Tool set for opening and closing the lid of a sample container for a centrifuge and its manufacturing method.

Abstract

This invention provides a tool set for opening and closing the lid of a sample container for a centrifuge, which has a roughly triangular container section with three vertices in its cross-section, and an outer lid with a non-circular outer edge shape that matches the outer edge shape of the container section. [Solution] The lid opening and closing tool set consists of (1) a handheld outer lid opening and closing tool 200 having an upper ring-shaped retaining part 214 having an inner edge shape corresponding to the non-circular outer edge shape of the outer lid 70, and an upper handle part 211 extending therefrom, and (2) a lower ring-shaped retaining part 264 having an inner edge shape corresponding to the outer edge cross-sectional shape of the container part 41, and a lower handle part 261 connected thereto. The outer lid 70 can be opened and closed by moving the upper handle part 211 in the direction of arrow 240 or the opposite direction while the container part 41 is inserted into the lower ring-shaped retaining part 264 and the tool is in an upright position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a centrifuge (centrifugal separator) used in fields such as medicine, pharmacy, genetic engineering, etc., and realizes a tool for opening and closing a non-cylindrical sample container that can increase the amount of liquid sample that can be processed at one time.

Background Art

[0002] A centrifuge used for separating liquid samples mounts a plurality of sample containers containing liquid samples in sample container holding holes evenly arranged on the circumference of a rotor. The centrifuge has a rotor, a driving means for rotationally driving the rotor, a cooling device for cooling the rotor chamber, etc., and centrifuges the liquid sample in the sample container by rotating the rotor at high speed under atmospheric pressure or reduced pressure to collect the target substance.

[0003] A rotor for a centrifuge is known, for example, from Patent Document 1. In the rotor body of a conventional angled rotor, a plurality of holding holes for sample containers are formed at equal angular pitches along the circumference, and a sample container into which a liquid sample has been injected is inserted into each holding hole. The sample container of Patent Document 1 is a non-circular sample container having a substantially triangular horizontal cross-section. One of the purposes of using the sample container shown in Patent Document 1 is to collect bacteria. In order to efficiently perform bacteria collection by centrifugation, it is advantageous to be able to process a large number of samples at one time. The non-circular sample container has a larger capacity than a conventional sample container having a circular horizontal cross-section. For example, a capacity of 900 to 1500 ml is possible.

[0004] Even when using a sample container with a roughly triangular horizontal cross-section, such as that described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "triangular bottle"), the opening for fixing the lid is cylindrical, and when the sample container is set on an angle-type rotor, it is necessary to interpose a neck support between the lid and the sample container. The neck support is designed so that its inner opening contacts the outside of the lid and its outer shape fits into the holding hole of the rotor body, thereby preventing damage to the shoulder portion of the sample container, which is the mounting part of the lid, due to centrifugal force when the rotor rotates at high speed. In Patent Document 1, the neck support and lid are separate components, but Patent Document 2 discloses a sample container in which the neck support is integrated with the lid.

[0005] As the sample containers get larger, it becomes difficult to hold the container by hand and securely tighten the lid. Therefore, a lid opening and closing tool set has been provided that allows for stable opening and closing of the container to avoid disturbing the sample after centrifugation. Figure 15(a) is an unfolded perspective view of the sample container 140 disclosed in Patent Document 1. The sample container 140 consists of a container section 141 for holding a liquid sample, an inner lid 161 to seal the container section 141, and an outer lid 170 that covers the inner lid 161, thereby sealing the container section 141. A neck support member 180 is attached around the outer lid 170. The neck support member 180 has three circumferential protrusions 181 that are locked into an outer circumferential groove 172 of the outer lid 170, allowing it to rotate relative to the outer lid 170. The body section 142 of the container section 141 has a roughly triangular horizontal cross-section. Note that Figure 15 omits the illustration of the male threaded portion near the opening 153a of the container portion 141 (corresponding to 56 in Figure 4, which will be described later).

[0006] Patent Document 3 describes a design in which the neck support and lid are integrated, and the lid is detachably attached to the container by an interlocking mechanism. In this design, an L-shaped groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the opening to serve as an interlocking mechanism, and a convex portion is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the outer lid that is paired with the groove, allowing the outer lid to be fastened with a small rotation angle of less than 120 degrees. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-11131 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-565 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-6643 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The configuration described in Patent Document 3 reduces the number of parts required for assembly compared to the conventional sample container 140 (see Figure 15(a)). However, in the sample container of Patent Document 3, since the outer lid is opened and closed with a small rotation of less than 120 degrees, if sufficient tightening force is ensured, the force required for opening and closing becomes too large, making it difficult for an operator to open and close it. Furthermore, if the tightening force of the outer lid is ensured to the same extent as that of a conventional screw-fastened outer lid, there is a greater risk of disturbing the liquid sample or precipitate inside the container when opening and closing the outer lid after the centrifugal separation operation is completed, making it difficult to open the outer lid without disturbing the precipitate.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and its purpose is to realize a portable lid opening and closing tool set that allows for easy opening and closing of the outer lid of a sample container for a centrifuge, which has a non-circular cross-sectional shape, does not require the use of a neck support member, and has a reduced number of parts, in any location such as a clean bench. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The following are some of the representative features of the invention disclosed in this application. According to one feature of the present invention, a tool set for opening and closing the lid of a sample container for a centrifuge is provided, which has a substantially triangular container section with a cross-sectional shape having three vertices, and an outer lid having a non-circular outer edge shape that matches the outer edge shape of the container section. The tool set for opening and closing the lid consists of a handheld lid opening and closing tool and a handheld container holding tool. The lid opening and closing tool has an upper annular holding portion formed thereon, which has an inner edge shape corresponding to the non-circular outer edge shape of the outer lid, and an upper handle portion extending from the annular holding portion. The container holding tool has a lower annular holding portion having an inner edge shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the outer edge of the container section, and a lower handle portion connected to the annular holding portion, and is configured to engage with the container section in an upright state by inserting the container section into the annular holding portion. The lid opening and closing tool and the container holding tool make it possible to easily tighten and loosen the outer lid on the container section.

[0011] According to yet another feature of the present invention, the lid opening / closing tool is made of metal and consists of a first plate on which an annular holding portion and an upper handle portion are formed, and a second plate that presses down on the upper surface of the outer lid from above. The container holding tool is made of metal and consists of a third plate on which an annular holding portion and a lower handle portion are formed, and a fourth plate that forms a bottom plate for holding the bottom surface of the container portion and is connected to the first plate. When the container holding tool and the lid opening / closing tool are attached to a sealed sample container, the annular holding portion is positioned so that the shapes of the annular holding portion are offset in the circumferential direction so that the upper handle portion and the lower handle portion do not overlap when viewed from above. In addition, the three vertices of the annular holding portion of the container holding tool are marked at the center position of the vertices when viewed in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the three vertices of the annular holding portion of the lid opening / closing tool are provided with openings that are recessed radially outward from the center position of the vertices when viewed in the circumferential direction, so that the mark can be seen from above to below through the opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, an outer lid opening and closing tool has been realized that allows for easy opening and closing of the outer lid of a sample container in any location, such as inside a clean bench. This makes it easier to open the outer lid without disturbing the precipitate after centrifugal separation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a front view of the centrifuge 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with a portion shown as a cross-sectional view. [Figure 2] A longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotor 30 and sample container 40 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows a rotor body 31 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the CC section in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is an unfolded perspective view of the sample container 40 according to Example 1 of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows the container portion 41 of the sample container 40, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a perspective view from diagonally below, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a bottom view. [Figure 6] This figure shows the container portion 41 of the sample container 40, where (a) is a magnified view of the cylindrical portion 53 and shoulder portion 45 of Figure 5(c), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the DD portion of Figure 6(a). [Figure 7] This figure shows the outer lid 70 of the sample container 40, with (a) being a top view, (b) a perspective view from diagonally above, (c) a side view, and (d) a perspective view from diagonally below. [Figure 8] This figure shows the inner lid 61 of the sample container 40, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a perspective view from diagonally above, and (d) is a perspective view of the handle 68 alone. [Figure 9] This is a top view showing the situation when closing the outer lid 70 of the sample container 40, where (a) shows the state in the process of tightening the outer lid 70, and (b) shows the state in which the outer lid 70 has been completely tightened to the container part 41. [Figure 10] This is an unfolded perspective view of the sample container 40 and the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and container holding tool 250 used to open and close the outer lid 70 of the sample container 40. [Figure 11] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the sample container 40 mounted on the container holding tool 250 and the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 mounted on the outer lid 70. [Figure 12](a) is a perspective view of the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 of Example 1, and (b) is a perspective view of the container holding tool 250 of Example 1. [Figure 13] It is a figure which shows the container part 441 of the sample container 440 which concerns on Example 2 of this invention, (a) is a top view, (b) is a perspective view seen from diagonally below, (c) is a side view, (d) is a bottom view. [Figure 14] It is a partially enlarged view of the cylindrical part 453 and the shoulder part 445 of the sample container 440 of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] (a) is a developed perspective view of the conventional sample container 140, and (b) is a view showing the container holding tool 350 for the conventional sample container 140 for a centrifuge and the outer lid opening / closing tool 300.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Examples

[0014] Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following figures, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted. In this specification, the front-rear, up-down directions will be described assuming the directions shown in the figures.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a front view of a centrifuge 1 of the present invention, showing a part in cross section. The centrifuge 1 includes a rectangular box-shaped housing 2, and the interior of the housing 2 is partitioned into upper and lower two spaces by a horizontal partition plate 2a. In the partitioned upper space, a cylindrical chamber (bowl) 3 having an open upper surface is provided. A refrigerant circulation pipe (not shown) is adhered to the outer peripheral portion of the chamber 3, and the interior space of the chamber 3, that is, the rotor chamber 4 is cooled by flowing the refrigerant supplied from a cooler (not shown) provided in the centrifuge 1. The periphery of the chamber 3 is provided with a heat insulating material 9. An openable and closable substantially circular door 10 (not shown) is provided above the chamber 3, and the rotor chamber 4 is sealed by closing the door 10. A rotor 30 is accommodated in this rotor chamber 4. An operation and display unit 13 is provided at the upper part and the right side of the housing 2.

[0016] In the lower section partitioned by a partition plate 2a within the housing 2, the drive unit 5 is attached to the partition plate 2a. The drive unit 5 includes a motor housing 6, and an electric motor 7 is provided inside the motor housing 6 as a drive source. An axle support portion 6a is positioned above the motor housing 6, passing through a hole 3b provided at the bottom of the chamber 3 and reaching into the rotor chamber 4. The rotating shaft 7a of the motor 7 is rotatably supported by the axle support portion 6a and extends upward into the rotor chamber 4. A crown (drive shaft portion) 12 is provided at the upper end of the rotating shaft 7a, and a mounting hole 31a for the rotor 30 is fixed to the crown 12. The rotor 30 is configured to be detachable from the crown 12, and the rotor 30 is rotated by the motor 7. Typically, a rotor 30 having a holding hole 32 corresponding to the sample container 40 to be used is selected and mounted. A sample container 40 filled with a liquid sample 90 is mounted in the holding hole 32 formed in the rotor 30.

[0017] Figure 2 is a partially enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotor 30 and sample container 40 of Figure 1. The rotor 30 has multiple holding holes 32 for sample containers formed at equal angular pitches in the circumferential direction. Each holding hole 32 is formed including an inner circumferential side wall portion 32b (see Figure 3, described later), an outer circumferential side wall portion 32d, and a bottom portion 32c. A sample container 40 into which a liquid sample 90 has been injected is fitted into each holding hole 32. On the upper side of the rotor 30, a liquid-sealing annular groove 31c is provided to prevent liquid leakage from the rotor 30 in the event that the sample leaks from the sample container 40 during centrifugation, and an opening 33 is formed above it. A rotor cover 35 is attached to the opening 33. The rotor cover 35 consists of a lid portion 36, a handle portion 37, and a fixed shaft 37a. The handle portion 37 fastens the fixed shaft 37a to the rotor body 31 with screws, thereby sealing the inside of the rotor body 31. Viewed in the direction of the rotation axis A1, a mounting hole 31a is formed below the rotor body 31 for mounting the drive unit 5 onto the crown 12. The mounting hole 31a is a known attachment / detachment mechanism that is fixed to the crown 12 in a manner that prevents rotation relative to it.

[0018] The sample container 40 is composed of a container section 41 having a cylindrical section 53 at its top, and a lid section 60 that seals the container section 41. The lid section 60 is composed of an inner lid 61 that is inserted inside the cylindrical section 53 and seals the inside of the container section 41, and an outer lid 70 that is fixed above the inner lid 61 and on the outer circumference side of the cylindrical section 53. The sample container 40 is a non-circular container when viewed from above with respect to the central axis B1. Here, when viewed in a vertical plane passing through the rotation axis A1 of the rotor 30 and the central axis B1 of the sample container 40, the distance L1 from the central axis B1 of the container section 41 to the inner side wall is greater than the distance L2 from the central axis B1 to the outer side wall of the container. On the other hand, the cylindrical section 53 is circular, and the distance from the central axis B1 to the inside of the opening and the distance to the outside are equal. Here, the central axis B1 is the axis that becomes the rotation center when the lid section 60 is tightened, and it coincides with the center of the cylindrical section 53. Furthermore, the central axis B1 is positioned to pass through the center of the bottom surface of the sample container 40. By making the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the central axis B1 of the container portion 41 non-circular, it is possible to realize a sample container 40 with a larger capacity than the same number of sample containers with circular cross-sectional shapes (see Figure 15(a)) in a rotor body 31 with the same outer diameter.

[0019] When the sample container 40 is mounted in the holding hole 32 of the rotor body 31, the lower outer peripheral surface of the outer lid 70 (the edge 71e of the neck support portion 71) contacts the inner wall surface of the holding hole 32. As can be seen in Figure 2, the outer edge position of the edge 71e of the neck support portion 71 of the outer lid 70 is approximately the same as the outer edge position of the container portion 41. On the other hand, the area near the innermost circumference of the outer lid 70 (edge ​​71a) does not contact the holding hole 32. This is because a recess 31b is formed in the central part of the holding hole 32, which is significantly reduced in thickness downwards to reduce the weight of the rotor body 31. When the rotor 30 is rotated at high speed, a strong centrifugal load is applied to the outer lid 70 radially outward. Therefore, if the outer lid 70, indicated by arrow 71e, contacts the inner wall surface on the outer circumference side of the holding hole 32, it can receive the centrifugal load, and it is not necessary for the inner circumference portion, indicated by arrow 71a, to contact the holding hole 32 of the rotor body 31.

[0020] Figure 3 shows the rotor body 31, with (a) being a perspective view. The rotor body 31, which can accommodate the sample container 40 shown in Figure 2, is a rotor 30 that can secure a larger capacity for the sample container 40 than a sample container with a round cross-sectional shape while minimizing the amount of constituent material that would increase the weight. Multiple (four in this case) non-cylindrical holding holes 32 are formed in the rotor body 31 for attaching the sample container 40. As shown in Figure 3(a), the holding holes 32 are formed to cover almost all surfaces and the bottom of the container portion 41, except for a part on the inner circumference. The shape of the holding holes 32 is almost the same as the outer shape of the container portion of the sample container 40, and their size is such that the sample container 40 can be attached and detached without difficulty, while keeping the gap as small as possible. For example, the gap between the wall surface of the holding hole 32 and the outer surface of the container portion 41 of the sample container 40 is about 0.1 to 1 mm. The holding hole 32 is formed mainly from four curved surfaces: the bottom portion 32c and two inner circumferential sidewall portions 32b (which mainly contact two of the edges of the sample container 40), and the outer circumferential sidewall portion 32d (which contacts the remaining edges of the sample container 40), as shown in Figure 2. The outer circumferential sidewall portion 32d is a curved surface with a large radius of curvature corresponding to one of the three edges of the sample container 40, and this radius of curvature is formed to be approximately parallel to the curvature of the outer circumference of the rotor body 31. By forming it in this way, it is possible to suppress an unnecessary increase in wall thickness around the outer circumferential sidewall portion 32d due to the difference in curvature, and the rotor 30 can be made lighter.

[0021] The rotor body 31 has a recessed area (thinned portion) 31b formed near the upper center around the rotation axis A1, with the thickness reduced downwards. By providing the recessed area (thinned portion) 31b, the center of gravity of the rotor 30 can be lowered. On the rotation axis A1 of the rotor body 31, screw holes 34 are formed for fixing the rotor cover 35 by screwing in the handle portion 37.

[0022] The rotor body 31 is a solid, one-piece structure manufactured by machining using aluminum alloy or titanium alloy material. It can also be manufactured from CFRP composite material. When machining from metal material, the retaining holes 32 can be easily machined using a milling machine with an end mill as the cutting tool.

[0023] Figure 3(b) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the rotor 30 and sample container 40 at the cross-sectional position of the CC section in Figure 2. The shape of the sample container 40 can be understood from the shape of this figure. The holding hole 32 of the rotor 30 is angled such that the upper side of its central axis (which coincides with B1 in Figure 2) approaches the axis of rotation A1. As shown by the dashed bottom line of the dotted line 32a, the area near the bottom of the holding hole 32 is located on the outer circumference side of the opening in the cross-section of the CC section. Figure 3(b) shows the liquid level 91 of the sealed sample container 40 during centrifugal separation. When the rotor 30 is rotating at high speed, the liquid level 91 is at the position shown in the figure, and a space 92 is created on the inner circumference side of the liquid level 91 due to the movement of air.

[0024] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a sample container 40 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The sample container 40 is broadly divided into a container portion 41 and a lid portion 60. The container portion 41 is the part that constitutes a container for containing the liquid sample 90 to be centrifuged (see Figure 3(b)), and the upper part of the container portion 41 is provided with a cylindrical portion 53 having a circular opening 53a that serves as an opening for putting in and taking out the sample. A male threaded portion 54 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the opening 53a. The upper end of the continuous protrusions of the male threaded portion 54 is formed as an open end 54a. The lid portion 60 is composed of an inner lid 61 and an outer lid 70, and an O-ring 69 is interposed between the inner lid 61 and the opening 53a to seal the inner lid 61 to the container portion 41. The O-ring 69 is a member made of an elastic material such as rubber with a circular cross-sectional shape. The cylindrical portion 62 of the inner lid 61 is fitted onto the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 53, and the inner lid 61 is attached to the container portion 41 such that the flange portion 63a is positioned above the opening 53a with an O-ring 69 in between. The inner lid 61 can be fitted onto the cylindrical portion 53 by pushing it downward along the central axis B1 (see Figure 2), and to remove it from the container portion 41, the operator grasps the handle 68 and moves the inner lid 61 upward relative to the container portion 41. The handle 68 is movable and is made by bending a thin round rod of metal such as stainless steel into a semicircular shape, and then partially bending the ends so that its longitudinal direction points towards the center of the semicircle (the detailed shape will be described later in Figure 8(d)).

[0025] After the inner lid 61 is attached to the container section 41, an outer lid 70 is provided to cover them from above. A female threaded portion 77 (described later in Figure 7) is formed on the inner surface of the outer lid 70, which is fastened to the male threaded portion 54 of the container section 41. In addition, a through hole 76 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the outer lid 70, and the outer periphery of the through hole 76 is an annular upper wall surface, which is located near the upper side of the flange portion 63a of the inner lid 61 and firmly holds the inner lid 61 so that it does not come off the container section 41, thereby maintaining good sealing of the container section 41 by the inner lid 61.

[0026] A circular through-hole 76 is formed at the top of the outer lid 70, through which the handle 68 of the inner lid 61 can pass. This shape allows the entire sample container 40 to be held by grasping the handle 68 of the inner lid 61, even when the outer lid 70 is attached. Inside the through-hole 76 of the outer lid 70, a recess 65 is formed on the upper surface of the inner lid 61, which is recessed downwards, so that an adult can grasp the handle 68 with their fingers. When pulling out the sample container 40 that is mounted in the holding hole 32 of the rotor body 31, the operator can grasp the handle 68 with their thumb and index finger, extend the handle 68 upwards, and pull out the sample container 40 while grasping the handle 68.

[0027] The outer periphery of the outer lid 70, like the container portion 41, does not have a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape, but rather a roughly triangular outer surface (neck support portion 71). Here, the shape of a conventional roughly triangular sample container 140 will be explained using Figure 15(a). In the conventional sample container 140, an inner lid 161 is fitted onto a roughly triangular container portion 141 when viewed from above, with an O-ring 69 interposed, and the inner lid 161 is tightened on top of that with an outer lid 170 that has a circular outer shape. A separate neck support member 180 is attached to the outer periphery of the outer lid 170. The neck support member 180 has a roughly triangular outer shape and is formed to be the same as the outer shape of the container portion 141, and is an interposed member that fills the space between the outer lid 170 and the holding hole 32 of the rotor 30. The neck support member 180 prevents the relatively heavy outer lid 170 from moving outward due to centrifugal force, thereby preventing excessive force from acting on the cylindrical portion 153 and shoulder portion 145 of the container portion 141. Four through holes 171 are formed in the upper part of the outer lid 170. By providing the four through holes 171, air can flow between the outside of the outer lid 170 and the upper surface of the inner lid 161. The neck support member 180 is configured to be detachable from and rotatable relative to the outer lid 170, so when the outer lid 170 is attached to the container portion 141, the neck support member 180 can also be attached to the container portion 141 at the same time. Although not visible in the diagram, the lower surface of the neck support member 180 has a curved shape that corresponds to the shape of the shoulder portion 145 so that it is in close contact with the shoulder portion 145.

[0028] Figure 15(b) is a perspective view showing the opening and closing of the outer lid 170 of a conventional sample container 140. As the sample container 140 increases in size, it becomes difficult to stably tighten or loosen the outer lid 170 while holding the container part 141 by hand. In order not to disturb the sample after centrifugal separation, it is important to open and close the outer lid 170 of the sample container 140 gently without shaking it. For this reason, a workbench-mounted container holding tool 350 is used. The container holding tool 350 is fixed to a desk or the like with a clamp member, and has three partitions 352-354 (353 is not visible in the figure) that hold the lower side surface such as the non-circular edge part 143a in the circumferential direction, so that the sample container 140 can be held without rotating. In this state, the outer cover 170 can be removed by inserting the downward-facing protrusion (not visible in the diagram) of the T-shaped outer cover opening / closing tool 300 into the two through-holes 171 of the outer cover 170 and rotating the outer cover opening / closing tool 300 in the direction of arrow 320. At this time, the neck support member 180 will rotate freely relative to the rotation of the outer cover 170, but it can be removed together with the outer cover 170.

[0029] Returning to Figure 4, the container portion 41 of the sample container 40 has a cross-sectional shape based on an equilateral triangle, with the sides of the equilateral triangle (sides 43a, 43b, 43c; however, 43b will be described later) being curved surfaces with a large radius of curvature that are gently convex outwards, and the three vertices of the equilateral triangle (vertices 44a, 44b, 44c; however, 44c will be described later) being connected by curved surfaces with a small radius of curvature. A horizontally flat shoulder portion 45 is formed outwards from the male screw portion 54 of the container portion 41.

[0030] In conventional sample containers 140, the portion extending from the shoulder portion 45 to the edges 43a-43c and the vertices 44a-44c was connected by a gently curved surface with a small radius of curvature when viewed in a longitudinal section. This portion is the connection point from the shoulder portion to the edges and from the shoulder portion to the vertices, and its strength is increased by making the shape as small as possible in terms of radius of curvature. In the sample container 40 of this embodiment, in order to improve the strength of the shoulder portion 45 compared to conventional containers, it is formed with a complex shape that combines outward-facing convex portions (however, they do not protrude from the outer edge position of the vertices 44a-44c) and inward-facing concave portions (this shape will be described later in Figure 5). The shape of the bottom portion 57 is formed so that the portion extending from the bottom surface 57a to the edges 43a-43c and the vertices 44a-44c is gently connected by a single curved surface with a small radius of curvature when viewed in a longitudinal section.

[0031] The container portion 41, inner lid 61, and outer lid 70 of the sample container 40 are preferably made of thermoplastic plastic such as polypropylene or polycarbonate, and the container portion 41 can be manufactured by blow molding or injection blow molding. The container portion 41 may be made transparent or colored so that the contents are not visible. Furthermore, the outer lid 70 may be reinforced with glass fibers or the like as needed to increase its strength. By forming it from plastic in this way, a sample container with good chemical resistance and easy handling can be realized. The lid portion 60 can be manufactured, for example, by injection molding or by machining. The outer lid 70 also serves the function of the conventional neck support member 180 (see Figure 15), effectively preventing excessive centrifugal load from being applied radially outward to the rotor 30 in the cylindrical portion 53, and reducing the load transmitted to the body portion 42. It is important that the outer lid 70 is made of a material that is lightweight, has low elasticity, and is high strength.

[0032] In this embodiment, the sample container 40 eliminates the neck support member 180, which is a separate member that suppresses deformation of the high-stress portion of the conventional sample container 140 shown in Figure 15(a). Therefore, the outer lid 70 itself must suppress the deformation of the container portion 41 instead of the neck support member 180. To achieve this, the outer shape of the outer lid 70 is modified to form a neck support portion 71 that is approximately triangular in cross-sectional shape, the same as the container portion 41, and is shaped to make good contact with the inner wall of the holding hole 32 (see Figure 3). By changing the shape of the outer lid 70 in this way, it was possible to reduce the localized stress applied to the cylindrical portion 53 and the outer lid 70 during centrifugal separation. Furthermore, it was possible to reduce the number of parts required for assembly compared to the conventional sample container 140 shown in Figure 15(a).

[0033] Figure 5 shows the container portion 41 of the sample container 40 in this embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a perspective view from diagonally below, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a bottom view. As shown in Figures 5(a) to (c), the container portion 41 is the part of the container that holds the liquid sample 90 (see Figure 2) to be centrifuged, and a cylindrical portion 53 is formed at the top which serves as the opening for putting in and taking out the sample. A circular opening 53a is provided on the upper side of the cylindrical portion 53, and a male screw portion 54 with threads protruding outwards is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 53. Below the cylindrical portion 53, the body portion 42 is connected via a shoulder portion 45. The body portion 42 is a container whose cross-sectional shape is based on an equilateral triangle, with the sides 43a, 43b (not visible in the figure), and 43c of the equilateral triangle being curved surfaces with a large radius of curvature (e.g., R=65mm) that are gently convex outwards, and the three vertices 44a, 44b, and 44c of the equilateral triangle being connected by curved surfaces with a small radius of curvature (e.g., R=26mm). The opening 53a of the cylindrical portion 53 has an inner diameter of radius 23.5mm and an outer diameter of 25.65mm. The lower side of the body portion 42 is closed by the bottom portion 57. The bottom portion 57 is the part that connects the bottom surface 57a of the container to the lower edge of the body portion 42 with a smooth curved surface.

[0034] Below the male screw portion 54 of the body portion 42, a shoulder portion 45 is formed to connect the vertices 44a, 44b, 44c and the edges 43a, 43b, 43c. The shoulder portion 45 has a shape that smoothly connects the contour of its outer edge, but when viewed from the outside, it has a complex shape that combines multiple convex and concave parts.

[0035] The cylindrical portion 53, particularly the opening 53a (filled in black in Figure 5(a)), is circular. A roughly triangular base 57a is visible through the opening 53a. As shown in Figure 5(c), the cylindrical portion 53 is small relative to the outer edge contour of the body portion 42, so the shoulder portion 45 is formed in a position visible from the top. The area indicated by the dots, i.e., the region between the cylindrical portion 53 and the shoulder portion 45, is where the upper connecting surface 46 is formed. In other words, the upper connecting surface 46 is located radially outward and vertically downward of the connecting surface (R portion) 56 located on the underside of the cylindrical portion 53. The upper connecting surface 46 is not a perfect annular shape, but follows the outer edge shape of the body portion 42. Three points on the outer circumference of the connecting surface (R portion) 56 form mountain-shaped planar portions, i.e., minute flat surfaces 56a to 56c, when viewed from above, and are connected to the upper recessed portions 49a, 49b, and 49c. The outer edges 48a, 48b, and 48c are positioned at 120-degree intervals from each other when viewed in the circumferential direction of the opening 53a, and are formed at the same circumferential center positions as the vertices 44a, 44b, and 44c, respectively. The inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 53 is formed with a smooth inner cylindrical surface 53c, which is suitable for inserting the inner lid 61.

[0036] As can be seen in Figures 5(a) and (c), the outer edges 48a, 48b, and 48c are gently curved surfaces that have a contour along the wall shape of the retaining hole 32 of the rotor 30 and are connected to the side surface of the body portion 42 (here, the upper edge position of the side portions 43a, 43b, and 43c). The outer edges 48a, 48b, and 48c are formed such that their lower end position (radially outward position) is continuous with the upper end position of the vertex portions 44a, 44b, and 44c. In addition, in the shoulder portion 45 of this embodiment, concave portions that are slightly recessed radially inward are formed on the upper and lower sides and on both sides in the circumferential direction of the outer edges 48a, 48b, and 48c, namely the upper recess portions 49a to 49c, the lower recess portions 50a to 50f, and the side recess portions 51a to 51f. In this way, outer edge surfaces 48a, 48b, and 48c are formed at three locations in the circumferential direction, corresponding to the corners (vertices) of the torso portion 42, and the area around the outer edge surfaces 48a, 48b, and 48c is shaped to be concave inward. As a result, the outer edge surfaces 48a, 48b, and 48c have a roughly hemispherical convex shape, which increases the rigidity of the shoulder portion 45, and consequently increases the rigidity of the torso portion 42 and the cylindrical portion 53.

[0037] Figure 5(d) is a bottom view of the container section 41. The bottom 57 of the container section 41 has a roughly triangular bottom surface 57a near the center, which is the contact surface when placed on a table or the like. The outer edge of the bottom surface 57a is connected to the lower edge of the body section 42 by a gently curved surface. The edges 58a, 58b, and 58c are surfaces that connect to the edges 43a, 43b, and 43c of the container section 41, and the vertices 59a, 59b, and 59c are surfaces that connect to the vertices 44a, 44b, and 44c of the body section 42. Note that the bottom surface 57a is not a perfectly flat surface, and may have a shape that is slightly concave from bottom to top near the center.

[0038] Figure 6 shows the container portion 41 of the sample container 40 of this embodiment, where (a) is a partially enlarged view of the cylindrical portion 53 and shoulder portion 45 of Figure 5(c). A male threaded portion 54 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 53, with threads that protrude outward from the outer cylindrical surface. The inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 53 is flat, and the thickness of the resin is increased radially only in the portion of the male threaded portion 54 that has threads. The male threaded portion 54 has an open end 54a on the upper side which is the tip of the threads, and threads are formed for 2.75 turns, with the lower end of the threads formed as a closed end (rib 55). The rib 55 functions as a stopper to limit the maximum tightening position of the outer lid 70. The rib 55 is the part that the stopper portion 79 (see Figure 7(d)) ​​formed on the outer lid 70 abuts against.

[0039] The hatched lines on the shoulder portion 45 indicate areas formed by creating a gentle curve from the outside to the inside. In other words, while the contour line of the shoulder portion 145 of a conventional sample container (see Figure 15(a)) is formed as shown by the dotted line 52, the side recesses 51a to 51f are formed with recesses that curve inward with a minimum radius of curvature R2. On the other hand, the region of the outer edge surfaces 48a to 48c located at the apex of the sample container 40 is the same as the conventional outer edge position shown by the dotted line 52. Due to this shape, approximately the lower half of the outer edge surface 48a abuts against the inner wall surface of the holding hole 32 of the rotor 30. An upper recess 49a is formed on the upper side of the outer edge surface 48a, slightly recessed inward, to connect with the vicinity of the upper edge of the shoulder portion 45. Lower recesses 50a and 50f are formed on the lower side of the outer edge surface 48a, slightly recessed inward, to connect with the vicinity of the lower edge of the shoulder portion 45. As a result of this shape, the upper parts of the side recesses 51a and 51f of the shoulder portion 45 are connected to the upper connecting surface 46 by a curved surface with a radius of curvature R1, and the lower parts of the side recesses 51a and 51f are formed by a curved surface with a radius of curvature R3.

[0040] The area above the upper recesses 49a to 49b and the side recesses 51a to 51f, and between them and the hatched connecting surface (R section) 56, i.e., the area without hatching, is formed by a single large radius of curvature as shown by the dotted line 52. Also, the area below the lower recesses 50a to 50f and the side recesses 51a to 51f, and between them and the upper edge of the fuselage section 42 indicated by the multiple arrows 42a, and without hatching, is the lower connecting surface 47a to 47f (47c to 47e are not visible in the figure), formed by a single large radius of curvature as shown by the dotted line 52. The lower connecting surfaces 47a to 47f are gently curved surfaces that protrude outward, connecting the lower edges of the lower recesses 50a to 50f and the side recesses 51a to 51f with the upper edges of the side portions 43a, 43b, 43c and the vertices 44a, 44b, 44c (the parts of the line that undulates in height vertically, indicated by multiple arrows 42a in Figure 6(a)). In this way, when the shoulder portion 45 is viewed in a vertical plane, instead of connecting the cylindrical portion 53 to the body portion 42 with one large radius of curvature as shown by the dotted line 52, a recess with the smallest radius of curvature R2 that recesses inward is formed between two outwardly protruding radii of curvature R1 and R3, combining the recesses between the convex portions, thereby greatly improving the rigidity of the shoulder portion 45. The shoulder portion 45, which combines these multiple radii of curvature, can be easily manufactured using the same blow molding method of synthetic resin as conventional sample containers.

[0041] Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the DD section in Figure 6(a). This figure shows the shape of the wall surface in the horizontal (circumferential) direction of the shoulder section 45. The hatched section shows the outer edge surfaces 48a to 48c formed at the three vertices. Side recesses 51a to 51f are formed on both sides of the outer edge surfaces 48a to 48c in the circumferential direction. The container section 41 has this shape, but because it is manufactured by blow molding, the wall thickness of the container section 41 is almost constant at the cross-sectional position. Therefore, within the region of the outer edge surfaces 48a to 48c, recesses 48d to 48f are formed that are recessed from the inside to the outside.

[0042] Figure 7 shows the outer lid 70 of the sample container 40 in this embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a perspective view from diagonally above, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a perspective view from diagonally below. As shown in Figure 7(a), the outer lid 70 is formed with the same outer edge shape as the outer edge shape of the container part 41 (see Figure 5(a)) when viewed from above, and the outer lid 70 itself also functions as the neck support member 180 for the conventional sample container 140 (see Figure 15(a)). In other words, as shown in Figure 7(c), the outer lid 70 has a neck support part 71 (71a~71f) that forms the outer circumferential surface. The upper side of the neck support part 71 has a gripping part 72 that makes it easier for the operator to grip when opening and closing the outer lid 70. The gripping portion 72 is composed of multiple ribs (73a-73c, 74a-74f), and is formed by three main ribs 73a-73c extending from the inner circumference towards the center of the three vertices, and two sub-ribs 74a-74f positioned adjacent to both sides of the main ribs 73a-73c. Inclined surfaces 75a-75c and 76a-76f are formed between the main ribs 73a-73c and the sub-ribs 74a-74f, respectively. In this embodiment, the sample container 40 is shaped to integrate a conventional neck support member 180 (see Figure 15(a)) in order to suppress deformation of the high-stress portion, and the outer lid 70 itself suppresses deformation of the container portion 41. In other words, by making the outer lid 70 have the same roughly triangular cross-sectional shape as the container section 41, and supporting the outer circumferential surface (neck support section) of the outer lid 70 with the holding holes 32 of the rotor 30, it was successful to reduce the locally increased stress on the container section 41 (especially around the shoulder section 45).

[0043] As can be seen in Figure 7(a), an annular surface 72a is formed on the inner circumference of the main rib 73 and sub-rib 74, on the upper surface of the gripping portion 72. A circular through hole 77 is formed on the inner circumference of the annular surface 72a, penetrating in the direction of the central axis B1. By forming the through hole 77, the handle 68 (see Figure 4) of the inner lid 61 (see Figure 4), which is located below it, can be accessed from the outside of the outer lid 70. The size of the through hole 77 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the handle 68 formed on the inner lid 61, so that even after the outer lid 70 is attached to the container portion 41, the handle 68 can be rotated from the retracted state (where the semicircular surface of the handle 68 is horizontal) to the deployed state (where the semicircular surface of the handle 68 is almost vertical).

[0044] As shown in Figures 7(b) and (d), female threads 78 are formed on the inner circumference of the neck support portion 71 and the gripping portion 72. The female threads 78 are screw grooves formed to be recessed from the radially inner side to the outer side, and their lower end is located on an inner circumferential surface 71i which is almost flush with the valley portion, and the crest portion of the screw is interrupted at the position indicated by arrow 79. In other words, the end position of the screw groove at arrow 79 functions as a stopper portion that abuts against the rib 55 of the container portion 41 (see Figure 6(a)). The bottom of the neck support portion 71 is formed as an annular surface 71g, and a curved surface 71h is formed that smoothly connects the annular surface 71g and the inner circumferential surface 71i. The curved surface 71h is provided so as not to come into contact with the R portion 56 at the joint between the cylindrical portion 53 and the shoulder portion 45 of the container portion 41.

[0045] As described above, since the cross-sectional shape of the sample container 40 is approximately triangular, if the vertices of the triangle formed by the container portion 41 and the outer lid 70 do not align, the outer lid 70 may ride up into the holding hole 32 of the rotor 30, potentially preventing the rotor cover 35 (see Figure 2) from being closed. To address this problem, in the sample container 40 of this embodiment, stopper portions (ribs 55 shown in Figure 6, and terminal portions 79 in Figure 7(d)) ​​are provided on the threaded portions of the outer lid 70 and the container portion 41, respectively, so that the rotation of the outer lid 70 in the tightening direction stops when the three vertices of the outer lid 70 and the container portion 41 (the tip of the main rib 73a, and the radially outermost positions of the vertices 44a, 44b, and 44c) coincide. In this state, the bottom portion 71j of the outer lid 70 can press the annular portion 63 of the inner lid 61 downwards, thereby pressing the inner lid 61 firmly against the container portion 41 and allowing the O-ring 69 (see Figure 4) to make good contact (compress) with the end face 53a, thus maintaining a good airtight seal inside the container portion 41.

[0046] Figure 8 shows the inner lid 61 of the sample container 40 in this embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a perspective view from diagonally above. The inner lid 61 is a member for closing the opening 53a of the container portion 41 (see Figure 5), and as can be seen in Figure 8(b), a cylindrical portion 62 is formed that is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 53 of the container portion 41 (see Figure 5). The inner lid 61 can be manufactured from a thermoplastic plastic such as polypropylene or polycarbonate. Above the cylindrical portion 62, a flange portion 63a is formed that is located above the opening 53a (see Figure 6) and extends radially outward to cover the upper surface of the O-ring 69 (see Figure 4). Below the flange portion 63a, near the upper end of the cylindrical portion 62, a groove portion 62a is formed that is recessed radially inward to hold the O-ring 69 interposed between the inner lid 61 and the opening 53a of the container portion 41. The lower end of the cylindrical portion 62 is formed by an arc-shaped surface or slope 62b at the outer corner, facilitating insertion of the inner lid 61 into the container portion 41. Although not visible in Figure 8, the shape and size of the cylindrical portion 62 of the inner lid 61 are interchangeable or similar to those of the conventional sample container 140 (Figure 15). The inside of the cylindrical portion 62 is hollow, with an opening 66 formed at the bottom and closed at the top by a portion that forms the upper wall (ring portion 63, raised portion 64, recessed portion 65).

[0047] The annular portion 63 shown in Figure 8(c) is a flat annular shape, with two raised portions 64a and 64b formed on the radially inner portion of the annular portion 63, and an R-shaped portion 63c formed at the connection with the annular portion 63. The raised portions 64a and 64b are parts that protrude upward from the outer cover 70 and also serve the function of holding the handle 68. Through holes 67a and 67b are formed at two locations 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction of the raised portions 64a and 64b, through which the hooking portions 68b and 68c of the handle 68 pass from the radially outer to the inner side. An annular recess 65 is formed in the portion sandwiched between the raised portions 64a and 64b, with the axis C1 connecting the through holes 67a and 67b as its axis. The recess 65 is a recess that allows the worker to insert their fingers under the handle 68 when gripping the handle 68 which is pivotally secured by the through holes 67a and 67b. Therefore, it is preferable that the recess 65 be at least large enough for an average adult to insert their index finger.

[0048] Figure 8(d) is a standalone view of the handle 68, showing its state before being attached to the inner lid 61 shown in Figure 8(c). The handle 68 is formed by bending a metal rod of sufficient strength into a semicircular shape to form the gripping portion 68a, and further bending both ends of the rod toward the center of the semicircle to form the latching portions 68b and 68c. To attach it to the inner lid 61, the latching portions 68b and 68c are spread apart in the direction of axis C1 and positioned radially outward of the through holes 67a and 67b. The restoring force of the stretched gripping portion 68a positions the latching portions 68b and 68c inside the through holes 67a and 67b. The size of the through holes 67a and 67b is made slightly larger than the diameter of the latching portions 68b and 68c, so that the gripping portion 68a can rotate about 180 degrees around axis C1. By configuring it in this way, a retractable handle 68 can be formed.

[0049] If the outer diameter of the gripping portion 68a of the handle 68 is made slightly smaller than the through hole 77 (see Figure 7) of the outer lid 70, then even when the container portion 41 is filled with liquid sample 90 and the inner lid 61 and outer lid 70 are tightened, the gripping portion 68a of the handle 68 can be swung around axis C1 so that it extends upward. A suitable gap is provided between the outer portions 68d and 68c on axis C1 and the through hole 77 (see Figure 7) to allow the handle 68 to rotate. The operator can transport the entire sample container 40 by gripping the handle 68. The operator can easily insert the sample container 40 into the holding hole 32 of the rotor 30 and remove it from the holding hole 32 by gripping the handle 68 with their fingers, or by placing their fingers between the recessed portion 65 and the handle 68 to hook the handle 68 with their fingers.

[0050] After the sample container 40 is mounted in the holding hole 32 of the rotor 30, the handle 68 can be rotated 90 degrees in either direction around the axis C1 to retract the gripping portion 68a of the handle 68 to a position along the annular portion 63, thus preventing interference with the rotor cover 35 (see Figure 2) mounted on the rotor 30. The outer portions 68d and 68e of the handle 68 on the axis C1 are positioned so that they face the lower inner surface of the through hole 77 (see Figure 7) of the outer lid 70 after it is closed, so the handle 68 will not fall off the inner lid 61 after the outer lid 70 is mounted.

[0051] Figure 9 shows the situation when closing the outer lid 70 of the sample container 40 in this embodiment. (a) shows the state during tightening of the outer lid 70, and (b) is a top view showing the state after the outer lid 70 has been tightened to the container part 41. The outer lid 70 is attached to the container part 41 by rotating it in the direction of arrow 80 when viewed from above, as shown in Figure 9. Figure 9(a) shows the state where the vertices 44a, 44b, and 44c of the container part 41 and the triangular vertices 71a to 71c (main ribs 73a to 73c) of the outer lid 70 are not aligned. Figure 9(b) shows the state after further rotation in the direction of arrow 80 from the state in (a) to the final tightening position. In the state shown in Figure 9(b), the stopper portions (ribs 55 shown in Figure 6 and stopper portion 79 in Figure 7(d)) ​​provided on the threaded portion of the outer lid 70 and the container portion 41 are in contact, and the circumferential center positions of the vertices 44a, 44b, and 44c of the container portion 41 coincide with the tip positions of the roughly triangular vertices of the outer lid 70 (tip positions of the main ribs 73a to 73c). In the state shown in Figure 9(b), the sample container 40 with the outer lid 70 can be smoothly attached to the rotor 30 without interfering with the holding hole 32 of the rotor 30 (see Figure 3).

[0052] In this embodiment, the outer cover 70 has three main ribs 73a to 73c extending radially from the inside to the outside at the tip of the vertex of a roughly triangular shape, making it easier for the operator to grasp the tightening completion position of the outer cover 70. Although the outer cover 70 has sub-ribs 74a to 74f, the shape may be made without the sub-ribs 74a to 74f if sufficient strength can be ensured and opening and closing of the outer cover 70 becomes easier. Furthermore, the outer cover can be made in any other shape if an outer cover shape can be realized that improves the strength of the outer cover 70, suppresses weight increase, and makes it easy to grasp the tip of the vertex of a roughly triangular shape, instead of the main ribs 73a to 73c and sub-ribs 74a to 74f of the outer cover 70. It is also possible to use an inner cover 61 without a handle 68, in which case the size of the through hole 77 in the center of the outer cover 70 may be reduced or omitted and the through hole 77 may be closed.

[0053] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the sample container 40 of this embodiment and the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and container holding tool 250 used to open and close its outer lid 70. The lid opening / closing tool 200 and the container holding tool 250 constitute the lid opening / closing tool set of this embodiment. Before describing the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and container holding tool 250 of this embodiment, we will describe the conventional outer lid opening / closing tool 300 and container holding tool 350 using Figure 15(b). The conventional container holding tool 350 is a member that holds the bottom surface of the container portion 141 and has a bottom plate 351 formed in the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the container portion 141, and plate-shaped partitions 352 to 354 (in Figure 15(b), 353 is hidden and not visible) that extend upward from the edge of the bottom plate 351, and the sample container 140 is placed on the upper side of the bottom plate 351 surrounded by partition plates 352 to 354. A rubber sheet 360 is interposed between the base plate 351 and the workbench 380. The container holding tool 350 is a workbench-mounted type that is fixed to the workbench 380 by a clamp 357. Therefore, a vertical plate 355 extends downward from the base plate 351, and the lower end of the vertical plate 355 is bent so as to be parallel to the base plate 351, forming a horizontal plate 356 that pivotally supports the clamp 357.

[0054] The outer lid 170 is opened and closed using a dedicated outer lid opening / closing tool 300 while the container portion 141 is fixed in place by the container holding tool 350. The outer lid opening / closing tool 300 has a handle portion 301 with connecting portions 310 extending on both sides perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 301 at its tip. In other words, the outer lid opening / closing tool 300 has a roughly T-shape when viewed from above. Two cylindrical protrusions (not visible in Figure 15) corresponding to the size of the through holes 171 of the outer lid 170 are formed on the lower surface of the connecting portions 310. The outer lid opening / closing tool 300 is positioned on the upper side of the outer lid 170 by engaging these protrusions with two of the four through holes 171 of the outer lid 170 that are 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction. Then, as shown in Figure 15(b), the outer lid 170 can be opened by rotating the outer lid opening / closing tool 300 in the direction of arrow 320 while the projections of the container holding tool 350 (not visible in Figure 15) are engaged with the two through holes 171 in the outer lid 170.

[0055] As described above, the conventional container holding tool 350 is configured to be mounted on a workbench, which has the advantage of reducing the number of parts. However, on the other hand, it must always be fixed to a workbench 380 or the like, so it could not meet the demand for working in a clean bench to prevent contamination from the scattering of collected bacteria or the introduction of foreign matter. This is because the workbench-mounted container holding tool 350 is difficult to install inside a clean bench. Therefore, in this embodiment, the container holding tool 250 is configured to be portable rather than workbench-mounted, as shown in Figure 10.

[0056] In Figure 10, the container holding tool 250 is manufactured from a lightweight, rust-resistant metal such as an aluminum alloy. Here, two metal plates (upper plate 260 and lower plate 280) are cut out by press working, bent, and then joined together. The upper plate 260, located on the top, corresponds to the third plate in the lid opening and closing tool set of the present invention. It has a handle portion 261 for the operator to grip with one hand, and a ring-shaped holding portion 264 that passes through and holds the container portion 41 at its tip. The ring-shaped holding portion 264 has a through hole 265 that has the same shape as the outer edge shape of the container portion 41. The lower plate 280 corresponds to the fourth plate in the lid opening and closing tool set of the present invention. It is the bottom surface when placed on a workbench or the like, and consists of a handle-compatible portion 281 located below the handle portion 261, and a bottom surface holding portion 283 connected to its tip and extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle-compatible portion 281. Vertical side wall portions 284 and 285 are formed perpendicular to the upper direction from both the left and right sides of the bottom holding portion 283, and these vertical side wall portions 284 and 285 are fixed to two circumferentially separated locations on the annular holding portion 264 of the upper plate 260. A rear vertical portion 282 is formed on the rear side of the handle corresponding portion 281 of the lower plate 280, and the upper end of the rear vertical portion 282 is fixed near the rear end of the handle portion 261 of the upper plate 260. The method of fixing the upper plate 260 and the lower plate 280 is arbitrary and can be done by known methods, such as welding.

[0057] The outer cover opening and closing tool 200 is manufactured from a lightweight, rust-resistant metal such as an aluminum alloy. In this case, two metal plates (first plate 210, second plate 230) are cut out by press working, bent, and then joined together. The first plate 210 has a handle portion 211 for the operator to grip with one hand, and a ring-shaped retaining portion 214 is formed on the tip side of the handle portion 211 to hold the outer circumference of the outer cover 70. A through hole 215 is formed in the ring-shaped retaining portion 214, which has the same shape as the outer edge shape of the outer cover 70. The second plate 230 has a top plate portion 231 that extends in the diametrical direction of the outer cover 70, and the ends of the top plate portion 231 are bent downward to form vertical side portions 232 and 233, which are fixed to the ring-shaped retaining portion 214.

[0058] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the sample container 40 from Figure 10 with the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and the container holding tool 250 attached. The bottom surface 57a of the sample container 40 is placed on top of the bottom surface holding part 283, and the through hole 265 of the ring holding part 264 is located approximately in the center of the container part 41 in the vertical direction. The size of the through hole 265 is large enough to insert the container part 41 from top to bottom, and is formed to the extent that there is almost no rattle. The size of the through hole 215 of the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 is large enough to allow the lid opening / closing tool 200 to move below the top surface of the outer lid 70, and is formed to the extent that there is almost no rattle. The upper end portion of the outer lid 70 is held in contact with the lower surface of the top plate portion 231. Here, the handle portion 211 of the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 extends along the extension of the triangular corner portion (e.g., main rib 73a) of the outer lid 70. On the other hand, the handle portion 261 of the container holding tool 250 is positioned to extend in the direction normal to the edge portion 43a of the container portion 41, rather than at the corner portion. Therefore, when the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and the container holding tool 250 are attached to the sample container 40 in a sealed state with the outer lid 70 closed, the handle portions 211 and 261 are always at positions offset in the circumferential direction (either 60 degrees, 180 degrees, or 300 degrees). From this state, the operator can, for example, hold the handle portion 261 of the container holding tool 250, which is placed on the floor, with their left hand, hold the handle portion 211 with their right hand, and loosen the outer lid 70 by rotating the handle portion 211 in the direction of arrow 240. This operation can be performed at any position on a flat table, making it possible to open the outer lid 70 inside a clean bench. Furthermore, since the container holding tool 250 is not fixed and is made of metal without using rubber parts, it can be sterilized at high temperatures (autoclave). Furthermore, the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and the container holding tool 250 do not necessarily need to be used as a pair. For example, the outer lid 70 may be opened and closed using the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 with the container holding tool 350 shown in Figure 15(b).

[0059] Figure 12(a) is a perspective view of the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 of this embodiment. The through hole 215 in the first plate 210 of the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 has a roughly triangular shape with three vertices. The first plate 210 and the second plate 230 are made of metal plates with a thickness of several millimeters and sufficient strength. Here, the annular holding part 214 has a through hole 215 that corresponds to the outer shape of the outer lid 70, and circular openings 216 to 218 are positioned at the circumferential center positions of the three vertices so that when attached to the outer lid 70, a roughly circular gap is formed on the outside of the three vertices of the outer lid 70. The openings 216 to 218 are positioned such that one of them, namely opening 218, is adjacent to the handle part 211. An oval through hole 212 is formed behind the handle part 211, which is used to hang the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 on a hook or to attach a hanging device. Furthermore, through holes 222 and 223 are formed on both the left and right sides of the ring-shaped retaining portion for penetrating and fixing the lower ends of the vertical side portions 232 and 233.

[0060] The left and right center of the top plate portion 231 of the second plate 230 is approximately circular in diameter, larger than the upper through hole 77 of the outer cover 70 (see Figure 7(a)). This size allows the top plate portion 231 to make good contact with the upper side of the annular surface 72a (see Figure 7(a)) formed around the through hole 77 of the outer cover 70.

[0061] Figure 12(b) is a perspective view of the container holding tool 250 of this embodiment. The upper plate 260 and lower plate 280 of the container holding tool 250 can be made of metal plates of the same thickness as the first plate 210 and second plate 230 of the outer lid opening and closing tool 200. Positioning marks 266 to 268 are formed near the three vertices of the through hole 265 in the upper plate 260 of the container holding tool 250. The positioning marks 266 to 268 are notches that are cut from the annular holding portion 264, radiating radially outward from the center point of the through hole 265. By forming positioning marks 266 to 268 in this manner, when tightening the outer lid 70 with the outer lid opening / closing tool 200, it becomes easy to accurately align the tip positions of the main ribs 73a to 73c located at the three vertices of the outer lid 70 with the positions of the positioning marks 266 to 268 in the circumferential direction. This allows the outer lid 70 to be correctly attached in a position where the outer edge contour of the outer lid 70 and the outer edge contour of the container portion 41 coincide.

[0062] The operator can easily align the outer lid 70 to the container 41 by rotating the handle portion 211 while visually observing the positioning marks 266-268 located below through one of the approximately circular openings 216-218 located outside the three vertices of the outer lid opening tool 200. In this embodiment, the positioning marks 266-268 are formed by notches, but they may be realized by any visible shape or color, such as printing, coloring, engraving, or raised / recessed areas, that are visible when the ring-shaped holding portion 264 is viewed from above. Furthermore, the shape of the openings 216-218 of the outer lid opening tool 200 is not limited to circles; any shape other than a circle is acceptable as long as it creates a gap for visual inspection. Moreover, the openings 216-218 of the outer lid opening tool 200 do not necessarily need to be three; one or two may be provided.

[0063] An oval-shaped through-hole 263 is formed on the rear side of the handle portion 261, which is used to hang the container holding tool 250 on a hook or to attach a hanging device. Here, a through-hole 262 is formed to fix the upper end of the rear vertical portion 282 so as to be in contact with the through-hole 263. Slit-shaped through-holes 271 and 272 are formed on both the left and right sides of the ring-shaped holding portion 264 for penetrating and fixing the side wall vertical portions 284 and 285.

[0064] The lower plate 280 of the container holding tool 250 functions as legs to stably hold the sample container 40 so that it does not tip over when the container holding tool 250 is placed on a flat surface such as a table. Here, the handle-compatible part 281 and the bottom-holding part 283 are formed to form a roughly T-shape when viewed from above, so as not to tip over in the left-right direction. The bottom-holding part 283 is a long, narrow rectangle in the left-right direction, but similar to the top plate part 231, a roughly circular flat plate part may be formed near the center on both sides to increase the contact area with the bottom surface 57a of the container part 41 (see Figure 5(d)).

[0065] As explained in Figures 10 to 12, by using the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and container holding tool 250 according to this embodiment, the outer lid 70 can be easily opened and closed even in locations other than where the container holding tool 350 shown in Figure 15(b) is fixed. In particular, it is possible to meet customer demands to open and close the outer lid 70 inside a clean bench. Furthermore, since the outer lid opening / closing tool 200 and container holding tool 250 are manufactured from a metal such as aluminum alloy, sterilization by high-temperature steam is possible, thus realizing a lid opening / closing tool set that is easy to use in environments where centrifugal separation is performed. [Examples]

[0066] Next, the sample container 440 according to Example 2 will be described using Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 is a diagram showing the container portion 441 of the sample container 440 according to Example 2 of the present invention, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a perspective view from diagonally above, (c) is a side view, and (d) is an EE cross-sectional view. The sample container 440 differs from the sample container 40 of the first embodiment (see Figure 5) only in the shape of the container portion 441, and the outer lid 70 and inner lid 61 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 4 are used as is. The shape of the cylindrical portion 453 and the shoulder portion 445 of the container portion 441 differs from the sample container 40 of the first embodiment, but the shape of the bottom portion 57 is the same as that of the sample container 40. The body portion 442 is the same as the shape of the body portion 42 of the container portion 41, except that the shape has been slightly changed to match the change in the shape of the shoulder portion 445. Parts that have the same shape as the container portion 41 are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted.

[0067] As shown in Figures 13(a) and (c), the shape and size of the opening 53a of the cylindrical portion 453 are almost the same as those of the container portion 41 in the first embodiment, and the size and number of turns of the male thread portion 54 are also the same. The number of turns of the male thread portion 54 should be such that the outer lid 70 can rotate at least once, but preferably at least two times. Three planar extending surfaces 456a to 456c are formed on the outer portion of the connecting surface (R portion) 456 extending from the lower side of the male thread portion 54 to the shoulder portion 445, extending radially outward when viewed from above. In the second embodiment, the position of the apex portions 444a to 444c of the upper connecting surface 446 is located radially outward compared to the upper connecting surface 46 shown in Figure 5(a).

[0068] Outer edge surfaces 448a to 448c are formed above the vertices 444a to 444c of the body portion 442, at the center when viewed in the circumferential direction. A lower recess 450a is adjacent to one side of the outer edge surface 448a in the circumferential direction, and a lower recess 450f is adjacent to the other side. A side recess 451a is formed adjacent to the lower recess 450a. In Figure 13(c), the side recess 451a is the two sections on the left side of the outer edge surface 448a where hatching lines are drawn, and the side recess 451f is the two sections on the right side of the outer edge surface 448a where hatching lines are drawn. Thus, by providing side recesses 451a, 451f and lower recesses 450a, 450f around the outer edge surface 448a, the shoulder portion 445 is formed with a curved surface (side recesses 451a, lower recesses 450a, etc.) where the center point of the radius of curvature is located outside the container portion 441, and a curved surface (outer edge surface 448a, etc.) where the center point of the radius of curvature is located inside the container portion 441. In the second embodiment, curved surfaces 447a, 447b are further arranged above the side recesses 451a, 451f and between them and the upper connecting surface 446, connecting the side recesses 451a, 451f and the edges 443a, 443c. Thus, in the first embodiment, the outer edge surfaces 48a to 48c have a roughly hemispherical convex shape, whereas in the second embodiment, the outer edge surfaces 448a to 448c have a convex shape that is elongated below the central axis.

[0069] In Figures 13(b) and (c), the shape of the cylindrical portion 453 is such that the planar portion (extended surface 456a to 456c) extending outward from the annular portion of the connecting surface (R portion) 456 near the lower end is large. Furthermore, the portion with a radius of curvature R4 as viewed from the vertical cross-section of the upper connecting surface 446 is located radially outward than the portion with a radius of curvature R1 in the first embodiment, and the capacity of the container portion 441 is slightly increased. The radii of curvature R1 and R4 are approximately the same. The inside of the cylindrical portion 453 is formed with a smooth inner cylindrical surface 53c, which is suitable for inserting the inner lid 61.

[0070] Figure 13(d) is a cross-sectional view of the EE section in Figure 13(c). The hatched cross-sectional area shows the outer edge surfaces 448a to 448c at the three vertices. Side recesses 451a to 451f are formed on both sides of the outer edge surfaces 448a to 448c in the circumferential direction. Although the container section 441 has this shape, the wall thickness of the container section 441 is almost constant at the cross-sectional position because it is manufactured by blow molding. Therefore, within the region of the outer edge surfaces 448a to 448c, recesses 448d to 448f are formed that are recessed from the inside to the outside.

[0071] Figure 14 is a magnified view of the cylindrical portion 453 and shoulder portion 445 of the sample container 440. Vertical lines are drawn within the regions of the side recesses 451a and 451f. These are two-dimensional lines added to indicate the boundary where the radius of curvature of the curved surface changes in the inwardly recessed shape, and it is not guaranteed that there is a visually discernible boundary in the actual shape. Flat surfaces 447a and 447f are located above the side recesses 451a and 451f, between them and the upper connecting surface 446. Curved surfaces 452a and 452f are located below the side recesses 451a and 451f, formed at a slight angle from the vertical. The lower edges of the curved surfaces 452a and 452f are connected to the vertex portion 444a and the edges 443a and 443c. The area from the lower end position of the outer edge surfaces 448a to 448c to the upper end position of the upper connecting surface 446 is the range of the shoulder portion 445 (see Figure 13(c)) as defined in the second embodiment.

[0072] In the container portion 441 according to the second embodiment, outer edge surfaces 448a, 448b, and 448c are formed at three locations in the circumferential direction, corresponding to the corner portions (vertices) of the body portion 42. These outer edge surfaces 448a, 448b, and 448c are formed to be surrounded by inwardly recessed portions (side recesses 451a to 451f, lower recesses 450a to 450f) and flat portions (flat surfaces 447a to 447f). As a result, the rigidity of the shoulder portion 445 can be increased, and consequently, the rigidity of the body portion 442 and the cylindrical portion 453 can be increased.

[0073] Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the shapes of the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is also possible to use the conventional container part 141 used in Figure 15(a) instead of the container parts 41 and 441, and to attach the inner lid 61 and outer lid 70 of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1...Centrifuge, 2...Housing, 2a...Partition plate, 3...Chamber, 3b...Hole (of the chamber), 4...Rotor chamber, 5...Drive unit, 6...Motor housing, 6a...Shaft support, 7...Motor, 7a...Rotating shaft (of the motor), 9...Insulation material, 10...Door, 12...Crown, 13...Operation / Display unit, 30...Rotor, 31...Rotor body, 31a...Mounting hole, 31b...Recess (thinned section), 31c...Liquid sealing ring Groove, 32...holding hole, 32a...bottom line (of the holding hole), 32b...inner circumferential side wall, 32c...bottom, 32d...outer circumferential side wall, 33...opening, 34...screw hole, 35...rotor cover, 36...lid, 37...handle, 37a...fixing shaft, 40...sample container, 41...container part, 42...body part, 43a~43c...edges, 44a~44c...apex, 45...shoulder (of the sample container), 46...upper connection Surface, 47a~47f…Lower connecting surface, 48a~48c…Outer edge surface, 48d~48f…Recess, 49a~49c…Upper recess, 50a~50f…Lower recess, 51a~51f…Side recess, 52…Virtual contour line, 53…Cylindrical part, 53a…Opening, 53b…Outer peripheral surface, 53c…Inner peripheral surface, 54…Male threaded part, 54a…Open end, 55…Rib (stopper part), 56…Connecting surface (R part), 56a~56 c...minor flat surface, 57...bottom, 57a...bottom surface, 58a~58c...edge, 59a~59c...apex, 60...lid, 61...inner lid, 62...cylindrical part, 62a...groove, 62b...arc surface, 63...ring part, 63a...flange, 63b...tapered surface, 63c...R part, 64...raised part, 65...recess, 66...opening, 67a,67b...through hole, 68...handle, 68a...gripping part, 68b,68c...Locking part, 69...O-ring, 70...Outer cover, 71...Neck support part, 71a~71c...Apex part, 71d~71f...Edge part, 71g...Torus surface, 71h...Curved surface, 71i...Inner circumferential surface, 72...Gripping part, 72a...Torus surface, 73a~73c...Main rib, 74a~74f...Sub-rib, 75a~75c...Inclined surface, 76a~75f...Connecting surface, 77...Through hole, 78...Female thread part, 79...Stopper part, 80...Tightening direction, 90...Liquid sample, 91...Liquid level, 92...Space, 140...Sample container, 141...Container part, 142...Body part, 143a... Edge section, 145... Shoulder section, 153... Cylindrical section, 153a... Opening, 161... Inner lid, 170... Outer lid, 171... Through hole, 180... Neck support member, 200... Outer lid opening / closing tool, 210... First plate, 211... Handle section, 212... Through hole, 214... Ring holding section, 215... Through hole, 216~218... Opening, 222... Through hole, 230... Second plate, 231... Top plate section, 232, 233... Vertical side section, 250... Container holding tool, 260... Upper plate (third plate), 261... Handle section, 262, 263... Through hole, 264... Ring Holding part, 265...through hole, 266~268...positioning mark, 271...through hole, 271,272...engagement hole, 280...lower plate (4th plate), 281...handle compatible part, 282...rear vertical part, 283...bottom holding part, 284,285...side wall vertical part, 300...outer lid opening / closing tool, 301...handle part, 310...connecting part, 320...arrow, 350...container holding tool, 351...bottom plate, 352~354...partition plate, 355...vertical plate, 356...horizontal plate, 357...clamper, 360...rubber sheet, 380...workbench, 440...sample container Container, 441...container part, 442...body part, 443a~443c...edge part, 444a~444c...vertex part, 445...shoulder part, 446...upper connecting surface, 447a,447f...curved surface, 448a~448c...outer edge surface, 448d~448f...recess, 450a~450f...lower recess, 451a~451f...side recess, 452a~452f...curved surface, 453...cylindrical part, 456...connecting surface (R part), 456a~456c...extending surface, A1...rotation axis (of rotor 30), B1...central axis (of sample container 40), C1...rotation axis (of handle 68)

Claims

1. A tool set for opening and closing the lid of a sample container for a centrifuge, which has a roughly triangular container section with a cross-sectional shape having three vertices, and an outer lid having a non-circular outer edge shape that matches the outer edge shape of the container section, A handheld lid opening and closing tool is provided, having an upper ring-shaped retaining portion that corresponds to the non-circular outer edge shape of the outer lid, and an upper handle portion that extends from the ring-shaped retaining portion. The container holding tool comprises a lower ring-shaped holding portion having an inner edge shape corresponding to the outer edge cross-sectional shape of the container portion, and a lower handle portion connected to the ring-shaped holding portion, and is a handheld container holding tool that can engage with the container portion when it is in an upright position by inserting the container portion into the ring-shaped holding portion. A lid opening and closing tool set characterized by using the lid opening and closing tool and the container holding tool to tighten and loosen the outer lid on the container portion.

2. The lid opening and closing tool is made of metal and consists of a first plate on which the ring-shaped holding portion and the upper handle portion are formed, and a second plate whose ends are connected to the upper ring-shaped holding portion and which presses down on the upper surface of the outer lid from above. The container holding tool is made of metal and comprises a third plate forming the annular holding portion and the lower handle portion, and a fourth plate having a bottom plate that holds the bottom surface of the container portion, the end of which of the bottom plate is connected to the third plate. The lid opening and closing tool set according to claim 1, characterized in that when the container holding tool and the lid opening and closing tool are attached to the sealed sample container, the shape of the ring-shaped holding portion is determined such that the upper handle portion and the lower handle portion do not overlap when viewed from above.

3. The three vertices of the annular holding portion of the container holding tool are marked at the center position of the vertices when viewed in the circumferential direction. The lid opening and closing tool set according to claim 2, characterized in that the three vertices of the ring-shaped holding portion of the lid opening and closing tool are provided with openings that are recessed radially outward from the center position of the vertex as viewed in the circumferential direction, and are formed so that the mark can be seen from above downward through the opening.

4. A method for manufacturing a lid opening and closing tool set according to claim 2 or 3, The lid opening and closing tool is manufactured by cutting out the first plate and the second plate from a metal plate by press working, bending both ends of the second plate upward, and joining the bent ends of the second plate to the lower surface of the first plate. The container holding tool is manufactured by press-punching a metal plate to produce the third plate having the upper handle portion and the lower ring-shaped holding portion, press-punching a metal plate to produce the T-shaped fourth plate, bending the three T-shaped portions upward, and then joining the tips of these bent portions to the lower surface of the third plate, in a method for manufacturing a lid opening and closing tool set.

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