Automatic analysis device

Abstract

To provide an automatic analyzer including a cold storage capable of preventing external heat and moisture from entering through the container entrance and exit without a fan as a heat source installed inside the cooling chamber.SOLUTION: The automatic analyzer includes a cold storage for keeping liquid cold. The cold storage has a cold chamber that holds the liquid, and a cooling unit that generates cooling air and supplies the same to the cold chamber. The cold chamber includes: a disk capable of rotating while supporting a container containing a liquid; a jacket for storing the disk; and a cover that covers the top of the jacket. The cover is formed with a container entrance / exit for loading and unloading containers and a channel that generates airflow across the bottom of the container entrance / exit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer.

Background Art

[0002] An automatic analyzer generally has a cooler for keeping cool a reagent container that houses a reagent. An opening (container entrance / exit) for taking in and out the reagent container is formed in the cover of the cooler. If high-temperature and high-humidity outside air flows into the cooler through this opening, condensation may occur inside the cooler. Therefore, a technique for suppressing the inflow of outside air has been considered. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that "an air curtain device for generating an air curtain of an air layer capable of blocking outside air and cold air inside the cooler is provided at an opening for taking in and out the reagent provided in the reagent cover of the reagent cooler" (abstract).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the cooler described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the air curtain device itself may generate heat. In that case, the temperature inside the cooler may rise or the temperature distribution inside the cooler may become non-uniform.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer including a cooler that suppresses the intrusion of external heat and moisture from a container entrance / exit without providing a fan that becomes a heat source inside a cold storage chamber.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A typical means for solving the above problems is an automatic analyzer equipped with a cooler for keeping liquids cool, wherein the cooler includes a cooler chamber for holding the liquid and a cooling device for generating and supplying cooling air to the cooler chamber, and the cooler chamber includes a rotatable disk that supports a container for holding the liquid, a jacket for housing the disk, and a cover that covers the top of the jacket, wherein the cover has a container inlet for inserting and removing the container and a flow path for generating airflow that crosses below the container inlet.

[0007] A more typical example is an automatic analyzer equipped with a cooler for keeping liquids cool, wherein the cooler includes a cooling chamber for holding the liquid and a cooling device for generating and supplying cooling air to the cooling chamber, the cooling chamber comprises a rotatable disk supporting a container for holding the liquid, a jacket housing the disk, and a cover covering the top of the jacket, the cover having a container opening for inserting and removing the container, and the top surface of the cover is provided with a fan that generates an airflow that crosses above the container opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic analytical apparatus equipped with a refrigerator that prevents external heat and moisture from entering through the container inlet and outlet without providing a fan that serves as a heat source inside the cooling chamber. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall configuration of the refrigerator for the automatic analyzer according to Example 1. [Figure 2] Disassembled view of the cooling chamber. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view of a cooling chamber, cut along a plane that includes the central axis and the container inlet / outlet. [Figure 4] A plan view showing the positional relationship between the AA section and the container inlet / outlet in Figure 3. [Figure 5] A diagram that simplifies a cross-section taken along a plane different from that of FIG. 3 and includes the central axis of the cold storage chamber, and shows the air flow inside the cold storage chamber. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] Perspective view of the upper part of the socket and the cover as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 8] Perspective view of FIG. 7 as seen from the back side (View A). [Figure 9] Enlarged view of the vicinity of the flow path of the cover of the automatic analyzer according to Example 2. [Figure 10] Horizontal cross-sectional view of the cover of the automatic analyzer according to Example 3. [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 of Example 4. [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 of Example 5. [Figure 13] Cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 of Example 6. [Figure 14] Cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 of Example 7. [Figure 15] Cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 of Example 8. [Figure 16] Cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 of Example 9. [Figure 17] Cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 of Example 10. [Figure 18] Graph showing the relationship between the flow velocity ratio V2 / V1 and the flow rate of air flowing into the cold storage chamber.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that although this embodiment includes a plurality of examples, the same reference numerals are given to common configurations and the description thereof is omitted.

[0011] The automatic analysis device includes, in addition to the cold storage 100, a sample disk, a sample dispensing mechanism, a reagent dispensing mechanism, a thermostat, a photometer, etc. which are not shown in the figure. The cold storage 100 controls the temperature inside it to be low in order to prevent the reagent from being denatured by the ambient environment. The sample disk supports a plurality of sample containers for accommodating samples on its circumference and is rotatable. Also, when a specific sample container moves to the sample suction position due to the rotation of the sample disk, the sample dispensing mechanism (sample dispensing probe) descends, sucks the sample from the sample container, then ascends, horizontally moves to a predetermined position, and descends again to discharge the sucked sample into the reaction container.

[0012] On the other hand, inside the cold storage 100, a reagent disk is arranged. This reagent disk supports a plurality of reagent containers (tubes 27) radially and is rotatable by a driving part such as a motor. The reagent dispensing mechanism (reagent dispensing probe) horizontally moves to the reagent suction position and then descends, inserts into the reagent container through a suction hole (not shown) formed in the cover 11 on the upper surface of the cold storage 100, and sucks the reagent. Further, after ascending, the reagent dispensing mechanism horizontally moves to a predetermined position, descends again, and discharges the sucked reagent into the reaction container. The reaction container containing the sample and the reagent is placed in a thermostat controlled at a constant temperature to promote a chemical reaction, and the analysis of the sample is performed by measuring this reaction process with a photometer.

[0013] Here, the cold storage 100 has a cold storage chamber 10 for holding reagent containers, and a cooling device 50 for generating cooling air and supplying it to the cold storage chamber 10. Also, a container entrance / exit 16 for taking in and out the reagent container is formed in the cover 11 provided in the cold storage chamber 10. The cover 11 of this embodiment has a structure for generating an air curtain in order to suppress the inflow of outside air from the container entrance / exit 16. However, in this embodiment, since a structure for generating an air curtain is adopted without installing a fan, which is a heat generation source, inside the cold storage chamber 10, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise and temperature non-uniformity inside the cold storage chamber 10.

[0014] Examples 1 to 4 involve forming a structure on the cover 11 of the cooling chamber 10 that generates an air curtain without using a fan, that is, a flow path 23 that generates airflow crossing below the container inlet 16. On the other hand, Examples 5 to 10 involve providing an air curtain generating mechanism on the outside (upper side) of the cover 11 of the cooling chamber 10, that is, an external fan 40 that generates airflow crossing above the container inlet 16. Each example will be described in detail below. [Examples]

[0015] The automated analyzer according to Example 1 will be described using Figures 1 to 8. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the refrigerator of the automated analyzer according to Example 1. The refrigerator 100 mainly consists of a cooling chamber 10 for storing reagents under low temperature and a cooling device 50 for supplying cooling air to the cooling chamber 10. The cooling device 50 is, for example, a device that utilizes a refrigeration cycle or a device that utilizes a Peltier element.

[0016] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber 10 mainly consists of a jacket 15, a socket 14, a reagent disc (disk bottom 13, disk top 12), and a cover 11. The jacket 15 houses the reagent disc together with the socket 14. The socket 14 is positioned inside the jacket 15 to rectify the airflow inside the jacket 15, and an air inlet 17 is formed on its outer peripheral side. The disk bottom 13 is powered by the drive unit via a rotating shaft 19 and can rotate together with the disk top 12. In this embodiment, the reagent disc is composed of a combination of the disk top 12 and the disk bottom 13, but it may also be composed as a single unit. The cover 11 covers the top of the jacket 15 and has a container opening for inserting and removing the tube 27 between the inside and outside of the cooling chamber 10. It is desirable that the jacket 15 and cover 11 be made of an insulating material with low thermal conductivity. On the other hand, the upper disk 12, the lower disk 13, and the socket 14 are formed from resins such as polypropylene, polystyrene, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyester.

[0017] Next, we will explain the airflow using Figures 1 to 6. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken from a plane including the central axis of the cooling chamber and the container inlet / outlet, Figure 4 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the AA cross-section in Figure 3 and the container inlet / outlet, and Figure 5 is a simplified cross-section taken from a different plane than Figure 3 that includes the central axis of the cooling chamber, and shows the airflow inside the cooling chamber.

[0018] The air cooled by the cooling device 50 flows into the cooling chamber 10, as shown by arrow 31 in Figure 1, due to a fan (not shown) that is part of the cooling device 50. At this time, the air supplied from the cooling device 50 is taken into the cooling chamber 10 through the cooling chamber inlet 21 formed at the bottom of the jacket 15, as shown in Figure 4. In addition to the cooling chamber inlet 21, the jacket 15 also has a cooling chamber outlet 22 formed at the bottom for collecting the air that has circulated within the cooling chamber 10 and contributed to the cooling of the reagents back into the cooling device 50.

[0019] The air flowing into the cooling chamber 10 flows counterclockwise along the outer diameter side of the partition 26, as shown by arrow 33 in Figure 4. Here, the partition 26 is formed to protrude upward from the bottom surface of the jacket 15 and divides the outer diameter side space where the cooling chamber inlet 21 is located from the inner diameter side space where the cooling chamber outlet 22 is located. The air flows circumferentially and, as shown by arrow 34 in Figure 5, flows into the space inside the socket 14, i.e., the space where the reagent disc and tube 27 are located, through the air inlet 17 formed on the outer circumference side of the socket 14. The air that has cooled the tube 27 is sent out to the outside (bottom) of the socket 14 and to the space on the inner diameter side of the partition 26, through the air outlet 18 formed on the inner circumference side of the socket 14, as shown by arrow 35 in Figure 5. Subsequently, the air flows counterclockwise, as indicated by arrow 35 in Figure 4, and exits the cooling chamber 10 through the cooling chamber outlet 22, and is collected in the cooling device 50, as indicated by arrow 32 in Figure 1.

[0020] Furthermore, the airflow within the cooling chamber 10 is not limited to those described above. For example, if the cooling chamber inlet 21 is located in the inner diameter space and the cooling chamber outlet 22 is located in the outer diameter space, the airflow within the cooling chamber 10 will be clockwise. In this case, the air inlet 17 is formed on the inner circumferential side surface of the socket 14, and the air outlet 18 is formed on the outer circumferential side surface of the socket 14.

[0021] The airflow within the cooling chamber 10 described above is the main flow generated by the fan in the cooling device 50. In this embodiment, however, the flow path 23 in the cooling chamber 10 branches off a portion of the main flow to create an air curtain. That is, as shown in Figure 6, the flow path 23 in this embodiment takes in a portion of the air inside the cooling chamber 10 and blows it out horizontally downwards towards the container inlet / outlet 16. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 3.

[0022] The inlet 24 of the flow path 23 is located on the outer diameter side of the container inlet / outlet 16 and is formed in the part of the cover 11 that faces the socket 14. Specifically, air is drawn into the flow path 23 by connecting a through hole formed in the upper part of the socket 14 with an opening formed on the lower surface of the cover 11. In other words, since the inlet 24 is formed on the outer diameter side of the cover 11, air with a particularly strong flow (high flow velocity) from the main flow within the cooling chamber 10 can be drawn into the flow path 23.

[0023] Next, the details of the cover's configuration will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the top of the socket and the cover from diagonally above, and Figure 8 is a perspective view of Figure 7 from the back (View A). In each figure, arrow 37 indicates the flow of air from the inlet 24 through the flow path 23 toward the container inlet / outlet 16.

[0024] As mentioned above, if the main flow of air in the cooling chamber 10 is counterclockwise, it is thought that a strong air curtain can be generated if the branching flow path 23 is brought closer to the direction of the main flow. Therefore, it is desirable that the inlet 24 of the flow path 23 be located closer to the upstream side of the main flow than the container inlet / outlet 16.

[0025] The container inlet / outlet 16 has the shape of an elongated hole extending from the inner diameter side to the outer diameter side. The flow path 23 is formed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole in the container inlet / outlet 16. As a result, the airflow blown out from the flow path 23 is also perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container inlet / outlet 16, and the distance it crosses is shorter compared to when it crosses the container inlet / outlet 16 at an angle, making it difficult for outside air to enter from above the container inlet / outlet 16.

[0026] However, the airflow taken into the flow path 23 from the inlet 24 tends to flow towards the inner diameter. Therefore, in order to maintain the airflow blown out from the flow path 23 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container inlet 16, it is desirable to also provide a guide section that intentionally guides the air toward the outer diameter. Accordingly, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, a step 20 is formed on the lower surface of the cover 11 on the side opposite the flow path 23 with the container inlet 16 in between, as a guide section, extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container inlet 16.

[0027] According to this embodiment, an air curtain is generated in which air flows to block the area below the container inlet / outlet 16, thereby suppressing the intrusion of heat and moisture from the outside through the container inlet / outlet 16. Furthermore, since there is no need to install a heat source such as a fan inside the cooling chamber 10 to generate the air curtain, a temperature rise inside the cooling chamber 10 can be prevented. As a result, not only is condensation inside the cooling chamber 10 suppressed, but temperature rise and temperature unevenness can also be suppressed. [Examples]

[0028] The automated analyzer according to Example 2 will be described with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the area around the flow path of the cover of the automated analyzer according to Example 2. In this example, a shape is adopted in which the height dimension 23W of the flow path 23 is larger on the outer diameter side than on the inner diameter side, as a guide section that intentionally guides air toward the outer diameter side. As a result, the airflow, which tends to flow toward the inner diameter side, is straightened, and the airflow velocity across the container inlet / outlet 16 becomes uniform in the radial direction. In other words, there is no pressure difference in the longitudinal direction of the container inlet / outlet 16, and the effect of preventing air from entering from outside the refrigeration chamber 10 is enhanced. [Examples]

[0029] The automated analyzer according to Example 3 will be described with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the cover of the automated analyzer according to Example 3. In this example, a baffle plate 28 is formed in the middle of the flow path 23 to obstruct the flow on the inner diameter side, as a guide that intentionally guides air towards the outer diameter side. As a result, the airflow, which tends to flow towards the inner diameter side, is straightened, and the airflow velocity across the container inlet / outlet 16 becomes uniform in the radial direction. In other words, there is no pressure difference in the longitudinal direction of the container inlet / outlet 16, and the effect of preventing air from entering from outside the refrigeration chamber 10 is enhanced. [Examples]

[0030] The automated analyzer according to Example 4 will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6 of Example 4. In this example, a slope 25 is formed on the lower surface of the cover 11 in the portion facing the flow path 23 on either side of the container inlet / outlet 16, so that the cover 11 becomes thinner as it approaches the container inlet / outlet 16.

[0031] According to this embodiment, the air blown out from the flow path 23 is less likely to collide with the downstream side wall 29 of the container inlet / outlet 16, thus preventing it from flowing out of the cooling chamber 10 and making it easier to guide it into the cooling chamber 10. In other words, the effect of preventing air from entering the cooling chamber 10 from outside is enhanced. [Examples]

[0032] The automated analyzer according to Example 5 will be described with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6 of Example 5. Unlike Examples 1 to 4 described above, this example is equipped with an external fan 40 on the upper surface of the cover 11 of the cooling chamber 10, which generates an airflow that crosses above the container inlet / outlet 16. The external fan 40 can be composed of, for example, an axial fan, a through-flow fan, or a centrifugal fan.

[0033] In this embodiment, an air curtain is generated that flows so as to block the air above the container inlet / outlet 16, thereby suppressing the intrusion of heat and moisture from the outside through the container inlet / outlet 16. Furthermore, since the external fan 40 in this embodiment is installed outside the cooling chamber 10, it is possible to prevent the temperature inside the cooling chamber 10 from rising due to the heat generated by the external fan 40 itself. As a result, not only is condensation inside the cooling chamber 10 suppressed, but temperature rise and temperature unevenness can also be suppressed. In addition, unlike embodiments 1 to 4, in this embodiment there is no need to form a flow path 23 in the cover 11, so the structure of the cover 11 and socket 14 is simplified.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the external fan 40 increases the airflow velocity near the top surface 41 of the cover, which increases the heat transfer coefficient between the top surface 41 of the cover and the outside air, causing the temperature of the side walls surrounding the container inlet 16 (downstream side wall 29 and upstream side wall 30) to rise. As a result of this action, the temperature of the side walls surrounding the container inlet 16 becomes higher than the air temperature near the container inlet 16, which further suppresses the occurrence of condensation on the side walls surrounding the container inlet 16. [Examples]

[0035] The automated analyzer according to Example 6 will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6 of Example 6. Unlike Example 5, this example has a slope 42 formed on the upper surface of the cover 11 downstream of the container inlet / outlet 16, so that the cover 11 becomes thinner as it approaches the container inlet / outlet 16.

[0036] According to this embodiment, the air blown out from the external fan 40 is less likely to collide with the downstream side wall 29 of the container inlet / outlet 16, thus preventing it from flowing into the cooling chamber 10 and making it easier to guide it outside the cooling chamber 10. In other words, the effect of preventing air from entering the cooling chamber 10 from outside is enhanced. [Examples]

[0037] The automated analyzer according to Example 7 will be described with reference to Figure 14. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6 of Example 7. Unlike the external fan 40 of Example 5, the external fan 40 of this example blows air in a direction that is tilted upward with respect to the horizontal.

[0038] In this embodiment as well, the air blown out from the external fan 40 is less likely to collide with the downstream side wall 29 of the container inlet / outlet 16, thus preventing it from flowing into the cooling chamber 10 and making it easier to guide it outside the cooling chamber 10. In other words, the effect of preventing air from entering the cooling chamber 10 from outside is enhanced. [Examples]

[0039] The automated analyzer according to Example 8 will be described with reference to Figure 15. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6 of Example 8. Unlike Example 5, this example has another external fan 43 provided on the upper surface of the cover 11 on the opposite side of the container inlet / outlet 16 from the side with the external fan 40. It is desirable that the flow rates of the external fan 40 and the other external fan 43 are equivalent.

[0040] In this embodiment, the air 38 blown out from the external fan 40 has its flow spread suppressed and flows into another external fan 43. As a result, the air blown out from the external fan 40 is less likely to collide with the downstream side wall 29 of the container inlet / outlet 16, thus preventing it from flowing into the refrigeration chamber 10 and making it easier to guide it outside the refrigeration chamber 10. In other words, the effect of preventing air from entering the refrigeration chamber 10 from outside is enhanced. [Examples]

[0041] The automated analyzer according to Example 9 will be described with reference to Figure 16. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6 of Example 9. Unlike Example 8, this example has a jig 44 provided upstream of another external fan 43. This jig 44 is configured such that the flow path cross-sectional area decreases from the downstream side to the upstream side.

[0042] In this embodiment, the air blown out from the external fan 40 is compressed before flowing into the jig 44, thus suppressing the spread of the flow. As a result, the air blown out from the external fan 40 is less likely to collide with the downstream side wall 29 of the container inlet / outlet 16, preventing it from flowing into the refrigeration chamber 10 and making it easier to guide it outside the refrigeration chamber 10. In other words, the effect of preventing air from entering the refrigeration chamber 10 from outside is enhanced. [Examples]

[0043] The automated analyzer according to Example 10 will be described with reference to Figure 17. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6 of Example 10. Unlike Example 5, this example makes the distance between the bottom surface of the container inlet 16 and the reagent disc (disk top 12) longer than the distance between the bottom surface of the cover 11 and the reagent disc (disk top 12), thereby increasing the space below the container inlet 16. In other words, in this example, if the distance between the bottom surface of the cover 11 and the top surface of the disk top 12 is H1, and the distance between the bottom surface of the container inlet 16 and the top surface of the disk top 12 is H2, then H2 > H1.

[0044] In the case of a cover 11 like the one in this embodiment, the flow rate of air flowing into the cooling chamber 10 from outside the cooling chamber 10 through the container inlet / outlet 16 is as shown in Figure 18. Here, V2 is the air velocity downstream of the external fan 40, V1 is the air velocity below the container inlet / outlet 16 (on the cooling chamber 10 side), and V0 is the air velocity flowing near the tube 27 supported by the reagent disk. As shown in Figure 18, when V2 / V1 is a predetermined value, a smaller V1 results in a smaller inflow rate. On the other hand, if V0 is small, the overall cooling capacity of the cooling chamber decreases, and the temperature variation inside the cooling chamber 10 also increases, so a larger V0 is preferable. Therefore, it is preferable to increase V0 while decreasing V1.

[0045] In this embodiment, since only the space below the container inlet / outlet 16 is enlarged, V0 can remain large while V1 can be reduced, thereby reducing the airflow rate of air passing through the container inlet / outlet 16 and flowing into the cooling chamber 10. In addition, since the distance between the container inlet / outlet 16 and the disk surface 12 is increased, condensation that occurs on the disk surface 12, the disk surface 13, the tube 27, etc. is further suppressed.

[0046] The embodiments described above are explained in detail for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace or add to the configurations of one embodiment with those of another embodiment.

[0047] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, since the cover 11 also has a suction hole, although it is smaller than the container inlet 16, a flow path that generates airflow crossing below the suction hole or a fan that generates airflow crossing above the suction hole may be provided. Also, in embodiments 5 to 10 described above, the external fan 40 was installed upstream of the container inlet 16 with respect to the airflow inside the cooling chamber 10 (see arrow 33 in Figure 4), but the external fan 40 may also be installed downstream of the container inlet 16.

[0048] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments were explained using diagrams in which no lid is installed on the container inlet 16, a lid may be installed on the container inlet 16. In particular, in embodiments 5 to 10, when a lid is installed on the container inlet 16, control may be implemented such that the external fan 40 etc. operates when the lid is opened and stops when the lid is closed. Also, although the above-described embodiments were explained using a storage unit for keeping reagents cool as an example, the storage unit may be for keeping liquids other than reagents (for example, samples) cool. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 10... Cooling chamber, 11... Cover, 12... Top of disc, 13... Bottom of disc, 14... Socket, 15... Jacket, 16... Container inlet / outlet, 17... Air inlet, 18... Air outlet, 19... Rotating shaft, 20... Step, 21... Cooling chamber inlet, 22... Cooling chamber outlet, 23... Flow path, 24... Inlet, 25... Incline, 26... Partition, 27... Tube, 28... Baffle plate, 29... Downstream side wall of container inlet / outlet, 30... Upstream side wall of container inlet / outlet, 40... External fan, 41... Top of cover, 42... Incline, 43... Another external fan, 44... Jig, 50... Cooling device, 100... Refrigerator

Claims

1. An automated analyzer equipped with a refrigerator for keeping liquids cool, The aforementioned refrigerator comprises a cooling chamber for holding the liquid and a cooling device for generating and supplying cooling air to the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber comprises a rotatable disc that supports a container for holding liquid, a jacket that houses the disc, and a cover that covers the top of the jacket. The cover is formed with a container inlet for inserting and removing the container, and a flow path for generating airflow that crosses below the container inlet. The container opening does not pass through the center of the circular cover and has the shape of an elongated hole extending from the inner diameter side to the outer diameter side. The aforementioned flow path takes in a portion of the air inside the cooling chamber and blows it out horizontally downwards toward the container inlet and outlet. The inlet of the aforementioned flow path is located on the outer diameter side of the container inlet / outlet, The automatic analyzer is characterized in that the cover has a guide portion that guides the airflow, which is drawn into the flow path from the inlet and then directed toward the inner diameter side, toward the outer diameter side.

2. In the automated analyzer described in claim 1, The guide section is characterized in that the height dimension of the flow path is greater on the outer diameter side than on the inner diameter side.

3. In the automated analyzer described in claim 1, The guide portion is a baffle plate formed in the middle of the flow path that obstructs the flow on the inner diameter side, and is characterized by this automatic analysis device.

4. In the automated analyzer described in claim 1, An automated analyzer characterized in that the air introduced into the flow path is blown out perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole.

5. An automatic analyzer equipped with a cooler for keeping liquids cool, The aforementioned refrigerator comprises a cooling chamber for holding the liquid and a cooling device for generating and supplying cooling air to the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber comprises a rotatable disc that supports a container for holding liquid, a jacket that houses the disc, and a cover that covers the top of the jacket. The cover is formed with a container inlet for inserting and removing the container, and a flow path for generating airflow that crosses below the container inlet. The aforementioned flow path takes in a portion of the air inside the cooling chamber and blows it out horizontally downwards toward the container inlet and outlet. An automated analyzer characterized in that the lower surface of the cover is sloped in the portion facing the flow path on either side of the container inlet, and the cover becomes thinner as it approaches the container inlet.

6. An automatic analyzer equipped with a cooler for keeping liquids cool, The aforementioned refrigerator comprises a cooling chamber for holding the liquid and a cooling device for generating and supplying cooling air to the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber comprises a rotatable disc that supports a container for holding liquid, a jacket that houses the disc, and a cover that covers the top of the jacket. The cover is formed with a container inlet for inserting and removing the container, and a flow path for generating airflow that crosses below the container inlet. The aforementioned flow path takes in a portion of the air inside the cooling chamber and blows it out horizontally downwards toward the container inlet and outlet. The cooling chamber further comprises a socket positioned within the jacket for rectifying the airflow within the jacket. The automatic analyzer is characterized in that the inlet of the flow path is located on the outer diameter side of the container inlet and outlet and is formed in a portion facing the socket.

7. In the automated analyzer according to claim 6, The jacket has an inlet for taking in cooling air supplied from the cooling device and an outlet for returning the air that has circulated within the cooling chamber and cooled the container back to the cooling device. The socket is formed with an air inlet for allowing cooling air taken into the jacket from the inlet to flow in, and an air outlet for allowing air to flow out into the space where the outlet is located. The main stream of cooling air taken in from the air inlet cools the container and reaches the air outlet. An automated analyzer characterized in that air branched off from the main flow of cooling air is taken into the aforementioned flow path.

8. An automated analyzer equipped with a refrigerator for keeping liquids cool, The aforementioned refrigerator comprises a cooling chamber for holding the liquid and a cooling device for generating and supplying cooling air to the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber comprises a rotatable disc that supports a container for holding liquid, a jacket that houses the disc, and a cover that covers the top of the jacket. The cover has a container opening for inserting and removing the container. An automatic analyzer characterized in that a fan is provided on the upper surface of the cover to generate an airflow that crosses above the container inlet.

9. In the automated analyzer according to claim 8, An automated analyzer characterized in that, downstream of the container inlet / outlet, the upper surface of the cover is sloped, and the cover becomes thinner as it approaches the container inlet / outlet.

10. In the automated analyzer according to claim 8, The aforementioned fan is characterized by blowing air in a direction that is tilted upward with respect to the horizontal direction.

11. In the automated analyzer according to claim 8, An automated analyzer characterized in that, on the side with the aforementioned fan and on the opposite side of the container inlet / outlet, a separate fan is provided on the upper surface of the cover.

12. In the automated analyzer according to claim 8, An automated analyzer characterized in that the distance between the lower surface of the container inlet and the disc is greater than the distance between the bottom surface of the cover and the disc.

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