Heat sealing instrument and heat sealing process

Abstract

The invention discloses a heat sealing instrument and a heat sealing process, the heat sealing instrument comprises a first supporting assembly, a heat sealing head, a heat sealing reset device, a heating assembly and a lifting assembly, and the first supporting assembly is provided with a mounting position used for placing an assembly to be subjected to heat sealing. The heat sealing head is connected with the heat sealing reset device, and the heat sealing head located at the position of the to-be-heat-sealed assembly is moved away from the to-be-heat-sealed assembly. The heating assembly can be attached to the heat sealing head to heat the heat sealing head, and the heating assembly is provided with an initial position isolated from the heat sealing head so that the heat sealing head can be replaced. The lifting end of the lifting assembly is connected with the heating assembly so as to drive the heating assembly to be attached to the heat sealing head and drive the heat sealing head to move to the position of the assembly to be subjected to heat sealing. Working of the heat sealing head is achieved through the lifting assembly and the heat sealing reset device, the movement path is fixed, and compared with the situation that deviation exists in manual operation of workers, the heat sealing effect of the heat sealing instrument is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of thermal sealing film construction for microfluidic chips, and particularly to a thermal sealer and a thermal sealing process. Background Art

[0002] Traditionally, for heat-sealing plastics through a thermal sealer, such as for microfluidic chips and cup mouth sealing, it is all manual operation. Workers perform heat sealing on a single component to be heat-sealed, and each thermal sealer uses a fixedly installed heat head to perform heat sealing on the component to be heat-sealed.

[0003] However, with manual operation by workers, the operation of a single process is complex, the efficiency is low, the defective rate is high, and the heat-sealing effect is poor.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the heat-sealing effect is a technical problem that those skilled in the art urgently need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a thermal sealer with improved heat-sealing effect.

[0006] A thermal sealer provided by the present application includes:

[0007] A first support component, on which there is an installation position for placing the component to be heat-sealed;

[0008] A heat head;

[0009] A heat-sealing reset device, the heat head is connected to the heat-sealing reset device, and moves the heat head located at the position of the component to be heat-sealed away from the component to be heat-sealed;

[0010] A heating component, the heating component can be attached to the heat head to heat the heat head, and the heating component has an initial position isolated from the heat head to replace the heat head;

[0011] A lifting component, the lifting end of the lifting component is connected to the heating component to drive the heating component to be attached to the heat head, and drive the heat head to move to the position of the component to be heat-sealed.

[0012] Optionally, in the above thermal sealer, the heating component includes a PID temperature controller and a heating sheet signal-connected to the PID temperature controller, and the heating sheet is installed at the lifting end of the lifting component.

[0013] Optionally, in the above thermal sealer, the heat head is of a T-shaped structure, a first heat-conducting plane is provided at the top of the heat head, and a second heat-conducting plane capable of being attached to the first heat-conducting plane to transfer heat is provided at the bottom of the heating component.

[0014] Optionally, in the above thermal sealer, it further includes:

[0015] A pressure sensor, which is installed at the lifting end of the lifting assembly;

[0016] A heat insulation pad, one end of which is installed at the force measuring end of the pressure sensor, and the heating end of the heating assembly is installed at the other end of the heat insulation pad;

[0017] A control module, the pressure sensor, the heating assembly and the lifting assembly are all signal-connected to the control module; when the pressure value received by the control module from the pressure sensor exceeds the preset pressure value range, the hot head heats the component to be heat-sealed, and the control module controls the lifting assembly to stop moving towards the component to be heat-sealed, and the heating assembly enters the heat-sealing heating position.

[0018] Optionally, in the above heat sealer, it further includes a timing module, the control module is signal-connected to the timing module, and after the heating assembly enters the heat-sealing heating position for a preset time, the control module receives the signal from the timing module and controls the lifting assembly to move in the reverse direction until the heating assembly separates from the initial position of the hot head.

[0019] Optionally, in the above heat sealer, it further includes a second support assembly for supporting the hot head, and the second support assembly is provided with a mounting position detachably connected to the hot head for installing a variety of the hot heads.

[0020] Optionally, in the above heat sealer, the second support assembly includes a transverse support frame and two guide shafts respectively installed on opposite sides of the transverse support frame. The transverse support frame is detachably connected to the hot head. The heat-sealing reset device is sleeved outside the guide shafts and is connected to the transverse support frame at one end, and the guide shafts are slidably connected to the transverse support frame.

[0021] Optionally, in the above heat sealer, it further includes a guiding assembly, and the guiding assembly includes:

[0022] A back plate, on which the housing of the lifting assembly is installed;

[0023] Slide rails installed on opposite sides of the back plate;

[0024] A sliding plate, which is slidably connected to the two slide rails. The heating assembly is installed on the sliding plate, and the lifting end of the lifting assembly is connected to the heating assembly through the sliding plate.

[0025] Optionally, in the above heat sealer, the first support assembly includes:

[0026] Chip adapter, the installation position is set on the chip adapter, and the component to be heat-sealed is placed on the chip adapter;

[0027] Bottom tray, the chip adapter is installed on the bottom tray, and the bottom tray and the chip adapter are detachably connected through a clamping component. The chip adapter and the bottom tray are provided with at least two positioning methods to heat-seal different positions of the component to be heat-sealed.

[0028] Optionally, in the above heat-sealing instrument, a limit card slot is provided on the chip adapter. The clamping component includes a first limit protrusion and a second limit protrusion. The first limit protrusion and the second limit protrusion are both provided on the bottom tray, and the first limit protrusion and the second limit protrusion can respectively be clamped with the limit card slot.

[0029] Optionally, in the above heat-sealing instrument, the bottom tray is provided with a support groove for accommodating the chip adapter. The first limit protrusion and the second limit protrusion are provided on the adjacent side walls of the support groove, and at least two limit card slots are provided on the same side surface of the chip adapter.

[0030] The heat-sealing process provided by the present application is characterized by including the steps:

[0031] S1. The control module controls the heated heat-sealing head to move from the initial position along the first direction towards the component to be heat-sealed, and measures the pressure value of the heating surface of the heat-sealing head in real time;

[0032] S2. The control module adjusts the moving speed of the heat-sealing head according to the pressure value of the heating surface;

[0033] S3. When the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface reaches within the preset pressure value range, the heat-sealing head performs a heat-sealing operation on the component to be heat-sealed, and stops the heat-sealing head from moving within the preset time period;

[0034] S4. After the control module receives that the heat-sealing head has stopped moving for more than the preset time period, the heat-sealing head moves along the direction opposite to the first direction until it returns to the initial preset position.

[0035] Optionally, in the above heat-sealing process, the step S2 includes: the control module adjusts the moving speed of the heat-sealing head to gradually decrease as the pressure value of the heating surface gradually increases.

[0036] Optionally, in the above heat-sealing process, the step S3 includes: when the heat-sealing head moves from the initial position along the first direction towards the component to be heat-sealed, when the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface exceeds the preset pressure value range, the control module controls the heat-sealing head to move along the direction opposite to the first direction until the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface reaches within the preset pressure value range, the heat-sealing head performs a heat-sealing operation on the component to be heat-sealed, and the heat-sealing head stops moving within the preset time period.

[0037] In the above technical solution, the heat sealer provided by the present invention includes a first support assembly, a heat sealing head, a heat seal reset device, a heating assembly, and a lifting assembly. An installation position for placing the component to be heat-sealed is provided on the first support assembly. The heat sealing head is connected to the heat seal reset device, and the heat sealing head located at the position of the component to be heat-sealed is moved away from the component to be heat-sealed. The heating assembly can be attached to the heat sealing head to heat the heat sealing head. The heating assembly has an initial position isolated from the heat sealing head to replace the heat sealing head. The lifting end of the lifting assembly is connected to the heating assembly to drive the heating assembly to be attached to the heat sealing head and drive the heat sealing head to move to the position of the component to be heat-sealed.

[0038] As can be seen from the above description, in the heat sealer provided in this application, under the action of the heat seal reset device, the heat sealing head is isolated from the component to be heat-sealed. Under the action of the lifting assembly, the heating assembly is driven to be isolated from the heat sealing head. Then, according to the differences of the components to be heat-sealed, the staff can replace the corresponding heat sealing heads. The operation of the heat sealing head is realized through the lifting assembly and the heat seal reset device, and the movement path is fixed. Compared with the situation where there are deviations in the manual operation of the staff, the heat sealing effect of the heat sealer provided in this application is improved. Description of the Drawings

[0039] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained according to the provided drawings.

[0040] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the initial position of the heat sealer provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram when the heat sealing head provided by the embodiment of the present invention starts to heat;

[0042] Figure 3 It is an exploded view of the heat sealing head and the heating assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the operation component provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the inverted U-shaped bracket of the heat sealer provided by the embodiment of the present invention, which is applicable to the LPA gel sealing of the capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip cartridge;

[0045] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the heat sealer provided by the embodiment of the present invention for heat-sealing the microfluidic chip accessory, the buffer solution reservoir;

[0046] Figure 7 Schematic structural diagram of heat sealing the sample loading pool, a microfluidic chip fitting, by the heat sealer provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 8 Schematic structural diagram of heat sealing different sealing positions on a PCR amplification microfluidic chip by the heat sealer provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and heat sealing the sample port;

[0048] Figure 9 Schematic structural diagram of heat sealing different sealing positions on the same PCR amplification microfluidic chip by the heat sealer provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and heat sealing the reservoir opening;

[0049] Figure 10 Schematic structural diagram of multi-layer sealing at the same position of a certain capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip cartridge by the heat sealer provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and the first layer of sealing;

[0050] Figure 11 Schematic structural diagram of multi-layer sealing at the same position of a certain capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip cartridge by the heat sealer provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and the second layer of sealing;

[0051] Figure 12 Schematic structural diagram of the second support assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 13 Schematic structural diagram of the bottom plate provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Wherein Figures 1-13 In the figure: 1 - operating assembly, 2 - limit block, 3 - heat sealing reset device, 4 - linear bearing, 5 - slide rail, 6 - lifting assembly, 7 - PID temperature controller, 8 - pressure sensor, 9 - component to be heat sealed, 10 - chip adapter, 11 - bottom support, 12 - guide shaft, 13 - sliding plate, 14 - horizontal support frame, 15 - heat sealing head, 16 - heat conducting pressure block, 17 - heating sheet, 18 - heat insulation pad, 19 - heating base, 20 - debugging button, 21 - zeroing button, 22 - stop button, 23 - start button, 24 - first limit protrusion, 25 - limit card slot, 26 - second limit protrusion, 27 - inverted U-shaped bracket, 28 - two-layer bottom support for the reservoir of a certain capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip, 29 - reservoir of a certain capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip, 30 - two-layer heat sealing head for the reservoir of a certain capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip, 31 - heat sealing head for the sample port of a PCR amplification microfluidic chip, 32 - bottom plate, 33 - sample hole of the microfluidic chip, 34 - heat sealing head for the sample hole of the microfluidic chip, 35 - sample port of the PCR amplification microfluidic chip, 36 - first-layer heat sealing head for a certain capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip cartridge, 37 - second-layer heat sealing head for a certain capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip cartridge, 38 - second support assembly. Detailed implementation manners

[0054] The core of the present invention is to provide a heat sealer with improved versatility.

[0055] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0056] Please refer to Figures 1 to 13 。

[0057] In a specific embodiment, the heat sealer provided by the specific embodiment of the present invention includes a first support assembly, a heat sealing head 15, a heat sealing reset device 3, a heating assembly, and a lifting assembly 6. An installation position for placing the component 9 to be heat-sealed is provided on the first support assembly.

[0058] The heat sealing head 15 is connected to the heat sealing reset device 3 to move the heat sealing head 15 located at the position of the component 9 to be heat-sealed away from the component 9 to be heat-sealed. Specifically, the heat sealing reset device 3 may be provided with a return spring, and the return spring drives the heat sealing head 15 to move upward and separate from the component 9 to be heat-sealed. Specifically, the bottom end of the return spring is supported by a limit block 2.

[0059] The heating assembly can be attached to the heat sealing head 15 to heat the heat sealing head 15. The heating assembly has an initial position isolated from the heat sealing head 15 to replace the heat sealing head 15. The lifting end of the lifting assembly 6 is connected to the heating assembly to drive the heating assembly to be attached to the heat sealing head 15 and drive the heat sealing head 15 to move to the position of the component 9 to be heat-sealed. Specifically, the lifting assembly 6 can be driven to lift by a motor or a telescopic rod.

[0060] Through the above description, it can be seen that in the heat sealer provided by the specific embodiment of the present application, under the action of the heat sealing reset device 3, the heat sealing head 15 is isolated from the component 9 to be heat-sealed. Under the action of the lifting assembly 6, the heating assembly is driven to be isolated from the heat sealing head 15. Then, the staff can replace the corresponding heat sealing head 15 according to the different components 9 to be heat-sealed. The operation of the heat sealing head 15 is realized through the lifting assembly 6 and the heat sealing reset device 3, and the movement path is fixed. Compared with the situation where there are deviations in the manual operation of the staff, the heat sealing effect of the heat sealer provided by the present application is improved.

[0061] The heating assembly includes a PID temperature controller 7 and a heating sheet 17 signal-connected to the PID temperature controller 7. The heating sheet 17 is installed at the lifting end of the lifting assembly 6.

[0062] The heat sealing head 15 has a T-shaped structure. A first heat-conducting plane is provided at the top end of the heat sealing head 15, and a second heat-conducting plane capable of being attached to the first heat-conducting plane to transfer heat is provided at the bottom end of the heating assembly.

[0063] Specifically, the heating component further includes a heat-conducting pressing block 16 installed on the lower surface of the heating sheet 17. Specifically, the heat-conducting pressing block 16 can be made of copper. The heat of the heating sheet 17 is transferred to the heat-sealing head 15 through the heat-conducting pressing block 16.

[0064] The heat-sealing instrument provided by the present application further includes a pressure sensor 8, a heat-insulating pad 18, and a control module. The pressure sensor 8 is installed at the lifting end of the lifting component 6. One end of the heat-insulating pad 18 is installed at the force-measuring end of the pressure sensor 8, and the heating end of the heating component is installed at the other end of the heat-insulating pad 18. The pressure sensor 8, the heating component, and the lifting component 6 are all connected to the control module in a signal manner. Specifically, when the control module receives that the pressure value of the pressure sensor 8 exceeds the preset pressure value range, the heat-sealing head 15 heats the component 9 to be heat-sealed, and the control module controls the lifting component 6 to stop moving in the direction of the component 9 to be heat-sealed, and the heating component enters the heat-sealing heating position. Specifically, the preset pressure value range is determined according to actual requirements. The heat-sealing head 15 of the present application realizes an automated, modular, and integrated solution for hot-melt sealing of plastic microfluidic chips with plastic films and PTP films through a contact heat transfer method.

[0065] During specific installation, the top end of the heat-insulating pad 18 is fixed to the heating base 19, and the bottom end 19 of the heating is installed at the lifting end of the lifting component 6.

[0066] The heat-sealing instrument provided by the present application further includes a timing module. The control module is connected to the timing module in a signal manner. When the heating component enters the heat-sealing heating position for a preset time, the control module receives the signal of the timing module and controls the lifting component 6 to move in the reverse direction until the heating component separates from the heat-sealing head 15 to the initial position.

[0067] The heat-sealing instrument further includes an operation component 1 for controlling the operation of the heat-sealing instrument. The operation component 1 includes a debugging button 20, a start button 23, a stop button 22, and a zero return button. The debugging button 20 is used for heat-sealing debugging work. At this time, the staff can adjust various parameters of the heat-sealing instrument according to needs, such as the heating time and temperature of the heating element, and the lifting height of the lifting component. The start button 23 is used to control the heat-sealing instrument to perform heat-sealing work once. The stop button 22 is used to control the heat-sealing instrument to stop working. The zero return button is used to control the heat-sealing instrument to return to the initial position. Specifically, the debugging button 20 is used during testing. The stop button 22 is used when problems are found during work or emergency stop is required. The zero return button is used when the motor does not return to the initial position after accidental power-off or illegal shutdown, and is used to make the motor return to the initial position after power-on again, or can also be used after pressing the stop button 22. The start button 23 is used during normal heat-sealing.

[0068] The heat sealer further includes a second support assembly 38 for supporting the heat sealing head 15. The second support assembly 38 is provided with a mounting position detachably connected to the heat sealing head 15 for installing various heat sealing heads 15. Specifically, the second support assembly 38 is provided with a mounting groove for supporting the heat sealing head 15. When the heat sealing head 15 is of a T-shaped structure, the bottom surface of the horizontal structure at the top of the heat sealing head 15 abuts against the bottom of the mounting groove, and the mounting groove is used to limit the heat sealing head 15.

[0069] In a specific embodiment, the second support assembly 38 is connected to the heat sealing reset device through a mounting frame. Specifically, the heat sealing reset device is installed on the guide rod through a linear bearing 16 and moves up and down along the guide rod to realize the movement of the heat sealing head.

[0070] The second support assembly 38 includes a horizontal support frame 14 and two guide shafts 12 respectively installed on opposite sides of the horizontal support frame 14. The horizontal support frame 14 is detachably connected to the heat sealing head 15. The heat sealing reset device 3 is sleeved outside the guide shaft 12 and is connected to the horizontal support frame 14 at one end, and the guide shaft 12 is slidably connected to the horizontal support frame 14.

[0071] Specifically, the elastic reset device realizes the movement of the heat sealing head 15 away from the component 9 to be heat sealed through a built-in spring. At the same time, in this application, by setting the spring, during the movement of the heat sealing head 15 towards the component 9 to be heat sealed, the spring gives a force in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the heat sealing head 15, reducing the stroke of the heat sealing head 15 pressing down to reach the preset pressure value range and reducing the stroke error of the heat sealing head 15 moving down to the preset pressure value range, improving the heat sealing effect.

[0072] The heat sealer provided by this application further includes a guiding component. The guiding component includes a back plate, a slide rail 5 and a sliding plate 13. The housing of the lifting component 6 is installed on the back plate, and the slide rail 5 is installed on opposite sides of the back plate. The sliding plate 13 is slidably connected to the two slide rails 5, and the heating component is installed on the sliding plate 13. The lifting end of the lifting component 6 is connected to the heating component through the sliding plate 13.

[0073] On the basis of the above-mentioned various solutions, the first support assembly includes a chip adapter 10 and a bottom tray 11. The mounting position is arranged on the chip adapter 10, and the component 9 to be heat sealed is placed on the chip adapter 10. The chip adapter 10 is installed on the bottom tray 11, and the bottom tray 11 and the chip adapter 10 are detachably connected through a clamping component.

[0074] During specific assembly, the bottom tray 11 is installed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 32, and the bottom ends of the guide shafts 12 are installed on the bottom plate 32. The bottom plate 32 provides support for the overall structure.

[0075] The chip adapter 10 and the bottom tray 11 are provided with at least two positioning methods to heat seal different positions of the component to be heat sealed. For example, two adjacent sides of the chip adapter 10 can be attached and limited to the same side of the bottom tray 11.

[0076] Specifically, the base 11 can be a rectangular body interface or can be set as an inverted U-shaped bracket 27 with a downward opening according to needs, reducing the overall weight. As Figure 6 shown, the chip adapter 10 can be a two-layer base 28 for storing liquid of a capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip, and the component to be heat-sealed 9 can be a liquid storage pool 29 of a capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip. At this time, the corresponding heat-sealing head can be a two-layer heat-sealing head 30 for storing liquid of a capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip.

[0077] As Figure 7 shown, when the specific heat-sealing position of the component to be heat-sealed 9 is the microfluidic chip sample hole 33, the heat-sealing head at this time is the microfluidic chip sample hole heat-sealing head 34.

[0078] As Figure 8 shown, when the specific heat-sealing position of the component to be heat-sealed 9 is the PCR amplification microfluidic chip sample port 35, at this time, the heat-sealing head is the PCR amplification microfluidic chip sample port heat-sealing head 31.

[0079] Of course, according to needs, the heat-sealing head can be the first-layer heat-sealing head 36 of a capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip cartridge or the second-layer heat-sealing head 37 of a capillary electrophoresis microfluidic chip cartridge.

[0080] The chip adapter 10 is provided with a limit card slot 25. The card connection component includes a first limit protrusion 24 and a second limit protrusion 26. The first limit protrusion 24 and the second limit protrusion 26 are both arranged on the base 11. The first limit protrusion 24 and the second limit protrusion 26 can respectively be card-connected with the limit card slot 25.

[0081] The base 11 is provided with a support groove for accommodating the chip adapter 10. The first limit protrusion 24 and the second limit protrusion 26 are arranged on the adjacent side walls of the support groove. At least two limit card slots 25 are arranged on the same side surface of the chip adapter 10. The design of the replaceable and modular base 11 and heat-sealing head 15 of the chip enables the heat-sealing point to be accurately located through the common positioning holes, realizing the heat-sealing process for different chips, different positions, and different layers. The multi-layer design of the heat-sealing head 15 enables the rapid switching of different heat-sealing heads 15. The module includes components such as a heating sheet 17, a temperature measurement sensor, a heat insulation pad 18, and a pressure sensor 8, which perform real-time feedback on the parameters during the sealing process.

[0082] Each type of base 11 and the tooling that can be adapted thereto have the settings of the limit card slot 25, the first limit protrusion 24, and the second limit protrusion 26 as Figure 5 shown. Each limit protrusion and the limit card slot 25 correspond to a fixed heat-sealing hole. Coupled with the corresponding heat-sealing head 15, a heat-sealing can be completed.

[0083] For ease of understanding, the self-sealing instrument will be described below in conjunction with a specific implementation. First, connect the power supply and turn on the switch. Then, set the required temperature through the PID temperature controller 7. At Figure 1 position, select the appropriate base 11, chip adapter 10, and corresponding heat sealing head 15 through the types of heat sealing holes on the heat-sealing component 9 to be heated. Observe whether the temperature of the PID temperature controller 7 meets the requirements. When the temperature meets the requirements, press the start button 23, and the automatic heat sealer moves from Figure 2 position to Figure 3 position, and then to Figure 3 position. After that, the heat sealing head 15 starts to be heated, and the return spring starts to compress. There is a heat insulation pad 18 on the ceramic heating sheet, and the heat insulation pad 18 blocks the heat to prevent heat conduction to the pressure sensor 8. When the heat sealing head 15 contacts the heat-sealing component 9 to be heated, the pressure sensor 8 feeds back the pressure data to the control board. After the pressure reaches the set value, the motor stops running, and the heat sealing head 15 keeps contacting the heat-sealing part. After waiting for the set time, i.e., the heat sealing time, the motor rotates in the reverse direction, and the return spring pushes the heat sealing head 15 through the guide shaft 12 to separate it from the heat-sealing component 9 to be heated. One heat sealing hole in the heat-sealing component 9 to be heated is heat-sealed. The relative position between the heat-sealing part and the chip adapter 10 remains unchanged, and the relative position between the chip adapter 10 and the base 11 is adjusted for the next heat sealing assembly.

[0084] For the automatic heat sealer constructed based on the present invention, observe whether the set temperature meets the requirements, place the heat-sealing part. Press the start button 23 and wait for the heat sealing to be completed. Check the heat sealing result and proceed to the next round of sealing process.

[0085] On the basis of simple operation, parts such as conveyor belts and turntables can be further designed to automatically replace and adapt the base 11, further improving the automation degree of the entire process flow.

[0086] The self-sealing instrument provided in this application is simple to operate as a whole, has high efficiency, high yield, simple replacement of the heat sealing head 15, corresponding limits for each type of heat sealing hole, convenient position control, and operators do not need training and can directly operate. At the same time, the self-sealing instrument provided in this application can accurately control relevant parameters such as pressure, temperature, and contact time of hot melt sealing, realizing precise control of the entire sealing process, which is convenient for wide promotion and use.

[0087] The self-sealing instrument provided by the present invention for precisely hot melt sealing the microstructures on the microfluidic chip is applicable to plastic films and PTP metal composite films of various materials, and can accurately control the sealing temperature, pressure, and holding time. By modularly adapting various heat sealing heads 15, seamless switching of different-shaped interfaces for sealing on the same device can be realized, improving the versatility of the self-sealing instrument.

[0088] The heat sealing process provided in this application includes the steps:

[0089] S1. The control module controls the hot head 15 to move from the initial position along the first direction towards the component 9 to be heat-sealed, and measures the pressure value of the heating surface of the hot head 15 in real time. The first direction is the direction in which the hot head 15 approaches the component 9 to be heat-sealed. As shown, the first direction is the downward movement of the hot head 15. Specifically, the hot head 15 is heated by a heating component. When the hot head 15 is in the initial position, the heating component for heating the hot head 15 is arranged separately from the hot head 15. Specifically, the heat-sealing process provided in this application can be realized by the above-mentioned heat-sealing instrument. Figure 1 The hot head 15 can be driven to move by a motor or a telescopic rod. When the hot head 15 stops moving, the motor or the telescopic cylinder no longer moves.

[0090] The hot head 15 can be driven to move by a motor or a telescopic rod. When the hot head 15 stops moving, the motor or the telescopic cylinder no longer moves.

[0091] S2. The control module adjusts the moving speed of the hot head 15 according to the pressure value of the heating surface. Specifically, the hot head moves in the first direction in the following two stages. In the first movement stage, when the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface is zero, the hot head 15 moves at a first preset speed, and at this time, the hot head 15 moves at a constant speed.

[0092] In the second movement stage, when the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface is positive and the pressure value of the heating surface gradually increases, the moving speed of the hot head 15 is gradually decreased. The moving speed of the hot head 15 in the first movement stage is greater than that in the second movement stage. Specifically, the hot head 15 moves along the first direction through the lifting component 6. Specifically, the collected pressure value of the heating surface is fed back to the control module after filtering.

[0093] Among them, when the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface changes from zero pressure to a positive value, the spring of the heat-sealing reset device 3 begins to be compressed. The speed switching between the first movement stage and the second movement stage is triggered by whether the spring is compressed by the hot head 15.

[0094] S3. When the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface reaches within the preset pressure value range, the hot head 15 performs a heat-sealing operation on the component 9 to be heat-sealed, and the hot head 15 stops moving within the preset time period, and at this time, the pressure is maintained. Specifically, the preset pressure value range and the preset time for heat-sealing are determined according to the heat-sealing requirements, and this application does not make specific limitations.

[0095] Step S3 includes: when the hot head 15 moves from the initial position to the component 9 to be heat-sealed along the first direction, when the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface exceeds the preset pressure value range, the control module controls the hot head 15 to move in the direction opposite to the first direction until the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface reaches the preset pressure value range, the hot head 15 performs a heat-sealing operation on the component 9 to be heat-sealed, and the hot head 15 stops moving within a preset time period. With such a setting, the pressure compensation function of the hot head 15 is realized, and excessive pressure on the component 9 to be heat-sealed by the hot head 15 is avoided, thereby affecting the heat-sealing effect.

[0096] S4. After the control module receives that the hot head 15 has stopped moving for more than the preset time period, the control module controls the hot head 15 to move in the direction opposite to the first direction until the hot head 15 returns to the initial preset position. Specifically, the return operation of the hot head 15 can be realized by the heat-sealing reset device 3.

[0097] In this application, the control module controls the hot head 15 to move along a preset path to a position with a preset pressure. Compared with the situation where the operator manually controls the heat-sealing operation, the heat-sealing process provided in this application improves the heat-sealing effect.

[0098] Specifically, the heat-sealing process can be realized by the lifting component 6 and the heat-sealing reset device 3 to realize reciprocating motion along the first direction.

[0099] In this specification, each embodiment is described in a progressive manner. The key point of each embodiment is to illustrate the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts among the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0100] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A heat sealer, characterized in that, Comprising: A first support assembly, on which there is an installation position for placing the component to be heat-sealed (9); A hot head (15); A heat-sealing reset device (3), the hot head (15) is connected to the heat-sealing reset device (3), and the hot head (15) located at the position of the component to be heat-sealed (9) is moved away from the component to be heat-sealed (9); A heating assembly, the heating assembly can be attached to the hot head (15) to heat the hot head (15), and the heating assembly has an initial position isolated from the hot head (15) to replace the hot head (15); A lifting assembly (6), the lifting end of the lifting assembly (6) is connected to the heating assembly to drive the heating assembly to be attached to the hot head (15), and drive the hot head (15) to move to the position of the component to be heat-sealed (9).

2. The heat sealer according to claim 1, wherein, The heating assembly includes a PID temperature controller (7) and a heating sheet (17) signal-connected to the PID temperature controller (7), and the heating sheet (17) is installed at the lifting end of the lifting assembly (6).

3. The heat-sealing instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot head (15) has a T-shaped structure, a first heat-conducting plane is provided at the top of the hot head (15), and a second heat-conducting plane capable of being attached to the first heat-conducting plane to transfer heat is provided at the bottom of the heating assembly.

4. The heat sealer according to claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: A pressure sensor (8), the pressure sensor (8) is installed at the lifting end of the lifting assembly (6); A heat-insulating pad (18), one end of the heat-insulating pad (18) is installed at the force-measuring end of the pressure sensor (8), and the heating end of the heating assembly is installed at the other end of the heat-insulating pad (18); A control module, the pressure sensor (8), the heating assembly and the lifting assembly (6) are all signal-connected to the control module; when the pressure value received by the control module from the pressure sensor (8) exceeds the preset pressure value range, the hot head (15) heats the component to be heat-sealed (9), and the control module controls the lifting assembly (6) to stop moving towards the component to be heat-sealed (9), and the heating assembly enters the heat-sealing heating position.

5. The heat-sealing instrument according to claim 4, wherein Further comprising a timing module, the control module is signal-connected to the timing module, after the heating assembly enters the heat-sealing heating position for a preset time, the control module receives the signal from the timing module and controls the lifting assembly (6) to move in the reverse direction until the heating assembly is separated from the hot head (15) to the initial position.

6. The heat sealer according to claim 1, wherein Further comprising a second support assembly (38) for supporting the hot head (15), the second support assembly (38) is provided with an installation position detachably connected to the hot head (15) for installing a variety of the hot heads (15).

7. The heat-sealing instrument according to claim 6, wherein, The second support assembly (38) includes a transverse support frame (14) and two guide shafts (12) respectively installed on opposite sides of the transverse support frame (14). The transverse support frame (14) is detachably connected to the heat sealing head (15). The heat sealing reset device (3) is sleeved outside the guide shafts (12) and is connected to the transverse support frame (14) at one end. The guide shafts (12) are slidably connected to the transverse support frame (14).

8. The heat-sealing instrument according to claim 1, wherein It further includes a guiding assembly, and the guiding assembly includes: A back plate, on which the housing of the lifting assembly (6) is installed; Sliding rails (5) installed on opposite sides of the back plate; A sliding plate (13), which is slidably connected to the two sliding rails (5). The heating assembly is installed on the sliding plate (13), and the lifting end of the lifting assembly (6) is connected to the heating assembly through the sliding plate (13).

9. The heat sealer according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The first support assembly includes: A chip adapter (10), on which the installation position is set, and the component to be heat-sealed (9) is placed on the chip adapter (10); A bottom tray (11), on which the chip adapter (10) is installed. The bottom tray (11) and the chip adapter (10) are detachably connected through a clamping assembly. At least two positioning methods are provided between the chip adapter (10) and the bottom tray (11) to heat-seal different positions of the component to be heat-sealed.

10. The heat sealer according to claim 9, characterized in that, The chip adapter (10) is provided with a limit card slot (25). The clamping assembly includes a first limit protrusion (24) and a second limit protrusion (26). Both the first limit protrusion (24) and the second limit protrusion (26) are provided on the bottom tray (11), and the first limit protrusion (24) and the second limit protrusion (26) can respectively be clamped with the limit card slot (25).

11. The heat sealer according to claim 10, wherein The bottom tray (11) is provided with a support groove for accommodating the chip adapter (10). The first limit protrusion (24) and the second limit protrusion (26) are provided on the adjacent side walls of the support groove. At least two limit card slots (25) are provided on the same side surface of the chip adapter (10).

12. A heat-sealing process, characterized in that, It includes the steps: S1. The control module controls the heat sealing head to move from the initial position along the first direction towards the component to be heat-sealed (9), and measures the pressure value of the heating surface of the heat sealing head (15) in real time; S2. The control module adjusts the moving speed of the heat sealing head (15) according to the heating surface pressure value; S3. When the control module receives that the heating surface pressure value reaches within the preset pressure value range, the heat sealing head performs a heat sealing operation on the component to be heat-sealed (9), and the heat sealing head (15) stops moving within the preset time period; S4. After the control module receives that the heat sealing head (15) has stopped moving for more than the preset time period, the heat sealing head (15) moves in the direction opposite to the first direction until the heat sealing head (15) returns to the initial preset position.

13. The heat-sealing process according to claim 12, characterized in that, The step S2 includes: The first movement stage, when the control module determines that the heating surface pressure value is zero, the heat sealing head (15) moves at a first preset speed; In the second movement stage, when the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface is positive and the pressure value of the heating surface gradually increases, the moving speed of the hot head (15) is adjusted to gradually decrease. The moving speed of the hot head (15) in the first movement stage is greater than that in the second movement stage.

14. The heat-sealing process according to claim 12, characterized in that, The step S3 includes: when the hot head (15) moves from the initial position along the first direction towards the component to be heat-sealed (9), when the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface exceeds the preset pressure value range, the control module controls the hot head (15) to move in the direction opposite to the first direction until the control module receives that the pressure value of the heating surface reaches the preset pressure value range. The hot head (15) performs a heat-sealing operation on the component to be heat-sealed (9), and the hot head (15) stops moving within a preset time period.

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