Roller mechanism and sample collection device using the same

Abstract

To provide a roller mechanism capable of joining to uneven surfaces and a sample collection device using the same. [Solution] A roller mechanism 11 having a support shaft 12 and a plurality of roller members 13 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the support shaft, each roller member having an inner ring 15 supported by the support shaft and an outer ring 14 arranged to roll along the outer circumference of the inner ring. Each inner ring is provided with an elastic body 18 that applies a biasing force to the inner ring in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support shaft, and each outer ring of the roller member is configured to be able to individually join to and scan an uneven surface due to the biasing force of the elastic body. Furthermore, a sample collection device 21 is constructed by attaching a sample collection sheet 22 to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring in the roller mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a roller mechanism capable of joining to a surface having undulations, and a sample collection device that enables sampling on the surface of an object using the same.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of environmental information science, for example, the demand for investigating the distribution of powders, particles, microorganisms, etc. adhering to the surface of living organisms or the surface of any object in nature is increasing. However, the development of sample collection techniques for deposits on such undulating surfaces has not progressed. In order to collect a sample of the object surface described above in the current situation, there are means for sampling the sample using a cotton swab or the like, and an adhesive tape method for collecting the sample by attaching an adhesive sheet to the surface of the object.

[0003] The former sampling method using a cotton swab can intuitively collect a sample, but there remains a problem in that the sample collection is spotty. Further, the latter adhesive tape method has the feature that when collecting a sample on a surface with irregularities, it is possible to continuously collect a sample with respect to the uneven surface by utilizing the flexibility of the sheet. However, even in this adhesive tape method, in many cases, it is restricted in that sample collection is possible only within the limited area of the adhesive tape.

[0004] Therefore, roller-type sample collection devices shown in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 in which an adhesive sheet or the like is wound around the surface of a wide roller are also used. The roller mechanisms shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are disclosed as cleaning tools, but their basic configuration is the same as that of a roller-type sample collection device. According to this, it is possible to sample without interruption of the sample collection surface, and when the radius of the roller is r, it can be said that there is an advantage compared to the former two methods in that a sample collection area of a length of 2πr in the transfer direction of the roller can be obtained.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3163037 Gazette [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3230466 Gazette [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Incidentally, in the conventional roller-type sampling device described above, since an adhesive sheet for sampling is wound around a non-flexible cylindrical roller surface, the contact area of ​​the adhesive sheet on the roller side with the surface may be significantly reduced when dealing with uneven sampling surfaces. An example of this is shown in the schematic diagrams in Figures 10(B1) to 10(B3). Specifically, Figures 10(B1) to 10(B3) show examples of transferring and scanning the columnar roller 41 in a direction perpendicular to the roller axis relative to the sample collection surface 31. Figure (B1) shows an example where the sample collection surface 31, as the scanning surface, is flat, Figure (B2) shows a state where the sample collection surface 31 protrudes toward the center of the columnar roller 41, and Figure (B3) shows a state where the sample collection surface 31 corresponding to the center of the columnar roller 41 is recessed.

[0007] As shown in Figures 10(B1) to 10(B3), in the case where the sampling surface 31 is flat (B1), it is possible to collect a sample over the entire surface of the columnar roller 41. However, in the cases of (B2) and (B3), only a portion of the columnar roller 41 is in contact with the sampling surface 31, which presents the problem of not being able to obtain a sufficient sample collection area.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and aims to provide a roller mechanism that can be joined to an uneven surface in accordance with each of its irregularities. Furthermore, the objective is to provide a sample collection device that enables sample collection distributed across the entire surface of an uneven surface by attaching a sample collection sheet to the outer surface of the roller of the roller mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The roller mechanism according to this invention, made to solve the aforementioned problems, is a roller mechanism having a support shaft and a plurality of roller members arranged along the longitudinal direction of the support shaft, wherein each roller member is provided with an inner ring supported by the support shaft and an outer ring arranged to be rotatable along the outer circumference of the inner ring, and each inner ring is provided with an elastic body that applies a biasing force to the inner ring in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support shaft, and each outer ring of the roller member is configured to be individually joined to and scannable against an uneven surface by the biasing force of the elastic body.

[0010] In this case, in a preferred embodiment, a linear slit opening is formed in the inner ring constituting each roller member, passing through the axis of the inner ring, and the columnar support shaft is inserted through the slit opening so that each inner ring is mounted so that it cannot rotate with respect to the support shaft, and so that each inner ring is movable with respect to the support shaft along the longitudinal direction of the slit opening, and a coil spring that performs the function of the elastic body is arranged between one end of the slit opening in the longitudinal direction and the support shaft inserted into the slit opening so that a biasing force is applied to the inner ring by the coil spring in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support shaft.

[0011] Furthermore, it is desirable that the outer diameters of each roller member be the same, and in addition, that a plurality of balls be interposed between the inner and outer rings of each roller member so that the outer ring is supported to roll along the outer circumference of the inner ring.

[0012] On the other hand, the sample collection device according to this invention, which was made to solve the aforementioned problems, is configured by attaching a sample collection sheet to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring of the roller mechanism described above.

[0013] Preferably, multiple sample collection devices are provided, each with a sample collection sheet attached to the outer circumferential surface of an outer ring. Connecting bodies are provided to connect the support shafts of one sample collection device and the other sample collection devices so that their respective support shafts are parallel to each other. The unscanned portions corresponding to the gaps between the roller members of one sample collection device can be scanned by the roller members of the other sample collection devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the roller mechanism of this invention, a plurality of roller members are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the support shaft, and a biasing force is applied to each roller member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support shaft. As a result, by pressing the roller mechanism against an uneven surface against the biasing force, the outer rings of each roller member can individually join and scan in accordance with the irregularities of the surface. Therefore, by attaching a sample collection sheet to the outer circumferential surface of each outer ring in the roller mechanism, it is possible to provide a sample collection device that enables sample collection distributed across the entire uneven sample acquisition surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing a first embodiment of the roller mechanism (sample collection device) according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is also a top view. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the scanning function of a roller member on an uneven surface. [Figure 4] The individual components of the roller member are shown, with (A) being a side view and (B) being a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrow from line aa in (A). [Figure 5]The single-piece configuration of the outer ring that constitutes the roller member is shown. (A) is a side view, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrow from the b-b line in (A). [Figure 6] The single-piece configuration of the inner ring that constitutes the roller member is shown. (A) is a side view, and (B) is a front view. [Figure 7] It is a central cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the roller member. [Figure 8] It is a top view showing a second embodiment of the roller mechanism (sample collection device). [Figure 9] It is a side view of the roller mechanism (sample collection device) shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the difference in functions between this invention and a conventional roller mechanism (sample collection device). (A1 to A3) show the functions of the roller mechanism according to this invention, and (B1 to B3) show the functions of the conventional roller mechanism.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Embodiments of the roller mechanism and the sample collection device according to this invention will be described based on the drawings. In the embodiments described below, in a plurality of roller members 13 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 12, by attaching the sample collection sheet 22 along the outer peripheral surface of the roller member 13, it is provided with the function as the sample collection device 21. Therefore, in this specification and the claims, when the sample collection sheet 22 is not attached to the outer peripheral surface of the roller member 13, it is called the roller mechanism 11, and when the sample collection sheet 22 is attached, it is called the sample collection device 21.

[0017] Furthermore, the figures described below are schematic representations of embodiments of this invention, with appropriate emphasis, omissions, and adjustments to proportions, and may differ from the actual shapes, positions, and proportions. In each figure, the same parts are indicated by the same reference numerals, however, in some figures, due to space limitations, representative parts are indicated by different reference numerals, and details of each part will be explained by referring to the reference numerals shown in the individual component diagrams, etc.

[0018] Figures 1 to 7 show a first embodiment of the roller mechanism 11 (sample collection device 21), of which Figures 1 to 3 show its main components. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a linearly shaped support shaft 12 has multiple roller members 13 arranged along its longitudinal direction. Brackets 17, which are attached to the support shaft 12, are positioned between each roller member 13, so that each roller member 13 is positioned at equal intervals along the support shaft 12.

[0019] Furthermore, the bracket 17 has a through hole through which it can pass onto the support shaft 12, and fastening bolts 17a are attached to the side of the bracket 17. Therefore, the bracket 17 can be fastened onto the support shaft 12 by screwing the fastening bolts 17a toward the support shaft 12. As a result, each roller member 13 is positioned and arranged to be at equal intervals with respect to the support shaft 12, as described above, corresponding to the width dimension of the bracket 17.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the roller member 13 is provided with an inner ring 15 supported by a support shaft 12 and an outer ring 14 arranged to roll along the outer circumference of the inner ring 15. In this embodiment, a rectangular prism-shaped support shaft 12 is used, and the roller member 13 is supported by the support shaft 12 by inserting the rectangular prism-shaped support shaft 12 through a slit opening 15b formed in the inner ring 15. An assembly drawing of the roller member 13 is shown in Figure 4, and the individual components of the outer ring 14 and inner ring 15 that make up the roller member 13 are shown in Figures 5 and 6, respectively. Based on Figures 4 to 6, a more detailed explanation of the roller member 13 will be given.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, the outer ring 14 constituting the roller member 13 is formed in an annular shape, and its outer surface is cylindrical. On the inner surface, a hemispherical recessed ball rolling groove 14a is formed all the way around. As shown in Figure 6, the inner ring 15 housed within the outer ring 14 is composed of a disc-shaped body having approximately the same width and thickness as the outer ring 14, and a hemispherical recessed ball rolling groove 15a is formed around its outer circumference. Furthermore, the inner ring 15 has a linear slit opening 15b that passes through its axis 15c and penetrates the disc body that constitutes the inner ring 15.

[0022] Figure 4 shows the state in which a roller member 13 is formed by loading multiple balls 16 between the ball rolling groove 15a of the inner ring 15 and the ball rolling groove 14a of the outer ring 14. In other words, this roller member 13 functions similarly to a well-known ball bearing in which the outer ring 14 rolls smoothly relative to the inner ring 15, due to the rolling of multiple balls 16 between the inner ring 15 and the outer ring 14. Then, a rectangular prism-shaped support shaft 12 is inserted through a slit opening 15b formed in the inner ring 15 of the roller member 13, so that, as shown in Figure 3, the inner ring 15 is mounted so that it cannot rotate relative to the support shaft 12, but can move along the length of the slit opening 15b relative to the support shaft 12.

[0023] Furthermore, a coil spring 18, acting as an elastic body, is inserted between one end of the slit opening 15b in the longitudinal direction and the support shaft 12 inserted into the slit opening 15b. As a result, the inner ring 15 is subjected to a biasing force by the coil spring 18 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 12, and the roller member 13 is supported in an eccentric state with respect to the support shaft 12. Furthermore, each roller member 13 and bracket 17 arranged on the support shaft 12 is of the same configuration. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, each roller member 13, which has the same diameter, is arranged eccentrically in the same direction with respect to the support shaft 12, and at the same interval along the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 12.

[0024] Figure 3 shows an example of scanning a undulating scanning surface 31 from left to right, focusing on a single roller member 13. This example shows the case where the coil spring 18 is positioned on the scanning surface 31 side relative to the support shaft 12, and the biasing force from the coil spring 18 acts on the scanning surface 31 side, while the support shaft 12 is moved from left to right. In this case, as shown in Figure 3, even if the height of the scanning surface 31 rises during scanning, the position of the support shaft 12 can be maintained at the position indicated by the contour lines 33 because the coil spring 18 contracts.

[0025] This means that each roller member 13 arranged on the support shaft 12 operates independently, and each outer ring 14 of the roller member 13 is individually joined to an uneven surface by the biasing force of the coil spring 18, providing a roller mechanism that rolls and scans. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, when the sample collection sheet 22 is attached to the outer ring 14 of the roller member 13, it is possible to provide a sample collection device that enables sample collection distributed across the entire undulating sample collection surface (hereinafter referred to by the same reference numeral 31 as the scanning surface).

[0026] In this case, the sample collection sheet 22 can be appropriately selected depending on the sample to be collected, such as an adhesive sheet or a felt sheet. Furthermore, the sample collection sheet 22 can be attached to the outer surface of the outer ring 14 of the roller member 13, with perforations or other cuts provided at intervals of one full turn of the outer ring 14. This allows the sample collection sheet 22 to be detached and collected after each full rotation of the outer ring 14, enabling efficient sample collection.

[0027] However, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in a sample collection device in which roller members 13 are arranged at predetermined intervals along a support shaft 12 and a sample collection sheet 22 is attached to these roller members 13, a problem arises in that it becomes difficult to collect a sample from the sample collection surface 31 located between the roller members 13. To resolve this problem, the configuration of the roller member 13 shown in Figure 7 can be adopted. This shows a modified version of the roller member 13 shown in Figure 4(B), and the same or corresponding parts as those shown in Figure 4(B) are indicated by the same reference numerals; therefore, a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0028] In the roller member 13 shown in Figure 7, the width of the outer ring 14 is expanded on both the left and right sides compared to the example shown in Figure 4, and the sample collection sheet 22 is attached to the entire outer surface of the expanded outer ring 14. According to this, by attaching the bracket 17, the gap between the outer rings 14 of each roller member 13, which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 12, can be narrowed, thereby increasing the sample collection area.

[0029] Figures 10(A1) to 10(A3) show an example in which multiple roller members 13, as shown in Figure 7, are transferred and scanned across the sample collection surface 31. Similar to the examples shown in Figures 10(B1) to 10(B3) explained at the beginning, (A1) shows an example where the sampling surface 31 is flat, (A2) shows a state where the sampling surface 31 protrudes in the central part, and (A3) shows a state where the sampling surface 31 is recessed in the central part.

[0030] As shown in Figures 10(A1) to 10(A3), each roller member 13 is provided with an elastic coil spring 18 that provides a biasing force that allows it to be individually attached to the sampling surface 31 and perform sampling, not only in the example shown in (A1) where the sampling surface 31 is flat, but also in the cases of (A2) and (A3) where the sampling surface 31 has undulations.

[0031] Incidentally, in the example shown in Figure 7, where the width of the outer ring 14 is expanded and the sample collection sheet 22 is attached to the entire outer surface of the expanded outer ring 14, the gap between the outer rings 14 can be narrowed, and thus the sample collection area can be expanded. However, it is impossible to eliminate the gap between adjacent outer rings 14, and it is impossible to collect a sample from the sample collection surface 31 in the part corresponding to that gap. Therefore, Figures 8 and 9 attempt to overcome the weaknesses of the sample collection device using the roller member 13 shown in Figure 7.

[0032] The second embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9 has two roller mechanisms 11, as shown in Figures 1 to 7, arranged front and rear, with a sample collection sheet 22 placed on the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 14 of each roller mechanism 11. In Figures 8 and 9, parts corresponding to those already described are indicated by the same reference numerals, and therefore, their descriptions are omitted.

[0033] In the second embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first roller mechanism 11A (first sample collection device 21A), located on the front side in the direction of travel indicated by the white arrow, and the second roller mechanism 11B (second sample collection device 21B), located on the rear side in the direction of travel, are each provided with two connecting bodies 23 on the left and right sides of the support shaft 12, which connect to each other at the right and left ends of the support shaft 12, so that the respective support shafts 12 are parallel to each other in the front and rear directions.

[0034] As shown in a magnified view on the right side of Figure 8, the unscanned portions corresponding to the gaps between each roller member 13 in the first roller mechanism 11A (first sample collection device 21A) are configured to be scannable by each roller member 13 in the second roller mechanism 11B (second sample collection device 21B). In other words, as shown by the dashed line in the partially enlarged view of Figure 8, the position of the roller member 13 relative to the rear support shaft 12 is offset from the position of the roller member 13 relative to the front support shaft 12, so that the rear roller member 13 scans the area not scanned by the front roller member 13 in the direction of travel.

[0035] The two connecting bodies 23 on the left and right have the same configuration, and each has a holder portion 23a with through holes through which the support shafts 12 can be inserted at both ends, and fastening bolts 23b are attached to the sides of these holder portions 23a. By screwing in the fastening bolts 23b, the front and rear support shafts 12 can be fastened together by the connecting bodies 23, thereby forming the roller mechanism (sample collection device) of the second embodiment.

[0036] Furthermore, a handle 23c is formed approximately in the center of the length of the connecting body 23. Therefore, by using the handles 23c formed on the left and right connecting bodies 23 to press the roller mechanism (sample collection device) against the scanning surface (sample collection surface) 31 and advancing it in the direction of the white arrow, the roller mechanism can be scanned over uneven surfaces, and samples adhering to uneven surfaces can be effectively collected.

[0037] In the second embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9, two roller mechanisms 11, as shown in Figures 1 to 7, are provided at the front and rear to constitute the roller mechanism (sample collection device). However, a configuration in which three or more roller mechanisms are connected at the front and rear by a connecting body 23 can also be adopted. Therefore, in the claims, the first sample collection device 21A is referred to as "one sample collection device," and the third and subsequent sample collection devices, including the second sample collection device 21B, are referred to as "other sample collection devices."

[0038] In the embodiments described above, the support shaft 12 supporting the roller member 13 is formed in a rectangular prism shape. However, it is not limited to a rectangular prism shape, and a support shaft 12 of a different columnar shape can be used, such that each inner ring 15, which has a slit opening 15b formed therein, is mounted so as not to rotate relative to the support shaft 12, and so as to be movable relative to the support shaft 12 along the longitudinal direction of the slit opening 15b.

[0039] Furthermore, since the outer ring 14 in this embodiment is configured to roll relative to the inner ring 15 via a plurality of balls 16, it needs to be made of a relatively hard material. Therefore, by attaching a flexible member to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 14, when this is used as a roller mechanism 11, it becomes possible to scan while making contact with all uneven surfaces through scanning.

[0040] Furthermore, by arranging the sample collection sheet 22 via the flexible member attached to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 14, the sample collection device 21 can be made to adhere closely to all uneven sample collection surfaces 31, enabling efficient sample collection. This is the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, and the same effects can be obtained in the second embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0041] Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the sample collection device 21 according to this invention may employ a configuration in which a camera is positioned, for example, connected to the support shaft 12 of the roller mechanism 11, and the vertical movement of each roller member 13 is photographed and recorded to obtain information on the undulations (unevenness) of the sample collection surface 31. In this case, for example, the vertical movement of each roller member 13 captured by the camera can be quantified by image processing, thereby recording data corresponding to the undulations of the sample collection surface 31. As another example, by attaching sensors to each roller member 13 to detect the distance between the support shaft 12 inserted through the slit opening 15b and a reference point in the slit opening 15b, data corresponding to the undulations of the sample collection surface 31 can be recorded. Therefore, by employing the aforementioned recording means, it becomes possible to provide a sample collection device that can obtain information such as the distribution characteristics of the sample according to the undulations of the sample collection surface 31. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 11 Roller mechanism 11A First Roller Mechanism 11B Second Roller Mechanism 12 Support shaft 13 Roller members 14 Outer ring 14a Ball rolling groove 15 Inner circle 15a Ball rolling groove 15b Slit opening 15c Inner ring axis 16 balls 17 Bracket 17a Fastening bolts 18. Elastic body (coil spring) 21 Sample collection device 21A First sample collection device (Sample collection device No. 1) 21B Second sample collection device (other sample collection device) 22 Sample collection sheet 23 Concatenation 23a Holder section 23b Fastening bolts 23c handle 31 Scanning surface (sample collection surface) 33 contour lines 41 Columnar roller

Claims

1. A roller mechanism having a support shaft and a plurality of roller members arranged along the longitudinal direction of the support shaft, Each roller member is provided with an inner ring supported by the support shaft and an outer ring arranged to roll along the outer circumference of the inner ring, and each inner ring is provided with an elastic body that applies a biasing force to the inner ring in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support shaft. A roller mechanism characterized in that each outer ring of the roller member is configured to be individually joined to an uneven surface by the biasing force of the elastic body, thereby enabling scanning.

2. Each of the roller members has an inner ring formed therein that passes through the axis of the inner ring, and the columnar support shaft is inserted through the slit opening so that each inner ring is mounted so that it cannot rotate relative to the support shaft, and so that each inner ring can move along the length of the slit opening relative to the support shaft. The roller mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that a coil spring that performs the function of the elastic body is arranged between one end of the slit opening in the longitudinal direction and the support shaft inserted into the slit opening, thereby applying a biasing force by the coil spring to the inner ring in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support shaft.

3. The roller mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer diameters of each of the roller members are set to the same dimensions.

4. The roller mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of balls are interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring of each roller member, thereby supporting the outer ring so as to be able to roll along the outer circumference of the inner ring.

5. A sample collection device characterized in that a sample collection sheet is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring of the roller mechanism described in claim 1 or 2.

6. Multiple sample collection devices are provided, each having a sample collection sheet attached to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring of the roller mechanism described in claim 1 or 2. A connecting body is provided to connect the support shafts of one sample collection device and the other sample collection device so that their respective support shafts are parallel to each other. A sample collection device characterized in that the unscanned portion corresponding to the gap between each roller member in one sample collection device is made scannable by each roller member in another sample collection device.

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