Reaction cup loading device

Abstract

The utility model provides a reaction cup loading device which comprises a stock bin used for containing a reaction cup; the loading chute is used for sequentially arranging and transferring the reaction cups from the stock bin; the first sensing assembly is used for carrying out inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup at the output port of the loading chute; the cup moving assembly is used for transferring the reaction cups output by the loading sliding groove; the controller is in communication connection with the first induction assembly and the cup moving assembly, and is configured to be used for controlling the first induction assembly to carry out upside-down / upright detection on the reaction cups located at the to-be-loaded positions of the output port of the loading sliding groove, and controlling the cup moving assembly to convey the identified upright reaction cups to the reaction cup cache unit along the first transmission path; and the cup moving assembly is controlled to convey the identified inverted reaction cups to the reaction cup recovery unit along a second transmission path different from the first transmission path. According to the utility model, the inverted reaction cups are prevented from flowing to the reaction cup buffer unit to cause cup clamping, and instrument faults caused by inverted reaction cups are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of in vitro diagnosis, in particular to a reaction cup loading device. Background Art

[0002] In sample analyzers in the field of in vitro diagnostics, disposable reaction cups are used as the reaction site for reagents and samples to form a reaction solution, and then the disposable reaction cup containing the reaction solution is mixed and incubated. Finally, the disposable reaction cup is placed on the detection unit and tested by coagulation method, immunoturbidimetry, chromogenic substrate method or chemiluminescence immunoassay.

[0003] In order to increase the test throughput and reduce user operations, a reaction cup loading device is generally provided inside the sample analyzer, and the reaction cup loading device is used to load the batches of scattered reaction cups neatly and orderly to the next station in the sample analyzer, such as the reaction cup buffer unit. The reaction cup loading device generally includes a silo, a lifting mechanism and a loading chute. The reaction cups in the silo are lifted to the top of the silo by the lifting mechanism and transferred to the next station through the loading chute. For the existing reaction cup loading device, the reaction cups transferred into the loading chute are prone to inverted state, and the inverted reaction cups will cause instrument failure and need to be shut down for maintenance, thereby affecting the normal operation of the entire instrument. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a reaction cup loading device to address the above technical issues.

[0005] A reaction cup loading device, comprising:

[0006] A silo is used to hold a reaction cup, wherein the reaction cup comprises a cup body and a cup ear arranged near a cup mouth end of the cup body;

[0007] A loading chute, used for transporting the reaction cups from the silo in order through the cup ears supporting the reaction cups;

[0008] A first sensing component is used to detect whether the reaction cup at the output port of the loading chute is inverted or upright;

[0009] A cup transfer assembly, used for transferring the reaction cups output from the loading chute one by one;

[0010] The controller is communicatively connected with the first sensing component and the cup transfer component, and is configured to control the first sensing component to perform inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup to be loaded at the output port of the loading chute, and to control the cup transfer component to transport the identified upright reaction cup along a first transmission path to the reaction cup buffer unit, and to control the cup transfer component to transport the identified inverted reaction cup along a second transmission path different from the first transmission path to the reaction cup recovery unit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the controller is further used to control the first sensing component to perform inverted / upright detection on the next reaction cup located at the to-be-loaded position of the loading chute output port while controlling the cup transfer component to transport the current reaction cup.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first sensing component is used to sense and identify a preset height H above the position to be loaded, and the preset height H satisfies a1<H≤a2, wherein a1 is the height of the reaction cup when the reaction cup on the position to be loaded is in an upright state, and a2 is the height of the reaction cup when the reaction cup on the position to be loaded is in an inverted state.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first sensing component is a reflective photoelectric sensor, which is disposed adjacent to the to-be-loaded position of the loading chute output port, and performs inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup at the to-be-loaded position along the length direction of the loading chute.

[0014] In one embodiment, the sensing distance L of the first sensing component satisfies b1≤L<b2, wherein b1 is the distance between the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position and the light emitter of the first sensing component when the reaction cup is in an inverted state, and b2 is the distance between the reaction cup on the adjacent position behind the to-be-loaded position and the light emitter of the first sensing component when the reaction cup is in an inverted state.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cup transfer assembly includes a fixed cup drop slide, a push block slidably arranged on the cup drop slide, and a driving assembly driving the push block to slide, the cup drop slide is provided with a first cup drop hole and a second cup drop hole, the first cup drop hole is connected to the reaction cup buffer unit, and the second cup drop hole is connected to the reaction cup recovery unit;

[0016] The controller is used to control the driving component to drive the push block to reach the docking position, so that the push block receives the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position; the controller is used to control the driving component to drive the push block to move from the docking position along a first direction to a first extreme state position, so that the upright reaction cup is driven to the first cup dropping hole and drops from the first cup dropping hole into the reaction cup buffer unit; and is used to control the driving component to drive the push block to move along a second direction opposite to the first direction to a second extreme state position, so that the inverted reaction cup is driven to the second cup dropping hole and drops from the second cup dropping hole into the reaction cup recovery unit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the cup transfer assembly further includes a second sensing assembly, which is disposed on the cup dropping slide and is used to sense whether the push block reaches the docking position, the first limit state position or the second limit state position.

[0018] In one embodiment, the driving assembly includes a driver, and a gear and a rack meshing with each other, the driver is drivingly connected to the gear, and the rack is connected to the push block.

[0019] In one of the embodiments, the reaction cup loading device also includes a lifting mechanism for transferring the reaction cups in the silo to the loading chute one by one, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting and conveying assembly and a plurality of lifting blocks arranged on the lifting and conveying assembly for lifting the reaction cups, the lifting and conveying assembly is used to circulate and drive the plurality of lifting blocks to dock with the input port of the loading chute in sequence; when the lifting block docks with the loading chute, the projections of the lifting block and the loading chute on the horizontal plane are arranged in the same direction.

[0020] In one of the embodiments, two supporting surfaces inclined toward the inside of the loading chute are provided on both sides of the length direction of the loading chute, and the two supporting surfaces are used to support the cup ears of the reaction cup; vertical plates are provided at one end of the two supporting surfaces close to the input port of the loading chute, and the vertical plates are used to limit the reaction cup, and the length of the vertical plates in the length direction of the loading chute is at least greater than the height of the reaction cup.

[0021] The above-mentioned reaction cup loading device, through the cooperation of the first sensing component, the cup transfer component and the controller, transports the reaction cup identified as upright to the reaction cup buffer unit, and transports the reaction cup identified as inverted to the reaction cup recovery unit, so as to realize the identification and transfer of the inverted reaction cup, avoid the inverted reaction cup from flowing into the reaction cup buffer unit and causing the cup to be stuck, avoid the inverted reaction cup from causing instrument failure, reduce the instrument failure rate, ensure the normal operation of the sample analyzer, and effectively reduce the cost of equipment inspection and maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an inverted reaction cup stuck in the docking position between the cup dropping channel and the reaction cup buffer unit;

[0023] Figure 2 is an overall schematic diagram of a reaction cup loading device in one embodiment;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a reaction cup loading device in one embodiment;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a reaction cup in one embodiment;

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the coordination relationship among the loading chute, the first sensing component and the cup transfer component in one embodiment;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of a loading chute, a first sensing component and a cup transfer component in one embodiment;

[0028] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of a lifting mechanism in one embodiment;

[0029] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a push block in one embodiment;

[0030] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a loading chute and a push block in one embodiment;

[0031] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the matching relationship between the loading slide groove and the cup dropping slide seat in one embodiment.

[0032] Description of reference numerals: 10, cuvette loading device; 100, hopper; 200, loading chute; 300, first sensing component; 400, cup transfer component; 500, cuvette buffer unit; 700, cuvette; 800, lifting mechanism; 210, supporting surface; 220, vertical plate; 201, position to be loaded; 202, position adjacent to the rear of the position to be loaded; 203, input port; 301, fixed block; 410, push block; 420, drive component; 421, drive; 422, gear Wheel; 423, rack; 430, cup-dropping slide; 431, movement channel; 411, cup body blocking part; 412, cup body guiding part; 4111, cup body guiding channel; 411a, reaction cup placement hole; 432, first cup-dropping hole; 433, second cup-dropping hole; 440, cup-dropping channel; 710, cup body; 720, cup ear; 810, lifting and conveying assembly; 820, lifting block; 801, chain; 802, driven sprocket; 803, driving sprocket; 804, tensioning sprocket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0034] The reaction cup loading device generally includes a silo for storing reaction cups, a lifting mechanism for lifting the reaction cups from the silo upward, and a loading chute for adjusting the direction of the lifted reaction cups and queuing the reaction cups for transfer. The reaction cups output by the loading chute enter the next station in sequence through the drop channel, such as the reaction cup buffer unit. The reaction cup buffer unit rotates or moves to drive the reaction cup to the sample adding position, the reagent adding position, or the gripper grabbing position for subsequent testing. For existing reaction cup loading devices, the reaction cup is prone to inverted state after being transferred into the loading chute, and the inverted reaction cup will cause instrument failure. The specific reasons are as follows: Figure 1 As shown, after the inverted reaction cup is output through the loading chute and transported to the reaction cup buffer unit by the dropping channel, the inverted reaction cup will be stuck at the output port of the dropping channel and the outer shell of the reaction cup buffer unit, affecting the rotation or movement of the reaction cup buffer unit, thereby causing the reaction cup to be stuck, causing instrument failure and requiring shutdown for maintenance, thereby affecting the normal operation of the entire instrument.

[0035] In view of the above problems, in this embodiment, a reaction cup loading device 10 is provided, wherein Figures 2 to 3 ,as well as Figure 5 to Figure 6 As shown, the reaction cup loading device 10 comprises:

[0036] The silo 100 is used to hold a reaction cup 700, wherein the reaction cup includes a cup body and a cup ear arranged near a cup mouth end of the cup body;

[0037] The loading chute 200 is used to sequentially transport the reaction cups 700 from the silo 100 through the cup ears supporting the reaction cups;

[0038] The first sensing component 300 is used to detect whether the cuvette 700 at the output port of the loading chute 200 is inverted or upright;

[0039] The cup transfer assembly 400 is used to transfer the reaction cups 700 outputted from the loading chute 200 one by one;

[0040] The controller is communicatively connected with the first sensing component 300 and the cup transfer component 400, and is configured to control the first sensing component 300 to perform inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup 700 located at the to-be-loaded position 201 at the output port of the loading chute 200, and to control the cup transfer component 400 to transport the identified upright reaction cup 700 along a first transmission path to the reaction cup buffer unit 500, and to control the cup transfer component 400 to transport the identified inverted reaction cup 700 along a second transmission path different from the first transmission path to the reaction cup recovery unit.

[0041] Among them, the upright reaction cup 700 is a reaction cup 700 in an upright state, and the reaction cup 700 is a reaction cup with the cup mouth facing upward in the loading chute 200; the inverted reaction cup 700 is a reaction cup 700 in an inverted state, and the reaction cup 700 is a reaction cup with the cup mouth facing downward in the loading chute 200.

[0042] In this embodiment, through the cooperation of the first sensing component 300, the cup transfer component 400 and the controller, the reaction cup to be loaded at the output port of the loading chute 200 is identified, and the reaction cups 700 identified as being in an upright state are transported one by one to the reaction cup buffer unit 500, and the reaction cups 700 identified as being in an inverted state are transported one by one to the reaction cup recovery unit, thereby avoiding the inverted reaction cup 700 from being transferred to the reaction cup buffer unit 500 and causing the cup to be stuck, avoiding instrument failure caused by the inverted reaction cup, reducing the instrument failure rate, ensuring the normal operation of the sample analyzer, and effectively reducing the cost of equipment inspection and maintenance.

[0043] Specifically, the first sensing component 300 detects the cuvette 700 at the loading position 201 and outputs a detection signal; the controller determines and identifies whether the cuvette 700 at the loading position 201 is an upright cuvette or an inverted cuvette based on the detection signal; and controls the cup transfer component 400 to transport the upright cuvette 700 along the first transmission path to the cuvette buffer unit 500 based on the identification result, or controls the cup transfer component 400 to transport the inverted cuvette 700 along a second transmission path different from the first transmission path to the cuvette recovery unit.

[0044] The cuvette loading device is a device for supplying disordered cuvettes to an instrument in an orderly manner. In this embodiment, the cuvette loading device includes a silo 100, a loading chute 200, a first sensing component 300, a cup transfer component 400 and a controller.

[0045] The controller is respectively connected to the first sensing component 300 and the cup transfer component 400 for communication, and is used to control the first sensing component to detect the inverted / upright state of the reaction cup, and to control the action of the cup transfer component 400. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the controller can be a built-in control chip, or a computer separately provided from the reaction cup loading device body, and the computer is connected to the components of the reaction cup loading device for communication.

[0046] In one embodiment, see Figure 4 As shown, the reaction cup 700 includes a cup body 710 and a cup ear 720 disposed near the cup mouth end of the cup body 710 , and the cup ear 720 is a flange structure located on the outer peripheral side of the cup body.

[0047] In this embodiment, the reaction cup 700 includes a cup body 710 and a cup ear 720 arranged on the outer periphery of the cup body 710, wherein the cup ear 720 is an annular flange structure, the cup ear 720 is close to the cup mouth end of the reaction cup 700, and the outer diameter of the cup ear 720 is larger than the outer diameter of the cup body 710; the bottom end of the reaction cup 700 is heavier.

[0048] The loading chute 200 is used to adjust the direction of the lifted cuvettes and transport the cuvettes 700 in sequence by supporting the cup ears of the cuvettes 700. The output end of the loading chute 200 docks with the cup transfer assembly 400, and the cuvettes are transferred to the cuvette buffer unit 500 or the cuvette recovery unit through the cup transfer assembly 400.

[0049] In one embodiment, the reaction cup recovery unit may be a reaction cup waste bin or / and a reaction cup recovery and conveying mechanism. The reaction cup recovery and conveying mechanism is used to convey the inverted reaction cup back to the silo 100. The inverted reaction cup may be directly conveyed to the reaction cup waste bin for disposal; the inverted reaction cup may also be conveyed to the reaction cup recovery and conveying mechanism, and the inverted reaction cup may be conveyed back to the silo 100 by the reaction cup recovery and conveying mechanism; the inverted reaction cup may also be conveyed to the reaction cup waste bin, and then the inverted reaction cup in the reaction cup waste bin may be conveyed back to the silo 100 by the reaction cup recovery and conveying mechanism.

[0050] In one embodiment, the loading chute 200 is used to support the cup ears 720 of the reaction cup 700 and guide the reaction cup 700 to slide. The distance between the two inner groove walls of the loading chute 200, that is, the groove width is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the cup body 710 of the reaction cup 700, and smaller than the outer diameter of the reaction cup 700, that is, smaller than the outer diameter of the cup ears 720 of the reaction cup 700, so that the cup ears of the reaction cup 700 can be supported on the loading chute 200 and slide in sequence. Figure 5 As shown, the cup ears 720 of the reaction cup 700 in the upright state are supported on the loading chute 200, and the cup body 710 of the reaction cup 700 is mainly located between the two groove walls of the loading chute 200; the cup ears 720 of the reaction cup 700 in the inverted state are supported on the loading chute 200, but the cup body 710 of the reaction cup 700 is mainly located above the loading chute 200. That is, for the reaction cup at the to-be-loaded position 201 at the output port of the loading chute 200, the height in the inverted state is higher than that in the upright state.

[0051] In one embodiment, the first sensing component 300 is used to sense and identify a preset height H above the position to be loaded, and the preset height H satisfies a1<H≤a2, wherein a1 is the height of the cuvette 700 when the cuvette 700 on the position to be loaded is in an upright state, and a2 is the height of the cuvette 700 when the cuvette 700 on the position to be loaded is in an inverted state. Preferably, in order to reduce the risk of misjudgment, the preset height H satisfies a1<H<a2.

[0052] Compared to the bottom of the reaction cup 700, the cup ear 720 of the reaction cup 700 is closer to the cup mouth. For the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position 201 located at the output port of the loading chute 200, the height is higher when it is in an inverted state than when it is in an upright state. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first sensing component 300 is used to detect the preset height of the to-be-loaded position 201 located at the output port of the loading chute 200, so as to detect whether the reaction cup 700 is upright or inverted. In one embodiment, the controller is also used to control the first sensing component 300 to perform inverted / upright detection on the next reaction cup 700 located at the to-be-loaded position 201 at the output port of the loading chute 200 during the process of controlling the cup transfer component 400 to transport the current reaction cup 700.

[0053] In this embodiment, while controlling the cup transfer component 400 to transport the current reaction cup 700, the controller synchronously controls the first sensing component 300 to perform inverted / upright detection on the next reaction cup 700 located at the to-be-loaded position 201 at the output port of the loading chute 200; in this way, before the cup transfer component 400 transports the next reaction cup, the controller can determine the transport direction of the cup transfer component 400 based on the detection signal of the next reaction cup 400 obtained, so that the cup transfer component 400 can continuously transport the reaction cups one by one, thereby improving the working efficiency of the reaction cup loading device.

[0054] In one embodiment, the first sensing component 300 is configured as a reflective photoelectric sensor, and the first sensing component 300 is disposed adjacent to the to-be-loaded position 201 at the output port of the loading chute 200 , and performs an inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position 201 along the length direction of the loading chute 200 .

[0055] The transmitter and receiver of the reflective photoelectric sensor are installed in the same position, and the existence or position of the object is detected by the reflection of light by the object. In this embodiment, the first sensing component 300 is a reflective photoelectric sensor, which makes the detection range of the first sensing component 300 wider and takes up less space for installation. Preferably, the first sensing component 300 is arranged near the to-be-loaded position 201 of the output port of the loading chute 200, and performs inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position 201 along the length direction of the loading chute 200. With this structure, when the reaction cup 700 located at the to-be-loaded position 201 of the loading chute 200 is in an inverted state and there is a certain deflection along the length direction of the loading chute 200, the first sensing component 300 can still accurately detect, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection.

[0056] In one embodiment, see Figure 5 to Figure 6 As shown, the first sensing component 300 is fixedly connected to the loading chute 200 through a fixing block 301 . The first sensing component 300 is located in the output direction of the loading chute 200 , and is arranged opposite to the output port of the loading chute, and is located above the cup transfer component 400 .

[0057] In this embodiment, the fixed block 301 includes a vertical plate and a mounting portion, one end of the vertical plate is fixedly connected to the loading chute 200, and the other end of the vertical plate is fixedly connected to the mounting portion; the mounting portion is an L-shaped structure, including a mounting sub-block and an extension sub-block connected to each other, and the mounting sub-block is fixedly arranged above the cup transfer assembly 400 through the extension sub-block and adjacent to the loading position 201 of the output port of the loading chute 200. The first sensing assembly 300 is mounted on the mounting sub-block. In this way, the compactness of the structure is ensured, and at the same time, the first sensing assembly 300 is prevented from affecting the movement of the cup transfer assembly 400.

[0058] In one embodiment, the sensing distance L of the first sensing component 300 satisfies b1≤L<b2, wherein b1 is the distance between the cuvette 700 on the to-be-loaded position 201 and the light emitter (not shown) of the first sensing component 300 when the cuvette 700 is in an inverted state, and b2 is the distance between the cuvette 700 on the adjacent position 202 behind the to-be-loaded position and the light emitter of the first sensing component 300 when the cuvette 700 is in an inverted state.

[0059] It is worth mentioning that the position behind the to-be-loaded position in the adjacent position 202 behind the to-be-loaded position refers to a position behind the to-be-loaded position along the conveying direction on the loading chute 200 .

[0060] In order to prevent the cuvettes 700 other than the to-be-loaded position 201 on the loading chute 200 from interfering with the sensing detection of the first sensing component 300, in this embodiment, the sensing distance L of the first sensing component 300 is limited so that the sensing distance L satisfies b1≤L<b2, wherein b1 is the distance between the cuvette 700 on the to-be-loaded position 201 and the light emitter (not shown) of the first sensing component 300 when the cuvette 700 is in an inverted state, and b2 is the distance between the cuvette 700 on the adjacent position 202 behind the to-be-loaded position and the light emitter of the first sensing component 300 when the cuvette 700 is in an inverted state; in this way, the first sensing component 300 only senses the cuvette 700 on the to-be-loaded position 201 of the loading chute 200, ensuring accurate identification of the cuvette 700 at this position, and avoiding misjudgment due to the influence of other cuvettes 700. Preferably, in order to further reduce the risk of misjudgment, the sensing distance L satisfies b1<L<b2.

[0061] In one embodiment, the first sensing component 300 includes a through-beam photoelectric sensor, the transmitter and receiver of which are arranged on both sides, and the existence or position of the object is detected by triggering a change in the light signal when the object blocks the light. In this embodiment, the transmitter and receiver of the through-beam photoelectric sensor are arranged on both sides of the loading chute 200 along the width direction, and are arranged near the loading position 201 of the output port of the loading chute 200.

[0062] It should be understood that the first sensing component may also include other sensors capable of detecting obstacles, such as infrared sensors, which are not described in detail in this embodiment.

[0063] In one embodiment, the first sensing component 300 can also identify the inverted or upright state of the reaction cup 700 by detecting the preset depth at the to-be-loaded position 201 at the output port of the loading chute 200. The first sensing component 300 is used to sense and identify the preset depth at the to-be-loaded position 201, and the preset depth D satisfies c1<D≤c2, where c1 is the depth of the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position 201 when it is in an inverted state, and c2 is the depth of the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position 201 when it is in an upright state. For the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position 201 at the output port of the loading chute 200, the depth extending downward in the inverted state is shallower than that in the upright state, that is, the distance between the reaction cup and the bottom of the loading chute 200 is farther when the reaction cup is in the inverted state than when the reaction cup is in the upright state. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first sensing component 300 is used to detect the preset depth below the waiting loading position 201 located at the output port of the loading chute 200, so as to detect whether the reaction cup 700 is upright or inverted. Specifically, a reflective photoelectric sensor or a beam photoelectric sensor can be provided at the inner groove wall of the loading chute 200 corresponding to the waiting loading position 201 to detect the preset depth below the waiting loading position 201, and the first sensing component 300 detects the reaction cup at the waiting loading position 201 along the width direction of the loading chute. In one embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 5 to Figure 6 as well as Fig.10 As shown, the cup transfer assembly 400 includes a fixed cup drop slide 430, a push block 410 slidably arranged on the cup drop slide 430, and a driving assembly 420 for driving the push block 410 to slide. The cup drop slide 430 is provided with a first cup drop hole 432 and a second cup drop hole 433, the first cup drop hole 432 is connected to the reaction cup buffer unit 500, and the second cup drop hole 433 is connected to the reaction cup recovery unit; the cup drop slide is provided with a docking position, and the push block 410 is docked with the output port of the loading chute 200 at the docking position;

[0064] The controller is used to control the driving component 420 to drive the push block 410 to reach the docking position, so that the push block 410 receives the reaction cup 700 on the to-be-loaded position 201; the controller is used to control the driving component 420 to drive the push block 410 to move from the docking position along a first direction to a first extreme state position, so that the upright reaction cup is driven to the first cup dropping hole 432 and drops from the first cup dropping hole 432 into the reaction cup buffer unit 400; and is used to control the driving component 420 to drive the push block 410 to move along a second direction opposite to the first direction to a second extreme state position, so that the inverted reaction cup is driven to the second cup dropping hole 433 and drops from the second cup dropping hole 433 into the reaction cup recovery unit.

[0065] In one embodiment, see Fig.10As shown, a motion channel 431 is formed on the cup-dropping slide 430 to provide a motion path for the push block 410. The motion channel 431 has a channel bottom wall, and a first cup-dropping hole 432 and a second cup-dropping hole 433 are arranged on the channel bottom wall. The first cup-dropping hole 432 is connected to the reaction cup buffer unit 500, and the second cup-dropping hole 433 is connected to the reaction cup recovery unit. The motion channel 431 is provided with a first limit state position along a first direction, and the first cup-dropping hole 432 is located at the first limit state position. The motion channel 431 is provided with a second limit state position along a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the second cup-dropping hole 433 is located at the second limit state position. The motion channel 431 is also provided with a docking position, and the docking position is docked with the output port of the loading chute 200. Among them, the first cup dropping hole 432 is connected with the reaction cup buffer unit 400 through the first cup dropping channel (not shown in the figure), and the reaction cup can accurately fall into the reaction cup buffer unit 400 along the first cup dropping channel; and / or, the second cup dropping hole 433 is connected with the reaction cup recovery unit through the second cup dropping channel 440, and the reaction cup can accurately fall into the reaction cup recovery unit along the second cup dropping through hole 440.

[0066] The diameter of the first cup dropping channel and / or the second cup dropping channel 440 is slightly larger than the diameter of the reaction cup, so as to avoid the reaction cup from flipping when the reaction cup is transferred through the first cup dropping channel and / or the second cup dropping channel 440 .

[0067] In one embodiment, the cup drop slide 430 is fixedly connected to the output port end of the loading chute 200, so that the reaction cup of the loading chute 200 can smoothly drop onto the cup drop slide 430. The push block 410 can be slidably disposed on the cup drop slide 430 via a slide rail and slider assembly.

[0068] In one embodiment, see Figure 8 As shown, the push block 410 is provided with a cup body blocking portion 411 and a cup body guiding portion 412. The cup body blocking portion 411 is used to block the reaction cup 700 located at the output port of the loading chute 200, and the cup body guiding portion 412 is used to guide the single reaction cup 700 located at the output port of the loading chute 200 to the next station. The push block 410 moves under the drive of the driving assembly 420. Through the movement of the push block 410, the cup body blocking portion 411 or the cup body guiding portion 412 of the push block 410 can be docked with the to-be-loaded position at the output port of the loading chute 200, and the reaction cup 700 located at the to-be-loaded position at the output port of the loading chute 200 can be blocked by the cup body blocking portion 411 or enter the cup body guiding portion 412 accordingly.

[0069] Further, the cup body guide portion 411 has a cup body guide channel 4111, the width of which matches the width of the reaction cup 700, and the cup body guide channel 4111 can only accommodate a single reaction cup 700 to ensure that only one reaction cup 700 is transported each time; the cup body guide channel 4111 is semi-open, that is, the side of the cup body guide channel 4111 facing the loading chute 200 is not closed, forming a gap for a single reaction cup 700 to be loaded at the output port of the loading chute 200 to enter the cup body guide channel 4111, and a reaction cup placement hole 411a is formed between the cup body guide channel 4111 and the cup drop slide 430 for receiving the dropped reaction cup 500. Further, the cup body guide channel 4111 is a vertical groove-shaped structure, and only one reaction cup 700 can be accommodated in this groove-shaped structure.

[0070] When the push block 410 moves relative to the cup dropping slide 430 and before the cup body guide portion 412 docks with the waiting loading position of the loading slide 200, the reaction cup located at the waiting loading position is blocked by the cup body blocking portion 411 to prevent the reaction cup 700 on the waiting loading position 201 from moving together with the push block 410; when the push block 410 continues to move until the cup body guide portion 412 docks with the waiting loading position, due to the inclined setting of the loading slide 200, the reaction cup 700 will pass through the gap under the action of gravity and fall into the cup body guiding channel 4111.

[0071] In one embodiment, see Figure 6 As shown, the driving assembly 420 includes a driver 421, and a gear 422 and a rack 423 that mesh with each other. The driver 420 is fixedly arranged on the cup-dropping slide 430. The driver 421 is drivingly connected to the gear 422. The gear is fixedly connected to the power output shaft of the driver 421. The rack 423 is located on the side of the push block 410 away from the loading chute 200, and is fixedly connected to the push block 410.

[0072] In this embodiment, the driver 412 is connected to the gear 422, the gear 422 is meshed with the rack 423, the driver drives the gear 422 to rotate, drives the rack 423 to move in a straight line, and thus drives the push block 410 to move in a straight line. Specifically, the driver 412 can be a stepping motor.

[0073] In one embodiment, the cup transfer component is a manipulator, and the controller controls the manipulator to grab the reaction cup at the to-be-loaded position at the output port of the loading chute according to the sensing signal of the first sensing component, and transfers the upright reaction cup to the reaction cup buffer unit, and transfers the inverted reaction cup to the reaction cup recovery unit. It is worth mentioning that the manipulator can use different methods in the above embodiments to drive the upright reaction cup and / or the inverted reaction cup to move, so that the upright reaction cup is transferred to the reaction cup buffer unit, and the inverted reaction cup is transferred to the reaction cup recovery unit, which is not described in detail in this embodiment.

[0074] In one embodiment, the cup transfer component 400 also includes a second sensing component (not shown in the figure), which is arranged on the cup dropping slide 430 and is used to sense whether the push block 410 reaches the docking position, the first limit state position or the second limit state position of the loading slide 200.

[0075] In this embodiment, a second sensing component is also provided to sense whether the push block 410 is in place. The second sensing component may be an in-place photoelectric sensor. Further, the second sensing component is provided on the cup drop slide 430, and the second sensing component may be provided with multiple, for example, three, namely, a first in-place photoelectric sensor, a second in-place photoelectric sensor, and a third in-place photoelectric sensor; the first in-place photoelectric sensor is used to sense whether the push block 410 has reached the docking position, the second in-place photoelectric sensor is used to sense whether the push block 410 has reached the first limit state position, and the third in-place photoelectric sensor is used to sense whether the push block 410 has reached the second limit state position. A baffle is fixedly provided on the push block 410, and the baffle moves with the push block 410. Multiple in-place photoelectric sensors cooperate with the baffle to detect the in-place position of the push block 410, so that the controller can control the drive component 421 to drive the push block 410 to move.

[0076] In one embodiment, see Figure 7 As shown, the reaction cup loading device 10 also includes a lifting mechanism 800 for transferring the reaction cups 700 in the silo 100 to the loading chute 200 one by one. The lifting mechanism 800 includes a lifting and conveying assembly 810 and a plurality of lifting blocks 820 arranged on the lifting and conveying assembly 810 for lifting the reaction cups 700. The lifting and conveying assembly 810 is used to circulate and drive the plurality of lifting blocks 820 to dock with the input port of the loading chute 200 in sequence; when the lifting block 820 docks with the loading chute 200, the projections of the lifting block 820 and the loading chute 200 on the horizontal plane are arranged in the same direction.

[0077] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 800 is used to lift the cuvettes 700 in the transfer silo 100 one by one. The lifting mechanism 800 is extended from the bottom to the top of the silo 100, and the upper part of the lifting mechanism 800 is docked with the loading chute 200, so that the cuvettes 700 lifted by the lifting mechanism 800 enter the loading chute 200 one by one, and are adjusted by the loading chute 200, and the cuvettes 700 are queued to enter the cuvette buffer unit 500 or the cuvette recovery unit.

[0078] The lifting mechanism 800 includes a lifting and conveying assembly 810 and a plurality of lifting blocks 820 disposed on the lifting and conveying assembly 810 for lifting the reaction cup 700. The lifting blocks 820 are fixedly disposed on the lifting and conveying assembly 810 through a mounting plate, and the lifting blocks 820 are tilted downward in the direction of the loading chute 200, so that the reaction cup on the lifting block 820 can slide into the loading chute 200 under its own gravity. The silo 100 has a first side plate disposed along the lifting direction of the lifting and conveying assembly 810, and the first side plate is used to seal the reaction cup outlet side of the lifting block 820 to prevent the reaction cup on the lifting block 820 from sliding off the lifting block 820 before reaching the input port of the loading chute 200.

[0079] In one embodiment, the lifting and conveying assembly 810 may be a chain conveying mechanism, a belt conveying mechanism, a roller conveying mechanism, etc. In order to facilitate the lifting of the reaction cup 700, the lifting and conveying assembly 810 is preferably selected as a chain conveying mechanism. Specifically, the chain conveying mechanism includes a chain 801, a driving sprocket 803 and a driven sprocket 802 that drive the chain 801 to rotate, and a power source, and the power source is used to drive the driving sprocket 803 to rotate; wherein the driving sprocket 803, the driven sprocket 802 and the power source are all installed on the base. Among them, in order to ensure the stability of the chain conveying mechanism, in this embodiment, a tensioning sprocket 804 is also provided on the base, and the tensioning sprocket 804 is located between the driving sprocket 803 and the driven sprocket 802. Specifically, the power source can be a stepping motor.

[0080] In this embodiment, when the lifting block 820 is docked with the loading chute 200, the projections of the lifting block 820 and the loading chute 200 on the horizontal plane are arranged in the same direction; to avoid the unsmooth connection between the lifting block 820 and the loading chute 200, to avoid excessive left and right swinging during the process of transferring the reaction cup 700 from the lifting block 820 to the loading chute 200, thereby increasing the probability of an inverted reaction cup. The above structure can reduce the probability of an inverted reaction cup.

[0081] In one embodiment, see Fig. 9 and Fig.10As shown, two supporting surfaces 210 inclined toward the inside of the loading chute 200 are provided on both sides of the length direction of the loading chute 200, and the two supporting surfaces 210 are used to support the cup ears 720 of the reaction cup 700; vertical plates 220 are provided on one end of the two supporting surfaces 210 close to the input port 203 of the loading chute 200, and the vertical plates 220 are used to limit the reaction cup 700.

[0082] In this embodiment, two supporting surfaces 210 inclined toward the inside of the loading chute 200 are provided on both sides of the length direction of the loading chute 200, and the two supporting surfaces 210 are used to support the cup ears 720 of the reaction cup 700, and the distance between the two supporting surfaces 210 on both sides of the loading chute 200 is greater than or equal to the width of the cup body 710 of the reaction cup 700, and less than the width of the cup ears 720, so that the cup ears of the reaction cup 700 can be supported on the supporting surfaces 210 on both sides of the loading chute 200 and slide in sequence. A vertical plate 220 is provided on one end of the two supporting surfaces 210 close to the input port 203 of the loading chute 200. The length of the vertical plate in the length direction of the loading chute is at least greater than the height of the reaction cup. The vertical plate 220 can adjust the reaction cup 700 transferred by the lifting mechanism 800 into the loading chute 200 to an upright vertical state more quickly, avoid the reaction cup 700 from moving back and forth on the two supporting surfaces 210 after entering the loading chute 200, and reduce the probability of the reaction cup lying flat on the loading chute 200.

[0083] In one embodiment, the distance between the two vertical plates 220 is larger than the outer diameter of the reaction cup 700 , that is, larger than the outer diameter of the cup ears of the reaction cup 700 , and smaller than the overall width of the loading chute 200 .

[0084] The technical features of the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0085] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A cuvette loading device, characterized in that: include: A silo is used to hold a reaction cup, wherein the reaction cup comprises a cup body and a cup ear arranged near a cup mouth end of the cup body; A loading chute, used for transporting the reaction cups from the silo in order through the cup ears supporting the reaction cups; A first sensing component is used to detect whether the reaction cup at the output port of the loading chute is inverted or upright; A cup transfer assembly, used for transferring the reaction cups output from the loading chute one by one; The controller is communicatively connected with the first sensing component and the cup transfer component, and is configured to control the first sensing component to perform inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup to be loaded at the output port of the loading chute, and to control the cup transfer component to transport the identified upright reaction cup along a first transmission path to the reaction cup buffer unit, and to control the cup transfer component to transport the identified inverted reaction cup along a second transmission path different from the first transmission path to the reaction cup recovery unit.

2. The cuvette loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is further used to control the first sensing component to perform inverted / upright detection on the next reaction cup located at the to-be-loaded position of the loading chute output port during the process of controlling the cup transfer component to transport the current reaction cup.

3. The cuvette loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensing component is used to sense and identify a preset height H above the position to be loaded, and the preset height H satisfies a1<H≤a2, wherein a1 is the height of the reaction cup when the reaction cup on the position to be loaded is in an upright state, and a2 is the height of the reaction cup when the reaction cup on the position to be loaded is in an inverted state.

4. The cuvette loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensing component is a reflective photoelectric sensor, which is disposed near the to-be-loaded position of the loading chute output port and performs inverted / upright detection on the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position along the length direction of the loading chute.

5. The cuvette loading device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensing distance L of the first sensing component satisfies b1≤L<b2, wherein b1 is the distance between the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position and the light emitter of the first sensing component when the reaction cup is in an inverted state, and b2 is the distance between the reaction cup on the adjacent position behind the to-be-loaded position and the light emitter of the first sensing component when the reaction cup is in an inverted state.

6. The cuvette loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cup transfer assembly comprises a fixed cup drop slide, a push block slidably arranged on the cup drop slide, and a driving assembly driving the push block to slide, the cup drop slide is provided with a first cup drop hole and a second cup drop hole, the first cup drop hole is connected to the reaction cup buffer unit, and the second cup drop hole is connected to the reaction cup recovery unit; The controller is used to control the driving assembly to drive the push block to reach the docking position, so that the push block receives the reaction cup on the to-be-loaded position; the controller is used to control the driving assembly to drive the push block to move from the docking position along a first direction to a first limit state position, so that the upright reaction cup is driven to the first cup dropping hole and drops from the first cup dropping hole into the reaction cup buffer unit; And it is used to control the driving component to drive the push block to move along a second direction opposite to the first direction to a second limit state position, so that the inverted reaction cup is driven to the second cup dropping hole and falls from the second cup dropping hole into the reaction cup recovery unit.

7. The cuvette loading device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cup transfer assembly further includes a second sensing assembly, which is disposed on the cup drop slide and is used to sense whether the push block reaches the docking position, the first limit state position or the second limit state position.

8. The cuvette loading device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The driving assembly comprises a driver, and a gear and a rack meshing with each other, the driver is drivingly connected to the gear, and the rack is connected to the push block.

9. The cuvette loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reaction cup loading device also includes a lifting mechanism for transferring the reaction cups in the silo to the loading chute one by one, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting and conveying assembly and a plurality of lifting blocks arranged on the lifting and conveying assembly for lifting the reaction cups, the lifting and conveying assembly is used to circulate and drive the plurality of lifting blocks to dock with the input port of the loading chute in sequence; when the lifting block docks with the loading chute, the projections of the lifting block and the loading chute on the horizontal plane are arranged in the same direction.

10. The cuvette loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two supporting surfaces inclined toward the inside of the loading chute are provided on both sides in the length direction of the loading chute, and the two supporting surfaces are used to support the cup ears of the reaction cup; vertical plates are provided on one end of the two supporting surfaces close to the input port of the loading chute, and the vertical plates are used to limit the reaction cup, and the length of the vertical plates in the length direction of the loading chute is at least greater than the height of the reaction cup.

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