Sample frame positioning mechanism and sample frame dispatching device

Abstract

The utility model provides a sample rack positioning mechanism and a sample rack scheduling device. The sample rack positioning mechanism comprises a positioning main body; the positioning assembly comprises a positioning body and a positioning piece, the positioning piece and the positioning body are fixedly connected and form an included angle with a preset angle, a limiting hole and an assembling hole are formed in the positioning body, and the limiting hole and a limiting shaft are installed on the positioning body in a matched mode; and the driving assembly is fixed to the positioning body, the driving assembly is movably connected with the assembling hole, and the driving assembly drives the positioning piece to rotate and swing around the limiting shaft in a reciprocating mode through telescopic reciprocating motion. The utility model designs a novel positioning mechanism which is used for realizing accurate positioning of the sample frame. The positioning mechanism is simple in structure and small in occupied space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical testing equipment, and in particular to a sample rack positioning mechanism and a sample rack scheduling device. Background Art

[0002] The chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer is a medical testing instrument that performs immunoassay on the human body by testing the patient's serum. It mainly includes a sample library, a tube library unit, a cleaning unit, a detection unit, and an incubation unit. The chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer is fully automated and can achieve efficient and accurate detection of samples. Compared with traditional manual operations, it greatly improves detection efficiency and reduces the possibility of human errors. Therefore, it has been widely used in clinical diagnosis and scientific research.

[0003] The sample library is used to store test samples and can accommodate multiple sample racks. The sample rack uses a sample rack scheduling device to move the sample rack between the sample library and other units. However, when the sample rack scheduling device moves the sample rack, it is difficult to achieve accurate positioning, resulting in the problem that the sample rack scheduling device cannot effectively transport the sample rack. Utility Model Content

[0004] In response to the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present application proposes a sample rack positioning mechanism, comprising: a positioning body; a positioning assembly, comprising a positioning body and a positioning piece, the positioning piece is fixedly connected to the positioning body and forms an angle of a preset angle, a limiting hole and an assembly hole are provided on the positioning body, the limiting hole and the limiting shaft are cooperated and installed on the positioning body; a driving assembly, fixed on the positioning body, the driving assembly is movably connected to the assembly hole, and the driving assembly drives the positioning piece to reciprocate and rotate around the limiting shaft through telescopic reciprocating motion.

[0005] The sample rack positioning mechanism as described above is characterized in that the positioning component further comprises: a sensing part for detecting the dynamic position of the positioning component, which is fixedly connected to the positioning body.

[0006] The sample rack positioning mechanism as described above is characterized in that it further includes: a first sensor and a second sensor arranged corresponding to the sensing part, the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively fixed on the positioning body, when the sensing part is located within the detection range of the first sensor, the driving component is in a reset state; when the sensing part is located within the detection range of the second sensor, the driving component is in an extended state.

[0007] The sample rack positioning mechanism as described above is characterized in that it further comprises: one or more bearings, the outer ring of the bearing is installed in the limiting hole, and the inner ring of the bearing is fixedly connected to the limiting shaft.

[0008] The sample rack positioning mechanism as described above is characterized in that it further comprises: two deep groove ball bearings with flanges, which are respectively arranged at the upper and lower ends of the limiting hole.

[0009] The sample rack positioning mechanism as described above is characterized in that the preset angle between the positioning member and the positioning body is 130°-160°.

[0010] The sample rack positioning mechanism as described above is characterized in that the end portion of the positioning member extending outward is provided with a chamfer.

[0011] The sample rack positioning mechanism as described above is characterized in that the driving component is a push-pull electromagnet, including a coil and an iron core, and the coil drives the iron core to push out and pull back by powering on and off, and the iron core is movably connected to the assembly hole.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present application, a sample rack scheduling device is proposed, comprising: a scheduling body; a scheduling track, fixed on the scheduling body, a conveyor belt is arranged at the bottom of the scheduling track, and the conveyor belt is used to transport the sample rack on the scheduling track; the positioning mechanism as described above is arranged at one end of the scheduling track, and is used to locate the conveying position of the sample rack, the positioning mechanism comprising: a positioning body; a positioning assembly, comprising a positioning body and a positioning member, the positioning member is fixedly connected to the positioning body and forms an angle of a preset angle, a limiting hole and an assembly hole are provided on the positioning body, and the limiting hole is cooperated with the limiting shaft and is installed on the positioning body; a driving assembly is fixed on the positioning body, and the driving assembly is movably connected to the assembly hole so that the positioning assembly reciprocates and rotates.

[0013] The sample rack scheduling device as described above is characterized in that the scheduling track includes: one or more conveying tracks and recovery tracks, and the conveying tracks and recovery tracks are arranged in parallel.

[0014] The present application designs a novel positioning mechanism for realizing accurate positioning of a sample rack. The positioning mechanism of the present application has a simple structure and occupies a small space. In addition, the positioning mechanism has only two motion states, namely, blocking and resetting, and does not involve a complex motion process, and has a long service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Below, the preferred embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a sample rack scheduling device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1The enlarged structural diagram of part A in the middle;

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a positioning component according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the blocking state structure of the positioning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the positioning component in the reset state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] In the following detailed description, reference may be made to the various specification drawings that are part of the present application and are used to illustrate specific embodiments of the present application. In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals describe substantially similar components in different figures. The various specific embodiments of the present application are described below in sufficient detail so that a person of ordinary skill in the art with relevant knowledge and skills in the art can implement the technical solutions of the present application. It should be understood that other embodiments may also be used or structural, logical or electrical changes may be made to the embodiments of the present application.

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sample rack scheduling device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The enlarged structural diagram of part A is shown in the figure. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the sample rack scheduling device 50 includes: a scheduling body 510, a scheduling track 520, a positioning mechanism 530, a temporary storage mechanism 540 and a hook lifting mechanism 550. The sample rack scheduling device 50 is usually applied to a chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer, wherein the scheduling body 510 is arranged on one side of the chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer, the scheduling track 520 is fixed on the scheduling body 510, and a conveyor belt is arranged at the bottom of the scheduling track 520, and the conveyor belt is used to transport the sample rack 521 on the scheduling track. The scheduling track 520 includes one or more conveying tracks 523 and a recovery track 522, and the conveying track 523 and the recovery track 522 are arranged in parallel. The conveying track 523 is used to convey the sample rack containing the sample to be detected from the sample library to the specified position, so that the chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer can obtain the sample to be detected on the sample rack. The recovery track 522 is used to recycle the sample rack after the detection to the specified position, and the conveying direction of the conveying track 523 and the recovery track 522 can be opposite.

[0026] The positioning mechanism 530 is disposed at one end of the scheduling track 520 and is used to locate the transport position of the sample rack. Furthermore, the positioning mechanism 530 is located at the end of the recovery track 522. When the conveyor belt on the recovery track 522 uses friction to transport the sample rack 521 to the end of the recovery track 522, the positioning mechanism 530 prevents the sample rack 521 from moving forward and temporarily stops the sample rack 521 at a preset position to achieve accurate positioning of the sample rack while the conveyor belt continues to work.

[0027] The temporary storage mechanism 540 is disposed at one end of the scheduling track 520 and is used to temporarily store the sample racks in the scheduling track 520 and / or the sample library. Figure 2 , the temporary storage mechanism 540 can move forward and backward (vertically to the width of the track) to switch different tracks. The hook lifting mechanism 550 is arranged at the bottom of the temporary storage mechanism 540, and is used to move the sample rack 521 between the scheduling track 520 and the temporary storage mechanism 540. Taking the sample rack 521 from the recovery track 522 to the temporary storage mechanism 540 as an example, the transmission belt on the recovery track 522 conveys the sample rack 521 to move to the right. When the sample rack 521 is conveyed to the end of the recovery track 522, the positioning mechanism 530 prevents the sample rack 521 from moving. Then, the hook lifting mechanism 550 is moved to the bottom of the sample rack 521, the hook on the hook lifting mechanism 550 cooperates with the opening of the sample rack, the positioning mechanism 530 is reset, and the sample rack 521 is allowed to continue to move. The hook lifting mechanism 550 moves the sample rack 521 to the temporary storage mechanism 540. Finally, through the movement of the temporary storage mechanism 540, the sample rack 521 is moved to the specified position.

[0028] There are many ways to achieve the positioning of the sample rack 521 on the recovery track 522. For example, a pusher can be installed on the recovery track 522, and the sample rack 521 can be completely pushed to the temporary storage device by using the pusher. However, the use of the pusher invisibly adds more structural parts and requires a power source, which increases the complexity of the structure and may bring additional maintenance and failure points. Therefore, the present application sets a positioning mechanism 530 at one end of the scheduling track, and the positioning mechanism only needs to drive the positioning member to achieve the blocking and reset states to achieve the precise positioning of the sample rack. Compared with the solution of installing a pusher, the sample rack scheduling device of the present application has the advantages of simple structure, high reliability and low cost.

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism structure according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the positioning component structure according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the positioning mechanism 530 includes: a positioning body 531, a positioning assembly 532 and a driving assembly 533. The positioning body 531 can be fixed on the temporary storage device or the scheduling body. The installation position of the positioning body 531 can be used to determine the positioning position of the sample rack.

[0030] The positioning assembly 532 includes: a positioning body 5321 and a positioning member 5322, wherein the positioning member 5322 can be a positioning hook, which is used to hook the sample rack and prevent the sample rack from moving forward. The positioning member 5322 is fixedly connected to the positioning body 5321 and forms a preset angle θ, wherein the preset angle θ between the positioning member 5322 and the positioning body 5321 is 130°-160°. The size of the angle between the positioning member 5322 and the positioning body 5321 will determine the positioning effect of the positioning mechanism. If the angle is too small, when the positioning assembly is in the reset state, it will still block the sample rack from passing through; if the angle is too large, when the positioning assembly is in the blocking state, it may not be able to effectively block the sample rack from continuing to move. Therefore, designing the angle θ between the positioning member 5322 and the positioning body 5321 within the range of 130°-160° will effectively achieve the blocking and resetting states of the positioning mechanism.

[0031] The positioning body 5321 is provided with a limiting hole 5323 and an assembly hole 5324, and the limiting hole 5323 is mounted on the positioning body 531 in cooperation with the limiting shaft 534. Furthermore, the limiting shaft 534 is fixed on the positioning body 531 in cooperation with the limiting hole 5323 by using a mounting sheet metal 535. The mounting sheet metal 535 is a C-shaped sheet metal part, and the mounting sheet metal 535 provides vertical support for the limiting shaft. The limiting shaft 534 and the limiting hole 5323 cooperate with each other, so that the positioning assembly 532 can rotate around the limiting shaft 534. The driving assembly 533 is fixed on the positioning body 531, and the driving assembly 533 is movably connected with the assembly hole 5324. The driving assembly 533 telescopically moves along a straight line, and uses the principle of lever. When the positioning assembly 532 reciprocates around the limiting shaft 534, the positioning member 5322 presents two states of protruding from the positioning mechanism and not protruding from the positioning assembly, thereby realizing the blocking state and the reset state of the positioning mechanism.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the present application, the positioning assembly 532 also includes: a sensing portion 5325 for detecting the dynamic position of the positioning assembly, which is fixedly connected to the positioning body 5321. The sensing portion 5325 can be a plate-like structure with a curved edge. Designing the edge of the sensing portion 5325 as a smooth curve can effectively prevent spatial conflicts with other structures during rotation. In one embodiment, the end of the positioning member 5322 extending outward is provided with a chamfer 5326. The positioning member 5322 is used to contact the sample rack to prevent it from moving forward. The end of the positioning member 5322 extending outward is chamfered to avoid damage to the sample rack during contact with the sample rack.

[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the blocking state structure of the positioning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the reset state structure of the positioning component according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the driving component 533 can perform reciprocating telescopic motion in a straight line. When the driving component 533 contracts, the driving positioning member 5322 rotates counterclockwise around the limiting shaft 534 to a blocking state. At this time, the positioning member 5322 protrudes from the positioning mechanism, so that the positioning member 5322 contacts the sample rack, preventing the sample rack from passing through the scheduling track; when the driving component 533 extends, the driving positioning member 5322 rotates clockwise around the limiting shaft 534 to a reset state. At this time, the positioning member 5322 is retracted into the range of the positioning mechanism, allowing the sample rack to complete the scheduling from the scheduling track to the temporary storage mechanism.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present application, the positioning mechanism further includes: a sensor assembly, which includes: a first sensor 536 and a second sensor 537 arranged corresponding to the sensing portion 5325, the first sensor 536 and the second sensor 537 are respectively fixed on the positioning body 531, when the sensing portion 5325 is located within the detection range of the first sensor 536, the positioning member 5322 is in a reset state; when the sensing portion 5325 is located within the detection range of the second sensor 537, the positioning member 5322 is in an extended state. The first sensor 536 and the second sensor 537 can be optical coupling sensors, and the optical coupling sensor includes a transmitting end and a receiving end arranged oppositely, the transmitting end sends light to the receiving end, and when the sensing portion 5325 is located between the transmitting end and the receiving end, the receiving end will not be able to receive light to judge the state of the positioning member 5322.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the present application, the driving component 533 is a push-pull electromagnet, which includes a coil (not shown) and an iron core 5331, one end of which is movably connected to the assembly hole by a pin shaft. When the coil is energized, the iron core 5331 is attracted to generate a thrust or a pull; after power is off, the iron core 5331 returns to its original position under the action of a spring or other reset force. In another embodiment, the push-pull electromagnet is a bistable push-pull electromagnet, which has two stable states. When the coil is energized, the iron core 5331 is attracted to one end to generate a thrust or a pull; when the current in the coil is reversed, the iron core 5331 is attracted to the other end, and the direction of the thrust or the pull is opposite. The bistable push-pull electromagnet can maintain its attracted state at one end until the coil at the other end is energized. The push-pull electromagnet can respond quickly after the current is turned on to achieve the attraction and release of the iron core, which is very suitable for occasions requiring a quick response. Due to the push-pull structure, the electromagnet moves very accurately, and the stroke and force can be precisely controlled to meet the high-precision work requirements. Compared with other types of electromagnets, the push-pull electromagnet has a stable movement and small impact, so its mechanical parts wear less and have a longer service life. In other embodiments, the drive component 533 can also be any one of a cylinder, a linear motor, and a motor and a gear rack assembly. Those skilled in the art should understand that any drive component that can generate thrust and pull can be used in this solution, and there is no limitation here.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the present application, the positioning mechanism also includes: one or more bearings 538, the outer ring of the bearing 538 is installed in the limiting hole, and the bearing 538 is fixedly connected to the limiting shaft 534. Among them, the bearing 538 is used to support the rotation of the positioning assembly 532, reduce friction and wear, and ensure the accuracy and stability of the positioning assembly 532. In one embodiment, the positioning mechanism includes two flanged deep groove ball bearings, which are respectively arranged at the upper and lower ends of the limiting hole. The use of two flanged deep groove ball bearings can effectively reduce the axial and radial displacement of the shaft and improve the stability of the rotational motion. In addition, the two bearings jointly bear the load on the shaft, reducing the force of a single bearing, thereby improving the bearing capacity and durability of the overall structure. Those skilled in the art should understand that other types of bearings, bushings and other components can also be installed in the limiting hole to limit the activity space of the positioning assembly, which is not limited here.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present application, the positioning mechanism further includes: a control unit (not shown), which is electrically connected to the scheduling track and the positioning mechanism, and the control unit controls the positioning assembly to position the sample rack to a specified position when the scheduling track transports the sample rack. Further, the control unit is electrically connected to the sensor assembly (first sensor 536, second sensor 537) and the driving assembly 533, respectively, and the sensor assembly is used to send a monitoring signal to the control unit, and the control unit sends a control signal to the driving assembly 533 to drive the positioning assembly 532 to reciprocate and rotate and swing.

[0038] The control unit can include one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or combinations thereof. The control unit can execute software or computer readable instructions stored in a memory to perform the methods or operations described herein. The control unit can be implemented in several different ways. For example, the control unit can include one or more embedded processors, processor cores, microprocessors, logic circuits, hardware finite state machines (FSMs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or combinations thereof.

[0039] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of a chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer 1000 at least includes a sample library 100, a tube library unit 200, an incubation unit 300, a cleaning unit 400, a detection unit 500, a reagent unit 600, a plurality of grippers 700, and a sample rack scheduling device 50. The sample rack scheduling device is disposed between the sample library 100 and other units, and is used to move the sample rack between the scheduling track 520 and the sample library 100.

[0040] In summary, the present application designs a new type of positioning mechanism for realizing accurate positioning of the sample rack. The positioning mechanism of the present application has a simple structure and occupies a small space. In addition, the positioning mechanism has only two motion states, blocking and resetting, and does not involve a complex motion process, and has a long service life.

[0041] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application. Ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field may make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should also fall within the scope disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. A sample rack positioning mechanism, characterized in that: include: Position the subject; The positioning assembly comprises a positioning body and a positioning member, wherein the positioning member is fixedly connected to the positioning body and forms an included angle of a preset angle, a limiting hole and an assembly hole are provided on the positioning body, and the limiting hole cooperates with the limiting shaft to be mounted on the positioning body; A driving assembly is fixed on the positioning body, the driving assembly is movably connected to the assembly hole, and the driving assembly drives the positioning member to reciprocate and rotate around the limiting axis through telescopic reciprocating motion.

2. The sample rack positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning component also includes: a sensing part for detecting the dynamic position of the positioning component, which is fixedly connected to the positioning body.

3. The sample rack positioning mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: Further including: A first sensor and a second sensor are arranged corresponding to the sensing part, and the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively fixed on the positioning body. When the sensing part is within the detection range of the first sensor, the driving component is in a reset state; when the sensing part is within the detection range of the second sensor, the driving component is in an extended state.

4. The sample rack positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Further including: One or more bearings, the outer ring of the bearing is installed in the limiting hole, and the inner ring of the bearing is fixedly connected to the limiting shaft.

5. The sample rack positioning mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: Further including: Two deep groove ball bearings with flanges are respectively arranged at the upper and lower ends of the limiting hole.

6. The sample rack positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset angle between the positioning member and the positioning body is 130°-160°.

7. The sample rack positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end portion of the positioning piece extending outward is provided with a chamfer.

8. The sample rack positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving component is a push-pull electromagnet, comprising a coil and an iron core. The coil drives the iron core to push out and pull back by powering on and off, and the iron core is movably connected to the assembly hole.

9. A sample rack scheduling device, characterized in that: include: Scheduling subject; A dispatching track is fixed on the dispatching body, a conveyor belt is provided at the bottom of the dispatching track, and the conveyor belt is used to transport the sample rack on the dispatching track; The sample rack positioning mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is arranged at one end of the scheduling track and is used to locate the transfer position of the sample rack.

10. The sample rack scheduling device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The dispatching track includes: one or more conveying tracks and a recovery track, and the conveying track and the recovery track are arranged in parallel.

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