A sample rack transport track changing device

Abstract

A sample rack transport track changing device relates to the technical field of in vitro diagnostic equipment. The technical solution adopted includes a conveying unit and a track changing unit. The conveying unit includes two parallel conveying tracks, each of which includes at least two conveyors and a first telescopic block; the track changing unit includes a track changing pallet, a guide rail arranged on one side of the track changing pallet, a slider slidably connected to the guide rail, and a linear drive device; both sides of the slider are provided with pushers, the pushers are parallel to the conveying track and extend to one side of the track changing pallet; the slider is also provided with a second telescopic block, and the track changing pallet is arranged between the first telescopic block and the second telescopic block. The utility model can realize any track changing of the sample rack between the two conveying tracks without changing the orientation of the sample rack; the first and second telescopic blocks are used to realize bidirectional mechanical limiting, thereby increasing the reliability of sample transportation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of in vitro diagnostic equipment, in particular to a sample rack transport track changing device. Background Art

[0002] In an assembly line-type in vitro diagnostic device, there are multiple conveying tracks for conveying sample racks. In order to meet the needs of switching the sample rack between two parallel conveying tracks, a track-changing mechanism with a shifting claw is usually used to shift the sample rack in both directions. At present, the track-changing mechanism generally drives the shifting claw to shift in both directions through a linear module, and the stroke control of the sample rack generally relies on the stepper motor of the linear module to run a fixed number of steps or use mechanical limiters. However, stepper motors have problems such as motor step loss, which causes the sample rack to be transported out of place or stuck, reducing the reliability of transportation; and the use of mechanical limiters cannot pass in both directions, which cannot meet the needs of sample injection product transportation and has great limitations. Utility Model Content

[0003] Aiming at the problem of low reliability of sample rack travel control of the track changing mechanism in the prior art solution, the utility model provides a sample rack transport track changing device.

[0004] The utility model provides the following technical solution: a sample rack transport track changing device, comprising:

[0005] A conveying unit, the conveying unit comprising two conveying tracks arranged in parallel, each conveying track comprising at least two conveyors arranged in sequence along a length direction and a first telescopic stopper arranged on one side of the conveyor;

[0006] A track-changing unit, the track-changing unit comprising a track-changing pallet arranged between two conveying rails, a guide rail arranged on one side of the track-changing pallet, a slider slidably connected to the guide rail, and a linear drive device for driving the slider to slide along the guide rail; pushers are arranged on both sides of the slider, the pushers are parallel to the conveying rails and extend toward one side of the track-changing pallet; the slider is also provided with a second telescopic block, and the track-changing pallet is arranged between the first telescopic block and the second telescopic block.

[0007] Preferably, the conveyor is a belt conveyor, which comprises a conveyor belt and guard plates arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt, and the guard plates are provided with notches corresponding to the track-changing support plates.

[0008] Preferably, the distance between the two pusher fingers is equal to the distance between the two guard plates.

[0009] Preferably, the guide rail is perpendicular to the conveying tracks, and the guide rail is located between two conveyors of each conveying track.

[0010] Preferably, the linear drive device is a synchronous belt transmission device, and the linear drive device includes a synchronous belt and a connecting arm connected between the synchronous belt and the slider.

[0011] Preferably, the track changing unit also includes a connecting slider arranged between two conveyors of the conveying track, the connecting slider is slidably connected to the guide rail, push claws are arranged on both sides of the connecting slider, and a return spring is also arranged between the side of the connecting slider away from the slider and the guide rail.

[0012] Preferably, the guide rail is further provided with two slider position sensors corresponding to the slider and the connecting slider respectively, and the slider and the connecting slider are both provided with induction sheets corresponding to the slider position sensors.

[0013] Preferably, each of the conveying tracks is provided with a first sample rack position sensor and a second sample rack position sensor corresponding to the first telescopic stop block and the second telescopic stop block respectively; the first sample rack position sensor is arranged on the side of the first telescopic stop block facing the conveyor; the second sample rack position sensor is connected to the conveyor via a connecting plate; and the pusher claw is provided with an avoidance groove corresponding to the second sample rack position sensor.

[0014] Preferably, the first telescopic stopper and the second telescopic stopper are both provided with telescopic position sensors.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the utility model are as follows: the sample rack can be arbitrarily changed between two conveying tracks without changing the orientation of the sample rack, thereby improving the track change efficiency; the first and second telescopic blocks are used to realize bidirectional mechanical limiting, and the telescopic state is conveniently and quickly controlled according to the transportation purpose of the sample rack, thereby controlling the position of the sample rack, increasing the reliability of sample transportation, and improving the transportation efficiency of the sample rack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of a track change device.

[0017] Figure 2 A top view of an embodiment of a track changing device.

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a track change unit.

[0019] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of an embodiment of the first telescopic stopper.

[0020] Figure numerals: 11, conveyor; 111, conveyor belt; 112, guard plate; 12, first telescopic stopper; 13, first sample rack position sensor; 14, second sample rack position sensor; 15, telescopic position sensor; 21, track change pallet; 22, guide rail; 221, slider position sensor; 23, slider; 24, pusher claw; 25, second telescopic stopper; 26, synchronous belt; 27, connecting arm; 28, connecting slider; 29, reset spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following is a more detailed description of the implementation of the utility model in conjunction with the drawings and the figure marks, so that those skilled in the art can implement it after reading this specification. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model, and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0022] The utility model provides Figure 1-4 A sample rack transport track changing device is shown, comprising a transport unit and a track changing unit.

[0023] The conveying unit includes two conveying tracks arranged in parallel, and the sample rack is conveyed to each module of an in vitro diagnostic device or another in vitro diagnostic device along the conveying tracks. Each conveying track includes at least two conveyors 11 arranged in sequence along the length direction and a first telescopic stopper 12 arranged on one side of the conveyor 11. Specifically, the conveyor 11 is a belt conveyor, including a conveyor belt 111 and guard plates 112 arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt 111. The sample rack carrying the sample tube is placed on the conveyor belt 111, and the conveyor belt 111 and the sample rack are driven to move by the motor of the belt conveyor. The guard plate 112 is used to prevent the sample rack from tipping over during the movement. A conveying track is composed of multiple conveyors connected in sequence, and only some conveyors are shown in the attached figure; there is a spacing between two adjacent conveyors, and this spacing has little effect on the passage of the sample rack. The first telescopic stopper 12 can adopt a through-axis linear stepper motor, which has a screw shaft that passes through the center of the motor. After the motor is started, the screw shaft can move linearly along the axial direction; the first telescopic stopper 12 is connected to the conveyor 11 through a sheet metal part, one end of the screw shaft can extend above the conveyor 11 to block the sample rack, and the other end can be synchronously extended, and a telescopic position sensor 15 is provided at the other end to determine the telescopic state of the first telescopic stopper 12. The telescopic position sensor can adopt a through-beam photoelectric sensor.

[0024] The track change unit includes a track change pallet 21 disposed between two conveying tracks, a guide rail 22 disposed on one side of the track change pallet 21, a slider 23 slidably connected to the guide rail 22, and a linear drive device for driving the slider 23 to slide along the guide rail 22. The track change pallet 21 is flush with the conveyor belts 111 on both sides thereof, and supports the sample rack from the bottom when changing tracks. The guard plate 112 is provided with a notch corresponding to the track change pallet 21, and the corresponding position between the conveyor belt 111 and the track change pallet 21 is the track change position. The guide rail 22 is perpendicular to the conveying track, and its two ends extend respectively between the two conveyors 11 of the two conveying tracks. The initial position of the slider 23 can be set between the two conveyors 11 of one of the conveying tracks to connect the two, and the upper surface of the slider 23 is flush with the conveyor belt 111, which is more conducive to the passage of the sample rack between the two conveyors. The slider 23 is provided with pusher claws 24 on both sides, the pusher claws 24 are parallel to the conveying track and extend to one side of the track change support plate 21, and the distance between the two pusher claws 24 is equal to the distance between the two guard plates 112; when the sample rack is between the two pusher claws 24, the slider 23 moves, and the sample rack can be pushed by the pusher claws 24 to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying track to achieve track change without changing the direction of the sample rack. The linear drive device can adopt a synchronous belt transmission device, including a synchronous belt 26, the synchronous belt 26 is connected between the two transmission wheels, and a connecting arm 27 is also connected between the synchronous belt 26 and the slider 23, the motor drives the transmission wheel to rotate, and then drives the slider 23 to move back and forth in a straight line through the synchronous belt and the connecting arm.

[0025] Preferably, the track changing unit further comprises a connecting slider 28 slidably connected to the guide rail 22. The initial positions of the connecting slider 28 and the slider 23 are respectively set between the two conveyors of the two conveying tracks, which is more conducive to the smooth passage of the sample rack on the two conveying tracks and reduces the risk of the sample rack being stuck. Claws are set on both sides of the connecting slider 28 to prevent the sample rack from tipping over, and a return spring 29 is also set between the side of the connecting slider 28 away from the slider 23 and the guide rail 22. The return spring 29 can be a compression spring.

[0026] The guide rail 22 is also provided with two slider position sensors 221 corresponding to the slider 23 and the connecting slider 28 respectively. The slider 23 and the connecting slider 28 are both provided with sensing sheets corresponding to the slider position sensors 221. The slider position sensor 221 can adopt a through-beam photoelectric sensor. When it detects the sensing sheet, it can determine that the slider 23 or the connecting slider 28 is in the initial position.

[0027] The slide block 23 is also provided with a second telescopic stopper 25, the structure of which can refer to the first telescopic stopper; the track change support plate 21 is arranged between the first telescopic stopper 12 and the second telescopic stopper 25. The track change unit can realize a variety of track change modes. For details, please refer to Figure 2, the plurality of conveyors are numbered 11a to 11d in sequence. In the initial state, the slider 23 may be located between the conveyors 11a and 11b, and the connecting slider 28 may be located between the conveyors 11c and 11d.

[0028] The sample rack can enter from the conveyor 11a, retract the first telescopic stopper 12, and use the second telescopic stopper 25 to block the sample rack at the track change position, and then drive the slider 23 to slide between the conveyors 11c and 11d. At the same time, the connecting slider 28 is squeezed to one side, and the two pushers 24 push the sample rack from the conveyor 11a to the conveyor 11c via the track change pallet 21. The conveyor 11c can be transported to the left or right, respectively realizing the track change transportation of the sample rack from the conveyor 11a to the conveyor 11c or the conveyor 11d, and then the slider 23 is reset, and the connecting slider 28 is reset accordingly under the action of the reset spring.

[0029] The sample rack can enter from the conveyor 11b, retract the second telescopic stopper 25, and use the first telescopic stopper 12 to block the sample rack at the track change position, and then drive the slider 23 to slide between the conveyor 11c and the conveyor 11d, the connecting slider 28 is squeezed to one side, and the sample rack is pushed to the conveyor 11c by the pusher claw. The conveyor 11c can be transported to the left or right, respectively realizing the track change transportation of the sample rack from the conveyor 11b to the conveyor 11c or the conveyor 11d, and then the slider 23 and the connecting slider 28 are reset successively.

[0030] The sample rack can enter from conveyor 11c. The slider 23 needs to be moved between conveyor 11c and conveyor 11d in advance, the connecting slider 28 is squeezed to one side, and then the first telescopic stopper 12 is retracted, and the sample rack is blocked at the track change position by the second telescopic stopper 25. Then the slider 23 is driven to slide between conveyor 11a and conveyor 11b, and the sample rack is pushed to conveyor 11a by the pusher claw. Conveyor 11a can be transported to the left or right, thereby realizing the track change transportation of the sample rack from conveyor 11c to conveyor 11a or conveyor 11b.

[0031] The sample rack can enter from conveyor 11d. The slider 23 needs to be moved between conveyors 11c and 11d in advance, the connecting slider 28 is squeezed to one side, and then the second telescopic block 25 is retracted, and the sample rack is blocked at the track change position by the first telescopic block 12. Then the slider 23 is driven to slide between conveyors 11a and 11b, and the sample rack is pushed to conveyor 11a by the pusher claw. Conveyor 11a can be transported to the left or right, thereby realizing the track change transportation of the sample rack from conveyor 11d to conveyor 11a or conveyor 11b.

[0032] Preferably, each of the conveying tracks is provided with a first sample rack position sensor 13 and a second sample rack position sensor 14 corresponding to the first telescopic stopper 12 and the second telescopic stopper 25, respectively, to determine whether the sample rack is in the track change position. Figure 1 The first sample rack position sensor 13 is arranged on the side of the first telescopic stopper 12 facing the conveyor 11, the second sample rack position sensor 14 is connected to the conveyor 11 through a connecting plate, and the pusher claw 24 is provided with an avoidance groove corresponding to the second sample rack position sensor 14. Both the first and second sample rack position sensors can be photoelectric sensors.

[0033] The above are one or more embodiments of the utility model, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the utility model, which all belong to the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model patent shall be based on the attached claims.

Claims

1. A sample rack transport track changing device, characterized in that: include: A conveying unit, the conveying unit comprising two conveying tracks arranged in parallel, each conveying track comprising at least two conveyors arranged in sequence along a length direction and a first telescopic stopper arranged on one side of the conveyor; A track-changing unit, the track-changing unit comprising a track-changing pallet arranged between two conveying rails, a guide rail arranged on one side of the track-changing pallet, a slider slidably connected to the guide rail, and a linear drive device for driving the slider to slide along the guide rail; pushers are arranged on both sides of the slider, the pushers are parallel to the conveying rails and extend toward one side of the track-changing pallet; the slider is also provided with a second telescopic block, and the track-changing pallet is arranged between the first telescopic block and the second telescopic block.

2. A sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveyor is a belt conveyor, which comprises a conveyor belt and guard plates arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt, and the guard plates are provided with notches corresponding to the track-changing support plates.

3. A sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distance between the two pusher claws is equal to the distance between the two guard plates.

4. A sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide rail is perpendicular to the conveying tracks, and the guide rail is located between two conveyors of each conveying track.

5. The sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linear drive device is a synchronous belt transmission device, and the linear drive device includes a synchronous belt and a connecting arm connected between the synchronous belt and the slider.

6. A sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The track changing unit also includes a connecting slider arranged between two conveyors of the conveying track, the connecting slider is slidably connected to the guide rail, pusher claws are arranged on both sides of the connecting slider, and a return spring is also arranged between the side of the connecting slider away from the slider and the guide rail.

7. A sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guide rail is also provided with two slider position sensors corresponding to the slider and the connecting slider respectively, and the slider and the connecting slider are both provided with induction sheets corresponding to the slider position sensors.

8. The sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the conveying tracks is provided with a first sample rack position sensor and a second sample rack position sensor corresponding to the first telescopic stopper and the second telescopic stopper respectively; the first sample rack position sensor is arranged on the side of the first telescopic stopper facing the conveyor; the second sample rack position sensor is connected to the conveyor via a connecting plate; and the pusher claw is provided with an avoidance groove corresponding to the second sample rack position sensor.

9. The sample rack transport track changing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first telescopic stopper and the second telescopic stopper are both provided with telescopic position sensors.

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