Container conveying device

Abstract

To provide a container conveyance device capable of storing a large number of specimen containers in a storage rack easily.SOLUTION: A container conveyance device includes: a container accumulation part 1 for accumulating a predetermined number of specimen containers P; a delivery part 2 for delivering the specimen containers P accumulated in the container accumulation part 1 to the downstream side; and a screw feeder 3 for conveying the specimen containers P in a conveyance direction by having a screw groove 31 and rotating around a shaft in a longer direction. Furthermore, the container conveyance device comprises: a rail member 4 for inhibiting falling of the specimen containers P conveyed by the screw feeder 3; a rail open part 5 for causing falling of the specimen containers P stored in the screw feeder by opening the rail member 4; and a control device 6 for controlling the drive of the container accumulation part 1, the delivery part 2, the screw feeder 3, and the rail open part 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container conveying device that takes out a plurality of containers and stores them in a storage rack.

Background Art

[0002] For example, specimen containers are used to accommodate specimens such as blood collected from a subject. When collecting specimens from a large number of subjects, it is necessary to handle a large number of specimen containers, and a certain number (for example, 50) of specimen containers are stored in a storage rack that can accommodate them.

[0003] Since specimen containers are usually delivered in a scattered state, it takes a lot of labor to neatly store the specimen containers in a storage rack.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an article taking-out device capable of sequentially taking out a large number of cylindrical containers in a scattered state one by one in an orderly manner.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, although the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 discloses that containers placed in a scattered state are taken out one by one in an orderly manner, it does not disclose automatically storing the containers in a storage rack. There was a problem that it took a lot of labor to store a large number of containers in a storage rack by manual work.

[0007] This invention was made to solve the aforementioned problems of the past, and its objective is to provide a container transport device that can easily store a large number of containers in a storage rack. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the container conveying device of the present invention is a container conveying device for conveying a plurality of containers and storing them in a storage rack, and is characterized by comprising: a container storage unit for storing a predetermined number of the containers; a discharge unit for discharging the containers stored in the container storage unit to the downstream side; a screw feeder having a long shape with a spiral groove, arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the long shape faces the conveying direction of the containers, and conveying the containers in the conveying direction by rotating about the axis in the longitudinal direction; a rail member for preventing the containers being conveyed by the screw feeder from falling; a rail opening unit for opening the rail member and dropping the containers stored in the screw feeder; and a control device for controlling the drive of the container storage unit, the discharge unit, the screw feeder, and the rail opening unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to easily store a large number of containers in a storage rack. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the container transport device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the container transport device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a side view taken from the direction of arrow Y1 shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration with the rail members removed from Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the configuration with the rail members removed from Figure 2. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed configuration of the sliding groove. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed configuration of the sliding member. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed configuration of the screw feeder. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the sample container. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a container transport device according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the container transport device, illustrating the state in which the upstream sample container P-1 has been sent to the spiral groove of the screw feeder. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the container transport device, and shows the state in which the upstream sample container P-1 has been advanced one step by the screw feeder. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the container transport device, and shows the state in which the second sample container P-2 from the upstream side has been sent to the spiral groove of the screw feeder. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the container transport device, and shows the state in which the second sample container P-2 from the upstream side has been transported one step by the screw feeder. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the container transport device, illustrating the state in which 10 sample containers P-1 to P-10 have been fed into the spiral groove of the screw feeder. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the container transport device, showing the state in which 10 sample containers housed in the spiral groove of the screw feeder have fallen downwards. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram showing sample containers suspended from an opening / closing rail and a transport rail, where (a) shows the sample container suspended, (b) shows the opening / closing rail in a moved state, and (c) shows the sample container falling downward. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the container transport device, illustrating the state in which the tip projection of the sliding member is in contact with the contact member. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the container transfer device, and shows a state where the slide member is returned to the upstream side. [Figure 20] FIG. 20(a) is an explanatory diagram showing how the slide member and the contact member come into contact with each other, and FIG. 20(b) is an enlarged view of the main part. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the contact member.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] [Configuration of the Present Embodiment] Hereinafter, the container transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the container transfer device 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. FIG. 3 is a side view seen from the direction of arrow Y1 shown in FIG. 1 (the direction of arrow Y2 shown in FIG. 2). FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration in which the rail member 4 is removed from FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a plan view thereof.

[0012] The container transfer device 100 according to the present embodiment takes out a predetermined number of specimen containers P from a plurality of specimen containers P conveyed from the upstream side, arranges them neatly at regular intervals, and stores them in a storage rack 7 (see FIG. 3). In the following description, the "upstream side" is the direction from which the specimen container P is conveyed, and the "downstream side" is the direction to which the specimen container P is conveyed. That is, the right side in the plan views shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 is the upstream side, and the left side is the downstream side. Also, the direction in which the specimen container P is conveyed is referred to as the "conveying direction". That is, the left-right direction shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 is the conveying direction.

[0013] The specimen container P is a container for holding specimens, such as the blood of a test subject. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the specimen container P. As shown in Figure 9, the specimen container P is cylindrical overall, with a conical lower end Pd. A flange h is formed at the upper end of the specimen container P. The diameter L2 of the flange h is slightly larger than the diameter L3 of the cylindrical shape. That is, the specimen container P has a circular cross-section with a flange h at the top. In this embodiment, the specimen container P is shown as an example of a container, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to containers for holding contents other than specimens.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the container transport device 100 according to this embodiment includes a container storage unit 1, a dispensing unit 2, a screw feeder 3 (see Figures 4 and 5), a rail member 4, a rail opening unit 5, and a control device 6 (see Figures 2 and 5).

[0015] A storage rack 7 (see Figure 3) is installed below the screw feeder 3. Note that the storage rack 7 is not shown in Figures 1 and 4. The storage rack 7 stores multiple sample containers P transported by the screw feeder 3. For example, it stores a total of 50 sample containers P arranged in a 10x5 grid.

[0016] The container storage unit 1 stores a predetermined number (for example, 10) of sample containers P. The container storage unit 1 includes a transport path 11 (see Figures 2 and 5) that aligns the sample containers P transported from the upstream side in a line and supplies them to the downstream side, and a first shutter 13 and a second shutter 12 provided on the side of the transport path 11. The second shutter 12 is provided on the upstream side of the first shutter 13.

[0017] The second shutter 12 locks the sample container P being transported from the upstream side. The second shutter 12 is equipped with a second solenoid 12b (see Figure 10, described later) and a stopper 12a (see Figures 2 and 5) that can be switched on or off by the on / off state of the second solenoid 12b. The second solenoid 12b operates under the control of the control device 6. When the second solenoid 12b is on, the stopper 12a interferes with the transport path 11, preventing the transport of the sample container P. When the second solenoid 12b is off, the interference of the stopper 12a is released, and the sample container P can be supplied to the downstream side.

[0018] The first shutter 13 is equipped with a first solenoid 13b (see Figure 10) and a stopper 13a (see Figures 2 and 5) that can be switched on or off by the on / off state of the first solenoid 13b. The first solenoid 13b operates under the control of the control device 6. When the first solenoid 13b is on, the stopper 13a interferes with the transport path 11, preventing the transport of the sample container P. When the first solenoid 13b is off, the interference of the stopper 13a is released, and the sample container P can be supplied to the downstream side.

[0019] The container storage unit 1 is equipped with a storage detection sensor 14 (see Figure 10) that detects sample containers P transported from the upstream side. The storage detection sensor 14 is installed, for example, near the side of the second shutter 12. The storage detection sensor 14 is, for example, an optical sensor. The detection signal from the storage detection sensor 14 is output to a counter 61 (details will be described later) of the control device 6 shown in Figure 10. The counter 61 detects the number of sample containers P passing through the transport path 11, and controls the on / off state of each solenoid 12b, 13b so that a predetermined number (for example, 10) of sample containers P are stored between the second shutter 12 and the first shutter 13.

[0020] The first shutter 13 locks any sample containers P that are subsequently transported from the upstream side when the number of sample containers P counted by the counter 61 reaches a predetermined number.

[0021] By controlling the on / off states of the second solenoid 12b and the first solenoid 13b, a predetermined number of sample containers P can be accumulated between the two stoppers 12a and 13a.

[0022] The dispensing unit 2 dispenses the sample containers P stored in the container storage unit 1 to the downstream side. As shown in Figure 5, the dispensing unit 2 comprises a sliding groove plate 27 with a sliding groove 21 formed therein, a sliding member 22, and a moving mechanism 23.

[0023] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed shape of the sliding groove 21. As shown in Figure 6, the sliding groove 21 is formed in the sliding groove plate 27 and has two grooves 21a and 21b aligned in the conveying direction, and connecting grooves 21c and 21d formed at the downstream and upstream ends of each groove 21a and 21b, respectively, connecting the two grooves 21a and 21b. Groove 21a is formed on the side closer to the conveying path 11 (upper side of Figure 5), and groove 21b is formed on the side further away from the conveying path 11 (lower side of Figure 5).

[0024] The sliding member 22 slides along the transport direction (left-right direction in Figure 5) by the operation of the moving mechanism 23. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the sliding member 22. As shown in Figure 7, the sliding member 22 comprises a sliding shaft 22a, a claw portion 22b, a support portion 22c, a tip projection 22d, a torsion spring 22e, and a plate member 22f.

[0025] The sliding shaft 22a is provided on the plate member 22f and slides along the grooves 21a, 21b, and connecting grooves 21c, 21d formed in the sliding groove 21 (see Figure 6). When the slide member 22 slides downstream, the sliding shaft 22a slides along groove 21a. When the slide member 22 slides upstream, the sliding shaft 22a slides along groove 21b.

[0026] The claw portion 22b has a flat plate shape that protrudes toward the transport path 11 side of the sample container P.

[0027] When the slide member 22 slides downstream, the sliding shaft 22a slides along the groove 21a (see Figure 6) that is close to the transport path 11, so that the claw portion 22b engages with the sample container P. Therefore, as the slide member 22 moves, the sample container P that is engaged with the claw portion 22b is pushed downstream.

[0028] On the other hand, when the slide member 22 slides upstream, the sliding shaft 22a slides along the groove 21b away from the transport path 11, so the claw portion 22b does not engage with the sample container P. Therefore, the claw portion 22b slides upstream without contacting the sample container P.

[0029] Specifically, the sliding groove 21 has a groove portion 21a (first groove) arranged along the transport direction of the sample container P, and a groove portion 21b (second groove) that is further away from the transport path 11 (transport path for the sample container P) than groove portion 21a. Furthermore, the movement path of the slide member 22 is modified so that when the slide member 22 pushes the sample container P downstream of the transport path 11, the sliding shaft 22a slides in groove portion 21a, and when the slide member 22 moves upstream of the transport path 11, the sliding shaft 22a slides in groove portion 21b.

[0030] The support portion 22c is a fitting that connects the sliding member 22 to the timing belt 23c of the moving mechanism 23 (details will be described later).

[0031] A tip projection 22d is provided at the tip of the plate member 22f. The tip projection 22d is provided at the downstream tip of the slide member 22 and has a triangular shape.

[0032] The plate member 22f and the support portion 22c are rotatably connected by a torsion spring 22e. The plate member 22f is biased by the torsion spring 22e in the direction of arrow Y5 in the figure.

[0033] Furthermore, a contact member 24 is provided near the downstream end of the sliding groove 21. Figures 20(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing how the slide member 22 and the contact member 24 come into contact, and Figure 21 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed configuration of the contact member 24. As shown in Figure 21, the contact member 24 comprises a cam follower 24a, a rotating shaft 24b, and a tension spring 25.

[0034] The rotating shaft 24b is rotatably supported on the sliding groove plate 27 shown in Figure 20(b). The other end of the tension spring 25 is locked to a fixing member 26 fixed to the sliding groove plate 27. The contact member 24 is biased by the tension spring 25 in the direction of arrow Y6 in the figure.

[0035] That is, as shown in Figure 20(a), before the slide member 22 slides downstream and the tip projection 22d contacts the cam follower 24a of the contact member 24, the plate member 22f is biased in the direction of reference numeral f2 by the torsion spring 22e.

[0036] Furthermore, when the sliding edge M1 of the tip projection 22d (see Figure 20(b)) contacts the cam follower 24a of the contact member 24, the biasing force of the tension spring 25 exceeds the biasing force of the torsion spring 22e (see Figure 7), and the plate member 22f is biased in the direction indicated by the symbol f1 in Figure 20(a). As a result, the sliding shaft 22a, which slides along the groove 21a (see Figure 6), slides along the connecting groove 21c and further reaches the groove 21b. In other words, the sliding shaft 22a can be moved from the groove 21a on the transport path 11 side (screw feeder 3 side) to the groove 21b, which is away from the transport path 11.

[0037] The moving mechanism 23 slides the slide member 22 in the transport direction. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the moving mechanism 23 includes two pulleys 23a and 23b, and a timing belt 23c stretched between each pulley 23a and 23b. The timing belt 23c is connected to the support portion 22c (see Figure 7) of the slide member 22.

[0038] One pulley 23a is connected to the output shaft of the pulley drive motor 23d (see Figure 10). The pulley drive motor 23d is, for example, a stepping motor. The pulley drive motor 23d rotates intermittently at predetermined rotational speeds or predetermined rotational angles under the control of the control device 6. Therefore, by controlling the drive of the pulley drive motor 23d, the timing belt 23c can be moved intermittently, and consequently, the slide member 22 can be slid intermittently at predetermined distances in the conveying direction.

[0039] The screw feeder 3 is located downstream of the transport path 11. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the screw feeder 3. As shown in Figure 8, the screw feeder 3 has an elongated shape with a helical groove 31, and is positioned so that the longitudinal direction of the elongated shape faces the transport direction of the sample container P.

[0040] The width of the helical groove 31 formed in the screw feeder 3 is approximately the same as the diameter of the sample container P (L3 shown in Figure 9). Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the sample container P can be stably engaged within the helical groove 31.

[0041] A screw drive motor 32 (see Figure 10) is connected to the screw feeder 3, which rotates the screw feeder 3 around its longitudinal axis. The screw drive motor 32 is, for example, a stepping motor. By rotating the screw feeder 3, the sample containers P can be transported downstream.

[0042] Furthermore, by intermittently driving the screw drive motor 32, the screw feeder 3 can be rotated intermittently, one rotation at a time. For example, by rotating the screw feeder 3 once, the sample container P can be transported downstream by one segment (e.g., 2 cm) of the helical groove 31. Also, by transporting the sample container P by engaging with the helical groove 31, the spacing between multiple sample containers P (L4 shown in Figure 8) can be made equal (e.g., 2 cm apart).

[0043] The side of the screw feeder 3 is provided with storage detection sensors 33-1 to 33-10 (see Figure 10) that detect the presence or absence of a plurality (10 in this embodiment) of sample containers P that are transported by engaging with the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3. Each of the storage detection sensors 33-1 to 33-10 is, for example, an optical sensor.

[0044] Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the rail member 4 comprises an opening / closing rail 41 and a transport rail 42. The opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42 are each formed from flat plate material. The opening / closing rail 41 is positioned to cover the top of the screw feeder 3. The transport rail 42 is positioned to cover the top of the sliding groove 21. The distance L1 (see Figure 2) between the sides of the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42 is greater than the diameter L3 (see Figure 9) of the cylinder of the sample container P, and slightly smaller than the diameter L2 of the flange h formed at the upper end of the sample container P. That is, "L3 <L1<L2」とされている。

[0045] In other words, the rail member 4 includes an opening / closing rail 41 and a transport rail 42 arranged parallel to the opening / closing rail 41, and the distance L1 between the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42 is set to be greater than the diameter L3 of the sample container P and smaller than the diameter L2 of the flange portion h.

[0046] Therefore, as shown in Figure 17(a), which will be described later, the flange portion h of the sample container P supplied from the container storage unit 1 and transported downstream by the screw feeder 3 is engaged with the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42, preventing it from falling downwards. In other words, the rail member 4 prevents the sample container being transported by the screw feeder 3 from falling.

[0047] The rail opening section 5 shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 comprises a support plate 51, an eccentric plate 52, and a rail opening motor 53 (see Figure 10). After a predetermined number of sample containers P are stored in the screw feeder 3, the rail opening section 5 opens the rail member 4, allowing the sample containers P to fall downwards.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the support plate 51 is connected to the opening / closing rail 41. The eccentric plate 52 has a flat plate shape with an opening 52a located off-center. The opening 52a is connected to the output shaft of the rail release motor 53. Therefore, the eccentric plate 52 can be rotated by rotating the rail release motor 53.

[0049] Since the eccentric plate 52 rotates around a pivot point off-center, each rotation of the eccentric plate 52 can displace the opening / closing rail 41 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (in the direction of arrow Y3 shown in Figure 2). In other words, each rotation of the eccentric plate 52 can widen the gap L1 between the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42, allowing the sample container P engaged between the two rails 41 and 42 to fall downward.

[0050] Specifically, the rail opening section 5 comprises an eccentric plate 52 and a rail opening motor 53 that rotates the eccentric plate 52. By driving the rail opening motor 53 to rotate the eccentric plate 52, the opening / closing rail 41 is moved away from the transport rail 42, widening the gap between the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42, and causing the sample container P to fall.

[0051] Specifically, as shown in Figure 17(a), the flange h of the sample container P is engaged with the two rails 41 and 42. Then, as shown in Figure 17(b), the distance between the two rails 41 and 42 is widened, and as shown in Figure 17(c), the sample container P can be dropped downwards. Further details of Figure 17 will be described later.

[0052] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the control device 6 and its peripheral equipment. As shown in Figure 10, the control device 6 comprises a counter 61 and a control unit 62. The control unit 62 controls the drive of the container storage unit 1, the dispensing unit 2, the screw feeder 3, and the rail opening unit 5.

[0053] The counter 61 counts the number of sample containers P passing through the transport path 11 based on the detection signal from the storage detection sensor 14 provided in the container storage unit 1. In other words, the counter 61 counts the number of sample containers P being transported from the upstream side.

[0054] The control unit 62 is connected to the first solenoid 13b, the second solenoid 12b, the pulley drive motor 23d, the screw drive motor 32, the rail release motor 53, and 10 storage detection sensors 33-1 to 33-10.

[0055] The control unit 62 controls the driving of the first solenoid 13b and the second solenoid 12b so that the number of sample containers P counted by the counter 61 becomes "10". Through the control of the control unit 62, the number of sample containers P between the stopper 12a of the second shutter 12 and the stopper 13a of the first shutter 13 can be set to 10.

[0056] The control unit 62 controls the intermittent movement of the sample container P downstream by intermittently rotating the pulley drive motor 23d, thereby using the claw portion 22b of the slide member 22.

[0057] The control unit 62 controls the screw drive motor 32 to intermittently rotate it, thereby intermittently feeding the sample container P engaged with the screw feeder 3 downstream.

[0058] The control unit 62 rotates the rail release motor 53 to move the opening / closing rail 41 in the direction of arrow Y3 shown in Figure 2, thereby temporarily widening the gap between the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42.

[0059] The control unit 62 acquires detection signals from the 10 storage detection sensors 33-1 to 33-10 and detects whether or not the 10 sample containers P are arranged without interruption in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3.

[0060] The control device 6 can be configured, for example, as an integrated computer consisting of a central processing unit (CPU) and storage means such as RAM, ROM, and hard disk.

[0061] [Operation of this embodiment] Next, the operation of the container transport device 100 according to this embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained.

[0062] Initially, the control unit 62 activates the first solenoid 13b of the first shutter 13 to block the transport path 11 with the stopper 13a (see Figures 2 and 5). As a result, the sample containers P being transported from the upstream side are prevented from being transported by the stopper 13a before reaching the screw feeder 3.

[0063] Next, the accumulation detection sensor 14 detects sample containers P passing through the transport path 11, and the counter 61 (see Figure 10) counts the number of sample containers P that have passed through.

[0064] When the counted sample containers P reach 10, the control unit 62 turns on the second solenoid 12b of the second shutter 12, blocking the transport path 11 with the stopper 12a (see Figures 2 and 5). As a result, 10 sample containers P are accumulated between the stopper 13a and the stopper 12a.

[0065] In the following, of the 10 sample containers P accumulated between the two stoppers 13a and 12a, the upstream sample container will be referred to as P-1, and the downstream sample container as P-10. When specifying individual sample containers, a suffix will be added, such as "sample container P-1," and when not specifying a sample container, it will be referred to simply as "sample container P."

[0066] Subsequently, the control unit 62 turns off the first solenoid 13b to release the interference of the stopper 13a on the transport path 11. That is, the sample container P becomes movable toward the screw feeder 3.

[0067] The control unit 62 operates the pulley drive motor 23d to rotate the pulley 23a by a predetermined angle. As a result, the timing belt 23c (see Figures 1 and 4) moves by a predetermined distance (for example, 2 cm), and the sliding member 22 connected to the timing belt 23c slides downstream by a predetermined distance.

[0068] In this case, the claw portion 22b of the slide member 22 (see Figure 7) is engaged with the sample container P located furthest upstream, so the 10 sample containers P stored in the container storage unit 1 move a predetermined distance downstream.

[0069] As a result, as shown in Figure 11, of the 10 sample containers P accumulated in the container storage unit 1, the downstream sample container P-1 is housed in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3. At this time, as shown in Figure 2, the distance L1 between the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42 is shorter than the diameter L2 of the flange h of the sample container P, so the sample container P is suspended between the two rails 41 and 42 by the flange h and does not fall downward.

[0070] The control unit 62 drives the screw drive motor 32, causing the screw feeder 3 to rotate once. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, the sample container P-1 moves one frame downstream. That is, the control device 6 controls the screw feeder 3 to rotate once each time the dispensing unit 2 sends one sample container P to the screw feeder 3.

[0071] The control unit 62 then operates the pulley drive motor 23d again to rotate the pulley 23a by a predetermined angle, moving the second sample container P-2 from the downstream side by a predetermined distance downstream. As a result, as shown in Figure 13, the sample container P-2 is housed in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3.

[0072] The control unit 62 drives the screw drive motor 32 again, causing the screw feeder 3 to rotate once. As a result, as shown in Figure 14, the sample containers P-1 and P-2 move one frame downstream.

[0073] By repeating the above operation, ten sample containers P-1 to P-10 will be placed in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3, as shown in Figure 15.

[0074] Subsequently, the control unit 62 acquires detection signals from each storage detection sensor 33-1 to 33-10 and determines whether or not the 10 sample containers P (P-1 to P-10) are stored in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3. If they are stored, the rail opening motor 53 of the rail opening section 5 is rotated. This causes the eccentric plate 52 to rotate, and the support plate 51 moves away from the transport rail 42. As a result, the width between the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42 is temporarily increased, causing the 10 sample containers P-1 to P-10, which were suspended by the two rails 41 and 42, to fall downward.

[0075] Figure 17 is a side view of the opening / closing rail 41, the transport rail 42, and the sample container P, where (a) shows the rail opening motor 53 before it rotates, (b) shows the rail opening motor 53 rotating, and (c) shows the sample container P falling downwards.

[0076] As shown in Figure 17(a), before the rail release motor 53 rotates, the flange h of the sample container P is suspended by the two rails 41 and 42. When the rail release motor 53 rotates, as shown in Figure 17(b), the opening / closing rail 41 moves to the left in the figure, releasing the suspension by the flange h. As a result, as shown in Figure 17(c), the sample container P falls downward and can be neatly stored in the storage rack 7 shown in Figure 3.

[0077] Furthermore, when all 10 sample containers P-1 to P-10 stored in the container storage unit 1 are transported to the screw feeder 3 side, the slide member 22 reaches its downstream end, as shown in Figure 18. At this time, as explained in Figures 20 and 21 above, the tip projection 22d of the slide member 22 comes into contact with the cam follower 24a of the contact member 24, and the sliding edge M1 (see Figure 20(b)) slides along the cam follower 24a.

[0078] As a result, the sliding shaft 22a of the slide member 22 moves from the groove 21a shown in Figure 6 along the connecting groove 21c and reaches the groove 21b. That is, the sliding shaft 22a moves from groove 21a to groove 21b.

[0079] Subsequently, the control unit 62 reverses the pulley drive motor 23d. As a result, the slide member 22 connected to the timing belt 23c moves to the upstream side.

[0080] In this process, the sliding shaft 22a of the slide member 22 moves along the groove 21b, so the claw portion 22b mounted on the slide member 22 does not interfere with the sample container P. When the slide member 22 moves upstream, the sliding shaft 22a moves along the connecting groove 21d shown in Figure 6, and then moves back to the groove 21a. That is, as shown in Figure 19, the slide member 22 then repeats the above operation at the upstream end. In this way, multiple sample containers P transported from the upstream side can be aligned at regular intervals and neatly stored in the storage rack 7.

[0081] [Effects of this embodiment] As described above, in the container transport device 100 according to this embodiment, a predetermined number (for example, 10) of sample containers P are stored in the container storage unit 1 from a large number of sample containers P transported from the upstream side. Then, the 10 sample containers P are sent downstream one by one and placed in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3. When it is detected that 10 sample containers P have been placed in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3 without interruption, the sample containers P are dropped and stored in the storage rack 7.

[0082] Therefore, multiple sample containers P can be easily stored in the storage rack 7. In addition, a predetermined number of sample containers P can be stored in the storage rack 7 without any interruptions.

[0083] Furthermore, since the sample containers P are placed in the helical grooves 31 of the screw feeder 3 and transported, the spacing between each sample container P can be kept constant, and they can be reliably stored in accordance with the storage spacing of the storage rack 7.

[0084] Furthermore, by driving the rail opening motor 53 of the rail opening section 5, the gap between the opening / closing rail 41 and the transport rail 42 can be temporarily widened. As a result, the sample container P suspended by the two rails 41 and 42 can be dropped downward with a simple operation and stored in the storage rack 7.

[0085] Furthermore, when the slide member 22 slides downstream, the sliding shaft 22a slides along the groove 21a (first groove), allowing the claw portion 22b to push the sample container P downstream. Also, when the slide member 22 slides upstream, the sliding shaft 22a slides along the groove 21b (second groove), so the claw portion 22b does not interfere with the sample container P, and the slide member 22 can be returned to the upstream side with a simple operation.

[0086] Furthermore, a storage detection sensor 14 is provided on the side of the transport path 11, and the number of sample containers P detected by the storage detection sensor 14 is counted by the counter 61. In addition, by operating the first shutter 13 and the second shutter 12, it is possible to reliably store a predetermined number of sample containers P in the container storage unit 1.

[0087] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which 10 sample containers P are stored in the container storage unit 1, and 10 more sample containers P are accommodated in the helical groove 31 of the screw feeder 3. However, the number of sample containers P stored in the container storage unit 1 is not limited to 10.

[0088] For example, if the storage rack 7 has 12 storage compartments in one row, the number of sample containers P to be stored in the container storage compartment 1 should be set to 12, and the number of sample containers P to be accommodated in the spiral groove 31 of the screw feeder 3 should also be set to 12.

[0089] Furthermore, if the spacing between the storage compartments of the storage rack 7 is, for example, 3 cm, then a screw feeder 3 with a spiral groove pitch that matches this spacing can be used.

[0090] In the embodiments described above, a transport device for transporting specimen containers used for medical purposes was explained, but the present invention can also be applied to containers other than medical specimen containers.

[0091] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the statements and drawings that constitute part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Container storage section 2. Dispensing section 3 Screw feeder 4 Rail members 5 Rail opening section 6 Control device 7 Storage Rack 11 Conveyor path 12 Second shutter 12a Stopper 12b Second solenoid 13 First shutter 13a Stopper 13b First solenoid 14. Accumulation detection sensor 21 Sliding groove 21a, 21b Groove 21c, 21d connecting groove 22 Sliding member 22a Sliding shaft 22b Claw part 22c Support part 22d Tip protrusion 22e Torsion spring 22f Plate component 23 Moving mechanism 23a, 23b pulleys 23c timing belt 23d Pulley drive motor 24 Contact Member 24a Cam Follower 24b Rotation axis 25 tension spring 26 Fixing member 27 Sliding groove plate 31 Spiral groove 32 Screw drive motor 33-1~33-10 Storage detection sensor 41 Opening / closing rails 42 Transport Rails 51 Support plate 52 Eccentric Plate 52a opening 53 Rail release motor 61 counter 62 Control Unit 100 Container conveying device h Tsubabe P Sample container

Claims

1. A container transport device that transports a plurality of containers and stores them in a storage rack, a container storage unit that stores a predetermined number of the containers; a sending unit that sends the containers stored in the container storage unit downstream; a screw feeder having an elongated shape with a spiral groove, arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the elongated shape faces the conveying direction of the containers, and rotating around an axis in the longitudinal direction to convey the containers in the conveying direction; a rail member that prevents the containers conveyed by the screw feeder from falling; a rail opening section that opens the rail member to drop the containers accommodated in the screw feeder; a control device that controls the driving of the container accumulation unit, the delivery unit, the screw feeder, and the rail opening unit; A container transport device comprising:

2. The container accumulation unit is a first shutter that locks the container being transported from the upstream side; a counter that counts the number of the containers transported from the upstream side; a second shutter that, when the number of containers counted by the counter reaches a predetermined number, locks the containers that are subsequently transported from the upstream side; 2. The container transport device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The delivery section includes: A sliding groove; a slide member including a slide shaft that slides along the slide groove and a claw portion that pushes out the container; a moving mechanism that slides the slide member in the conveying direction, The sliding groove is a first groove arranged along the container conveying direction and a second groove located farther from the container conveying path than the first groove; When the slide member pushes out the container to the downstream side of the conveying path, the slide shaft slides in the first groove, and when the slide member moves to the upstream side of the conveying path, the movement path of the slide member is changed so that the slide shaft slides in the second groove.

3. The container transport device according to claim 1 or 2,

4. The control device Controlling the screw feeder so that it rotates once every time the delivery unit delivers one container to the screw feeder.

4. The container transport device according to claim 1, wherein:

5. The container has a circular cross section with a flange at its top, The rail member includes an opening / closing rail and a transport rail arranged parallel to the opening / closing rail. The distance between the opening / closing rail and the transport rail is set to be larger than the diameter of the container and smaller than the diameter of the flange.

5. The container transport device according to claim 1, wherein:

6. The rail opening portion is An eccentric plate; a rail opening motor that rotates the eccentric plate; By driving the rail opening motor to rotate the eccentric plate, the opening / closing rail is moved in a direction away from the transport rail, and the gap between the opening / closing rail and the transport rail is widened, thereby dropping the container.

6. The container transport device according to claim 5,

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