Sample holder transport device and sample introduction system

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of sample holder conveying device and sample introduction system, sample holder conveying device includes push plate, lifting mechanism and conveying mechanism, wherein, lifting mechanism includes drive assembly and lifting assembly, push plate is set on lifting assembly, the drive assembly includes first driving part, rotating shaft and cam, first driving part is set in the side of fixed plate, first driving part is used to drive rotating shaft rotation, to drive cam rotation, the rotation of cam further drives the lifting of lifting assembly.In this process, since first driving part is set in fixed position, it is not necessary to drag the line connected between it and power supply or control circuit when working, to solve the problem of instability in prior art due to line being dragged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of in vitro diagnostic instrument technology, specifically relating to a sample rack transport device and sample injection system. Background Technology

[0002] Automated sample analyzers are typically equipped with a sample feeder module for transporting sample racks. The bottom of the sample feeder module is equipped with a conveying mechanism, which transports the sample racks sequentially to the open position or other locations.

[0003] Existing conveying mechanisms typically include a pusher plate, a lifting structure, and a propulsion structure. The propulsion structure includes a conveyor belt and a first drive mechanism. The lifting structure is fixedly connected to the conveyor belt. Under the action of the first drive mechanism, the pusher plate and the lifting structure slide together with the conveyor belt. Because the lifting mechanism has a second drive mechanism for controlling the lifting of the pusher plate, and this second drive mechanism is connected to a control circuit or power supply, the sliding motion of the pusher plate and the lifting structure requires dragging the circuit back and forth, which can easily lead to instability. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model discloses a sample rack propulsion device and a sample feeding system to solve the problem of instability caused by dragging the circuit in the prior art.

[0005] A first aspect of this utility model provides a sample holder conveying device applied to a sample injector module. The sample injector module is provided with a platform for supporting the sample holder. A slit is formed on the surface of the platform. The sample holder conveying device is disposed below the platform and includes:

[0006] Push plate;

[0007] A lifting mechanism includes a drive assembly and a lifting assembly. The drive assembly includes a first drive member, a rotating shaft mounted on a fixed plate, and a cam sleeved on the rotating shaft. The first drive member drives the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby causing the cam to rotate. The lifting assembly includes a crossbeam sleeved on the rotating shaft and a lifting unit movably mounted on the crossbeam. A push plate is fixed on the lifting unit. The lifting unit is used to move up and down in the vertical direction under the action of the cam, so as to drive the push plate through the slit of the platform to extend to the bottom of the sample holder.

[0008] The conveying mechanism includes a second drive member and a conveyor member. The crossbeam is fixed on the conveyor member. The second drive member is used to drive the conveyor member to slide back and forth, so as to drive the lifting assembly to move back and forth along the direction of the slit extension.

[0009] Optionally, the fixing plate includes a first fixing plate and a second fixing plate, the first driving member is fixed on the outside of the first fixing plate, the first end of the rotating shaft passes through the first fixing plate and is connected to the output shaft of the first driving member, and the second end of the rotating shaft is connected to the second fixing plate through a bearing.

[0010] Optionally, the lifting unit includes: an elastic sliding member slidably disposed on the crossbeam and a support plate mounted on the elastic sliding member and abutting against the cam. The support plate is used to install the push plate. The bottom end of the crossbeam is fixedly connected to the conveyor. The crossbeam moves horizontally under the drive of the conveyor and drives the cam to move horizontally.

[0011] Optionally, the crossbar has a through groove for accommodating the cam, and the cam abuts against the two side walls of the through groove.

[0012] Optionally, the elastic sliding member includes a linear bearing disposed on the crossbeam and a sliding shaft sliding inside the linear bearing. The portion of the sliding shaft protruding downward from the crossbeam is fitted with an elastic member. The top end of the sliding shaft is connected to the support plate. The elastic member is used to elastically contract when sliding upward on the sliding shaft.

[0013] Optionally, the bottom end of the linear bearing is provided with a fixing plate, the bottom end of the sliding shaft is provided with a baffle plate, and the two ends of the elastic element abut against the fixing plate and the baffle plate.

[0014] Optionally, the support plate is provided with a rolling element, and the support plate abuts against the cam through the rolling element.

[0015] Optionally, a guide shaft is provided between the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate, the crossbar passes through the guide shaft, and the guide shaft is arranged parallel to the rotation axis.

[0016] Optionally, a sensor is provided on the outer side of the rotating shaft, and the sensor is used to provide feedback on whether the rotating shaft has been reset.

[0017] A second aspect of this utility model provides a sample introduction system, including a sample rack conveying device provided in any implementation of the first aspect.

[0018] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, this utility model provides a sample rack conveying device and a sample feeding system. The sample rack conveying device includes a push plate, a lifting mechanism, and a conveying mechanism. The lifting mechanism includes a drive assembly and a lifting assembly. The push plate is mounted on the lifting assembly. The drive assembly includes a first drive member, a rotating shaft, and a cam. The first drive member is mounted on one side of a fixed plate and drives the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby causing the cam to rotate. The rotation of the cam further drives the lifting assembly to rise and fall. During this process, since the first drive member is positioned in a fixed location, there is no need to drag the wiring connecting it to the power supply or control circuit during operation, thus solving the problem of instability caused by dragging the wiring in the prior art. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a sample rack conveying device provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 A disassembly diagram of the lifting assembly provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the lifting assembly provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 A bottom view of a sample rack conveying device provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0023] Reference numerals: 1-Push plate; 2-Lifting mechanism; 3-Conveying mechanism; 4-Fixed plate; 5-Guide shaft; 21-Drive assembly; 22-Lifting assembly; 211-First driving component; 212-Rotating shaft; 212a-First end; 212b-Second end; 213-Cam; 31-Second driving component; 32-Transmitting component; 41-First fixed plate; 42-Second fixed plate; 221-Cross frame; 222-Elastic sliding component; 223-Support plate; 321-Connecting plate; 2211-Mounting part; 2212-Through groove; 2213-Receiving groove; 2221-Linear bearing; 2222-Sliding shaft; 2223-Elastic component; 2224-Fixed piece; 2225-Baffle; 2231-Rolling component. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model are described clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The schematic diagram shown illustrates that this application provides a sample rack conveying device, including: a push plate 1, a lifting mechanism 2, and a conveying mechanism 3. The lifting mechanism 2 includes a drive assembly 21 and a lifting assembly 22. The drive assembly 21 includes a first drive member 211, a rotating shaft 212 mounted on a fixed plate 4, and a cam 213 sleeved on the rotating shaft 212. The first drive member 211 drives the rotating shaft 212 to rotate, thereby rotating the cam 213. The lifting assembly 22 includes a crossbeam 221 sleeved on the rotating shaft 212 and a lifting unit movably mounted on the crossbeam 221. The push plate 1 is fixed on the lifting unit, and the lifting unit is used to move vertically under the action of the cam 213, so as to drive the push plate through the slit of the platform to extend to the bottom of the sample rack. The conveying mechanism 3 includes a second drive member 31 and a conveying member 32. The crossbeam is fixed on the conveying member 32, and the second drive member 31 drives the conveying member 32 to slide back and forth, thereby moving the lifting assembly 22 back and forth.

[0026] In this embodiment, cam 213 is an eccentric cam with a profile that is convex on one side and flat on the rest. Under the drive of the first drive member 211, cam 213 can remain in two states. In the first state, when the flat side of the cam rotates to the top, the lifting unit abuts against the cam surface, thus driving the lifting assembly to descend, and the push plate 1 stays in the first position. In the second state, when the convex side of the cam profile rotates to the top, the height of the convex side from the axis is greater than the height of the flat side from the axis, thus driving the lifting assembly to rise, and thus driving the push plate 1 to rise and stay in the second position.

[0027] The sample rack conveying device provided in this embodiment is applied to the sample injector module. The sample injector module is equipped with a platform for placing sample racks. The sample rack conveying device is positioned below the platform. The platform has a slit to allow the push plate 1 to rise above the platform and move horizontally within the slit. In the first position, the push plate 1 is located below the platform. In the second position, the push plate 1 rises above the platform. If a sample rack is placed on the platform, the bottom of the sample rack is usually hollow, allowing the push plate 1 to contact the bottom side wall of the sample rack. This further controls the horizontal movement of the push plate 1, moving the sample rack along the extension direction of the slit. After the sample rack is delivered to its position, the push plate 1 is lowered to the first position to continue conveying the next sample rack. In this embodiment, the extension direction of the slit is perpendicular to the sample rack. Typically, two push plates 1 are provided, each contacting the bottom of the sample rack on both sides, thereby carrying the sample rack horizontally along the slit direction.

[0028] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, this application provides a sample rack conveying device, including a push plate 1, a lifting mechanism 2, and a conveying mechanism 3. The lifting mechanism 2 includes a drive assembly 21 and a lifting assembly 22. The push plate 1 is mounted on the lifting assembly 22. The drive assembly 21 includes a first drive member 211, a rotating shaft 212, and a cam 213. The first drive member 211 drives the rotating shaft 212 to rotate, thereby causing the cam 213 to rotate. The lifting assembly 22 includes a crossbeam 221 sleeved on the rotating shaft 212 and a lifting unit movably mounted on the crossbeam 221. The push plate 1 is fixed on the lifting unit. The lifting unit is used to move vertically under the action of the cam 213, thereby driving the push plate through the slit to the bottom of the sample rack. During this process, since the first drive member 211 is positioned in a fixed location, there is no need to drag the lines connecting it to the power supply or control circuit during operation, thus solving the problem of instability caused by dragging lines in the prior art.

[0029] The fixing plate 4 includes a first fixing plate 41 and a second fixing plate 42. The first driving member 211 is fixed on the outside of the first fixing plate 41. The first end 212a of the rotating shaft 212 passes through the first fixing plate 41 and is connected to the output shaft of the first driving member 211. The rotating shaft 212 does not contact the first fixing plate 41. The second end 212b of the rotating shaft 212 is connected to the second fixing plate 42 through a bearing.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first driving component 211 is a motor, which is fixed on the first fixing plate 41 by a motor mounting bracket.

[0031] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The structural schematic diagram shows that the lifting assembly 22 includes: a crossbeam 221 sleeved on the rotating shaft 212 and a lifting unit movably mounted on the crossbeam 221; the lifting unit includes: an elastic sliding member 222 slidably mounted on the crossbeam 221 and a support plate 223 mounted on the elastic sliding member 222 and abutting against the cam 213, the support plate 223 is used to install the push plate 1, the bottom end of the crossbeam 221 is fixedly connected to the transmission member 32, and is used to translate horizontally under the drive of the transmission member 32, and to drive the cam 213 to translate.

[0032] In this embodiment, the bottom end of the crossbeam 221 protrudes downward to form a mounting portion 2211. Additionally, a connecting plate 321 is fixedly mounted on the conveyor 32, and the mounting portion 2211 is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 321. The crossbeam 221 has a through groove 2212 for accommodating the cam 213. The cam 213 abuts against the two side walls of the through groove 2212, thus enabling the crossbeam 221 to drive the cam 213 to translate. Furthermore, a gasket is provided between the cam 213 and the side walls of the through groove 2212 to prevent excessive pressure between the crossbeam 221 and the cam 213, thereby affecting the rotation of the cam 213.

[0033] Furthermore, the elastic sliding member 222 includes a linear bearing 2221 disposed on the crossbeam 221 and a sliding shaft 2222 sliding inside the linear bearing 2221. The crossbeam has receiving grooves 2213 on both sides, and the linear bearing 2221 is disposed in the receiving grooves 2213. The portion of the sliding shaft 2222 that protrudes downward from the crossbeam is fitted with an elastic member 2223. The top end of the sliding shaft 2222 is connected to the support plate 223. The elastic member 2223 is used to elastically contract when the sliding shaft 2222 slides upward.

[0034] In this embodiment, a fixing plate 2224 is provided at the bottom end of the linear bearing, and a baffle 2225 is provided at the bottom end of the sliding shaft 2222. The two ends of the elastic member 2223 abut against the fixing plate 2224 and the baffle 2225. The two ends of the linear bearing 2221 abut against the top of the downward-opening receiving groove 2213 and the fixing plate 2224, respectively. The fixing plate 2224 has holes for the sliding shaft 2222 to pass through.

[0035] When the raised side of the cam profile rotates to the top, the sliding shaft 2222 slides upward, at which point the elastic element 2223 is compressed and undergoes elastic deformation. When the flat side of the cam rotates to the top, the force generated by the elastic deformation of the elastic element 2223 guides the sliding shaft 2222 to fall smoothly. Therefore, the elastic sliding element 222 can provide elastic force for the lifting and lowering of the crossbeam.

[0036] Among them, the elastic element 2223 can be a spring or other components with elastic deformation.

[0037] In this embodiment, a rolling element 2231 is provided on the support plate 223, and the support plate 223 abuts against the cam 213 through the rolling element 2231. The axis of the rolling element 2231 is parallel to the axis of the cam 213, so that the cam 213 always maintains abutment against the rolling element 2231 during rotation. The rolling element 2231 can roll instead of slide, thereby reducing friction. The rolling element 2231 can be a ball bearing or a bushing, or other parts that can achieve a rolling effect.

[0038] Furthermore, a guide shaft 5 is provided between the first fixing plate 41 and the second fixing plate 42, and the cross frame 221 passes through the guide shaft 5. The guide shaft 5 is arranged parallel to the rotation shaft 212. The cross frame 221 and the guide shaft 5 are slidably connected. For example, a bearing structure is provided at the connection between the cross frame 221 and the guide shaft 5 so that the cross frame 221 can slide along the direction of the guide shaft 5.

[0039] To maintain stability, the mounting portion 2211 of the crossbeam 221 is positioned in the middle, and two guide shafts 5 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the crossbeam. The crossbeam 221 slides along the direction of the guide shafts 5. The support plate 223 forms three-point contact with the cam 213 and the two elastic sliding members 222, respectively, ensuring structural stability.

[0040] Furthermore, a sensor is provided on the outer side of the rotating shaft 212, which is used to provide feedback on whether the rotating shaft 212 has reset. In this embodiment, a U-shaped photoelectric sensor is selected. The U-shaped photoelectric sensor typically consists of a light-shielding plate and a U-shaped groove. The light-shielding plate is installed on the rotating shaft, and the U-shaped groove is located on one side of the rotating shaft. When the light-shielding plate rotates with the rotating shaft to the U-shaped groove, it blocks the light path, and the U-shaped photoelectric sensor provides feedback that the rotating shaft has reset. By setting the rotation angle, the lifting assembly can be controlled to rise and fall.

[0041] Reference Figure 4 The schematic diagram shows that in this embodiment, the second driving component 31 can be a motor. The output shaft of the second driving component 31 is connected to a driving wheel. Driven wheels are respectively provided at the bottom ends of the first fixed plate 41 and the second fixed plate 42. The transmission component can be a belt, which is wound around the outside of the driving wheel and the two driven wheels. Driven by the driving wheel, the belt can reciprocate. A connecting plate 321 is provided on the belt between the two driven wheels to facilitate reciprocating motion. Furthermore, to tension the belt, tensioning wheels are symmetrically arranged between the driving wheel and the driven wheels. These tensioning wheels are located on the outside of the belt and are used to tension the belt.

[0042] This application embodiment also provides a sample injection system, which includes... Figure 1 Any implementation provides a sample rack transport device, and the sample introduction system has all the technical effects of a sample rack transport device, which will not be elaborated here.

[0043] The above are merely embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model shall be included within the scope of the claims of this utility model pending approval.

Claims

1. A sample rack conveying device, characterized in that, Applied to a sample injector module, the sample injector module is provided with a platform for supporting a sample holder, the platform surface has a slit, and the sample holder conveying device is disposed below the platform, including: Push plate; A lifting mechanism includes a drive assembly and a lifting assembly. The drive assembly includes a first drive member, a rotating shaft mounted on a fixed plate, and a cam sleeved on the rotating shaft. The first drive member drives the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby causing the cam to rotate. The lifting assembly includes a crossbeam sleeved on the rotating shaft and a lifting unit movably mounted on the crossbeam. A push plate is fixed on the lifting unit. The lifting unit is used to move up and down in the vertical direction under the action of the cam, so as to drive the push plate through the slit of the platform to extend to the bottom of the sample holder. The conveying mechanism includes a second drive member and a conveyor member. The crossbeam is fixed on the conveyor member. The second drive member is used to drive the conveyor member to slide back and forth, so as to drive the lifting assembly to move back and forth along the direction of the slit extension.

2. The sample rack conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing plate includes a first fixing plate and a second fixing plate. The first driving member is fixed on the outside of the first fixing plate. The first end of the rotating shaft passes through the first fixing plate and is connected to the output shaft of the first driving member. The second end of the rotating shaft is connected to the second fixing plate through a bearing.

3. The sample rack conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting unit includes: an elastic sliding member slidably disposed on the crossbeam and a support plate mounted on the elastic sliding member and abutting against the cam. The support plate is used to install the push plate. The bottom end of the crossbeam is fixedly connected to the conveyor. The crossbeam moves horizontally under the drive of the conveyor and drives the cam to move horizontally.

4. The sample rack conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The crossbar has a through groove for accommodating the cam, and the cam abuts against the two side walls of the through groove.

5. A sample rack conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The elastic sliding member includes a linear bearing disposed on the crossbeam and a sliding shaft that slides inside the linear bearing. An elastic member is sleeved on the portion of the sliding shaft that protrudes downward from the crossbeam. The top end of the sliding shaft is connected to the support plate. The elastic member is used to elastically contract when sliding upward on the sliding shaft.

6. A sample rack conveying device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bottom end of the linear bearing is provided with a fixing plate, the bottom end of the sliding shaft is provided with a baffle plate, and the two ends of the elastic element abut against the fixing plate and the baffle plate.

7. A sample rack conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support plate is provided with a rolling element, and the support plate abuts against the cam through the rolling element.

8. A sample rack conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A guide shaft is provided between the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate, and the crossbar passes through the guide shaft. The guide shaft is arranged parallel to the rotation axis.

9. A sample rack conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A sensor is provided on the outside of the rotating shaft, and the sensor is used to provide feedback on whether the rotating shaft has been reset.

10. A sample introduction system, characterized in that, Includes a sample rack conveying device according to any one of claims 1-9.

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