Sample plate tray and auto-sampler

Abstract

To enable restricting a sample plate to a predetermined position on a surface of a sample plate tray when sampling, and to ensure attachment and detachment of the sample plate with minimal force.SOLUTION: A sample plate positioning groove is provided on a surface of a tray bottom plate of a sample plate tray, allowing a sample plate to be removably mounted, the sample plate tray further including: slide edges on both side edges of the tray bottom plate for being slidably mounted on an inner wall of an external chamber; a rotating part having a rotation shaft provided adjacent to the slide edges along a direction perpendicular to the tray bottom plate, and a rotation block to be rotatable about the rotation shaft; a torsion spring fastened to the rotation block, and capable of elastically returning the rotation block from the slide edges to a predetermined protruding position; a contact stopper fixed to the rotation block. The rotation block rotated from the predetermined position to the inner sides of the slide edges, is configured to rotate the contact stopper to a suitable position at which it comes into contact with the sample plate in the sample plate positioning groove.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the analytical technology field, and more particularly to a sample plate tray and an autosampler having the sample plate tray. [Background technology]

[0002] In analyses using liquid chromatography, a liquid sample autosampler is used to inject multiple samples into the analysis flow path of the liquid chromatograph. Liquid sample autosamplers generally include a chamber capable of automatic sampling and a sample plate tray that can be moved in and out of the chamber. The sample plate tray secures one or more sample plates holding samples in a predetermined position and enters the chamber with the sample plate. A sampling mechanism in the chamber automatically collects the samples on the sample plate and injects them into the analysis flow path of the liquid chromatograph, allowing the analysis of each sample to be performed automatically and sequentially.

[0003] Conventional sample plate trays are mainly turned on or off by manually attaching or detaching the sample plate, so it is necessary to hold the sample plate in a predetermined position when placing it on the surface of the sample plate tray.A positioning mechanism, such as a compression spring or buckle, is provided inside the sample plate positioning groove to position and fix the sample plate.When pushing or removing the sample plate into or from the sample plate positioning groove, it is necessary to overcome not only the gravity of the sample plate itself, but also a certain pressing force of the positioning mechanism itself.

[0004] With the advancement of science and technology, intelligent robots are increasingly being applied to laboratory analysis. However, robot manipulators with low load capacity may have difficulty overcoming the pressing force of the positioning mechanism, making it difficult to smoothly insert and remove the sample plate into the sample plate positioning groove. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a sample plate tray that can restrict a sample plate to a predetermined position on the surface of the sample plate tray during sampling, and that can smoothly push the sample plate in and out with little force when attaching or detaching the sample plate, and an autosampler having such a sample plate tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The sample plate tray of the present invention includes a tray bottom plate, a surface of which is provided with a sample plate positioning groove, a sample plate removably mounted in the sample plate positioning groove, and both side edges of the tray bottom plate formed as sliding edges for sliding mounting against the inner wall of an external chamber. In particular, the sample plate tray of the present invention further includes a rotating unit having a rotation axis disposed adjacent to the sliding edge and perpendicular to the tray bottom plate, and a rotating block rotatable about the rotation axis, a torsion spring fastened to the rotating block and arranged to elastically return the rotating block to a predetermined position protruding from the sliding edge, and an abutment stopper fixed to the rotating block, such that when the rotating block rotates from the predetermined position to the inside of the sliding edge, the abutment stopper can be rotated to a position suitable for abutting against the sample plate in the sample plate positioning groove.

[0007] The autosampler according to the present invention includes the above-described sample plate tray according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the sample plate tray of the present invention, the tray bottom plate is slidably attached to the external chamber via a slide edge, so that the sample plate tray can be slidably pulled out or pushed into the external chamber.When the tray bottom plate is pushed into the external chamber, the part of the rotating block protruding from the slide edge abuts against the inner wall of the external chamber and rotates toward the inside of the slide edge, and at the same time, the abutment stopper is driven to rotate it to a position where it abuts against the sample plate in the sample plate positioning groove.The sample plate is abutted at a predetermined position in the sample plate positioning groove by the abutment of the abutment stopper, and can be positioned.

[0009] Furthermore, when the tray bottom plate is pulled out from the external chamber, part of the slide edge disengages from and dismounts from the chamber inner wall, the rotating block loses its contact force with the chamber inner wall, and the torsion spring causes the slide edge to return to its designated protruding position. The contact stopper also rotates accordingly from a position contacting the sample plate to a position where it does not contact the sample plate. This allows the manipulator to directly remove the sample plate after sampling from the sample plate positioning groove, and a new sample plate can also be directly inserted into the sample plate positioning groove. This eliminates the need to overcome forces other than the gravity of the sample plate during the entire process, making automatic sample plate replacement operations using a small-load robot manipulator easier and eliminating the need for manual operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a conventional sample plate tray. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a sample plate tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a partially enlarged schematic view of a sample plate tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention in an extended state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the sample plate tray according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a pushed-in state. [Figure 5] 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a handle locking member of a sample plate tray according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a handle locking member of a sample plate tray according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below based on the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, and the embodiments mentioned are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention and do not cover all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments that can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are all included in the protection scope of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conventional sample plate tray. As shown in Figure 1, a conventional sample plate tray has a tray bottom plate 1, a plurality of sample plate positioning grooves 11 arranged in a row on the upper surface of the tray bottom plate 1, and sample plates 100 holding samples are removably attached to the sample plate positioning grooves 11. The sample plate 100 may be a fixed plate on which sample tubes / sample bottles can be placed, or it may have a plurality of perforated plates into which samples can be directly injected. While not limited here, perforated plates are used as an example in this embodiment.

[0013] The surface of the tray bottom plate 1 facing the user is formed as a panel 12, and both sides adjacent to the panel 12 are formed as sliding edges 13, which are slidably attached to the inner wall of an external chamber (e.g., the sampling chamber of an autosampler). The specific attachment method may be attached by a sliding rail or may be placed directly over the ribs on the inner wall of the external chamber, and is not limited thereto.

[0014] At least one compression spring 200 is fixed in the sample plate positioning groove 11 to contact the sample plate 100 and fix the sample plate 100 in a predetermined position in the sample plate positioning groove 11. Generally, when it is necessary to remove the tested sample plate 100, first, slide out the tray bottom plate 1 to move the sample plate positioning groove 11 away from the external chamber, and then grasp the opposite sides (two long sides or two short sides) of the sample plate 100 and apply an upward force to overcome the weight of the sample plate 100 and the frictional force caused by the contact between the compression spring 200 and the sample plate 100, thereby completing the removal of the sample plate 100. Similarly, when the sample plate 100 to be tested is subsequently loaded into the sample plate positioning groove 11 again, the sample plate 100 is grasped and downward pressure is applied to press the sample plate 100 into the compression spring 200, completing the installation of the sample plate 100, and then the panel 12 is pressed to push the sample plate tray into the external chamber until it is completely inserted into the external chamber and locked, so that the sampling mechanism in the chamber collects the sample on the sample plate 100 at the specified position, thereby realizing automatic sampling.

[0015] However, when installing or removing the sample plate 100 using this method, it is necessary to overcome the pressing force of the compression spring 200, which makes it difficult to smoothly insert or remove the sample plate 100. The sample plate tray of this embodiment is an improvement over the sample plate tray of FIG. 1. It does away with the positioning method of fixing the compression spring 200 in the sample plate positioning groove 11 and instead adopts a new positioning method, which automatically presses the sample plate 100 in the sample plate positioning groove 11 after the sample plate tray is inserted into the chamber and automatically releases the sample plate 100 when the sample plate tray is pulled out.

[0016] First Embodiment

[0017] Specifically, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the sample plate tray according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the sample plate tray according to this embodiment in the pulled-out state, and Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the sample plate tray according to this embodiment in the pushed-in state. The structure of the sample plate tray according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs. 2 to 4.

[0018] Compared to the sample plate tray in FIG. 1, the sample plate tray according to this embodiment does not have the compression spring 200, but instead has a rotating part 2, a torsion spring 3, and a contact stopper 4 newly added.

[0019] Of these, the rotating unit 2 has a rotating shaft 21 and a rotating block 22 that can rotate around the rotating shaft 21. The rotating shaft 21 is located perpendicular to the surface of the tray bottom plate 1 and adjacent to the slide edge 13. The maximum radial length from the rotating shaft 21 to the rotating block 22 is greater than the vertical distance from the rotating shaft 21 to the slide edge 13. The rotating block 22 may rotate to a predetermined position protruding from the slide edge 13 (as shown in Figure 3), or may rotate to the inside of the slide edge 13. Once rotated to the inside of the slide edge 13, the rotating block 22 completely overlaps with the tray bottom plate 1 (as shown in Figure 4).

[0020] It should be noted that rotation around the rotation axis 21 here means that the center of rotation of the rotation block 22 is the rotation axis 21, and does not particularly mean that the rotation block 22 rotates relative to the rotation axis 21. As other embodiments, a system in which the rotation axis 21 is fixed and the rotation block 22 rotates around the rotation axis 21, or a system in which the rotation block 22 is fixed to the rotation axis 21 and the rotation of the rotation axis 21 causes the rotation block 22 to rotate, are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] The torsion spring 3 is fastened to the rotating block 22, and the torsion spring 3 can hold the rotating block 22 in a predetermined position protruding from the slide edge 13 in its natural state (a state in which no external force is acting on the rotating block 22, as shown in Figure 3). Furthermore, when the rotating block 22 is no longer in its natural state (a state in which the rotating block 22 is subjected to a contact force by the wall surface of the external chamber, as shown in Figure 4), the torsion spring 3 can continuously apply a torsional force to the rotating block 22 to return it to its predetermined position. Therefore, when the external force is removed, the rotating block 22 can quickly return to its predetermined position due to the action of the torsion spring 3.

[0022] The contact stopper 4 is fixed to the rotating block 22, and when the rotating block 22 rotates, the contact stopper 4 also rotates. Specifically, when the rotating block 22 is in a predetermined position, the contact stopper 4 is located outside the sample plate positioning groove 11 and does not contact the sample plate 100 in the sample plate positioning groove 11, or it is just in contact with the sample plate 100 in the sample plate positioning groove 11 but does not contact with it. When the rotating block 22 rotates from a predetermined position toward the inside of the slide edge 13, the contact stopper 4 rotates accordingly until it enters the sample plate positioning groove 11. At this time, the contact stopper 4 comes into contact with the sample plate 100 in the sample plate positioning groove 11 and presses the sample plate 100 into the predetermined position within the sample plate positioning groove 11, positioning it.

[0023] The contact stopper 4 may be made of any material and have any shape, and is not limited thereto. Preferably, the contact stopper 4 is a leaf spring, and the contact stopper 4 has a certain margin for the dimensions of the contacted and fixed sample plate 100 due to its elastic contact force, and has a good contact and fixing effect for any sample plate 100 within a certain size range.

[0024] 2 and 3, when the tray bottom plate 1 is pulled out, the rotation block 22 is held at a predetermined position protruding from the slide edge 13 by the action of the torsion spring 3. At this time, the abutment stopper 4 is outside the sample plate positioning groove 11, and there is no abutment force between the sample plate 100 and the abutment stopper 4. Therefore, the manipulator can easily remove the sample plate 100 from the sample plate positioning groove 11 by simply overcoming the gravity of the sample plate 100, and then place a new sample plate 100 in the sample plate positioning groove 11. In this way, when replacing the sample plate 100, the manipulator only needs to overcome the gravity of the sample plate 100, making the automatic replacement of the sample plate 100 using a small-load robot manipulator more convenient and eliminating the need for manual operation.

[0025] Referring to Figures 2 and 4 together, when the tray bottom plate 1 is pushed into the external chamber, the rotating block 22 protruding from the slide edge 13 abuts against the inner wall of the external chamber and rotates inward of the slide edge 13, and at the same time, the abutment stopper 4 is rotated to a position where it abuts against the sample plate 100 in the sample plate positioning groove 11, so that when the tray bottom plate 1 is in the external chamber, the sample plate 100 can be fixed at a predetermined position in the sample plate positioning groove 11.

[0026] In another embodiment, the sample plate positioning groove 11 may be a recessed groove formed by recessing the surface of the tray bottom plate 1, or may be an area surrounded by protruding positioning blocks 111 or positioning ribs. Preferably, the sample plate positioning groove 11 is an area surrounded by a plurality of discontinuous positioning blocks 111. More preferably, four positioning blocks 111 are provided corresponding to the four corners of the sample plate 100, and the area surrounded by the four positioning blocks 111 is the sample plate positioning groove 11. This allows the sample plate 100 to be positioned more accurately and does not affect the gripping of the sides of the sample plate 100 by the manipulator.

[0027] Furthermore, since the rotating block 22 rotates and the abutment stopper 4 rotates accordingly and enters the sample plate positioning groove 11, some of the positioning blocks 111 close to the slide edge 13 may be arranged with a gap between them and the tray bottom plate 1, and the rotating part 2 may be arranged in the gap between the positioning block 111 and the tray bottom plate 1. This ensures the positioning function of the positioning block 111 and does not hinder the rotational movement of the rotating part 2. Furthermore, when the rotating part 2 is driven, the abutment stopper 4 enters the sample plate positioning groove 11 through the gap, and the sample plate 100 can be abutted at a predetermined position within the sample plate positioning groove 11, thereby positioning it.

[0028] Second Embodiment

[0029] Compared with the first embodiment, the second embodiment of the present invention provides a more detailed structure of the sample plate tray. Specifically, in this embodiment, the sample plate tray further includes a handle locking member 5 provided on the inner side of the panel 12 of the tray bottom plate 1 (see FIG. 2). The handle locking member 5 locks the tray bottom plate 1 to the external chamber after the sample plate tray is pushed into the external chamber and reaches a predetermined position, and unlocks the tray bottom plate 1 from the external chamber when the sample plate tray needs to be pulled out.

[0030] Here, the manipulator needs to grip the side edge of the sample plate 100, but the handle locking member 5 is provided on the surface closer to the panel 12. In other words, the distance between the sample plate positioning groove 11 closer to the panel 12 and the handle locking member 5 limits the range of movement of the manipulator to enter the sample plate positioning groove 11 and grip the sample plate 100. Therefore, the thickness of the handle locking member 5 along the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate 1 is preferably set to 15 mm or less. By reducing the thickness of the handle locking member 5, the range of movement of the manipulator to grip the sample plate 100 can be increased without increasing the dimensions of the tray bottom plate 1, improving the manipulator's gripping freedom and the gripping success rate.

[0031] The structure of the handle locking member 5 in this embodiment is not limited, as long as the thickness of the handle locking member 5 is 15 mm or less. To facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, an example of the structure of the handle locking member 5 will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0032] Fig. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the handle locking member 5 of the sample plate tray according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the handle locking member 5 of the sample plate tray according to the second embodiment. Referring to Figs. 5 and 6 together, the handle locking member 5 includes a base 51, a spring 52, a locking portion 53, and an unlocking portion 54.

[0033] Of these, the base 51 is fixed to the tray bottom plate 1, and a mounting hole 511 is formed in the center of the base 51, penetrating in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate 1, and a locking hole 14 is formed in the tray bottom plate 1 corresponding to the mounting hole 511, penetrating in the thickness direction of the tray bottom plate 1 (as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the locking hole 14 may be located directly below the base 51), and when the mounting hole 511 and the locking hole 14 are connected, a passage is formed for the locking part 53 to move up and down.

[0034] To facilitate the return of the locking part 53, a spring 52 is further installed in the mounting hole 511, the direction of extension and contraction of the spring 52 being perpendicular to the surface of the tray bottom plate 1, one end of the spring 52 being fixed to the inner wall of the mounting hole 511 on the side away from the tray bottom plate 1, and the other end being fixed to the locking part 53. This allows the locking part 53 to move within a certain stroke range and allows the spring 52 to automatically return to its initial position in its natural state.

[0035] The locking portion 53 is disposed in a passage formed by the connection between the mounting hole 511 and the locking hole 14. A first through-hole 531 is formed in the center of the main body of the locking portion 53, penetrating in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate 1. When the spring 52 is in its natural state, the locking portion 53 is positioned in its initial position. At this time, one end of the locking portion 53 away from the spring 52 penetrates the locking hole 14 to form a tongue 532. The surface of the tongue 532 facing the external chamber is formed as a guide slope 533. When the sample plate tray is pushed in until the guide slope 533 abuts against the edge of the external chamber, the tongue 532 receives an obliquely upward abutment force and can automatically retract as the sample plate tray is pushed in.

[0036] The unlocking portion 54 has a first rotating end 541 and a second rotating end 542. The first rotating end 541 and the second rotating end 542 may be rotating rods extending in two different radial directions from the same rotation center 543 so that the first rotating end 541 and the second rotating end 542 can be fixed to each other and rotate coaxially, and a fixing portion may be connected between the two rotating rods. Furthermore, since the first rotating end 541 is provided to fit into the first through-hole 531, the first rotating end 541 can be rotated by the rotation of the second rotating end 542, and the rotation of the first rotating end 541 can extend or retract the tongue 532 of the locking portion 53.

[0037] Specifically, when the sample plate tray is pushed into the external chamber, the contact force between the guide slope 533 and the external chamber causes the spring 52 to contract, and the tongue 532 also retracts accordingly. When the tray bottom plate 1 is pushed to a predetermined position in the external chamber, the tongue 532 coincides exactly with the tongue groove (not shown) in the external chamber, the tongue 532 loses its contact force with the inner wall of the external chamber, the spring 52 expands and returns to its original position, and the tongue 532 passes through the lock hole 14 in the tray bottom plate 1 and enters the tongue groove (not shown) in the external chamber, thereby locking the tray bottom plate 1 to the external chamber.

[0038] When it is necessary to pull out the sample plate tray, by rotating the second rotating end 542, the first rotating end 541 rotates in a direction away from the tray bottom plate 1, and the locking portion 53 moves in a direction away from the tray bottom plate 1 accordingly, the spring 52 is compressed, and the tongue 532 is retracted inside the locking hole 14, thereby realizing the lock release by the handle locking member 5.

[0039] In this embodiment, the handle locking member 5 can be automatically locked by simply pushing the tray bottom plate 1 into the external chamber, eliminating the need for a separate locking operation, making the locking position more accurate and convenient. Furthermore, the unlocking unit 54 can be used to release the lock between the tray bottom plate 1 and the external chamber after sampling is complete, allowing the sample plate tray to be pulled out.

[0040] In particular, since the mounting hole 511 of the base 51 penetrates in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate 1, it is not possible to effectively restrict the displacement of the tray bottom plate 1 in the sliding direction during the extension and retraction of the spring 52 and the locking part 53. Considering this, in some preferred embodiments, a guide sheet 55 may be fixed and installed parallel to and adjacent to the spring 52 on the side of the base 51 away from the external chamber (i.e., the end face on the right side of the mounting hole 511 in Figure 6). By adding the guide sheet 55, the guide sheet 55 can slide closely with the spring 52 and / or the locking part 53, thereby restricting and guiding the extension and retraction direction of the locking part 53, and the impact on the thickness of the handle locking member 5 is small.

[0041] Furthermore, to improve the convenience of unlocking the sample plate tray, in other embodiments, the rotation of the second rotating end 542 may be driven in other more convenient ways. For example, a pull string may be fixed to the second rotating end 542 and the second rotating end 542 may be rotated by pulling the pull string, or the rotation of the second rotating end 542 may be controlled by a stepping motor. Preferably, a movable plate 56 is used to convert the rotational movement of the second rotating end 542 into linear movement, and the movable plate 56 and the handle are linked so that the sample plate tray can be pulled out and the handle locking member 5 can be unlocked at the same time.

[0042] 6, the first rotating end 541 and the second rotating end 542 are rotating rods extending in two mutually perpendicular radial directions from a single rotation center 543, and may have a fixed portion connected between the first rotating end 541 and the second rotating end 542. The first rotating end 541 extends in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate 1, and the second rotating end 542 extends in an upward direction perpendicular to the tray bottom plate 1. An end of the first rotating end 541 fits into a first through-hole 531, and an end of the second rotating end 542 fits into a second through-hole 561 provided in the center of the movable plate 56. At this time, by pulling the movable plate 56 in the direction in which the sample plate tray is pulled out, the second rotating end 542 can be rotated clockwise in FIG. 6. As a result, the first rotating end 541 is lifted, the spring 52 is compressed, and the tongue 532 retreats to the inside of the locking hole 14. After the biasing force on the movable plate 56 is stopped, the tongue 532 returns to its initial position through the lock hole 14 by the restoring elastic force of the spring 52 .

[0043] Furthermore, a handle (not shown) is embedded in the surface of the panel 12 of the sample plate tray. Preferably, the handle and the movable plate 56 are fixedly connected. This prevents the movable plate 56 from being pulled outward when the tray bottom plate 1 is pushed into the external chamber. When the tray bottom plate 1 reaches a predetermined position, the tongue 532 automatically enters the tongue groove of the external chamber and locks. When unlocking is required, simply pulling the handle outward moves the movable plate 56 outward, lifting the tongue 532 and retracting it into the locking hole 14, unlocking the handle locking member 5. In other words, simply pulling the handle of the tray bottom plate 1 unlocks the sample plate tray and allows it to be pulled out, eliminating the need for a separate unlocking operation, which is more convenient.

[0044] In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, there is further provided an autosampler having a sampling chamber and a sample plate tray according to any of the above embodiments, wherein the slide of the sample plate tray is slidably attached to a side wall of the sampling chamber.

[0045] The above is merely an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention are all intended to be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0046] The sample plate tray and autosampler according to the present invention are embodied as follows.

[0047] In one embodiment of the autosampler of the present invention, the tray bottom plate is slidably attached to the external chamber via a slide edge, allowing the sample plate tray to be slidably pulled out or pushed into the external chamber.When the tray bottom plate is pushed into the external chamber, the protruding part of the rotating block from the slide edge abuts against the inner wall of the external chamber and rotates toward the inside of the slide edge, while at the same time driving the abutment stopper to rotate it to a position where it abuts against the sample plate in the sample plate positioning groove.The abutment by the abutment stopper causes the sample plate to abut at a predetermined position in the sample plate positioning groove, thereby positioning it.

[0048] In the first aspect of the embodiment, the contact stopper is a leaf spring. In this aspect, the elastic force of the leaf spring allows the contact stopper to have a certain margin for the size of the sample plate that can be contacted and fixed, and it can provide good elastic contact action for any sample plate within a certain size range.

[0049] In the second aspect of the above embodiment, the sample plate positioning groove is formed by being surrounded by a plurality of positioning blocks, with some of the positioning blocks near the slide edge being spaced apart from the tray bottom plate, and the rotating unit being located within the gap between the positioning blocks and the tray bottom plate. This aspect allows the sample plate positioning groove to be formed by being surrounded by a plurality of positioning blocks, which helps the manipulator more accurately position the sample plate. Furthermore, by installing one of the positioning blocks with a gap from the tray bottom plate and installing the rotating unit within the gap, the positioning function of the positioning blocks is ensured without interfering with the rotation of the rotating block. When the rotating block is driven, the abutment stopper abuts the sample plate at a predetermined position within the sample plate positioning groove, thereby positioning it.

[0050] In a third aspect of the above embodiment, the sample plate tray further includes a handle locking member provided on the surface of the tray bottom plate away from the external chamber and having a thickness of 15 mm or less along the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate. According to this aspect, after the tray bottom plate is pushed into the external chamber, the handle locking member locks the tray bottom plate and the external chamber together. However, because the handle locking member is provided on the surface of the tray bottom plate away from the external chamber, the distance between the handle locking member and the sample plate positioning groove limits the range of motion of the manipulator when gripping the sample plate. Therefore, by limiting the thickness of the handle locking member to 15 mm or less, the range of motion of the manipulator when gripping the sample plate can be increased without increasing the dimensions of the tray bottom plate, thereby increasing the manipulator's gripping freedom and improving the gripping success rate. This aspect 3 can be combined with the above aspect 1 and / or aspect 2.

[0051] In a specific example 1 of the above-mentioned aspect 3, the handle locking member includes a base fixed to the tray bottom plate, a spring, a locking portion, and an unlocking portion. A mounting hole is formed in the center of the base, penetrating in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate. A locking hole is formed in the tray bottom plate at a position corresponding to the mounting hole, penetrating in the thickness direction of the tray bottom plate, and the mounting hole and the locking hole are connected. The spring is disposed in the mounting hole in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the tray bottom plate, and one end of the spring is fixed to the inner wall of the mounting hole. The locking portion is fixed to the other end of the spring. A first through-hole is formed in the center of the locking portion, and one end of the locking portion away from the spring is formed as a tongue that passes through the locking hole, and the surface of the tongue facing the external chamber is formed as a guide slope. The unlocking portion has a first rotating end and a second rotating end that are fixed to each other and rotate coaxially, with the first rotating end being fitted into the first through-hole.

[0052] According to the above-mentioned specific example 1, when the tray bottom plate is pushed into the external chamber, the guide inclined surface of the tongue first abuts against the outer edge of the external chamber, and the abutment force between the guide inclined surface and the external chamber causes the spring to contract and the tongue to retract accordingly, and when the tray bottom plate is pushed into the external chamber to a predetermined position, the tongue exactly matches the tongue groove in the external chamber and loses its abutment force with the inner wall of the external chamber, the spring expands and returns to its original position, and the tongue passes through the locking hole in the tray bottom plate and enters the tongue groove in the external chamber, thereby realizing the locking of the tray bottom plate and the external chamber. That is, simply by pushing the tray bottom plate directly into the external chamber, the two are securely locked together, eliminating the need for a separate locking operation, making the locking position more accurate and the operation more convenient.

[0053] Furthermore, according to the above specific example 1, by rotating the second rotating end of the unlocking portion, the first rotating end is driven to rotate in a direction away from the tray bottom plate, which in turn moves the locking portion in a direction away from the tray bottom plate and retracts the tongue, thereby unlocking the handle locking member and making it easier to pull out the tray bottom plate from the external chamber after sampling is completed.

[0054] In the first aspect of the above-described first specific example, the handle locking member further includes a guide sheet fixed to the side of the base away from the outer chamber and provided parallel to and adjacent to the spring. According to this first aspect, since the mounting hole of the base penetrates in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate, it is not possible to effectively restrict the displacement of the tray bottom plate in the sliding direction during the extension and retraction of the spring and locking part. However, by adding a guide sheet fixed to the side of the base away from the external chamber and arranging this guide sheet parallel to and adjacent to the spring, the tight sliding contact between the guide sheet and the spring and / or locking part can restrict and guide the extension and retraction direction of the locking part, and there is little impact on the thickness of the handle locking member.

[0055] In a second aspect of the above-mentioned specific example 1, the handle locking member further includes a movable plate having a second through hole opened therein, the movable plate being movably disposed on a side away from the external chamber of the base, the second rotating end being disposed to enter the second through hole, and further, as the movable plate moves to rotate the second rotating end, the first rotating end drives the tongue to extend or retract. According to this second aspect, the movable plate can move linearly along the tangential direction of the rotation direction of the second rotating end, thereby driving the second rotating end to rotate by a certain angle, and as the second rotating end rotates, the first rotating end rotates to extend or retract the tongue, thereby improving the method of unlocking rotational movement to unlocking linear movement, making it easier to operate.

[0056] In the second aspect, the unlocking portion may have a rotation center and first and second rotation ends extending radially from the rotation center, the first and second rotation ends being perpendicular to each other, the first rotation end extending in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate and entering the first through-hole, the movable plate being parallel to the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate, and the movable plate moving in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate. In this way, when it is necessary to withdraw the sample plate tray, simply pulling the movable plate in the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate causes the movable plate to rotate the second rotation end, which in turn rotates the first rotation end upward, causing the tongue to lift and retract, thereby more conveniently unlocking the sample plate tray from the external chamber.

[0057] In addition to the above structure, the sample plate tray may further include a panel fixed to one end of the tray bottom plate away from the external chamber, with a handle fixedly connected to the movable plate embedded in the surface of the panel. By linking the handle and the movable plate, the movable plate is not pulled outward when the tray bottom plate is pushed in, and the tongue is automatically locked as the sample plate tray is pushed in. When unlocking is then required, simply pulling the handle outward moves the movable plate outward, thereby lifting the tongue upward and retracting it, thereby completing unlocking via the handle locking member. In other words, because unlocking and extending the sample plate tray can be achieved simply by pulling the handle, a separate unlocking operation is not required, resulting in greater convenience.

[0058] An embodiment of the autosampler according to the present invention includes a sample plate tray according to any of the above technical solutions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 100 sample plates 200 compression spring 1 Tray bottom plate 11. Sample plate positioning groove 111 Positioning Block 12 panels 13 Slide Edge 14 Lock hole 2 Rotating part 21 Rotation axis 22 Rotating Block 3 Torsion spring 4 Contact stopper 5 Handle locking member 51 Base 511 Mounting hole 52 Spring 53 Rock Club 531 First Through Hole 532 Tongue 533 Guide Slope 54 Unlocking section 541 First Rotation End 542 Second Rotation End 543 Center of rotation 55 Guide Sheet 56 Movable plate 561 Second Through Hole

Claims

1. A sample plate tray including a tray bottom plate, wherein a sample plate positioning groove is provided on a surface of the tray bottom plate, a sample plate is removably mounted in the sample plate positioning groove, and both side edges of the tray bottom plate are formed as sliding edges for sliding onto an inner wall of an outer chamber; The sample plate tray is a rotating unit including a rotation axis provided adjacent to the slide edge and perpendicular to the tray bottom plate, and a rotation block rotatable around the rotation axis; a torsion spring fastened to the rotation block and arranged to allow the rotation block to elastically return to a predetermined position protruding from the slide edge; a contact stopper fixed to the rotation block, A sample plate tray in which the rotating block rotates from the predetermined position to the inside of the slide edge, allowing the abutment stopper to rotate to a suitable position to abut against the sample plate in the sample plate positioning groove.

2. 2. The sample plate tray according to claim 1, wherein the abutment stopper is a leaf spring.

3. The sample plate tray of claim 1, wherein the sample plate positioning groove is formed by being surrounded by a plurality of positioning blocks, some of the positioning blocks close to the slide edge are provided with a gap between them and the tray bottom plate, and the rotating portion is provided within the gap between the positioning block and the tray bottom plate.

4. 2. The sample plate tray according to claim 1, further comprising a handle lock member provided on a surface of the tray bottom plate away from the external chamber, the handle lock member having a thickness of 15 mm or less along the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate.

5. The handle locking member is a base fixed to the tray bottom plate, a spring, a locking portion, and an unlocking portion; an attachment hole penetrating the tray bottom plate in the sliding direction is formed in the center of the base, and a lock hole penetrating the tray bottom plate in the thickness direction is formed in the tray bottom plate at a position corresponding to the attachment hole, and the attachment hole and the lock hole are in communication with each other; the spring is provided in the mounting hole along a direction perpendicular to the surface of the tray bottom plate, and one end of the spring is fixed to the inner wall of the mounting hole; the locking portion is fixed to the other end of the spring, a first through-hole is formed in a center of the locking portion, and one end of the locking portion away from the spring is formed as a tongue through the locking hole, and a surface of the tongue facing the outer chamber is formed as a guide slope; The sample plate tray according to claim 4 , wherein the unlocking portion has a first rotating end and a second rotating end that are fixed to each other and rotate coaxially, and the first rotating end is arranged to fit into the first through hole.

6. The handle locking member is 6. The sample plate tray of claim 5, further comprising a guide sheet fixed to a side of the base away from the outer chamber and disposed parallel to and adjacent to the spring.

7. The handle locking member is The movable plate further includes a second through-hole, the movable plate is movably provided on a side of the base away from the external chamber, the second rotation end is provided to enter the second through hole, 6. The sample plate tray according to claim 5, wherein the first rotating end drives the tongue to extend or retract as the second rotating end is rotated by the movement of the movable plate.

8. the unlocking portion has a rotation center, and the first rotation end and the second rotation end formed by extending radially from the rotation center, the first rotation end and the second rotation end are perpendicular to each other, and the first rotation end extends in a sliding direction of the tray bottom plate and enters the first through-hole; 8. The sample plate tray according to claim 7, wherein the movable plate is provided parallel to the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate, and the moving direction of the movable plate is along the sliding direction of the tray bottom plate.

9. the sample plate tray further includes a panel secured to one end of the tray bottom plate away from the outer chamber; 9. The sample plate tray of claim 8, wherein a handle is fitted into the surface of the panel and is fixedly connected to the movable plate.

10. An autosampler comprising the sample plate tray according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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