Test tube preparing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a test tube preparing device capable of simplifying a constitution for discriminating the direction of a test tube.SOLUTION: In a pair of positioning members 66b and 72b for adjusting the positions of test tubes in the longitudinal direction before the test tubes Y are held by a roller 72a for label sticking, abutting parts 76a and 76b abutting on the end parts Ya and Yb of the test tubes Y are formed into asymmetrical shapes, and the intervals of the positioning members 72a and 72b are made different according to the directions of the head parts Ya of the test tubes Y when the test tubes Y are held from the longitudinal direction. The positions of the respective positioning members 72a, 72b when the test tube Y is held from the longitudinal direction are calculated by a position calculating means, and the direction of the head part Ya of the test tube Y is discriminated based on the size of an interval between the positioning members 72a, 72b. According to this constitution, since the direction of the test tube Y can be discriminated by the sticking position adjusting means for adjusting the position in the longitudinal direction of the test tube Y before sticking the label, an independent direction detecting means is not required.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a test tube preparation device for attaching labels to test tubes used in blood collection and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Test tube preparation devices are known that automatically prepare test tubes for use in blood collection procedures, etc. A typical test tube preparation device stores multiple types of test tubes in a test tube storage unit, and upon receiving blood collection schedule information, transfers the test tube to be used for blood collection from the test tube storage unit to a label printing and pasting unit, pastes a label with information such as the recipient's name printed on the outer surface of the test tube, and discharges the test tube.

[0003] Here, in order to affix labels to test tubes at a specified height and in a specified orientation, conventional test tube preparation devices use a direction detection means to determine the orientation of the test tubes during transport, adjust the longitudinal position of the test tubes according to the orientation determined by the direction detection means, and then clamp the test tubes with label affixing rollers (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Conventional direction detection means comprise a pair of arms with contact sensors attached to their tips. The contact sensors are located at the bottom of a bowl-shaped recess that can accommodate the convex bottom of a test tube but not the top of the test tube. When a test tube is held between the tips of the arms from the longitudinal direction during transport, the orientation of the test tube can be determined by determining which arm's contact sensor reacts to come into contact with the bottom of the test tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-58243 A (Figs. 13(a) and 14(b)) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The conventional direction detection means described above has a complex mechanism, and assembly during manufacturing requires considerable effort. Although there are test tube preparation devices that do not have a direction detection means, in such devices the user must align the test tubes before refilling them, which requires a lot of effort on the part of the user.

[0007] The present invention was made in consideration of the current situation, and aims to simplify the configuration for determining the orientation of test tubes in a test tube preparation device that determines the orientation of test tubes before labels are affixed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a test tube preparation device that prints required information on labels and affixes the labels to test tubes, and includes an affixing position adjusting means that adjusts the longitudinal position of the test tube before the test tube is clamped between label affixing rollers, and a control means that controls the operation of the affixing position adjusting means. The affixing position adjusting means includes a holding member that holds the test tube movably in the longitudinal direction of the test tube, a pair of positioning members disposed on one end side and the other end side of the test tube held by the holding member, a guide mechanism that holds the positioning members movably in the longitudinal direction of the test tube, and a drive means that moves the positioning members in the longitudinal direction of the test tube, the drive means including a motor with a rotation angle sensor that moves each positioning member individually, and the control means calculates the positions of the positioning members based on the output of the rotation angle sensor. a position calculation unit for calculating a position of the test tube held by the holding unit, the position calculation unit being configured to calculate ...

[0009] In this configuration, the orientation of the test tube can be determined by the labeling position adjusting means, which adjusts the longitudinal position of the test tube before labeling, eliminating the need for a separate orientation detection means. In particular, since the positioning member and the motor with the rotation angle sensor are used to adjust the longitudinal position of the test tube, the labeling position adjusting means can function as the orientation detection means without significantly modifying the existing configuration. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to make the attachment position adjustment means function as a direction detection means without making major changes to the configuration, thereby simplifying the configuration for determining the orientation of the test tube compared to conventional configurations.

[0010] Furthermore, in the present invention, the function of determining the orientation of the test tube is integrated into the attachment position adjustment means, thereby improving maintainability. In particular, while the orientation detection means of conventional configurations had a high frequency of failure of the contact sensor that detects the bottom of the test tube, the present invention can determine the orientation of the test tube without such a contact sensor, thereby reducing the risk of failure compared to conventional configurations.

[0011] In the present invention, a configuration is proposed in which an extrusion means is provided for extruding the test tube held by the holding member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the test tube, and the abutment portion of each positioning member is shaped so as not to hinder the extrusion means from extruding the test tube when in contact with the end of the test tube.

[0012] If the contact portion of the positioning member were bowl-shaped like the contact portion of existing direction detection means, the positioning member would need to be retracted from the end of the test tube so that the contact portion would not interfere with the end of the test tube when the pushing-out means pushes out the test tube. In contrast, with this configuration, the pushing-out means can push out the test tube while keeping the positioning member in contact with the end of the test tube, preventing the test tube from shifting longitudinally when being pushed out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, the test tube preparation device of the present invention simplifies the configuration for determining the orientation of test tubes, thereby reducing the assembly labor and number of parts required during manufacturing compared to conventional configurations, and also making it possible to make the test tube preparation device more compact. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a test tube preparation device 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a label printing and sticking device 6. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the test tube preparation device 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a labeling device 61. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the label application device 61 with the receiving section 68 omitted. [Figure 6] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the label sticking device 61. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a position adjustment mechanism 70. [Figure 8] 10 is a perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism 70 in a state where a test tube Y is sandwiched between positioning members 72a and 72b. [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism 70 showing an enlarged view of the left positioning member 72b, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism 70 showing an enlarged view of the right positioning member 72a. [Figure 10] 10 is an enlarged front view of the position adjustment mechanism 70 in a state where the test tube Y is sandwiched between the positioning members 72a and 72b. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control circuit for a position adjustment mechanism 70. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the following examples. Note that the basic configuration of the test tube preparation device 1 according to the examples is publicly known, and therefore detailed description will be omitted except for the essential parts of the present invention. In the following embodiments, the attachment position adjusting means according to the present invention corresponds to the position adjusting mechanism 70. The driving means according to the present invention corresponds to the drive motors 77a and 77b and the drive belts 78a and 78b, the guide mechanism according to the present invention corresponds to the linear guide 75, and the motor with the rotation angle sensor according to the present invention corresponds to the drive motors 77a and 77b. The control means according to the present invention corresponds to the control device 100 and the motor drivers 101a and 101b, and the position calculating means according to the present invention corresponds to the motor drivers 101a and 101b.

[0016] 1 is a perspective view of the front side of a test tube preparation device 1 of this embodiment. The test tube preparation device 1 prepares test tubes to be used for blood collection based on blood collection schedule information received from outside, and includes a main body 2 that prints required information on labels and affixes them to the test tubes to be used for blood collection, and a collection unit 3 that stores the labeled test tubes in a tray.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the recovery unit 3 is installed adjacent to the right side of the main body 2. The recovery unit 3 stores a large number of empty trays X, and stores labeled test tubes discharged by the main body 2 in the trays X, and then discharges the trays X containing the test tubes to the front.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 2 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the housing 4 of the main body 2 houses multiple storage devices 5a and 5b that store test tubes, and a label printing and pasting device 6 that prints labels and pastes them on the test tubes. The storage devices 5a and 5b and the label printing and pasting device 6 are unitized into a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long from front to back. Three label printing and pasting devices 6 are stored side by side in the middle section of the housing 4, and three storage devices 5a and 5b are stored side by side in the upper and lower sections of the housing 4. A monitor 8 that displays various information is also provided on top of the housing 4.

[0019] The label printing and applying device 6 includes a label printing device 60 that prints labels and a label applying device 61 that applies the printed labels to test tubes. As shown in Fig. 2, the label printing device 60 is disposed from the front side to the center of the label printing and applying device 6, and the label applying device 61 is disposed on the rear side of the label printing and applying device 6. The label printing device 60 includes a roll holding member 62 that holds a roll of release paper Q to which labels have been applied, a printing unit 63 that prints labels on the release paper Q that has been pulled out to the rear, a peeling unit 64 that peels the printed labels from the release paper Q and supplies them to the label applying device 61, and a release paper recovery roller 65 that winds up the release paper Q after the labels have been peeled off. On the other hand, the labeling device 61 includes a labeling mechanism 66 that applies printed labels supplied from the peeling unit 64 to the test tubes Y, a discharge conveyor 67 that discharges the labeled test tubes Y to the recovery unit 3, a receiving unit 68 that receives the unlabeled test tubes Y transferred from the storage devices 5a and 5b, and a position adjustment mechanism 70 that adjusts the position of the test tubes Y before labeling. Details of the labeling device 61 will be described later.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the test tubes Y stored in the storage devices 5a and 5b can be delivered one by one by delivery mechanisms 10 and 11 arranged on the rear side of the housing 4. The test tubes Y delivered from the storage devices 5a and 5b are then transported to the labeling device 61 by transfer mechanisms 20 and 21 arranged on the rear side of the housing 4. The transfer mechanisms 20 and 21 consist of a vertical transfer mechanism 20 and a parallel transfer mechanism 21. The parallel transfer mechanism 21 transfers the test tubes Y to the left and right above the labeling devices 61 and delivers the test tubes Y to any of the three labeling devices 61. The vertical transfer mechanism 20 lifts the test tubes Y delivered from the lower storage device 5b to the parallel transfer mechanism 21. The test tubes Y in the upper storage device 5a are delivered directly to the parallel transfer mechanism 21 by the delivery mechanism 10.

[0021] Next, the control of the test tube preparing device 1 will be described. The test tube preparation device 1 is equipped with a control device (not shown) that controls the operation of the test tube preparation device 1. Based on blood collection schedule information received from the outside, the control device coordinates the operation of the storage devices 5a, 5b, the transport mechanisms 20, 21, the label printing and pasting device 6, and the recovery unit 3 to prepare test tubes Y to be used in the blood collection. The blood collection schedule information includes information such as information about the person to be blood-collected and the type of test tube to be used in the blood collection.

[0022] Specifically, when the control device receives the blood collection schedule information, it activates the sending mechanisms 10, 11 and the transport mechanisms 20, 21 to transport the test tubes to be used for blood collection from the storage devices 5a, 5b that store the test tubes to the label printing and pasting device 6. Next, the control device activates the label printing and pasting device 6 to print required information (such as the name of the person to be blood collected) on a label, and then affixes the label to the test tube Y, which is then discharged from the discharge port (not shown) on the right side of the housing. The control device also activates the collection unit 3 to have an empty tray X waiting just below the discharge port, and once the test tubes for one person to be blood collected have been stored in tray X, it discharges that tray X forward and supplies a new empty tray X just below the discharge port.

[0023] Next, the configuration of the label sticking device 61 will be described. 4 is a perspective view of the label application device 61. As described above, the label application device 61 includes the application mechanism 66, the discharge conveyor 67, the receiving section 68, and the position adjustment mechanism .

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the receiving section 68 has the shape of a long, open box and is disposed above the labeling device 61. The test tubes Y in the storage devices 5a and 5b are sent into the receiving section 68 by the transfer mechanisms 20 and 21. The bottom 68a of the receiving section 68 is inclined downward toward the front, and the test tubes Y received by the receiving section 68 are held in a horizontally lying position near the front of the receiving section 68. The front, rear, left, and right side walls 68b of the receiving section 68 are configured to be drivable forward and backward, and when the side walls 68b move forward, the test tubes Y in the receiving section 68 are released from the front edge of the bottom 68a into the position adjustment mechanism 70 below.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5 , the position adjustment mechanism 70 includes a holding member 71 that holds the test tube Y. The test tube Y released from the receiving unit 68 is held on the holding member 71 in a horizontally lying state. The position adjustment mechanism 70 adjusts the longitudinal position of the test tube Y by moving the test tube Y left and right on the holding member 71 using a pair of left and right positioning members 72 a, 72 b so that the label is affixed at a predetermined height. Here, the test tube Y may be held on the holding member 71 with its head Ya facing left or right. Therefore, the position adjustment mechanism 70 determines the orientation of the head Ya of the test tube Y held on the holding member 71 and adjusts the longitudinal position of the test tube Y according to the determined orientation. Details of the position adjustment mechanism 70 will be described later.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the labeling mechanism 66 includes three rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c for labeling. The labeling mechanism 66 clamps the outer periphery of the test tube Y between the three rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c, and affixes a label supplied from the label printer 60 to the outer periphery of the test tube Y while rotating the test tube Y with the drive roller 66a. One of the three rollers, the pressure roller 66b, is disposed on the rear side of the holding member 71 and is configured to be advanced by a motor (not shown). When the pressure roller 66b advances, the test tube Y in the holding member 71 is pushed forward and is clamped between the three rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c. In other words, the pressure roller 66b and the motor (not shown) constitute a pushing means according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, in the normal state, the front side of the holding member 71 is partitioned by a partition plate 74 that can be raised and lowered.

[0027] 4, the discharge conveyor 67 is disposed below the holding member 71, and the test tubes Y to which labels have been affixed by the labeling mechanism 66 are sent onto the discharge conveyor 67. The discharge conveyor 67 is connected to the discharge conveyor 67 of the adjacent labeling device 61 on the left and right, and the test tubes Y are transported by the discharge conveyor 67 to a discharge outlet that opens on the right side of the housing 4.

[0028] Next, the operation of the label printing and sticking device 6 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6(A), the control device transfers the test tube Y in the storage devices 5a, 5b to the receiving section 68 based on the blood collection schedule information. When the test tube Y is stored in the receiving section 68, the control device temporarily advances the side wall 68b of the receiving section 68, as shown in Fig. 6(B), causing the test tube Y in the receiving section 68 to drop onto the holding member 71 of the position adjustment mechanism 70.

[0029] Next, the control device operates the position adjustment mechanism 70 to determine the orientation of the head of the test tube Y on the holding member 71. The method for determining the orientation will be described later. The control device then adjusts the left-right (longitudinal) position of the test tube Y using the positioning members 72a, 72b (see FIG. 5). The control device also operates the label printing device 60 to print required information on a label to be affixed to the test tube Y in an orientation that corresponds to the orientation of the test tube Y.

[0030] Once the positioning of the test tube Y and the printing of the label are complete, the control device retracts the partition plate 74 arranged in front of the holding member 71 downward, as shown in Figure 6(C), and then advances the pressure roller 66b arranged behind the holding member 71 to clamp the test tube Y between the three rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c.The control device then rotates the test tube Y with the drive roller 66a, and causes the release paper recovery roller 65 to wind up the release paper Q and supply the printed label to the outer peripheral surface of the test tube Y, thereby affixing the printed label to the outer peripheral surface of the test tube Y.

[0031] When the affixing of the label to the test tube Y is completed, the control device stops the drive roller 66a. Next, as shown in FIG. 6(D), the holding member 71 of the position adjustment mechanism 70 is retracted downward by a drive device (not shown), and the pressure roller 66b is retracted rearward. As a result, the test tube Y that was held between the rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c falls onto the discharge conveyor 67. Then, when the control device detects the test tube Y on the discharge conveyor 67 with a sensor, it activates the discharge conveyor 67 to transport the test tube Y to the recovery unit 3.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the position adjustment mechanism 70 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 7, the position adjustment mechanism 70 includes a holding member 71 that movably holds the test tube Y, a pair of left and right positioning members 72a, 72b, a linear guide 75 that movably holds the positioning members 72a, 72b, and drive motors 77a, 77b and drive belts 78a, 78b that move the positioning members 72a, 72b.

[0033] The holding member 71 is a rectangular plate-shaped resin member that is long in the left-right direction. A single groove 71a is formed in the top surface of the holding member 71 in the left-right direction, and the test tube Y delivered onto the holding member 71 is held so as to be movable in the left-right direction along the groove 71a while lying laterally on the groove 71a. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the test tube Y held by the holding member 71 coincides with the left-right direction of the test tube preparing device 1.

[0034] 7 and 8, each positioning member 72a, 72b is held by a linear guide 75 so as to be movable in the left-right direction, and is disposed so as to be positioned on both the left and right sides of the test tube Y on the holding member 71. Each positioning member 72a, 72b has a tip end protruding above the holding member 71 as abutment portions 76a, 76b that move left-right on the holding member 71 and abut against the ends Ya, Yb of the test tube Y.

[0035] The left and right positioning members 72a, 72b are driven individually in the left-right direction by drive motors 77a, 77b and drive belts 78a, 78b. Specifically, the drive force of the right drive motor 77a is transmitted to the right positioning member 72a via the right drive belt 78a, and the drive force of the left drive motor 77b is transmitted to the left positioning member 72b via the left drive belt 78b. The drive motors 77a, 77b are motors with resolvers that are integrally attached to stepping motors, and the control device feedback-controls the drive motors 77a, 77b based on the output of the resolvers, thereby enabling each of the positioning members 72a, 72b to be moved to any position.

[0036] 8, the position adjustment mechanism 70 allows the control device to laterally position the test tube Y before the test tube Y is clamped by the rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c of the attachment mechanism 66 by using the abutment portions 76a and 76b of the positioning members 72a and 72b to push and move the ends Ya and Yb of the test tube Y on the holding member 71 laterally. As described above, the pressure roller 66b of the attachment mechanism 66 is disposed on the rear side of the holding member 71 so as to be drivable forward and backward. The test tube Y positioned by the position adjustment mechanism 70 is pushed forward of the holding member 71 by the advancement of the pressure roller 66b while maintaining its position in the lateral direction, and is then clamped by the rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c (see FIG. 6(C)).

[0037] The right-side positioning member 72a and the left-side positioning member 72b are generally symmetrical, but the respective contact portions 76a, 76b are asymmetrical. The position adjustment mechanism 70 is configured so that the distance between the positioning members 72a, 72b when the test tube Y is clamped in the longitudinal direction varies depending on the orientation of the head Ya of the test tube Y by bringing the asymmetrical contact portions 76a, 76b into contact with the ends Ya, Yb of the test tube Y.

[0038] 9(B), the right-side positioning member 72a has a contact portion 76a made of a metal flat plate 79b perpendicular to the left-right direction, and the contact surface with the ends Ya, Yb of the test tube Y is a flat surface 81 perpendicular to the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B), the flat surface 81 of the contact portion 76a contacts the ends Ya, Yb of the test tube Y, whether the contact portion 76a contacts the top Ya or bottom Yb of the test tube Y.

[0039] In contrast, as shown in Fig. 9(A), the abutting portion 76b of the left positioning member 72b has a block-shaped resin member 80 fixed to the inside (right side) of the metal flat plate 79a, and the abutting surface with the ends Ya, Yb of the test tube Y is composed of a flat surface 83 perpendicular to the left-right direction and a bulging portion 82 that bulges inward (right side) from the upper and back sides of the flat surface 83. As shown in Fig. 10(A), the flat surface 83 of the abutting portion 76b abuts against the convex bottom Yb of the test tube Y, and as shown in Fig. 10(B), the bulging portion 82 abuts against the flat head Ya of the test tube Y.

[0040] Thus, with the flat contact portion 76a on the right side, there is no misalignment in the left-right direction between the contact portion with the head Ya of the test tube Y and the contact portion with the bottom Yb. However, with the uneven contact portion 76b on the left side, there is a misalignment of several millimeters in the left-right direction between the contact portion with the head Ya of the test tube Y and the contact portion with the bottom Yb. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10 , when the test tube Y is clamped in the longitudinal direction, the distance between the positioning members 72a and 72b is wider when the head Ya of the test tube Y faces leftward (W+α) than when it faces rightward (W) by the amount of the misalignment (α) of the contact portion of the left contact portion 76b. As will be described later, the test tube preparing device 1 determines the orientation of the head Ya of the test tube Y on the holding member 71 based on the difference in the distance between the positioning members 72a and 72b.

[0041] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the control circuit of the position adjustment mechanism 70. The control means for controlling the operation of the position adjustment mechanism 70 is composed of a control device 100 that oversees the operation of the test tube preparation device 1 and two motor drivers 101a and 101b that operate the left and right drive motors 77a and 77b. Each motor driver 101a and 101b includes a drive circuit that drives the drive motors 77a and 77b and a position calculation circuit that calculates the current position (displacement from the origin) of each positioning member 72a and 72b based on the output of a resolver. Each motor driver 101a and 101b rotates the respective drive motors 77a and 77b in accordance with instructions from the control device 100 to move each positioning member 72a and 72b to the specified position. In addition, the motor drivers 101a and 101b output the current positions of the positioning members 72a and 72b to the control device 100 at regular intervals.

[0042] The control device 100 includes a control program that controls the operation of the position adjustment mechanism 70 via motor drivers 101a and 101b. When the control device 100 delivers a test tube Y from the receiving unit 68 onto the holding member 71, it activates the position adjustment mechanism 70 to sequentially execute a direction determination process that determines the orientation of the head Ya of the test tube Y and a positioning process that adjusts the longitudinal position of the test tube Y.

[0043] In the direction determination process, the control device 100 first instructs the motor drivers 101a and 101b to clamp the test tube Y longitudinally between the positioning members 72a and 72b. In response to this, the motor drivers 101a and 101b operate the drive motors 77a and 77b to move the positioning members 72a and 72b from their initial positions shown in FIG. 7 toward the test tube Y. Then, when the positioning members 72a and 72b come into contact with both ends Ya and Yb of the test tube Y, the drive motors 77a and 77b are stopped. The fact that the positioning members 72a and 72b have come into contact with both ends Ya and Yb of the test tube Y is indirectly detected by detecting the stoppage of the movement of the positioning members 72a and 72b due to the contact. Therefore, it is not necessary to detect the contact between the positioning members 72a and 72b and the test tube Y using a contact sensor or the like. The fact that the positioning members 72a and 72b have become stuck can be detected based on the output from the resolver, the current value of the drive motors 77a and 77b, and the like.

[0044] Next, the control device 100 determines the orientation of the head Ya of the test tube Y based on the position information of the positioning members 72a, 72b when the test tube Y is clamped. Specifically, the distance between the positioning members 72a, 72b is calculated from the respective position information. The calculated distance is then compared with a predetermined judgment value. If the calculated distance is less than the judgment value, the head Ya of the test tube Y is determined to be facing right, and if the calculated distance is equal to or greater than the judgment value, the head Ya of the test tube Y is determined to be facing left. This is because, as described above, the distance between the positioning members 72a, 72b is wider when the head Ya of the test tube Y is facing left. The judgment value that serves as the basis for determination is stored in the control device 100 for each type of test tube Y, and a judgment value corresponding to the type of test tube Y to be determined is used.

[0045] In the positioning process, the control device 100 instructs the motor drivers 101a and 101b to position the test tube Y to the left and right using the positioning members 72a and 72b. Specifically, the control device 100 stores the holding positions of the positioning members 72a and 72b for positioning the test tube Y. In the positioning process, the control device 100 instructs the motor drivers 101a and 101b to move the positioning members 72a and 72b to their respective holding positions. In response to this, the motor drivers 101a and 101b operate the drive motors 77a and 77b to move the positioning members 72a and 72b to the instructed holding positions. Note that the holding positions for positioning are stored in the control device 100 for each type of test tube Y and each orientation of the head Ya. In the positioning process, the control device 100 instructs the positioning members 72a and 72b to move to the holding positions corresponding to the type of test tube Y and the orientation of the head Ya to be positioned.

[0046] When the control device 100 completes the positioning process, as described above, it lowers the partition plate 74 and moves the pressure roller 66b forward (see FIG. 6(B)), so that the test tube Y on the holding member 71 is clamped between the rollers 66a, 66b, and 66c and a label is affixed to the test tube Y. Note that the left and right contact portions 76a, 76b are shaped so as not to hinder the pressure roller 66b from pushing out the test tube Y. Therefore, the test tube Y can be pushed forward by the pressure roller 66b while the contact portions 76a, 76b are kept pressed against the ends Ya, Yb. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the right-side contact portion 76a is flat, and the left-side contact portion 76b does not have a bulge 82 formed in front of the flat surface 83. Therefore, even when the contact portions 76a and 76b are in contact with the ends Ya and Yb, the test tube Y can be advanced without the ends Ya and Yb colliding with the contact portions 76a and 76b.

[0047] As described above, the test tube preparation device 1 of this embodiment presses the positioning members 72a, 72b of the position adjustment mechanism 70 against both ends Ya, Yb of the test tube Y, and determines the orientation of the test tube Y based on the distance between the positioning members 72a, 72b when pressed against them, eliminating the need for an independent direction detection means. Furthermore, because the positioning members 72a, 72b and the resolver-equipped drive motors 77a, 77b are used to adjust the longitudinal position of the test tube Y, there is no need to significantly modify the configuration of the position adjustment mechanism 70. Therefore, in this embodiment, the configuration for determining the orientation of the test tube Y is simplified compared to the conventional configuration. Therefore, the test tube preparation device 1 of this embodiment can reduce the number of assembly steps and parts required during manufacturing, and can also make the device more compact.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the function of determining the orientation of the test tube Y is concentrated in the position adjustment mechanism 70, making maintenance easier than with conventional configurations. In particular, while the orientation detection means of conventional configurations has a high frequency of failure of the contact sensor that detects the bottom Yb of the test tube Y, the test tube preparation device 1 of this embodiment can determine the orientation of the test tube Y without being equipped with such a contact sensor, thereby reducing the risk of failure compared to conventional configurations.

[0049] Furthermore, in the conventional configuration, the test tube Y being transported is stopped once when the orientation is determined by the orientation detection means, and then stopped again when it is positioned in the longitudinal direction, but in this embodiment, both the orientation determination and the longitudinal positioning of the test tube Y are performed on the same holding member 71, so the test tube Y being transported is stopped less frequently than in the conventional configuration. Therefore, in this embodiment, the processing time until the label is affixed to the test tube Y can be shortened.

[0050] Furthermore, in the position adjustment mechanism 70 of this embodiment, the contact portions 76a, 76b of the positioning members 72a, 72b have asymmetric shapes, but each of the contact portions 76a, 76b has a shape that does not hinder the pressure roller 66b from pushing the test tube Y forward when in contact with the end portions Ya, Yb of the test tube Y. With this configuration, the test tube Y can be pushed forward while being supported in the longitudinal direction by the contact portions 76a, 76b, making it difficult for the test tube Y to shift in the longitudinal direction when being pushed out.

[0051] The test tube preparation device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a motor with a resolver (drive motors 77a, 77b) is used as the motor with a rotation angle sensor according to the present invention, but instead of a motor with a resolver, a motor with an encoder in which the encoder is integrally attached to a stepping motor may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Test tube preparation device 2 Main body 3. Collection Department 4. Cabinet 5a, 5b Storage device 6 Label printing and pasting device 8 monitors 10,11 Delivery mechanism 20 Vertical transfer mechanism 21 Parallel transfer mechanism 60 Label Printer 61 Labeling device 62 Roll holding member 63 Printing section 64 Peeling section 65 Release paper recovery roller 66 Attachment mechanism 66a Drive roller 66b Pressure roller 67 Discharge conveyor 68 Receiving section 68a bottom 68b side wall 70 Position adjustment mechanism 71 Retaining member 71a Groove 72a, 72b Positioning members 74 Divider 75 Linear Guide 76a,76b Contact part 77a, 77b Drive motor 78a, 78b Drive belt 80 Resin parts 81 Flat surface 82 Bulge 83 Flat surface Q Release Paper X Tray Y test tube Ya test tube head Yb test tube bottom

Claims

1. A test tube preparation device that prints required information on a label and attaches it to a test tube, a labeling position adjusting means for adjusting the longitudinal position of the test tube before the test tube is clamped by labeling rollers; a control means for controlling the operation of the attachment position adjusting means; Equipped with The attachment position adjusting means is a holding member that holds the test tube movably in the longitudinal direction of the test tube; a pair of positioning members disposed on one end side and the other end side of the test tube held by the holding member; a guide mechanism that holds the positioning member movably in the longitudinal direction of the test tube; a driving means for moving the positioning member in the longitudinal direction of the test tube; Equipped with the driving means includes a motor with a rotation angle sensor that moves each of the positioning members individually; the control means includes a position calculation means for calculating a position of the positioning member based on an output of the rotation angle sensor, The one positioning member and the other positioning member have asymmetrical contact portions that come into contact with the end portions of the test tubes, and the distance between the positioning members when the test tubes are sandwiched in the longitudinal direction varies depending on the orientation of the heads of the test tubes, Furthermore, the control means a direction determination process in which the driving means is operated to sandwich the test tube held by the holding member between the pair of positioning members in the longitudinal direction, and the direction of the head of the test tube is determined based on the positions of the positioning members; a positioning process for adjusting the longitudinal position of the test tube by operating the driving means to move each positioning member to a required position according to the orientation of the head of the test tube determined in the orientation determination process; A test tube preparation device configured to be able to perform the above.

2. a pushing means for pushing out the test tube held by the holding member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the test tube, 2. The test tube preparation device according to claim 1, wherein the abutment portion of each positioning member is shaped so as not to hinder the pushing-out of the test tube by the pushing means when the abutment portion abuts against the end of the test tube.

Images