Container Lid Lever Mechanism for Low-Force Vertical Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lid opening and closing devices for automatic analyzers require excessive force to operate due to horizontal movement conversion, leading to insufficient rigidity and potential container damage, and fail to efficiently manage various QC specimen samples requiring cooled storage.
Innovation Solution
A lid opening and closing device with a lever mechanism that utilizes a convex portion engaging with a concave groove on the lid body, allowing vertical movement to open and close the lid, and a control unit to manage this operation, ensuring reliable and efficient lid management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a horizontal movement conversion mechanism is used to open and close the lid, then the lid can be opened and closed, but excessive force is required and the support shaft lacks sufficient rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional horizontal movement conversion mechanism and uses vertical movement instead. The opening and closing member moves vertically along the support shaft, directly pushing the lid open and closing without requiring horizontal movement conversion. This eliminates the need for sloped surfaces and reduces the force required to a simple vertical pressing motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the horizontal movement conversion mechanism (sloped surface/cam) from the system. By removing this intermediate conversion mechanism, the force application becomes direct and efficient, requiring only vertical movement of the opening and closing member along the support shaft to open and close the lid.
2Ease of operation
If a sloped surface mechanism is used to convert movement direction, then horizontal movement can be converted to vertical lid opening, but the force efficiency is low and excessive force is applied to the container
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of converting vertical movement to horizontal and then back to vertical through sloped surfaces, the invention inverts the approach by using direct vertical movement of the opening and closing member along the support shaft to open and close the lid. This eliminates the force conversion losses associated with sloped surface mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sloped surface mechanism is completely removed from the system. The force application becomes direct through vertical movement of the opening and closing member, eliminating the intermediate force conversion step that causes energy loss and reduces force efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the lid opening and closing member moves horizontally, then the lid can be opened and closed, but the support shaft must withstand excessive horizontal force reducing its rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the movement direction from horizontal to vertical. The opening and closing member moves vertically along the support shaft, and the lid opens and closes through vertical pressing motion. This eliminates horizontal forces on the support shaft, allowing it to be optimized for vertical load-bearing and improving overall rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontal movement mechanism is extracted and removed. The support shaft only needs to withstand vertical forces from the opening and closing member, eliminating the need to resist horizontal forces and improving the structural efficiency and rigidity of the support shaft.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides reliable and efficient opening and closing of container lids, maintaining specimen integrity by reducing the need for excessive force and enhancing rigidity, while supporting multiple QC specimen types in a cooled storage environment.
Implementation Method 1
The opening and closing portion includes a lever 24 having a hook portion 26 configured to be accessible to the lid body 9
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a lid opening and closing device capable of reliably opening and closing a lid body provided on an upper surface of a container case storing a specimen container therein, a container storage device, an automatic analyzer, and a lid opening and closing method. An opening and closing portion that opens and closes a lid body 9 of a container case 8 includes: an opening and closing arm 24 having a hook portion 26 implemented to be accessible to the lid body 9. The lid body 9 has, on an upper surface thereof, a groove capable of receiving the hook portion 26 of the opening and closing arm 24 and having a hook receiving portion 69 forming a path through which the hook portion 26 is movable. A relationship between a first position of the hook portion 26 at which the hook receiving portion 69 receives the hook portion 26 in a state in which the lid body 9 is closed and a second position of the hook portion 26 when the hook portion 26 is engaged with the hook receiving portion 69 to open the lid body 9 is such that the second position is higher than the first position in a vertical direction and positions in the vertical direction with respect to a horizontal plane of an opening portion are different.