Holder Transport Device

Abstract

To provide a holder conveying device that can save the installation area.SOLUTION: A holder conveying device according to one form comprises elevator devices each including a feeding member that has an ascending path and a descending path extending vertically and is arranged along a circulating ascending and descending circuit; and a plurality of support plates that are each attached to the feeding member and support a holder holding a specimen container in a standing position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holder transport device that raises and lowers a specimen holder that holds a specimen container. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Among transport devices that transport specimen containers capable of accommodating specimens such as blood, a holder transport device that transports a holder that holds the specimen container in an upright position is known.

[0003] The holder transport device includes, for example, a pair of guide rails provided along a predetermined transport path, and a belt conveyor provided between the pair of guide rails and fed in a predetermined direction. For example, when multiple transport lines are provided, the multiple transport lines are arranged in a horizontal plane. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-212064 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above-mentioned holder transport device requires an installation space equal to the number of transport lines, and therefore a large space needs to be secured in accordance with the number of transport lines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A holder transport device according to one embodiment includes a pair of elevator devices having a holding tube portion into which sample containers are inserted one by one, and a support portion for supporting, in an upright position, holders that individually hold the sample containers in an upright position and moving along a predetermined elevator shaft; and a plurality of transport mechanisms arranged at a plurality of locations in the direction of the elevator shaft between the pair of elevator devices, and transporting the holders along a transport line arranged adjacent to the elevator shaft of the elevator devices and intersecting the elevator shaft, wherein the transport mechanisms include a pair of guide rails arranged along the transport line on the sides of the holders and engaging with the outer peripheral surfaces of the holding tube portions, and a feed member that supports the bottoms of the holders and moves in the transport direction, and the support portions are The holder is disposed below the A mounting surface that supports the bottom of the holder A support member having The pair of elevator devices are provided with guide members arranged on the sides of the holder, and the pair of elevator devices are arranged opposite each other at both ends of the conveying line, and the support portions are arranged at predetermined stop positions. The support member and the end of the transport path of the transport mechanism are adjacent to each other. At a distance The support portion The end of the support member and the conveying path The distance between the end and the holder is narrower than the length of the holder in the direction of the transport path. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the embodiment, it is possible to reduce the installation area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a holder transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer line of the holder transfer device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the holder transport device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the holder transport device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the holder transport device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the holder transport device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a holder transport device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a holder transport device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a holder transport device according to another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a holder transport device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [First embodiment] A holder transport device 1 and a holder transport method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the holder transport device 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the conveyor line of the holder transport device 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the holder transport device 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the holder transport device 1, and Figs. 5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the holder transport device 1. In the figures, arrows x, y, and z indicate three directions that are perpendicular to each other.

[0010] The holder transport device 1 includes a pair of elevator devices 10, a conveyor device 20 provided between the pair of elevator devices 10, and a control unit 50.

[0011] A pair of left and right elevator devices 10 are arranged facing each other with a predetermined interval between them, sandwiching a conveyor device 20. The pair of elevator devices 10 includes a housing 11 forming an outer shell, a plurality of conveyor rollers provided along a predetermined lift circulation path A1 (lift path), a lift chain 13 as a feed member stretched across the plurality of conveyor rollers, a plurality of support plates 14 (support parts) arranged on the lift chain 13, an elevator mechanism having an elevator drive device 15 that rotates and drives the belt conveyor roller 24, and a moving device 16 that moves the holder 30 between the conveyor device 20. The pair of elevator devices 10 are configured similarly, except that the support plates 14 are set facing in opposite directions.

[0012] The housing 11 includes a frame 11a configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the Z direction, which is the vertical direction, for example, and four legs 11b formed on the bottom of the frame 11a. The frame 11a has openings on the surface facing the conveyor device 20 and on both the opposite sides. A support plate 14 protrudes from the openings.

[0013] The lifting drive device 15 drives and rotates the plurality of transport rollers, thereby moving the lifting chain 13 stretched around the outer sides of the plurality of transport rollers in a predetermined direction.

[0014] The ascending / descending circulation path A1 has an ascending path A11 and a descending path A12 that extend vertically, and these ascending path A11 and descending path A12 are connected at the upper and lower ends to form a long vertical loop.

[0015] The lifting chain 13 includes a pair of chain belts 13a and 13b that are looped along the lifting circulation path A1. For example, each of the chain belts 13a and 13b is a belt having a chain structure in which multiple link plates are connected in the conveying direction. The lifting chain 13 is provided with multiple support plates 14 at predetermined intervals.

[0016] The multiple support plates 14 are fixed to the lifting chain 13 by brackets 13d. The support plates 14 are erected and supported on the outer periphery of the loop of the lifting chain 13. The support plates 14 include a plate member 14a having a mounting surface 14c perpendicular to the circulation path, a guide wall 14b (guide member) erected on the outer periphery of the front surface, which is one of the main surfaces of the plate member 14a, and a holding portion 14d having a pair of claw pieces 14e protruding inward from the guide wall 14b.

[0017] The guide wall 14b is formed in a U-shape in a plan view that opens to the conveyor line side, and has an inner wall 14f that is tapered so that the opening side is wider. One surface of the plate member 14a has a support surface that is perpendicular to the path of the lifting circulation path A1.

[0018] The support plate 14 supports the holder 30 in an upright position by the guide wall 14b and the holding portion 14d when the holder 30 is placed on the placement surface 14c, which is one of the main surfaces of the plate member 14a. The multiple support plates 14 are attached to the conveying path on the conveyor device 20 side with the placement surface 14c on the front side facing up.

[0019] The holding portion 14d has a pair of claw pieces 14e, 14e that protrude inward from an inner wall 14f of the guide wall 14b, and is configured to be elastically deformable so that the distance between the pair of claw pieces 14e, 14e can be expanded or contracted.

[0020] In this embodiment, the elevator device 10 on one side has a descending path A12 arranged on the conveyor device 20 side and an ascending path A11 arranged on the opposite side to the conveyor device 20, and serves as a descending device that descends the holder 30 received from the conveyor device 20. The elevator device 10 on the other side has an ascending path A11 arranged on the conveyor device 20 side and a descending path A12 arranged on the opposite side to the conveyor device 20, and serves as an ascending device that ascends the holder 30 received from the conveyor device 20.

[0021] The moving device 16 is provided in each elevator device 10 at two locations, one above the other and one below the other, where the conveyor line faces each other. The moving device 16 includes a holder arm 16a that moves the holder 30 between the support plate 14 and the conveyor line, and an arm drive device 16b that operates the holder arm 16a at a predetermined timing. The moving device 16 moves the holder 30 arranged on the conveyor belt 23, for example, onto the support plate 14, or moves the holder 30 on the support plate 14 onto the conveyor belt 23, by rotating or moving the holder arm 16a.

[0022] Meanwhile, for example, the moving device 16 at the top of the elevator apparatus 10 on the right side in the figure repeats the operation of sliding the holders 30 by moving the holder arm 16a at a predetermined timing, for example, in response to the control of the control unit 50, and moves the multiple holders 30 one after another from the conveyor belt 23 onto the support plate 14. Meanwhile, the moving device 16 at the bottom of the elevator apparatus 10 repeats the operation of sliding the holders 30 at a predetermined timing, for example, in response to the control of the control unit 50, and moves the multiple holders 30 one after another from the support plate 14 onto the conveyor belt 23.

[0023] On the other hand, for example, the moving device 16 on the upper part of the elevator apparatus 10 on the left side in the figure repeats the operation of sliding the holder 30 by moving the holder arm 16a at a predetermined timing, for example, under the control of the control unit 50, and moves the multiple holders 30 one after another from the support plate 14 onto the conveyor belt 23. The moving device 16 on the lower part of the other elevator apparatus 10 repeats the operation of sliding the holder 30 at a predetermined timing, for example, under the control of the control unit 50, and moves the multiple holders 30 one after another from the conveyor belt 23 onto the support plate 14.

[0024] The conveyor device 20 includes upper and lower multiple stages of conveyor lines 21A, 21B that convey the holders 30 holding the sample containers 40 in an upright position along a predetermined conveyor path. For example, in this embodiment, the conveyor device 20 has two upper and lower conveyor lines 21A, 21B.

[0025] Each conveying line 21A, 21B is configured to include a pair of guide rails 22 installed along a conveying path extending horizontally in the X direction, a loop-shaped conveyor belt 23 arranged between the pair of guide rails 22, a plurality of belt conveying rollers 24 arranged on the back side of the conveyor belt 23, and a conveying drive device 25 that drives and rotates at least a portion of the plurality of belt conveying rollers 24 to feed the conveyor belt 23.

[0026] The belt conveying rollers 24 each include a drive roller and a support roller that have an axis along the Y direction and are arranged along a predetermined conveying path. The drive roller is connected to the lifting drive device 15, and is rotated by the conveying drive device 25 to feed the conveyor belt 23 that is stretched around the outside of the belt conveying rollers.

[0027] A pair of upper and lower conveyor lines 21A, 21B are arranged along the X direction, with the lower conveyor line 21B having a conveyor path from one side to the other, and the upper conveyor line 21A having a conveyor path from the other side to the one side.

[0028] The holder 30 includes a cylindrical holding tube portion 31 with a bottom and a plurality of holding pins 32 extending upward from the holding tube portion 31. The holding tube portion 31 has an annular step 31a on its outer circumferential surface. The step 31a engages with the inner wall of the guide rail 22, thereby guiding the holder 30 to the guide rail 22. The holding pin 32 is, for example, a metal pin member, and is bent so that a portion of the pin protrudes radially inward from the holder 30. The holding pin 32 is elastically deformable. The holder 30 holds the specimen container 40 by the bent portions of the plurality of holding pins 32 pressing against the outer circumferential surface of the specimen container 40 inserted into the holding tube portion 31. The holder 30 holding the specimen container 40 is engaged between the pair of guide rails 22 and supported in an upright position, and is transported as the conveyor belt 23 moves.

[0029] 2 and 3, the specimen container 40 is a blood collection tube made of, for example, transparent glass or the like, and has a cylindrical shape with a cylindrical space therein for accommodating a specimen such as serum, and has an upper opening. A stopper 41 is provided at the upper opening. A label 42, for example, is adhesively attached to the outer circumferential side surface of the specimen container 40. A barcode is displayed on the label 42 as an information display section showing various information such as specimen identification information.

[0030] The control unit 50 includes a processor that controls the operation of each unit based on various data and the results of calculation and determination. Specifically, the control unit 50 operates the transport mechanism at a predetermined timing to perform transport.

[0031] Next, a holder transport method using the holder transport device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Here, as an example, a procedure will be illustrated in which the holder 30 on the upper transport line 21A is lowered by the elevator device 10, moved to the lower transport line 21B, and then raised by the other elevator device 10, but the procedure is not limited to this.

[0032] The holder transport method of this embodiment includes a first moving step (ST1) of moving the holder 30 from the upper conveyor line onto the support plate 14 of the descending line by the moving device 16, a descending step (ST2) of descending the holder 30 by the descending line, a second moving step (ST3) of moving the holder 30 from the support plate 14 of the descending line to the lower conveyor line by the moving device 16, a downward transport step (ST4) of transporting the holder 30 toward the ascending line by the lower conveyor line, a third moving step (ST5) of moving the holder 30 from the lower conveyor line to the support plate 14 of the ascending line by the moving device 16, an upward transport step (ST6) of lifting the holder 30 by the ascending line, a fourth moving step (ST7) of moving the holder 30 from the support plate 14 of the ascending line to the upper conveyor line, and an upward transport step (ST8) of transporting the holder 30 toward the descending line by the upper conveyor line.

[0033] 3 and 5, in the movement process (ST1, ST3, ST5, ST7) between the conveyor line and the support plate 14, the control unit 50 drives the moving arm to move the holder 30 from the retreated position to a position where the holder 30 is waiting, and further moves the moving arm in the X direction to push or pull the holder 30 to a predetermined target position. At this time, since the support plate 14 has openings on the surface facing the conveyor line and the upper surface, the holder 30 moves to a predetermined position on the placement surface 14c through these openings. At this time, the outer periphery of the holder 30 is held between the guide wall 14b and the pair of claw pieces 14e of the elastically deformable holding portion 14d.

[0034] In the upward conveying step (ST8) and the downward conveying step (ST4), the control unit 50 rotates the lifting drive device 15 to feed the conveyor belt 23 and move the holder 30 in the conveying direction.

[0035] In the descending step (ST2) and the ascending step (ST6), the control unit 50 drives the drive roller of the elevator device 10 to feed the ascending / descending chain 13. At this time, the support plates 14 on the descending line and the ascending line descend or ascend with their front surfaces facing upward. On the other hand, on the opposite side of the circulating ascending / descending path from the descending line and the ascending line, i.e., on the side away from the conveyor line, the support plates 14 ascend or descend with their back surfaces facing upward.

[0036] In the holder transport device 1 configured as above, by providing the elevator device 10 that lifts and lowers the holder 30 in an upright position, the multiple transport lines 21A, 21B can be arranged vertically, making it possible to save space. That is, the vertical space can be used more effectively than when the forward and return paths are arranged side by side, so that the installation space can be reduced. In addition, in each elevator device 10, the holder 30 can be lifted and lowered sequentially with a simple configuration of only providing a support plate 14 perpendicular to the loop-shaped lift chain 13. Furthermore, by sliding the holder 30 onto the support plate 14 having a guide wall 14b with a tapered opening on one side and placing it on the support plate 14, the holder 30 is held by the guide wall 14b, so that a stable lifting operation can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0038] For example, in the above embodiment, the transport lines 21A, 21B are configured in two stages, with one line each for the outward and return paths, one above the other, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the outward path or the return path, or both, may be two or more lines, multiple transport lines 21A, 21B may be arranged horizontally, or the transport lines may be arranged in three or more stages above and below.

[0039] In the first embodiment, a loop-shaped transport path is set, and the lifting and lowering distances are the same, so that the loading position and the unloading position are at the same height, but the present invention is not limited to this. The movement path can be set arbitrarily, and may be set, for example, to a path that moves the loading position to an unloading position away from a predetermined loading position. Also, for example, a path with different lifting and lowering distances may be used, or only one of the lifting and lowering operations may be performed, so that the loading position and the unloading position are at different heights.

[0040] In addition, in the above first embodiment, a configuration in which one conveyor device 20 is provided between a pair of elevator devices 10 has been exemplified, but this is not limited thereto, and one path may be configured by continuously arranging a plurality of conveyor devices 20. In addition, the holder transport device may be configured to further include a processing device that performs various processes on the specimen containers 40 moving on the transport line 21A or the specimens in the specimen containers 40.

[0041] In addition, in the above first embodiment, an example has been shown in which the elevator device 10 and the conveyor device 20 are configured as separate devices, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the elevator device 10 and the conveyor device 20 may be configured to be fixed to a common frame.

[0042] For example, in the above first embodiment, an example was shown in which the lifting and lowering circulation path A1 and the conveying path are in a single row, but this is not limited to this, and a configuration may be used in which multiple lifting and lowering circulation paths A1 and conveying paths are provided in parallel, and conveying is performed in multiple rows.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the lifting mechanism uses a mechanism for moving the support plate 14 along the loop-shaped circulation path A1 by the lifting chain 13, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a lifting drive mechanism such as a cylinder may be used to reciprocate the support plate 14 in a predetermined lift path.

[0044] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the sample containers 40 were placed one by one on a single support plate 14 and moved up and down, but this is not limited to this, and a configuration in which multiple containers are placed on the support plate 14 at a time may also be used.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of the upper conveying line 21A of the holder conveying device 1B according to another embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of the lower conveying line 21B of the holder conveying device 1B. For example, the holder conveying device 1B shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 as another embodiment has a plurality of processing devices each having a conveyer device 20. The holder conveying device 1B has a pair of elevator devices 10 arranged at both ends, and a cap opening device 110 and a plurality of analyzers 120A, 120B, 120C, 120D as processing devices each having the conveyer device 20 arranged side by side. As an example, the cap opening device 110 and the four analyzers 120A, 120B, 120C, 120D are alternately arranged on one side and the other side of the upper conveying line 21A.

[0046] The holder transport device 1B further includes a carry-in device 130 for carrying the sample container 40 into the elevator device 10, and an unloading device 140 for unloading the sample container from the elevator device.

[0047] Each conveyor device 20 is configured to include upper and lower two-stage conveyor lines 21A and 21B, similarly to the holder conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0048] The cap removing device 110 includes a conveyor device 20 and an opening section including an opening head 112 as a processing head for performing an opening process on a specimen container or specimen flowing on an upper transport line 21A. The opening section removes the stopper 41 from the specimen container 40, for example, by holding the stopper 41 attached to the specimen container and moving it upward.

[0049] The analysis devices 120A, 120B, 120C, and 120D are arranged side by side so that the conveyor lines 21A and 21B are continuous. Each analysis device 120 includes a conveyor device 20, a guide device 122, and an analysis processing device 123.

[0050] The conveyor device 20 of the analytical devices 120A, 120B, 120C, and 120D includes a transport line 21A and a sub-line 121 provided in parallel to the transport line 21A. The analytical devices 120A, 120B, 120C, and 120D may be the same device, or may be different types of analytical devices performing different test items, for example.

[0051] The guide device 122 includes a rotating blade that guides the sample container on the transport line 21A to the sub-line 121.

[0052] The analysis processing device 123 includes a fractionation nozzle 124 as a processing head for fractionating a sample from a sample container 40 arranged on the conveying line 21A or the sub-line 121, and analyzes the sample fractionated by the fractionation nozzle 124. For example, the analysis processing device 123 of the analysis device 120A and the analysis device 120C is provided on one side of the conveying line 21A, and the analysis processing device 123 of the analysis device 120B, 120D is provided on the other side of the conveying line 21A. The fractionation nozzles 124 of the analysis device 120A and the analysis device 120C are provided on the conveying line 21A, and the fractionation nozzles 124 of the analysis devices 120B, 120D are provided on the sub-line 121. In other words, the fractionation positions of the adjacent analysis devices 120A to 120D are arranged on different lines, and the analysis processing devices 123 are also arranged alternately.

[0053] The carry-in device 130 includes a transfer head as a processing head, and transfers the sample container 40 from a rack 150 that holds a plurality of sample containers to a holder 30 waiting in the elevator device 10 .

[0054] The transport lines 21A and the transport lines 21B of the multiple conveyor devices 20 provided in the carry-in device 130, the cap removal device 110, the multiple analysis devices 120, and the carry-out device 140 are arranged in series to form a predetermined transport path.

[0055] The capping device 110 is disposed downstream of the transport line 21A of the carry-in device 130. The capping device 110 includes an uncapping head 112 as a processing head, and holds the side of a specimen container that has been carried in and is flowing through the transport line 21A and the cap 41 of the specimen container, and performs an uncapping process in which the cap 41 is moved upward to remove it from the specimen container.

[0056] The analytical processing device 123 is disposed downstream of the conveying line 21A of the capping device 110. It has a fractionation nozzle 124 as a processing head that fractionates specimens in specimen containers flowing on the conveying line 21A in an uncapped state, and performs analysis of predetermined items on the specimens fractionated by the fractionation nozzle 124.

[0057] The control unit identifies the specimen containers 40 to be analyzed by each of the analysis devices 120A-120D based on information such as the labels on the specimen containers 40, and controls the guiding device 122 and the analysis processing device 123 so that, as the specimen containers 40 pass through each analysis device 120A-120D, the specimen containers 40 to be tested by that analysis device 120A-120D are guided to a line directly below the sorting nozzle 124 of that analysis device 120A-120D, and the non-target specimen containers 40 are guided through the other line.

[0058] The analyzers 120A to 120D fractionate the specimen from the specimen container 40 that has reached the target line below the fractionation nozzle 124, and the analytical processing device 123 performs analysis of a predetermined test item.

[0059] The unloading device 140 transfers, for example, the sample container 40 held in the holder 30 of the elevator device 10 onto a rack 150 .

[0060] This embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0061] In this embodiment, sub-lines 121 can be set up alongside one or the other side of the transport line 21A, and processing devices can be arranged on both sides of the transport line 21A. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the outbound and inbound paths are arranged side by side on the same plane, there is a high degree of freedom in the placement of processing devices, making it easy to shorten and miniaturize the transport path.

[0062] Fig. 9 to Fig. 13 are explanatory diagrams of a holder transport device 1C according to another embodiment. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the holder transport device 1C, Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the upper transport line 21A, and Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the lower transport line 21B. Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 are perspective views showing a part of the configuration of elevator devices 210A, 210B provided at both ends of the transport path, and only one of the four elevator shafts A and transport lines 21A, 21B is shown.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 11, the holder transport device 1C has an elevator shaft A and four upper and lower transport lines 21A, 21B, and a plurality of holders 30 are placed on each support plate 214 (support portion). Each elevator device 210A, 210B has a lifting mechanism 212 and a conveyor device 20 mounted on a common stand. The lifting mechanism 212 is configured to reciprocate the support plate 214 along a lifting shaft 213 extending in the vertical direction. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the holder transport devices 1, 1B according to the above-mentioned embodiments, and therefore detailed description will be omitted.

[0064] The holder transport device 1C is equipped with a pair of elevator devices 210A, 210B which have an integral conveyor device 20, and between the pair of elevator devices 210A, 210B, a bulk loader 180, a cap removal device 110, and a discharge device 130 as processing devices are arranged side by side so that the transport path is continuous.

[0065] 12 and 13, the elevator devices 210A and 210B include a base 211, a plurality of lifting mechanisms 212 provided on the base 211, a plurality of conveyor devices 20, and a plurality of moving devices 216. In this embodiment, the elevator device 210A on one side serves as a descending device that descends the holder 30. The elevator device 210B on the other side serves as an ascending device that ascends the holder 30.

[0066] Each lifting mechanism 212 includes a lifting shaft 213 provided along a predetermined elevator path A, a support plate 214 supported by the lifting shaft 213 , and a lifting drive device 215 .

[0067] Each support plate 214 is fixed to the lift shaft 213 by a bracket. Like the support plate 14, the support plate 214 includes a plate member 14a having a placement surface 14c perpendicular to the lift shaft, a guide wall 14b erected on the outer periphery of one of the main surfaces of the plate member 14a, and a holding portion 14d protruding inward from the guide wall 14b. In this embodiment, each support plate 214 holds a plurality of holders 30. The guide wall 14b opens toward the end of the adjacent conveyor device 20, and receives the holder 30 that moves by the rotation of the holder arm 16a of the moving device 216, and holds it by the holding portion 14d.

[0068] The support plate 214 supports the holder 30 in an upright position by the guide wall 14b and the holding portion 14d when the holder 30 is placed on the placement surface 14c, which is one of the main surfaces of the plate member 14a. The multiple support plates 214 are attached in a direction such that the placement surface 14c on the front side faces up in the conveying path on the conveyor device 20 side. The support plate 214 of this embodiment supports and places three holders 30 in a parallel direction along the conveying paths 21A and 21B.

[0069] The moving device 216 includes a holder arm 16a and an arm driving device 16b that operates the holder arm 16a at a predetermined timing. The arm driving device 16b includes a rotation shaft that rotatably supports the holder arm 16a, and a moving shaft that supports the rotation shaft so that it can move in a predetermined direction. The moving device 216 moves the holder 30 between the support plate 214 and the transfer lines 21A and 21B.

[0070] The holder arm 16a is rotatably connected to a rotating shaft 16b that is movable in the conveying direction, and is capable of rotating and moving in the conveying direction at a predetermined timing. The holder arm 16a can be switched between a state in which it is retracted from the conveying path and a state in which its tip is inserted into the conveying path, for example, by rotating, and the holder arm 16a moves along the conveying path as the rotating shaft 16b moves in the conveying direction along the moving shaft 16c. In a standby state, the holder arm 16a retracts to a position out of the path of the holder 30, enters the conveying path at a predetermined timing, and moves in the conveying direction in that state to press the holder 30 on the conveying path in the conveying direction. For example, in one elevator device 210A shown in Fig. 12, the moving device 216 arranged at the end of the conveying path 21A pushes the holder 30 flowing in on the upper conveying path 21A to move it onto the opposing support plate 214, and after lowering the support plate 214, the moving device 216 arranged at the lower level moves the holder 30 from above the support plate 214 onto the conveying path 21B arranged oppositely. For example, in the other elevator device 210B shown in Fig. 13, the moving device 216 arranged at the end of the lower conveying path 21B moves the holder 30 flowing in on the lower conveying path 21B onto the opposing support plate 214, and after raising the support plate 214, the moving device 216 arranged at the upper level moves the holder 30 from above the support plate 214 onto the conveying path 21A arranged oppositely.

[0071] As shown in Figures 9 to 11, a pair of elevator devices 210A, 210B and processing devices 180, 110, 130 are arranged so that the conveying lines 21A, 21B of the conveyor device 20 are arranged continuously and the gap between the conveying lines 21A, 21B between adjacent processing devices is smaller than the holder 30.

[0072] Each of the processing devices 210A, 210B, 180, 110, 130 including the elevator devices 210A, 210B has four conveyor devices 20 on each of the upper and lower stages. Four pairs of guide rails and four conveyor belts are provided on each of the upper and lower stages.

[0073] Each processing device includes a conveyor device 20 and a processing head that is disposed at a processing position directly above an upper transfer line 21A of the conveyor device 20, or is configured to be movable in an area including the processing position.

[0074] The bulk loader 180 includes a stand 181, a plurality of conveyor devices 20 provided on the stand 181, and a sorting head 182 as a processing head for sorting the sample containers 40 in an upright position on the transport path 21A.

[0075] The cap removing device 110 includes a stand 111, a plurality of conveyor devices 20 provided on the stand 111, and a plurality of cap removing heads 112 as processing heads provided on the stand 111 and arranged on the upper conveyor line 21A.

[0076] The carry-out device 130 includes a stand 131, a plurality of conveyor devices 20 provided on the stand 131, and a transfer head 134 as a processing head that is provided on the stand 131 and is movable in a movement area including above the upper conveyor line 21A.

[0077] The other configurations are similar to those of the holder transport devices 1 and 1A according to the above-described embodiments.

[0078] In this embodiment, the same effects as those of the holder transport devices 1 and 1A according to the above embodiments can be achieved. Furthermore, by arranging the elevators and transport paths in multiple rows, it becomes possible to process a large amount of specimens at high speed.

[0079] In this embodiment, by arranging multiple processing units each having a common conveyor device 20, it is possible to increase or decrease the number of processing devices, and the device layout can be changed according to the processing content and space conditions.

[0080] For example, as another embodiment, a holder transport device 1D shown in Fig. 14 and Fig. 15 is configured by adding multiple analyzers 120A-120D to the holder transport device 1C. Fig. 14 is a plan view showing the upper transport line 21A, and Fig. 15 is a plan view showing the lower transport line 21B. The analyzers 120A, 120B, 120C, and 120D each include an analysis processing device 123 and a sorting nozzle 124 as a processing head that is movable in a movement area including above the upper transport line 21A. This embodiment also provides the same effects as the above embodiments.

[0081] In each of the above-described embodiments, the conveying mechanism has two stages, an upper stage and a lower stage, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the conveying mechanism may be configured with three or more stop positions and with three or more stages.

[0082] In the above embodiments, the conveyor devices 20 of the processing devices are individually configured, and the transport lines 21A, 21B of the adjacent processing devices are arranged side by side so as to be continuous, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a transport device spanning multiple processing units may be integrally connected, and a processing head extending on the transport path may be provided from the processing device arranged to the side of the transport device.

[0083] In addition, each component exemplified in the above embodiment may be deleted, and each component may be changed in shape, structure, material, etc. Various inventions can be formed by appropriate combinations of the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiment. The invention as originally claimed in the present application is set forth below. (1) A holder transport device comprising an elevator device including a feed member arranged along an ascent / descent circulation path that has an ascending path and a descending path extending vertically, and a plurality of support plates attached to the feed member and supporting holders that hold sample containers in an upright position. (2) A plurality of the elevator apparatuses; The holder transport device according to (1), further comprising: a conveyor device having a plurality of transport lines arranged vertically between the elevator devices. (3) The holder transport device according to (2), wherein the support plate comprises a plate member erected on the outer periphery side of the lifting and lowering circulation path, and a guide wall whose side adjacent to the transport line is open. (4) an elevator device having a support part that supports a holder for holding a sample container in an upright position and moves along a predetermined elevator path; A holder transport device comprising: a plurality of transport mechanisms arranged at a plurality of locations in the direction of the elevator shaft, arranged adjacent to the support portion in the elevator shaft of the elevator device, and transporting the holder along a transport line that intersects with the elevator shaft. (5) an end of the conveying line and a hoistway of the elevator device are disposed adjacent to each other; The holder transport device according to any one of (2) to (4), further comprising a moving device that moves the holder between the support plate and the transport line. (6) The holder transport device according to (2) or (4), further comprising a processing device that processes the sample containers flowing through the transport line. (7) The holder transport device according to any one of (2) to (6), wherein the elevator shaft and the transport line are provided in multiple parallel rows in a direction intersecting the elevator shaft direction and the transport line direction. (8) the transport mechanism includes a guide rail disposed along the transport line on a side of the holder, and a feed member that supports a bottom portion of the holder and moves in a transport direction; the support portion includes a support plate that supports a bottom portion of the holder and a guide member that is disposed on a side of the holder, A holder transport device described in any of (1) to (7), wherein the distance between the support plate of the support part arranged at a predetermined stopping position and the end of the transport path of the transport mechanism is narrower than the length of the holder in the direction of the transport path. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1, 1B...holder transport device, 10...elevator device, 11...housing, 11a...frame, 11b...legs, 13...lifting chain, 14...support plate, 14a...plate member, 14b...guide wall, 14c...mounting surface, 15...lifting drive device, 16...moving device, 16a...holder arm, 16b...arm drive device, 20...conveyor device, 21A...transport line, 22...guide rail, 23...conveyor belt, 24...belt transport roller, 25...transport drive device, 30...holder, 31...holding tube portion, 31a...step, 32...holding pin, 40...sample container, 41...stopper, 42...label, 50...control unit, A1...lifting circulation path, A11...upward path, A12...downward path.

Claims

1. a pair of elevator devices each having a holder having a cylindrical holding portion into which the sample containers are inserted one by one, the holder having a support portion for supporting the holder in an upright position and moving along a predetermined elevator path; a plurality of conveying mechanisms arranged at a plurality of locations in the direction of the elevator shaft between the pair of elevator devices, arranged adjacent to the elevator shaft of the elevator device, and conveying the holder along a conveying line intersecting the elevator shaft; the transport mechanism includes a pair of guide rails disposed along the transport line on the sides of the holder and engaging with an outer peripheral surface of the holding tube portion, and a feed member that supports a bottom portion of the holder and moves in a transport direction, The support portion includes a support member having a mounting surface disposed under the holder and supporting a bottom portion of the holder, and a guide member disposed on a side of the holder, the pair of elevator devices are disposed opposite each other at both ends of the conveying line, the support member of the support section arranged at a predetermined stop position and an end of the transport path of the transport mechanism are arranged adjacent to each other with a space therebetween, and a distance between the end of the support member of the support section and the end of the transport path is narrower than a length of the holder in the direction of the transport path; Holder transport device.

2. the support portion includes a support plate that supports a bottom portion of the holder and a guide member that is disposed on a side of the holder, 2 . The holder transport device according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the support plate of the support portion arranged at a predetermined stop position and an end of the transport path of the transport mechanism is narrower than a length of the holder in the direction of the transport path.

3. an end of the conveying line and a hoistway of the elevator device are disposed adjacent to each other; The holder transport device according to claim 2 , further comprising a moving device for moving the holder between the support plate and the transport line.

4. The holder transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising a processing device that processes the specimen containers flowing through the transport line.

5. 5. The holder transport device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the elevator shafts and a plurality of the transport lines arranged in parallel in a direction intersecting a direction of the elevator shafts and a direction of the transport lines.

6. The holder transport device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the holders are placed on the support portion in a transport direction.

7. 4. The holder transport device according to claim 1, wherein the guide member of the support portion opens toward an end of the adjacent transport mechanism.

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