Non-interfering automatic switching device for microbiological settling dishes in clean rooms

Abstract

This invention provides a non-intrusive automatic switching device for microbial settling discs in cleanrooms, comprising a housing and a mounting base for the settling discs. At least two stacked settling discs are mounted on the mounting base. The housing is equipped with a vertical drive mechanism and a corresponding vertical sliding assembly that drive the mounting base to move vertically. The vertical drive mechanism drives the corresponding settling disc to switch between a cap removal position and a sampling position. The housing also includes a first gripper and a second gripper that cooperate to grip the cap of the settling disc, and a horizontal drive mechanism that drives the first and second grippers to move horizontally to control the distance between them to grip or release the cap of the settling disc. A first horizontal sliding assembly is located between the first gripper and the housing; a second horizontal sliding assembly is located between the second gripper and the housing. This invention uses automated operation to achieve cap removal, barcode scanning, and sampling of the settling discs, resulting in high efficiency and low contamination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of microbial detection technology in sterile environments, and more particularly to a non-interference automatic switching device for microbial settling dishes in clean rooms. Background Technology

[0002] In the pharmaceutical industry, medical research, laboratories, and food environmental monitoring, microbial contamination monitoring is a core component in ensuring product quality. Traditional methods for detecting settling bacteria rely heavily on manual operation, which has many drawbacks: to ensure personnel safety, the machine must be shut down when changing dishes, reducing production efficiency; the presence of personnel themselves increases the risk of contamination to the clean environment; and there is a conflict between the continuous requirements of production and monitoring and the intermittent nature of personnel working hours. Existing settling dish replacement devices are also bulky and difficult to install. Furthermore, their operating mechanisms and electrical components are generally in direct contact with clean areas, posing sterilization challenges, and direct contact with chemical sterilization gases (such as vaporized hydrogen peroxide) can introduce reliability issues. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problems of the prior art, this invention provides a non-interference automatic switching device for microbial settling dishes in clean rooms, which adopts automated operation, is highly efficient, and produces minimal pollution.

[0004] The technical solution adopted is as follows: A non-intrusive automatic switching device for microbial settling discs in a clean room includes a housing and a mounting base for the settling discs. At least two stacked settling discs are mounted on the mounting base. The housing is equipped with a vertical drive mechanism and a corresponding vertical sliding assembly that can drive the mounting base to move vertically. The vertical drive mechanism drives the corresponding settling disc to switch between a cap removal position and a sampling position. The housing also includes a first gripper and a second gripper that cooperate to grip the cap of the settling disc, and a horizontal drive mechanism that drives the first and second grippers to move horizontally to control the distance between the two grippers to grip or release the cap of the settling disc. A first horizontal sliding assembly is provided between the first gripper and the housing; a second horizontal sliding assembly is provided between the second gripper and the housing.

[0005] Furthermore, the settling disc includes a disc body and a cover body placed on the disc body; the mounting base is provided with several stops around its perimeter for limiting the position of the settling disc.

[0006] Furthermore, the first horizontal sliding assembly includes a first horizontal slide rail disposed on the housing and a first horizontal slider sliding on the first horizontal slide rail, and the first gripper is disposed on the first horizontal slider; the second horizontal sliding assembly includes a second horizontal slide rail disposed on the housing and a second horizontal slider sliding on the second horizontal slide rail, and the second gripper is disposed on the second horizontal slider.

[0007] Furthermore, a barcode scanning mechanism is provided at the upper end of the casing corresponding to the sinking disc.

[0008] Furthermore, the mounting base is equipped with a rotary drive structure that can drive the sinking disc to rotate so that the scanning mechanism can scan the code.

[0009] Furthermore, the housing has a streamlined top.

[0010] Furthermore, the vertical sliding assembly includes a vertical slide rail on the housing and a vertical slider sliding on the vertical slide rail. The housing is also provided with several parallel conductive plates. The vertical slider is provided with a corresponding number of elastic conductive pins equidistant from the parallel conductive plates. After the conductive pins contact the conductive plates, they can control the start of the rotation drive mechanism to drive the settling disc to rotate.

[0011] Furthermore, the vertical drive mechanism includes a vertical drive motor and a vertical drive block. The vertical drive motor and the vertical drive block can be driven by a lead screw and slider assembly or a pulley assembly. The vertical drive block is connected to the vertical slider.

[0012] Furthermore, the horizontal drive mechanism includes a first horizontal drive mechanism for driving the first horizontal slider to slide and a second horizontal drive mechanism for driving the second horizontal slider to slide. Both the first and second horizontal drive mechanisms include a horizontal drive motor and a horizontal drive block. The horizontal drive motor and the horizontal drive block can be driven by a lead screw slider assembly or a pulley assembly.

[0013] Furthermore, the first horizontal sliding assembly, the second horizontal sliding assembly, and the vertical sliding assembly are located outside the housing, while the horizontal drive mechanism and the vertical drive mechanism are located inside the housing. The horizontal drive block corresponding to the horizontal drive mechanism is connected to the horizontal slider of the corresponding horizontal sliding assembly by magnetic attraction or rigid connection, and the vertical drive block corresponding to the vertical drive mechanism is connected to the vertical slider of the corresponding vertical sliding assembly by magnetic attraction or rigid connection.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention provides a non-interference automatic switching device for microbial settling discs in cleanrooms. It automatically drives multiple settling discs to remove covers, scan codes, and collect samples, avoiding contamination and wasted time caused by manual operation. Multiple settling discs can be sampled sequentially without downtime, resulting in higher efficiency and more accurate sampling times. Furthermore, the absence of external interference reduces contamination in the cleanroom. The power drive unit is located inside the casing, separate from the external actuators, further preventing contamination.

[0015] During sampling, there is only one stack of settling discs in the airflow direction, which has less impact and interference on the airflow and occupies less space. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the first settling dish in the cover removal position; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the first settling dish at the sampling position. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the last settling dish at the sampling position. Figure 4 This is a side view of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view at point a; Figure 7 This is a side view of the horizontal drive mechanism; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A cross-sectional view facing the EE direction; Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the present invention; The components include: housing 1, top 101, mounting base 2, sinking disc 3, disc body 301, cover 302, vertical drive mechanism 4, vertical drive motor 401, vertical drive block 402, first gripper 5, second gripper 6, horizontal drive mechanism 7, first horizontal drive mechanism 701, second horizontal drive mechanism 702, vertical sliding assembly 8, vertical slide rail 801, vertical slider 802, first horizontal sliding assembly 9, first horizontal slide rail 901, first horizontal slider 902, second horizontal sliding assembly 10, second horizontal slide rail 1001, second horizontal slider 1002, stop bar 11, barcode scanning mechanism 12, barcode scanner 1201, tempered glass 1202, rotary drive structure 13, conductive sheet 14, elastic conductive needle 15, horizontal drive motor 16, and horizontal drive block 17. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0018] refer to Figure 1-9An interference-free automatic switching device for microbial settling discs in a clean room includes a housing 1 and a settling disc mounting base 2. The mounting base 2 is provided with at least two stacked settling discs 3. The housing 1 is provided with a vertical drive mechanism 4 that can drive the mounting base 2 to move vertically and a corresponding vertical sliding component 8. The vertical drive mechanism 4 drives the corresponding settling disc to switch between a cover removal position and a sampling position. The housing 1 is also provided with a first gripper 5 and a second gripper 6 that can cooperate to grip the cover 302 of the settling disc, and a horizontal drive mechanism 7 that drives the first and second grippers to move horizontally to control the distance between the two grippers to grip or release the cover of the settling disc. A first horizontal sliding component 9 is provided between the first gripper and the housing 1; a second horizontal sliding component 10 is provided between the second gripper and the housing 1.

[0019] The settling dish 3 includes a dish body 301 and a cover body 302 covering the dish body 301; the mounting base 2 is provided with several baffles 11 around its perimeter for limiting the settling dish 3. The baffles 11 are set to limit the settling dish 3 and prevent the settling dish 301 from falling off the mounting base 2.

[0020] The first horizontal sliding assembly 9 includes a first horizontal slide rail 901 mounted on the housing 1 and a first horizontal slider 902 sliding on the first horizontal slide rail, with the first gripper 5 mounted on the first horizontal slider 902. The second horizontal sliding assembly 10 includes a second horizontal slide rail 1001 mounted on the housing 1 and a second horizontal slider 1002 sliding on the second horizontal slide rail, with the second gripper 6 mounted on the second horizontal slider 1002. The first gripper and the second gripper are each equipped with corresponding sliding components and can slide relative to each other. By controlling the distance between the two grippers, the cover 302 of the sinking disc can be gripped or released.

[0021] A barcode scanning mechanism 12 is provided at the upper end of the housing 1, corresponding to the sinking disc 3. The barcode scanning mechanism 12 includes a barcode scanner 1201 and a tempered glass 1202. The sinking disc 3 rises to the corresponding position of the barcode scanning mechanism 12 and is scanned by the barcode scanning mechanism 12.

[0022] The mounting base 2 is equipped with a rotary drive structure 13 that can drive the settling disc to rotate so that the scanning mechanism 12 can scan the code. The rotary drive structure 13 includes a rotary motor and a turntable driven by the rotary motor. The settling disc is placed on the turntable and rotates with the turntable. When the corresponding settling disc rises to the scanning position, the rotary motor can drive the settling disc to rotate, so that the barcode or QR code on the side wall of the settling disc is aligned with the scanner 1201 of the scanning mechanism for scanning.

[0023] The vertical sliding assembly 8 includes a vertical slide rail 801 mounted on the housing 1 and a vertical slider 802 sliding on the vertical slide rail 801. The housing 1 is also provided with several parallel conductive plates 14. The vertical slider 802 is provided with a corresponding number of elastic conductive pins 15 equidistant from the parallel conductive plates. The position and length of the conductive plates cover the area that needs to be conductive when the sinking disc rises to the scanning position, so as to energize the rotary motor. The conductive plates 14 are located at corresponding positions on the upper end of the housing 1. The elastic conductive pins 15 contact the conductive plates to communicate with them. There is also a control system that controls when the rotary motor starts. When the corresponding sinking disc enters the scanning position, the rotary motor drives the sinking disc to rotate, which facilitates the scanning of the sinking disc.

[0024] Preferably, the housing 1 has a streamlined top 101, which reduces airflow interference.

[0025] The horizontal drive mechanism 7 includes a first horizontal drive mechanism 701 that drives the first horizontal slider 902 to slide, and a second horizontal drive mechanism 702 that drives the second horizontal slider 1002 to slide.

[0026] The first horizontal sliding assembly 9, the second horizontal sliding assembly 10, and the vertical sliding assembly 8 are located outside the housing 1. The horizontal drive mechanism 7 and the vertical drive mechanism 4 are both located inside the housing 1 and are enclosed. The horizontal drive block of the horizontal drive mechanism is connected to the horizontal slider of the corresponding horizontal sliding assembly by magnetic attraction or rigid connection. The vertical drive block of the vertical drive mechanism is connected to the vertical slider of the corresponding vertical sliding assembly 8 by magnetic attraction or rigid connection.

[0027] The first and second horizontal drive mechanisms can adopt the same structure. The horizontal drive mechanism 7 (including the first and second horizontal drive mechanisms) is equipped with a power drive component, which includes a horizontal drive motor 16 and a horizontal drive block 17. The horizontal drive motor and the horizontal drive block can be driven by a lead screw and slider assembly or a pulley assembly. All power drive components are internally located. The horizontal sliding assembly (including the first and second sliding assemblies) is equipped with power actuators, namely a horizontal slider and a horizontal slide rail. The internal components are transmitted to the external components via magnetic coupling, achieving complete enclosure of the complex structure such as the motor and lead screw, and enabling thorough cleaning and disinfection of exposed parts.

[0028] The vertical drive mechanism 4 includes a vertical drive motor 401 and a vertical drive block 402. The vertical drive motor and the vertical drive block are connected via a lead screw and slider assembly or a pulley assembly. The vertical drive block 402 is connected to the vertical slider 802; preferably, a strong magnet can be used for magnetic attraction. The vertical drive motor drives the vertical drive block to slide. Since the vertical drive block is connected to the vertical slider, it can drive the vertical slider and the mounting base connected to the vertical slider to slide vertically. The scanning height is automatically positioned by the vertical lifting structure. Given the height of the culture dish, the scanning position is determined by incrementing the culture dish height each time.

[0029] The specific operating procedure is as follows: 1. By pre-measuring the thickness of the settling discs, the system can determine the position of each settling disc cover reaching the clamping height based on the settling disc thickness, and can also calculate the position of each settling disc when it reaches the same sampling height; 2. Place several stacked settling discs on the mounting base 2. In the initial position, the mounting base 2 of the settling discs is at the bottom. 3. The horizontal drive mechanism 7 drives the first gripper 5 and the second gripper 6 to move directly above the settling dish 3. At this time, the first gripper 5 and the second gripper 6 are respectively distributed at both ends of the settling dish 3, and the position of the two grippers is larger than the diameter of the settling dish cover. 4. The vertical drive mechanism 4 drives the mounting base 2 to rise, which in turn drives the first settling disc 3 at the top to enter the cover removal position. The horizontal drive mechanism 7 drives the first and second grippers to move closer to each other and clamp the cover 302 of the first settling disc 3. The vertical drive mechanism 4 drives the mounting base to fall, and the horizontal drive mechanism 7 drives the first and second grippers to move to the right to avoid the cover of the first settling disc. 5. The vertical drive mechanism 4 drives the mounting base to rise, which in turn moves the first settling disc 3 into the scanning position. The conductive sheet and conductive needle are already engaged with each other. The rotary motor is powered on. The control system controls the rotary motor to drive the settling disc 3 to rotate, so that the barcode or QR code on the first settling disc is aligned with the scanning mechanism 12 for scanning. 6. After scanning, the vertical drive mechanism 4 continues to drive the mounting base to rise, bringing the first settling disc 3 into the sampling position. At the same time, the horizontal drive mechanism 7 moves the first and second grippers to directly below the settling disc 3, ensuring that there is only one stack of settling discs in the airflow direction. The sampling timer starts. The timing device can use existing technology, such as a timer controller that can be installed on the housing to control the sampling time.

[0030] 7. After the timing is completed, the horizontal drive mechanism 7 drives the first and second grippers to move to the right to avoid the obstruction, the vertical drive mechanism drives the settling disc 3 to descend, below the height of the first and second grippers, the horizontal drive mechanism 7 drives the first and second grippers to move directly above the settling disc, the vertical drive mechanism drives the settling disc 3 to rise to the corresponding position, and the horizontal drive mechanism drives the first and second grippers to slide relative to each other to release the cover of the settling disc, that is, to increase the distance between the two grippers, so that the cover falls above the disc body 301 of the first settling disc, covering the disc body 301 of the first settling disc that has completed sampling.

[0031] 8. The vertical drive mechanism drives the settling disc to rise, causing the second settling disc to enter the cap removal position. The horizontal drive mechanism 7 drives the first and second grippers to clamp the cap of the second settling disc. The first settling disc remains above the cap of the second settling disc and is carried away by the first and second grippers to the right. The vertical drive mechanism drives the second settling disc to sequentially enter the barcode scanning position and the sampling position for sampling. After sampling is completed, the first and second grippers, driven by the horizontal drive mechanism, move to above the second settling disc and place the cap of the second settling disc and the first settling disc on top of the disc body.

[0032] 9. Repeat the above steps until all sedimentation discs have been sampled. The sampling time for each sedimentation disc can be changed according to the settings, and different numbers of sedimentation discs can be set according to the total sampling time required.

[0033] This invention separates the power system and the execution system. The power system is located inside the casing and is installed in a closed manner to prevent contamination. During the sampling of the settling disc, it ensures that only the settling disc is in the direction of airflow, which has little impact and interference on the airflow. At the same time, it occupies little space. The fully automatic mechanical drive for cap removal, scanning and sampling avoids contamination caused by manual operation, and is more efficient and the sampling time is more accurate.

[0034] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A non-intrusive automatic switching device for microbial settling discs in a clean room, comprising a housing (1) and a mounting base (2) for the settling discs, characterized in that: The mounting base (2) is provided with at least two stacked settling discs (3). The housing (1) is provided with a vertical drive mechanism (4) that can drive the mounting base (2) to move in the vertical direction and a corresponding vertical sliding component (8). The vertical drive mechanism (4) drives the corresponding settling disc to switch between the cover position and the sampling position. The housing (1) is also provided with a first gripper (5) and a second gripper (6) that can cooperate to grip the cover (302) of the settling disc, and a horizontal drive mechanism (7) that drives the first and second grippers to move horizontally to control the distance between the two grippers to grip or release the cover of the settling disc. A first horizontal sliding component (9) is provided between the first gripper and the housing (1); a second horizontal sliding component (10) is provided between the second gripper and the housing (1).

2. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The settling disc (3) includes a disc body (301) and a cover (302) covering the disc body (301); the mounting base (2) is provided with several stops (11) around its perimeter for limiting the settling disc (3).

3. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first horizontal sliding assembly (9) includes a first horizontal slide rail (901) disposed on the housing (1) and a first horizontal slider (902) sliding on the first horizontal slide rail, and the first gripper (5) is disposed on the first horizontal slider (902); the second horizontal sliding assembly (10) includes a second horizontal slide rail (1001) disposed on the housing (1) and a second horizontal slider (1002) sliding on the second horizontal slide rail, and the second gripper (6) is disposed on the second horizontal slider (1002).

4. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the casing (1) is provided with a barcode scanning mechanism (12) corresponding to the sinking disc (3).

5. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The mounting base (2) is provided with a rotary drive structure (13) that can drive the sinking disc to rotate so that the scanning mechanism (12) can scan the code.

6. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) has a streamlined top (101).

7. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical sliding assembly (8) includes a vertical slide rail (801) on the housing (1) and a vertical slider (802) sliding on the vertical slide rail (801). The housing (1) is also provided with a number of parallel conductive plates (14). The vertical slider (802) is provided with a corresponding number of elastic conductive pins (15) equidistant from the parallel conductive plates. After the conductive pins contact the conductive plates, they can control the start of the rotation drive mechanism to drive the settling disc to rotate.

8. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical drive mechanism (4) includes a vertical drive motor and a vertical drive block. The vertical drive motor and the vertical drive block can be driven by a lead screw and slider assembly or a pulley assembly. The vertical drive block is connected to the vertical slider.

9. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The horizontal drive mechanism (7) includes a first horizontal drive mechanism for driving the first horizontal slider (902) to slide and a second horizontal drive mechanism for driving the second horizontal slider (1002) to slide. Both the first and second horizontal drive mechanisms include a horizontal drive motor and a horizontal drive block. The horizontal drive motor and the horizontal drive block can be driven by a lead screw slider assembly or a pulley assembly.

10. The non-interference automatic switching device for cleanroom microbial settling dishes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first horizontal sliding assembly (9), the second horizontal sliding assembly (10), and the vertical sliding assembly (8) are located outside the housing (1). The horizontal drive mechanism (7) and the vertical drive mechanism (4) are located inside the housing (1). The horizontal drive block corresponding to the horizontal drive mechanism is connected to the horizontal slider of the corresponding horizontal sliding assembly by magnetic attraction or rigid connection. The vertical drive block corresponding to the vertical drive mechanism is connected to the vertical slider of the corresponding vertical sliding assembly (8) by magnetic attraction or rigid connection.

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