Container supply device

Abstract

In order provide a container supply device in which container blockage hardly occurs even when a container is in an abnormal orientation during conveyance, the present invention is provided with the following configuration.　A container supply device wherein a container conveyance unit comprises: an annular belt; a sorting member that is provided on the annular belt and is capable of sorting and placing tubular containers one by one; a cover part that has a forward path along which the annular belt is rotated in one direction and the sorting member moves upward, that has a belt rotation mechanism forming a return path along which the sorting member moves downward, and that covers at least a portion of the return path; and an opening which is provided to the cover part and through which the tubular containers can pass.

Description

Container feeding device

[0001] The present invention relates to a container supplying device that supplies tubular containers such as specimen containers, disposable cuvettes, and disposable tips.

[0002] Automated analyzers that automatically perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological samples such as blood and urine are becoming increasingly popular, especially in hospitals and testing centers. Testing centers that undertake analysis from local hospitals and clinics and analyze large volumes of samples quickly are particularly required to increase the number of analyses per unit time (high throughput).

[0003] Therefore, along with increasing the speed of the automatic analyzers themselves, there is also a demand for faster container supply devices that automatically supply consumables used in automatic analyzers, such as specimen containers (test tubes) that contain specimens, disposable tips that are attached to the tip of the dispensing nozzle to prevent contamination when dispensing specimens, and disposable cuvettes (reaction vessels) that react specimens with reagents, to automatic analyzers and specimen pre-processing equipment.

[0004] One of the challenges in increasing the speed of a container supply device is the occurrence of containers getting clogged (jammed) on the transport path for some reason. When a jam occurs, the device must be stopped until the clogged container is removed, which may affect the analysis of the automatic analyzer. As an invention for preventing jams, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for suppressing abnormal orientation of containers discharged from a container (cuvette) discharge unit by devising the shape of a mounting member provided on a circular belt that transports containers, thereby reducing the occurrence of jams.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-219012

[0006] The technology described in Patent Document 1 reduces the occurrence of container clogging by suppressing abnormal container orientation, but does not consider how to deal with cases where abnormal orientation does occur. An abnormally oriented container will become stuck on the conveying path, requiring an operator to remove the cover of the circular belt, remove the clogged container, and replace the cover, during which time the supply of containers will be halted, which still presents a problem.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a container supplying device that is less likely to cause container clogging.

[0008] The present invention has the following configuration to achieve the above object.

[0009] A container supply device comprising: a container storage section for storing a plurality of tubular containers; a container conveying section for transporting the tubular containers stored in the container storage section; and a container alignment section for aligning the tubular containers transported from the container conveying section, wherein the container conveying section has a circular belt; a dividing member attached to the circular belt and capable of dividing the tubular containers one by one and placing them on the belt; and a belt rotation mechanism for rotating the circular belt in one direction, forming an outward path along which the dividing member moves upward and a return path along which the dividing member moves downward, and comprising: a cover section for covering at least a portion of the return path; and an opening provided in the cover section through which the tubular containers can pass.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a container supplying device in which clogging of containers is unlikely to occur.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows an example of a tubular container that is the subject of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows an example of the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention.

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the container supply device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that common members in each drawing are given the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the following embodiment.

[0013] The containers supplied by the container supply device, which is the subject of the present invention, will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a sample pretreatment device that pretreats samples so that they can be analyzed by an automated analyzer, and the containers used in the automated analyzer. Pretreatment includes centrifugation to separate serum components from blood, aliquoting a parent sample into multiple child samples, and barcode attachment, which affixes a barcode to the container to identify the sample container.

[0014] The container is typically a so-called test tube shape as shown in FIG. 1( a). However, the container may have a shape in which a portion of the outer periphery of the test tube is thickened to make it easier to grip and to handle the container (especially when transported by a robot). The test tube may also have a shape with a flange at the opening. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to containers other than specimen containers. For example, the present invention can be applied to a container such as a reaction vessel (disposable cuvette) that reacts a specimen with a reagent (FIG. 1( b)). The present invention can also be applied to a disposable tip (FIG. 1( c)) that is attached to the tip of a specimen dispensing nozzle to prevent the mixing of different specimens, i.e., contamination.

[0015] The term "tubular container" in the claims includes any container that is at least partially tubular and can be transported by a circular belt, as described below. It may be a reusable container or a disposable container.

[0016] 1(a) is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and has a body portion 101 and a neck portion 102. Examples of materials for the container 100 include resin and glass. The container 100 is formed to be transparent or translucent.

[0017] One axial end of the body 101 forms the bottom of the container 100 and is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape. The neck 102 is provided at the other axial end of the body 101. The outer diameter of the neck 102 is the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the body 101. If the outer diameter is larger, a step is formed between the neck 102 and the body 101, and this step can be used to reduce the possibility of the container falling when grasped by a robot.

[0018] The container 110 in Fig. 1(b) has a tapered shape in which the outer diameter decreases toward the bottom. The container 110 can also be made of a material such as resin or glass, and is formed to be transparent or translucent. The present invention can also be applied to such containers that are not "cylindrical" in shape.

[0019] The container 120 in Fig. 1(c) is cylindrical up to the middle, then tapered so that the outer diameter decreases as it goes downward, with a hole 121 at the bottom for passing liquid. Examples of materials include resin and glass. It is formed to be transparent or translucent, or, if capacitance-type liquid level detection technology is used, it may be black because it contains conductive carbon.

[0020] In the claims, the term "container outer diameter" refers to the average outer diameter for a tapered container such as that shown in FIG. 1(b). That is, if the outer diameter of the opening is a and the outer diameter near the bottom is b, then (a + b) / 2 is considered to be the outer diameter. Furthermore, if the container is tapered midway through, as shown in FIG. 1(c), and the ratio of the tapered shape to the container length is 1 / 2 or less, then the outer diameter of the portion other than the tapered shape is considered to be the "outer diameter" in the claims. As will be described later, the "outer diameter" in the claims is a concept that has meaning in terms of the relative size relationship between the gap (distance) between the upper end of the partition member and the cover portion and the "outer diameter," and we believe that the above approach is appropriate in light of this concept.

[0021] Next, the configuration of the container supply device of the present invention will be described. Fig. 2(a) is a rear view of the container supply device, and Fig. 2(b) is a side view (perspective view). The container supply device includes a container storage section 201 that stores a plurality of tubular containers, a container conveying section 202, and a container alignment section 203.

[0022] The container conveying section 202 comprises a circular belt 204, a separating member 205 attached to the circular belt 204 and capable of separating and placing the tubular containers one by one, a belt rotation mechanism 206, an outgoing path 207 along which the separating member moves upward, a returning path 208 along which the separating member moves downward, a position 209 at which the tubular containers are discharged to the container alignment section, a cover section 210 that covers at least a portion of the returning path, an opening 211 provided in the cover section, and an upper cover 214 that covers the vicinity of the position where the outgoing path 207 and the returning path 208 of the circular belt 204 switch.

[0023] The operation of the container supply device will be described. When a belt rotation mechanism 206, driven by an electric motor or the like, rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2(b), the sorting members 205, which are spaced apart at regular intervals on the circular belt 204, also rotate counterclockwise. A large number of tubular containers to be transported are stored in the container storage unit 201. Since the containers are transferred randomly from the container (bag) containing the tubular containers to the container storage unit by a person, the orientation of the tubular containers inside the container storage unit is random.

[0024] When the sorting members 205 operate in a "scooping up" manner within this container storage section, tubular containers 100 that happen to be stored in the same orientation as the sorting members 205 are placed on the sorting members 205 (it may be more accurate to say that they are "hooked" on the sorting members). As the sorting members 205 move upward in conjunction with the movement of the circular belt, tubular containers are placed on each of the multiple sorting members. However, as mentioned above, since the orientation of the tubular containers in the container storage section varies, there are cases where tubular containers are placed on all of the sorting members 205 at consecutive positions, and there are also cases where the tubular containers are not properly caught on some sorting members.

[0025] Although FIG. 2 shows the height of the separating member 205 (height from the surface of the circular belt) as approximately twice the diameter of the tubular container, the height of the separating member 205 (height from the surface of the circular belt) can be appropriately selected depending on the specifications of the container supplying device, such as the rotation speed of the circular belt and the length of the tubular container. For example, if it is important that only one tubular container is placed on one separating member 205, the height of the separating member 205 should be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the tubular container. In this case, even if two tubular containers happen to be facing the same direction as the separating member 205 and are caught on the same separating member, one of the tubular containers will fall off midway, increasing the likelihood that only one will be placed. For example, if the outer diameter of the tubular container is 13 mm, the height of the separating member 205 (height from the surface of the circular belt) should also be designed to be approximately 13 mm.

[0026] Furthermore, if the rotation speed of the circular belt is high and there is concern that the tubular containers in the storage section may not be properly scooped up, the possibility of them getting caught can be increased by making the height of the sorting member 205 greater than the outer diameter of the tubular containers. In this case, it is preferable to devise a structure for the aligning section so that even if two tubular containers are placed on the same sorting member 205, the containers can be properly aligned in the subsequent container aligning section 203. In this way, it is desirable to select the height of the sorting member 205 appropriately, depending on the design priorities, from a height approximately equal to the outer diameter of the tubular containers to be scooped up to approximately twice the outer diameter of the tubular containers.

[0027] The section in which the sorting member 205 moves upward is called the outgoing path 207, and the section in which the sorting member 205 moves downward is called the returning path 208. When the sorting member 205 moves past the outgoing path 207, the tubular containers 100 placed on the sorting member fall diagonally downward under their own weight (the tubular containers slide diagonally downward while rotating). The container alignment section 203 has a sliding plate installed at a predetermined angle, so that the tubular containers 100 sliding diagonally downward are transferred onto the sliding plate, and the tubular containers are aligned (in the diagram of FIG. 2(b) , the longitudinal direction of the tubular containers is aligned perpendicular to the plane of the drawing).

[0028] Various mechanisms can be connected downstream of the container alignment unit 203. For example, if a barcode labeler that affixes barcode labels to tubular containers is connected, additional mechanisms will be added, such as a mechanism for aligning the necks 102 of the aligned tubular containers so that they face the same direction, and a mechanism for affixing barcode labels to the aligned tubular containers. However, these are not directly related to the present invention, and therefore detailed explanations will be omitted. Also, although the container alignment unit 203 is shown in Figure 2 as being located midway along the return path 208, it is also possible to configure it to be located midway along the outgoing path 207.

[0029] In the configuration of Figure 2, when the moving speed of the circular belt 204 increases, the rotational force (centrifugal force) of the circular belt may cause the tubular container 100 to separate (be thrown out) from the circular belt when the tubular container 100 moves from the forward path to the return path, and it has been found that some of the thrown tubular containers may be lying horizontally when placed on the belt, but may be thrown out so that their longitudinal direction is vertical (in the vertical direction).

[0030] If the speed of the circular belt is increased to improve throughput, the probability of such tubular containers occurring increases. A problem that occurs when a vertical tubular container occurs in a conventional container supplying device without openings 211 as shown in Figure 8 will be described. Some of the vertical tubular containers 100 may fall through the gap between the cover portion 210 and the sorting member 205 and become caught between the lower cover 701 and the sorting member 205 on the return path of the circular belt. If a jam occurs, the device must be stopped until the circular belt is stopped, the lower cover 701 is removed, and the caught tubular container 100 is removed.

[0031] To solve this problem, in the present invention, as shown in Figure 2, an opening 211 large enough for a container to pass through is provided in the cover part 210. The inventors have newly discovered that some of the tubular containers 100 that have become upright can be discharged outside the cover part through this opening, thereby preventing clogging of the tubular containers. The most important point of the present invention is the discovery that "tubular containers can be discharged simply by providing the opening 211 in the cover part 210."

[0032] However, since there were cases where the tubular container was not properly discharged depending on the conditions, the inventors investigated the conditions for more reliably discharging the tubular container 100 by taking pictures with a high-speed video camera. The results of this investigation will be explained using Figures 3A to 3E.

[0033] 3A to 3E are enlarged views of the top of the circular belt shown in FIG. 2, where the belt switches between forward and backward travel. The top cover 214 has been removed for clarity. FIG. 3A shows a tubular container in a vertical position due to being thrown up near the top of the circular belt where the belt switches between forward and backward travel. The gap between the cover 210 and the separating member 205 is less than half the outer diameter of the tubular container 100. For example, if the outer diameter of the tubular container is 13 mm, the gap is approximately 5 mm. Because the separating member 205 is made of a flexible, elastic material, such as rubber or soft resin, the separating member in contact with the vertically positioned tubular container bends. At this time, the bent separating member exerts a force that pushes the upper portion of the tubular container outward (toward the left in this figure). The separating member 205 does not need to be entirely made of a flexible material. Since it is sufficient for the separator member to be partially bent and then return to its original shape, only the tip of the separator member (the end facing away from the circular belt) may be made of a flexible material, and the separator member may be connected to the circular belt via a non-flexible material. For example, the separator member may be connected to the circular belt via a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel, or a hard plastic. Furthermore, the flexible material is appropriately selected based on the thickness of the separator member 205 (2 mm in this embodiment) to achieve the effects described in Figures 3A to 3E. In other words, it is preferable to select a softer (less elastic) material when the separator member 205 is thick, and a harder (more elastic) material when the separator member 205 is thin.

[0034] 3B shows the state in which the circular belt has further rotated from this position. Compared to FIG. 3A, when the separating member 205 that was in contact with the tubular container moves downward, the separating member 205 acts to push the lower part of the tubular container 100 outward (to the left in this figure).

[0035] As the circular belt continues to rotate, the outer edge of the lower end of the tubular container 100 (to the left in this figure) moves as if being pushed outward (to the left in this figure) through the opening 211 provided in the cover part 210, as shown in Figure 3C. At this time, the deflected dividing member 205 stretches in an attempt to return to its original shape, pushing the tubular container outward in one go, like a compressed spring returning to its original shape (Figure 3D). The pushed-out tubular container 100 falls diagonally downward (Figure 3E).

[0036] According to experiments conducted by the inventors, it was found that tubular containers placed upright often move to the left or right edge of the cover, rather than staying in the center. The dividing member 205 is constantly moving downward in the center of the cover, so there is a lot of resistance to the tubular container staying there. In contrast, the dividing member 205 is cut off at the left and right edges of the cover, so it is speculated that this is because there is less resistance to the tubular container staying there than in the center.

[0037] The dimensions used in this example are shown in Figure 4. The width of the dividing member 205 is 90 mm, and half of that length, a, is 45 mm. The distance b from the end of the dividing member 205 to the outermost position of the opening 211 is 7 mm. Because the outer diameter of the tubular container 100 is 13 mm, there is a space that does not interfere with the dividing member 205, half the width of the outer diameter of the tubular container. The presence of this space reduces the resistance to the tubular container's retention, and it is thought that the tubular container will naturally move to the left or right end.

[0038] On the other hand, if the width of this space is larger than the outer diameter of the tubular container 100, some of the upright tubular containers may fall downward. That is, as previously explained with reference to FIG. 8 , there is a possibility that they may become caught and stuck between the lower cover 701 and the separating member 205 below the circular belt on its return path. Therefore, it is desirable that the width of this space is smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular container, so that part of the tubular container is in contact with the separating member. Furthermore, since the tubular containers would not be properly discharged without this space, it is desirable that the width of this space is larger than 0, i.e., that there is a space. Experimental results have shown that the width of this space should more preferably be at least ¼ of the outer diameter of the tubular container.

[0039] However, although the above explanation is based on the premise that the longitudinal direction of the tubular container 100 is oriented vertically, some actual tubular containers are oriented at an angle to the vertical direction, and therefore even if the width of the space is larger than the outer diameter of the tubular container, the discharge action described in Figures 3A to 3E may still be achieved. Please note that the above is merely a preferred form.

[0040] Furthermore, in order for the dividing member 205 to return to its original shape and push the tubular container out of the opening 211, it is desirable that the distance (gap) between the cover part 210, where the opening 211 is provided, and the upper end of the dividing member 205 be smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular container 100. If the gap is larger than the outer diameter, the tubular container 100 is likely to become stuck in the gap, making it difficult for a force to compress the dividing member 205 to act. Note that the gap between the cover part 210 and the dividing member 205 is not necessarily constant along the length of the cover part. In that case, if there is a portion of the cover part 210 where the gap is smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular container 100 at least in one location (particularly the upper end of the cover where the tubular container 100 contacts the cover part 210 in FIG. 3A ), a force to compress the dividing member 205 will act, thereby achieving the effects of the invention.

[0041] In this embodiment, the width c of the opening is set to 20 mm, which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tubular container 100, 13 mm. This is because the tubular container 100 may be pushed outward at an angle when the sorting member 205 pushes it outward (from the back of the page to the front in FIG. 4 ) to return to its original shape, and therefore the tubular container 100 may be pushed out at an angle. If the width of the opening 211 is too large compared to the outer diameter of the tubular container 100, the tubular container may get caught in the opening 211 if it is ejected at an angle. Therefore, experimentally, it is preferable that the width of the opening 211 be no more than 2 times and no less than 1.4 times the outer diameter of the tubular container 100.

[0042] In this embodiment, the height d of the opening is 60 mm, slightly smaller than the 75 mm length of the tubular container 100. Because the tubular container 100 is extruded at an angle as described above, it is not a problem if the height d of the opening is shorter than the height of the tubular container 100. However, if the height d is too short, the tubular container may get caught in the opening during ejection, and if multiple tubular containers 100 are ejected simultaneously, the tubular containers may interfere with each other and become clogged at the opening. The height d of the opening is preferably approximately 0.6 to 0.9 times the length of the tubular container. Furthermore, the spacing (pitch) e between the separating members is preferably shorter than the length (height) of the tubular container. This is because if the spacing between the separating members 205 is longer than the length of the tubular container 100, the tubular containers may be transported vertically between the separating members, making it difficult to place them horizontally on the separating members. Furthermore, if the pitch is too large, the number of tubular containers transported by the circular belt decreases, thereby reducing transport efficiency. It is desirable for the spacing between the separating members 205 to be at least half the height of the tubular containers but smaller than the height of the tubular containers. In this embodiment, the spacing between the separating members 205 is set to 50 mm.

[0043] As mentioned above, the most important point of the present invention is the discovery that "the tubular container can be discharged simply by providing the opening 211 in the cover part 210," and the above dimensional relationships etc. merely indicate preferred ranges. In other words, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above dimensional relationships etc.

[0044] In addition, it is preferable to provide a guide portion 213 extending diagonally forward (diagonally leftward in the plane of the drawing in FIG. 2(b)) below the opening 211 so that the tubular container can be easily discharged to the outside. It is preferable to provide one opening 211 at each of the left and right ends of the cover portion.

[0045] If the tubular containers 100 discharged from the opening 211 are left as they are, they will fall onto the floor where the container storage device is installed, making recovery difficult. For this reason, it is preferable to provide a tubular container transport path that returns the tubular containers 100 discharged from the opening 211 to the container storage unit 201. An overview of the container supply device provided with a tubular container transport path is shown in Figure 5. Reference numeral 301 denotes the tubular container transport path. Although the details of the mechanism are not shown, it is configured so that the tubular containers discharged from the opening slide along the tubular container transport path 301 and are returned to the container storage unit 201. In Figure 5, the mechanism that drops the tubular containers 100 from the transport path 301 into the container storage unit 201 is not shown.

[0046] As can be seen from Fig. 3(a), it is preferable to provide a pair of tubular container conveying paths 301 on the left and right sides of the device. Also, Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which the belt rotation mechanism 206 is driven by a motor 302 that rotates via a V-belt. The belt rotation mechanism 206 can be driven by various methods, such as a method driven by an in-wheel motor as shown in Fig. 2(b) or a method driven via a belt as shown in Fig. 3(b).

[0047] Figure 6 shows an example in which a standby section 401 is provided to temporarily store the tubular containers 100 discharged from the opening 211 rather than returning them to the container storage section 201. This has the advantage of being simpler in structure than the case in which the tubular container conveying path 301 of Figure 5 is provided, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. When the standby section 401 is provided, it is preferable to provide a sensor to detect the amount of stored tubular containers 100 so that the tubular containers 100 do not overflow from the standby section 401, and to provide an alarm function, such as displaying an alarm on the monitor screen of a control PC (not shown) that controls the container supply device when the stored amount exceeds a preset upper limit. The alarm method can be selected from well-known methods, such as sounding an alarm.

[0048] The sensor may be an optical sensor such as a photointerrupter, or a weight sensor that measures the weight of the stored tubular containers. Figure 7 shows a standby section 501, which is a modification of the standby section 401 in Figure 6. The tubular containers 100 parked in the standby section 501 are configured to gather on the right side of the drawing in Figure 7(a). This configuration has the advantage of making it easier for the operator to return the stored tubular containers to the container storage section 201.

[0049] 100...tubular container, 201...container storage section 201, 202...container conveying section, 203...container alignment section 203, 204...circular belt, 205...sorting member, 206...belt rotation mechanism, 207...forward path, 208...return path, 209...position for discharging tubular container to alignment section, 210...cover section 210, 211...opening.

Claims

1. A container supply device comprising: a container storage section for storing a plurality of tubular containers; a container transport section for transporting the tubular containers stored in the container storage section; and a container alignment section for aligning the tubular containers transported from the container transport section, wherein the container transport section has: a circular belt; a dividing member provided on the circular belt and capable of dividing and placing the tubular containers one by one; a belt rotation mechanism that rotates the circular belt in one direction, forming an outgoing path along which the dividing member moves upward and a return path along which the dividing member moves downward; a cover section that covers at least a portion of the return path; and an opening provided in the cover section through which the tubular containers can pass.

2. A container supplying device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sorting member transports the tubular containers placed on it on the outbound path and discharges the tubular containers to the container alignment section on the return path.

3. A container supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the opening has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the length of the lateral direction is shorter than the height of the tubular container.

4. A container supplying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening is provided at the right end and / or the left end of the cover portion.

5. A container supplying device according to claim 1, further comprising a transport path for transporting the tubular container discharged from the opening to the container storage section.

6. A container supplying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a waiting section for allowing the tubular container discharged from the opening to wait.

7. A container supplying device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an alarm mechanism for notifying the user when the amount of said tubular containers waiting in said waiting section exceeds a predetermined value.

8. A container supplying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the end of the dividing member and the end of the opening opposite the dividing member is smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular container and greater than zero.

9. A container supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the length of the opening in the short direction is not more than 2 times and not less than 1.4 times the outer diameter of the tubular container.

10. A container supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal length of said opening is 0.6 to 0.9 times the length of said tubular container.

11. A container supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least a part of the dividing member is made of a flexible material.

12. A container supplying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that there is at least one point where the distance between the upper end of the dividing member and the face of the cover part facing the dividing member is smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular container.

13. A container supplying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the distance between the dividing members is smaller than the length of the tubular container and is equal to or greater than half the length of the tubular container.

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