially extends and partially shortens with the working part of the first moving module 31, so that the second opening is always kept in a closed state.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first telescopic isolation member and the second telescopic isolation member 24 are both folding structures, which are not easily torn apart and have a relatively large shrinkage capacity, and are suitable for situations with a larger stroke.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first telescopic spacer and the second telescopic spacer 24 are both accordion fabrics.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first telescopic isolation member includes two first telescopic units, wherein two ends of one of the first telescopic units are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first movable module 31 and the first end of the first opening, and two ends of the other first telescopic unit are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first movable module 31 and the second end of the first opening, and the first end and the second end are respectively the two ends of the first opening in the length direction thereof. That is to say, in the first direction, one of the first telescopic units is located at one end of the first movable module 31, and the other first telescopic unit is located at the other end of the first movable module 31, and when the first movable module 31 is working, one of the first telescopic units stretches and the other first telescopic unit contracts.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first telescopic isolator is provided with a first through hole for the connection structure between the driving mechanism 30 and the box taking mechanism 40 to pass through, and the two ends of the first telescopic isolator are respectively fixed to the two ends of the first opening. When the first moving module 31 is working, the motion output end of the driving mechanism 30 moves in the first direction, and the first telescopic isolator partially extends and partially shortens with the working part of the first moving module 31, so that the first opening is always kept in a closed state.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 2 and Figure 5 The sample rack 50 has a plurality of supporting structures 51 arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and a plurality of sample trays 52 are arranged one by one on the supporting structures 51 along the vertical direction. A sample tray 52 is placed on each supporting structure 51, and a sample box is placed on the sample tray 52. ​​When taking a sample box, the corresponding sample tray 52 is taken out together, and then the operation of picking the sample box is performed.

[0075] By arranging multiple supporting structures 51 in the vertical direction, one sample rack 50 can support multiple sample trays 52. Moreover, the multiple sample racks 50 in this embodiment are single-lane sample racks, which can fully utilize the space of the second cavity 12 to store more sample boxes. Compared with other double-lane sample racks, since the robot arm is located in the center of the shelf, the double-lane sample rack is not convenient for repairing the robot arm and transferring samples in an emergency.

[0076] In some embodiments, the sample tray 52 can hold one sample box, or multiple sample boxes.

[0077] In some embodiments, in the first direction, the middle sample rack 50 (except the first and last sample racks 50) is provided with supporting structures 51 on both opposite sides, and a pair of supporting structures 51 on two adjacent sample racks 50 can support a sample tray 52. ​​The first and last sample racks 50 are provided with supporting structures 51 on only one side.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 2 and Figure 5 The second cavity 12 has a moving channel 14 extending along the first direction and a plurality of picking channels 15 extending along the second direction. The plurality of picking channels 15 are all connected to the moving channel 14. The box taking mechanism 40 takes out the sample box along the second direction. The end of the supporting structure 51 away from the moving channel 14 has a protruding limiting portion 511, and the end of the supporting structure 51 close to the moving channel 14 has an inclined portion 512 inclined downward. It can be understood that a picking channel 15 is formed between two adjacent sample racks 50, and the plurality of picking channels 15 are arranged on the same side of the moving channel 14. When taking the sample box, the position of the sample box is first located, and the first moving module 31 works to move the box taking mechanism 40 along the first direction to the entrance of the corresponding picking channel 15, and then adjust the height of the box taking mechanism 40, and finally enter the corresponding picking channel 15 to take the box.

[0079] The end of the supporting structure 51 away from the moving channel 14 is provided with a limit portion 511, and when the sample tray 52 is pushed into the picking channel 15, the limit portion 511 can limit the sample tray 52 to prevent the sample tray 52 from exceeding the stroke. The end of the supporting structure 51 close to the moving channel 14 has an inclined portion 512 inclined downward, and when the sample tray 52 is pushed in, the sample tray 52 can be guided to make it easier for the sample tray 52 to enter the picking channel 15.

[0080] In some embodiments, the limiting portion 511 is formed by bending one end of the supporting structure 51 upward, and the inclined portion 512 is formed by bending one end of the supporting structure 51 downward.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The driving mechanism 30 includes a mounting plate 34, a first movable module 31, a second movable module 32 and a third movable module 33, and the first telescopic isolation member is connected to the mounting plate 34; the first movable module 31 includes a first driver 311 and a first transmission assembly 312 connected to the first driver 311, and the first transmission assembly 312 is used to drive the mounting plate 34 to move in a first direction; the second movable module 32 includes a second driver 321 and a second transmission assembly 322 connected to the second driver 321, and the second transmission assembly 322 is used to drive the box taking mechanism 40 to move in a vertical direction; the third movable module 33 includes a third driver 331 for driving the box taking mechanism 40 to output a second direction movement; the first driver 311, the second driver 321 and the third driver 331 are all fixed on the mounting plate 34.

[0082] The first moving module 31 is used to output the movement in the first direction, driving the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the first direction. Specifically, when the first moving module 31 is working, the mounting plate 34, the first driver 311, the second driver 321, the second transmission assembly 322, the third driver 331 and the transmission rod 332 all move in the first direction, thereby driving the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the first direction. The second moving module 32 is used to output the movement in the second direction, driving the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the vertical direction. The third moving module 33 is used to drive the box taking mechanism 40 to output the movement in the second direction. Specifically, when the third driver 331 is working, the box taking mechanism 40 outputs the movement in the second direction to perform the operation of taking and placing the sample tray 52.

[0083] The first driver, the second driver, the third driver, the corresponding cables, the position sensor, etc. are all located in the first cavity 11 (normal low temperature area), and the second cavity 12 (ultra-low temperature storage area) does not have any motor, wire, or position sensor. In the related art, the robot arm has at least one motor in the ultra-low temperature storage area, and the drag chain cable and the position sensor are also in the ultra-low temperature storage area. The probability of damage is much greater than that of the mechanism in the present invention, and it is very inconvenient to repair.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first driver 311 , the second driver 321 , and the third driver 331 are all motors.

[0085] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The first transmission assembly 312 further includes a gear 3121 connected to the first driver 311 and a rack 3122 meshing with the gear 3121, and the rack 3122 is fixedly disposed on the partition structure 20. The gear 3121 is driven to rotate by the first driver 311, and the first driver 311, the second driver 321 and the third driver 331 on the mounting plate 34 are all moved in the first direction through the meshing of the gear 3121 and the rack 3122, that is, the driving mechanism 30 drives the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the first direction as a whole.

[0086] In some embodiments, the rack 3122 is fixed to the workbench 23 .

[0087] In some embodiments, a first slide rail is fixed on the partition structure 20, the length direction of the first slide rail is parallel to the first direction, a first slider is fixed on the mounting plate 34, and the first slider is slidably set on the first slide rail, thereby making the sliding of the mounting plate 34 in the first direction more stable.

[0088] In other embodiments, the first transmission assembly 312 may also be a screw mechanism, a synchronous belt mechanism, etc.

[0089] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 and Figure 6The second transmission assembly 322 also includes a second driving sprocket 3221, a second driven sprocket 3223 and a second transmission chain 3222 connected to the second driver 321. The second driven sprocket 3223 and at least part of the second transmission chain 3222 are located in the second cavity, and the second transmission chain 3222 is fixedly connected to the box taking mechanism 40. The second transmission chain 3222 is wound around the second driving sprocket 3221 and the second driven sprocket 3223. The second driving sprocket 3221 is driven to rotate by the second driver 321. The second driving sprocket 3221 and the second driven sprocket 3223 are arranged up and down. The second transmission chain 3222 is also arranged in the vertical direction, which can drive the box taking mechanism 40 to move in the vertical direction, thereby causing the second transmission assembly 322 to output movement in the vertical direction.

[0090] Optionally, a vertical slide 32361 fixedly connected to the mounting plate 34 is provided in the second cavity 12, and a vertical slider 324 is fixed to the motion output end of the first sprocket assembly. The vertical slider 324 is slidably set on the vertical slide 32361, and the vertical slider 324 is fixedly connected to the box taking mechanism 40, so that the movement of the box taking mechanism 40 in the vertical direction is more stable.

[0091] In other embodiments, the second transmission assembly 322 may also be a screw mechanism, a synchronous belt mechanism, etc.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 4 and Figure 6 The driving mechanism 30 outputs a rotational motion to the box taking mechanism 40 through the transmission rod 332, and the transmission rod 332 is used to drive the box taking mechanism 40 to output a motion in the second direction; the transmission rod 332 is connected to the third driver 331, and the transmission rod 332 is located in the second cavity 12. The driving mechanism 30 and the box taking mechanism 40 are connected by transmission through the transmission rod 332, and the transmission rod 332 is driven to rotate by the third driver 331, which can transmit the rotational motion to the box taking mechanism 40, thereby causing the box taking mechanism 40 to output a motion in the second direction, thereby realizing pushing and pulling the sample tray 52.

[0093] In some embodiments, the transmission rod 332 is a square rod, which can transmit the rotational motion to the box removal mechanism 40 .

[0094] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figures 8 to 10The box taking mechanism 40 includes a fixing seat 41, a third transmission assembly 42, and a push-pull member 43 for pushing and pulling the sample tray 52 on the sample rack 50. The motion input end of the third transmission assembly 42 moves synchronously with the transmission rod 332, and the motion output end of the third transmission assembly 42 is connected to the push-pull member 43, so that the push-pull member 43 reciprocates in the second direction. The push-pull member has a first positioning portion 431 extending in the vertical direction, and the sample tray 52 has a second positioning portion 521 that is positioned and matched with the first positioning portion 431 in the vertical direction. When the sample tray 52 needs to be placed, the transmission rod 332 drives the third transmission assembly 42 to work, so that the push-pull member 43 pushes the sample tray 52 onto the supporting structure 51. When it is necessary to take out the sample tray 52, the transmission rod 332 drives the third transmission assembly 42 to work, so that the push-pull member 43 moves to the bottom of the sample tray 52, and the box removal mechanism 40 moves upward for a certain distance, so that the first positioning portion 431 and the second positioning portion 521 are plugged into and matched with each other, and the push-pull member 43 hooks the sample tray 52, and then the transmission rod 332 drives the push-pull member 43 to move in the opposite direction through the third transmission assembly 42 to pull out the sample tray 52.

[0095] In some embodiments, one of the first positioning portion 431 and the second positioning portion 521 is a protruding structure, and the other is a recessed structure, and the two positioning portions can be plugged in and matched in the vertical direction.

[0096] In some embodiments, see Figure 8 A third slide rail 44 is fixed on the fixed seat 41, and the length direction of the third slide rail 44 is parallel to the second direction. A third slider is fixed on the push-pull member 43, and the third slider is slidably arranged on the third slide rail 44, so that the movement of the push-pull member 43 is more stable.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present invention, see Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The third transmission assembly 42 includes a third driving sprocket 421, a plurality of third driven sprockets 422 and a third transmission chain 423. The third driving sprocket 421 is provided with a transmission hole 4211 adapted to the transmission rod 332. The transmission rod 332 extends into the transmission hole 4211, so that the transmission rod 332 and the third driving sprocket 421 rotate synchronously. The rotation axes of the third driving sprocket 421 and the third driven sprocket 422 are parallel to the vertical direction. The push-pull member 43 is fixedly connected to the third transmission chain 423. The third transmission chain 423 is wound around the third driving sprocket 421 and the plurality of third driven sprockets 422. When the third driver 331 drives the transmission rod 332 to rotate, the third driving sprocket 421 rotates synchronously with the transmission rod 332, and the plurality of third driven sprockets 422 also rotate accordingly, so that the push-pull member 43 moves in the second direction. The third driving sprocket 421 and the plurality of third driven sprockets 422 are arranged on a horizontal plane, so that the third transmission chain 423 can translate on the horizontal plane.

[0098] Optionally, the transmission rod 332 is a square rod, a D-shaped rod, etc., and the third driving sprocket 421 is correspondingly provided with a transmission hole 4211 of the same shape.

[0099] Optionally, the number of third driven sprockets 422 is four, two of which are arranged on the outside of the third transmission chain 423 to change the direction of the third transmission chain 423, and the other two third driven sprockets 422 are respectively arranged at both ends in the second direction and located on the inner side of the transmission chain, which can be used to drive the push-pull member 43 to move in the second direction.

[0100] The present invention also provides an automated storage system, which includes a plurality of refrigerators in any of the above embodiments, and two adjacent refrigerators are connected to each other. The sample boxes in the refrigerators can be circulated between the refrigerators, so as to realize the unified management of the sample boxes.

[0101] The automated storage system provided by the present invention adopts the above-mentioned refrigerator. The partition structure 20 divides the space inside the housing 10 into a first cavity 11 for accommodating the driving mechanism 30 and a second cavity 12 for storing the sample box. By setting the partition structure 20, the transfer of the coldness of the second cavity 12 to the first cavity 11 can be reduced, so that the driving mechanism 30 is in a higher temperature environment. The partition structure 20 includes a first telescopic partition, so that when the driving mechanism 30 drives the box taking mechanism 40 to move along the first direction, it can still maintain the mutual isolation of the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12, further reducing the transfer of the coldness of the second cavity 12 to the first cavity 11. The driving mechanism 30 can make the box taking mechanism 40 move in the first direction and the vertical direction, and can also make the box taking mechanism 40 output the movement in the second direction. Therefore, the driving mechanism 30 only needs to move in the first direction as a whole to meet the three-axis movement of the box taking mechanism 40, and then the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 12 can be truly isolated through the partition structure 20.

[0102] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: shell; A partition structure, the partition structure is located in the shell and divides the shell into a first cavity and a second cavity, the temperature of the first cavity is higher than the temperature of the second cavity; a plurality of sample racks arranged along a first direction are arranged in the second cavity; the partition structure includes a partition plate and a first telescopic isolation member that can be contracted and expanded, the partition plate has a first opening extending along the first direction, the first telescopic isolation member is used to block the first opening, and the first telescopic isolation member is connected to a motion output end of a driving mechanism that moves in the first direction; A box taking mechanism, driven by the driving mechanism and located in the second cavity; as well as The driving mechanism is located in the first cavity and is slidably arranged on the partition structure along the first direction. The driving mechanism can drive the box taking mechanism to move in the first direction and the vertical direction. The driving mechanism can also enable the box taking mechanism to output movement in the second direction to take and place samples from the sample rack. The first direction, the second direction and the vertical direction are perpendicular to each other.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism includes a mounting plate, a first movable module, a second movable module and a third movable module, the first telescopic isolation member is connected to the mounting plate; the first movable module includes a first driver and a first transmission assembly connected to the first driver, and the first transmission assembly is used to drive the mounting plate to move along the first direction; the second movable module includes a second driver and a second transmission assembly connected to the second driver, and the second transmission assembly is used to drive the box taking mechanism to move in a vertical direction; the third movable module includes a third driver for driving the box taking mechanism to output the second direction movement; the first driver, the second driver and the third driver are all fixed on the mounting plate.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving mechanism outputs rotational motion to the box taking mechanism via a transmission rod, and the transmission rod is used to drive the box taking mechanism to output motion in a second direction; the transmission rod is connected to the third driver, and the transmission rod is located in the second cavity.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The box taking mechanism includes a fixed seat, a third transmission assembly and a push-pull member for pushing and pulling the sample tray on the sample rack. The motion input end of the third transmission assembly moves synchronously with the transmission rod, and the motion output end of the third transmission assembly is connected to the push-pull member, so that the push-pull member reciprocates in the second direction. The push-pull member has a first positioning portion extending in the vertical direction, and the sample tray has a second positioning portion that is positioned and matched with the first positioning portion in the vertical direction.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The third transmission assembly includes a third driving sprocket, a plurality of third driven sprockets and a third transmission chain. The third driving sprocket is provided with a transmission hole matched with the transmission rod. The transmission rod extends into the transmission hole so that the transmission rod and the third driving sprocket rotate synchronously. The rotation axes of the third driving sprocket and the third driven sprocket are parallel to the vertical direction. The push-pull member is fixedly connected to the third transmission chain.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first transmission assembly also includes a gear connected to the first driver and a rack meshing with the gear, and the rack is fixedly arranged on the partition structure; the second transmission assembly also includes a second driving sprocket, a second driven sprocket and a second transmission chain connected to the second driver, the second driven sprocket and at least part of the second transmission chain are located in the second cavity, and the second transmission chain is fixedly connected to the box taking mechanism.

7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The partition structure also includes an isolation frame fixed on the partition plate and a workbench fixed on the isolation frame. The driving mechanism is arranged on the side of the workbench facing away from the partition plate. The workbench is provided with a second opening arranged opposite to the first opening. The partition plate, the isolation frame and the workbench form a transition space, and the transition space is located between the first cavity and the second cavity.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving mechanism comprises a first moving module for driving the box taking mechanism to move in a first direction, a second telescopic isolating member is provided to seal the second opening, and the second telescopic isolating member is connected to the movement output end of the first moving module.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first telescopic spacer and the second telescopic spacer are both made of accordion fabric.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving mechanism comprises a first moving module for driving the box taking mechanism to move in a first direction; The first telescopic isolation member includes two first telescopic units, wherein two ends of one of the first telescopic units are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first moving module and the first end of the first opening, and two ends of the other first telescopic unit are respectively connected to the motion output end of the first moving module and the second end of the first opening, and the first end and the second end are respectively two ends of the first opening in the length direction thereof; Alternatively, the first telescopic isolation member is provided with a first through hole for the connection structure between the driving mechanism and the box taking mechanism to pass through, and two ends of the first telescopic isolation member are respectively fixed to two ends of the first opening.

11. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The sample rack has a plurality of supporting structures arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and a plurality of sample trays are arranged on the supporting structures in a one-to-one correspondence along the vertical direction.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, characterized in that: The second cavity has a movable channel extending along the first direction and multiple cargo picking channels extending along the second direction, and the multiple cargo picking channels are all connected to the movable channel, and the box taking mechanism takes out the sample box along the second direction; the end of the supporting structure away from the movable channel has a protruding limiting portion, and the end of the supporting structure close to the movable channel has an inclined portion inclined downward.

13. An automated storage system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of refrigerators according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein two adjacent refrigerators are connected to each other.

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