Gripping mechanism, storage device, and gripping method

Abstract

Provided are: a first gripping arm 24a and a second gripping arm 24b that are disposed around a vertical axis, are pivotally supported so as to be swingable along a horizontal support shaft, and grip an object at a lower end; a gripping spring 27 that applies a gripping force to the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b; a plurality of control arms 29a and 29b that are provided as a pair with the first gripping arm 42a and the second gripping arm 24b and that control the opening / closing operations of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b; and an arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and an arm relative displacement detector 35b in which an output signal changes when the distance between the first and second gripping arms 24a, 24b and the control arms 29a, 29b expands to a prescribed amount or greater by the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b gripping the objects with a prescribed force. Thereby, a gripping mechanism that can achieve a more compact design compared to conventional gripping mechanisms and that exhibits increased reliability by detecting the state in which a stable gripping force is generated, as well as a storage device and a gripping method are provided.

Description

Gripping mechanism, storage device, and gripping method

[0001] The present invention relates to a gripping mechanism, a storage device, and a gripping method.

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a specimen container gripping device that grips specimen containers containing specimens, which waits outside the transport path that transports the specimen carrier until the specimen carrier on which the specimen container is placed is transported to a predetermined position, and when the specimen carrier is transported to the predetermined position, moves horizontally toward the transport path and grips the specimen container horizontally at the predetermined position.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-71381

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art Automated analyzers, such as biochemical automated analyzers, analyze the components of biological samples such as serum and urine and output the results.

[0005] In such automated analyzers, quality control is generally performed using standard samples and quality control samples when necessary, such as when starting up each morning or when new reagents are added, and these samples are transferred to sample containers for convenience. The sample containers are stored in a storage cabinet within the automated analyzer, and when analyzing the corresponding item or performing quality control, they are transferred from the storage cabinet to a transport container by a gripping mechanism and then discharged to the analysis unit. For this reason, the automated analyzer is provided with a gripping mechanism that can grip the sample container and access the storage cabinet and transport container within the automated analyzer.

[0006] An example of such a technique is the technique described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1.

[0007] The gripping mechanism for gripping the sample container, for example, grips the sample container containing a standard sample or a quality control sample by pinching it with multiple arms. In this state, it is desirable to grip the sample container with a stable gripping force so that the sample container can be removed from the storage cabinet or transport container and placed back into the storage cabinet or transport container.

[0008] Furthermore, there are many types of sample containers, so it is desirable to ensure stable gripping of sample containers of various diameters.

[0009] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is only by checking the relationship between the ON and OFF states of the two sensors that it is possible to confirm whether or not the object is being grasped.

[0010] Depending on the device configuration, it may be necessary to move the device up and down while grasping the object to be grasped. In such cases, further weight reduction and miniaturization are required, which necessitates a new separate configuration.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a gripping mechanism, storage device, and gripping method that can be made smaller than conventional ones and have improved reliability by detecting a state in which a stable gripping force is generated.

[0012] The present invention includes a number of means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example thereof includes a number of gripping arms arranged around a vertical axis, pivotally supported along a horizontal support axis so as to be swingable, and gripping an object at their lower ends; a biasing member that applies a gripping force to the lower ends of the plurality of gripping arms; a number of control arms that are paired with the plurality of gripping arms and control the opening and closing operations of the gripping arms; and a state sensor whose output signal changes when the gripping arm grips the object with a predetermined force, causing the distance between the gripping arm and the control arm to increase by more than a predetermined amount.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve a smaller size than conventional devices and improve reliability by detecting a state in which a stable gripping force is generated. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the following description of the embodiments.

[0014] 1 is a schematic plan view of an automatic analyzer including a container storage device equipped with a gripping mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a container storage device equipped with a gripping mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a gripping mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a gripping mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a gripping mechanism according to an embodiment, showing a state in which the gripping arms of the gripping mechanism according to an embodiment are open; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a state in which the gripping rubbers of the gripping mechanism according to an embodiment are in contact with a sample container; FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a state in which an arm relative displacement detector of the gripping mechanism according to an embodiment has detected an arm relative displacement detection plate; FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a diameter identification operation of the gripping mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG. 9 is a view for explaining a diameter identification operation of the gripping mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a diameter identification operation of the gripping mechanism according to an embodiment;

[0015] 1 to 6D, embodiments of the gripping mechanism, storage device, and gripping method of the present invention will be described. In the drawings used in this specification, identical or similar reference numerals are used to designate identical or corresponding components, and repeated description of these components may be omitted.

[0016] First, the overall configuration of a container storage device 1 equipped with a gripping mechanism and storing containers as objects will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the container storage device equipped with a gripping mechanism, and Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the container storage device, viewed in the direction of the arrow T in Figure 1.

[0017] The container storage device 1 according to this embodiment is one component of an automatic analyzer 100 having an analyzer 101, a pre-processing device 102, or a post-processing device, as shown in FIG. 1, and comprises a housing 2 having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, as shown in FIG. 2, and the housing 2 comprises a first side 3 which is the rear surface, a pair of second side surfaces 4a, 4b provided in the front-to-rear direction on both the left and right sides of the first side surface 3, a third side surface 5 which is the front surface, a top surface 6, a bottom surface 7, and a rear recess 8 formed by cutting out the lower rear surface of the housing 2 to form a space.

[0018] The automatic analyzer 100 may include one or more of the analyzer 101, pre-processing device 102, post-processing device, and container storage device 1, or may be omitted, and may be modified as appropriate depending on the system configuration.

[0019] The second left and right side surfaces 4a, 4b are connected to a transport path connected to the outside or to an analyzer 101, and racks carrying sample containers or used empty containers can be transported in and out of the outside.

[0020] Inside the housing 2, a first transport path 9 is provided for transporting racks in the left-right direction along the first side surface 3.

[0021] A cylindrical storage cabinet 10 with a vertical central axis is provided in the space adjacent to the front of the first transport path 9 and sandwiched between the pair of second side surfaces 4a, 4b. The interior of this storage cabinet 10 is cooled by a cooling unit 20 to a temperature lower than room temperature.

[0022] The second transport path 11 can transport and transfer sample containers 15 containing QC samples 16 using a gripping mechanism 21 among a first receiving position 12 provided on the first transport path 9, a second receiving position 13 provided in the storage cabinet 10, and a third receiving position 23 provided with a rotation mechanism (not shown for convenience of illustration) for reading the barcodes of the sample containers 15 from racks transported to the first transport path 9 in order to identify the samples before placing them in their installation locations within the storage cabinet 10. The second transport path 11 is supported by second transport path supports 17 on a base member 18.

[0023] The rotation mechanism is comprised of a barcode reader for reading the identification barcode attached to the outer circumferential side of the sample container 15 and a rotating device for rotating the sample container 15 to align the orientation of the barcode, and is installed at the third receiving position 23. This rotation mechanism is always visited when a sample container 15 is stored in the repository 10 and also when it is removed, so that it can be confirmed that the sample being stored or removed is the desired one.

[0024] A cylindrical storage cabinet 10 holds a plurality of sample containers 15 containing specimens, and the sample containers 15 located at the second receiving position 13 are accessible via the second transport path 11. The sample containers 15 are removed from the storage cabinet 10 and transferred to the first receiving position 12 provided on the first transport path 9 along a container transfer trajectory 19, and the sample containers 15 are removed from the first receiving position 12 and stored or discharged into the storage cabinet 10 along the container transfer trajectory 19.

[0025] The control device 14 is equipped with, for example, a control computer, drive circuits for each drive motor, a control circuit for the barcode reader, a memory device for read barcodes, a signal detection circuit for various sensors, a control circuit for the cooling device, a display circuit for the monitor, etc., and controls various operations of the container storage device 1.

[0026] The control device 14 is connected to the devices within the above-described automatic analyzer 100, and controls the operation of each device and mechanism within the automatic analyzer 100. The control device 14 is a computer equipped with a CPU, memory, etc., and performs calculations to determine the concentration of a predetermined component in the sample from the detection results of the analyzer 101.

[0027] The control of the operation of each device by the control device 14 is executed based on various programs recorded in the storage device. In addition to the various programs used for measuring samples, the storage device stores various parameters input via the input device, information on the sample to be measured (such as sample type information), measurement results, etc.

[0028] The control processes for the operations executed by the control device 14 may be integrated into a single program, or may be divided into multiple programs, or may be a combination of these. Furthermore, some or all of the programs may be realized by dedicated hardware or may be modularized.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control device 14 determines that the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are not gripping an object when the output signal of the gripping sensor 34, which is composed of the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and the arm relative displacement detector 35b, is a first predetermined value, and determines that the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are gripping an object when the output signal is a second predetermined value. Preferably, the control device 14 can further determine whether the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are merely touching the object based on the distance detected by the displacement amount sensors 42, 42A. Details of this will be described later using Figures 5A to 5C.

[0030] Next, the gripping mechanism will be outlined with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism.

[0031] The gripping mechanism 21 is supported by a gripping mechanism vertical movement rail 22 so as to be vertically movable, and is driven by a motor (not shown in the drawings).

[0032] The gripping mechanism 21 is capable of moving a distance N between a lower end position where the sample container 15 is placed at the first receiving position 12, the second receiving position 13 and the third receiving position 23, and an upper end position where the lower end of the sample container 15 is at a position at least higher than the top surface of the storage cabinet 10 and is at a height sufficient to prevent interference with other components when the sample container 15 is moved horizontally between the first receiving position 12 and the second receiving position 13.

[0033] The lower end of the gripping mechanism 21 is composed of a first gripping arm 24a and a second gripping arm 24b that are arranged radially and can be opened and closed, and is configured to be driven by a motor to move between an open position in which the opening amount of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b is greater than the diameter of the sample container 15, and a gripping position in which the sample container 15 is gripped with a predetermined force.

[0034] Next, the details of the gripping mechanism will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism in this embodiment.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4 etc., the gripping mechanism 21 includes a first gripping arm 24a, a second gripping arm 24b, a gripping rubber 25, an up / down slider 26, a gripping spring 27, an abnormal descent sensor 28, control arms 29a, 29b, a spiral cam 30, a drive motor 31, a cam rotation detector 32, an attitude member 33, a gripping sensor 34 consisting of an arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and an arm relative displacement detector 35b, a diameter detector 36, a spiral cam detection plate 37, a member 38, etc.

[0036] The first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b grip an object by pinching the object between them, and are arranged radially at the lower end of the gripping mechanism 21. In other words, they are arranged around the vertical shaft 40, are pivotally supported so as to be swingable along a horizontal support shaft, and grip an object at their lower ends.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are shown as an example in which two gripping arms are arranged opposite each other, but the number of gripping arms is not limited to two, and as long as they can grip and release the sample container 15, they may be three, four arranged at 90° intervals, or even five or more.

[0038] The first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are provided with gripping rubbers 25 on the surfaces that come into contact with the sample container 15. Because the gripping rubbers 25 come into contact with the sample container 15, it is desirable that they have a buffer material and chemical resistance, but this is not necessarily the case.

[0039] The first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are each rotatably supported by an upper and lower slider 26, and their upper ends are connected to a compression spring 27. The gripping spring 27 causes the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b to move in a direction in which their tips approach each other, thereby enabling them to grip the sample container 15.

[0040] The first gripping arm 24a, the second gripping arm 24b, the vertical slider 26, and the gripping spring 27 are integrally configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0041] The abnormal descent sensor 28 is configured to detect when the lower end of the first gripping arm 24a, the second gripping arm 24b or the gripped sample container 15 hits against each other due to an abnormal state and rises vertically.

[0042] Furthermore, the first gripping arm 24a is pivotally supported at its central portion at a connecting portion 39 so as to be swingable horizontally relative to the control arm 29a, and the second gripping arm 24b is pivotally supported at its central portion at a connecting portion 39 so as to be swingable horizontally relative to the control arm 29b.

[0043] These control arms 29 a, 29 b are provided in pairs with the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b, and are arms that control the opening and closing operations of the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b. When the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b are not gripping anything, they open and close together with the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b, and when the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b are closing to grip an object, the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b do not move in the closing direction, and the control arms 29 a, 29 b move away from the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b.

[0044] Of the control arms 29a, 29b, the control arm 29a that pairs with the first gripping arm 24a is in contact with the outer periphery of the upper end of the first gripping arm 24a at the inner periphery of its upper end via a member 38.

[0045] At the upper end of the gripping mechanism 21, a spiral cam 30, a drive motor 31, and a cam rotation detector 32 are provided.

[0046] The spiral cam 30 is connected to the control arms 29 a, 29 b via a positioning member 33, and its rotation causes the control arms 29 a, 29 b to open and close in synchronization. Specifically, the spiral cam 30 has the role of converting the power of the drive motor 31 into the opening and closing motion of the first gripping arm 24 a and the second gripping arm 24 b via the control arms 29 a, 29 b.

[0047] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the rotational movement of the spiral cam 30 is converted into the opening and closing movement of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0048] The arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and the arm relative displacement detector 35b are rotatably supported on the control arm 29a and are disposed so as to be in constant contact with the first gripping arm 24a via a member 38.

[0049] The output signals of the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and the arm relative displacement detector 35b change depending on the position of the member 38, i.e., the relative positional relationship between the control arm 29a and the first gripping arm 24a. The output signal changes when the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b grip an object with a predetermined force, causing the distance between the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b and the control arms 29a and 29b to increase by a predetermined amount or more. More specifically, the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a is composed of a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, and the output signal changes depending on whether the arm relative displacement detector 35b is located on its optical axis and the optical axis is blocked (a second predetermined value) or not (a first predetermined value). Details will be described later.

[0050] The displacement sensor 42 is a sensor, such as a laser rangefinder, that detects the distance between the control arm 29 a and the first gripping arm 24 a. The displacement sensor 42 does not need to be provided inside the gripping mechanism, but may be installed outside the mechanism, as long as it can measure the distance between the control arm 29 a and the first gripping arm 24 a.

[0051] In addition, instead of the displacement sensor 42 configured to detect the distance between the control arm 29a and the first gripping arm 24a, a displacement sensor 42A that detects the distance between the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, a sensor that detects the distance between the control arm 29b and the second gripping arm 24b, or a sensor that detects the distance between one or more of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b and the sample container 15 may be used.

[0052] The diameter detector 36 and the spiral cam detection plate 37 are sensors whose output signals change depending on the distance between the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b at the portion where the object is gripped, and output different signals for a first opening amount, which is the amount of opening between the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b when the object falls within a first diameter range, and a second opening amount, which is the amount of opening between the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b when the object falls within a second diameter range that does not fall within the first diameter range. Specifically, the output signals differ depending on the rotation angle of the spiral cam 30 corresponding to the first opening amount and the rotation angle of the spiral cam 30 corresponding to the second opening amount. Details of this will be described later using Figures 6A to 6D.

[0053] The first diameter range does not have to be a single range, but may be multiple ranges. For example, this can accommodate a case where containers of two different diameters are OK, but containers of a second diameter range that does not fall within the first diameter range are judged to be NG.

[0054] The cam rotation detector 32 is a sensor for confirming the position of each operating mechanism when it is positioned or when it stops abnormally, and is provided to determine, for example, whether the spiral cam 30 is positioned at a predetermined stop position or at a home position, i.e., whether the first gripping arm 24a, the second gripping arm 24b and the control arms 29a, 29b are positioned at a predetermined stop position or at a home position.

[0055] Of the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a, arm relative displacement detector 35b, displacement sensors 42, 42A, diameter detector 36, spiral cam detection plate 37, and cam rotation detector 32, it is desirable that at least the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a, arm relative displacement detector 35b, diameter detector 36, spiral cam detection plate 37, and cam rotation detector 32 be movable up and down in the vertical direction together with the first gripping arm 24a, second gripping arm 24b, and control arms 29a, 29b, but it is desirable that at least the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and arm relative displacement detector 35b be movable up and down in the vertical direction. Note that the displacement sensors 42, 42A do not need to be movable up and down in the vertical direction together with the first gripping arm 24a, second gripping arm 24b, and control arms 29a, 29b, and are optional.

[0056] 5A to 5C, the gripping operation of the gripping mechanism 21 will be described. Fig. 5A is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism with the gripping arms open, Fig. 5B is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism with the gripping rubbers in contact with the sample container, and Fig. 5C is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism with the arm relative displacement detector detecting the arm relative displacement detection plate.

[0057] 5A shows the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b in an open state. The spiral cam 30 is rotated by operating the drive motor 31, and the positioning member 33 is moved toward the center of the gripping mechanism 21. As a result, the control arms 29a, 29b and the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are in close contact with each other, and the gripping spring 27 is compressed, and the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are positioned in an open state.

[0058] 5B shows the state in which the gripping rubber 25 is in contact with the sample container 15. Operating the drive motor 31 rotates the spiral cam 30, moving the positioning member 33 radially. As a result, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b operate in close contact with the control arms 29a and 29b due to the gripping spring 27, and the lower tips of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b move in the direction of gripping the sample container 15. At this timing, the distance between the second gripping arm 24b and the sample container 15 is "0." Therefore, based on the detection results of the displacement sensors 42 and 42A, it can be determined that the lower tips of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are in contact with the sample container 15. However, it is not possible to determine whether a gripping force is being applied to the sample container 15 solely based on the detection results of the displacement sensors 42 and 42A.

[0059] 5C shows a state in which the arm relative displacement detector 35b detects the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a. With the gripping rubber 25 of the first gripping arm 24a and the gripping rubber 25 of the second gripping arm 24b in contact with the sample container 15, the drive motor 31 is operated to rotate the spiral cam 30.

[0060] As a result, the attitude member 33 moves radially outward, and the upper ends of the control arms 29 a, 29 b move radially outward. Accordingly, the lower ends of the control arms 29 a, 29 b and the first gripping arms 24 a, 24 b connected to the lower ends of the control arms 29 a, 29 b via the connecting parts 39 try to move radially inward, but because the lower ends of the first gripping arms 24 a, 24 b are in contact with the sample container 15, they cannot move radially inward and remain in that position.

[0061] This causes a relative displacement between the control arms 29 a, 29 b and the first gripping arm 24 a, 24 b, which had been in close contact with each other. The arm relative displacement detection plate 35 a is always in contact with the first gripping arm 24 a, 24 b by the member 38, so that the arm relative displacement detection plate 35 a rotates radially inward due to the relative displacement, thereby blocking light from the arm relative displacement detector 35 b, making it possible to detect the generation of a gripping force on the sample container 15.

[0062] In this way, the arms that grip the sample container 15 are divided into the first gripping arm 24a, the second gripping arm 24b, and the control arms 29a, 29b that control the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, and by capturing the relative displacement, it is possible to detect the generation of a gripping force as a displacement. In other words, it is possible to ensure a state in which a stable gripping force is generated, resulting in a highly reliable gripping mechanism 21.

[0063] Here, the number of control arms 29a, 29b and attitude members 33 is not limited.

[0064] Next, the diameter identification operation of the sample container 15 to be gripped will be described with reference to Figures 6A to 6D. Figures 6A to 6D are diagrams for explaining the diameter identification operation of the gripping mechanism.

[0065] The diameter detector 36 and the spiral cam detection plate 37 are sensors for detecting whether the object to be grasped is appropriate, the spiral cam detection plate 37 is a plate with slits provided on the upper surface of the spiral cam 30, and the diameter detector 36 is a sensor whose output signal changes depending on the presence or absence of the spiral cam detection plate 37. More specifically, the diameter detector 36 is composed of a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, and the output signal changes depending on whether the spiral cam detection plate 37 is present on its optical axis and blocks the optical axis, or whether the optical axis is not blocked by the slits in the spiral cam detection plate 37.

[0066] 6A shows the origin (a state in which the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closed). As shown in Fig. 6A, the upper end of the positioning member 33 is inserted into a hole provided in the spiral cam 30, and the spiral cam 30 holds the positioning member 33 at a position away from the rotation axis of the spiral cam 30. As a result, the upper ends of the control arms 29a and 29b are held at a position away from the rotation axis of the spiral cam 30, while the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, which are supported by the control arms 29a and 29b via the connecting portions 39, are held in a closed state.

[0067] 6B shows the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b in a fully open state. As shown in Fig. 6B, as the spiral cam 30 rotates, the positioning member 33 moves toward the center of the rotation axis of the spiral cam 30, and the upper ends of the control arms 29a and 29b move toward the center of the rotation axis of the spiral cam 30, while the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, which are supported by the control arms 29a and 29b via the connecting portions 39, are in an open state.

[0068] 6C and 6D show a state in which the sample container 15 is gripped by the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, that is, a state in which the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a is detected by the arm relative displacement detector 35b.

[0069] FIG. 6C shows a state in which a sample container 15 that meets predetermined specifications (a size that can be stored in the container storage device 1) is being held.

[0070] In the structure of the gripping mechanism of this embodiment, the positions of the upper ends of the control arms 29a and 29b, i.e., the circumferential position of the slit in the spiral cam detection plate 37, are determined depending on the positions of the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b. However, when a sample container 15 within specifications is held as shown in FIG. 6C, the slit portion of the spiral cam detection plate 37 is positioned on the optical axis of the diameter detector 36 and is in a state where it transmits light.

[0071] In contrast, Figure 6D shows a state in which a sample container 15 that does not meet the predetermined specifications is being held. When a sample container 15 that does not meet the specifications is being held as shown in Figure 6D, the spiral cam detection plate 37 with a slit is positioned on the optical axis of the diameter detector 36, blocking light.

[0072] As shown in Figures 6C and 6D, by detecting the rotation angle of the spiral cam 30 when the relative displacement of the arms according to the positions of the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b is detected, a signal that differs depending on the diameter of the gripped sample container 15 can be output.

[0073] This makes it possible to determine whether the sample container 15 can be stored in the device or not, and to select a storage location depending on the diameter of the sample container 15.

[0074] The status of each sensor during these operations will be described below. First, the flow of the operation of storing the sample container 15 to be grasped in the repository 10 will be described.

[0075] First, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are opened on the first transport path 9. Then, the arm starts to descend from the upper limit point on the first transport path 9. At this time, if the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes detected, it is determined that an object has been contacted and the operation is stopped.

[0076] Thereafter, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closed to grip the sample container 15. At this time, if the sensor status of the gripping sensor 34 is not detected, it is determined that the sample container 15 has been missed, and the operation is stopped. Also, if the sensor status of the gripping sensor 34 is detection OK, but the status of the diameter detector 36 is NG, meaning that the sensor status is inappropriate, it is determined that a non-specification sample container 15 is being transported on the first transport path 9, and the operation is stopped.

[0077] It is possible to make a judgment from the number of pulses without installing a diameter detector 36, and when grasping, the number of operating pulses is counted, and if it is below a first reference value, it is determined to be a non-specification tube (small diameter) and the operation is stopped, and if the number of operating pulses is above a second reference value, it is determined to be a non-specification tube (large diameter) and the operation is stopped.

[0078] Thereafter, the sample container 15 is raised to the upper limit while being gripped, and is moved along the container transfer trajectory 19 from the first receiving position 12 on the first transport path 9 to the third receiving position 23 on the rotation mechanism. At this time, if the gripping sensor 34 fails to detect the sample, it can be determined that the sample has fallen and the operation can be stopped.

[0079] Next, the sample container 15 is lowered from the upper limit point and placed on the rotation mechanism. At this time, the sample container 15 is lowered until the bottom surface of the sample container 15 is just above the rotation mechanism. At this time, if the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes "detected," it is determined that contact with an object has occurred, and the installation operation on the rotation mechanism is stopped. Thereafter, the sample container 15 is further lowered for pushing until the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes "detected," and the sample container 15 is actually pressed against the rotation mechanism. If the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 does not become "detected" during this further descent, it is determined that installation has failed (there are multiple causes for this), and the installation operation on the rotation mechanism is stopped.

[0080] Then, a "tightening" operation is performed to align the spiral cam detection plate 37 so that it is positioned on the optical axis of the diameter detector 36, as shown in Figure 6A. Furthermore, since the spring 41 was used to push the sample container down, a "cushion release" operation is performed to loosen the force to prevent it from popping out if suddenly released. After that, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are opened, and the sample container 15 is released. After the release, the arm rises to its upper limit. Around this time, the barcode is read by the rotation mechanism.

[0081] After the barcode is read, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are lowered from their upper limit points. If the abnormal descent sensor 28 detects a detection status, it is determined that the arm has come into contact with an object, and the operation is stopped.

[0082] Thereafter, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closed to grip the sample container 15. At this time, if the sensor status of the gripping sensor 34 cannot be detected, it is determined that the sample container 15 has not been gripped, and the operation is stopped. Note that, here, diameter detection is OK at the stage of the first transport path 9, so diameter detection is skipped.

[0083] Furthermore, if the sensor status of the diameter detector 36 is judged to be NG even at this stage, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications and the operation can be stopped. Alternatively, when gripping, the number of operating pulses can be counted, and if it is below a first reference value, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications (small diameter) and the operation can be stopped, and if the number of operating pulses is above a second reference value, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications (large diameter) and the operation can be stopped.

[0084] Thereafter, the sample container 15 is raised to the upper limit while being gripped, and is moved along the container transfer trajectory 19 from the third receiving position 23 on the rotation mechanism to the second receiving position 13 on the storage cabinet 10. At this time, if the detection of the gripping sensor 34 is lost, it can be determined that the sample has fallen and the operation can be stopped.

[0085] Thereafter, in the same manner as when the sample container 15 was previously placed on the rotating mechanism, the sample container 15 is lowered from the upper limit point and placed in the storage cabinet 10. At this time, the sample container 15 is lowered until the bottom surface of the sample container 15 is just above the storage cabinet 10. At this time, if the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes detected, it is determined that contact with an object has occurred, and the operation of storing the sample container 15 in the storage cabinet 10 is stopped. Thereafter, a further downward push is performed until the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes detected, and the sample container 15 is actually pressed against the storage cabinet 10. If the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 does not become detected during this further descent, it is determined that the installation has failed (there are multiple factors involved), and the operation of storing the sample container 15 in the storage cabinet 10 is stopped.

[0086] Similarly, after "tightening" and "cushion release" are performed, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are opened to release the sample container 15. After the release, the sample container 15 rises to the upper limit point.

[0087] Then, the container is moved along the container transfer trajectory 19 from the second receiving position 13 on the storage cabinet 10 to the first receiving position 12 on the first conveying path 9, and the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closed to return to the home position, thereby completing the storage operation.

[0088] Next, the flow of the ejection operation will be described.

[0089] First, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are opened at the first receiving position 12 on the first conveying path 9, and moved along the container transfer trajectory 19 from the first receiving position 12 on the first conveying path 9 to the second receiving position 13 on the storage cabinet 10.

[0090] Next, the robot starts descending from the upper limit of the second receiving position 13. At this time, if the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes "detected," it is determined that the robot has come into contact with an object and the operation is stopped.

[0091] Thereafter, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closed to grip the sample container 15. At this time, if the sensor status of the gripping sensor 34 cannot be detected, it is determined that the sample container 15 has not been gripped, and the operation is stopped. Note that, in this case, diameter detection is OK at the stage when the sample container has already been stored in the repository 10, so diameter detection is skipped here.

[0092] Furthermore, if the sensor status of the diameter detector 36 is judged to be NG even at this stage, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications and the operation can be stopped. Alternatively, when gripping, the number of operating pulses can be counted, and if it is below a first reference value, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications (small diameter) and the operation can be stopped, and if the number of operating pulses is above a second reference value, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications (large diameter) and the operation can be stopped.

[0093] Thereafter, the sample container 15 is raised to the upper limit while being gripped, and is moved along the container transfer trajectory 19 from the second receiving position 13 on the storage cabinet 10 to the third receiving position 23 on the rotation mechanism. At this time, if the gripping sensor 34 fails to detect the sample, it can be determined that the sample has fallen and the operation can be stopped.

[0094] Thereafter, the sample container 15 is lowered from the upper limit point to place the previous sample container 15 on the rotation mechanism, in the same manner as when placing the sample container 15 on the rotation mechanism during storage. At this time, the sample container 15 is lowered until the bottom surface of the sample container 15 is just above the rotation mechanism. At this time, if the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes "detected," it is determined that contact with an object has occurred, and the installation operation on the rotation mechanism is stopped. Thereafter, further downward pushing is performed until the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes "detected," and the sample container 15 is actually pressed against the rotation mechanism. If the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 does not become "detected" during this further descent, it is determined that the installation has failed (there are multiple causes for this), and the installation operation on the rotation mechanism is stopped.

[0095] Similarly, after "tightening" and "cushion release" are performed, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are opened to release the sample container 15. After the release, the sample container 15 rises to its upper limit. Before and after this, the barcode is read by the rotation mechanism.

[0096] After the barcode is read, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are lowered from their upper limit points. If the abnormal descent sensor 28 detects a detection status, it is determined that the arm has come into contact with an object, and the operation is stopped.

[0097] Thereafter, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closed to grip the sample container 15. At this time, if the sensor status of the gripping sensor 34 cannot be detected, it is determined that the sample container 15 has not been gripped, and the operation is stopped. Note that, even here, diameter detection is OK when the sample container has already been stored in the repository 10, so diameter detection is skipped here.

[0098] Furthermore, if the sensor status of the diameter detector 36 is judged to be NG even at this stage, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications and the operation can be stopped. Alternatively, when gripping, the number of operating pulses can be counted, and if it is below a first reference value, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications (small diameter) and the operation can be stopped, and if the number of operating pulses is above a second reference value, it can be determined that the tube is out of specifications (large diameter) and the operation can be stopped.

[0099] Thereafter, the sample container 15 is raised to the upper limit while being gripped, and is moved along the container transfer trajectory 19 from the third receiving position 23 on the rotation mechanism to the first receiving position 12 on the first transport path 9. At this time, if the detection of the gripping sensor 34 is lost, it can be determined that the sample has fallen and the operation can be stopped.

[0100] Thereafter, the sample container 15 is similarly lowered from the upper limit point to place the previous sample container 15 in the sample rack on the first transport path 9. At this time, the sample container 15 is lowered until the bottom surface of the sample container 15 is just above the sample rack. At this time, if the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes "detected," it is determined that an object has been contacted, and the operation of placing the sample container 15 in the sample rack is stopped. Thereafter, a further downward push is performed until the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 becomes "detected," and the sample container 15 is actually pressed against the sample rack. If the sensor status of the abnormal descent sensor 28 does not become "detected" during this further descent, it is determined that the placement has failed (there are multiple causes for this), and the operation of placing the sample container 15 in the sample rack is stopped.

[0101] Similarly, after "tightening" and "cushion release" are performed, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are opened to release the sample container 15. After the release, the sample container 15 rises to the upper limit. After that, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closed to return to the home position, and the discharge operation is completed.

[0102] In this way, by providing multiple sensors different from the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and arm relative displacement detector 35b, the diameter detector 36 and spiral cam detection plate 37, and the cam rotation detector 32, reliability can be ensured.

[0103] In this embodiment, an example of a detection method using the rotation angle of the spiral cam 30 is shown, but the detection method is not limited to the rotation angle of the spiral cam. As long as the opening amount of the gripping arms can be detected, a similar effect can be obtained.

[0104] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0105] The gripping mechanism of the present embodiment described above comprises: a first gripping arm 24a and a second gripping arm 24b that are arranged around a vertical axis and pivotally supported along a horizontal support axis to grip an object at their lower ends; a gripping spring 27 that applies a gripping force to the lower ends of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b; a plurality of control arms 29a, 29b that are paired with the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b and control the opening and closing operations of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b; and an arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and an arm relative displacement detector 35b whose output signal changes when the first gripping arm 24a, the second gripping arm 24b, and the second gripping arm 24b grip the object with a predetermined force, causing the distance between the first gripping arm 24a, the second gripping arm 24b and the control arm 29a, 29b to increase by a predetermined amount or more.

[0106] This makes it possible to detect whether or not a stable gripping force is being generated using only the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and the arm relative displacement detector 35b, thereby achieving the effects of making the device more compact than conventional configurations and improving the reliability of the gripping mechanism compared to conventional configurations.

[0107] Furthermore, when the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are not gripping anything, the control arms 29a and 29b open and close together with the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, and when the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are closing to grip an object, the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b do not move in the closing direction, and the control arms 29a and 29b move away from the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, making it possible to determine with a simple configuration whether a stable gripping force is being generated and to reliably detect it.

[0108] Furthermore, the device is further equipped with a diameter detector 36 and a spiral cam detection plate 37 that output different signals for a first opening amount, which is the amount by which the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b open when the object falls within a first diameter range, and a second opening amount, which is the amount by which the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b open when the object falls within a second diameter range that does not fall within the first diameter range.This makes it possible to detect whether or not the device is gripping an object that cannot be placed at the destination of the object to be gripped, such as within the container storage device 1, and provides a gripping mechanism with even greater reliability.

[0109] In addition, it is further provided with a spiral cam 30 that opens and closes multiple control arms 29a, 29b in synchronization, and the diameter detector 36 and spiral cam detection plate 37 output signals that differ depending on the rotation angle of the spiral cam 30 corresponding to the first opening amount and the rotation angle of the spiral cam 30 corresponding to the second opening amount, making it possible to detect whether the object is an appropriate one to grasp with a simple configuration.

[0110] Furthermore, the control device 14 is further provided with a displacement sensor 42 that detects the distance between the control arm 29a and the first gripping arm 24a, and a displacement sensor 42A that detects the distance between one or more of the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b and the sample container 15, and the control device 14 can further determine whether or not the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b are only touching an object based on the distance detected by the displacement sensor 42, thereby determining whether or not there is contact with the sample container 15.

[0111] In addition, the arm relative displacement detection plate 35a and the arm relative displacement detector 35b can move up and down vertically together with the first gripping arm 24a and the second gripping arm 24b, thereby enabling the configuration to be compatible with a wider variety of gripping mechanisms.

[0112] <Others> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible. The above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all of the described configurations.

[0113] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...container storage device 2...housing 3...first side 4a, 4b...second side 5...third side 6...top surface 7...bottom surface 8...rear recess 9...first transport path 10...storage cabinet 11...second transport path 12...first receiving position 13...second receiving position 14...control device (determination unit) 15...sample container 16...QC specimen 17...second transport path support 18...base member 19...container transfer trajectory 20...cooling unit 21...gripping mechanism 22...gripping mechanism vertical movement rail 23...third receiving position 24a...first gripping arm 24b...second gripping arm 25...gripping rubber 26...upper and lower slider 27...gripping spring (biasing member) 28...abnormal descent sensor 29a, 29b...control arm 30...spiral cam (rotating spiral cam) DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31... Drive motor 32... Cam rotation detector 33... Attitude member 34... Grip sensor (status sensor) 35a... Arm relative displacement detection plate (status sensor) 35b... Arm relative displacement detector (status sensor) 36... Diameter detector (object diameter detection sensor) 37... Spiral cam detection plate (object diameter detection sensor) 38... Member (first part) 39... Connecting portion 40... Vertical shaft 41... Spring 42, 42A... Displacement amount sensor 100... Automatic analyzer 101... Analyzer 102... Preprocessing device

Claims

1. a plurality of gripping arms arranged around a vertical axis, pivotally supported along a horizontal support axis so as to be swingable, and configured to grip an object at their lower ends; a biasing member connected to the plurality of gripping arms and applying a gripping force to the lower ends of the plurality of gripping arms; a plurality of control arms provided in pairs with the plurality of gripping arms and configured to control opening and closing operations of the gripping arms; a state sensor whose output signal changes when the gripping arm grips the object with a predetermined force, causing the distance between the gripping arm and the control arm to increase by a predetermined amount or more. Gripping mechanism.

2. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1, The control arm When the gripping arm is not gripping anything, the gripping arm opens and closes together with the gripping arm; When the gripping arms are closed to grip the object, the gripping arms do not move in the closing direction and the control arms move away from the gripping arms. Gripping mechanism.

3. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1, The device further includes an object diameter detection sensor that outputs different signals for a first opening amount, which is the opening amount of the gripping arms when the object falls within a first diameter range, and a second opening amount, which is the opening amount of the gripping arms when the object falls within a second diameter range that does not fall within the first diameter range. Gripping mechanism.

4. The gripping mechanism according to claim 3, a rotating helical cam that synchronizes the opening and closing of the control arms; The object diameter detection sensor outputs different signals depending on the rotation angle of the rotating spiral cam corresponding to the first opening amount and the rotation angle of the rotating spiral cam corresponding to the second opening amount. Gripping mechanism.

5. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1, the plurality of gripping arms include a first gripping arm and a second gripping arm that grips the object by sandwiching the object between the first gripping arm and the second gripping arm; the control arm contacts the first grip arm via a first portion; the state sensor has an output signal that changes depending on the position of the first portion; a determination unit that determines that the first gripping arm and the second gripping arm are not gripping the object when the output signal of the state sensor is a first predetermined value, and that the first gripping arm and the second gripping arm are gripping the object when the output signal of the state sensor is a second predetermined value. Gripping mechanism.

6. The gripping mechanism according to claim 5, a displacement sensor that detects a distance between the control arm and the first grip arm; The determination unit further determines whether the first gripping arm and the second gripping arm are only in contact with the object based on the distance detected by the displacement amount sensor. Gripping mechanism.

7. The gripping mechanism according to claim 5, a displacement sensor that detects a distance between the object and at least one of the first gripping arm and the second gripping arm; The determination unit further determines whether the first gripping arm and the second gripping arm are only in contact with the object based on the distance detected by the displacement amount sensor. Gripping mechanism.

8. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1, The state sensor moves up and down in the vertical direction together with the plurality of gripping arms. Gripping mechanism.

9. A gripping mechanism according to claim 1, Storing a container as the object Container storage device.

10. a plurality of gripping arms arranged around a vertical axis, pivotally supported along a horizontal support axis so as to be swingable, and configured to grip an object at their lower ends; a biasing member connected to the plurality of gripping arms and applying a gripping force to the lower ends of the plurality of gripping arms; and a plurality of control arms that are paired with the plurality of gripping arms and control opening and closing operations of the gripping arms, when gripping the object by a gripping mechanism that includes the plurality of gripping arms, The output signal is changed when the gripping arm grips the object with a predetermined force, causing the distance between the gripping arm and the control arm to increase by a predetermined amount or more. Grasping method.