Stirring device and stirring system

Abstract

To provide a stirring device and a stirring system that can suppress detachment of a container while allowing a swiveling motion of the container for stirring a liquid contained in the container.SOLUTION: A stirring device 10 stirs a liquid L1 in a cylindrical container 60. The stirring device 10 includes: a housing part 20 having an upper holding portion 21 that surrounds a side surface of the container 60 and a lower holding portion 22 that holds a bottom portion of the container 60; a base 30 that supports the housing part 20; a connection part 31 that fixes the upper holding portion 21 to the base 30; and a swiveling motion part 32 that swivels the lower holding portion 22 relative to the base 30 around a swiveling axis X1 extending in the vertical direction. The upper holding portion 21 is configured such that, during swiveling of the lower holding portion 22, a movable range of a portion of the container 60 surrounded by the upper holding portion 21 is made to be narrower than a movable range of a portion of the container 60 held by the lower holding portion 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an agitation device and an agitation system including the agitation device. [Background technology]

[0002] One known method for stirring a liquid in a container is to generate a vortex in the liquid by rotating the container. For example, if a container containing liquid is held by hand and pressed against a rotating table, the container will rotate to follow the rotation of the table. The vortex generated by the rotation of the container then stirs the liquid inside the container.

[0003] In recent years, automation of experiments and their preparatory work has been promoted from the viewpoint of improving the efficiency and reproducibility of experiments. As an example of the above-mentioned mixing work, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for mixing the contents of a microtube by pressing the microtube held by a robot hand against a mixer that rotates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5776772 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a container is gripped by a robotic hand, if the gripping force is too strong, the movement of the container is restricted by the robotic hand, and the rotational motion of the mixer may not be transmitted to the container. If the gripping force of the robotic hand is weakened in order to transmit the rotational motion of the mixer to the container, the container cannot be supported stably, and there is a risk that the container may fall off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The stirring device for solving the above problem is a stirring device that stirs liquid in a cylindrical container, and comprises a storage section having an upper holding section that surrounds the side of the container and a lower holding section that holds the bottom of the container, a base that supports the storage section, a connection section that fixes the upper holding section to the base, and a swiveling section that rotates the lower holding section relative to the base around a swivel axis that extends in the vertical direction, and the upper holding section is configured so that when the lower holding section rotates, the range of motion of the portion of the container surrounded by the upper holding section is narrower than the range of motion of the portion of the container held by the lower holding section.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the portion of the container located below the upper holding portion rotates significantly in response to the rotational movement of the lower holding portion, thereby stirring the liquid in the container with centrifugal force. Meanwhile, the portion of the container surrounded by the upper holding portion has a narrower range of motion during rotation due to the upper holding portion. This weakens the centrifugal force acting on the container as it rotates in the upper portion of the container. This prevents the container from falling out of the storage portion due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation.

[0008] In the above-described mixing device, the upper holding portion may be configured to be located above the center of gravity of the container containing the liquid when the container is accommodated in the accommodation portion. With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent the container from falling out of the accommodation portion due to centrifugal force caused by rotation.

[0009] In the above-described mixing device, the container may have a cylindrical shape, the upper holding part may have a first inner circumferential surface that surrounds the container in a circular shape, the lower holding part may have a concave shape that includes a circular bottom surface that supports the container from below and a second inner circumferential surface that surrounds the container in a circular shape, the first inner circumferential surface has a first inner diameter φA that is larger than the outer diameter of the container and that is centered on the pivot axis, the concave shape has a second inner diameter φB that is larger than the first inner diameter φA and that is centered on a central axis spaced from the pivot axis, the orbiting part may be configured to orbit the lower holding part such that the central axis of the concave shape describes a circle having a diameter φT and is centered on the pivot axis, and the second inner diameter φB satisfies φB ≧ φA + φT. According to the above-described configuration, the area surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface is always located inside the concave shape of the lower holding part in a top view. Therefore, when a cylindrical container is housed in the storage unit, the container can be placed upright. As a result, even if the container is tilted during rotation, it can be placed upright under its own weight when the centrifugal force caused by rotation is released. This makes it easier to grasp the container when removing it from the storage unit using a robotic hand or the like. Additionally, because the upper holding unit narrows the range of motion of the upper portion of the container, the upper holding unit restricts the position of the top of the container at the end of stirring. Therefore, when removing the container using a robotic hand or the like, the container can be removed without having to perform position correction based on the stopping position of the lower holding unit. Furthermore, for example, when automating the placement of a container in the storage unit using a robotic hand or the like, the container can be placed in the storage unit simply by lowering it vertically from above, without having to detect the position of the lower holding unit relative to the rotation axis.

[0010] In the above-described mixing device, the bottom surface may be a flat surface. According to the above-described configuration, when mixing is completed, the container can easily slide on the flat surface and stand upright under its own weight.

[0011] In the stirring device, an upper end of the upper holding part may be configured to be located lower than an upper end of the container stored in the storage part. With this configuration, when the robot hand places a container in the storage part and when the robot hand grips the container placed in the storage part, interference between the upper holding part and the robot hand can be suppressed.

[0012] The mixing system for solving the above problem includes the mixing device described above, and a container transport unit configured to perform the operations of placing the container in the storage unit and removing the container placed in the storage unit from the storage unit, the container transport unit including a gripper that grips a portion of the container placed in the storage unit above the upper holding unit. According to the above configuration, as a mixing system equipped with a container transport unit such as a robot hand, the steps of placing, mixing, and removing the container can be performed automatically. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the container from falling off while allowing the container to rotate in order to agitate the liquid contained in the container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the stirring device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the stirring device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a top view schematically showing the positional relationship between the inner circumferential surface of the upper holding part of the agitator and the recessed shape of the lower holding part. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an agitation system equipped with an agitation device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the stirring device during stirring. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the stirring device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a stirring device of a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of an agitation device and an agitation system will be described with reference to FIGS. (stirring device) As shown in FIG. 1, the stirring device 10 is a device for stirring a liquid L1 contained in a cylindrical container 60. The container 60 includes, for example, a main body 61 and a lid 62. For example, the main body 61 has a cylindrical shape with an opening at the top. For example, the lid 62 has a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the main body 61. The lid 62 is configured to be detachable from the main body 61, and closes the opening of the main body 61 when attached to the main body 61.

[0016] The agitator 10 includes a storage section 20 that stores a container 60. The storage section 20 includes an upper holding section 21 and a lower holding section 22. The upper holding section 21 and the lower holding section 22 are arranged vertically side by side. The upper holding section 21 surrounds the side of a main body section 61 that the container 60 includes. The lower holding section 22 holds the bottom of the main body section 61 that the container 60 includes.

[0017] The agitator 10 includes a base 30, a connecting portion 31, and a pivoting portion 32. The base 30 supports the storage portion 20 via the connecting portion 31 and the pivoting portion 32. The connecting portion 31 fixes the upper holding portion 21 to the base 30 at a position higher than the lower holding portion 22. The pivoting portion 32 pivots the lower holding portion 22 relative to the base 30 about a pivot axis X1 extending in the vertical direction. That is, the lower holding portion 22 pivots around the pivot axis X1. The pivoting portion 32 may be, for example, a vortex mixer. Note that pivoting the lower holding portion 22 relative to the base 30 means pivoting the lower holding portion 22 such that the pivoting motion of the lower holding portion 22 about the pivot axis X1 is relative to the base 30.

[0018] 2, when the container 60 is accommodated in the storage unit 20, the upper holding part 21 is located above the center of gravity G1 of the container 60 containing the liquid L1. The upper end of the upper holding part 21 is located below the upper end of the container 60 when accommodated in the storage unit 20. As an example, the upper end of the upper holding part 21 is located below the upper end of the main body part 61 of the container 60 when accommodated in the storage unit 20.

[0019] The upper holding portion 21 has a first inner circumferential surface 21S that surrounds the side surface of the container 60 in a circular shape. The pivot axis X1 passes through the center of the circle formed by the first inner circumferential surface 21S. The first inner circumferential surface 21S has a first inner diameter φA with the pivot axis X1 as its central axis. The first inner diameter φA is larger than the outer diameter φC of the side surface of the main body portion 61 of the container 60. As an example, the first inner diameter φA is larger than the outer diameter φC of the container 60 and is 1.5 times or less the outer diameter φC, preferably 1.2 times or less the outer diameter φC, more preferably 1.1 times or less the outer diameter φC, and even more preferably 1.05 times or less the outer diameter φC.

[0020] The lower holding part 22 has a circular bottom surface 22S1 that supports the container 60 from below, and a second inner peripheral surface 22S2 that circularly surrounds the container 60. The bottom surface 22S1 and the second inner peripheral surface 22S2 are configured concentrically when viewed from above. The lower holding part 22 forms a concave shape with the bottom surface 22S1 and the second inner peripheral surface 22S2. The bottom surface 22S1 is a flat surface.

[0021] In the lower holding portion 22, the center axis Y1 of the concave shape formed by the bottom surface 22S1 and the second inner circumferential surface 22S2 extends in the vertical direction parallel to the pivot axis X1. The center axis Y1 is spaced a predetermined distance D1 from the pivot axis X1. In other words, the center axis Y1 is eccentric from the pivot axis X1 by the predetermined distance D1.

[0022] In the lower holding portion 22, the recessed shape formed by the bottom surface 22S1 and the second inner circumferential surface 22S2 has a second inner diameter φB centered on the central axis Y1 that is larger than the first inner diameter φA. In other words, the bottom surface 22S1 and the second inner circumferential surface 22S2 have the same second inner diameter φB.

[0023] 3 shows the positional relationship between the first inner circumferential surface 21S of the upper holding portion 21 and the bottom surface 22S1 of the lower holding portion 22 in a top view seen from a viewpoint opposite the bottom surface 22S1 of the lower holding portion 22. FIG. As shown in Fig. 3, the pivoting unit 32 pivots the lower holding unit 22 so that the central axis Y1 of the concave shape of the lower holding unit 22 describes a circle with a diameter φT centered on the pivot axis X1. When the lower holding unit 22 pivots, the movement locus T1 through which the central axis Y1 of the concave shape of the lower holding unit 22 passes is represented by a circle shown by a dashed line in Fig. 3. The pivoting direction may be clockwise or counterclockwise when viewed from above.

[0024] The diameter φT of the movement path T1 is equal to twice the distance D1 from the pivot axis X1 to the central axis Y1. Therefore, the lower holding part 22 pivots around the pivot axis X1 with the central axis Y1 always eccentric from the pivot axis X1 by the distance D1.

[0025] The second inner diameter φB of the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 is configured to satisfy φB≧φA+φT using the first inner diameter φA of the first inner surface 21S of the upper holding portion 21 and the diameter φT of the rotational motion of the rotational motion portion 32.

[0026] 3 shows an example in which the second inner diameter φB satisfies φB = φA + φT. In this case, the radius of the bottom surface 22S1 (= φB / 2) is expressed as the sum of the radius of the upper holding part 21 (= φA / 2) and the radius of the turning motion of the turning motion part 32 (= φT / 2).

[0027] 3, in a top view, the circular shape of the first inner circumferential surface 21S is inscribed in the circular shape of the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22. Therefore, in a top view, the area surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface 21S is always located inside the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22. In other words, the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 is always located directly below the area surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface 21S.

[0028] The first range of motion RM1 of the portion of the container 60 surrounded by the upper holding part 21 corresponds to a circular area surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface 21S in top view. That is, the first range of motion RM1 forms a circle having a diameter of φA and centered on the pivot axis X1.

[0029] The second range of motion RM2 of the portion of the container 60 held by the lower holding part 22 corresponds to a circular area described by the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 in a top view when the lower holding part 22 is pivoting. The second range of motion RM2 is inscribed in the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 in a top view when the lower holding part 22 is pivoting. In Figure 3, the second range of motion RM2 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0030] The second range of motion RM2 has a diameter φRM centered on the pivot axis X1. The diameter φRM is expressed as φRM = φB + φT. Therefore, the second range of motion RM2 is larger than the first range of motion RM1. In other words, when the lower holding part 22 pivots, the upper holding part 21 narrows the first range of motion RM1 more than the second range of motion RM2.

[0031] (agitation system) The installation and removal of the container 60 in the agitator 10 configured as above may be performed manually, but is preferably performed by a robot hand or the like from the viewpoint of improving the efficiency of the agitation work.

[0032] Hereinafter, an agitation system 1 that automates the installation and removal of a container 60 in an agitation device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the agitation system 1 includes an agitation device 10, a container transport unit 40, and a control device 50.

[0033] As an example, the container conveying unit 40 is a robot arm that is movable in three dimensions. The container conveying unit 40 has a gripping unit 41 at its tip. The gripping unit 41 is configured to be able to perform the actions of gripping a container 60 and releasing the gripped container 60. As an example, the gripping unit 41 is a robot hand. The container conveying unit 40 is configured to be able to perform the actions of placing a container 60 in the storage unit 20 and removing the container 60 placed in the storage unit 20 from the storage unit 20. The gripping unit 41 grips a portion of the container 60 placed in the storage unit 20 that is above the upper holding unit 21, for example, the lid portion 62.

[0034] The control device 50 controls the operation of each part of the agitation system 1. The control device 50 includes, for example, a control unit and a memory unit. The control unit is, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The control unit controls, for example, the operation of the swivel motion unit 32 to swivel the lower holding unit 22. The control unit controls the operation of the container conveying unit 40 to place the container 60 in the storage unit 20. The control unit controls the operation of the container conveying unit 40 to remove the container 60 placed in the storage unit 20 from the storage unit 20. The memory unit, for example, stores programs for controlling the operation of each part of the agitation system 1. The memory unit, for example, is an HDD, SSD, etc.

[0035] In the stirring method using the stirring system 1, first, the control device 50 controls the container conveying unit 40 to place the container 60 in the storage unit 20. The container conveying unit 40 conveys the container 60 from above the upper holding unit 21 toward the bottom surface 22S1.

[0036] At this time, the second inner diameter φB of the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 is configured to satisfy φB≧φA+T1, so that, in a top view, the area surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface 21S is always located inside the concave shape of the lower holding part 22. Therefore, the container 60 that has passed through the upper holding part 21 is located inside the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 regardless of the position of the lower holding part 22 with respect to the pivot axis X1.

[0037] Next, the control device 50 drives the swivel unit 32 to rotate the lower holding unit 22. As a result, the container 60 rotates following the swivel motion of the lower holding unit 22, and the liquid L1 in the container 60 is stirred by centrifugal force.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, when the swiveling motion part 32 swivels the lower holding part 22, the bottom side of the container 60, particularly the part of the container 60 that is located lower than the upper holding part 21, swivels greatly in response to the swiveling motion of the lower holding part 22.

[0039] On the other hand, the first range of motion RM1 of the portion of the container 60 surrounded by the upper holding part 21 is made narrower than the second range of motion RM2 by the upper holding part 21. As a result, the centrifugal force acting on the container 60 as it turns is weakened in the upper part of the container 60. Therefore, by making the first range of motion RM1 narrower than the second range of motion RM2 by the upper holding part 21, the container 60 is prevented from falling out of the storage part 20 due to the centrifugal force that occurs as it turns.

[0040] Furthermore, because upper holding part 21 is positioned above center of gravity G1 of container 60, an outward force F1 is applied by centrifugal force to the portion of container 60 positioned below upper holding part 21, particularly center of gravity G1. As a result, container 60 tilts in a direction in which center of gravity G1, which is positioned below upper holding part 21 in container 60, moves outward.

[0041] At this time, the side surface of the container 60 contacts point P1 located at the lower end of the first inner circumferential surface 21S. At point P1, a downward force F2 acts on the side surface of the container 60. Therefore, the force F2 acting on the side surface of the container 60 can more reliably prevent the container 60 from falling out of the storage section 20 due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation.

[0042] After the predetermined number of revolutions have been completed, the control device 50 stops the swivel unit 32, thereby ending the revolution of the lower holding unit 22. Then, when the centrifugal force caused by the revolution is released, the container 60 slides along the bottom surface 22S1 under its own weight and stands upright. Therefore, at the end of stirring, the container 60 always stands upright within the first range of motion RM1 surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface 21S, regardless of the position of the lower holding unit 22 relative to the revolution axis X1. The first inner diameter φA has a size that allows the container 60 to tilt to an extent that the container 60 can stand upright under its own weight when the centrifugal force caused by the revolution is released.

[0043] After the stirring is completed, the control device 50 drives the container conveying unit 40 to remove the container 60 placed in the storage unit 20. At this time, the control device 50 only needs to remove the container 60 located inside the first range of motion RM1, regardless of the position of the lower holding unit 22 relative to the pivot axis X1. By the above procedure, the stirring operation of the liquid L1 in the container 60 is completed.

[0044] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The storage unit 20 of the agitator 10 includes an upper holding unit 21 fixed to the base 30 and a lower holding unit 22 that rotates relative to the base 30 by a rotating unit 32. In the agitator 10, a portion of the container 60 located below the upper holding unit 21 rotates significantly in response to the rotational movement of the lower holding unit 22, thereby agitating the liquid L1 in the container 60 by centrifugal force. Meanwhile, the portion of the container 60 surrounded by the upper holding unit 21 has a first range of motion RM1 during rotation that is narrower than the second range of motion RM2 due to the upper holding unit 21, and therefore the centrifugal force acting on the container 60 during rotation is weakened. This prevents the container 60 from falling out of the storage unit 20 due to the centrifugal force generated by rotation.

[0045] (2) By narrowing the first range of motion RM1 by the upper holding part 21, the position of the upper part of the container 60 at the end of mixing is restricted by the upper holding part 21. Therefore, even when removing the container 60 using the container conveying part 40, the container 60 can be removed without performing position correction according to the stopping position of the lower holding part 22.

[0046] (3) When the container 60 is accommodated in the accommodation section 20, the upper holding section 21 is positioned above the center of gravity G1 of the container 60 containing the liquid L1, thereby more reliably preventing the container 60 from falling out of the accommodation section 20 due to the centrifugal force caused by rotation.

[0047] (4) The second inner diameter φB of the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 is configured to satisfy φB ≧ φA + φT, where φB is the first inner diameter φA of the first inner circumferential surface 21S of the upper holding portion 21 and φT is the diameter of the circle described by the central axis Y1 of the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 during rotation. As a result, the first range of motion RM1 surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface 21S is always located inside the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 in a top view. Therefore, when the cylindrical container 60 is housed in the storage portion 20, the container 60 can be kept upright. As a result, even if the container 60 is tilted during rotation, the container 60 can be kept upright by its own weight when the centrifugal force caused by rotation is released. Therefore, the container 60 can be easily grasped when removing the container 60 from the storage portion 20 using the container conveying unit 40 or the like.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, when the placement of the container 60 in the storage section 20 is automated using the container conveying section 40 or the like, the container 60 can be placed in the storage section 20 simply by lowering the container 60 vertically from above, without needing to detect the position of the lower holding section 22 relative to the pivot axis X1. In other words, the container conveying section 40 can always place the container 60 on a constant transfer trajectory, regardless of the position of the lower holding section 22 relative to the pivot axis X1.

[0049] (5) The bottom surface 22S1 of the lower holding portion 22 is formed of a flat surface. This allows the container 60 to easily slide along the flat surface and stand upright under its own weight when the centrifugal force acting on the container 60 due to the rotation is released at the end of stirring.

[0050] (6) The upper end of the upper holding unit 21 is located lower than the upper end of the container 60 stored in the storage unit 20. This prevents interference between the upper holding unit 21 and the container conveying unit 40 when the container 60 is placed in the storage unit 20 by the container conveying unit 40 and when the container 60 placed in the storage unit 20 is removed by the container conveying unit 40.

[0051] (7) According to the mixing system 1 including the mixing device 10 and the container conveying unit 40, the container 60 can be placed in and removed from the storage unit 20 of the mixing device 10 by the container conveying unit 40. That is, a series of operations from placing the container 60, stirring the liquid L1 in the container 60, and removing the container 60 can be performed automatically.

[0052] (Example of change) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The modifications can be combined within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0053] The placement and removal of the container 60 in the storage section 20 of the agitator 10 is not limited to being performed by the container transport section 40, but may be performed manually, for example. ·If there is no interference between the upper holding section 21 and the container conveying section 40 when the container 60 is installed or removed by the container conveying section 40, the upper end of the upper holding section 21 may be at the same height as the upper end of the container 60 stored in the storage section 20, or may be positioned higher than the upper end of the container 60.

[0054] As long as the container 60 stands upright under its own weight when stirring is complete, the shape of the bottom surface 22S1 of the lower holding part 22 is not limited to a flat surface, and may be uneven or inclined, for example.

[0055] The second inner diameter φB of the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 may be φB<φA+φT. For example, the second inner diameter φB may be φA≦φB<φA+φT. In this case, the container 60 does not need to stand upright when placed in the storage part 20. Even in this case, the second range of motion RM2 is larger than the first range of motion RM1 by the amount of rotation of the lower holding part 22 around the rotation axis X1. In other words, even when the second inner diameter φB satisfies the range φA≦φB<φA+φT, the upper holding part 21 makes the first range of motion RM1 narrower than the second range of motion RM2.

[0056] The upper holding part 21 need not be located below the center of gravity G1 of the container 60 containing the liquid L1 when the container 60 is housed in the storage part 20. In other words, the upper holding part 21 may be configured so that the center of gravity G1 of the container 60 containing the liquid L1 is located below the upper end of the upper holding part 21. For example, the upper holding part 21 may be configured so that the center of gravity G1 of the container 60 is located between the upper end and the lower end of the upper holding part 21, provided that the rotation speed is such that the container 60 does not fall out of the storage part 20 during rotation.

[0057] The container 60 may contain solids such as particles in addition to the liquid L1. The movement locus T1 drawn by the turning movement part 32 is not limited to a circular shape, but may be, for example, an elliptical shape.

[0058] The first inner circumferential surface 21S of the upper holding part 21 is not limited to a configuration in which the rotation axis X1 is the central axis, and may be eccentric from the rotation axis X1. In this case, from the viewpoint of preventing excessive tilting of the container 60, it is preferable that the first range of motion RM1, which is the area surrounded by the first inner circumferential surface 21S, be located inside the second range of motion RM2 described by the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 when it rotates in a top view.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 6, when the pivot axis X1 of the pivotal movement of the lower holding part 22 is defined as the first pivot axis, the second pivot axis X2 of the pivotal movement of the pivotal movement part 32 does not have to be positioned coaxially with the pivot axis X1 of the lower holding part 22. The second pivot axis X2 is an axis extending in the vertical direction parallel to the pivot axis X1. In Fig. 6, the lower holding part 22 is connected to the pivotal movement part 32 via a plate 70. Also in Fig. 6, the upper holding part 21 is fixed to the base 30 by a connecting part 31.

[0060] The revolving motion part 32 has a reference axis Y2 extending in the vertical direction. The reference axis Y2 is spaced a predetermined distance D2 from the second revolving axis X2. In other words, the reference axis Y2 is eccentric with respect to the second revolving axis X2 by the predetermined distance D2. The revolving motion part 32 revolves around the second revolving axis X2 while maintaining the distance D2 from the second revolving axis X2 to the reference axis Y2. In other words, the reference axis Y2 is an axis for determining the revolving radius (in this case, the distance D2) of the revolving motion of the revolving motion part 32.

[0061] The pivoting motion of the pivoting part 32 is transmitted to the lower holding part 22 via the plate 70. The lower holding part 22 pivots around the pivot axis X1 while maintaining a distance D1 from the pivot axis X1 of the lower holding part 22 to the central axis Y1 of the concave shape of the lower holding part 22. As an example, the distance D1 from the pivot axis X1 of the lower holding part 22 to the central axis Y1 of the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 is equal to the distance D2 from the second pivot axis X2 of the pivoting part 32 to the reference axis Y2.

[0062] As described above, the swivel movement unit 32 may rotate the lower holding unit 22 so that the rotation axis X1 of the lower holding unit 22 is eccentric from the second rotation axis X2 of the rotation movement of the swivel movement unit 32. Note that, as in the example shown in Fig. 6, the swivel movement unit 32 may rotate the lower holding unit 22 relative to the base 30 around the rotation axis X1 located outside the base 30 in a top view, rather than rotating the lower holding unit 22 directly above the base 30.

[0063] (Example) Hereinafter, Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that the following examples are examples for explaining the effects of the above-described embodiment, and do not limit the configurations of the stirring device 10 and the stirring system 1.

[0064] Example 1 In Example 1, a liquid L1 contained in a container 60 was stirred using the stirring device 10. The container 60 was a bottle having a cylindrical body 61 made of polyethylene terephthalate and a lid 62 made of polyethylene terephthalate. The outer diameter φC of the body 61 of the container 60 was 30 mm, and the height of the container 60 with the lid 62 attached to the body 61 was 58 mm. Water was used as the liquid L1. A vortex mixer (product name: MX-S, manufactured by DLAB SCIENTIFIC) was used for the base 30 and the swirling motion part 32. An upper holding part 21 made of polyamide was connected to the base 30 via a connecting part 31. A lower holding part 22 made of polyamide was connected to the swirling motion part 32.

[0065] The first inner diameter φA of the first inner peripheral surface 21S of the upper holding portion 21 was 30.5 mm. The height of the first inner peripheral surface 21S was 8 mm. The central axis of the first inner peripheral surface 21S was configured to coincide with the pivot axis X1. The second inner diameter φB of the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 was 32.5 mm. The height of the second inner peripheral surface 22S2 of the lower holding portion 22 was 15 mm. The distance from the lower end of the upper holding portion 21 to the upper end of the lower holding portion 22 was 9 mm. The distance D1 from the pivot axis X1 to the central axis Y1 of the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 was 1 mm. The pivoting unit 32 drove the lower holding portion 22 so that the central axis Y1 of the concave shape of the lower holding portion 22 described a circular movement locus T1 having a diameter φT of 2 mm and centered on the pivot axis X1. The amount of liquid L1 was adjusted so that, when the container 60 was placed in the storage unit 20, the center of gravity G1 of the container 60 was located between the lower end of the upper holding unit 21 and the upper end of the lower holding unit 22. In addition, when the container 60 was placed in the storage unit 20, the upper end of the upper holding unit 21 was configured to be located lower than the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 61 of the container 60.

[0066] Example 2 Example 2 has the same configuration as Example 1, except that the second inner diameter φB of the concave shape of the lower holding part 22 is set to 30.5 mm (φB = φA). In Example 2, the container 60 is stored in the storage part 20 in an inclined state.

[0067] (Comparative Example 1) As shown in Figure 7, Comparative Example 1 had the same configuration as Example 1, except that the storage section 20 did not have an upper holding section 21 and only had a lower holding section 22, and the length of the second inner surface 22S2 of the lower holding section 22 was 32 mm.

[0068] (evaluation) In Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1, it was visually confirmed whether the container 60 had fallen off the storage section 20, whether a vortex had occurred in the liquid L1 in the container 60, and the position and posture of the container 60 in the storage section 20 after stirring was completed.

[0069] In Examples 1 and 2, when the swirl unit 32 was driven at a predetermined first swirl speed to start the swirl motion, the lower holding unit 22 swirls without causing the container 60 to fall out of the storage unit 20. At this time, it was confirmed that a vortex was generated in the liquid L1 in the container 60, thereby stirring the liquid L1. Therefore, it was confirmed that the stirring device 10 of Examples 1 and 2 can automatically stir the liquid L1 in the container 60.

[0070] Furthermore, in Example 1, the container 60 stopped upright in the storage unit 20 after the rotational movement was completed. On the other hand, in Example 2, the container 60 stopped tilted in the storage unit 20 in accordance with the stopping position of the lower holding unit 22. Therefore, in Example 1, it was confirmed that the container 60 can be easily placed and removed by the container conveying unit 40.

[0071] In Comparative Example 1, when the swirl movement part 32 was driven at a predetermined first swirl speed to start the swirl movement, the container 60 gradually moved upward in the storage part 20, and then the container 60 eventually fell out of the storage part 20. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, when the swirl movement part 32 was swirled at the predetermined first swirl speed, the liquid L1 in the container 60 could not be agitated.

[0072] Furthermore, in Comparative Example 1, when the swirl movement part 32 was driven at a second swirl speed slower than the first swirl speed to start the swirl movement, the lower holding part 22 swirls without the container 60 falling out of the storage part 20. However, no vortex was observed to occur in the liquid L1 in the container 60. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, the liquid L1 in the container 60 could not be stirred even when the swirl movement part 32 was swirled at the predetermined second swirl speed.

[0073] Furthermore, in Comparative Example 1, although the container 60 was upright in the storage unit 20 after the end of the rotational movement at the second rotational speed, it stopped in a position biased outward within the storage unit 20. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, the position of the container 60 at the end of mixing changes depending on the stopping position of the lower holding unit 22, and it was confirmed that when the container 60 is removed by the container conveying unit 40, it is necessary to detect the position of the container 60 at the end of mixing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] φA...First inner diameter φB...Second inner diameter φC…Outer diameter φT…Diameter D1,D2…distance G1…center of gravity L1…Liquid RM1…1st range of motion RM2…Second range of motion T1…trajectory of movement X1...Pivot axis X2…Second rotation axis Y1…center axis Y2: Reference axis 1. Mixing system 10... Stirring device 20...Storage section 21...Upper holding part 21S…1st inner peripheral surface 22…Lower holding part 22S1…Bottom surface 22S2…Second inner peripheral surface 30...Bass 31...Connection 32...Rotating motion part 40...Container conveying section 41...Gripping part 50...Control device 60…Container 70...Plate

Claims

1. An agitation device for agitating a liquid in a cylindrical container, a storage section including an upper holding section that surrounds the side surface of the container and a lower holding section that holds the bottom of the container; a base supporting the storage portion; a connection portion that fixes the upper holding portion to the base; a pivoting unit that pivots the lower holding unit relative to the base about a pivot axis that extends in the vertical direction, The upper holding portion is configured to narrow the range of motion of a portion of the container surrounded by the upper holding portion when the lower holding portion pivots, compared to the range of motion of a portion of the container held by the lower holding portion. Stirring device.

2. The upper holding portion is positioned above the center of gravity of the container containing the liquid when the container is accommodated in the accommodation portion. The stirring device according to claim 1 .

3. The container has a cylindrical shape, the upper holding portion has a first inner circumferential surface that surrounds the container in a circular shape, the lower holding portion has a concave shape including a circular bottom surface that supports the container from below and a second inner circumferential surface that surrounds the container in a circular shape; the first inner circumferential surface has a first inner diameter φA that is larger than an outer diameter of the container and has the rotation axis as a central axis; the concave shape has a second inner diameter φB that is larger than the first inner diameter φA and is centered on a central axis that is distant from the pivot axis, The pivoting unit pivots the lower holding unit so that the central axis of the concave shape describes a circle having a diameter φT around the pivot axis, The second inner diameter φB satisfies φB≧φA+φT. The stirring device according to claim 2 .

4. The bottom surface is a flat surface. The stirring device according to claim 3.

5. The upper end of the upper holding portion is located lower than the upper end of the container accommodated in the accommodation portion. The stirring device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The stirring device according to claim 1 ; a container conveying unit configured to be able to perform an operation of placing the container in the storage unit and an operation of removing the container placed in the storage unit from the storage unit, The container conveying unit includes a gripping unit that grips a portion of the container placed in the storage unit that is above the upper holding unit. Agitation system.

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