Control method of pipe arranging equipment and pipe arranging equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of cryopreservation equipment, in particular to a control method of pipe arranging equipment and the pipe arranging equipment, and aims to solve the problems that in the prior art, the process of arranging cryopreservation pipes into a cryopreservation box is tedious, the automation degree is low, time and labor are wasted, and efficiency is low. In order to achieve the purpose, the pipe placing equipment comprises a box placing area, a pipe conveying device and a pipe moving device, the pipe conveying device comprises a pipe placing cavity, a draught fan and an air duct, the pipe moving device comprises a moving mechanism, a rotating mechanism and a pipe clamping mechanism, and scattered cryopreservation pipes in the pipe placing cavity can be blown into the pipe moving device through the draught fan; the cryopreservation tubes can be transferred to the position above the cryopreservation box and put in through movement of the tube moving device. The control method comprises the following steps: controlling the tube feeding device and the tube moving device to fill the cryopreservation tubes into the tube moving device; a tube moving device is controlled to put the cryopreservation tubes into vacant insertion holes in the cryopreservation box; and the two steps are repeatedly executed until all the cryopreservation tubes in the tube conveying device are put into the cryopreservation box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of freezing equipment, and specifically provides a control method for a pipe swinging device and a pipe swinging device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to the rapid development of the biological and medical fields, the demand for low-temperature storage equipment has continued to increase. During the production and experimental process, in order to maintain the activity of biological samples, they often need to be stored in a low-temperature or ultra-low-temperature environment.

[0003] Among them, cryotubes are a type of freezing container commonly used to preserve bacterial strains or other biological samples. In order to improve their transfer and access efficiency, it is usually necessary to place multiple cryotubes containing biological samples in a cryobox for overall transfer and access.

[0004] However, in the prior art, the process of placing the cryopreservation tubes into the cryopreservation box is relatively complicated and has a low degree of automation, which is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also inefficient.

[0005] Therefore, this field needs a new technical solution to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above technical problems, that is, to solve the problem in the prior art that the process of placing cryotubes into cryoboxes is relatively cumbersome, has a low degree of automation, is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also inefficient.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a control method for a tube swinging device, wherein the tube swinging device includes a base and a box placing area, a tube delivery device and a tube transferring device arranged on the base; the box placing area can place a freezing box; the tube delivery device can load scattered freezing tubes into the tube transferring device; the tube transferring device can fix, move and drop the freezing tubes to place the freezing tubes into the freezing box; after the scattered freezing tubes are placed in the tube delivery device, the control method of the present invention includes: controlling the tube delivery device and the tube transferring device to operate to load the freezing tubes into the tube transferring device; controlling the tube transferring device to operate to drop the freezing tubes into the vacant sockets in the freezing box; repeating the above two steps until all the freezing tubes in the tube delivery device are dropped into the freezing box.

[0008] In the preferred technical solution of the above control method, the tube delivery device includes a tube placement cavity and a filling assembly, the tube placement cavity includes a delivery port and a filling port, the filling assembly can deliver the cryopreservation tube into the filling port, the tube transfer device includes a moving mechanism, a rotating mechanism and a tube clamping mechanism, the moving mechanism is slidably connected above the box placement area, the tube clamping mechanism is pivotally connected to the moving mechanism through the rotating mechanism to adjust the opening direction of the tube clamping mechanism so that it can face the filling port or the jack on the cryopreservation box to realize the loading and delivery of the cryopreservation tube; "control the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tube into the box The step of "controlling the transfer device to place the cryotube into the vacant socket in the freezing box" specifically includes: controlling the movement mechanism and the rotation mechanism to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces the loading port; controlling the loading assembly to operate so as to send the cryotube into the loading port; the step of "controlling the transfer device to place the cryotube into the vacant socket in the freezing box" specifically includes: controlling the rotation mechanism to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces downward; controlling the movement mechanism to operate so as to move the tube clamping mechanism to directly above the vacant socket; controlling the clamping mechanism and the rotation mechanism to operate so as to place the cryotube into the vacant socket.

[0009] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned control method, the loading assembly includes a fan and an air duct, the fan is installed in the air duct, and the tube discharge cavity also includes a ventilation port arranged opposite to the loading port, and the ventilation port is connected to the air duct; the step of "controlling the operation of the loading assembly to deliver the cryopreservation tube into the loading port" specifically includes: controlling the fan to blow air into the tube discharge cavity to blow the cryopreservation tube into the loading port.

[0010] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned control method, the tube clamping mechanism includes a first driving assembly and a plurality of first clamping cylinders arranged side by side, the number and spacing of the first clamping cylinders correspond to the jacks in each row in the freezing box, each of the first clamping cylinders includes a first clamping wall and a second clamping wall, the first driving assembly is drivingly connected to the first clamping wall and / or the second clamping wall, and can drive the first clamping wall to combine and separate from the second clamping wall; the tube clamping mechanism also includes a second driving assembly and a plurality of second clamping cylinders arranged side by side, the plurality of second clamping cylinders are coaxially arranged and connected to the plurality of first clamping cylinders, and the second clamping cylinder is located at the end of the first clamping cylinder away from the loading port. The second clamping cylinder includes a third clamping wall and a fourth clamping wall, the second driving assembly is drivably connected to the third clamping wall and / or the fourth clamping wall, and can drive the third clamping wall to combine and separate from the fourth clamping wall, the freezing tube includes a tube body and a tube cap, the inner diameter of the first clamping cylinder is larger than the outer diameter of the tube cap, and a clamping member is fixed at a position corresponding to the inner wall of the first clamping cylinder and the tube body, which can clamp the tube body, and the inner diameter of the second clamping cylinder is smaller than the outer diameter of the tube cap and larger than the outer diameter of the tube body; the step of "controlling the operation of the rotating mechanism so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces downward" specifically includes: controlling the rotation mechanism to rotate so that the second port of the second clamping cylinder faces downward.

[0011] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned control method, the step of "controlling the operation of the clamping mechanism and the rotating mechanism to place the cryotube into the vacant socket" specifically includes: controlling the operation of the second driving component to drive the third clamping wall to separate from the fourth clamping wall; controlling the operation of the rotating mechanism to make the first port of the first clamping cylinder face downward; controlling the operation of the first driving component to drive the first clamping wall to separate from the second clamping wall.

[0012] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned control method, the step of "controlling the movement mechanism to operate so as to move the tube clamping mechanism to be directly above the vacant socket" specifically includes: obtaining the number of filling times of the tube clamping mechanism; controlling the movement mechanism to move the tube clamping mechanism to be above the sockets of the row number corresponding to the number of filling times.

[0013] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned control method, the bottom of the tube placement cavity is set as a slope that gradually slopes downward in the direction from the loading port to the ventilation port. In the process of "controlling the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tubes into the tube transfer device", the control method of the present invention also includes: obtaining the filling status of the tube clamping mechanism, and the filling status includes full and not full; according to the filling status, selectively turning off the fan or controlling the fan to run intermittently or at a variable speed.

[0014] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned control method, the step of "selectively shutting down the fan or controlling the fan to run intermittently or at a variable speed according to the filling situation" specifically includes: if the tube clamping mechanism is full, shutting down the fan; and / or if the tube clamping mechanism is not full, controlling the fan to run intermittently or at a variable speed.

[0015] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned control method, the step of "selectively turning off the fan or controlling the fan to run intermittently or at a variable speed according to the filling situation" specifically includes: if the tube clamping mechanism is full, turning off the fan; and / or if the tube clamping mechanism is not full, further obtaining the remaining number of cryopreservation tubes in the tube cavity; if the remaining number is zero, turning off the fan; and / or if the remaining number is not zero, controlling the fan to run intermittently or at a variable speed.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a pipe swinging device, comprising a controller configured to execute the above-mentioned control method.

[0017] In the case of adopting the above technical solution, the tube swinging device of the present invention includes a base and a box placing area, a tube delivery device and a tube transfer device arranged on the base; the box placing area can place a cryopreservation box; the tube delivery device can load scattered cryopreservation tubes into the tube transfer device; the tube transfer device can fix, move and deliver the cryopreservation tubes to place the cryopreservation tubes into the cryopreservation box; after the scattered cryopreservation tubes are placed in the tube delivery device, the control method of the present invention includes: controlling the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tubes into the tube transfer device; controlling the operation of the tube transfer device to deliver the cryopreservation tubes into the vacant sockets in the cryopreservation box; repeating the above two steps until all the cryopreservation tubes in the tube delivery device are delivered into the cryopreservation box. Through such a setting, scattered cryopreservation tubes can be placed in the cryopreservation box in an orderly manner, realizing the batch transportation and placement of multiple cryopreservation tubes, which not only improves the placement efficiency but also improves the placement accuracy compared to manual placement.

[0018] Furthermore, the tube delivery device of the present invention includes a tube placement cavity and a filling assembly, the tube placement cavity includes a delivery port and a filling port, the filling assembly can deliver the cryopreservation tube into the filling port, the tube transfer device includes a moving mechanism, a rotating mechanism and a tube clamping mechanism, the moving mechanism is slidably connected above the box placement area, and the tube clamping mechanism is pivotally connected to the moving mechanism through the rotating mechanism to adjust the opening direction of the tube clamping mechanism so that it can face the filling port or the jack on the cryopreservation box to realize the loading and delivery of the cryopreservation tube; "control the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tube to The steps of "controlling the operation of the pipe transfer device to place the cryotube into the vacant socket in the cryobox" specifically include: controlling the operation of the rotating mechanism to make the opening of the pipe clamping mechanism face downward; controlling the operation of the moving mechanism to move the pipe clamping mechanism to directly above the vacant socket; controlling the operation of the clamping mechanism and the rotating mechanism to place the cryotube into the vacant socket. Through such a setting, the operator only needs to put multiple cryoboxes into the tube placement cavity to extract, transport and place scattered cryotubes in batches. No manual intervention is required throughout the process, which improves the degree of automation and reduces the labor intensity of the operator. At the same time, the overall structure of the equipment is made more compact, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the equipment.

[0019] Furthermore, the loading assembly of the present invention includes a fan and an air duct, wherein the fan is installed in the air duct, and the tube placement cavity further includes a vent disposed opposite the loading port, the vent being connected to the air duct; the step of "controlling the operation of the loading assembly to deliver the cryotubes into the loading port" specifically includes: controlling the fan to blow air into the tube placement cavity to blow the cryotubes into the loading port. This arrangement provides a preferred solution for delivering and loading cryotubes to the transfer device. Compared to the traditional method of gripping or sucking with a robotic arm, the method of blowing and loading with wind power not only ensures the loading effect, but also helps save installation space and costs.

[0020] Furthermore, the tube clamping mechanism of the present invention includes a first drive assembly and a plurality of first clamping cylinders arranged side by side, the number and spacing of the first clamping cylinders correspond to each row of jacks in the freezing box, each first clamping cylinder includes a first clamping wall and a second clamping wall, the first drive assembly is drivingly connected to the first clamping wall and / or the second clamping wall, and can drive the first clamping wall to be combined with and separated from the second clamping wall; the tube clamping mechanism also includes a second drive assembly and a plurality of second clamping cylinders arranged side by side, the plurality of second clamping cylinders are respectively coaxially arranged and connected to the plurality of first clamping cylinders, and the second clamping cylinders are located at the end of the first clamping cylinder away from the loading port, The second clamping cylinder includes a third clamping wall and a fourth clamping wall. The second driving component is driven and connected to the third clamping wall and / or the fourth clamping wall, and can drive the third clamping wall to combine and separate from the fourth clamping wall. The cryopreservation tube includes a tube body and a tube cap. The inner diameter of the first clamping cylinder is larger than the outer diameter of the tube cap, and a clamping member is fixed at a position corresponding to the inner wall of the first clamping cylinder and the tube body, which can clamp the tube body. The inner diameter of the second clamping cylinder is smaller than the outer diameter of the tube cap and larger than the outer diameter of the tube body; the step of "controlling the operation of the rotating mechanism so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces downward" specifically includes: controlling the rotating mechanism to rotate so that the second port of the second clamping cylinder faces downward. Through such a setting, on the one hand, the tube clamping mechanism can complete the filling and placement of a row of sockets at one time, thereby improving the placement efficiency of the cryopreservation tubes; on the other hand, the cryopreservation tubes that enter with the tube cap end first and the cryopreservation tubes that enter with the tube body end first can be separated and fixed in the first clamping cylinder and the second clamping cylinder respectively. By adjusting the positions of the first port and the second port and coordinating the timely opening and closing of the first clamping cylinder and the second clamping cylinder, the two types of cryopreservation tubes can be delivered in batches, ensuring that the cryopreservation tubes are delivered to the cryopreservation box in the correct posture, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of delivery.

[0021] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes: controlling the second drive assembly to drive the third clamping wall to separate from the fourth clamping wall; controlling the rotation mechanism to direct the first end of the first clamping barrel downward; and controlling the first drive assembly to drive the first clamping wall to separate from the second clamping wall. By linking the opening and closing of the first and second clamping barrels with the orientation of the first and second ends, the two types of cryogenic vials can be delivered in batches, ensuring that the cryogenic vials are delivered into the cryobox in the correct orientation, thereby improving delivery efficiency and accuracy.

[0022] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes: obtaining the number of times the tube clamping mechanism has been loaded; and controlling the moving mechanism to move the tube clamping mechanism to a position above the row of receptacles corresponding to the number of times the tube clamping mechanism has been loaded. This arrangement associates the number of times the tube clamping mechanism has been loaded with the rows of cryopreservation boxes, thereby ensuring accurate placement of cryopreservation tubes from the transfer device to the cryopreservation boxes and preventing repeated loading or skipping of receptacles in the same row.

[0023] Furthermore, the bottom of the tube placement cavity of the present invention is configured as a slope that gradually slopes downward in the direction from the filling port to the ventilation port. In the process of "controlling the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tubes into the tube transfer device," the control method of the present invention further includes: obtaining the filling status of the tube clamping mechanism, which includes whether it is full or not; and selectively shutting down the fan or controlling the fan to operate intermittently or at a variable speed according to the filling status. By configuring the bottom of the tube placement cavity as a slope, the cryopreservation tubes can automatically roll to one end of the ventilation port when the fan is turned off, preventing the cryopreservation tubes from piling up at the filling port and blocking it. By obtaining the filling status of the tube clamping mechanism, the filling progress of the tube transfer device can be monitored in real time, so that the next step can be selectively performed based on whether the tube transfer device is full.

[0024] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes: if the tube clamping mechanism is full, turning off the fan; and / or if the tube clamping mechanism is not full, controlling the fan to operate intermittently or at a variable speed. This configuration allows the next tube transfer operation to be performed promptly after the tube transfer device is fully loaded, while temporarily separating the cryotube from the loading port when the tube transfer device is not fully loaded to adjust the position of the cryotube before reloading, thereby improving loading efficiency.

[0025] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes: if the tube clamping mechanism is full, turning off the fan; and / or if the tube clamping mechanism is not full, further obtaining the remaining number of cryopreservation tubes in the tube cavity; if the remaining number is zero, turning off the fan; and / or if the remaining number is not zero, controlling the fan to operate intermittently or at a variable speed. Through such an arrangement, it is possible to further determine whether all the cryopreservation tubes have been loaded into the tube transfer device even if the tube transfer device is not full. If it is determined that all the cryopreservation tubes have been loaded, it means that the loading task has been completed and the next tube transfer operation can be directly executed.

[0026] In addition, the tube swinging device further provided by the present invention on the basis of the above-mentioned control method adopts the above-mentioned control method, and thus has the technical effects possessed by the above-mentioned control method. Compared with the tube swinging device before the improvement, the tube swinging device of the present invention can place scattered cryotubes in a cryobox in an orderly manner, and realize the batch transfer and placement of multiple cryotubes. Compared with manual placement, it not only improves the placement efficiency, but also improves the placement accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pipe swinging device of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0029] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pipe swinging device of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pipe swinging device of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0031] Figure 4 2. It is a structural schematic diagram of the pipe moving device of the pipe swinging device of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the first clamping cylinder and the second clamping cylinder of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a control method of a pipe swinging device according to the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method for controlling a pipe swinging device according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a flow chart of a second embodiment of the control method of the pipe swinging device of the present invention.

[0036] List of reference numerals:

[0037] 1. Box placement area; 2. Tube delivery device; 21. Tube placement cavity; 211. Filling port; 212. Ventilation port; 22. Fan; 23. Air duct; 24. Sealing cover; 3. Tube transfer device; 31. First drive assembly; 32. First clamping cylinder; 321. First clamping wall; 322. Second clamping wall; 323. First port; 33. Second drive assembly; 34. Second clamping cylinder; 341. Third clamping wall; 342. Fourth clamping wall; 343. Second port; 351. First sliding arm; 352. Second sliding arm; 36. Rotating mechanism; 4. Cryogenic box; 5. Cryogenic tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] It should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, terms such as "inside", "outside", "up", "down", "top", and "bottom" indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is only for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0040] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "installed," and "connected" should be understood broadly. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] Based on the problem pointed out in the background art that in the prior art, the process of placing cryogenic tubes into a freezing box is relatively cumbersome, with a low degree of automation, which is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also inefficient. The present invention provides a control method and a tube swinging device, which are provided on a base by arranging a box placement area, a tube delivery device and a tube transfer device, wherein the tube delivery device includes a tube placement cavity, a blower and an air duct, and the tube transfer device includes a moving mechanism, a rotating mechanism and a tube clamping mechanism, and the blower can blow scattered cryogenic tubes in the tube placement cavity into the tube transfer device, and the movement of the tube transfer device can transport the cryogenic tubes to the top of the freezing box and place them there. The control method includes: controlling the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryogenic tubes into the tube transfer device; controlling the tube transfer device to place the cryogenic tubes into an empty socket in the freezing box; and repeating the above two steps until all the cryogenic tubes in the tube delivery device are placed into the freezing box.

[0042] Specifically, cryotubes, as a freezing container commonly used to preserve bacterial strains or other biological samples, are widely used in the field of biological freezing equipment, making the storage and access of biological samples more flexible and convenient. In actual applications, in order to improve their transfer and access efficiency, it is usually necessary to place multiple cryotubes containing biological samples in a freezing box for overall transfer and access.

[0043] However, in the prior art, the process of placing the cryotubes into the cryobox is rather cumbersome, and usually requires manual insertion of the cryoboxes one by one into the sockets of the cryobox, which has a low degree of automation and is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also inefficient.

[0044] Based on this, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the tube swinging device of the present invention includes a base and a box placing area 1, a tube feeding device 2 and a tube transferring device 3 arranged on the base. The box placing area 1 is arranged on the table top of the base, and can place and fix the freezing boxes 4. The tube feeding device 2 is spaced apart from the box placing area 1 and is used to temporarily store scattered freezing tubes 5, and can load the scattered freezing tubes 5 into the tube transferring device 3.

[0045] The tube transfer device 3 is installed between the box storage area 1 and the tube delivery device 2, and plays a role in transportation. It can fix, move and release the cryogenic tubes 5, thereby transferring the scattered cryogenic tubes 5 in the tube delivery device 2 to the top of the cryogenic box 4 and placing the cryogenic tubes 5 in an orderly manner into the insertion holes in the cryogenic box 4. This realizes the batch transfer and placement of multiple cryogenic tubes 5, which not only improves the placement efficiency but also ensures the placement accuracy compared to manual placement.

[0046] Preferably, if Figure 6 As shown, based on the structure of the above oscillating pipe device, the control method of the present invention includes:

[0047] S100: Controlling the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tube into the tube transfer device;

[0048] S200: Controlling the tube transfer device to operate so as to place the cryotube into an empty insertion hole in the cryobox;

[0049] S300: Repeat the above two steps until all the cryopreservation tubes in the tube delivery device are placed into the cryopreservation box.

[0050] Preferably, if Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the tube delivery device 2 includes a shell and a tube placement cavity 21 and a filling assembly arranged in the shell. A delivery port connected to the outside is provided at the top of the tube placement cavity 21, so that the operator can place the cryopreservation tube 5 into the tube placement cavity 21, and a filling port 211 is provided on the side of the tube placement cavity 21 close to the tube transfer device 3. The filling port 211 can be connected to the tube transfer device 3 to facilitate the delivery and filling of the cryopreservation tube 5 to the tube transfer device 3.

[0051] Preferably, as 1 to Figure 4 As shown, the tube transfer device 3 includes a moving mechanism, a rotating mechanism 36 and a tube clamping mechanism. The moving mechanism is slidably connected above the box placement area 1 and can slide from one end of the freezing box 4 to the other end of the freezing box 4 to ensure that it can reach any position on the freezing box 4.

[0052] like Figure 7 As shown in FIG, the step of “controlling the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tube into the tube transfer device” specifically includes:

[0053] S110: Control the movement mechanism and the rotation mechanism to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces the filling port;

[0054] S120: Controlling the operation of the filling component to deliver the cryotube into the filling port;

[0055] The step of “controlling the operation of the pipetting device to place the cryotube into the vacant insertion hole in the cryobox” specifically includes:

[0056] S210: Control the rotation mechanism to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces downward;

[0057] S220: Controlling the moving mechanism to move the tube clamping mechanism to a position directly above the vacant socket;

[0058] S230: Control the clamping mechanism and the rotating mechanism to operate so as to place the cryotube into the empty socket.

[0059] The filling assembly is connected to the tube placement cavity 21, and can transport scattered cryopreservation tubes 5 to the filling port 211. In actual applications, those skilled in the art can flexibly set the structure of the filling assembly, such as a conveying mechanism, a pushing mechanism or a blower 22 structure, etc. Such flexible adjustments and changes do not deviate from the principles and scope of the present invention and should be limited within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0060] The present invention preferably configures the loading assembly to include a fan 22 and an air duct 23. The air duct 23 is connected to the tube-discharging cavity 21. The fan 22 is installed in the air duct 23 and can blow air into the tube-discharging cavity 21. Specifically, a vent 212 is provided between the tube-discharging cavity 21 and the air duct 23 to connect the two. The vent 212 is preferably arranged opposite to the loading port 211 so that when the fan 22 is in operation, the air flow blown out of the vent 212 can flow directly to the loading port 211, thereby blowing the cryotube 5 toward the loading port 211 and improving the loading efficiency.

[0061] Preferably, if Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the steps of “controlling the operation of the filling component to deliver the cryopreservation tube into the filling port” specifically include:

[0062] S121: Control the fan to blow air into the tube cavity to blow the cryotube into the filling port.

[0063] Further preferably, the present invention is further provided with a sealing cover 24 at the delivery port. When it is necessary to deliver the cryogenic tube 5 into the tube delivery cavity 21, the sealing cover 24 can be opened. When it is necessary to turn on the fan 22 to load the cryogenic tube 5 into the tube transfer device 3, the sealing cover 24 can be closed to seal the delivery port, so that the air duct 23 and the tube delivery cavity 21 form an enclosed blowing cavity, and the airtightness of the tube delivery cavity 21 is ensured during the loading process, so that the airflow can be concentrated to the filling port 211 to increase the wind force and improve the loading efficiency of the cryogenic tube 5.

[0064] Compared with the traditional method of using a robotic arm to clamp or suck, the method of blowing and filling by wind power not only ensures the filling effect, but also helps save space and cost.

[0065] The tube clamping mechanism is used to clamp and accommodate the freezing tube 5, and is pivotally connected to the moving mechanism through the rotating mechanism 36. The rotating mechanism 36 can adjust the angle and opening direction of the tube clamping mechanism. When the freezing tube 5 is loaded from the tube feeding device 2 to the tube transferring device 3, the opening of the tube clamping mechanism is adjusted so that it is facing the loading port 211. When the freezing tube 5 is placed from the tube transferring device 3 into the freezing box 4, the opening of the tube clamping mechanism is adjusted so that it is facing the socket on the freezing box 4, thereby meeting the loading and placement requirements of the freezing tube 5.

[0066] Through such a setting, the operator only needs to randomly put multiple freezing boxes 4 into the tube placement cavity 21 to batch extract, transport and place the scattered freezing boxes 4. No manual intervention is required throughout the process, which effectively improves the degree of automation of the tube placement process and reduces the workload of the operator.

[0067] Preferably, if Figure 4 As shown, the tube clamping mechanism includes a first drive assembly 31, a second drive assembly 33, a plurality of first clamping cylinders 32 and the same number of second clamping cylinders 34. The first clamping cylinders 32 and the second clamping cylinders 34 are coaxially arranged and connected. The number and spacing of the first clamping cylinders 32 and the second clamping cylinders 34 correspond to the sockets in each row in the freezing box 4, so that multiple freezing tubes 5 can be placed in multiple sockets at the same time when placed.

[0068] Among them, each first clamping cylinder 32 includes a first clamping wall 321 and a second clamping wall 322, and the first driving component 31 is drivingly connected to the first clamping wall 321 and / or the second clamping wall 322, and can drive multiple first clamping walls 321 and second clamping walls 322 to synchronously combine and separate.

[0069] Multiple second clamping cylinders 34 are coaxially arranged and connected to multiple first clamping cylinders 32, and the second clamping cylinder 34 is located at the end of the first clamping cylinder 32 away from the loading port 211. The second clamping cylinder 34 includes a third clamping wall 341 and a fourth clamping wall 342. The second driving component 33 is driven and connected to the third clamping wall 341 and / or the fourth clamping wall 342, and can drive the multiple third clamping walls 341 and the fourth clamping wall 342 to synchronously combine and separate.

[0070] It should be noted that the first drive assembly 31 and the second drive assembly 33 operate independently to control the independent opening and closing of the first clamping cylinder 32 and the second clamping cylinder 34 .

[0071] Preferably, if Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the step of “controlling the rotation mechanism to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces downward” specifically includes:

[0072] S211: Control the rotating mechanism to rotate so that the second end of the second clamping cylinder faces downward.

[0073] The steps of “controlling the operation of the clamping mechanism and the rotating mechanism to place the cryotube into the vacant insertion hole” specifically include:

[0074] S231: Control the second driving assembly to drive the third clamping wall to separate from the fourth clamping wall;

[0075] S232: Control the rotating mechanism to operate so that the first end of the first clamping cylinder faces downward;

[0076] S233: Control the first driving assembly to drive the first clamping wall to separate from the second clamping wall.

[0077] Specifically, regarding the specific process of filling and transporting, since the freezing tube 5 includes a tube body and a tube cap, and the outer diameter of the tube cap is larger than the outer diameter of the tube body.

[0078] Moreover, the cryopreservation tubes 5 are in a scattered state in the tube placement cavity 21. Under the action of wind, the tube body ends of some cryopreservation tubes 5 enter the first clamping tube 32 first, and the tube cap ends of some cryopreservation tubes 5 enter the first clamping tube 32 first, resulting in different postures of the cryopreservation tubes 5 in the tube transfer device 3. However, when placing them, it is necessary to ensure that the tube caps of all cryopreservation tubes 5 are on top and the tube bodies are on the bottom. Therefore, the cryopreservation tubes 5 in the two postures need to be placed in batches.

[0079] In order to separate the two types of freezing tubes 5, preferably, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the inner diameter of the first clamping cylinder 32 is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe cap, and a clamping member (not shown in the figure) is fixed at the position corresponding to the inner wall of the first clamping cylinder 32 and the pipe body. When the first clamping wall 321 is combined with the second clamping wall 322, the clamping member can only clamp the pipe body, while the inner wall of the first clamping cylinder 32 and the pipe cap maintain a gap, so that the pipe cap is in an unclamped state.

[0080] The inner diameter of the second clamping cylinder 34 is smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe cap and larger than the outer diameter of the pipe body. When the second clamping cylinder 34 is in a clamping state, only the pipe body is allowed to enter while the pipe cap is clamped outside the second clamping cylinder 34 .

[0081] Therefore, when loading, first control the rotating mechanism 36 to dock the first port 323 of the first clamping cylinder 32 with the loading port 211, and control the first driving component 31 to separate the first clamping wall 321 from the second clamping wall 322 to ensure that the cryopreservation tube 5 can enter as a whole under the action of wind; control the second driving component 33 to combine the third clamping wall 341 with the fourth clamping wall 342.

[0082] The freezing tube 5 that enters the tube body end first will pass through the first clamping tube 32 and then enter the second clamping tube 34 , so that the tube cap is stuck at the outer end of the second clamping tube 34 .

[0083] The cryopreservation tube 5 that enters with its cap end first will also be stuck at the outer end of the second clamping tube 34 after entering the first clamping tube 32 , but the tube body will stay in the first clamping tube 32 .

[0084] When all the clamping tubes are loaded with cryogenic tubes, the first driving assembly 31 is controlled to combine the first clamping wall 321 with the second clamping wall 322 so that the clamping member on the inner wall of the first clamping tube 32 clamps the tube body, thereby completing the fixation of all the cryogenic tubes 5.

[0085] Then, the rotating mechanism 36 is controlled to make the second port 343 of the second clamping cylinder 34 face downward, and the moving mechanism is controlled to move toward the vacant socket on the freezing box 4 so that the second port 343 faces the vacant socket.

[0086] Finally, the second drive assembly 33 is controlled to separate the third clamping wall 341 from the fourth clamping wall 342, making the inner diameter of the second clamping cylinder 34 larger than the outer diameter of the tube cap, thereby allowing the cryogenic vial 5, which has entered with its body end first, to fall into the corresponding insertion hole. At this time, the cryogenic vial 5, which has entered with its cap end first, will not slip out due to the clamping action of the clamping member on the tube body.

[0087] After the first part of the cryopreservation tubes 5 are put into place, the rotating mechanism 36 is controlled to rotate the clamping mechanism 180° so that the first port 323 of the first clamping cylinder 32 faces downward, and then the first driving assembly 31 is controlled to separate the first clamping wall 321 from the second clamping wall 322 to release the clamping force on the tube body, so that the cryopreservation tube 5 with the tube cap entering first falls into the remaining vacant socket in the same row.

[0088] Through such an arrangement, on the one hand, the tube clamping mechanism can complete the filling and placement of a row of sockets at one time, thereby improving the placement efficiency of the cryopreservation tubes 5; on the other hand, the cryopreservation tubes 5 that enter with the tube cap end first and the cryopreservation tubes 5 that enter with the tube body end first can be separated and fixed in the first clamping cylinder 32 and the second clamping cylinder 34 respectively. By adjusting the position of the first port 323 and the second port 343, and coordinating the timely opening and closing of the first clamping cylinder 32 and the second clamping cylinder 34, the two types of cryopreservation tubes 5 can be delivered in batches, ensuring that the cryopreservation tubes 5 are delivered into the freezing box 4 in the correct posture, thereby improving the delivery efficiency and accuracy.

[0089] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in actual application, the cryopreservation tube 5 usually includes multiple rows of sockets, and the pipe transfer device 3 can complete the placement of one row of sockets each time. Therefore, according to the number of rows of sockets, the pipe transfer device 3 needs to repeatedly perform multiple loading, transfer and delivery to complete the placement of each row of sockets in turn.

[0090] Preferably, if Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the step of “controlling the movement mechanism to move the tube clamping mechanism to just above the vacant insertion hole” specifically includes:

[0091] S221: Obtaining the number of times the tube clamping mechanism is loaded;

[0092] S222: Control the moving mechanism to move the tube clamping mechanism to above the rows of jacks corresponding to the number of filling times.

[0093] The number of times the tube clamping mechanism is loaded is associated with the number of rows of the freezing boxes 4. For example, the number of times the tube is loaded is equal to the number of rows, that is, the tube transfer device 3 is controlled to be placed from the first row to the last row in sequence. After each row is completed, it needs to be re-connected with the tube delivery device 2 for re-loading to ensure the accuracy of the tube transfer device 3 in the freezing boxes 4 and prevent the same row of sockets from being repeatedly loaded or skipped and missed.

[0094] Preferably, if Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the moving mechanism includes a first sliding arm 351 and a second sliding arm 352, which are arranged on opposite sides of the box storage area 1 and are both slidably connected to the base. The ends of the tube clamping mechanism are pivotally connected to the upper portions of the first and second sliding arms 351, 352 via a rotating mechanism 36, respectively, allowing the tube clamping mechanism to span the cryopreservation box 4. The movement and rotation of the tube clamping mechanism by the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism 36 ensure that the tube clamping mechanism covers all the receptacles on the cryopreservation box 4. At the same time, the connection and support of the two sliding arms at both ends of the tube clamping mechanism help improve the stability of the tube clamping mechanism.

[0095] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the tube swinging device also includes a barcode scanner arranged in the box placement area 1. When the cryogenic tube 5 is placed in the socket, since the socket is a through hole, the barcode scanner can be used to scan and identify the information code at the bottom of the cryogenic tube 5, so as to correspond and record the information and position of the cryogenic tube 5 in each socket, thereby facilitating the rapid extraction of the cryogenic box 4.

[0096] In addition, during the process of loading the cryopreservation tube 5 into the transfer device 3, the first port may sometimes be blocked due to the horizontal placement of the cryopreservation tube, making it impossible to ensure that all the clamping tubes are filled at one time, and multiple loadings are often required.

[0097] Preferably, if Figure 3As shown, the bottom of the tube cavity 21 is set to be a slope that gradually slopes downward from the loading port 211 to the ventilation port 212. This setting can make the cryopreservation tubes 5 gather on one side of the ventilation port 212 when the fan 22 is not running, and keep a certain distance from the loading port 211 to prevent the cryopreservation tubes 5 from gathering at the loading port 211 and blocking the loading port 211; and when the loading port 211 is blocked by the cryopreservation tubes 5 during the operation of the fan 22, the cryopreservation tubes 5 can be rolled from the loading port 211 to the ventilation port 212 by reducing the speed of the fan 22 or shutting it down, so as to separate it from the loading port 211, so that the posture of the cryopreservation tubes 5 can be adjusted and then reloaded.

[0098] At the same time, a sensor is also installed on the pipe swinging device to detect the empty status of each set of clamping cylinders and monitor the loading progress of the pipe transfer device 3 in real time. After the pipe transfer device 3 is fully loaded, the fan 22 is turned off to promptly control the transfer of the pipe transfer device 3 to the freezing box 4. When the pipe transfer device 3 is not full, the fan 22 is controlled to continue to operate to continuously load the pipe transfer device 3. For example, the sensor can be a radiation sensor or a pressure sensor.

[0099] Therefore, preferably, in the process of "controlling the operation of the tube delivery device and the tube transfer device to load the cryopreservation tube into the tube transfer device", the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0100] S130: Obtaining the filling status of the tube clamping mechanism, including whether the filling status is full or not;

[0101] S140: According to the filling situation, the fan is selectively turned off or controlled to operate intermittently or at a variable speed.

[0102] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of "selectively shutting down the fan or controlling the fan to operate intermittently or at a variable speed according to the filling condition" specifically includes:

[0103] S141: If the clamping mechanism is full, turn off the fan;

[0104] S142: If the pipe clamping mechanism is not full, the fan is controlled to run intermittently or at a variable speed.

[0105] This allows the next pipe-transferring operation to be performed promptly after the pipe-transferring device 3 is loaded. When the pipe-transferring device 3 is not loaded, the cryopreservation tube 5 is temporarily separated from the loading port 211, and the posture of the cryopreservation tube 5 is adjusted before re-filling, thereby improving the filling efficiency.

[0106] In some cases, the total number of cryopreservation tubes 5 that need to be loaded is not necessarily equal to the number of sockets on the cryopreservation box 4. After the placement is completed, some sockets may be empty. At the same time, during the last loading process, some clamping tubes may be empty, causing the equipment to misjudge the actual loading progress.

[0107] Therefore, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of “selectively shutting down the fan or controlling the fan to operate intermittently or at a variable speed according to the loading condition” specifically includes:

[0108] S141: If the clamping mechanism is full, turn off the fan;

[0109] S142: If the tube clamping mechanism is not full, further obtaining the remaining number of cryopreservation tubes placed in the tube cavity;

[0110] S143: If the remaining quantity is zero, turn off the fan;

[0111] S144: If the remaining quantity is not zero, the fan is controlled to run intermittently or at a variable speed.

[0112] So that when the transfer device 3 is not full, it can continue to judge whether the cryopreservation tubes 5 have been fully loaded into the transfer device 3, that is, to add a judgment on whether the filling task is completed. If it is determined that the cryopreservation tubes 5 have been fully loaded, it means that the filling task has been completed, and the next transfer operation can be directly executed without performing any adjustment operation.

[0113] As for how to obtain the remaining number of the cryopreservation tubes 5 in the tube placement cavity 21 , it can be achieved by installing a high-definition camera or other visual equipment in the tube placement cavity 21 .

[0114] In addition, the tube swinging device further provided by the present invention on the basis of the above-mentioned control method adopts the above-mentioned control method, and thus has the technical effect of the above-mentioned control method. Compared with the tube swinging device before the improvement, the tube swinging device of the present invention can place scattered cryogenic tubes 5 in the cryogenic box 4 in an orderly manner, and realize the batch transportation and placement of multiple cryogenic tubes 5. Compared with manual placement, it not only improves the placement efficiency, but also ensures the placement accuracy.

[0115] Thus far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a pipe swinging device, characterized in that: The tube swinging device comprises a base, a box placing area (1), a tube feeding device (2) and a tube moving device (3) arranged on the base; The box placement area (1) can be used to place freezing boxes (4); The tube delivery device (2) is capable of loading scattered cryotubes (5) into the tube transfer device (3); The pipe transfer device (3) is capable of fixing, moving and placing the cryotube (5) so as to place the cryotube (5) into the cryobox (4); After the scattered cryopreservation tubes (5) are placed into the tube delivery device (2), the control method of the present invention comprises: Controlling the operation of the tube delivery device (2) and the tube transfer device (3) to load the cryopreservation tube (5) into the tube transfer device (3); Controlling the pipe-transferring device (3) to operate so as to place the cryopreservation tube (5) into an empty insertion hole in the cryopreservation box (4); The above two steps are repeated until all the cryopreservation tubes (5) in the tube delivery device (2) are placed into the cryopreservation box (4).

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tube delivery device (2) comprises a tube placement cavity (21) and a filling assembly. The tube placement cavity (21) comprises a delivery port and a filling port (211). The filling assembly is capable of delivering the cryopreservation tube (5) into the filling port (211). The tube transfer device (3) includes a moving mechanism, a rotating mechanism (36) and a tube clamping mechanism. The moving mechanism is slidably connected above the box placement area (1). The tube clamping mechanism is pivotally connected to the moving mechanism via the rotating mechanism (36) to adjust the opening direction of the tube clamping mechanism so that it can face the filling port (211) or the insertion hole on the freezing box (4) to achieve the filling and delivery of the freezing tube (5). The step of “controlling the operation of the tube delivery device (2) and the tube transfer device (3) to load the cryopreservation tube (5) into the tube transfer device (3)” specifically includes: Controlling the movement mechanism and the rotation mechanism (36) to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces the loading port (211); Controlling the operation of the filling assembly to deliver the cryotube (5) into the filling port (211); The step of “controlling the pipe-transferring device (3) to operate so as to place the cryopreservation tube (5) into the vacant insertion hole in the cryopreservation box (4)” specifically includes: Controlling the rotation mechanism (36) to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces downward; Controlling the movement mechanism to move the tube clamping mechanism to be positioned directly above the vacant insertion hole; The clamping mechanism and the rotating mechanism (36) are controlled to operate so as to place the freezing tube (5) into the empty insertion hole.

3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The loading assembly includes a fan (22) and an air duct (23), wherein the fan (22) is installed in the air duct (23), and the tube cavity (21) further includes a vent (212) arranged opposite to the loading port (211), wherein the vent (212) is communicated with the air duct (23); The step of "controlling the operation of the filling assembly to deliver the cryotube (5) into the filling port (211)" specifically includes: The fan (22) is controlled to blow air into the tube placement cavity (21) to blow the cryotube (5) into the filling port (211).

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The tube clamping mechanism includes a first driving component (31) and a plurality of first clamping cylinders (32) arranged side by side, the number and spacing of the first clamping cylinders (32) correspond to the jacks in each row in the freezing box (4), each of the first clamping cylinders (32) includes a first clamping wall (321) and a second clamping wall (322), and the first driving component (31) is drivingly connected to the first clamping wall (321) and / or the second clamping wall (322), and can drive the first clamping wall (321) and the second clamping wall (322) to be combined with or separated from each other; The tube clamping mechanism further comprises a second driving assembly (33) and a plurality of second clamping cylinders (34) arranged side by side, wherein the plurality of second clamping cylinders (34) are respectively coaxially arranged and communicated with the plurality of first clamping cylinders (32), and the second clamping cylinder (34) is located at an end of the first clamping cylinder (32) away from the loading port (211), and the second clamping cylinder (34) comprises a third clamping wall (341) and a fourth clamping wall (342), and the second driving assembly (33) is drivingly connected to the third clamping wall (341) and / or the fourth clamping wall (342), and can drive the third clamping wall (341) to engage with and separate from the fourth clamping wall (342). The cryopreservation tube (5) comprises a tube body and a tube cap, the inner diameter of the first clamping tube (32) is larger than the outer diameter of the tube cap, and a clamping member is fixed at a position on the inner wall of the first clamping tube (32) corresponding to the tube body, capable of clamping the tube body, and the inner diameter of the second clamping tube (34) is smaller than the outer diameter of the tube cap and larger than the outer diameter of the tube body; The step of "controlling the rotation mechanism (36) to operate so that the opening of the tube clamping mechanism faces downward" specifically includes: The rotating mechanism (36) is controlled to rotate so that the second port (343) of the second clamping cylinder (34) faces downward.

5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step of "controlling the clamping mechanism and the rotating mechanism (36) to operate so as to place the cryopreservation tube (5) into the vacant socket" specifically includes: controlling the second driving assembly (33) to operate so as to drive the third clamping wall (341) to separate from the fourth clamping wall (342); Controlling the rotating mechanism (36) to operate so that the first port (323) of the first clamping cylinder (32) faces downward; The first driving assembly (31) is controlled to operate so as to drive the first clamping wall (321) to separate from the second clamping wall (322).

6. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step of “controlling the movement mechanism to move the tube clamping mechanism to be directly above the vacant insertion hole” specifically includes: Obtaining the number of filling times of the tube clamping mechanism; The moving mechanism is controlled to move the tube clamping mechanism to above the insertion holes of a row number corresponding to the filling number.

7. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bottom of the tube placement cavity (21) is configured as a slope that gradually slopes downward in the direction from the loading port (211) to the ventilation port (212). In the process of "controlling the operation of the tube delivery device (2) and the tube transfer device (3) to load the cryopreservation tube (5) into the tube transfer device (3)", the control method of the present invention further comprises: Obtaining a filling status of the tube clamping mechanism, wherein the filling status includes whether the tube clamping mechanism is fully filled or not fully filled; According to the filling condition, the fan (22) is selectively turned off or the fan (22) is controlled to operate intermittently or at a variable speed.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step of "selectively shutting down the fan (22) or controlling the fan (22) to operate intermittently or at a variable speed according to the loading condition" specifically includes: If the clamping mechanism is full, turning off the blower (22); and / or If the tube clamping mechanism is not full, the fan (22) is controlled to operate intermittently or at a variable speed.

9. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step of "selectively shutting down the fan (22) or controlling the fan (22) to operate intermittently or at a variable speed according to the loading condition" specifically includes: If the clamping mechanism is full, turning off the blower (22); and / or If the tube clamping mechanism is not full, further obtaining the remaining number of cryopreservation tubes (5) in the tube placement cavity (21); If the remaining amount is zero, turning off the fan (22); and / or If the remaining quantity is not zero, the fan (22) is controlled to operate intermittently or at a variable speed.

10. A pipe swinging device, characterized in that: The pipe swinging device includes a controller configured to execute the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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