Cuvette Supply Mechanism for Specimen Analyzer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cuvette supply mechanisms face challenges in efficiently managing high volumes of cuvettes, leading to uneven distribution and potential blockages, which can hinder smooth supply to the analysis mechanism, especially when increasing the capacity of the cuvette storage.
Innovation Solution
The cuvette supply mechanism incorporates a cuvette storage system with a partitioning member that regulates cuvette distribution, a carry-out unit with an annular belt, and a transfer unit with a slower rotation speed to manage cuvettes efficiently, ensuring they are transferred to a receiving region without overflowing, allowing for sequential arrangement and transport to the analysis mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the cuvette storage capacity is increased to handle high volumes of cuvettes, then the quantity of cuvettes stored is improved, but uneven distribution and potential blockages occur leading to supply reliability deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The cuvette storage is divided into multiple storage sections (first storage section, second storage section, third storage section) with different capacities and functions. This segmentation allows cuvettes to be distributed evenly across multiple zones, preventing overcrowding and blockages while maintaining high overall storage capacity. Each section can be independently managed to ensure reliable supply to the carry-out unit.
2Productivity
If cuvettes are conveyed quickly to meet analysis demand, then the productivity is improved, but blockages and uneven distribution occur reducing supply stability
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system employs variable speed control where the conveyance speed is dynamically adjusted based on the number of cuvettes in the storage and the demand from the analysis mechanism. When cuvette quantity is high, speed is reduced to prevent blockages; when quantity is low or demand is high, speed is increased to maintain productivity. This dynamic adjustment ensures both efficient supply and operational stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple carry-out mechanism is used to reduce device complexity, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the ability to manage high volume cuvette supply deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The carry-out unit integrates multiple functions into a single mechanism: it simultaneously performs cuvette pickup from different storage sections, rotation/orientation adjustment, and transfer to the analysis mechanism. This merging of functions allows the system to efficiently manage high-volume cuvette supply without requiring multiple separate complex mechanisms, thus maintaining reasonable device complexity while achieving high productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cuvette supplying device is disclosed. The cuvette supplying device comprises: a cuvette storage for storing cuvettes; a carrier, provided inside the cuvette storage, for carrying the cuvettes in the cuvette storage outside the cuvette storage; a conveyor for conveying the cuvettes existing at the bottom of the cuvette storage towards the carrier; and an arranging section for arranging the cuvettes carried outside the cuvette storage by the carrier at a predetermined position. The specimen analyzer comprising the cuvette supplying device is also disclosed.