Sample tray positioning mechanism, positioning device, sample storage equipment and sample analysis assembly line

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of medical equipment, and relates to a sample tray positioning mechanism, a positioning device, sample storage equipment and a sample analysis assembly line. The sample tray positioning mechanism comprises a tray assembly which comprises a bottom plate and a rear limiting block, the rear limiting block and the bottom plate are locally matched to define a tray area, a plurality of side limiting blocks are arranged on the tray area, and the side limiting blocks are arranged at intervals and divide the tray area into a plurality of tray positions; the limiting and locking assembly comprises a driving structure and a limiting structure, the limiting structure has a limiting state and an unlocking state, the driving structure is connected with the limiting structure to drive the limiting structure to be switched between the limiting state and the unlocking state, and the limiting structure is used for limiting upward movement and forward movement of the sample tray in the limiting state. The bottom plate, the rear limiting block, the side limiting block and the limiting structure are matched to limit the movement of the sample tray at the tray position in all directions, so that the positioning precision of the sample tray is ensured, and the taking and placing efficiency of the sample tray is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of medical equipment, and in particular relates to a sample tray positioning mechanism, a positioning device, a sample storage device and a sample analysis line. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of medical equipment automation technology, the requirements for accurate positioning of samples during transport are becoming increasingly stringent. Samples are typically placed on sample trays, which can be used to transport samples in batches. Failure to accurately position these trays can hinder sample transport. Therefore, accurate positioning of sample trays has become a pressing issue in sample transport. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a sample tray positioning mechanism, a positioning device, a sample storage device and a sample analysis pipeline, which are used to solve the problem of difficult sample tray positioning in the prior art and to improve the positioning accuracy of the sample tray.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned and other related purposes, the present invention provides a sample tray positioning mechanism, comprising:

[0005] A tray assembly, the tray assembly comprising a bottom plate and a rear limit block, the rear limit block being mounted on the bottom plate and partially cooperating with the bottom plate to define a tray area for placing a sample tray, the tray area being provided with a plurality of side limit blocks, the plurality of side limit blocks being arranged at intervals along an extension direction of the rear limit block and dividing the tray area into a plurality of tray positions; and

[0006] A limit locking assembly includes a driving structure and a limit structure, wherein the limit structure has a limit state and an unlocked state, the driving structure is connected to the limit structure to drive the limit structure to switch between the limit state and the unlocked state, and the limit structure is used to limit the upward and forward movement of the sample tray in the limit state.

[0007] Optionally, the tray position has a front entrance, the front ends of two adjacent side limit blocks cooperate to define the front entrance, and the front ends of the side limit blocks are provided with chamfers for guiding the sample tray when entering the front entrance.

[0008] Optionally, the sample tray positioning mechanism also includes a first detection component for detecting whether the sample tray is installed in place, the first detection component is installed on the base plate, and is located on the same side of the base plate as the rear limit block; the first detection component includes a relatively arranged reflection detection optical coupler and a receiving lens, and the front entrance of the tray position is located between the reflection detection optical coupler and the receiving lens.

[0009] Optionally, a relief hole is provided at the bottom of the tray position, and the driving structure includes a driving member and a transmission member;

[0010] The limiting structure includes a plurality of positioning hooks, which are arranged at intervals on the transmission member and correspond to the plurality of pallet positions respectively. The driving member is connected to the transmission member to drive the positioning hooks to flip and extend out of the avoidance hole to be in the limiting state and retract into the avoidance hole to be in the unlocking state.

[0011] Alternatively, the limiting structure includes a plurality of limiting pins and a plurality of magnets, and the plurality of magnets are respectively installed on the plurality of tray positions and can adsorb the sample tray to limit the upward movement of the sample tray. The plurality of limiting pins are arranged at intervals on the transmission member and correspond to the plurality of tray positions respectively. The driving member is connected to the transmission member to drive the limiting pins to rise and extend out of the avoidance hole and descend and retract into the avoidance hole, and the limiting pins extend out of the avoidance hole to limit the forward movement of the sample tray.

[0012] Optionally, the sample tray positioning mechanism also includes a second detection component for detecting whether the limiting structure is in a limiting state, the second detection component is mounted on the base plate, and is located on opposite sides of the base plate with the rear limiting block; the second detection component includes a detection optical coupler and an optical coupler baffle, and when the optical coupler baffle blocks the detection optical coupler from sending a signal, the limiting structure is in the limiting state.

[0013] In order to achieve the above-mentioned and other related purposes, the present application further provides a positioning device, comprising the sample tray positioning mechanism as described above, and further comprising:

[0014] An interface unit, the interface unit comprising an adapter frame, the sample tray positioning mechanism being mounted on the adapter frame;

[0015] A low-temperature storage unit, the low-temperature storage unit comprising a storage rack;

[0016] A first positioning structure, the first positioning structure is installed on the adapter frame; and

[0017] A second positioning structure is installed on the storage rack and is suitable for positioning and cooperating with the first positioning structure to position and cooperate the low-temperature storage unit with the interface unit.

[0018] Optionally, one of the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure is a positioning pin, and the other is a positioning seat; the positioning pin includes a pin body and a pin seat, the positioning seat is provided with a positioning hole for positioning and cooperating with the pin body, the pin body is installed on the pin seat, and the pin seat is provided with a first mounting hole, and the positioning seat is provided with a second mounting hole, one of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole is connected to the adapter frame through a connecting member, and the other is connected to the storage frame through a connecting member, and a floating adjustment gap is left between one of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole and the corresponding connecting member.

[0019] Optionally, the positioning pin is installed on the adapter frame, and the positioning seat is installed on the storage frame; a foot cup and a pulley are installed at the bottom of the storage frame, and the foot cup can be raised and lowered and adjusted to drive the storage frame to rise and fall along the extension direction of the positioning hole to adjust the relative position of the positioning hole and the pin body; the positioning hole includes an upper stop surface and a lower stop surface distributed along its extension direction, when the pin body is aligned with the lower stop surface, the interface unit is positioned and docked with the low-temperature storage unit and the pulley is in a suspended state, and when the pin body is located between the upper stop surface and the lower stop surface, the foot cup is in a suspended state and the pulley slides to drive the low-temperature storage unit to move and disengage from the interface unit.

[0020] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the present application also provides a sample storage device, including the sample tray positioning mechanism or the positioning device as described above.

[0021] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the present application also provides a sample analysis pipeline, including the sample storage device as described above.

[0022] The sample tray positioning mechanism of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the bottom plate, the rear limit block and the side limit blocks cooperate to limit the movement of the sample tray located at the tray position in the left, right, rear and downward directions; based on this, the driving structure can drive the limit structure to switch between the limit state and the unlocked state, so that the limit structure can limit the movement of the sample tray in the front and upward directions in the limit state, so as to achieve precise limitation of the sample tray rack in all directions, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the sample tray in all directions; the limit structure can release the movement limit of the sample tray in the front and upward directions in the unlocked state, so as to take and place the sample tray, which not only ensures the positioning accuracy of the sample tray, but also improves the efficiency of taking and placing the sample tray, and the transportation is simple and convenient.

[0023] The positioning device of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the interface unit and the low-temperature storage unit are positioned and docked by the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure, without the need for frequent use of external tooling for alignment and debugging, thereby reducing the difficulty of positioning and docking the interface unit and the low-temperature storage unit, simplifying the positioning operation of the interface unit and the low-temperature storage unit, and ensuring the positioning accuracy of the sample tray, thereby facilitating the smooth transportation of the sample tray.

[0024] The sample storage device of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the positioning accuracy of the sample tray on the interface unit is ensured by the sample tray positioning mechanism, and the positioning cooperation between the interface unit and the low-temperature storage unit ensures the positioning accuracy of the sample tray during transportation.

[0025] The sample analysis pipeline of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: it is conducive to achieving accurate positioning and transportation of samples, thereby facilitating the automation of operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the application. Those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive work, among which:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the sample tray positioning mechanism of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle tray assembly;

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the connection between the middle limit structure and the sample tray;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified schematic diagram of part A in the middle;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the positioning device of the present utility model;

[0032] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial top view of the central positioning device;

[0033] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the interface unit;

[0034] Figure 8 for Figure 5Schematic diagram of the structure of the medium and low temperature storage unit;

[0035] Figure 9 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the connection between the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure;

[0036] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Exploded schematic diagram of the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure.

[0037] Part Number Description

[0038] Sample tray positioning mechanism 1, tray assembly 1100, bottom plate 1101, rear limit block 1102, side limit block 1103, tray position 1104, front entrance 1105, chamfer 1106, avoidance hole 1107, support plate 1108, front crossbeam 1109, rear crossbeam 1110, driving member 1201, rotating shaft 1202, positioning hook 1203, second side positioning surface 1204, lower positioning surface 1205, transmission belt 1206, reflection detection optical coupler 1301, receiving lens 1302, detection optical coupler 140 1, optical coupling baffle 1402, sample tray 2, first side positioning surface 201, upper positioning surface 202, interface unit 3, adapter frame 3100, first positioning structure 3200, pin body 3201, pin seat 3202, first mounting hole 3203, guide surface 3204, low-temperature storage unit 4, storage frame 4101, pulley 4102, foot cup 4103, second positioning structure 4200, positioning hole 4201, second mounting hole 4202, upper stop surface 4203, lower stop surface 4204, sample tube 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0041] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0042] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some optional embodiments, the present application provides a sample tray positioning mechanism 1, which includes a tray assembly 1100 and a limit locking assembly. In addition to the above-mentioned components, the sample tray positioning mechanism 1 may also include a first detection assembly and / or a second detection assembly and / or a controller. The tray assembly 1100 includes a base plate 1101 and a rear limit block 1102. The rear limit block 1102 is mounted on the base plate 1101. The rear limit block 1102 partially cooperates with the base plate 1101 to define a tray area for placing the sample tray 2. The tray area is provided with a plurality of side limit blocks 1103. The plurality of side limit blocks 1103 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the rear limit block 1102 and divide the tray area into a plurality of tray positions 1104. After the sample tray 2 is installed in the tray position 1104, the sample tray 2 is located between two adjacent side limit blocks 1103, and the left and right sides of the sample tray 2 are in contact with the corresponding side limit blocks 1103, so that the left and right sides of the sample tray 2 are positioned by the side limit blocks 1103, and the rear side of the sample tray 2 is in contact with the rear limit block 1102, so that the rear side of the sample tray 2 is positioned by the rear limit block 1102, and the bottom of the sample tray 2 is in contact with the bottom plate 1101, so that the bottom side of the sample tray 2 is positioned by the bottom plate 1101. That is to say, the bottom plate 1101, the rear limit block 1102 and the side limit blocks 1103 can cooperate to limit the sample tray 2 from continuing to move downward, backward, left and right after it is in place, thereby realizing the positioning of the sample tray 2 in the downward, backward, left and right directions. The limit locking assembly includes a driving structure and a limit structure. The limit structure has a limit state and an unlocked state. The driving structure is connected to the limit structure to drive the limit structure to switch between the limit state and the unlocked state. The limit structure is used to limit the upward and forward movement of the sample tray 2 in the limit state. The front side positioning and upper side positioning of the sample tray 2 are achieved through the limit structure. The limit structure can release the restriction on the upward and forward movement of the sample tray 2 in the unlocked state, so that the sample tray 2 can move forward and exit the tray position 1104.

[0043] Optionally, the number of the side limit blocks 1103 can be set according to the number of required pallet positions 1104. In this embodiment, four pallet positions 1104 arranged side by side along the length direction of the rear limit block 1102 are separated by five side limit blocks 1103.

[0044] Optionally, the tray assembly 1100 further includes a support plate 1108 , which is connected to the base plate 1101 and is used to provide installation support for the base plate 1101 .

[0045] Optionally, the tray assembly 1100 further includes a front crossbeam 1109 and a rear crossbeam 1110, which are mounted on the bottom plate 1101, and the drive structure can be mounted on the rear crossbeam 1110. The bottom plate 1101 has a first side and a second side opposite to each other, the rear limit block 1102 and the side limit block 1103 are mounted on the first side of the bottom plate 1101, and the front crossbeam 1109 and the rear crossbeam 1110 are mounted on the second side of the bottom plate 1101.

[0046] The sample tray positioning mechanism 1 and the sample tray 2 of this embodiment are convenient to take and put, and the positioning is stable and reliable, with high positioning accuracy. In particular, compared with the positioning method of directly limiting the outer dimensions of the sample tray to limit the left and right directions and the positioning method of using limit pins at the bottom of the sample tray to position the sample tray between the sample tray and the base plate, the advantages are more obvious. Specifically, the positioning method of directly limiting the outer dimensions of the sample tray to limit the left and right directions and the upper and lower limits rely on the sample tray's own gravity and the base plate to fit the limits. Since the sample tray needs to move back and forth in the tray position, only one limit is set in the front direction, and no limit is set in the rear direction, leaving it in a free state. Since this positioning method does not limit the rear direction and the sample tray needs to move back and forth, a large gap will be reserved in each direction, resulting in low repeated positioning accuracy. There is a risk of position mismatch when other related mechanisms are aligned with the sample tray, and no limit is set in the upward direction. The sample tray positioning mechanism 1 of this embodiment, with its base plate 1101, rear stopper 1102, side stopper 1103, and stopper structure, can limit the movement of the sample tray 2 in all directions, thereby positioning the sample tray 2 in all directions. The positioning mechanism 1 of this embodiment, with its base plate 1101, rear stopper 1102, side stopper 1103, and stopper structure, can effectively limit the movement of the sample tray 2 in all directions, thereby positioning the sample tray 2 in all directions, ensuring the positioning accuracy of the sample tray 2, and preventing the sample tray 2 from being lifted when placing the sample tube 5 in the sample tray 2. This prevents the sample tray 2 from moving when placing the sample tube 5 in the sample tray 2, thereby improving the stability of the sample tray 2 and facilitating the positioning accuracy of the sample tray 2.

[0047] See also Figure 1 In some optional embodiments, the tray position 1104 has a front entrance 1105, through which the sample tray 2 enters the tray position 1104. The front ends of two adjacent side limit blocks 1103 cooperate to define the front entrance 1105, and the front ends of the side limit blocks 1103 are provided with chamfers 1106 for guiding the sample tray 2 as it enters the front entrance 1105. The provision of the chamfers 1106 facilitates smooth insertion of the sample tray 2 between the two side limit blocks 1103 during forward and backward movement, thereby reducing the difficulty of positioning and placing the sample tray 2, and making it easier and more convenient to remove and place the sample tray 2.

[0048] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2In some optional embodiments, the first detection component is used to detect whether the sample tray 2 is installed in place. The first detection component is installed on the base plate 1101 and is located on the same side of the base plate 1101 as the rear limit block 1102.

[0049] Optionally, the first detection assembly includes a reflection detection optical coupler 1301 and a receiving lens 1302 arranged in opposition, with the front entrance 1105 of the tray position 1104 located between the reflection detection optical coupler 1301 and the receiving lens 1302. During the process of the sample tray 2 entering the tray position 1104 from the front entrance 1105, the reflection detection optical coupler 1301 is always in a blocked state, and the receiving lens 1302 cannot receive any signal. When the sample tray 2 moves into position, the rear side of the sample tray 2 contacts the rear limit block 1102, and the sample tray 2 no longer blocks the reflection detection optical coupler 1301. The reflection detection optical coupler 1301 is in an unblocked state, and the receiving lens 1302 receives the signal from the reflection detection optical coupler 1301. Multiple tray positions 1104 are located between the reflection detection optical coupler 1301 and the receiving lens 1302. A set of first detection components can be used to detect whether the sample trays 2 in the multiple tray positions 1104 are installed in place. Multiple tray positions 1104 share the same set of first detection components, which has a compact layout, simplified structure, and reduced costs.

[0050] See also Figures 1 to 4 In some optional embodiments, an avoidance hole 1107 is opened at the bottom of the pallet position 1104, the driving structure includes a driving member 1201 and a transmission member, the driving member 1201 can be installed on the rear crossbeam 1110, and the limiting structure includes a plurality of positioning hooks 1203, and the plurality of positioning hooks 1203 are arranged at intervals on the transmission member and correspond to the plurality of pallet positions 1104 respectively. The driving member 1201 is connected to the transmission member to drive the positioning hook 1203 to flip and extend out of the avoidance hole 1107 to be in a limited state and retract to avoid the avoidance hole 1107 to be in an unlocked state.

[0051] Optionally, the transmission member may be a rotating shaft 1202, and the driving member 1201 may be a stepping motor, a rotary cylinder or other power member capable of driving the rotating shaft 1202 to rotate. The output end of the driving member 1201 may be connected to the rotating shaft 1202 through a transmission belt 1206, and the driving member 1201 drives multiple positioning hooks 1203 to rotate synchronously through the rotating shaft 1202 to achieve synchronous positioning or synchronous unlocking of the sample trays 2 on multiple tray positions 1104.

[0052] Optionally, a second detection component is used to detect whether the limiting structure is in a limiting state. The second detection component is mounted on the base plate 1101 and is located on opposite sides of the base plate 1101 along with the rear limiting block 1102. Furthermore, the second detection component includes a detection optical coupler 1401 and an optical coupler baffle 1402. When the optical coupler baffle 1402 blocks the signal emitted by the detection optical coupler 1401, the limiting structure is in a limiting state. The detection optical coupler 1401 is mounted on the transmission member and moves along with the transmission member. The optical coupler baffle 1402 detects the flip angle and position of the positioning hook 1203 based on the signal from the detection optical coupler 1401 to detect whether the positioning hook 1203 has moved into position. Specifically, a positioning groove is provided at the bottom of the sample tray 2, and the positioning groove has an upper positioning surface 202 and a first side positioning surface 201. The positioning hook 1203 has a lower positioning surface 1205 adapted to the upper positioning surface 202 and a second side positioning surface 1204 adapted to the first side positioning surface 201. When the rear side of the sample tray 2 contacts the rear limit block 1102, the driving member 1201 drives the positioning hook 1203 to flip, and the second side positioning surface 1204 is tightly attached to the first side positioning surface 201 to limit the forward movement of the sample tray 2, thereby realizing the front side positioning of the sample tray 2, and the lower positioning surface 1205 is tightly attached to the upper positioning surface 202 to limit the upward movement of the sample tray 2, thereby realizing the upper side positioning of the sample tray 2. When the optical coupling baffle 1402 detects that the positioning hook 1203 has moved into place according to the signal of the detection optical coupler 1401, the controller controls the driving member 1201 to stop running according to the signal of the detection optical coupler 1401.

[0053] In some optional embodiments, a clearance hole 1107 is defined at the bottom of the tray position 1104. The drive structure includes a drive member 1201 and a transmission member. The limiting structure includes a plurality of limiting pins and a plurality of magnets. The plurality of magnets are mounted on the plurality of tray positions 1104 and can attract the sample tray 2 to limit the upward movement of the sample tray 2, thereby positioning the upper side of the sample tray 2. The plurality of limiting pins are spaced apart on the transmission member and correspond to the plurality of tray positions 1104. The drive member 1201 is connected to the transmission member to drive the limiting pins to rise and extend out of the clearance hole 1107 and to fall back out of the clearance hole 1107. The limiting pins extend out of the clearance hole 1107 to limit the forward movement of the sample tray 2, thereby positioning the front side of the sample tray 2. The limiting pins retract out of the clearance hole 1107 to release the restriction on the forward movement of the sample tray 2, thereby facilitating the removal and placement of the sample tray 2.

[0054] Optionally, the driving member 1201 can be a motor, a lifting cylinder or other power member, and the transmission member can be a bar block extending along the arrangement direction of the multiple pallet positions 1104. The driving member 1201 drives the multiple limit pins to rise synchronously and extend out of the avoidance hole 1107 or fall synchronously and retract out of the avoidance hole 1107 through the bar block.

[0055] In the sample tray positioning mechanism 1 of the above embodiment, the driving member 1201 can drive the limiting structure through the transmission member to synchronously realize the positioning of the sample trays 2 on multiple tray positions 1104, and the structure is simple and reliable.

[0056] See also Figures 1 to 6 In some optional embodiments, the present application further provides a positioning device, comprising the sample tray positioning mechanism 1 as described in any of the above embodiments, and further comprising an interface unit 3, a low-temperature storage unit 4, a first positioning structure 3200, and a second positioning structure. The interface unit 3 includes an adapter frame 3100, and the sample tray positioning mechanism 1 is mounted on the adapter frame 3100. The bottom plate 1101 of the sample tray positioning mechanism 1 can be supported and mounted on the adapter frame 3100 by a support plate 1108. The low-temperature storage unit 4 can provide a low-temperature storage space for the sample tube 5, and the low-temperature storage unit 4 includes a storage frame 4101. The first positioning structure 3200 is mounted on the adapter frame 3100, and the second positioning structure is mounted on the storage frame 4101 and is suitable for positioning and cooperating with the first positioning structure 3200 to position and cooperate the low-temperature storage unit 4 with the interface unit 3.

[0057] Optionally, one of the first positioning structure 3200 and the second positioning structure is a positioning pin, and the other is a positioning seat. The positioning pin includes a pin body 3201, and the positioning seat is provided with a positioning hole 4201 for positioning with the pin body 3201. The first positioning structure 3200 and the second positioning structure are simple in structure and convenient for positioning and matching.

[0058] Optionally, the positioning pin further includes a pin seat 3202, the pin body 3201 is mounted on the pin seat 3202, and the pin seat 3202 is provided with a first mounting hole 3203, and the positioning seat is provided with a second mounting hole 4202, one of the first mounting hole 3203 and the second mounting hole 4202 is connected to the adapter frame 3100 via a connector, and the other is connected to the storage frame 4101 via a connector, and a floating adjustment gap is left between one of the first mounting hole 3203 and the second mounting hole 4202 and the corresponding connector. Furthermore, the connector can be a bolt, the first mounting hole 3203 is connected to the adapter frame 3100 via a bolt, and a floating adjustment gap is left between the first mounting hole 3203 and the connector, that is, the pin seat 3202 can be moved up and down, left and right within a certain range, and the second mounting hole 4202 is connected to the storage frame 4101 via a bolt. Specifically, the pin holder 3202 can be a square block, with the pin body 3201 located in the middle of the square block. The number of first mounting holes 3203 is four, and the four first mounting holes 3203 are respectively set at the four corners of the pin holder 3202 to achieve floating adjustment of the pin holder 3202 in the vertical and horizontal directions. The positioning seat can be a square block, with two second mounting holes 4202. The positioning seat can be limited by two connecting members to rotate and achieve a fixed connection between the positioning seat and the storage rack 4101. One of the first mounting hole 3203 and the second mounting hole 4202 is provided with an adjustment margin, while the other is not provided with an adjustment margin, so that one can be used as a positioning reference to adjust the other, making positioning and adjustment simple and convenient. The positioning interconnection between the low-temperature storage unit 4 and the interface unit 3 is achieved by moving the low-temperature storage unit 4. This is because the interface unit 3 needs to be connected to the other unit through the track unit. When the interface unit 3 and the low-temperature storage unit 4 are positioned and connected, they must be fixed with the interface unit 3 as the reference. It is simpler and more reasonable to achieve the positioning interconnection between the two units by moving the low-temperature storage unit 4.

[0059] The positioning device of the above embodiment realizes the positioning coordination between the interface unit 3 and the low-temperature storage unit 4 through the first positioning structure 3200 and the second positioning structure, thereby ensuring the positioning accuracy of the sample tray 2, so as to accurately transfer the sample tray 2 stored on the interface unit 3 to the low-temperature storage unit 4, thereby improving the accuracy of the transportation of the sample tray 2.

[0060] See also Figures 5 to 10In some optional embodiments, the positioning pin is mounted on the adapter frame 3100, and the positioning seat is mounted on the storage frame 4101. In the axial direction of the pin body 3201, the positioning seat occupies a smaller space than the positioning pin, while the overall structural volume of the low-temperature storage unit 4 is relatively large. Compared with mounting the positioning pin on the low-temperature storage unit 4, mounting the positioning seat that occupies a smaller space on the low-temperature storage unit 4 is beneficial to reducing the overall volume of the low-temperature storage unit 4 and lowering the requirements for the use space. A foot cup 4103 is mounted on the bottom of the storage frame 4101. The foot cup 4103 can be raised and lowered and can drive the storage frame 4101 to rise and fall along the extension direction of the positioning hole 4201 to adjust the relative position of the positioning hole 4201 and the pin body 3201. The foot cup 4103 can be threadedly connected to the storage frame 4101 by a screw, and the storage frame 4101 can be raised and lowered by rotating the foot cup 4103.

[0061] Optionally, a pulley 4102 is further installed at the bottom of the storage rack 4101, and the positioning hole 4201 includes an upper stop surface 4203 and a lower stop surface 4204 distributed along its extension direction. When the pin body 3201 is aligned and tightly attached to the lower stop surface 4204, the interface unit 3 and the low-temperature storage unit 4 are positioned and docked, and the pulley 4102 is in a suspended state. At this time, the foot cup 4103 of the low-temperature storage unit 4 is in contact with the ground, and the low-temperature storage unit 4 can remain stable and motionless; when the pin body 3201 is located between the upper stop surface 4203 and the lower stop surface 4204, the foot cup 4103 is in a suspended state. At this time, the pulley 4102 of the low-temperature storage unit 4 is in contact with the ground, and the pulley 4102 can slide to drive the low-temperature storage unit 4 to move and separate from the interface unit 3.

[0062] Optionally, the pin body 3201 is a cylindrical pin, and a guide surface 3204 is provided at one end of the pin body 3201 away from the pin seat 3202. This guide surface 3204 serves as a guide when the pin body 3201 slides into the positioning hole 4201, thereby reducing the difficulty of sliding the pin body 3201 into the positioning hole 4201. The positioning hole 4201 is an elongated hole, and the inner surfaces of both ends of the positioning hole 4201 are arcuate surfaces. In other words, the upper stop surface 4203 and the lower stop surface 4204 can be arcuate surfaces, which facilitates the side wall of the pin body 3201 to fit snugly with the arcuate surfaces.

[0063] Specifically, the first positioning structure 3200 is installed on the adapter frame 3100, and a floating adjustment space is left. The second positioning structure is fixedly installed on the storage frame 4101 and corresponds to the first positioning structure 3200. When the interface unit 3 is docked with the low-temperature storage unit 4, the foot cup 4103 on the low-temperature storage unit 4 is screwed off the ground, so that the pulley 4102 contacts the ground, pushing the low-temperature storage unit 4 to the preset position, so that the pin body 3201 slides into the positioning hole 4201 and directly pushes to the limit position along the feed direction. The low-temperature storage unit 4 and the interface unit 3 are precisely adjusted through external tooling until the interaction area of ​​the low-temperature storage unit 4 and the trolley of the interface unit 3 are positioned. At this time, the low-temperature storage unit 4 and the interface unit 3 are positioned and matched under the action of the external tooling. The foot cup 4103 of the low-temperature storage unit 4 is adjusted so that the foot cup 4103 contacts the ground, the pulley 4102 is suspended and detached from the ground, and the low-temperature storage unit 4 remains stationary. At this time, the floating gap between the first mounting hole 3203 and the connecting piece is used to adjust the relative position of the pin seat 3202 and the adapter frame 3100 so that the outer wall surface of the pin body 3201 is in close contact with the lower stop surface 4204. At this time, the axis line of the pin body 3201 coincides with the axis line of the lower stop surface 4204 of the positioning hole 4201. After adjustment into place, the connecting piece is locked to complete the positioning connection between the pin seat 3202 and the adapter frame 3100. When the low-temperature storage unit 4 needs to be maintained subsequently, the foot cup 4103 of the low-temperature storage unit 4 is adjusted to make the storage frame 4101 descend until the foot cup 4103 is suspended and separated from the ground and the pulley 4102 is in contact with the ground. At this time, the pin body 3201 is separated from the lower stop surface 4204, and the pin body 3201 is located between the upper stop surface 4203 and the lower stop surface 4204. The pulley 4102 can slide to drive the storage frame 4101 to move so that the positioning seat is separated from the positioning pin, and the low-temperature storage unit 4 can be freely moved to the designated position for maintenance. When the low-temperature storage unit 4 needs to be positioned and matched with the interface unit 3 again, the low-temperature storage unit 4 returns along the original route after completing maintenance. The low-temperature storage unit 4 moves so that the pin body 3201 extends into the positioning hole 4201, and the foot cup 4103 of the low-temperature storage unit 4 is adjusted. The storage frame 4101 rises so that the pin body 3201 is in close contact with the lower stop surface 4204, and the axis line of the pin body 3201 coincides with the axis line of the lower stop surface 4204. The low-temperature storage unit 4 and the interface unit 3 are in place, and the positioning assembly is completed. There is no need to use external tooling to debug the positioning position again, and the positioning operation is simple and convenient.

[0064] In the positioning device of the above embodiment, the interface unit 3 and the low-temperature storage unit 4 are positioned and coordinated by the first positioning structure 3200 and the second positioning structure, which reduces the difficulty of the positioning operation of the interface unit 3 and the low-temperature storage unit 4, and eliminates the need for repeated position debugging with the help of external tooling. This ensures the positioning accuracy of the sample tray 2 and improves the positioning efficiency of the sample tray 2, thereby ensuring the positioning accuracy of the sample tray 2 during transportation.

[0065] See also Figures 1 to 10 In some optional embodiments, the present application further provides a sample storage device, including a sample tray positioning mechanism or a positioning device according to any of the above embodiments. The sample tray 2 is positioned and placed on the sample tray positioning mechanism 1, which is placed on the interface unit 3. The sample tray 2 is transported to a designated position through the interface unit 3 to be positioned and matched with the low-temperature storage unit 4. The sample tray 2 is then transferred to the low-temperature storage unit 4 for subsequent processing, thereby achieving the positioning transfer of the sample tray 2 and ensuring the positioning accuracy and transfer efficiency of the sample tray 2 during the transfer process, thereby ensuring both detection quality and reducing costs.

[0066] See also Figures 1 to 10 In some optional embodiments, the present application also provides a sample analysis pipeline, including a sample storage device as in any of the above embodiments, which facilitates precise positioning of samples during transportation and facilitates automated operations.

[0067] Throughout this specification, references to terms such as "this embodiment," "example," and "specific example" indicate that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of these terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0068] The above is only an implementation method of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A sample tray positioning mechanism, characterized in that: include: A tray assembly, the tray assembly comprising a bottom plate and a rear limit block, the rear limit block being mounted on the bottom plate and partially cooperating with the bottom plate to define a tray area for placing a sample tray, the tray area being provided with a plurality of side limit blocks, the plurality of side limit blocks being arranged at intervals along an extension direction of the rear limit block and dividing the tray area into a plurality of tray positions; and A limit locking assembly includes a driving structure and a limit structure, wherein the limit structure has a limit state and an unlocked state, the driving structure is connected to the limit structure to drive the limit structure to switch between the limit state and the unlocked state, and the limit structure is used to limit the upward and forward movement of the sample tray in the limit state.

2. The sample tray positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray position has a front entrance, and the front ends of the two adjacent side limit blocks cooperate to define the front entrance, and the front ends of the side limit blocks are provided with chamfers for guiding the sample tray when entering the front entrance.

3. The sample tray positioning mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The sample tray positioning mechanism also includes a first detection component for detecting whether the sample tray is installed in place. The first detection component is installed on the base plate and is located on the same side of the base plate as the rear limit block; the first detection component includes a reflection detection optical coupler and a receiving lens arranged oppositely, and the front entrance of the tray position is located between the reflection detection optical coupler and the receiving lens.

4. The sample tray positioning mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: An avoidance hole is provided at the bottom of the tray position, and the driving structure includes a driving member and a transmission member; The limiting structure includes a plurality of positioning hooks, which are arranged at intervals on the transmission member and correspond to the plurality of pallet positions respectively. The driving member is connected to the transmission member to drive the positioning hooks to flip and extend out of the avoidance hole to be in the limiting state and retract into the avoidance hole to be in the unlocking state. Alternatively, the limiting structure includes a plurality of limiting pins and a plurality of magnets, and the plurality of magnets are respectively installed on the plurality of tray positions and can adsorb the sample tray to limit the upward movement of the sample tray. The plurality of limiting pins are arranged at intervals on the transmission member and correspond to the plurality of tray positions respectively. The driving member is connected to the transmission member to drive the limiting pins to rise and extend out of the avoidance hole and descend and retract into the avoidance hole, and the limiting pins extend out of the avoidance hole to limit the forward movement of the sample tray.

5. The sample tray positioning mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The sample tray positioning mechanism also includes a second detection component for detecting whether the limiting structure is in a limiting state. The second detection component is installed on the base plate and is located on two opposite sides of the base plate with the rear limiting block. The second detection component includes a detection optical coupler and an optical coupler baffle. When the optical coupler baffle blocks the detection optical coupler from sending a signal, the limiting structure is in the limiting state.

6. A positioning device, characterized in that: The sample tray positioning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: An interface unit, the interface unit comprising an adapter frame, the sample tray positioning mechanism being mounted on the adapter frame; A low-temperature storage unit, the low-temperature storage unit comprising a storage rack; A first positioning structure, the first positioning structure is installed on the adapter frame; and A second positioning structure is installed on the storage rack and is suitable for positioning and cooperating with the first positioning structure to position and cooperate the low-temperature storage unit with the interface unit.

7. The positioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that One of the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure is a positioning pin, and the other is a positioning seat; the positioning pin includes a pin body and a pin seat, the positioning seat is provided with a positioning hole for positioning and cooperating with the pin body, the pin body is installed on the pin seat, and the pin seat is provided with a first mounting hole, and the positioning seat is provided with a second mounting hole, one of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole is connected to the adapter frame through a connecting member, and the other is connected to the storage frame through a connecting member, and a floating adjustment gap is left between one of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole and the corresponding connecting member.

8. The positioning device according to claim 7, characterized in that The positioning pin is installed on the adapter frame, and the positioning seat is installed on the storage frame; a foot cup and a pulley are installed at the bottom of the storage frame, and the foot cup can be raised and lowered and adjusted to drive the storage frame to rise and fall along the extension direction of the positioning hole to adjust the relative position of the positioning hole and the pin body; the positioning hole includes an upper stop surface and a lower stop surface distributed along its extension direction, when the pin body is aligned with the lower stop surface, the interface unit is positioned and docked with the low-temperature storage unit and the pulley is in a suspended state, and when the pin body is located between the upper stop surface and the lower stop surface, the foot cup is in a suspended state and the pulley slides to drive the low-temperature storage unit to move and disengage from the interface unit.

9. A sample storage device, characterized in that: It comprises the sample tray positioning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or the positioning device according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

10. A sample analysis pipeline, characterized in that: Comprising a sample storage device as claimed in claim 9.

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