CN108845156A - Reaction cup feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a feeding device for a cuvette, which comprises: a hopper with an opening and an outlet; and a feeding mechanism located between the opening and the outlet in the hopper. The circumferentially arranged groove, the rotating part can rotate and can receive the reaction cups put into the storage bin from the opening through the grooves, and output the reaction cups from the outlet. The reaction cup feeding device provided by the present invention can automatically receive the reaction cup and output the reaction cup from the outlet by setting the hopper and the rotating part with grooves, so as to realize automatic feeding, and there will be no jamming during the feeding process Hold the cuvette, save labor costs, improve work efficiency, and the overall structure is simple and compact.

Description

Reaction cup feeding device

technical field

The invention relates to the technical field of in vitro diagnosis, in particular to a cuvette feeding device.

Background technique

In the in vitro diagnostic industry, inspection instruments usually involve various reaction tests, and cuvettes are usually selected as reaction containers for reaction tests. During the reaction test, it is necessary to neatly transport the disorderly placed cuvettes to the testing instrument for testing.

In the prior art, some detection instruments need to manually discharge a certain number of cuvettes into the cuvette box in turn, and realize the transportation of cuvettes through the movement of the cuvette box. This working method requires a large waste of time. Manpower, and detection efficiency is low.

In order to save labor costs and improve detection efficiency, some detection instruments are equipped with strips, which drive the cuvettes to the designated position by driving the strips. However, the strips are disposable consumables, which are expensive and easy to produce white waste.

There are also some detection instruments that use the chain conveying mechanism to cooperate with the guide groove to transport the reaction cups. Through the transmission of the chain, the reaction cups carried on the chain are driven to move, and then the reaction cups are slid into the guide groove and arranged by their own gravity. Tidy, improve the detection efficiency. However, the cuvette will randomly lie down and get stuck in the guide groove, and it needs to be manually cleaned after the shutdown and repaired by professional instrument maintenance personnel. The disassembly and assembly of the detection instrument is cumbersome and takes a lot of time , On the contrary, the detection efficiency of the inspection instrument is reduced.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a cuvette feeding device, which can realize the automatic feeding of cuvettes, and the cuvettes will not be stuck during the feeding process.

On the one hand, an embodiment of the present invention provides a feeding device for cuvettes, which includes: a hopper with an opening and an outlet; and a feeding mechanism located between the opening and the outlet in the hopper, and the feeding mechanism includes a rotating member , the rotating member has a groove arranged along its circumference, the rotating member can rotate and can receive the cuvette placed into the storage bin from the opening through the groove, and output the cuvette from the outlet.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, there are multiple grooves, the multiple grooves are arranged through the axial direction of the rotating member, and each groove can accommodate a cuvette.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the rotating member rotates around a horizontal central axis.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the feeding device further includes a stirring mechanism, the stirring mechanism includes a stirring member, the stirring member is located in the hopper and is rotatably arranged relative to the circumference of the rotating member, and is used to stir the cuvette in the hopper so that the cuvette is received by the groove in the rotor.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the feeding device further includes an acceleration mechanism, the input end of the acceleration mechanism is coaxially and fixedly connected with the rotating member, and the output end of the acceleration mechanism is connected with the stirring mechanism.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the stirring mechanism further includes a crank, a swing rod slidably connected to the crank, and a directional rod connected between the stirring member and the swing rod. On the support shaft, the crank is coaxial and fixedly connected to the output end of the acceleration mechanism, so that the crank can drive the stirring member to reciprocate in the circumferential direction relative to the rotating member during rotation.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the swing rod is provided with a chute, and the crank is provided with a boss, and the crank drives the circumferential reciprocating movement of the agitator relative to the rotating member through the sliding connection between the boss and the chute.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the rotating member rotates around a vertical central axis.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the feeding device further includes a stirring mechanism, the stirring mechanism includes a stirring member, the stirring member is located in the silo and arranged coaxially with the rotating member, and is used to guide the cuvettes in the hopper toward the rotating member groove movement.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, the stirring member has a structure that tapers from the bottom surface to the top surface, and the bottom surface is disposed close to the rotating member.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the outlet of the silo is set as a square groove, and the width dimension W of the square groove satisfies the formula (1):

b<W<2b (1)

Wherein, b is the maximum width dimension of the groove along the circumferential direction of the rotating member.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the cuvette feeding device further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor is located at a position separated from the outlet by a predetermined angle and corresponding to the axial direction of any groove of the rotating member.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the cuvette feeding device further includes an angle measuring disc arranged coaxially with the rotating member. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the two grooves, and the second sensor is located on the peripheral side of the angle measuring disc and is set corresponding to the scale grid.

The cuvette feeding device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can automatically receive the cuvette and output the cuvette from the outlet by setting the hopper and the rotating part with grooves, so as to realize automatic feeding, and there is no need to The cuvette will be stuck, the labor cost is saved, the work efficiency is improved, and the overall structure is simple and compact.

Description of drawings

The features, advantages, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a cuvette automatic loading device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of the feed bin in the cuvette automatic loading device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a feeding device in the cuvette automatic loading device shown in Fig. 1 along an angle;

Fig. 4 is a kind of feeding device shown in Fig. 3 and removes the schematic diagram of the structure of another angle after the silo;

Fig. 5 is a structural schematic view along direction A after removing the feed bin in the cuvette dynamic loading device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural view of a stirring mechanism in a feeding device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a schematic top view of another loading device in a cuvette automatic loading device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional structural view of another feeding device shown in Fig. 7 along the B-B direction;

Fig. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a guide device in the cuvette automatic loading device shown in Fig. 1 along an angle;

Fig. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a receiving groove in the guide device shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of the guiding device shown in Fig. 9 along another angle;

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of the clamping device in the guide device shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of the jaws in the clamping device shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a structural schematic diagram of another guide device in the cuvette automatic loading device shown in Fig. 1 along an angle;

Fig. 15 is a top view structure diagram of another guide device shown in Fig. 14 after removing the moving parts;

Fig. 16 is a flowchart of the first running loading mode in a cuvette automatic loading method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 17 is a flowchart of another first operation mode in a cuvette automatic loading method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 18 is a flowchart of a second operation mode in a cuvette automatic loading method provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

in:

10-feeding device; 11-silo; 11a-first cavity; 11b-second cavity; 111-opening; 112-exit; 113-through hole; 12-feeding mechanism; -groove; 123a-the first motor; 123b-the first driving wheel; 123c-the first conveyor belt; 123d-the first driven wheel; 123e-the second conveyor belt; 123f-the second driving wheel; 123g-the second driven wheel; 123h-support shaft; 131-stirrer; 131a-bottom surface; 132-crank; 133-sway bar; 133a-chute; Receiver; 142-second sensor; 15-goniometer disc;

20-guiding device; 21-moving part; 211-receiving groove; 211a-first groove; 211b-second groove; 212-block; 221-linear guide rail; 222-slider; The third driving wheel; 223c-the third conveyor belt; 223d-the third driven wheel; 23-clamping device; 231-claw; 231a-through groove; 232-elastic device; -support shaft; 236-linear bearing; 24-guide; 241-guide groove; 26-support bearing; 251-the third sensor; 252-the fourth sensor; 253-the fifth sensor; - fifth receiver;

30-base; 31-first vertical plate; 32-second vertical plate; 33-horizontal plate; C-reaction cup; C1-body; C2-flange.

In the figures, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. The figures are not drawn to scale.

Detailed ways

Features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be described in detail below. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present invention by showing examples of the present invention. In the drawings and the following description, at least some well-known structures and techniques have not been shown in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention; and, for clarity, the dimensions of some structures may have been exaggerated. Furthermore, the features, structures, or characteristics described hereinafter may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The orientation words appearing in the following description are the directions shown in the figure, and do not limit the specific structure of the automatic cuvette loading device of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, Or integrally connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

In order to better understand the present invention, the cuvette automatic loading device and loading method provided by the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 18 .

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together. An embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic cuvette loading device, which includes: a feeding device 10 and a guiding device 20 .

The feeding device 10 includes a feed bin 11 and a feeding mechanism 12, the feed bin 11 has an opening 111 and an outlet 112; the feeding mechanism 12 is located between the opening 111 and the outlet 112 in the feed bin 11, and the feeding mechanism 12 includes a rotating part 121 , the rotating member 121 has a groove 122 arranged along its circumference, the rotating member 121 is rotatable and can receive the cuvette C placed in the bin 11 from the opening 111 through the groove 122, and output the cuvette C from the outlet 112 .

As shown in Figure 2, the silo 11 includes a first cavity 11a and a second cavity 11b that communicate with each other, the opening 111 is located above the first cavity 11a, and the first cavity 11a has a larger accommodating space for accommodating A plurality of cuvettes C placed randomly, the second cavity 11b is located below the first cavity 11a, and its accommodating space is relatively small for accommodating the rotating member 121, and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member 121 is in contact with the second cavity The distance between 11b is smaller than the diameter of the cuvette C, so as to prevent the cuvette C from falling into the groove 122 of the rotating member 121 and getting stuck. The outlet 112 is located below the second cavity 11b. When a groove 122 of the rotating member 121 is rotated to a position facing the outlet 112, if there is just one cuvette C received in the groove 122, the cuvette C will be output from the outlet 112 under the action of its own gravity.

The guiding device 20 is located below the outlet 112 and is used for receiving the cuvette C output from the outlet 112 and driving the cuvette C to move from an initial position to a predetermined position.

The cuvette automatic loading device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can realize the automatic loading of the cuvette C by setting the feeding device 10 and the guide device 20, and automatically transport the cuvette C to a predetermined position. Compared with the prior art In other words, it avoids wasting consumables and generating white garbage, and the structure is simple, and the cuvette C will not be stuck during the entire loading process, which saves labor costs and improves work efficiency.

The specific structure of each component of the cuvette automatic loading device will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Please refer to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 together. The cuvette automatic loading device provided by the embodiment of the present invention further includes a base 30, on which the feeding device 10 and the guide device 20 are arranged, and the initial position and the predetermined position are located on the base 30 on.

Specifically, the base 30 includes a horizontal plate 33, on which a first vertical plate 31 and a second vertical plate 32 placed vertically and separated by a predetermined distance are arranged, and the feeding device 10 passes through the first vertical plate 31 And the second vertical plate 32 is fixed on the base 30 , and the guide device 20 is fixed on the horizontal plate 33 .

Further, the rotating member 121 rotates around a horizontal central axis, and there are multiple grooves 122 , and the plurality of grooves 122 are provided through the axial direction of the rotating member 121 , and each groove 122 can accommodate one cuvette C. After the cuvette C is placed into the bin 11 through the opening 111 , it will randomly adjust its placement direction along with the rotation of the rotating member 121 . When the axis of the cuvette C coincides with the axis of the groove 122 , the cuvette C falls into the groove 122 and rotates together with the rotating member 121 in the groove 122 .

The feeding mechanism 12 further includes a first transmission mechanism rotatably connected to the rotating member 121 .

The first transmission mechanism includes a first motor 123a and a first reduction mechanism connected to the output shaft of the first motor 123a, and the output end of the first reduction mechanism is arranged coaxially with the rotating member 121 . The first motor may be a stepping motor or a servo motor, and the rotating member 121 is driven to rotate around its central axis through the deceleration and torque increasing action of the first reduction mechanism.

The first deceleration mechanism can be, for example, a belt transmission mechanism. The belt transmission has the characteristics of stable transmission, buffering and shock absorption, and can buffer the collision force between the cuvette C and the groove 122 during the feeding process to prevent the cuvette C from being damaged. Specifically, the first reduction mechanism includes a first driving wheel 123b, a first driven wheel 123d connected to the first driving wheel 123b through a first conveyor belt 123c, the outer diameter of the first driving wheel 123b is smaller than the outer diameter of the first driven wheel 123d , the ratio of the outer diameters of the two is the reduction ratio. The rotating member 121 is coaxially disposed on the support shaft 123h with the first driven wheel 123d, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 .

Please refer to Fig. 3 to Fig. 6 together, in order to make the cuvette C quickly enter the groove 122 of the rotating part 121, the feeding device 10 further includes a stirring mechanism, the stirring mechanism includes a stirring part 131, and the stirring part 131 is located in the feed bin 11 And close to the rotating member 121, for example, the stirring member 131 can be rotatably arranged relative to the circumference of the rotating member 121, and is used to stir the cuvette C inserted into the material bin 11 from the opening 111, so that the cuvette C is moved by the rotating member 121 The groove 122 receives.

In addition, the feeding device 10 further includes an acceleration mechanism, the input end of the acceleration mechanism is coaxial and fixedly connected to the rotating member 121, for example, the input end of the accelerating mechanism is jointly connected with the rotating member and the first driven wheel 123d on the support shaft 123h, The output end of the acceleration mechanism is connected with the stirring mechanism, thereby driving the stirring member 131 to move and increasing the stirring speed.

Stirring mechanism further comprises crank 132, the fork 133 that is slidably connected with crank 132 and the directional rod 134 that is connected between stirring member 131 and fork 133, and one end of fork 133 is sleeved on the supporting shaft 123h, and crank 132 is connected with acceleration. The output end of the mechanism is coaxial and fixedly connected, so that the crank 132 drives the stirring member 131 connected with the swing rod 133 to reciprocate in the circumferential direction relative to the rotating member 121 during the rotation.

The acceleration mechanism can be, for example, a belt transmission mechanism to buffer the collision force between the cuvette C and the groove 122 during stirring, and prevent the cuvette C from being damaged. Specifically, the acceleration mechanism may include a second driving wheel 123f and a second driven wheel 123g connected by a second conveyor belt 123e, the outer diameter of the second driving wheel 123f is greater than that of the second driven wheel 123g, and the outer diameter of the two is The ratio is the speedup ratio. The input end of the acceleration mechanism is the second driving wheel 123f, the output end of the acceleration mechanism is the second driven wheel 123g, the second driving wheel 123f is opposite to the first driven wheel 123d and coaxially arranged on the support shaft 123h, the second driven wheel 123g is coaxial with the crank 132 and fixedly connected, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 .

Further, the swing rod 133 is provided with a chute 133a, and the crank 132 is provided with a boss (not shown in the figure), and the crank 132 drives the stirring member 131 relative to the rotating member 121 through the sliding connection between the boss and the chute 133a. Circular reciprocating motion.

It can be understood that the aforementioned first reduction mechanism and acceleration mechanism are not limited to the belt transmission mechanism shown in the drawings, and may also be chain transmission mechanisms, gear reduction mechanisms and the like.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first motor 123a is arranged below the horizontal plate 33, and the two ends of the support shaft 123h are rotatably connected to the first vertical plate 31 and the second vertical plate 32 respectively through bearings, and the first driven wheel The driving wheel 123d and the second driving wheel 123f are respectively fixed to both ends of the supporting shaft 123h through, for example but not limited to, keyway fit. Thus, when the first motor 123a rotates, the first driving wheel 123b, the first conveyor belt 123c and the first driven wheel 123d decelerate and then transmit the power to the supporting shaft 123h, thereby driving the rotating member 121 to rotate. At the same time, the support shaft 123h is fixedly connected to the second driving wheel 123f, and after being accelerated by the second driving wheel 123f, the second conveyor belt 123e and the second driven wheel 123g, the power is transmitted to the crank 132 of the stirring mechanism, thereby driving the stirring member 131 relative to each other. Rotating in the circumferential direction of the rotating member 121 , the cuvette C quickly enters the groove 122 of the rotating member 121 , thereby improving the efficiency of the feeding device 10 outputting the cuvette C from the outlet 112 .

Further, in order to make the cuvette C smoothly output from the outlet 112 of the silo 11 without getting stuck, the outlet 112 is set as a square groove, and the width dimension W of the square groove satisfies the formula (1):

b<W<2b (1)

Wherein, b is the maximum width dimension of the groove 122 along the circumferential direction of the rotating member 121 .

In addition, the loading device 10 further includes a first sensor assembly for detecting whether the cuvette C is received by the groove 122 of the rotary member 121 at a position separated from the outlet 112 by a predetermined angle.

Please refer to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 , the first sensor assembly includes a first sensor 141 and a second sensor 142 . The first sensor 141 and the second sensor 142 may be, for example but not limited to, photoelectric sensors, laser sensors and the like. For ease of description, the embodiment of the present invention takes a photoelectric sensor as an example for illustration.

The first sensor 141 is located at a position separated from the outlet 112 by a predetermined angle and corresponding to the axial direction of any groove 122 of the rotating member 121 . Optionally, the first sensor 141 may be a through-beam sensor, including a first transmitter 141a and a first receiver 141b, and the first transmitter 141a is arranged on the second vertical plate 32 corresponding to the axis of any groove 122 The first receiver 141b is arranged at the axial position corresponding to any groove 112 on the first vertical plate 31, and the first transmitter 141a and the first receiver 141b are corresponding to the first transmitter 141a on the bin 11. A through hole 113 is provided at the position of the through hole 113, as shown in FIG.

The cuvette feeding device 10 further includes a goniometer disc 15 coaxially arranged with the rotating member 121, the goniometer disc 15 is provided with a plurality of scale grids along its circumference, and the plurality of scale grids and the plurality of grooves 122 of the rotating member 121 In one-to-one correspondence, the second sensor 142 is located on the peripheral side of the goniometric disc 15 and is set corresponding to the scale grid. Every time the goniometric disc 15 rotates one scale, the second sensor 142 is triggered to send an electrical signal, so as to determine that the rotating member 121 has rotated one groove 122 , and then the rotating angle of the rotating member 121 can be obtained.

Since the groove 122 of the rotating member 121 randomly receives the cuvette C, when the rotating member 121 rotates to a position separated from the outlet 112 by a predetermined angle, the cuvette C may not be received in the groove 122 corresponding to the first sensor 141 c. When the cuvette C is received in the groove 122, the light between the first emitter 141a and the first receiver 141b is just blocked, thereby triggering the first sensor 141 to send an electrical signal, and it is determined that the cuvette C received in the groove 122 is When a cuvette C is reached, the cuvette C is output from the outlet 112 after the rotating member 121 continues to rotate a predetermined angle.

Therefore, the feeding device provided by the embodiment of the present invention, by setting the hopper 11 and the rotating member 121 with the groove 122 in the hopper 11, the operator only needs to put the cuvette C into the material from the opening 111 at will. Just inside the chamber 11, the placement direction of the cuvette C is automatically arranged by the rotating part 121, and it is output from the outlet 112, and the width of each groove 122 and outlet 112 is such that the reaction will not be stuck during the entire feeding process Cup C, saving labor costs and improving work efficiency.

Please refer to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 together. As an optional implementation, the embodiment of the present invention also provides another feeding device 10, which is similar in structure to the feeding device 10 shown in FIG. 4 . The difference is that the rotating member 121 in the feeding mechanism 12 rotates around the vertical central axis, and the material bin 11 and the stirring mechanism related to the placement direction of the rotating member 121 are also different accordingly.

The structure of the feed bin 11 is shown in Figure 8, the feed bin 11 has a cylindrical structure to accommodate the rotating part 121, and the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating part 121 and the feed bin 11 is smaller than the diameter of the cuvette C to prevent reaction The cup C falls into a place other than the groove 122 of the rotating member 121 and is stuck.

The feeding mechanism 12 further includes a second transmission mechanism rotatably connected to the rotating member 121 . The second transmission mechanism includes: a first motor 123a, a deceleration mechanism connected to the output shaft of the first motor 123a, the output end of the deceleration mechanism is coaxially arranged with the rotating member 121 . The deceleration mechanism can be, for example, a belt transmission mechanism similar to that shown in FIG. 1 , to buffer the collision force between the cuvette C and the groove 122 during feeding, and prevent the cuvette C from being damaged.

The feeding device 10 further includes a stirring mechanism, the stirring mechanism includes a stirring member 131, the stirring member 131 is located in the silo 11 and coaxially arranged with the central axis of the rotating member 121, and is used to guide the cuvettes inserted into the hopper 11 from the opening 111 C moves toward the groove 122 of the rotating member 121 .

Specifically, the stirring member 131 has a structure that tapers from the bottom surface 131a toward the top surface, and the bottom surface 131a is disposed close to the rotating member 121 . When the rotating member 121 rotates relative to the bin 11 , the stirring member 131 also rotates accordingly, so that the cuvette C entering from one end of the opening 111 is introduced into the groove 122 along the tapered surface. Since the rotating member 121 rotates around the vertical central axis, the cuvettes C output from the outlet 112 are output one by one in a vertical state.

In addition, the feeding device 10 of the cuvette automatic loading device provided by the embodiment of the present invention also includes a first sensor assembly, which is used to determine whether the groove 122 of the rotating member 121 at a position separated from the outlet 112 receives a reaction Cup C. For example, the first sensor assembly 14 includes a first sensor 141 and a second sensor 142 , the first sensor 141 is located at a position separated from the outlet 112 by a predetermined angle and corresponding to the axial direction of any groove 122 of the rotating member 121 . The goniometric disc 15 is arranged coaxially with the rotating member 121 or the stirring member 131, and the goniometric disc 15 is provided with a plurality of scale grids along its circumferential direction, and the plurality of scale grids correspond to the plurality of grooves 122 of the rotating member 121 one by one. The second sensor 142 is located on the peripheral side of the goniometric disk 15 and is arranged corresponding to the scale grid. The working principles of the first sensor 141 and the second sensor 142 are similar to those of the feeding device 10 shown in FIG. 1 , and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 together. The guide device 20 includes a moving part 21. The moving part 21 is provided with a receiving groove 211 for receiving the cuvette C output from the outlet 112 of the bin 11. The moving part 21 is movable. To drive the cuvette C to move from the initial position to the predetermined position.

Preferably, the cuvette C is automatically adjusted to a vertical state by its own gravity after being received by the receiving slot 211 , and moves from the initial position to a predetermined position in the vertical state.

As shown in Figure 10, the receiving groove 211 may include a first groove 211a tapered from top to bottom and a second groove 211b located below the first groove 211a, and the cuvette C includes a body C1 and an outer peripheral side at one end of the body C1 The flange C2 of the cuvette C, the maximum width dimension of the first groove 211a is slightly larger than the outer diameter dimension of the flange C2 of the cuvette C, so as to receive the cuvette C. The term "slightly larger" means that the maximum width of the first groove 211a is 1.1-1.3 times the outer diameter of the flange C2 of the cuvette C. The width of the second groove 211b is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the body C1 of the cuvette C and smaller than the outer diameter of the flange C2. If the feeding device 10 has the structure shown in Figure 3, the cuvette C output from the outlet 112 of the feeding device 10 first enters the first groove 211a in a horizontal state, and then automatically adjusts to the vertical position by relying on the gravity of the cuvette C itself. After being in a straight state, it falls into the second groove 211b, and the second groove 211b is used to hold the flange C2 of the cuvette C.

In order to facilitate the processing of the tapered first groove 211a and the second groove 211b, the part of the receiving groove 211 of the moving block 21 can also be designed separately, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10 .

It can be understood that, if the loading device 10 has the structure shown in FIG. 8 and the rotating member 121 rotates around the vertical central axis, the cuvette C output from the outlet 112 will be directly received by the receiving groove 211 in a vertical state. At this time, the receiving groove 211 can be set as the second groove 211b, and its width is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the body C1 of the cuvette C and smaller than the outer diameter of the flange C2.

It should be noted that the cuvette C can also be received by the receiving groove 211 and move from the initial position to a predetermined position in a horizontal state. At this time, the receiving groove 211 can be set as the first groove 211a tapered from top to bottom, and its maximum It is enough that the width dimension is slightly larger than the outer diameter dimension of the flange C2 of the cuvette C.

Therefore, the guide device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can automatically transport the received cuvette C to a predetermined position by providing the moving part 21 with a receiving groove, and the cuvette C will not be stuck during the transportation process, saving labor costs. Improve work efficiency.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the guiding device 20 further includes a driving mechanism movably connected to the moving part 21 , and the driving mechanism may be a linear motion mechanism to drive the moving part 21 to perform reciprocating linear motion between an initial position and a predetermined position.

Specifically, the linear motion mechanism includes a linear guide rail 221 and a slider 222 slidingly connected with the linear guide rail 221 . The slider 222 is fixedly arranged, for example, fixed to the horizontal plate 33 of the base 30, the linear guide rail 221 is fixedly connected with the moving part 21, and the linear guide rail 221 is driven by the actuator to drive the moving part 21 to reciprocate between the initial position and the predetermined position linear motion.

The actuator includes a second motor 223a, a third driving wheel 223b connected to the output shaft of the second motor 223a, a third driven wheel 223d connected to the third driving wheel 223b through a third conveyor belt 223c, a linear guide rail 221 and a third conveyor belt 223c is fixedly connected.

Preferably, the outer diameters of the third driving wheel 223b and the third driven wheel 223d are equal to transmit motion at a constant speed. Thus, when the second motor 223a rotates in the forward direction, the linear guide rail 221 is driven to move linearly in one direction relative to the slider 222 through the third driving wheel 223b, the third conveyor belt 223c and the third driven wheel 223d; when the second motor 223a When rotating in the opposite direction, the linear guide rail 221 is driven to move linearly in the other direction relative to the slider 222 through the third driving wheel 223b, the third conveyor belt 223c and the third driven wheel 223d, thereby driving the moving part 21 between the initial position and the predetermined position. between reciprocating motions. The belt transmission mechanism composed of the third driving wheel 223b, the third conveyor belt 223c and the third driven wheel 223d can buffer the collision force between the cuvette C and the receiving groove 211 during the reciprocating movement between the initial position and the predetermined position, and avoid Destroy cuvette C.

Please refer to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 together, the guiding device 20 further includes a clamping device 23, which is used to gradually clamp the reaction in the vertical state during the linear movement of the moving part 21 from the initial position to the predetermined position. Cup C, so as to ensure that the cuvette C is stably positioned at the same predetermined position after each loading, so that the cuvette C can be taken away by a mechanical arm or manually.

The clamping device 23 includes a guide piece 24 and a clamping mechanism fixedly connected to the moving piece 21 , the guide piece 24 can be fixed to the horizontal plate 33 of the base 30 , or integrally formed with the horizontal plate 33 . The guide member 24 is provided with a guide groove 241 , and the clamping mechanism includes a rolling member 233 cooperating with the guide groove 241 , and the clamping device 23 gradually clamps the cuvette C by the rolling member 233 moving along the guide groove 241 .

Specifically, the clamping mechanism includes movably connected claws 231, and the number of claws 231 may be more than two. The claw 231 is provided with a through slot 231 a for accommodating the cuvette C, and the rolling member 233 is disposed under the claw 231 . The guide groove 241 is tapered along the direction from the initial position to the predetermined position, and the clamping mechanism adaptively adjusts the clamping force of the claw 231 when the rolling member 233 moves along the guide groove 241 .

Further, the clamping mechanism further includes an elastic device 232, and the elastic device 232 is disposed on both sides of the through slot 231a. The clamping mechanism can adaptively adjust the clamping force of the claw 231 by compressing or stretching the elastic device 232 . Preferably, the elastic device 232 is a pair of springs, and the pair of springs are located on both sides of the through slot 231a.

The clamping mechanism further includes a fixed frame 234 and a support shaft 235 arranged on the fixed frame 234, the clamping mechanism is fixedly connected with the moving part 21 through the fixed frame 234, and the claw 231 is provided with a through hole matched with the support shaft 235. A linear bearing 236 is arranged in the hole, and the support shaft 235 passes through the linear bearing 236, so that the claw 231 can move relative to the support shaft 235, so that during the movement of the rolling member 233 along the guide groove 241, that is, along the direction in FIG. During the movement in the direction of the arrow D, the claw 231 gradually compresses the elastic device 232, thereby increasing the clamping force of the claw 231 to clamp the cuvette C; or, when the rolling member 233 returns from the predetermined position along the guide groove 241 During the process to the initial position, the claw 231 gradually extends the elastic device 232 , thereby reducing the clamping force of the claw 231 , so as to receive the cuvette C.

In addition, since the moving part 21 has a certain length, during the linear motion of the moving part 21 driven by the linear guide rail 221 relative to the slider 222, in order to prevent the slider 222 from being unevenly stressed, the cuvette guiding device 20 further includes a clamping mechanism The supporting bearing 26 that is rotatably connected is shown in FIG. 11 . The support bearing 26 can roll on the guide member 24 or on the horizontal plate 33 of the base 30 to support the reciprocating movement of the moving member 21 between an initial position and a predetermined position.

The guiding device 20 further includes a second sensor assembly for detecting whether the moving part 21 receives the cuvette C, and detecting whether the moving part 21 reaches the initial position and the predetermined position.

Specifically, the second sensor assembly includes: a third sensor 251 , a fourth sensor 252 and a fifth sensor 253 . The third sensor 251 , the fourth sensor 252 and the fifth sensor 253 may be, for example but not limited to, photoelectric sensors, laser sensors and the like. For ease of description, the embodiment of the present invention takes a photoelectric sensor as an example for illustration.

The fifth sensor 253 can be a through-beam sensor, including a fifth transmitter 253a and a fifth receiver 253b oppositely arranged, and the fifth transmitter 253a and the fifth receiver 253b can be located, for example, at the receiving end of the moving part 21 at the initial position. The opposite position below the groove 211 is used to detect whether the moving part 21 receives the cuvette C when it is in the initial position. It should be noted that the fifth sensor 253 can also be a non-facing sensor, and it can also be located at other positions on the horizontal plate 33 , as long as it can detect whether the cuvette C is received when the moving part 21 is located at the initial position.

The third sensor 251 and the fourth sensor 252 are arranged oppositely and at intervals, and the moving part 21 is further provided with a blocking piece 212, the blocking piece 212 is located between the third sensor 251 and the fourth sensor 252, and, when the third sensor 251 detects When the stopper 212 is in place, the moving part 21 is at the initial position, triggering the third sensor 251 to send an electric signal; at this time, if the moving part 21 receives the cuvette C, the cuvette C just blocks the fifth transmitter 253a and the fifth receiving The light between the detectors 253b triggers the fifth sensor 253 to send an electrical signal, and the guide device 20 drives the moving part 21 to move toward a predetermined position; The fourth sensor 252 sends an electric signal, and the robot arm or the operator is notified to take the cuvette C from the predetermined position to proceed to the next process.

Therefore, in the guide device provided by the embodiment of the present invention, by setting the receiving groove 211 on the movable moving part, the cuvette C can be automatically transported to a predetermined position, and the cuvette C will not be stuck during the transport process, saving Reduce labor costs and improve work efficiency.

Please refer to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 together. The structure of the guide device 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the guide device 20 shown in FIG. The mechanism is a rotary mechanism to drive the moving part 21 to perform reciprocating rotation between an initial position and a predetermined position.

The moving part 21 is a disc-shaped structure, and the moving part 21 is provided with receiving grooves 211 distributed along the circumferential direction. The shape and size of the receiving grooves 211 can be the same as the structure of the receiving grooves 211 in the guide device 20 shown in FIG. The slot 211 includes a first slot 211a and/or a second slot 211b tapered from top to bottom, for receiving cuvettes C output from the outlet 112 of the bin 11 , which will not be described again.

The rotary motion mechanism includes a second motor 223a, a second speed reduction mechanism connected with the output shaft of the second motor 223a, the output end of the second speed reduction mechanism is rotatably connected with the central axis of the moving part 21, and the speed increase is increased by the speed reduction of the second speed reduction mechanism. The twisting effect drives the moving member 21 to rotate around its central axis, thereby driving the cuvette C to reciprocate and rotate between the initial position and the predetermined position.

The second deceleration mechanism can be a belt transmission mechanism, such as comprising a driving wheel, a driven wheel connected with the driving wheel by a conveyor belt, the output end of the driven wheel is coaxially connected with the central axis of the moving part 21, and the outer diameter of the driving wheel is smaller than that of the driven wheel. The ratio of the outer diameter of the two is the reduction ratio.

In addition, similar to the structure of the clamping device of the guide device 20 shown in FIG. During the process to the predetermined position, the cuvette C is gradually clamped. The structure of the clamping device is similar to that shown in FIG. 9 , except that the structure of the guide 24 is different.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15 , since the moving part 21 drives the clamping mechanism to rotate, the guide groove 241 is an arc-shaped groove and is tapered along the direction from the initial position to the predetermined position. The clamping mechanism includes the guide groove 241 Cooperating with the rolling element 233 , the clamping device gradually clamps the cuvette C by moving the rolling element 233 along the guide groove 241 . That is, move along the direction of the arrow E in Fig. 15 to gradually clamp the cuvette C.

In addition, during the rotation of the moving part 21 around the central axis, in order to prevent uneven force on the moving part 21, the cuvette guiding device 20 further includes a support bearing 26 rotatably connected with the clamping mechanism. The support bearing 26 rolls on the horizontal plate 33 of the base 30 to support the reciprocating movement of the moving part 21 between an initial position and a predetermined position.

It should be noted that the rotary motion mechanism drives the moving part 21 to rotate around the central axis, which occupies less space compared to the guide device 20 shown in FIG. 211 , a guide groove 241 is correspondingly provided under each receiving groove 211 , so that multiple cuvettes C output from the outlet 112 of the loading device 10 can be received at the same time, improving work efficiency.

In addition, the guiding device 20 further includes a second sensor assembly for detecting whether the moving part 21 receives the cuvette C, and detecting whether the moving part 21 reaches the initial position and the predetermined position. Specifically, the second sensor component includes: a third sensor 251 , a fourth sensor 252 and a fifth sensor 253 , and the arrangement of the third sensor 251 , the fourth sensor 252 and the fifth sensor 253 is similar to that in FIG. 9 , and will not be repeated here.

It can be understood that the two kinds of loading devices 10 provided in the embodiment of the present invention can be combined with any one of the two kinds of guiding devices 20 to form different automatic cuvette loading devices, which will not be repeated here.

Referring to FIG. 16 , an embodiment of the present invention also provides a cuvette automatic loading method using any cuvette automatic loading device as described above. The cuvette automatic loading method includes a first operation mode, and the first operation mode is Any one of the aforementioned cuvette automatic loading devices is in the operating mode under normal working conditions. The first mode of operation includes:

Step S1: Detect whether there is a cuvette C in the corresponding groove 122 of the rotating member 121 at a position separated from the outlet 112 of the bin 11 by a predetermined angle;

Step S2: If yes, drive the rotating member 121 to rotate a predetermined angle, so that the cuvette C is output from the outlet 112 and received by the moving member 21;

Step S3: Driving the moving part 12 to drive the cuvette C to move from the initial position to a predetermined position, so that the cuvette C is taken away.

Referring to FIG. 17 , before step S1, that is, before detecting whether there is a cuvette C in the groove 122 corresponding to the rotating member 121 at a position separated from the outlet 112 of the bin 11 by a predetermined angle, the first operating mode further includes:

Step S10: Detect whether the moving part 21 has received the cuvette C;

Step S101: If yes, drive the moving part 12 to drive the cuvette C to move from the initial position to a predetermined position, so that the cuvette C is taken away;

Step S102: Detect whether there is a cuvette C in the corresponding groove 122 of the rotating member 121 at a position separated from the outlet 112 of the bin 11 by a predetermined angle;

Step S103: If yes, stop driving the rotating member 121 to rotate;

Step S104: If not, continue to drive the rotating member 121 to rotate.

Further, in step S10, detecting whether the moving part 21 receives the cuvette C also includes:

Step S105: If the moving part 21 does not receive the cuvette C, drive the moving part 21 to move to the initial position.

It should be noted that the execution sequence of the first operation mode of the cuvette automatic loading method provided by the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the sequence of steps described in the example, for example, step S101 and step S102 can run synchronously without waiting After moving the moving part 21 to the initial position, detect whether there is a cuvette C in the groove 122, or move the moving part 21 to the initial position without waiting for the cuvette C in the groove 122, thereby reducing the waiting time and further improving detection Efficiency, specific adjustments can be made according to actual needs, and will not be repeated here.

Referring to FIG. 18 , the cuvette automatic loading method provided by the embodiment of the present invention further includes a second operation mode, which is the operation mode adopted after any of the cuvette automatic loading devices mentioned above have a failure such as abnormal power failure. The second mode of operation includes:

Step S11: Detect whether the moving part 21 has received the cuvette C;

Step S12: If yes, drive the moving part 21 to drive the cuvette C to a predetermined position, so that the cuvette C is taken away;

Step S13: If not, drive the moving member 21 to move to the initial position;

Step S14: driving the rotating member 121 to rotate a predetermined angle;

Step S15: Check again whether the moving part 21 has received the cuvette C.

If it is determined that the cuvette C is received after detecting the moving part 21 again, then return to step S12; if it is determined that the cuvette C is not received after detecting the moving part 21 again, then return to the first operation mode and start normal work.

In the cuvette automatic loading method provided by the embodiment of the present invention, in the first operation mode, the cuvette C can be automatically output without manually arranging the placement direction of the cuvette C in the silo 11, which saves labor costs, The detection efficiency is improved. In addition, the cuvette automatic loading method provided by the present invention adopts the second operation mode when the power is abnormally cut off, and it does not need to manually clean up materials, and can run after restarting, which further saves labor costs and improves detection efficiency.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, various modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for parts thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims (13)

1. A cuvette feeding device (10), characterized in that it comprises: A silo (11) having an opening (111) and an outlet (112); A feeding mechanism (12), located between the opening (111) in the silo (11) and the outlet (112), the feeding mechanism (12) includes a rotating member (121), the The rotating member (121) has a groove (122) provided along its circumference, the rotating member (121) is rotatable and can receive the material inserted from the opening (111) through the groove (122). cuvette (C) in the chamber (11), and output the cuvette (C) from the outlet (112). 2. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the number of the grooves (122) is multiple, and a plurality of the grooves (122) are along the length of the rotating member (121). The axial direction is arranged through, and each of the grooves (122) can accommodate one of the cuvettes (C). 3. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the rotating member (121) rotates around a horizontal central axis. 4. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, the feeding device (10) further comprises a stirring mechanism, and the stirring mechanism includes a stirring member (131), and the stirring member (131) Located in the silo (11) and rotatable relative to the circumferential direction of the rotating member (121), it is used to stir the cuvette (C) in the silo (11), so that the The cuvette (C) is received by the groove (122) of the rotating member (121). 5. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, the feeding device (10) further comprises an acceleration mechanism, the input end of the acceleration mechanism is coaxial with the rotating member (121) and Fixedly connected, the output end of the acceleration mechanism is connected with the stirring mechanism. 6. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, the stirring mechanism further comprises a crank (132), a swing rod (133) slidingly connected to the crank (132), and a swing rod (133) connected to the crank (132). The directional rod (134) between the stirring member (131) and the swing rod (133), one end of the swing rod (133) is sleeved on the support shaft (123h) coaxially arranged with the rotating member (121) ), the crank (132) is coaxial and fixedly connected to the output end of the acceleration mechanism, so that the crank (132) drives the stirring member (131) relative to the rotating member ( 121) the circumferential reciprocating motion. 7. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, the swing rod (133) is provided with a chute (133a), the crank (132) is provided with a boss, and the crank (132) Driving the stirring member (131) to reciprocate in the circumferential direction relative to the rotating member (121) through the sliding connection between the boss and the sliding groove (133a). 8. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the rotating member (121) rotates around a vertical central axis. 9. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, the feeding device (10) further comprises a stirring mechanism, the stirring mechanism includes a stirring member (131), and the stirring member (131) Located in the silo (11) and arranged coaxially with the rotating member (121), used to guide the cuvette (C) in the silo (11) toward the direction of the rotating member (121) The groove (122) moves. 10. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, the stirring member (131) has a structure that tapers from the bottom surface (131a) toward the top surface, and the bottom surface (131a) is close to the The rotating part (121) is set. 11. The reaction cup feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the outlet (112) of the feed bin (11) is set as a square groove, and the width dimension W of the square groove satisfies the formula (1 ): b<W<2b (1) Wherein, b is the maximum width dimension of the groove (122) along the circumferential direction of the rotating member (121). 12. The cuvette feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, the cuvette feeding device (10) further comprises a first sensor (141) and a second sensor (142), The first sensor (141) is located at a position separated from the outlet (112) by a predetermined angle and corresponding to the axial setting of any one of the grooves (122) of the rotating member (121). 13. The cuvette feeding device according to claim 12, characterized in that, the cuvette feeding device (10) further comprises an angle measuring disc (15) arranged coaxially with the rotating member (121), The goniometer disc (15) is provided with a plurality of scale grids along its circumference, and the multiple scale grids correspond to the plurality of grooves (122) of the rotating member (121) one by one. The second sensor (142) is located on the peripheral side of the goniometric disk (15) and is arranged corresponding to the scale grid.