Self-adaptive orbital transfer mechanism and orbital transfer method

Abstract

The invention discloses a self-adaptive track transfer mechanism and a track transfer method.The self-adaptive track transfer mechanism is arranged at a track transfer connecting part between a first track and a second track and comprises a fixing structure fixedly connected to the lower portion of a track base, a power source arranged on the fixing structure and a rotating table driven by the power source to rotate; the rotating table is provided with a connecting track for limiting the reaction cup, and the connecting track connects the first track and the second track on the two sides of the track transfer connecting part. According to the invention, the power source is rotating power, the power source drives the rotating table to rotate so as to realize the switching of the positions of the connecting rails, the transfer of the reaction cups of the at least two first rails to the second rail or the transfer of the reaction cups on the second rail to any one first rail is realized, and the structure is ingenious, the degree of freedom is low, and the failure rate is low. In addition, the device can be installed below a track base, is compact in structure and small in occupied space, and facilitates the small size of an instrument.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer, and more particularly to an adaptive orbit-changing mechanism and an orbit-changing method. Background Art

[0002] A chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer is one of the most commonly used detection devices in the field of in vitro diagnosis. Its incubation tray usually has a reaction cup running track (i.e., a track groove), and a reaction cup pusher is installed above the incubation tray to push the reaction cup to move along the track. Currently, the detection items of chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers are usually as many as dozens or even hundreds (such as tumor markers, hormones, infectious disease items, autoimmune disease items, etc.). The specificity of different items determines the diversity of the processes of chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers, resulting in frequent reaction cup orbit-changing situations during the detection process. The existing orbit-changing method uses a high-precision mechanical gripper to carry the reaction cup, but the high-precision mechanical gripper has a complex structure and a high degree of freedom, resulting in a relatively high failure rate of existing instruments. In addition, the mechanical gripper requires a large operating space and occupies a large space, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers. Moreover, due to the high precision requirements of the mechanical gripper, the precision requirements for the power source are high, increasing the control difficulty. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the first object of the present invention is to propose an adaptive orbit-changing mechanism, and the second object is to propose an orbit-changing method based on the adaptive orbit-changing mechanism, which can realize the adaptive adjustment of the connecting orbit, has a low degree of freedom, reduces the failure rate and the control precision requirements for the power source.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism of the present invention is arranged at the orbit-changing connection part between the first orbit and the second orbit, and includes a fixed structure fixedly connected to the lower part of the orbit base, a power source arranged on the fixed structure, a rotating table driven by the power source to rotate, and an adaptive adjustment structure. The rotating table has a connecting orbit for limiting the reaction cup, and the adaptive adjustment structure adaptively adjusts the connecting orbit to connect the first orbit and the second orbit on both sides of the orbit-changing connection part. The beneficial effects are as follows: The power source of the present invention is a rotational power. The power source drives the rotating table to rotate, thereby realizing the switching of the position of the connecting orbit. The adaptive adjustment structure further realizes the adaptive adjustment of the connecting orbit, thereby realizing the high-precision positioning of the connecting orbit, realizing the orbit-changing of the reaction cup on at least two first orbits to the second orbit or the orbit-changing of the reaction cup on the second orbit to any one of the first orbits. The structure is ingenious, the degree of freedom is low, and the failure rate is low. In addition, the present invention can be installed under the orbit base, with a compact structure and a small occupied space, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the instrument.

[0005] Preferably, the power source and the rotating table are drivingly connected through a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes a swing arm fixedly connected to the rotating table and a transmission pair. The transmission pair includes a rolling member and a limiting groove cooperating therewith. The rolling member is provided on the power output member of the power source while the limiting groove is formed on the swing arm, or the rolling member is fixedly connected to the swing arm while the limiting groove is formed on the power output member.

[0006] Preferably, the adaptive orbit-changing mechanism of the present invention further includes a first sensor and a second sensor fixedly connected to the fixed structure. The first sensor is used to monitor the origin position of the power source energy, and the second sensor is used to monitor the position of the swing arm. The present invention determines the state of the connecting orbit with the aid of two sensors, thereby achieving high-precision positioning of the position of the connecting orbit and ensuring the orbit change of the reaction cup.

[0007] More preferably, the rolling member is a vertically installed bearing or a vertically installed roller, and the bearing or the roller rolls in the limiting groove. The beneficial effect is that when the power source works, it drives the power output member to rotate synchronously. Since the rolling member is eccentrically installed on the power output member and is restricted by the limiting groove, the interaction between the rolling member and the limiting groove causes the swing arm to horizontally rotate around the rotating table, thereby realizing the adjustment of the position of the connecting orbit.

[0008] Preferably, the fixed structure includes a base and side plates fixedly connected to both sides of the base. The swinging end of the swing arm is located between the two side plates. More preferably, the top of each side plate has a horizontally turned-out mounting edge, and the mounting edge is fixedly connected to the bottom of the track seat by bolts.

[0009] In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power source includes a motor fixedly connected to the bottom of the base, and the power output member is connected to the motor shaft of the motor.

[0010] In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adaptive adjustment structure includes a magnet provided at the swinging end of the swing arm. Both side plates are made of ferromagnetic materials, and the magnetic pole direction of the magnet is parallel to the plane of the base; or the adaptive adjustment structure includes magnets provided on each side plate, the magnetic pole direction of the magnet is parallel to the base, and the swing arm is made of magnetic material. The beneficial effect is that in the present invention, when switching, the magnetic field generated by the magnet is used to adsorb the side plates of the base, and the magnetic force between the two can be used as a driving force to realize the adaptive precise positioning of the swing arm, thereby realizing the high-precision positioning of the connecting orbit, reducing the control and debugging control difficulty of the motor, further reducing the requirements for the motor, reducing costs, and being beneficial to cost optimization.

[0011] Preferably, the adaptive orbit-changing mechanism of the present invention further includes a fixed seat fixedly connected to the lower part of the orbit-changing connection part, and the rotating table is rotatably arranged on the fixed seat.

[0012] The present invention also provides a track-changing method, which is based on the adaptive track-changing mechanism of the present invention. Among them, the connecting track has a first side wall and a second side wall, and the track-changing connection part has a first fitting surface corresponding to the first side wall and a second fitting surface corresponding to the second side wall; The track-changing method includes track-changing between a first track A and a second track and track-changing between a first track B and the second track. When the reaction cup changes track from the first track A to the second track or from the second track to the first track A, the power source drives the rotating table to make the first side wall of the connecting track approach the first fitting surface, and the adaptive adjustment structure makes the first side wall and the first fitting surface fit, and the first track A and the second track are connected through the connecting track; When the reaction cup changes track from the first track B to the second track or from the second track to the first track B, the power source drives the rotating table to make the second side wall of the connecting track approach the second fitting surface, and the adaptive adjustment structure makes the second side wall and the second fitting surface fit, and the first track B and the second track are connected through the connecting track.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: The power source of the present invention is rotational power. The power source drives the rotating table to rotate, thereby realizing the switching of the position of the connecting track, realizing the track-changing of the reaction cups on at least two first tracks to the second track or the track-changing of the reaction cups on the second track to any one of the first tracks. Finally, the precise positioning relies on the magnetic force between the magnet on the swing arm and the side plate as the driving force and the holding force to ensure that the first side wall, the second side wall and the corresponding fitting surfaces are tightly attached, providing high-precision positioning. The structure is ingenious, occupies a small space, has a low degree of freedom, reduces the positioning accuracy requirements for the power source, and thus can reduce the failure rate of the instrument. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the installation position of the present invention on the incubation tray of a chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer.

[0015] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a diagram showing the relationship between the first track and the second track in

[0016] Figure 3 a schematic structural diagram of the adaptive track-changing mechanism of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 a side view of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention (the transmission component is in cross-section).

[0019] Figure 6 a top view of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 It is a top view schematic diagram of the connection track of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of the connection track of the present invention (both ends of the bottom support surface are chamfered edges).

[0022] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the connection track of the present invention switching from the second state to the first state.

[0023] Figure 10 It is a connection relationship diagram between the connection track of the present invention and the first track A and the second track.

[0024] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the connection track of the present invention switching from the first state to the second state.

[0025] Figure 12 It is a connection relationship diagram between the connection track of the present invention and the first track B and the second track. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are implemented on the premise of the technical solution of the present invention, and detailed implementation manners and specific operation processes are given. However, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0027] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected" and "connected" may be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood through specific situations.

[0029] The present invention provides an adaptive rail-changing mechanism, which is arranged at the rail-changing connection part 2 between the first rail and the second rail 1, and can realize the rail change of the reaction cup on the first rail to the second rail 1 (or the rail change of the reaction cup from the second rail 1 to the first rail), so as to realize free rail change. In actual installation, there may be two first rails, and the second rail 1 may be one or two. The present invention takes the rail change between two first rails and one second rail 1 as an example to make a more detailed description of the adaptive rail-changing mechanism of the present invention.

[0030] Combined Figure 1-8 Figure 1-8 It can be seen that the adaptive orbit-changing mechanism of the present invention includes a fixed structure 3 fixedly connected below the orbit base, a power source arranged on the fixed structure 3, a rotating table 4a driven by the power source to rotate, and an adaptive adjustment structure for adaptively adjusting the rotating table. The rotating table 4a has a connecting track 4b for limiting the reaction cup. The connecting track 4b is located above the orbit base and at the orbit-changing connection part 2. The connecting track 4b connects the first track and the second track 1 on both sides of the orbit-changing connection part 2. The connecting track 4b has a first side wall 4b.1 and a second side wall 4b.2. The orbit-changing connection part 2 has a first fitting surface 2.1 corresponding to the first side wall 4b.1 and a second fitting surface 2.2 corresponding to the second side wall 4b.2. The power source can drive the rotating table 4a to realize the in-situ rotation of the connecting track 4b. When the connecting track 4b is about to rotate in place, it is further adjusted by the adaptive adjustment structure so that the first side wall 4b.1 of the connecting track 4b corresponds to the first fitting surface 2.1 up and down. This state is the first state of the connecting track 4b. At this time, the reaction cup pusher can push the reaction cup from the first track A through the connecting track 4b into the second track 1 (or from the second track 1 through the connecting track 4b into the first track A). Similarly, when the second side wall 4b.2 of the connecting track 4b is located at the second fitting surface 2.2, it is the second state of the connecting track 4b. At this time, the reaction cup pusher can push the reaction cup from the first track B through the connecting track 4b into the second track 1 or from the second track 1 through the connecting track 4b into the first track B. That is, the present invention can realize the adjustment of the state of the connecting track 4b by using one power source, with a simple structure, low degree of freedom, and reduced failure rate.

[0031]

[0031] During actual installation, a fixed seat 4c is fixedly connected below the orbit-changing connection part 2. The rotating table 4a is rotatably arranged on the fixed seat 4c through a mounting shaft, so that the rotating table 4a rotates around the mounting shaft under force. During actual installation, the height of the bottom support surface of the connecting track 4b is the same as that of the first track A, the first track B, and the second track 1. Of course, if there is a slope between the first track A (or the first track B) and the second track 1 and when changing the orbit from the second track 1 to the first track, a certain slope can be processed on the bottom support surface of the connecting track 4b so that the bottom surfaces of the second track 1, the bottom support surface of the connecting track 4b, and the bottom surface of the first track A (or the first track B) gradually become lower (if changing the orbit from the first track to the second track 1, the height preferably gradually increases) and are located in the same inclined plane, which is beneficial to the movement of the reaction cup.

[0032] Combined Figure 7 and Figure 8 Figure 8 It can be seen that the tops of the first side wall 4b.1 and the second side wall 4b.2 of the connecting track 4b are chamfered, and the inlet and outlet at both sides of the bottom support surface of the connecting track 4b are edge chamfering structures N, which is convenient for the entry and exit of the reaction cup, effectively compensates for processing errors, and improves the adaptability of the connecting track 4b.

[0033] Combined with Figure 6 it can be known that the power source and the rotating table 4a are drivingly connected through a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes a swing arm 5a fixedly connected to the rotating table 4a and a transmission pair. The transmission pair includes a rolling element and a limiting groove 5c (the limiting groove 5c is located in the middle of the swing arm 5a) that cooperates with it. The rolling element is a bearing 5b fixedly connected to the power output member of the power source (vertically installed and eccentrically installed relative to the power output member). The limiting groove 5c is opened on the lower surface of the swing arm 5a along the length direction of the swing arm 5a. The bearing 5b is located in the limiting groove 5c. During the rotation of the bearing 5b with the power output member, due to the eccentric installation of the bearing 5b, it is restricted by the limiting groove 5c and transmits force to the swing arm 5a, causing the swing arm 5a to rotate around the connecting track 4b, meeting the adjustment requirements of the position of the connecting track 4b; the width dimension of the limiting groove 5c is greater than the maximum outer dimension of the rolling element, so that there is a clearance fit between the rolling element and the limiting groove, ensuring that when the connecting track 4b is approaching the target position, the first side wall, the second side wall and the corresponding fitting surface of the connecting track can be accurately positioned and fitted under the action of magnetic force.

[0034] Combined with Figure 3-6 it can be known that the fixing structure 3 includes a base 3a and side plates 3b fixedly connected to both sides of the base 3a. The side plates 3b and the base 3a can be integrally formed, or can be welded or bolted; the top of each side plate 3b has a horizontally outwardly turned mounting edge 3c, and the mounting edge 3c can be fixedly connected to the bottom of the track seat by bolts, thereby realizing the installation of the fixing structure 3. The installation is simple and convenient, and the occupied space is small.

[0035] Combined with Figure 3-4 it can be known that the power source further includes a motor 6a fixedly connected to the base 3a. The motor 6a is located below the base 3a. The power output member is an output wheel 6b fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the motor 6a (the output wheel 6b is located inside the fixing structure 3). The output wheel 6b has a stepped structure. The bearing 5b is preferably installed on the lower wheel body near the outer circumference of the upper wheel body; the swinging end of the swing arm 5a is located between the two side plates 3b. In the present invention, according to Figure 1 the position design of the first track and the second track 1, the included angle between the two side plates 3b is an acute angle. During adjustment, the swinging end of the swing arm 5a can swing horizontally around the installation axis of the rotating table 4a between the two side plates 3b.

[0036] During actual installation, the adaptive adjustment structure of the present invention is magnetic field adjustment, which includes a magnet 5d (which can be embedded and installed) provided at the bottom of the swinging end of the swing arm 5a. The two side plates 3b are preferably made of ferromagnetic plates (such as iron plates coated with a protective paint layer), and the magnetic pole direction of the magnet is parallel to the plane of the base 3a. Since the rolling element and the limiting groove 5c with which it cooperates are in clearance fit, when the power source drives the swing arm 5a to drive the connecting track 4b to approach the target position quickly, the power source can stop working. At this time, the magnetic field effect is used to achieve the adaptive and precise positioning of the connecting track 4b, which can reduce the accuracy requirements of the motor and the control and debugging difficulties, thereby increasing the compatibility.

[0037] In other embodiments of the present invention, the swing arm 5a of the present invention can be made of ferromagnetic material. To ensure the magnetic field effect between the swing arm and each side plate 3b of the mounting seat, magnets with magnetic pole directions parallel to the plane of the base are installed on each side plate 3b to meet the high-precision adaptive adjustment requirements of the connecting track 4b.

[0038] The present invention uses the motor 6a to drive the swing arm 5a to rotate to a certain angle and then uses the magnetic field effect to make the connecting track 4b adaptively positioned, which can reduce the control requirements for the movement accuracy of the motor 6a and the control and debugging difficulties.

[0039] In other embodiments of the present invention, the bearing 5b of the present invention can also be replaced with a vertically installed roller or a cylindrical block rotatably installed on the power output member, as long as it can frictionally roll in the limiting groove 5c.

[0040] In other embodiments of the present invention, to meet the rotation requirements of the rotating table 4a, the limiting groove 5c can also be opened on the power output member, and the bearing 5b can be installed inside the swing arm 5a.

[0041] Combined Figure 3 It can be seen that the present invention also includes a first sensor 7a and a second sensor 7b. Both the first sensor 7a and the second sensor 7b are selected as photoelectric sensors (whose signal output terminals are connected to the signal input terminals of the control system of the chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer). The lower wheel body of the output wheel 6b passes through the second sensor 7b. The lower wheel body has a notch. When the notch is located in the second sensor 7b, the second sensor 7b senses the notch, and the position of the output wheel 6b can be determined according to the position of the notch, and then the origin position of the power source can be determined. When the second sensor 7b sends a position signal, the connecting track 4b is in the first state, as shown in Figure 9-10 ; The swinging end of the swing arm 5a has an induction piece 7c. When the induction piece 7c moves into the first sensor 7a, the position of the swing arm 5a is determined. At this time, the connecting track 4b at the other end of the swing arm 5a is in the second state, as shown in Figure 11-12 . Of course, during actual use, the first sensor 7a can also be used as the origin monitoring, and the second sensor 7b can be used as the position monitoring.

[0042] In other embodiments of the present invention, a motor 6a with an absolute encoder may also be used to determine the position of the connection track 4b through the absolute encoder, thereby replacing the sensor.

[0043] The present invention also provides a track-changing method, which is implemented based on the adaptive track-changing mechanism in this embodiment, including track-changing between the first track A and the second track, and track-changing between the first track B and the second track. When the reaction cup needs to move from the second track 1 to the first track A (or from the first track A to the second track 1), at this time, the connection track 4b should be in the first state. If the connection track 4b is in the second state, it needs to be switched to the first state. When switching, the power source is started, and the power source drives the bearing 5b to rotate around the central axis of the output wheel 6b through the output wheel 6b. Since the bearing 5b is located in the limit groove 5c, the limit of the limit groove 5c causes the bearing 5b to roll along the groove wall of the limit groove 5c and push the swing arm 5a to rotate around the mounting shaft of the rotating table 4a, and its swinging end moves in an arc towards the direction of a side plate 3b. Specifically, see Figure 9 ; when the connection track 4b approaches Figure 9 the state shown by M3 in Figure 9 (at this time, the swinging end of the swing arm 5a is close to the side plate 3b of the fixed structure 3), the motor 6a stops working, and the swing arm 5a continues to rotate under the action of the magnetic field, so that the first side wall 4b.1 rotates to the first fitting surface 2.1 (see Figure 9 M3 in Figure 10 ), realizing the high-precision positioning of the connection track 4b. The specific process is shown in

[0044] ; when the connection track 4b is in place, the reaction cup pusher pushes the reaction cup from the second track 1 into the first track A (or switches from the first track A to the second track 1), and the track-changing path of the reaction cup is as shown in Figure 11 ; after switching, the track-changing path of the reaction cup is as shown in Figure 12 ; Similarly, when the reaction cup needs to move from the second track 1 to the first track B (or from the first track B to the second track 1), the connection track 4b should be in the second state. If the connection track 4b is in the first state, it needs to be switched to the second state. The motor 6a rotates in the opposite direction (compared with the working direction of the motor when the connection track is switched from the second state to the first state) to switch the connection track 4b from the first state to the second state. The specific switching process is shown in

[0045] Finally, it should be emphasized that the above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not used to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments without creative efforts, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An adaptive orbit-changing mechanism is provided at the orbit-changing connection part between the first orbit and the second orbit, and is characterized in that: It includes a fixed structure fixedly connected to the bottom of the track seat, a power source arranged on the fixed structure, a rotating table driven to rotate by the power source, and an adaptive adjustment structure. The rotating table has a connecting track for limiting the reaction cup. The adaptive adjustment structure enables the connecting track to be adaptively adjusted to connect the first track and the second track on both sides of the track change connection part.

2. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The power source and the rotating table are connected via a transmission assembly, and the transmission assembly includes a swing arm and a transmission pair fixedly connected to the rotating table. The transmission pair includes a rolling element and a limiting groove cooperating therewith. The rolling element is arranged on the power output element of the power source and the limiting groove is provided on the swing arm, or the rolling element is fixedly connected to the swing arm and the limiting groove is provided on the power output element.

3. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein: It also includes a first sensor and a second sensor fixedly connected to the fixed structure, the first sensor is used to monitor the origin position of the power source energy, and the second sensor is used to monitor the position of the swing arm.

4. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rolling element is a vertically mounted bearing or a vertically mounted roller. The bearing or the roller rolls in the limiting groove, and the width of the limiting groove is greater than the maximum outer contour dimension of the rolling element.

5. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixing structure comprises a base and side plates fixedly connected to both sides of the base, and the swing end of the swing arm is located between the two side plates.

6. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: The top of each side plate is provided with a horizontal outward-turned mounting edge, and the mounting edge is fixedly connected to the bottom of the track seat by bolts.

7. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: The power source comprises a motor fixedly connected to the bottom of the base, and the power output member is connected to the motor shaft of the motor.

8. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: The adaptive adjustment structure includes a magnet arranged at the swing end of the swing arm, and the two side plates are made of ferromagnetic material, and the magnetic pole direction of the magnet is parallel to the plane of the base; or the adaptive adjustment structure includes a magnet arranged on each side plate, and the magnetic pole direction of the magnet is parallel to the plane of the base, and the swing arm is made of magnetic material.

9. The adaptive orbit-changing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a fixing seat fixedly connected to the lower part of the track-changing connecting part, and the rotating platform is rotatably arranged on the fixing seat.

10. A method for orbit transfer, characterized in that: The track-changing method adopts the adaptive track-changing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the connecting track has a first side wall and a second side wall, and the track-changing connecting portion has a first fitting surface corresponding to the first side wall and a second fitting surface corresponding to the second side wall; The track changing method includes track changing between the first track A and the second track and track changing between the first track B and the second track. When the reaction cup changes from the first track A to the second track or from the second track to the first track A, the power source drives the rotating table to make the first side wall of the connecting track close to the first fitting surface, and the adaptive adjustment structure makes the first side wall fit the first fitting surface, and the first track A and the second track are connected through the connecting track; When the reaction cup changes from the first track B to the second track or from the second track to the first track B, the power source drives the rotating table to make the second side wall of the connecting track close to the second fitting surface, and the adaptive adjustment structure makes the second side wall fit the second fitting surface, and the first track B and the second track are connected through the connecting track.

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