Lid opening and closing device, container storage device and automatic analysis device, and lid opening and closing device method

Abstract

According to the present invention, an opening and closing unit for opening and closing a lid 9 of a container case 8 includes an opening and closing arm 24 having a hook portion 26 configured to be capable of accessing the lid 9, wherein: an upper surface of the lid 9 has formed thereon a groove that can accept the hook portion 26 of the opening and closing arm 24, the groove having a hook accepting portion 69 that forms a path along which the hook portion 26 can move; and a relationship between a first position of the hook portion 26 at which the hook accepting portion 69 accepts the hook portion 26 when the lid 9 is closed, and a second position of the hook portion 26 when the hook portion 26 has engaged with the hook accepting portion 69 and has opened the lid 9 is such that the second position is vertically above the first position, and respective positions, in a vertical direction, of an opening portion relative to a horizontal plane differ from one another.

Description

Lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a lid opening / closing device and a lid opening / closing method for a case that stores containers in a container storage device suitable for an automatic analyzer that analyzes biological samples such as blood and urine, and in particular to a lid opening / closing device for a case that individually holds containers that hold standard samples and quality control samples, a container storage device and an automatic analyzer, and a lid opening / closing method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a device that includes a reagent storage container that holds reagent containers containing reagents, and a lid opening / closing device that includes a lid opening / closing member that is configured to be movable in a first direction parallel to the vertical direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the lid opening / closing member is integrally configured to be movable between a first position that is a position above the reagent container and a second position that is a position where the lid opening / closing member is lowered in the first direction from the first position until the bottom surface of the lid opening / closing member contacts the reagent container, and between the second position and a third position that is a position moved from the second position in the second direction, and the lid is opened by the first member when moving from the second position to the third position, and the lid is closed by the second member when moving from the third position to the second position.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-046377

[0004] Automated analyzers are devices that automatically analyze blood and other biological samples and output the results, and have become essential equipment in hospitals and medical testing facilities. Such automated analyzers are required to perform a wider variety of tests in a shorter time.

[0005] Automated analyzers require quality control using standard samples and quality control samples whenever necessary, such as when they are started up each morning or when new reagents are added, which places a burden on the operator.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for an automatic analyzer that can achieve quality control without the operator having to add standard samples and quality control samples each time. Such an automatic analyzer requires a storage cabinet for storing standard samples and quality control samples. Standard samples and quality control samples are sometimes collectively referred to as QC samples or QC sample samples.

[0007] Since there are many types of QC specimens, each of which differs depending on the analysis item, it is desirable that the number of specimens stored in the repository be, for example, 100 or more.

[0008] Here, in order to prevent deterioration of the QC samples, contamination with foreign matter, and changes in concentration due to evaporation, it is desirable to store them in a cooled state.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to prevent evaporation of the containers stored in the storage device, the containers are stored in a case with an openable lid, and the lid is closed during storage to prevent evaporation of the liquid inside the container, and when dispensing the liquid, the lid of the case is opened by a lid opening / closing device to allow, for example, a dispensing nozzle to access the inside of the container. An example of such a technology is described in Patent Document 1.

[0010] In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the lid begins to open and when it is completely closed, the tip of the lid that rotates around the support shaft moves generally in the vertical direction, whereas the direction of movement of the lid opening / closing member when opening and closing the lid of the reagent container is horizontal.

[0011] Therefore, the lid is opened and closed via a slope that acts as a so-called cam to convert the direction of movement and the direction of force. In other words, the force that opens and closes the lid is merely the component of the horizontal movement force that acts on the slope, so a larger horizontal force must be applied to the lid opening and closing member than the force required to open and close the lid. In other words, since only a portion of the horizontal force applied to the lid opening and closing member is used to open and close the lid, there are cases where sufficient force is not obtained to open and close the lid.

[0012] Furthermore, although the horizontal movement force of the lid opening / closing member does not itself contribute to the opening and closing operation of the lid, it is applied to the container via the lid, which poses the problem that the support shaft of the container or lid must have the rigidity to withstand the horizontal force.

[0013] The present invention aims to provide a lid opening and closing device, a container storage device, an automatic analyzer, and a method for opening and closing a lid that can reliably open and close a lid provided on the top surface of a container case that stores sample containers inside.

[0014] The present invention includes multiple means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example is a lid opening and closing device comprising a storage section for storing a container for holding a liquid, and an opening and closing section for opening and closing the lid of a case having an opening and closing lid attached to the upper surface of the storage section via a hinge, wherein the opening and closing section comprises a lever having a convex portion configured to be accessible to the lid, and the lid has a groove formed on its upper surface which has a concave portion that can receive the convex portion of the lever and forms a path along which the convex portion can move, and the relationship between a first position of the convex portion where the concave portion receives the convex portion when the lid is closed and a second position of the convex portion when the convex portion engages with the concave portion to open the lid is such that the second position is vertically higher than the first position, and their vertical positions relative to the horizontal plane of the opening are different.

[0015] Another example is a lid opening / closing device comprising: a storage section for storing a container for holding a liquid; an opening / closing section for opening and closing the lid of a case having an openable and closable lid attached to the upper surface of the storage section via a hinge; and a control section for controlling the operation of the opening / closing section, wherein the opening / closing section has a lever having a convex portion configured to be accessible to the lid, and the lid has a groove formed on its upper surface that can receive the convex portion of the lever and has a concave portion that forms a path along which the convex portion can move, and the control section controls the operation of the opening / closing section to cause the convex portion to access the concave portion and move horizontally along the path toward the hinge to engage the convex portion with the concave portion, and in the engaged state, to move the lever upward to open the lid.

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably open and close a lid provided on the top surface of a container case that stores sample containers therein. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0017] 1 is a schematic plan view of an automatic analyzer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of (a) a container case and (b) a holder of a container storage device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the configuration of the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment, seen from above and rear. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of the lid opening and closing device and container storage cabinet according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of the lid opening and closing device and container storage cabinet according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a top view of the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a three-view diagram showing the configuration of the container case and lid in the container storage device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F showing the configuration of the container case and the opening operation of the lid in the container storage device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the opening operation of the lid by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the opening operation of the lid by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the opening operation of the lid by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the closing operation of the lid by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the initializing operation of the lid by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. 27A and 27B are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the initialization operation of the lid body by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 27C are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the initialization operation of the lid body by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 27D are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the initialization operation of the lid body by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 27E are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the initialization operation of the lid body by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 27F are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the initialization operation of the lid body by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 27G are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the initialization operation of the lid body by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 27G are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the initialization operation of the lid body by the lid opening and closing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 27C ...10A and 10B are cross-sectional views taken along the line CC in the configuration of the lid opening / closing device and the container storage cabinet according to the third embodiment. 10B are views showing various modified examples of the hook portion in the lid opening / closing device according to the fourth embodiment.

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in this specification, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same or similar reference numerals, and repeated description of these components may be omitted.

[0019] First Embodiment A first embodiment of a lid opening / closing device, a container storage device, an automatic analyzer, and a lid opening / closing method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 24. FIG.

[0020] First, the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer including a container storage device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the automatic analyzer.

[0021] The automatic analyzer 2 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 includes a container storage device 1 for storing QC sample containers 4 used for measurements in an analyzer 3, an analyzer 3 that is a device for measuring the physical properties of samples and that needs to ensure analytical accuracy using QC samples, etc., a pre-processing device 5 that performs various pre-processing on the samples prior to analysis in the analyzer 3, and a post-processing device that performs various post-processing on the samples, etc. after analysis of the samples.

[0022] The control device 6 includes, for example, a control computer, drive circuits for the drive motors of each part, a control circuit for the barcode reader, a memory device for read barcodes, signal detection circuits for various sensors, a control circuit for the cooling device, a display circuit for the monitor, etc., and controls the various operations of each mechanism and part within the container storage device 1, including the opening and closing unit.

[0023] The automatic analyzer 2 may comprise one or more of the analyzer 3, pre-processing device 5, post-processing device, and container storage device 1, or these may be omitted as appropriate, and may be modified as appropriate depending on the system configuration. They are connected to each other by a first transport path 10, and sample containers and racks carrying sample containers can be moved and exchanged.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the container storage device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3, and where appropriate, Figure 1. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the container storage device, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 3, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 2.

[0025] In this embodiment, the holder is an annular holder 11 in which the container cases are arranged in three concentric circles, and the container cases 8 are arranged concentrically on the annular holder 11 with respect to the central axis 12 of the storage cabinet. However, the holder is not limited to an annular shape and can be either a disk shape or a fan shape, but is not limited to these shapes. Furthermore, the container cases 8 do not need to be held concentrically in the holder and can be arranged in other ways. Furthermore, the containers may be referred to as specimen containers or QC specimen containers.

[0026] In the following description, the up / down, left / right, front / rear directions are based on the up / down, left / right, front / rear directions shown in Figures 1 to 3. In this embodiment, the front / rear direction is the radial direction of the container storage cabinet 7 along A-A, and is a direction perpendicular to the first conveying path 10. The left / right direction is a direction parallel to the first conveying path 10 and perpendicular to A-A.

[0027] The general configuration of the container storage device 1 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figures 2 and 3. The container storage device 1 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing 13, and a roughly cylindrical container storage cabinet 7 is provided inside the housing 13.

[0028] The configuration of the container storage 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

[0029] The container storage 7 is cylindrically arranged around a storage central axis 12 oriented in the vertical direction, and is provided close to the first transport path 10 and the inside of a pair of second side surfaces on the left and right.

[0030] In order to maintain the interior of the container storage facility 7 at a low temperature, for example, below 10°C, the outer cylindrical surface and the upper and lower surfaces are covered with insulating material 14 with low thermal conductivity, and the facility is cooled using, for example, low-temperature air by a cooling device (not shown for convenience of illustration).

[0031] Inside the container storage cabinet 7, a circular disk 16 is provided that is rotatably supported around a disk support shaft 15 that is provided coaxially with the storage cabinet central axis 12. The disk 16 is rotatable by being connected via a disk drive shaft 17 to a drive motor (not shown), for example, a stepping motor, via a timing belt (not shown), and can be stopped at a predetermined angular position by an angle detection sensor (not shown).

[0032] On the disk 16, a plurality of container cases 8 are arranged concentrically and radially around the central axis of the container storage cabinet 7, and each container case 8 stores a QC sample container 4. In this embodiment, the container cases 8 are arranged in three concentric circles, i.e., along an outer circumferential circle 18a, a middle circumferential circle 18b, and an inner circumferential circle 18c.

[0033] A shutter opening 19 is provided on the rearward-facing radius of the drum top cover 25 that constitutes the top surface of the container storage cabinet 7 .

[0034] In this embodiment, the shutter opening 19 has a substantially rectangular shape, one pair of sides of which form the front-rear direction, and the other side of which is shorter than the pair of sides and is perpendicular to the pair of sides.

[0035] In this embodiment, the length of one of the aforementioned sets of sides is such that the container cases 8 located on the outer circumferential circle 18a and the inner circumferential circle 18c of the triple concentrically arranged container cases 8 are exposed in a plan view, and the length of the other side is such that one of the container cases 8 is exposed in a plan view, and the opening dimension is such that a QC sample container 4 can be placed in or removed from the container case 8 by a container gripping device 21 described later. Hereinafter, one side of the shutter opening 19 may be referred to as the long side, and the other side may be referred to as the short side.

[0036] A shutter 20 that is opened and closed by a shutter opening / closing mechanism (not shown) is provided at the shutter opening 19. An airtight seal (not shown) is provided around the shutter 20 to prevent outside air from entering the cooled container storage cabinet 7 when the shutter 20 is closed, thereby sealing the gap between the shutter opening 19 of the container storage cabinet 7 and the shutter 20.

[0037] By rotating the disk 16 and stopping it at a position where the central axis of the QC sample container 4 stored in a specified container case 8 provided in the container storage cabinet 7 coincides with the shutter opening 19, the specified QC sample container 4 can be positioned within the range of the shutter opening 19.

[0038] The lid opening / closing device 22 is provided adjacent to the shutter opening 19 on the same radius in a direction approaching the storage central axis 12 of the container storage 7. This lid opening / closing device 22 can act on the lid body 9 provided on the top surface of the container case 8 stored in the container storage 7 via the shutter opening 19 in the open state to open and close the lid body 9.

[0039] The container gripping device 21 (gripper) has an opening / closing claw at its lower end that can grip and release the QC sample container 4 held in the container case 8, and is supported by the second transport path 23 so as to be movable in the front-to-back and up-and-down directions. When the lid 9 is open, the container gripping device 21 can take the QC sample container 4 out of the container storage cabinet 7, move it to the first transport path 10, and place it on a container rack (not shown) or the like on the first transport path 10.

[0040] Next, the configuration and operation of the lid opening / closing device 22 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 11. Figure 4 is a perspective view from above and rear showing the configuration of the container case 8 provided with the lid opening / closing device 22 and the lid 9. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC of the lid opening / closing device 22 and the container storage cabinet 7. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along D-D of the lid opening / closing device 22 and the container storage cabinet 7. Figure 7 is a top view of the lid opening / closing device 22. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along E-E showing the configuration of the lower end of the opening / closing arm 24 of the lid opening / closing device 22. Figure 9 is a three-sided view showing the configuration of the container case 8 provided with the lid 9 and the operation of the hook portion 26 that opens and closes the lid 9. Figure 9(a) is a top view, Figure 9(b) is a rear view, and Figure 9(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along F-F. Figure 10 shows the state in which the lid 9 is fully opened by the operation of the hook portion 26, and further shows the state in which the QC sample container 4 is removed from the container case 8 by the operation of the container gripping device (gripper) 21. FIG. 11 is a perspective view from above and rear showing the operation of opening the cover 9 from the closed state by the action of the hook portion 26 of the cover opening / closing device 22.

[0041] The lid opening / closing device 22 has an X-rail 28 extending in the front-to-rear direction (X direction) fixed to a highly rigid base 27, which is a metal plate such as aluminum provided on the top surface of the drum top lid 25, and is equipped with an X-slider 29 supported so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the X-rail 28. A slide base 30 is fixed to this X-slider 29, and an X-rack 31 extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided on the slide base 30.

[0042] An X motor 33 is fixed to the base 27 via a mounting bracket 32, and an X pinion 34 is provided on the drive shaft from which the output of this X motor 33 is extracted, so that it rotates together with the drive shaft. The X pinion 34 meshes with the X rack 31, and when power is applied to the X motor 33 to drive it to rotate, the X pinion 34 rotates and moves the X rack 31 in the front-to-rear direction, and the slide base 30 and X slider 29 move in the front-to-rear direction along the X rail 28.

[0043] An X-origin sensor 35, which is, for example, a transmission-type optical detection sensor, is provided on the base 27 to detect the origin, which is the reference position in the front-to-rear direction (X direction). A part of the X-rack 31 is an X-origin detection plate 36 that extends forward, and can detect the origin by blocking the transmitted light of the X-origin sensor 35. Detailed conditions for the origin will be explained separately.

[0044] An angle 37 that is substantially L-shaped in side view is fixed to the slide base 30. A Z rail 38 that extends in the vertical direction is fixed to this angle 37, and a Z slider 39 is provided that is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction relative to the Z rail 38. The opening / closing arm 24 is fixed to the Z slider 39.

[0045] The opening / closing arm 24 comprises a fixed portion 40 for the Z slider 39 having an approximately rectangular cross section extending in the vertical direction, a bent portion 41 at the lower part of the fixed portion 40 that is bent and inclined in a direction away from the Z slider 39 toward the rear, and a lower end portion 42 at the lower part of the bent portion 41 that is inclined further rearward in a direction away from the Z slider 39, although at a gentler incline than the bent portion 41.

[0046] Furthermore, a cylindrical support portion 43 is provided at the lower end of the lower end portion 42 of the opening / closing arm 24, extending in the same direction as the lower end portion 42 and thus in the longitudinal direction of the opening / closing arm 24. The lower end of this support portion 43 is provided with a cylindrical hook portion 26 that is perpendicular to the extension direction (longitudinal direction) of the support portion 43 and expands symmetrically in the left-right direction (short direction of the support portion 43). The support portion 43 and hook portion 26 are both configured to have a generally inverted T-shape.

[0047] The support rod 43 is inclined at a predetermined angle in the fully open direction of the lid 9 with respect to the perpendicular to the upper surface of the lid 9. Specifically, the angle of inclination of the lower end 42 of the support rod 43 is approximately equal to the fully open angle of the lid 9, as will be described later, so as an example, it is desirable that the support rod 43 be inclined at about 15° from the vertical, so that the lid 9 can be opened at about 105°.

[0048] The hook portion 26 has a function of opening and closing the lid body 9 inside the container storage cabinet 7, and the details thereof will be described separately. The hook portion 26 may also be referred to as a protrusion of the opening and closing mechanism.

[0049] A Z rack 44 is provided in the vertical direction along the fixed portion 40 of the opening / closing arm 24. The Z rack 44 is supported in a state in which it can move up and down a predetermined amount, for example, about 3 mm, via a slide pin 45 provided on the fixed portion 40 of the opening / closing arm 24 and a pin receiving hole 46, which is an oblong hole in the vertical direction, provided in the Z rack 44. Note that a plurality of pairs of slide pins 45 and pin receiving holes 46 may be provided in the vertical direction along the Z rack 44.

[0050] A part of the fixed part 40 of the opening / closing arm 24 is made into a spring seat 47a, and a compression spring 48, which is an abnormal descent detection spring, is sandwiched between this and a spring seat 47b provided on a part of the Z rack 44, and the Z rack 44 is urged upward with a predetermined force.

[0051] A Z motor 51 is fixed to the angle 37, and a Z pinion 52 is provided on a drive shaft that extracts the output of the Z motor 51 and rotates together with the drive shaft. The Z pinion 52 meshes with the Z rack 44, and when power is applied to the Z motor 51 to drive it to rotate, the Z pinion 52 rotates and moves the Z rack 44 up and down, and the opening / closing arm 24 and the Z slider 39 up and down along the Z rail 38.

[0052] The X motor 33 and the Z motor 51 are, for example, so-called stepping motors, and the rotation angle and direction can be controlled by the number of steps and drive pattern applied to the motors, thereby controlling the horizontal and vertical movement amounts to predetermined amounts.

[0053] Spring hooks 49, 49 are provided near the upper end of the angle 37 and directly below it on the opening / closing arm 24, and a tension spring 50 is stretched in the vertical direction. The tension spring 50 supports part of the weight of the components that move up and down, including the opening / closing arm 24, and has the effect of reducing the drive load torque of the Z motor 51.

[0054] An abnormal descent detection sensor 53, which is, for example, a transmission-type optical detection sensor, is provided integrally with the opening / closing arm 24 near the top of the Z rack 44. A thin plate-like abnormal descent detection plate 54 extends to the right from a portion near the top end of the Z rack 44, and can detect the presence or absence of an abnormal descent by blocking the transmitted light of the abnormal descent detection sensor 53. Details will be described separately.

[0055] Angle 37 is provided with a Z origin sensor 55 (origin height detection sensor), which is, for example, a transmission type optical detection sensor, and a part of Z rack 44 forms an origin height detection plate 56 that extends forward in a thin plate shape, thereby detecting the height of the origin by blocking the transmitted light of Z origin sensor 55. Z origin sensor 55 is sometimes referred to as the Z origin sensor.

[0056] The configuration of the support rod 43 and hook 26 provided at the lower end of the opening / closing arm 24 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E showing a state in which the support rod 43 is extended, and Fig. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the opening / closing arm 24 is lowered, the support rod 43 is retracted, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the hook 26.

[0057] The part of the cylindrical support rod 43 above the lower end of the opening / closing arm 24 is a cylindrical support rod base 57 with a larger diameter than the support rod 43, and a thin-diameter pin 58 passes through the support rod base 57 perpendicular to the support rod 43 and protrudes from the cylindrical surface of the support rod base 57. Above the support rod base 57 is a cylindrical guide portion 59 with a smaller diameter than the support rod base 57. The support rod 43, support rod base 57, pin 58, and guide portion 59 can operate as a single unit.

[0058] A guide member 60 with good sliding properties is provided between the opening / closing arm 24 and the support rod base 57 or guide portion 59, and is fitted inside the opening / closing arm 24. The lower portion of this guide member 60 is a large-diameter cylindrical hole with a slight gap from the support rod base 57, and the upper end portion of the guide member 60 is a large-diameter cylindrical hole with a slight gap from the guide portion 59, and the support rod portion 43 is journaled by the support rod base 57 and guide portion 59 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the support rod portion 43.

[0059] A step 61 is provided between the cylindrical hole corresponding to the support rod base 57 and the cylindrical hole corresponding to the guide portion 59. A pressure spring 62, which is a compression spring with an outer diameter smaller than the support rod base 57 and an inner diameter larger than the guide portion 59, is provided between this step 61 and the upper surface of the support rod base 57, and is configured to press the support rod portion 43 or the hook portion 26 with a predetermined force in the axial direction of the support rod portion 43, which is approximately downward.

[0060] An example of the material of the guide member 60 is POM (polyacetal) resin.

[0061] As shown in Figure 8(a), when the opening / closing arm 24 is raised and the hook portion 26 is not in contact with anything, the length of the pressure spring 62 is L1, and as shown in Figure 8(b), when the hook portion 26 presses the lid body from above to close it, for example, the pressure spring 62 contracts to L2 (<L1) depending on the amount of pressure applied, thereby applying a predetermined pressure to the hook portion 26.

[0062] An oval hole 63 with a major axis in the axial direction of the support rod 43 is provided in the guide member 60 at a location corresponding to the pin 58, and the operating range of the pin 58 is limited to the range of the major axis of the oval hole 63, thereby regulating the amount of sliding movement of the support rod 43. As a result, the support rod 43 is supported via the pressure spring 62 in its longitudinal direction so as to be movable within a predetermined range.

[0063] In addition, it is preferable to make the force of the pressure spring 62 smaller than the force of the compression spring 48, which is the abnormal descent detection spring, so that the abnormal descent detection does not work when the lid body 9 is closed as a normal operation.

[0064] The structure of the container case 8 and the opening operation of the lid 9 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0065] The container case 8 has a generally stepped cylindrical shape with an opening on the top surface, with the upper part being a first cylindrical portion 64 with a larger diameter, and the lower part being a second cylindrical portion 65 that is concentric with the first cylindrical portion 64 and has a smaller diameter than the first cylindrical portion 64. A step 83 is formed between the first cylindrical portion 64 and the second cylindrical portion 65, and the container case 8 is placed on the annular holder 11 at the step 83.

[0066] A circular sealing member 66 is provided on the bottom surface of the case, which is the lowest surface of the second cylindrical portion 65, and when the QC sample container 4 is inserted, as shown in Figure 9 (c), it maintains an airtight seal between the QC sample container 4 and the outer cylindrical surface of the QC sample container 4.

[0067] A lid support shaft 67 is provided on the outer edge of the opening on the top surface of the container case 8, and the lid 9 that opens and closes the opening is pivotally supported so as to be able to open and close freely around the lid support shaft 67. When the lid 9 is closed, a disk-shaped sealant 68 provided on the underside of the lid 9 comes into contact with the inside of the opening of the container case 8, sealing the inside of the container case 8.

[0068] A hook receiving portion 69 is provided on the top surface of the lid body 9 for opening and closing the lid body 9 by the action of the hook portion 26 .

[0069] As shown in FIG. 9A, the hook receiving portion 69 has a generally U-shape in plan view, and a rear hook receiving portion end face 70 is open.

[0070] 9(b), the hook receiving portion end surface 70 has an inverted T-shaped groove formed by the hook receiving portion 69 and a groove 71 in the front-rear direction provided on the upper surface of the hook receiving portion 69 when viewed from the rear, allowing the inverted T-shaped support rod portion 43 and hook portion 26 of the opening / closing arm 24 to be inserted into or removed from the groove. The hook receiving portion 69 has a symmetrical shape on both sides of the support rod portion 43.

[0071] In this embodiment, the control device 6 controls the operation of the opening / closing unit so that the hook portion 26 accesses the hook receiving portion 69, moves the path horizontally toward the lid body support shaft 67, engages the hook portion 26 with the hook receiving portion 69, and, in the engaged state, moves the opening / closing arm 24 upward to open the lid body 9.

[0072] For example, the support rod 43 is moved horizontally by a movement amount 84 and inserted into a groove 71 in the front-to-rear direction provided on the upper surface of the hook receiving portion 69, and the hook portion 26 is inserted between the upper surface of the lid body 9 and a lid groove upper surface 72 that is parallel to the upper surface of the lid body. When the support rod 43 is pushed downward, the lid body 9 is closed, and when the support rod is raised with the hook portion 26 positioned below the lid groove upper surface 72, the lid body 9 is opened.

[0073] In the region 73 on the top surface of the lid 9 between the rear circumferential portion and the hook receiving portion end face 70, the support rod 43 and hook portion 26 can move down from directly above and abut against the top surface of the lid 9 when the lid 9 is closed, and if they continue to move forward, that is, horizontally in a direction approaching the lid support shaft 67, the hook portion 26 will be inserted into the groove of the hook receiving portion 69. The position of the hook portion 26 at this time is sometimes referred to as the "first position."

[0074] Region 73 is also a region where, when support rod 43 is raised with lid 9 closed, hook portion 26 moves away from the upper surface of lid 9, releasing the interaction between support rod 43 and hook portion 26 and lid 9. This region 73 is sometimes referred to as the access position.

[0075] Furthermore, when the opening / closing arm 24 is lowered within the range of region 73, as described with reference to Figure 8, the pressure spring 62 is compressed and a predetermined closing force is applied to the lid body 9. As a result, the hook portion 26 closes the lid body 9 by the biasing force generated by deforming the pressure spring 62 when the lid body 9 is pressed closed from above. Region 73 is the greatest distance from the lid body support shaft 67, and is therefore preferable because the moment around the lid body support shaft 67 is maximized, ensuring reliable closure.

[0076] The portion of the lid 9 that is farthest from the lid support shaft 67 may be referred to as the tip of the lid 9. The tip of the lid 9 is adjacent to the region 73.

[0077] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid 9 is fully opened and the container is gripped by the gripping claws 21a of the container gripping device 21 and removed upward.

[0078] As mentioned above, when the hook portion 26 moves horizontally from the state where it is in contact with the top surface of the lid body 9 in the region 73 toward the lid body support shaft 67, the hook portion 26 is inserted into the hook receiving portion 69, and when the hook portion 26 is raised, the lid body 9 opens, for example, to approximately 30° to 45° depending on the amount of lift.

[0079] If the hook portion 26 is subsequently moved horizontally in the direction of the lid support shaft 67, the lid 9 can be opened up to an angle parallel to the support rod 43. For example, if the lower end of the support rod 43 is tilted 15 degrees rearward from the vertical, the lid 9 can be opened up to an angle of 105 degrees. At this time, the hook portion 26 moves to the opposite side of the container case 8, straddling directly above the lid support shaft 67, before the lid 9 reaches the fully open angle. The position of the hook portion 26 at this time is sometimes referred to as the "second position."

[0080] The positional relationship between the "second position" of the hook portion 26 when the hook portion 26 engages with the hook receiving portion 69 to open the lid 9 and the "first position" of the hook portion 26 where the hook receiving portion 69 receives the hook portion 26 when the lid 9 is closed is such that the "second position" is vertically higher than the "first position." Also, the "second position" is located forward or rearward of the "first position," and their vertical positions relative to the horizontal plane of the opening are different.

[0081] Here, it is desirable that a sealing material 68 is protruded from the underside of the lid body 9, and that the opening on the top surface of the container case 8 is fully opened without any obstruction in a plan view so that the gripping claws 21a of the container gripping device 21 can be securely inserted between the first cylindrical portion 64 of the container case 8 and the QC sample container 4. Therefore, it is effective to set the fully open angle of the lid body 9 to be greater than 90°, and it is preferable to incline the support portion 43 and the lower end portion 42 of the opening / closing arm 24 along the direction in which the lid body 9 is fully open.

[0082] The series of operations for opening the lid 9 will be explained with reference to Figure 11. First, (a) the opening / closing arm 24 is moved horizontally and lowered vertically so that the hook portion 26 comes into contact with the top surface of the lid 9 in area 73. Next, (b) the opening / closing arm 24 is moved horizontally in a direction approaching the lid support shaft 67. The hook portion 26 is inserted into the hook receiving portion 69. After that, (c) the opening / closing arm 24 is raised. The raising of the hook portion 26 opens the lid 9 via the hook receiving portion 69. Finally, (d) the opening / closing arm 24 is moved horizontally toward the lid support shaft 67 (in a direction that engages the hook portion 26 with the hook receiving portion 69), and the lid 9 is fully opened. Through these operations, the lid can be changed from a closed state to a fully open state.

[0083] Next, the opening and closing operations of the lid body 9 by the lid opening / closing device 22 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0084] Figures 12 to 14 show the operation of the lid opening / closing device 22 moving from the home position and moving the lids from a closed state to a fully open state through a series of operations. Figure 15 shows the operation of closing the lids by the action of the lid opening / closing device 22. Figures 16 to 19 show the operation of closing all the lids and returning to the home position from a state in which the open / closed state of the lids is uncertain during a reset operation after a power outage or emergency stop.

[0085] The representative part showing the operation of the lid opening / closing device 22 is the hook portion 26 that opens and closes the lid body 9, and the position and movement of the hook portion 26 indicate the operating state of the entire lid opening / closing device 22.

[0086] Figure 12(a) shows the origin position of the lid opening / closing device 22, Figure 12(b) shows the state in the middle of the opening operation, Figure 13(c) shows the state in the middle of the opening operation, Figure 13(d) shows the state when the lid body starts to open, Figure 14(e) shows the state in the middle of the opening operation, and Figure 14(f) shows the fully open state.

[0087] 12 to 14, the operation of opening the lid 9 of the container case 8 located at the frontmost position will be described. For the other container cases 8, the only difference is the position or the amount of movement in the front-rear direction, and similar operations can be performed.

[0088] In Figure 12(a), the lid opening / closing device 22 is in the origin position. The hook portion 26 is located outside the shutter opening 19, i.e., on the opposite side of the shutter opening 19 from the shutter opening edge 82, which is the frontmost edge of the shutter opening 19 in Figure 5, and is located above the drum upper lid 25, in a position that does not interfere with the opening and closing operation of the shutter 20. Both the X origin sensor 35 and the Z origin sensor 55 are in a light-blocking state, and it can be confirmed that they are in the origin positions in both the front-to-back and up-to-down directions.

[0089] In FIG. 12B, by driving the X-motor 33, the hook portion 26 moves horizontally backward to just above the area 73 on the container case 8 where the lid 9 is to be opened.

[0090] 13C, by driving the Z motor 51, the hook portion 26 is lowered until it contacts the area 73 on the upper surface of the lid 9. In other words, the hook portion 26 is in the first position.

[0091] 13( d ), by driving the X-motor 33 , the hook portion 26 moves horizontally forward by a predetermined distance along the upper surface of the lid 9 . The hook portion 26 is inserted into the hook receiving portion 69 .

[0092] 14(e), by driving Z motor 51, hook portion 26 is raised a predetermined amount, and lid body 9 opens a certain amount according to the amount of rise of hook portion 26. Here, if hook portion 26 is raised excessively, hook portion 26 will come off hook receiving portion 69, so the amount of rise of hook portion 26 needs to be limited to a range in which hook portion 26 remains inserted into hook receiving portion 69.

[0093] In Figure 14 (f), by driving the X motor 33, the hook portion 26 moves forward, and as it moves, the opening angle of the lid body 9 increases, and the upper surface of the lid body 9 comes into contact with the support portion 43 at an angle where the upper surface of the lid body 9 is parallel to the support portion 43, so that angle becomes the maximum opening angle of the lid body 9 and it is in the fully open state.

[0094] As described above, this maximum opening angle is determined so that the opening on the top surface of the container case 8 is fully open without any obstructions in a plan view, and an opening angle of, for example, about 105° is preferable. In other words, the hook portion 26 is in the second position. By setting the second position on the opposite side of the lid support shaft 67 from the first position, the maximum opening angle of the lid 9 is preferably increased.

[0095] Through the above series of operations, the lid opening / closing device 22 opens the lid body 9 .

[0096] In the lid opening / closing device 22, by aligning the opening / closing direction of the lid body 9 with the radial direction of the cylindrical container storage cabinet 7, the horizontal movement required for opening and closing the lid body 9 and the selection movement of the inner and outer container cases of the container cases 8 arranged concentrically within the container storage cabinet 7 can be made to be in the same direction (X direction).This has the effect of enabling the lid opening / closing device 22 as a whole to perform a series of operations with only two-axis drive in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0097] As another example, if the direction of opening and closing the lid is different from the direction of the selection operation of the inner and outer container cases, separate drive devices are required because the directions of the opening and closing operation of the lid body 9 and the selection operation of the inner and outer container cases 8 are different, and overall three-axis drive in XYZ is required.

[0098] When the lid 9 is fully open, the container gripping device 21 holds and removes the QC sample container 4 stored in the container case 8. The container gripping device 21 has gripping claws 21a at its lower end, and with the gripping claws 21a open, it descends to insert the gripping claws 21a into the container case 8, closes the gripping claws 21a to grip the QC sample container 4, and then ascends in this state, allowing the QC sample container 4 to be removed from the container case 8.

[0099] Although the gripping claws 21a at the lower end of the container gripping device 21 have a thin diameter so that they can be inserted into the container case 8, the upper part of the container gripping device 21 is the gripping claw drive unit 21b, which is large because it is configured to incorporate, for example, a motor, cam, etc.

[0100] It is desirable to set a distance L0 between the fixed portion 40 of the opening / closing arm 24 and the central axis of the container case 8 when the lid 9 is fully opened so that the gripping claw drive portion 21b does not interfere with the opening / closing arm 24 even when the container gripping device 21 is lowered. As a configuration of the opening / closing arm that satisfies this condition, it is effective to tilt the lower end portion 42 by about 15° from the vertical so that the fully open angle of the lid 9 is about 105°, as described above. Furthermore, it is more preferable to tilt the side of the shutter opening 19 closest to the lid opening / closing device 22 so that it becomes wider toward the upper surface, or to provide a step somewhere along the way, so as to avoid interference between the container gripping device 21 and the gripping claws 21a when the container gripping device 21 is lowered to the lowest position.

[0101] Next, the operation of closing the lid 9 in the fully open state will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15(g) shows a state during the closing operation, and Fig. 15(h) shows the fully closed state.

[0102] For the closing operation, the control device 6 controls the operation of the opening / closing unit so that, when the hook portion 26 and the hook receiving portion 69 are engaged, the opening / closing arm 24 moves horizontally along a path away from the lid body support shaft 67, and moves the opening / closing arm 24 downward so as to press against the top surface of the lid body 9, thereby closing the lid body 9.

[0103] 15(g), the X-motor 33 is driven to move the hook portion 26 horizontally rearward from the fully open state shown in FIG. 14(f). The hook portion 26 moves rearward beyond the hook receiving end surface 70 of the hook receiving portion 69 and is positioned above an area 73 near the tip of the lid 9. As the hook portion 26 moves away from the hook receiving portion 69, the lid 9 rotates in the closing direction around the lid support shaft 67 due to its own weight. The container case 8 is then placed in a half-closed state with the sealing material 68 abutting against the inner periphery of the top opening.

[0104] 15(h), the Z motor 51 is driven to lower the hook portion 26. After the lid body 9 is completely closed, the Z motor 51 is driven in a direction to further lower the lid body 9 by a predetermined amount, whereby the pressure spring 62 provided at the lower end portion 42 of the opening / closing arm 24 acts to apply a closing force to the region 73 at the tip of the lid body 9, thereby closing the lid body securely, as described with reference to FIG.

[0105] Thereafter, the Z motor 51 is driven to raise the hook portion 26, and when the Z origin sensor 55 is shaded, the hook portion 26 reaches the origin height. Thereafter, the X motor 33 is driven to move the hook portion 26 horizontally forward, and when the X origin sensor 35 is shaded, the hook portion 26 reaches the origin position.

[0106] By the above operation, the closing operation of the lid body 9 is completed.

[0107] The closing operation of the lid body 9 is not limited to the above operation, and the closing operation may be performed in the reverse order of the opening operation of the lid body 9 described with reference to Figures 12(a) to 14(f), i.e., by the operation from Figure 14(f) to Figure 12(a).

[0108] Next, the initialization operation will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 19. Figure 16(j) shows the start state of the initialization operation, Figure 16(k) shows the state during the initialization operation, Figure 17(l) shows the state after returning to the origin during the initialization operation, Figure 17(m) shows the state during the initialization operation, Figure 18(n) shows the state with the lid half-closed during the initialization operation, Figure 18(p) shows the state during the initialization operation after returning to the origin, and Figure 19(q) shows the completed state of the initialization operation.

[0109] The initialization operation is an operation to return to the origin position from a state in which operation has stopped at a position other than the origin during a normal series of operations due to, for example, a power outage during operation or an emergency stop operation by the operator. If the lid 9 has moved from the origin position and is in the middle of opening or closing when the initialization operation starts, any of the lids 9 within the shutter opening 19 may be in a half-open or fully open state, but the opening or closing state of each lid 9 cannot be determined by origin detection.

[0110] On the other hand, when the power supply to the device is turned on again to restore operation after a power outage or emergency stop state, all of the lids 9 must be completely closed. If the power supply is restored and the disks are rotated while the lids 9 are in a half-open or fully-open state, the open lids 9 may collide with the shutter opening 19 or rub against the drum top lid 25, which may lead to damage to the container case 8 or the device.

[0111] In other words, when returning to the origin from a position other than the origin, in this embodiment, it is desirable to reliably close all of the lid bodies 9 arranged in three rows in the shutter opening 19 and confirm this before moving to the origin position.

[0112] Therefore, the control device 6 moves the hook portion 26 to a third position which is closer to the opening and closing portion than the top surface of the lid body 9 which is closest to the opening and closing portion when the lid body 9 among the multiple lid bodies 9 is fully open, moves it horizontally from the third position to just above the first position of the lid body 9 which is farthest from the opening and closing portion among the multiple lid bodies 9, and controls the operation of the opening and closing portion so as to press the multiple lid bodies 9 sequentially from above to close all of the lid bodies 9.

[0113] 16(j) shows an example of a state when the initialization operation is started, in which the central lid 9 of the container cases 8 arranged in three rows is fully open. Since the container cases 8 have moved from the origin position, both the X origin sensor 35 and the Z origin sensor 55 are in a light-transmitting state.

[0114] 16(k) shows a state in which the position of hook portion 26 remains unchanged in the front-to-rear direction, and Z motor 51 is driven to raise hook portion 26, causing Z origin sensor 55 to change from light-transmitting to light-blocking. The height of hook portion 26 is the same as the origin position.

[0115] At this time, the hook portion 26 has disengaged from the hook receiving portion 69 of the lid body 9 and is in a further elevated position, so the lid body 9 may remain in the fully open position, or may rotate in the closing direction to enter a semi-closed state in which the sealing material 68 abuts against the inner circumference of the top opening of the container case 8, as shown by the dotted line in the figure.

[0116] 16(l) shows a state in which the height in the Z direction remains the same, but the X motor 33 is driven to move the hook portion 26 horizontally, causing the X origin sensor 35 to change from light-transmitting to light-blocking. In this state, both the X origin sensor 35 and the Z origin sensor 55 are in a light-blocking state, and it can be confirmed that the hook portion 26 has returned to the origin position.

[0117] 17(m) shows a state in which the hook portion 26 has been moved horizontally rearward a predetermined amount and lowered a predetermined amount. The position of the hook portion 26 shown in FIG. 17(m) is a region 74 for initialization, where the height of the hook portion 26 is lower than the upper end of the fully opened lid body 9 and the front-to-rear position of the hook portion 26 is between the frontmost lid body 9 and the frontmost wall surface of the shutter opening 19 when the frontmost lid body 9 is fully open. This region 74 is sometimes referred to as the "third position."

[0118] 18(n) shows a state in which the hook portion 26 located in region 74 has been moved horizontally rearward until it reaches the vicinity of the tip of the rearmost lid body 9. By moving the hook portion 26 horizontally from region 74, even if any of the three rows of lid bodies 9 is fully open, the hook portion 26 presses the top surface of each lid body 9 or the top surface of the hook receiving portion 69 from the side of the lid body support shaft 67, causing the lid body 9 to rotate around the lid body support shaft 67 in the closing direction and close to a half-open state under its own weight. In this example, the central lid body 9 of the three rows of container cases 8 is half-closed, while the remaining two lid bodies 9 remain in their original fully closed state.

[0119] 18(p), Z motor 51 is driven from the state of Fig. 18(n) to raise hook portion 26, and when Z origin sensor 55 changes from light transmitting to light blocking, the height of hook portion 26 becomes the same as the origin position and the raising is stopped, and X motor 33 is subsequently driven to move hook portion 26 horizontally forward, and when X origin sensor 35 changes from light transmitting to light blocking and detects the origin, the raising is stopped. In the state of Fig. 16(p), both X origin sensor 35 and Z origin sensor 55 are in a light blocking state, and it can be confirmed that hook portion 26 has returned to the origin position.

[0120] 19(q) shows the operation of closing all three rows of lid bodies 9. Hook portion 26, which has returned to the origin position in the state of FIG. 18(p), is first driven by X motor 33 to move horizontally to area 73 near the tip of the frontmost lid body 9, where it stops, and then driven by Z motor 51 to bring hook portion 26 into contact with the top surface of lid body 9, and then hook portion 26 is further lowered a predetermined amount until lid body 9 is pressed down by pressure spring 62, thereby closing lid body 9.

[0121] Next, the Z motor 51 is driven to raise the hook portion 26 to the height of the origin, and then the X motor 33 is driven to move the hook portion 26 horizontally to the area 73 of the adjacent lid body 9, and the Z motor 51 is driven a predetermined amount to lower the hook portion 26 and close the lid body 9.

[0122] The Z motor 51 is driven again to raise the hook portion 26 to the height of the origin, and then the X motor 33 is driven to move it horizontally to the area 73 of the adjacent lid body 9, and the Z motor 51 is driven a predetermined amount to lower the hook portion 26 and close the lid body 9.

[0123] Furthermore, the Z motor 51 is driven to raise the hook portion 26 to the height of the origin, and then the X motor 33 is driven to move the hook portion 26 forward to the origin.

[0124] With the operations up to this point, all three rows of lids 9 are closed, and the hook portions 26 are returned to their original positions, completing the initialization operation.

[0125] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD showing the operation of detecting abnormal descent when the hook portion 26 does not descend a predetermined distance due to, for example, contact with a foreign object while descending.

[0126] If a foreign object 75 is caught between the hook portion 26 and the hook receiving portion 69 of the lid 9 during the downward movement of the hook portion 26 shown in FIG. 20, the downward movement of the hook portion 26 and the opening / closing arm 24 will be hindered.

[0127] Meanwhile, the Z motor 51 continues to rotate, and the Z rack 44 is supported by the opening / closing arm 24 via the slide pin 45 and the pin receiving hole 46 so as to be movable downward by a predetermined amount, so that the Z rack 44 descends relative to the opening / closing arm 24 via the Z pinion 52, compressing the compression spring 48. The abnormal descent detection plate 54 descends together with the Z rack 44, and the abnormal descent detection sensor 53 provided on the opening / closing arm 24 can detect the occurrence of an abnormal descent by blocking transmitted light.

[0128] With this configuration, if the hook portion 26 does not descend to the specified height due to the influence of a foreign object 75 or the like, the control device 6 will detect that this is an abnormal descent and, for example, will stop the descent operation and raise the hook portion 26, or will notify the operator of the occurrence of the abnormality by displaying the abnormality on the control panel, or by using an indicator light or an alarm sound.

[0129] 21 to 23, the operation process of the cover opening / closing device 22 by the control device 6 will be described.

[0130] First, the flow of the operation of opening the lid body 9 by the lid opening / closing device 22 will be described with reference to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a flow chart showing the operation of opening the lid body 9 by the lid opening / closing device 22.

[0131] When the lid opening / closing device 22 is operated to open the lid 9 of the container case 8, the following process is carried out.

[0132] In step S101, the operator turns on the power to start the automatic analyzer, and processing begins.

[0133] In step S102, the control device 6 checks the states of the X origin sensor 35 and the Z origin sensor 55. If both the X origin sensor 35 and the Z origin sensor 55 are light-shielded (OFF) (Yes), it is determined that the sensor is at the origin position, and the process proceeds to step S103.

[0134] If either the X origin sensor 35 or the Z origin sensor 55 is light-transmitting (ON) (NO), the process proceeds to (A) of the initialization operation flowchart shown in FIG. 23 in step S109.

[0135] In step S103, the control device 6 drives the X-motor 33 a predetermined number of steps to move the hook portion 26 rearward to just above the access position of the lid body 9 to be opened, and then stops the X-motor 33.

[0136] Thereafter, in step S104, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 by a predetermined number of steps to lower the hook portion 26 until it contacts the upper surface of the lid body 9, and then stops the Z motor 51. The hook portion 26 is in the access position.

[0137] In step S105, the control device 6 drives the X-motor 33 forward by a predetermined number of steps, inserts the hook portion 26 into the hook receiving portion 69 provided on the top surface of the lid body 9, and stops the X-motor 33.

[0138] Furthermore, in step S106, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 a predetermined number of steps to raise the hook portion 26 a predetermined distance, and then stops the Z motor 51. This operation opens the lid body 9 to an open angle of, for example, about 30° to 45°.

[0139] Thereafter, in step S107, the control device 6 drives the X-motor 33 a predetermined number of steps to move the hook portion 26 forward to the fully open position where the lid body 9 is opened by 105 degrees, and then stops the X-motor 33.

[0140] Finally, in step S108, the above operations complete the opening operation of the lid 9, and the lid 9 reaches the fully open position.

[0141] Next, the flow of the closing operation will be described with reference to Fig. 22. Fig. 22 is a flow chart showing the closing operation of the lid body 9 by the lid opening / closing device 22.

[0142] In step S201, the control device 6 confirms that the container gripping device 21 has finished removing the QC sample container 4, and starts the process of closing the lid body 9.

[0143] Next, in step S202, the control device 6 drives the X motor 33 to move the hook portion 26 rearward by a predetermined number of steps, and moves the hook portion 26 to directly above the access position of the lid body 9.

[0144] Furthermore, in step S203, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 by a predetermined number of steps to lower the hook portion 26 until it contacts the upper surface of the lid 9. The hook portion 26 is in the access position.

[0145] In step S204, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 in the direction of lowering the hook portion 26 by a further predetermined number of steps, thereby compressing the pressure spring 62 by lowering the opening / closing arm 24 and applying a predetermined closing force from the hook portion 26 to the access portion of the lid body 9.

[0146] Thereafter, in step S205, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 by a predetermined number of steps to raise the hook portion 26 by a predetermined distance, and then stops the Z motor 51. At this time, the hook portion 26 rises to the origin height, and the Z origin sensor 55 changes from light-transmitting (ON) to light-blocking (OFF).

[0147] In step S206, the control device 6 drives the X motor 33 to move the hook portion 26 forward, and stops when the X origin sensor 35 changes from light transmitting (ON) to light blocking (OFF).

[0148] Finally, in step S207, if it is confirmed that both the X origin sensor 35 and the Z origin sensor 55 are in the light-shielded (OFF) state, the hook portion 26 is in the origin position, and the closing operation of the lid body 9 is completed.

[0149] Next, the flow of the initialization operation will be described with reference to Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing the initialization operation of the cover opening / closing device 22.

[0150] In step S301, the control device 6 starts the initialization operation that is performed in step S102 after power-on when either the X origin sensor 35 or the Z origin sensor 55 is transparent (ON) and the hook portion 26 is not at the origin position.

[0151] In step S302, the control device 6 determines whether the Z origin sensor 55 is in a light-blocking (OFF) state and the hook portion 26 is at the origin height. If the Z origin sensor 55 is in a light-blocking (OFF) state (Yes), the hook portion 26 is at the origin height, and the process proceeds to step S304. If the Z origin sensor 55 is in a light-transmitting (ON) state (No), it is determined that the hook portion 26 is lower than the origin height, and the process proceeds to step S303.

[0152] Next, in step S303, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 to raise the hook portion 26, and when the Z origin sensor 55 changes from the light-transmitting (ON) state to the light-blocking (OFF) state, stops the Z motor 51. The hook portion 26 reaches the origin height.

[0153] Furthermore, in step S304, control device 6 determines whether X origin sensor 35 is in a light-blocking (OFF) state and hook portion 26 is at the origin position, and if it is in a light-blocking (OFF) state (Yes), hook portion 26 is at the origin position, and so the process proceeds to step S306. If X origin sensor 35 is in a light-transmitting (ON) state (NO), hook portion 26 is at a position moved rearward from the origin position, and so the process proceeds to step S305.

[0154] Next, in step S305, the control device 6 drives the X motor 33 to move the hook portion 26 forward.

[0155] In step S306, control device 6 drives X motor 33 to move hook portion 26 rearward by a predetermined number of steps, and positions hook portion 26 directly above area 73 (access position) described with reference to Figure 17(m). Furthermore, control device 6 drives Z motor 51 by a predetermined number of steps to lower hook portion 26 until it comes into contact with area 73.

[0156] In step S307, the control device 6 drives the X motor 33 to move the hook portion 26 rearward a predetermined number of steps, and moves it to the vicinity of the tip of the rearmost lid body 9, as shown in Figure 18 (n).

[0157] In step S308, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 by a predetermined number of steps to raise the hook portion 26 by a predetermined distance, and then stops the Z motor 51. At this time, the hook portion 26 rises to the origin height, and the Z origin sensor 55 changes from light-transmitting (ON) to light-blocking (OFF).

[0158] Furthermore, the X motor 33 is driven to move the hook portion 26 forward, and stops when the X origin sensor 35 changes from light transmitting (ON) to light blocking (OFF).

[0159] In step S309, n=1 is set as the initial value of the number of operation repetitions n, which is equal to the number of the plurality of lid bodies 9 within the shutter opening 19. n=1 corresponds to the frontmost lid body 9, and n=1 corresponds to the successively rearmost lid bodies 9. In this embodiment, the maximum value of n is n=3.

[0160] In step S310, the control device 6 drives the X motor 33 to move to the access position just above the n-th cover body 9.

[0161] In step S311, the control device 6 drives the Z motor 51 by a predetermined number of steps to lower the hook portion 26 until it contacts the region 73. The opening / closing arm 24 is further lowered to compress the pressure spring 62, and a predetermined closing force is applied from the hook portion 26 to the access portion of the lid body 9, thereby closing the lid body 9. Thereafter, the Z motor 51 is driven in the reverse direction by a predetermined number of steps to raise the hook portion 26 to the origin height.

[0162] In step S312, it is determined whether the number of operation repetitions n is the maximum value (Last). If it is the maximum value (Yes), the closing operation of all the lids 9 has been completed, and the process proceeds to step S314.

[0163] If the number of motion repetitions n is not the maximum value (NO), the process proceeds to step S313.

[0164] In step S313, the number of repetitions n of the operation is incremented by 1, and the processes from step S310 onwards are executed.

[0165] In step S314, the control device 6 drives the X motor 33 to move the hook portion 26 forward, and stops when the X origin sensor 35 changes from light transmission (ON) to light blocking (OFF). If the lid 9 is to be opened subsequently, the process moves to (B) of FIG. 21 and the processes from step S102 onwards are carried out.

[0166] Finally, in step S315, the hook portion 26 is at the origin position, completing the initialization operation.

[0167] The control device 6 causes the cover opening / closing device 22 to perform the above operations, thereby enabling the cover 9 to be opened, closed, and initialized.

[0168] In this embodiment, the horizontal and vertical movements of the lid opening / closing device 22 can be monitored by a sensor or the like in the opening direction, closing direction, and initialization. However, it is preferable to determine a predetermined amount of movement and operate the device according to this predetermined amount of movement from the viewpoint of miniaturizing the device and simplifying its configuration.

[0169] FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a reagent bottle 80 in which a reagent container 79 equipped with an openable / closable lid, or a plurality of reagent containers 79 are housed in one case, rather than a container case.

[0170] Both the reagent container 79 shown in Figure 24(a) and the reagent bottle 80 shown in Figure 24(b) have a neck 81 with an opening on the top surface, and a lid support shaft 67 on a part of the neck 81 that supports the lids 9A and 9B so that they can be opened and closed freely, and the configuration of the lids 9A and 9B is the same as the configuration described in Figures 9 and 10.

[0171] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0172] The lid opening / closing device 22 of the first embodiment of the present invention described above comprises a storage section for storing QC sample containers 4 containing liquid, and an opening / closing section for opening and closing the lid body 9 of a container case 8 having an openable / closable lid body 9 attached to the upper surface of the storage section via a lid body support shaft 67, and the opening / closing section comprises an opening / closing arm 24 having a hook portion 26 configured to be accessible to the lid body 9, and the lid body 9 has a groove formed on its upper surface which is capable of receiving the hook portion 26 of the opening / closing arm 24 and has a hook receiving portion 69 which forms a path along which the hook portion 26 can move, and the relationship between the first position of the hook portion 26 where the hook receiving portion 69 receives the hook portion 26 when the lid body 9 is closed and the second position of the hook portion 26 when the hook portion 26 engages with the hook receiving portion 69 to open the lid body 9 is such that the second position is vertically higher than the first position, and their vertical positions relative to the horizontal plane of the opening are different.

[0173] This allows the lid body 9 to be opened and closed by combining horizontal movement and up and down movement of the hook portion 26, which engages with the lid body 9 to open and close it, thereby having the effect of opening the lid body 9 on the container case 8 stored inside the container storage device 1 and enabling reliable lid opening and closing operations.

[0174] Furthermore, the lid opening / closing device 22 of the first embodiment of the present invention described above comprises an opening / closing unit for opening and closing the lid 9 of a container case 8 having a storage section for storing a QC sample container 4 containing a liquid, and an openable / closable lid 9 attached to the upper surface of the storage section via a lid support shaft 67, and a control device 6 for controlling the operation of the opening / closing unit, wherein the opening / closing unit comprises an opening / closing arm 24 having a hook portion 26 configured to be accessible to the lid 9, and the lid 9 has a groove formed on its upper surface which is capable of receiving the hook portion 26 of the opening / closing arm 24 and has a hook receiving portion 69 which forms a path along which the hook portion 26 can move, and the control device 6 controls the operation of the opening / closing unit to cause the hook portion 26 to access the hook receiving portion 69 and move it horizontally along the path toward the lid support shaft 67 to engage the hook portion 26 with the hook receiving portion 69, and in the engaged state, move the opening / closing arm 24 upward to open the lid 9.

[0175] With this type of lid opening / closing device 22, by aligning the opening / closing direction of the lid body 9 with the drum radial direction of the cylindrical container storage cabinet 7, the horizontal movement required for opening and closing the lid body 9 and the selection movement of the inner and outer container cases of the container cases 8 arranged concentrically within the container storage cabinet 7 can be made to be in the same direction (X direction), resulting in the effect of simplifying the configuration by enabling a series of operations with only two-axis drive in the X-axis and Z-axis directions.

[0176] In addition, the opening / closing arm 24 has a support portion 43 extending in the longitudinal direction, and the hook portion 26 is formed at one end side of the longitudinal direction of the support portion 43 so as to expand the support portion 43 in the short direction.Therefore, the shapes of the lower end portion 42 of the opening / closing arm 24 and the support portion 43 of the hook portion 26 can be made to follow the slope of the drum opening, which has the effect of avoiding interference with the container gripping mechanism (gripper) when the lid is opened.

[0177] Furthermore, the hook portion 26 is configured to form an inverted T-shape together with the support rod portion 43, and by making the hook portion 26 inverted T-shape and providing a hook receiving portion 69 on the top surface of the lid body 9 that matches the shape of the hook portion 26, the effect of ensuring reliable engagement between the lever and the receiving groove is achieved.

[0178] In addition, since the support rod portion 43 is inclined at a predetermined angle in the direction of fully opening the lid body 9 relative to the perpendicular to the top surface of the lid body 9, the maximum opening angle of the lid body 9 can be made greater than 90°, which has the effect of making it possible to fully open the opening on the top surface of the container case 8.

[0179] Furthermore, the support rod portion 43 is supported in its longitudinal direction so as to be freely movable within a predetermined range via a pressure spring 62, and the hook portion 26 closes the lid body 9 by the spring force generated by deforming the pressure spring 62 when the lid body 9 is pressed closed from above, thereby stabilizing the closing force of the lid body 9 during the closing operation and achieving the effect of ensuring the closing operation of the lid body 9.

[0180] Furthermore, after opening the lid body 9, by further moving the hook portion 26 horizontally in the same direction as the direction in which the hook portion 26 engages with the hook receiving portion 69, the lid body 9 can be moved further in the opening direction, making the opening operation more reliable.

[0181] Furthermore, when the hook portion 26 and the hook receiving portion 69 are engaged, the control device 6 controls the operation of the opening and closing unit to horizontally move the opening and closing arm 24 along a path away from the lid body support shaft 67, and to move the opening and closing arm 24 downward so as to press against the upper surface of the lid body 9, thereby closing the lid body 9. When the lid body 9 is closed, the hook portion 26 presses down vertically on the upper surface of the lid body 9 from directly above, so that the closing operation of the lid body 9 is reliable, and since no horizontal force is applied to the lid body support shaft 67, which serves as a hinge, no bending moment is generated in the oblique direction on the container case 8 during the closing operation, and the container case 8 is held stably. Furthermore, by lowering the hook portion 26 and pressing down the tip of the lid body 9, the lid can be closed reliably.

[0182] Furthermore, the control device 6 controls the operation of the opening / closing unit by moving the hook portion 26 to a third position that is closer to the opening / closing unit than the top surface of the cover 9 that is closest to the opening / closing unit when the cover 9 is fully open, moving it horizontally from the third position to just above the first position of the cover 9 that is farthest from the opening / closing unit, and sequentially pressing the cover 9 from above to close all of the cover 9. This allows for an initialization operation that returns to the origin position even if the operation has stopped at a position other than the origin during a normal series of operations due to a power outage or an emergency stop operation by the operator. Therefore, even if any cover 9 is in the open state, all of the cover 9 can be reliably closed and returned to the origin position, allowing the next series of normal operations to begin.

[0183] Second Embodiment A lid opening / closing device, a container storage device, an automatic analyzer, and a method for opening and closing a lid according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 25 to 27. Figure 25 shows the configuration of the lid opening / closing device and container storage cabinet of the second embodiment, and is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line H-H in Figure 27, Figure 26 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line G-G in Figure 25, and Figure 27 is a plan view of the lid opening / closing device and container storage cabinet.

[0184] The lid opening / closing device 22A of this embodiment shown in Figures 25 to 27 differs from the lid opening / closing device 22 of the first embodiment in that it is provided on the circumferential side of the shutter opening 19 of the container storage cabinet 7, rather than on the inner side of the shutter opening 19.

[0185] Specifically, the lid opening / closing device 22A is provided to the side of the shutter opening 19. For this reason, the shape of the opening / closing arm 24A is curved in a plan view, and is shaped so as to be able to act on the lid body 9 of the container case 8 placed in the shutter opening 19 located to the side.

[0186] The hook portion 26G of the support rod 43 and the hook receiving portion 69G of the lid 9 are formed in a substantially L-shape similar to that shown in Fig. 30(e) in the fourth embodiment described later. The hook portion 26G of the support rod 43 and the hook receiving portion 69G of the lid 9 can be formed in either the form described in the first embodiment or the form shown in the fourth embodiment described later.

[0187] Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same components or components having the same functions are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0188] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of the first embodiment described above, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0189] The lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of the second embodiment of the present invention also achieve substantially the same effects as the lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of the first embodiment described above.

[0190] In addition, in this embodiment, the container case 8 and the opening / closing arm 24 may be placed side by side in the left-right direction without overlapping each other when viewed in a plane, which is preferable because it makes it easier to create a gap between the container holding device 21 and the opening / closing arm 24.

[0191] <Third embodiment> A lid opening / closing device, a container storage device, an automatic analyzer, and a lid opening / closing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 28 and 29. Figure 28 is a view corresponding to a CC cross section of the configuration of the lid opening / closing device and container storage cabinet according to the third embodiment, and Figure 29 is a CC cross section of the configuration of the lid opening / closing device and container storage cabinet according to the third embodiment.

[0192] 28 and 29, a lid opening / closing device 22B of this embodiment has a single opening / closing arm 24B with multiple hook portions 26 arranged in series, and is configured to simultaneously open and close the lids 9 of multiple container cases 8 arranged in series. Driving systems such as motors and rack and pinions, and detection sensors are not shown.

[0193] The difference from the first embodiment is that the lower end of the opening / closing arm 24B extends horizontally rearward, and three hook portions 26 are provided via multiple support rod portions extending downward from the opening / closing arm 24B, matching the spacing of the container cases 8 inside the storage container.

[0194] In addition, a dispensing opening 78 is provided directly above each container case 8 on the opening / closing arm 24 so that, when the lid body 9 is fully opened, a dispensing nozzle 76 extending vertically downward from the dispensing arm 77 can enter the inside of each container case 8.

[0195] 28A shows the origin position, where the three hook portions 26 are located above the X rail and outside the shutter opening 19 in plan view. This state corresponds to the origin position shown in FIG.

[0196] Figure 28(b) shows a state in which the opening / closing arm 24B has been moved horizontally rearward so that the plurality of hook portions 26 are positioned directly above the vicinity of the tip end of the corresponding lid body 9. This state corresponds to the state in Figure 12(b).

[0197] Figure 29(c) shows a state in which the opening / closing arm 24 has been lowered vertically downward, and the plurality of hook portions 26 are positioned near the tip ends of the corresponding upper surfaces of the lid bodies 9. This state corresponds to the state in Figure 13(c).

[0198] Figure 29(d) shows a state in which the opening / closing arm 24 has moved forward a predetermined amount, then moved upward a predetermined amount, and then moved forward a predetermined amount to fully open the plurality of lid bodies 9. This state corresponds to Figure 14(f).

[0199] Here, in Figure 29 (d), adjacent lid bodies 9 are close to each other, so if the lid body 9 is opened more than 90 degrees, it will partially block the opening of the adjacent container case 8, so the opening angle is set to 90 degrees.

[0200] Here, the opening / closing arm 24B is provided with a dispensing opening 78 directly above the container case 8, so that a thin dispensing nozzle 76 can be inserted into the container case 8 from above.

[0201] On the other hand, if the distance between the lid bodies 9 is widened so that the lid bodies open, for example, 105°, without blocking the opening on the top surface of the adjacent container case 8, the gripping claws 21a of the container gripping device 21 can be inserted into the inside of the container case 8 to remove and insert the QC sample container 4 inside the container case 8.

[0202] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of the first embodiment described above, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0203] <Fourth embodiment> A lid opening and closing device, a container storage device, an automatic analyzer, and a lid opening and closing method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 30. Fig. 30 is a diagram showing various modified examples of the hook portion in the lid opening and closing device of the fourth embodiment.

[0204] In this embodiment, several different shapes of the hook portion 26 and the hook receiving portion 69 will be described. The configuration other than the hook portion 26 and the hook receiving portion 69 is the same as any of the first to third embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0205] 30(a), hook portion 26C is not inverted T-shaped but is a sphere with a diameter larger than the cylindrical support portion 43, and hook receiving portion 69C has a recess in which the sphere can move in the front-to-rear direction. The upper surface of hook receiving portion 69C has a groove that is narrower than the diameter of the sphere and allows support portion 43 to move in the front-to-rear direction.

[0206] In Figure 30 (b), the hook portion 26D has an inverted T shape as in the first embodiment, but the hook receiving portion 69D is not convex on the upper surface of the lid body, but rather has a groove on the upper surface of the lid body 9 through which the support portion 43 can move, and the hook receiving portion 69D is convex on the lower surface of the lid body 9.

[0207] 30(c), the hook portion 26E is a sphere with a diameter larger than the cylindrical support portion 43, as in FIG. 30(a), and the hook receiving portion 69E has a recess in which the sphere can move in the front-to-rear direction. The hook receiving portion 69E is not a convex shape on the upper surface of the lid body, but rather has a groove on the upper surface of the lid body 9 in which the support portion 43 can move, and the hook receiving portion 69E is a convex shape on the lower surface of the lid body 9.

[0208] In Figure 30 (d), the hook receiving portion 69F has a T-shape that protrudes from the upper surface of the lid body, and the hook portion 26F has a rectangular shape that surrounds the hook receiving portion 69F, with the upper edge connected to the support portion 43 and a gap provided on the lowest edge so as not to interfere with the hook receiving portion 69F.

[0209] In Figure 30 (e), the hook portion 26G is approximately L-shaped, extending in only one direction relative to the support portion 43, and the hook receiving portion 69G is an inverted L-shaped portion that protrudes from the top surface of the lid body, and the leftward extension of the hook portion 26G is inserted between the rightward extension of the hook receiving portion 69G and the top surface of the lid body 9, making the hook portion 26G movable in the forward and backward directions.

[0210] In the form shown in Figure 30 (e), furthermore, the inverted T-shaped hook portion 26G does not necessarily have to be symmetrical left and right with respect to the support portion 43, and may have a shape in which the amount of protrusion to the left and the amount of protrusion to the right are different.

[0211] In the above-described embodiment, the hook portion is described as being cylindrical or spherical, but is not limited to such a shape, and the hook portion 26 may be configured to have a rotating member that is freely rotatable about the cylindrical axis of the hook portion.

[0212] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of any of the first, second, or third embodiments described above, and details will be omitted.

[0213] The lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of the fourth embodiment of the present invention also achieves effects substantially similar to those of the lid opening / closing device, container storage device, automatic analyzer, and lid opening / closing method of any of the first, second, or third embodiments described above.

[0214] <Others> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. The above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the described configurations.

[0215] It is also possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment, or to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0216] The present invention encompasses the following technical idea as shown in FIG.

[0217] A container having an opening on its top surface and an openable / closable lid attached to the top surface via a hinge, wherein a groove is formed on the top surface of the lid, the groove being capable of receiving a protrusion of an opening / closing mechanism that accesses the lid from the outside and having a recess that forms a path along which the protrusion can move, and wherein a first position of the protrusion where the recess receives the protrusion when the lid is closed, and a second position of the protrusion where the protrusion engages with the recess to open the lid, are positioned higher than the first position and are at different positions in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the opening.

[0218] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...container storage device 2...automatic analyzer 3...analyzer 4...QC sample container 5...pretreatment device 6...control device (control unit) 7...container storage cabinet 8...container case 9, 9A, 9B...lid body 10...first transport path 11...annular holder 12...storage cabinet central axis 13...casing 14...insulating material 15...disk support shaft 16...disk 17...disk drive shaft 18a...outer circumference circle 18b...middle circumference circle 18c...inner circumference circle 19...shutter opening 20...shutter 21...container gripping device 21a...gripping claw 21b...gripping claw drive unit 22, 22A, 22B...lid opening / closing device 23...second transport path 24, 24A, 24B...opening / closing arm (lever) 25...drum upper lid 26, 26C, 26D, 26E, 26F, 26G...Hook portion (convex portion) 27...Base 28...X rail 29...X slider 30...Slide base 31...X rack 32...Mounting bracket 33...X motor 34...X pinion 35...X origin sensor 36...X origin detection plate 37...Angle 38...Z rail 39...Z slider 40...Fixed portion 41...Bent portion 42...Lower end portion 43...Support portion 44...Z rack 45...Slide pin 46...Pin receiving hole 47a...Spring seat 47b...Spring seat 48...Compression spring 49...Spring hook portion 50...Tension spring 51...Z motor 52...Z pinion 53...Abnormal descent detection sensor 54...Abnormal descent detection plate 55...Z origin sensor 56: Origin height detection plate 57: Support rod base 58: Pin 59: Guide portion 60: Guide member 61: Step portion 62: Pressure spring (elastic member) 63: Oval hole 64: First cylindrical portion 65: Second cylindrical portion 66: Sealing member 67: Lid support shaft (hinge) 68: Sealing material 69, 69C, 69D, 69E, 69F, 69G: Hook receiving portion (recessed portion) 70: Hook receiving portion end surface 71: Groove portion 72: Lid groove upper surface 73: Area (access position) 74: Area (initialization operation) 75: Foreign matter 76: Dispensing nozzle 77: Dispensing arm 78: Dispensing opening 79: Reagent container 80: Reagent bottle 81: Neck portion 82: Shutter opening edge 83: Step portion 84: Movement amount

Claims

1. A lid opening and closing device including a container that houses a container for containing a liquid, and an opening and closing part that opens and closes a lid of a case having an openable and closable lid attached to an upper surface of the container via a hinge, the opening / closing unit includes a lever having a protrusion configured to be accessible to the lid body and a support rod extending in the longitudinal direction, a groove having a recess that can receive the protrusion of the lever and that forms a path along which the protrusion can move is formed on an upper surface of the lid; The protrusion is formed on one end side of the support rod in the longitudinal direction so as to expand in the short-side direction of the support rod, The relationship between a first position of the convex portion where the concave portion receives the convex portion when the lid body is closed and a second position of the convex portion when the convex portion engages with the concave portion to open the lid body is such that the second position is vertically higher than the first position, and the positions of the first and second positions of the convex portion relative to the horizontal plane of the opening are different. Lid opening and closing device.

2. (delete)

3. The cover opening and closing device according to claim 1, The protrusion is configured to form an inverted T shape together with the support rod. Lid opening and closing device.

4. The cover opening and closing device according to claim 3, The support rod is inclined at a predetermined angle in the fully opening direction of the lid body with respect to a perpendicular line to the upper surface of the lid body. Lid opening and closing device.

5. The cover opening and closing device according to claim 4, The support rod is supported in its longitudinal direction via an elastic member so as to be movable within a predetermined range, The protrusion closes the lid by a biasing force generated by deforming the elastic member when the lid is pressed from above to close the lid. Lid opening and closing device.

6. a container for accommodating a container for accommodating a liquid, and an opening / closing section for opening and closing a lid of a case having an openable / closable lid attached to an upper surface of the container via a hinge; A control unit that controls the operation of the opening and closing unit, the opening / closing unit includes a lever having a protrusion configured to be accessible to the lid body and a support rod extending in the longitudinal direction, a groove having a recess that can receive the protrusion of the lever and that forms a path along which the protrusion can move is formed on an upper surface of the lid; The protrusion is formed on one end side of the support rod in the longitudinal direction so as to expand in the short-side direction of the support rod, The control unit allowing the protrusion to access the recess; horizontally moving the path toward the hinge to engage the protrusion and the recess; In the engaged state, the operation of the opening / closing unit is controlled so as to move the lever upward and open the lid. Lid opening and closing device.

7. The cover opening and closing device according to claim 6, After the lid is opened, the protrusion is further moved horizontally in the same direction as the direction in which the protrusion and the recess are engaged with each other. Lid opening and closing device.

8. The cover opening and closing device according to claim 6, The control unit With the protrusion and the recess engaged, the lever is moved horizontally along the path so as to move away from the hinge; The lever is moved downward so as to press the upper surface of the lid, and the operation of the opening and closing unit is controlled to close the lid. Lid opening and closing device.

9. The cover opening and closing device according to claim 6, The control unit controls the protrusion to a third position that is closer to the opening and closing portion than the top surface of the cover body when the cover body is fully open; horizontally moving the cover from the third position to immediately above the first position of the cover that is the farthest from the opening / closing unit among the plurality of cover bodies; The operation of the opening and closing unit is controlled so that the plurality of lid bodies are sequentially pressed from above to close all of the lid bodies. Lid opening and closing device.

10. A container storage device comprising the lid opening and closing device according to claim 1.

11. An automatic analyzer comprising the container storage device according to claim 10.

12. A method for opening and closing a lid of a case having a container that houses a container for containing a liquid and an openable and closable lid attached to an upper surface of the container via a hinge, comprising: The cover has a groove formed on its top surface, the groove having a recess that can receive the protrusion of the lever and that forms a path along which the protrusion can move, an opening / closing unit including a support rod portion extending in a longitudinal direction, and the lever configured to be accessible to the lid body and having the protrusion formed on one end side of the support rod portion in the longitudinal direction so as to expand in the lateral direction of the support rod portion; allowing the protrusion to access the recess; horizontally moving the path toward the hinge to engage the protrusion and the recess; In the engaged state, the lever is moved upward to open the lid. How to open and close the lid.

13. The method for opening and closing a lid according to claim 12, After the lid is opened, the protrusion is further moved horizontally in the same direction as the direction in which the protrusion and the recess are engaged with each other. How to open and close the lid.

14. The method for opening and closing a lid according to claim 12, With the protrusion and the recess engaged, the lever is moved horizontally along the path so as to move away from the hinge; The lever is moved downward so as to press the upper surface of the lid, thereby closing the lid. How to open and close the lid.

15. The method for opening and closing a lid according to claim 12, The convex portion, a third position that is closer to the opening and closing portion than the top surface of the cover body when the cover body is fully open; horizontally moving the cover from the third position to immediately above the first position of the cover that is the farthest from the opening / closing unit among the plurality of cover bodies; The plurality of lids are sequentially pressed from above to close all of the lids. How to open and close the lid.