Lid opening and closing device

Abstract

A single drive unit enables the opening and closing of the lid. [Solution] The lid opening and closing device comprises a main body and a lid that covers the main body, a pair of lateral members arranged on both sides of the lid of the container, a drive unit that moves the pair of lateral members in the direction indicated by a linear driving force along the upper surface of the lid of the container, a first cam unit that guides the pair of lateral members upward and then in the direction indicated by the movement in the direction indicated by the drive unit, and a second cam unit that guides the pair of lateral members toward each other in the direction indicated by the upward movement of the pair of lateral members guided by the first cam unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lid opening / closing device.

Background Art

[0002] In cell culture, a culture vessel called a well plate having depressions (wells) in which cells, culture media, etc. accumulate is used to grow cells and adjust experimental conditions. The well plate includes a main body having a plurality of wells and a lid covering the upper part of the main body. Normally, a lid is placed on the well plate to prevent dust and the like from contaminating the inside of the well plate. However, opening and closing of the well plate is essential for various operations such as adding nutrients and reagents to cells, observing cells, and subculturing operations. Also, in order to prevent contamination, it is required to open the lid only for the minimum necessary opening time.

[0003] Opening and closing of the lid of the well plate by hand is generally performed with one hand while performing operations such as adding nutrients and reagents to the above-mentioned cells with the other hand, and a certain degree of dexterity is required. Also, automation is required in the field of cell culture. For this reason, a device for automatically opening and closing the lid of the well plate is desired.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a horizontal articulated robot that horizontally moves and vertically moves a gripping hand for opening and closing the lid of a culture vessel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Opening and closing the lid of a well plate requires at least three actions: gripping the lid, lifting it, and moving it horizontally. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires three or more drive units to perform each of these actions. As a result, the device becomes large and, if dedicated solely to opening and closing, becomes expensive.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a lid opening and closing device that can open and close the lid with a single drive unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, one embodiment of the lid opening and closing device according to the present invention comprises a main body and a lid that covers the main body, a pair of lateral members arranged on both sides of the lid of a container, a drive unit that moves the pair of lateral members in the above direction by a linear driving force in the direction along the upper surface of the lid of the container, a first cam unit that guides the pair of lateral members upward and then in the above direction as they move in the above direction by the drive unit, and a second cam unit that guides the pair of lateral members toward each other as they move upward as they move toward each other as guided by the first cam unit.

[0009] With this type of lid opening and closing device, the lateral member is guided by the first cam portion and the second cam portion, enabling the lid to be gripped, lifted, and moved laterally, and allowing the lid to be opened and closed with just one drive unit. Furthermore, in the lid opening and closing device described above, it is preferable that the first cam portion guides the pair of lateral members upward after they have gripped the lid with the guidance of the second cam portion, thereby lifting the lid. The lid is reliably lifted away from the main body by the guidance of the first cam portion.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above-described lid opening and closing device, it is preferable to further include a holding part that holds the pair of lateral members so that they can approach and separate from each other, and the drive unit indirectly applies a driving force to the pair of lateral members by applying a driving force to the holding part. The presence of the holding part holds the lateral members and facilitates the transmission of the driving force.

[0011] Furthermore, in the lid opening and closing device described above, it is preferable to further include an approach force applying member that applies a force to the lateral members in a direction that causes the pair of lateral members to move closer to each other, and the second cam portion is pressed against the cam surface by the force applied by the approach force applying member. The force applied by the approach force applying member serves as both a pressing force against the cam surface and a gripping force for the lid, thus simplifying the structure.

[0012] Furthermore, in the lid opening and closing device described above, it is preferable to further include a downward force applying member that applies a downward force to the lateral member, and that the lateral member is pressed against the cam surface by the force of the downward force applying member between the first cam portion and the second cam portion. The lateral member is reliably guided by the second cam portion when the lid is closed.

[0013] Furthermore, in the lid opening and closing device described above, it is preferable that the first cam portion has a cam groove and guides the lateral member with the cam groove, and it is also preferable that the second cam portion has a cam groove and guides the lateral member with the cam groove. Guidance by the cam groove ensures reliable guidance to a predetermined track and allows for reliable guidance in both the reciprocating and bidirectional directions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the lid opening and closing device of the present invention, the lid can be opened and closed with a single drive unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a top view showing one embodiment of a lid opening and closing device. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing one embodiment of a lid opening and closing device. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing one embodiment of a lid opening and closing device. [Figure 4] This is a schematic, magnified view showing the contact points between the side bar and the cam surface. [Figure 5a] This is a top view showing the first stage of the well plate opening operation. [Figure 5b] This is a side view showing the first stage of the well plate opening operation. [Figure 5c] It is a front view showing the first stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 6a] It is a top view showing the second stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 6b] It is a side view showing the second stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 6c] It is a front view showing the second stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 7a] It is a top view showing the third stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 7b] It is a side view showing the third stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 7c] It is a front view showing the third stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 8a] It is a top view showing the fourth stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 8b] It is a side view showing the fourth stage of the opening operation of the well plate. [Figure 9a] It is a top view showing another embodiment of the lid opening and closing device. [Figure 9b] It is a side view showing another embodiment of the lid opening and closing device. [Figure 9c] It is a front view showing another embodiment of the lid opening and closing device.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. However, in order to avoid the following description from becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art, detailed descriptions that are more than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and duplicate descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. In addition, for the elements described in the previously described figures, appropriate references may be made in the descriptions of the subsequent figures.

[0017] <Structure of the lid opening and closing device> Figures 1 to 3 are schematic diagrams showing one embodiment of a lid opening and closing device. Figure 1 shows a top view, Figure 2 shows a side view, and Figure 3 shows a front view. The XYZ coordinate axes in the figures indicate explanatory reference directions, with the Z axis direction being the vertical direction and the X and Y axes direction being the horizontal direction.

[0018] The lid opening / closing device 100 is a device that opens and closes the lid 220 of a well plate 200, which is a type of culture vessel, relative to the main body 210. As will be described later, the well plate 200 is provided with multiple wells 211 (Figure 8a). The lid opening and closing device 100 comprises a base plate 101, a side bar 110, a guide 120, a spring 125, a connecting bar 130, a ball screw 140, a motor 150, a guide rail 160, a first inclined member 170, and a second inclined member 180.

[0019] The well plate 200 to be opened and closed is placed on the base plate 101. The side bars 110 are provided in pairs on both sides of the lid 220 of the well plate 200, for example, in the Y direction. The side bars 110 have cushioning members 111 at the points where they contact the lid 220. Figure 1 shows four cushioning members 111 as an example.

[0020] The side bar 110 corresponds to an example of a lateral member as referred to in the present invention. In this embodiment, a rod-shaped side bar 110 is provided that extends along the lid 220 of the well plate 200, but the lateral member referred to in the present invention may be a plate-shaped member or the like. An elastic force from a spring 125 is applied to the pair of side bars 110 in a direction that moves them closer to each other, for example in the Y direction. The spring 125 corresponds to an example of a member that applies an approaching force as described in the present invention, and in this embodiment it is a tension spring that pulls the pair of side bars 110 with elastic force. The member that applies an approaching force may be rubber or a magnet, or it may be something that pushes the pair of side bars 110 from the outside to move them closer to each other.

[0021] The guide 120 has, for example, a guide rail (not shown) extending in the Y direction, and holds the side bar 110 so that it can move along the guide rail. In other words, the guide 120 corresponds to an example of a holding part as described in the present invention, and holds a pair of side bars 110 so that they can approach and isolate each other. The connecting bar 130 is connected to the guide 120 and extends, for example, in the X direction. The guide 120 has a guide rail (not shown) that extends, for example, in the Z direction at the connection point with the connecting bar 130.

[0022] The connecting bar 130 is connected at one end to the guide 120 so as to be movable in the Z direction, for example, and at the other end is fixed to the nut 142 of the ball screw 140. That is, the connecting bar 130 connects the guide 120 and the nut 142 while the guide 120 and the side bar 110 are movable in the Z direction relative to the ball screw 140. The connecting bar 130 may also connect the guide 120 and the nut 142 using, for example, a parallel link mechanism.

[0023] The ball screw 140 has, for example, a screw shaft 141 extending in the X direction and a nut 142 that moves linearly along the screw shaft 141. The screw shaft 141 is rotationally driven by a motor 150, and the nut 142 moves linearly as the screw shaft 141 rotates. The guide rail 160 guides the linear movement of the nut 142. The ball screw 140, motor 150, and guide rail 160 together constitute an example of the drive unit as described in this invention. The drive unit may be driven by, for example, an air cylinder.

[0024] The first inclined member 170 and the second inclined member 180 are each fixed to the base plate 101 and have cam surfaces 171, 172, and 181 that guide the direction of movement of the side bar 110. The first inclined member 170 corresponds to an example of the first cam portion as defined in the present invention, and the second inclined member 180 corresponds to an example of the second cam portion as defined in the present invention.

[0025] The first inclined member 170 is positioned, for example, in the X direction relative to the side bar 110 and extends in the X direction. The cam surface of the first inclined member 170 is divided into a front cam surface 171 and a rear cam surface 172. As shown in Figure 2, the front cam surface 171 is inclined with respect to the X direction, and the rear cam surface 172 is a gently sloping or horizontal surface mainly facing the Z direction.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the second inclined member 180 is located, for example, below and inside the pair of side bars 110, and is provided at four locations, for example, corresponding to each of the four corners of the well plate 200. The cam surface 181 of the second inclined member 180 is, for example, an inclined surface that faces outward from the inside of the pair of side bars 110, with the upper side of the cam surface 181 relatively located towards the well plate 200 and the lower side relatively located towards the side bars 110.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the base plate 101 has a magnet 102 built into it, and the side bar 110 also has a magnet 113 built into it. The attractive force between magnets 102 and 113 pushes the side bar 110 downward, and the force of magnets 102 and 113 presses the side bar 110 against the cam surfaces 171, 172, and 181. In particular, when the side bar 110 is positioned above the well plate 200 and guided downward, the force of magnets 102 and 113 provides smooth guidance.

[0028] Magnets 102 and 113 correspond to examples of downward force-applying members as described in the present invention. The downward force-applying member may be an elastic member such as a spring or rubber, or it may be a member that applies a force that pushes the side bar 110 downward from above.

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic enlarged view showing the contact points between the side bar 110 and the cam surfaces 171, 172, and 181. However, Figure 4 shows the contact points with the first inclined member 170, with the second inclined member 180 being the representative example. The side bar 110 is provided with rollers 112 at the points where it contacts the cam surfaces 171 and 172 of the first inclined member 170, to reduce friction with the cam surfaces 171 and 172. As the rollers 112 roll over the cam surfaces 171 and 172, the side bar 110 is smoothly guided along the cam surfaces 171 and 172. Rollers 112 are similarly provided at the points where the side bar 110 contacts the cam surface 181 of the second inclined member 180.

[0030] <Operation of the lid opening / closing device> Next, the opening and closing operation of the well plate 200 by the lid opening / closing device 100 will be described. Although the coordinate axes will not be shown in the following description, the coordinate axes shown in Figures 1 to 3 will be used as the reference for direction.

[0031] Figures 5a to 5c show the first stage of the opening operation of the well plate 200, that is, the operation of opening the lid 220. Figure 5a shows a top view, Figure 5b shows a side view, and Figure 5c shows a front view. In the first stage of the release operation, the rotational drive of the motor 150 rotates the screw shaft 141 of the ball screw 140, causing the nut 142 to begin linear movement. Guided by the guide rail 160, the nut 142 moves linearly as shown by the white arrow in Figure 5a, outputting a linear driving force. The linear driving force of the nut 142 is transmitted to the guide 120 via the connecting member 130, and further transmitted to the side bar 110.

[0032] The side bar 110 is pressed against the front cam surface 171 of the first inclined member 170 by a linear driving force, and as shown by the white arrow in Figure 5b, the driving force in the X direction is converted into movement in the Z direction. As a result, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 5c, the side bar 110 is guided upward by the first inclined member 170 and begins to rise.

[0033] Figures 6a and 6c show the second stage of the opening operation of the well plate 200. Figure 6a shows a top view, Figure 6b shows a side view, and Figure 6c shows a front view. In the second stage of the release operation, following the first stage, the nut 142 is driven in the X direction and the side bar 110 is raised by the guidance of the cam surface 171 in front of the first inclined member 170, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 6b. At this time, the guide 120 moves upward relative to the connecting member 130 while maintaining its connection with the connecting member 130.

[0034] Then, as shown by the white arrows in Figures 6a and 6c, the spring 125 pulls the pair of side bars 110 towards each other, so that the pair of side bars 110 are guided by the cam surface 181 of the second inclined member 180 and move closer to each other. As a result, the pair of side bars 110 approach the lid 220 from both sides of the well plate 200, and the cushioning members 111 of the side bars 110 come into contact with the lid 220. The pair of side bars 110 then grip the lid 220.

[0035] Figures 7a and 7c show the third stage of the opening operation of the well plate 200. Figure 7a shows a top view, Figure 7b shows a side view, and Figure 7c shows a front view. In the third stage of the release operation, as indicated by the white arrow in Figure 7a, the driving force generated by the movement of the nut 142 is output, following the second stage, and this driving force is transmitted to the side bar 110. Furthermore, as indicated by the white arrow in Figure 7b, the driving force in the X direction by the nut 142 is converted into an upward movement of the side bar 110, guided by the cam surface 171 in front of the first inclined member 170, following the second stage.

[0036] As a result, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 7c, the side bar 110 rises away from the second inclined member 180. At this time, the spring 125 pulls the pair of side bars 110 towards each other, so the grip of the lid 220 of the well plate 200 by the side bars 110 is maintained, and the lid 220 is lifted away from the main body 210. The spring 125 serves both to press the side bar 110 against the cam surface 181 of the second inclined member 180 in the second stage and to maintain the grip of the lid 220 in the third stage, thus simplifying the structure of the lid opening and closing device 100.

[0037] In the third stage of the opening operation, the side bar 110 continues to rise even after the lid 220 has been gripped, so that the lid 220 is reliably lifted from the main body 210. That is, as shown in the third stage in Figures 7a to 7c, it is desirable that the lifting continues after the lid 220 has been gripped. However, in the lid opening and closing device of the present invention, the inclination, length, and position of the cam surfaces 171 and 181 may differ from those in this embodiment, so that gripping and lifting may be performed simultaneously.

[0038] Figures 8a and 8b show the fourth stage of the opening operation of the well plate 200. Figure 8a shows a top view, and Figure 8b shows a side view. In the fourth stage of the release operation, as indicated by the white arrow in Figure 8a, the nut 142 moves significantly in the X direction. Then, as indicated by the white arrow in Figure 8b, the side bar 110 is guided by the cam surface 172 of the downstream of the first inclined member 170 and moves significantly in the X direction together with the cover 220 of the well plate 200.

[0039] As a result, the lid 220 moves laterally, detaching from directly above the main body 210, and as shown in Figure 8a, the recesses (wells) 211 of the main body 210 are exposed, and the well plate 200 is opened. The recesses 211 are arranged such that, for example, there are multiple rows in the Y direction and multiple rows in the X direction. Since the amount of movement of the nut 142 can be adjusted by the drive control of the motor 150, it is possible to move the lid 220 by an amount corresponding to the rows of recesses 211 that require manipulation of cells or other objects.

[0040] As described above, the lid opening / closing device 100 achieves three actions—gripping, lifting, and lateral movement—of the lid 220 of the well plate 200 through a linear single-axis driving force. Therefore, the lid opening / closing device 100 can open the lid of the well plate 200 with a single drive unit.

[0041] Closing the well plate 200 is performed in the reverse order of the above-described operation. That is, starting from the position shown in Figures 8a to 8b, the driving force output from the nut 142 drives the side bar 110 in the direction of -X, for example, via the connecting member 130 and the guide 120. As a result, the side bar 110 is guided in the direction of -X by the cam surface 172 of the downstream of the first inclined member 170. As a result, the lid 220, which is gripped by the side bar 110, moves to the position above the main body 210 shown in Figures 7a to 7c.

[0042] Next, the side bar 110 reaches the cam surface 171 in front of the first inclined member 170, and as the side bar 110 moves in the -X direction due to the driving force of the nut 142, the side bar 110 is guided downward. At this time, the magnets 102 and 113 attract the side bar 110 downward. As a result, the lid 220 moves down to the position shown in Figures 6a to 6c and covers the main body 210.

[0043] Then, when the side bar 110 reaches the second inclined member 180, the downward guiding movement of the first inclined member 170 by the cam surface 171 guides the pair of side bars 110 in a direction that separates them from each other, as guided by the cam surface 181 of the second inclined member 180. The force of the magnets 102 and 113 presses the side bars 110 against the cam surface 181 of the second inclined member 180, so that the guidance by the second inclined member 180 is ensured. When the pairs of side bars 110 isolate each other, the state shown in Figures 5a to 5c is reached, the grip of the lid 220 by the side bars 110 is released, and the well plate 200 is closed.

[0044] Thus, since the closing of the well plate 200 is also achieved by a linear, single-axis driving force output from the nut 142, the lid opening and closing device 100 can close the lid of the well plate 200 with a single drive unit.

[0045] <Other Embodiments> Other embodiments of the lid opening and closing device will be described below. These other embodiments are similar to the embodiments described above, except that they include a cam plate with a cam groove instead of the first inclined member 170 and the second inclined member 180. In the following, we will focus on the differences from the embodiments described above, and will omit redundant explanations of elements that are the same as those in the embodiments described above.

[0046] Figures 9a to 9c are schematic diagrams showing other embodiments of the lid opening and closing device. Figure 9a shows a top view, Figure 9b shows a side view, and Figure 9c shows a front view. The lid opening and closing device 300 of this embodiment comprises a first cam plate 310 and a second cam plate 320. The first cam plate 310 has a cam groove 311, and the second cam plate 320 also has a cam groove 321. The side bar 110 has a pin 330 that fits into the cam groove 311 of the first cam plate 310 and a pin 340 that fits into the cam groove 321 of the second cam plate 320.

[0047] The movement of the side bar 110 is guided by the first cam plate 310 and the second cam plate 320 as the pins 330 and 340 move along the cam grooves 311 and 321. The first cam plate 310 corresponds to an example of the first cam portion as defined in the present invention, and the second cam plate 320 corresponds to an example of the second cam portion as defined in the present invention.

[0048] The guidance of the side bar 110's movement by the first cam plate 310 and the second cam plate 320 is the same as the guidance provided by the first inclined member 170 and the second inclined member 180 in the lid opening / closing device 100 described above. In the lid opening / closing device 300 of this embodiment, the side bar 110 is guided by the cam grooves 311 and 321, eliminating the need for magnets 102 and 113 to pull the side bar 110 downward. Furthermore, because it is guided by the cam grooves 311 and 321, reliable guidance is achieved in both the reciprocating and bidirectional movements of the pins 330 and 340 and the side bar 110.

[0049] The pin 340, which fits into the cam groove 321 of the second cam plate 320, moves out of the cam groove 321 as the side bar 110 moves in the X direction and upward guided by the first cam plate 310, approaching the upper end of the cam groove 321. Conversely, when the side bar 110 moves in the -X direction guided by the first cam plate 310, the pin 340 fits into the cam groove 321 near the upper end of the cam groove 321 and is guided by the second cam plate 320.

[0050] Guided by the first cam plate 310 and the second cam plate 320, the side bar 110 can open and close the well plate 200. That is, the side bar 110 can obtain gripping, lifting, and lateral movement of the lid 220 by the linear driving force output from the nut 142 driven by the motor 150.

[0051] The first cam plate 310 and the second cam plate 320, and the first inclined member 170 and the second inclined member 180 may be provided in combination. For example, a configuration in which the first cam plate 310 and the second inclined member 180 are combined is conceivable. Although the above description shows an example of application to a well plate, which is a type of culture vessel, the lid opening and closing device of the present invention may be applied to other culture vessels such as petri dishes, or to containers other than culture vessels. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 100...Lid opening / closing device, 101...Base plate, 110...Side bar, 120...Guide 125...spring, 130...connecting bar, 140...ball screw, 141...screw shaft, 142...Nut, 150...Motor, 160...Guide rail, 170...First inclined member, 180...Second inclined member, 171, 172, 181...Cam surface, 200...Well plate, 210...Main body, 220...Lid, 310...First cam plate, 320...Second cam plate, 311, 321... Cam groove, 330, 340... Pin

Claims

1. A container having a main body and a lid that covers the main body, and a pair of lateral members arranged on both sides of the lid, A drive unit that moves the pair of lateral members in the direction by a linear driving force along the upper surface of the lid of the container, A first cam portion guides the pair of lateral members upward and then in the direction as they move in the direction by the drive unit, A second cam portion guides the pair of lateral members toward each other as they move upward due to the guidance of the first cam portion, A lid opening and closing device equipped with the following features.

2. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the first cam portion guides the pair of lateral members upward after they have gripped the lid by the guidance of the second cam portion, thereby lifting the lid.

3. The device further includes a holding portion that holds the pair of lateral members so that they can approach and separate from each other, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit indirectly applies a driving force to the pair of lateral members by applying a driving force to the holding unit.

4. The system further includes an approach force applying member that applies a force to the lateral members in a direction that causes the pair of lateral members to move closer to each other. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the second cam portion is pressed against the cam surface by the force of the approach force applying member.

5. The lateral member further comprises a downward force applying member that applies a downward force to the lateral member, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the first cam portion and the second cam portion are pressed against the cam surface by the force of the downward force applying member.

6. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the first cam portion has a cam groove and guides the lateral member with the cam groove.

7. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the second cam portion has a cam groove and guides the lateral member with the cam groove.

Images