JP2009293987A - Analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an analyzer capable of controlling a misalignment of an analytical instrument whatever the shape may be of the analytical instrument in which a sample is placed. <P>SOLUTION: The analyzer 1 performing an optical measurement on the sample placed in a cell of the analytical instrument 90 includes a light source part 10 for emitting a light for the optical measurement, a light receiving part 8 and a turntable 20. The turntable 20 includes a holding part 22 for holding the analytical instrument 90 at a predetermined position, and the placement position where the analytical instrument 90 is placed and the analytical position where the optical measurement is performed are determined, the rotation angle of each position being different each other. The light source part 10 is disposed so that when the turntable is at the analytical position, the emitted light is incident to the cell of the analytical instrument. The light receiving part is disposed so that when the turntable 20 is in the analytical position, the light passing through the sample can be received. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an analyzer used for component analysis of a specimen.

  Conventionally, component analysis of samples such as blood, interstitial fluid, urine, spinal fluid, and saliva has been performed by absorbance measurement using an analysis tool called a biochip (or microchip). A biochip includes a fine analysis cell having a diameter of about 1 mm or less, and is usually configured by laminating a light-transmitting plate-like member (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  Specifically, a biochip is a light-transmitting substrate (transparent substrate) in which minute recesses that become cells and grooves that become minute flow paths for sample supply are formed, and light-transmitting properties that cover the transparent substrate It consists of a cover. Various reagents are arranged in each cell of the biochip. When a sample is supplied to these cells from the flow path, the sample develops color in response to a specific component in the sample.

  Further, absorbance measurement is performed on such a biochip using an analyzer (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Specifically, the analyzer includes a light source unit that emits light and a light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the light source unit. The biochip is inserted into the analyzer from the insertion port, and the cell is disposed between the light source unit and the light receiving unit.

  And the light radiate | emitted from the light source part injects into a cell. Part of the incident light is absorbed by the cell, and the rest is transmitted and received by the light receiving unit. The analyzer calculates the absorbance from the received transmitted light, and further calculates the concentration of the specific component in the sample from the absorbance. The calculated concentration is displayed on a display device connected to the analyzer.

  By the way, in order to improve the calculation accuracy of the absorbance, the light source unit, so that the light emitted from the light source unit accurately enters the cell, and the light transmitted through the cell accurately enters the light receiving unit, It is necessary to optimize the positional relationship between the light receiving unit and the cell. At this time, if the light source unit and the light receiving unit are moved so as to optimize the positional relationship between the three, the structure of the analyzer becomes complicated and the cost increases.

For this reason, the analyzer employs a configuration in which the positional relationship between the three is optimized by fixing the positions of the light source unit and the light receiving unit and accurately placing the biochip at a preset position. . For example, the analyzers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 include a member that contacts and positions one end of a microchip inside. The analyst need only insert the microchip so that a portion of the microchip contacts this member.
JP 2007-163344 A JP 2007-170943 A

  However, in the configuration in which the above-described biochip is inserted from the insertion port and positioning is performed by contact, there is a problem that misalignment easily occurs due to an operator's operation error because the cell is fine. Furthermore, the positioning operation by contact is troublesome for the analyst.

  In recent years, a disk-shaped biochip has been proposed. In this biochip, a plurality of cells are arranged along an arc. When a disk-shaped biochip is used, optical analysis can be performed on each cell while rotating it, so that efficient analysis can be performed. However, in such a disc-shaped biochip, it is difficult to perform positioning by contact, and thus a positional shift is more likely to occur.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an analyzer capable of suppressing the positional deviation of an analysis tool regardless of the shape of the analysis tool on which a sample is arranged.

  In order to achieve the above object, an analyzer according to the present invention is an analyzer that performs optical measurement on a sample placed in a cell of an analysis tool, and includes a light source unit that emits light for optical measurement, A light receiving unit that receives light for optical measurement; and a rotating table on which the analysis tool is mounted and the analysis tool to be mounted is rotated so as to move on a circular orbit. A first position at which the analysis tool is mounted, and a second position at which the optical measurement is performed; and a holding position for holding the analysis tool at a predetermined position. The light source unit is arranged so that the emitted light is incident on the cell of the analysis tool when the rotary table is in the second position, and the light receiving unit is arranged on the rotary table. Is the second When in position, characterized in that it is arranged so that light for the optical measurement which has passed through the sample, or light for the optical measurement reflected by the sample can be received.

  According to the analyzer of the present invention, since the analysis tool is positioned by the rotary table, the positional deviation is suppressed. At this time, the analyst only has to place the analysis tool on the rotary table of the analyzer, and the analyst is not forced to perform troublesome work.

  The analysis apparatus according to the present invention further includes a connector connected to the analysis tool, and the connector is connected to the analysis tool from a position away from the analysis tool when the rotary table is in the second position. It is preferable that it is the aspect which moves to the position which can connect with an instrument. In this aspect, since the analysis tool is connected to the connector, the position accuracy of the analysis tool can be improved.

  And in the said aspect, when the said analysis tool is provided with the said some cell arranged in circular arc shape, the said connector is connected to the said analysis tool in the center of the arrangement | sequence of the said cell, Furthermore, the said It is particularly preferable that the analysis tool is rotated along the arrangement direction, and the holding unit releases the holding of the analysis tool when the connector is connected to the analysis tool. In this case, since optical measurement can be performed for each cell, many types of analysis can be performed efficiently.

  Further, in the above aspect, the holding portion includes an opening and an arm member, the opening is disposed at a position where the analysis tool of the rotary table is placed, and the analysis is performed in the opening. The arm member is formed so as to fit the tool, and the arm member supports the analysis tool at the predetermined position from the side opposite to the side on which the analysis tool is placed on the rotary table. When connected to the analysis tool, it is preferable to move away from the analysis tool and release the support of the analysis tool. In this case, the analysis tool can be reliably positioned on the rotary table with a simple configuration. Further, when it is necessary to release the holding by the holding unit, the releasing can be surely performed.

  In the above aspect, the analyzer according to the present invention preferably further includes a support portion that supports the analysis tool through the opening at a position facing the connector. In this case, the analysis tool is sandwiched from above and below by the connector and the support portion. For this reason, the accuracy of positioning of the analysis tool is improved.

  Moreover, in the said aspect, the analyzer in the said this invention is further equipped with the drive part which rotates the said rotary table, and the power transmission part, The said drive part is a part of rotational power which rotates the said rotary table, Output to the power transmission unit, the power transmission unit converting a rotational power output from the drive unit into a reciprocating power, a first slider and a second slider reciprocating by the reciprocating power; The first slider is coupled to the connector, and the connector is reciprocated between a position where connection to the analysis tool is possible and a position away from the analysis tool, and the second slider The slider is coupled to the arm member when the rotary table is in the second position, and the arm member is separated from a position where the analysis tool can be supported and the analysis tool. And reciprocating between a position, it is preferred. In the above case, it is possible to rotate the rotary table, move the connector, and move the arm member with one power source. Therefore, the apparatus cost can be reduced.

  Further, in the above case, the rotary table further includes a clutch mechanism, and the clutch mechanism cuts off the rotational power that rotates the rotary table in the setting direction when the rotary table is in the second position. The power conversion mechanism is configured to convert the rotational power only when the rotational power output from the drive unit to the power transmission unit is a part of rotational power that rotates the rotary table in the setting direction. It is preferable to convert to reciprocating power. If it does in this way, after positioning a turntable in the 2nd position, connection by a connector and cancellation of holding by a holding part can be performed. Therefore, the accuracy of positioning of the analysis tool can be further improved.

  With the above features, the analysis apparatus according to the present invention can suppress the displacement of the analysis tool with a simple operation regardless of the shape of the analysis tool on which the sample is arranged.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, an analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the overall configuration of the analyzer according to the present embodiment and the analysis tool used in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the analysis tool used in the embodiment of the present invention.

  The analysis apparatus 1 in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that performs optical measurement on a sample and thereby analyzes the components of the sample. The sample is placed in a cell provided in the analysis tool 90 and is supplied to the analyzer 1 in that state. The analysis tool 90 is generally called a biochip.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the analysis tool 90 includes a light-transmitting substrate (transparent substrate) 91 and a light-transmitting cover (transparent cover) 92 that covers the upper surface thereof. The analysis tool 90 has a plate shape with an arc formed on the periphery.

  Specifically, the transparent substrate 91 has a shape (outer shape) viewed from the normal line obtained by cutting off two opposing portions of a circle, in other words, a semicircle or an approximate shape on two opposite sides of a rectangle. It is formed to have a shape obtained by joining semicircles. With such an outer shape, two flat portions 96 are formed on the side surface of the transparent substrate 91. The planar portion 96 is used for positioning the analysis tool 90, as will be described later with reference to FIGS. The outer shape of the transparent cover 92 matches the outer shape of the transparent substrate 91.

  Further, the transparent substrate 91 includes a storage portion 93 in which a sample is temporarily stored, a plurality of cells 94 to be optically measured, and a plurality of flow paths 95. Specifically, a concave portion or a groove is formed on one main surface of the transparent substrate 91, and these function as the storage portion 93, the cell 94, or the flow path 95. Although not shown, each cell 94 is pre-arranged with various reagents.

  The plurality of cells 94 are arranged along the arc of the outer shape of the analysis tool 90, and the arrangement of the cells 94 is a circle. One reservoir 93 is arranged at the center of the array of cells 94, that is, at the center of the transparent substrate 91. The plurality of flow paths 95 are arranged radially, and connect the storage section 93 and each cell 94.

  Further, the transparent cover 92 includes a supply port 97 at the center thereof. The supply port 97 is provided so as to communicate with the storage unit 93 and is used to guide the sample to the storage unit 93. The sample supplied to the storage unit 93 is sent to each cell 94 via each flow path 95. In each cell 94, a specific component in the sample reacts with a reagent arranged in advance to generate color. A connection hole 98 used for connecting the connector (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and the analysis tool 90 is formed around the supply port 97 of the transparent cover 92.

  In the present embodiment, the shape and configuration of the analysis tool 90 are not particularly limited. The analysis tool 90 may have a mode in which only a single cell is provided, or may have a mode in which a plurality of cells are not arranged in an arc shape. Further, the size and number of planar portions for positioning are not limited.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the analyzer 1 includes a rotary table 20 on which the analysis tool 90 is placed, unlike the conventional analyzer, in order to accurately position the analysis tool 90. The turntable 20 rotates so that the placed analysis tool 90 moves on a circular path. The rotary table 20 is disposed inside the case 2 of the analyzer 1 and includes a holding unit 22. The holding unit 22 has a function of holding the analysis tool 90 at a predetermined position. A specific configuration of the holding unit 22 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

  The rotary table 20 is positioned at the first position and the second position. The first position and the second position are in a positional relationship with different rotation angles. In FIG. 1, the rotary table 20 is positioned at the first position. The first position is a position where the analysis tool 90 is placed and taken out. On the other hand, the second position is a position where analysis by optical measurement is performed. When the analysis tool 90 is placed, the rotary table 20 rotates and is positioned at the second position. In the following description, the first position is referred to as a “placement position” and the second position is referred to as an “analysis position”.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the case 2 is provided with a cover 3 that can be opened and closed and a display unit 4 that displays the analysis result. The cover 3 is opened when the rotary table 20 is in the placement position, and thereby the analysis tool 90 can be placed and taken out.

  Next, the internal configuration of the analyzer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing main components of the analyzer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the components shown in FIG. 3 are assembled. In FIG. 4, the rotary table 20 is positioned at the analysis position.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the analyzer 1 includes a light source unit 10 and a light receiving unit 8 in addition to the rotary table 20 described above. The light source unit 10 includes, for example, a light source such as a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode and an optical system, and emits light having a set wavelength as light for optical measurement (measurement light). The light receiving unit 8 includes a light receiving element such as a photodiode or a phototransistor, for example, and receives the emitted measurement light. The light receiving unit 8 outputs a signal according to the amount and intensity of the received light.

  As described above, the rotary table 20 rotates and is positioned at least in two positions, a placement position (see FIG. 1) and an analysis position (see FIG. 4). The light source unit 10 is arranged so that the emitted light is incident on the cell 94 (see FIG. 2) of the analysis tool when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position. Further, the light receiving unit 8 is arranged so as to receive the measurement light that has passed through the sample when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position.

  In the present embodiment, the analyzer 1 further includes a table base 5 and a drive unit 50 that rotates the rotary table 20. The turntable 20 is formed in a circular shape, and is attached to the table base 5 in a rotatable state. Specifically, the table base 5 includes a recess 6 that can accommodate the rotary table 20. The recess 6 is formed such that a cross section perpendicular to the depth direction thereof is circular, and the diameter of the cross section of the recess 6 is set larger than the diameter of the turntable 20.

  At the center of the bottom surface 6 a of the recess 6, a through hole 6 c for inserting the rotation shaft (see FIG. 5) of the turntable 20 is provided. The rotary shaft of the rotary table 20 is connected to the drive unit 50, and when rotary power is transmitted from the drive unit 50, the rotary table 20 rotates in the recess 6.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the light receiving unit 8 is disposed on the bottom surface 6 a of the recess 6 provided in the table base 5 with the light receiving surface facing the opening (upward in the drawing) of the recess 6. The light source unit 10 has a light emitting surface (not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) facing the light receiving surface of the light receiving unit 8 (a state where the light emitting surface faces the bottom surface 6a) and above the opening of the recess 6. Are arranged via stays 11.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the rotary table 20 positions the analysis tool 90 between the light source unit 10 and the light receiving unit 8. In addition, an opening 23 is provided at a position where the analysis tool 90 of the rotary table 20 is placed so that light is not prevented from entering the light receiving unit 8. The opening 23 constitutes a part of the holding part 22 as will be described later. Further, the opening 23 is formed so that the analysis tool 90 is accommodated in the opening.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the light receiving unit 8 is arranged to receive the measurement light that has passed through the sample, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the light receiving unit 8 may be arranged so as to receive measurement light reflected by the sample when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position.

  In the present embodiment, a stopper 18 for positioning the rotary table 20 at the mounting position is provided around the opening of the recess 6 in the table 5. When the rotary table 20 is rotated to the mounting position, the bar member 36 provided on the rotary table 20 comes into contact with the stopper 18, thereby positioning at the mounting position. The rod member 36 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  On the other hand, positioning of the turntable 20 at the analysis position is performed by bringing a protrusion 27 provided on the outer periphery of the turntable 20 into contact with the opening edge 7 a of the opening 7 formed on the table base 5. Specifically, the opening 7 is formed from the periphery of the opening of the recess 6 to a part of the side wall 6b. Of the opening edges of the opening 7, the opening edge 7a and the opening edge 7b are formed so as to cut the side wall 6b. The distance from the bottom surface 6a to the lower end (end on the bottom surface 6a side) of the protrusion 27 is set longer than the opening edge 7b but shorter than the opening edge 7a. For this reason, the protrusion 27 contacts the opening edge 7a, whereby the rotary table 20 is positioned.

  A lever 12 is further attached to the table base 5. The lever 12 is used to release the holding of the analysis tool 90 by the holding unit 22. The configuration of the lever 12, the release of the holding of the analysis tool 90 by the holding unit 22, and the like will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  As described above, in the analyzer 1 shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the analysis tool 90 is placed on the rotary table 20 and the rotary table 20 is rotated to the analysis position (see FIG. 4). Accurate positioning of the tool 90 is complete. According to the analyzer 1, the positional deviation of the analysis tool 90 is suppressed. Further, since the light source unit 10 and the light receiving unit 8 are arranged at the set positions, when the position of the analysis tool 90 is determined, light is incident on the cell 94 (see FIG. 2) and transmitted through the cell 94. Since light reception is performed reliably, a highly accurate analysis result can be obtained.

  In addition, when the light receiving unit 8 receives the measurement light, the light receiving unit 8 outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of light. In this case, the analyzer 1 calculates the absorbance from the level of this signal, and further calculates the concentration of the specific component in the sample from the absorbance. The calculated concentration is displayed on the display unit 4 (see FIG. 1) of the analyzer 1. 3 and 4, the light source and the optical system of the light source unit 10 are not shown. Similarly, the illustration of the light receiving element of the light receiving unit 8 is also omitted. The calculation is performed by an arithmetic device not shown.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the analyzer 1 further includes a connector 40, a support portion 9, a power transmission portion 60, and a control device 19. Among these, the connector 40 is connected to the analysis tool 90 at the center of the array of the cells 94 (see FIG. 2), and rotates the analysis tool 90 along the array direction of the cells 94. According to the connector 40, the cell to be subjected to optical measurement can be easily switched, and efficient optical measurement can be performed on the plurality of cells 94.

  The connector 40 includes a head 42, a tip portion 41, and a frame 43 that supports them. The distal end portion 41 is attached to the lower portion of the head 42 so as to protrude downward in the figure, and is connected to the analysis tool 90. Pins 41 a and 41 b are provided at the tip of the tip portion 41. The tip 41 and the analysis tool 90 are connected by inserting the pins 41a and 41b into the connection holes 98 (see FIG. 2).

  The head 42 rotates the tip 41 so that the connected analysis tool 90 rotates along the arrangement direction of the cells 94 (along the radial direction). Further, the head 42 rotates the tip portion 41 so that the cell 94 to be analyzed is positioned between the light source unit 10 and the light receiving unit 8 and switches the cell 94 to be analyzed.

  The frame 43 includes a through hole 44a and a through hole 44b, and is attached to the table base 5 in a slidable state. Specifically, the table 5 is provided with a sliding shaft 17a and a sliding shaft 17b extending upward in the figure. The frame 43 is attached to the table base 5 with the slide shaft 17a inserted into the through hole 44a and the slide shaft 17b inserted into the through hole 44b.

  With this configuration, the frame 43 can move along the axial direction of the sliding shaft 17a and the sliding shaft 17b. The connector 40 reciprocates between a position connected to the analysis tool 90 and a position away from the analysis tool 90. In the present embodiment, the connector 40 moves to a position where the connection with the analysis tool 20 is possible when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position (see FIG. 4).

  The power required for the reciprocating motion of the connector 40 is transmitted from the drive unit 50 via the power transmission unit 60. The power transmission unit 60 converts the rotational power output from the drive unit 50 into a reciprocating motion, and causes the slider 61 and the slider 62 to reciprocate. Of these, the slider 62 is connected to the frame 43 of the connector 40 to reciprocate the connector 40. The slider 61 rotates the lever 12 to release the holding by the holding unit 22.

  A specific configuration of the power transmission unit 60 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Further, the power transmission unit 60 is provided with a sensor 63 for detecting the position of the slider 62. The control device 19 controls the electric motor 55 of the drive unit 50 based on the signal from the sensor 63. Control of the electric motor 55 by the control device 19 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  In the present embodiment, the support portion 9 is provided to assist the connection between the connector 40 and the analysis tool 90. The support portion 9 supports the analysis tool 90 from below through the opening 23 of the rotary table 20 at a position facing the tip portion 41 of the connector 40.

  Specifically, the support portion 9 is disposed on the bottom surface 6 a of the recess 6 so that the analysis tool 90 can be supported when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position. Moreover, the support part 9 is provided with the surface 9a formed so that the analysis tool 90 could be supported in the upper part.

  In the present embodiment, when the connector 40 is connected to the analysis tool 90, the analysis tool 90 is sandwiched between the distal end portion 41 of the connector 40 and the support portion 9. According to the present embodiment, the positional deviation of the analysis tool 90 can be further suppressed.

  In this embodiment, the arrangement of the support portion 9 is omitted by adopting a mode in which the connector 40 grips the analysis tool 90 or a mode in which the tip 41 of the connector 40 is fitted to the analysis tool 90. You can also. In addition, when the analysis tool does not include a plurality of cells, or even when the analysis tool includes a plurality of cells, these are not arranged in an arc shape, switching of the cells by the connector 40 is not required. Therefore, in this case, the connector may not have a function of rotating the analysis tool.

  Incidentally, as described above, the holding unit 22 holds the analysis tool 90 at a predetermined position (see FIGS. 1 and 4). For this reason, in a state where the analysis tool 90 is held by the holding unit 22, it is difficult to switch cells by the rotation of the distal end portion 41. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the analysis tool 90 is connected to the connector 40, the holding unit 22 releases the holding.

  Here, the configuration and operation of the holding unit 22 provided on the turntable 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the turntable shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 6A and 6B are perspective views showing the operation of the holding unit provided in the rotary table shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, FIG. 6A shows the holding state, and FIG. Shows the state. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of a lever provided on the table base shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the rotary table 20 includes a main body 21, a holding unit 22, a clutch mechanism 28, a rotary shaft 29, and a bevel gear 33. The holding part 22, the clutch mechanism 28, the rotating shaft 29 and the bevel gear 33 are attached to the main body 21. The main body 21 is formed of a circular top plate portion 21a and a skirt portion 21b provided along the outer periphery of the top plate portion 21a.

  The holding unit 22 includes an arm member 24. The arm member 24 functions as the holding portion 22 together with the opening portion 23 provided in the top plate portion 21a. As described above, the opening 23 is disposed at a position where the analysis tool 90 of the turntable 20 is placed. The opening 23 is formed so that the analysis tool 23 can be accommodated in the opening.

  The arm member 24 supports the analysis tool 90 at a predetermined position from the back surface (back surface) side of the mounting surface of the turntable 20. Specifically, the arm member 24 is formed in a frame shape, and supports the analysis tool 90 in a bridged state using two opposing portions of the frame. A support surface 35 a is formed at a place where the analysis tool 90 is supported. Further, the inner peripheral surface 34 of the arm member 24 is formed on the top plate portion 21a except for the portion where the support surface 35a is provided so that the support of the analysis tool 90 by the support portion 9 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) is not hindered. It is formed so as to be aligned with the opening 23.

  Further, the arm member 24 includes a side wall 35b at the position of the outer edge of the support surface 35a. The side wall 35b is formed so as to be aligned with the planar portion 96 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) of the analysis tool 90. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the two planar portions 96 of the analysis tool 90 are aligned with the corresponding side walls 35b and the analysis tool 90 is supported by the support surface 35a of the arm member 24, the analysis tool 90 is , Held in place.

  In the present embodiment, the shape of the arm member 24 is not particularly limited. For example, the arm member 24 may be formed in a fork shape instead of a frame shape. Even in this case, the arm member 24 can support the analysis tool 90 in a bridged state. Further, the shape and number of the support surfaces 35a and the side walls 35b may be set in accordance with the shape of the analysis tool 90 to be a target.

  The arm member 24 is attached to the back surface of the top plate portion 21a in a rotatable state so that the support surface 35a can be changed from a state parallel to the main surface of the top plate portion 21a to a state inclined with respect to the support surface 35a. . Specifically, the arm member 24 includes a through hole 37. The through hole 37 is formed so that the shaft 38 can be inserted in a state parallel to the support surface 35a.

  Further, a pair of bearings 25a and 25b that support both ends of the shaft 38 are provided on the back surface of the top plate portion 21a in a state where the axial direction of the shaft 38 is parallel to the main surface of the top plate portion 21a. The bearings 25a and 25b are arranged so that the inner peripheral surface 34 of the arm member 24 and the opening 23 are aligned when they support both ends of the shaft 38.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the arm member 24 can move away from the analysis tool 90 when the analysis tool 90 is supported by the support portion 9. . When the arm member 24 moves until the flat portion 96 of the analysis tool 90 and the side wall 35b of the arm member 24 do not contact each other, the arm member 24 cannot support the analysis tool 90. At this time, the holding of the analysis tool 90 by the holding unit 22 is released.

  In the present embodiment, the arm member 24 moves when the bar member 36 is moved up and down using the lever 12 shown in FIG. The bar member 36 is formed so as to protrude in the radial direction from the rotary table 20. As described above, the lever 12 is attached to the table base 5 (see FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the lever 12 includes a groove 15 provided at one end portion, support shafts 13a and 13b provided at the other end portion, and an input shaft 14 provided therebetween. And. The groove 15 is formed so that the tip of the rod member 36 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the arm member 24 fits. The support shafts 13a and 13b are provided so as to protrude in directions opposite to each other along a direction perpendicular to the major axis direction of the lever 12. The input shaft 14 is formed so as to protrude in the same direction as the protruding direction of the support shaft 13a.

  The lever 12 is disposed along the tangential direction of the rotary table 20 next to the rotary table so that the tip of the rod member 36 fits into the groove 15 when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position (FIG. 4). reference). The lever 12 is attached to the table base 5 in a rotatable state so that its long axis can be changed from a state parallel to the bottom surface 6 a of the recess 6 of the table base 5 to an inclined state. The lever 12 is attached to the table base 5 by supporting the support shafts 13 a and 13 b with bearings 16 a and 16 b provided on the table base 5.

  Therefore, the rotary table 20 becomes the analysis position, and the bar member 36 and the lever 12 are connected. At this time, when the lever 12 rotates about the support shafts 13a and 13b, the bar member 36 of the arm member is pushed down. . Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, the holding of the analysis tool 90 by the holding unit 22 is released. The lever 12 in this state is indicated by a broken line in FIG.

  The power for rotating the lever 12 is given by the slider 61 (see FIG. 3) of the power transmission unit 60 described above. Specifically, the input shaft 14 of the lever 12 is connected to the slider 61, and the lever 61 rotates by moving the input shaft 14 up and down.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the rotary table 20, the rotation shaft 29 is attached to the center of the top plate portion 21a so as to be rotatable with respect to the top plate portion 21a along its normal line. . Specifically, the rotary shaft 29 has one end inserted into the bearing 26 provided on the placement surface (the upper surface in the drawing) of the top plate portion 21a from the back side of the placement surface. It is attached with.

  The other end of the rotating shaft 29 is inserted into the through hole 6c (see FIG. 3) of the table base 5 and fixed to the bevel gear 33 in that state. The bevel gear 33 is meshed with the bevel gear 54 (see FIG. 3) of the drive unit 50 (see FIG. 3). Rotational power from the drive unit 50 is transmitted to the bevel gear 33 and rotates the rotary shaft 29 via the bevel gear 33.

  The clutch mechanism 28 is provided between the top plate portion 21a and the bevel gear 33, and connects the rotary shaft 29 and the main body 21 (top plate portion 21a) except under certain conditions. In a state where the clutch mechanism 28 connects the rotary shaft 29 and the main body 21, the main body 21 also rotates when the rotary shaft 29 rotates.

  Specifically, the clutch mechanism 28 includes a disk 30, a connecting rod 31, and a coil spring 32. The disc 30 has a through hole in the center, and a rotating shaft 29 is inserted into the through hole. The disk 30 and the rotating shaft 29 are fixed, and when the rotating shaft 29 rotates, the disk 30 also rotates together. Further, the disk 30 is formed with a groove 30a extending from the outer periphery to the center.

  The connecting rod 31 is rotatably attached to a surface (back surface) on the back side of the mounting surface of the top plate portion 21a by a shaft 31b formed on one end side. Since the shaft 31b is formed so as to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the major axis direction of the connecting rod 31, when the connecting rod 31 is attached to the top plate portion 21a, it is parallel to the main surface of the top plate portion 21a. It becomes a state.

  The shaft 31 b is attached to the top plate portion 21 a in a state where the shaft 31 b is inserted into the coil spring 32. The coil spring 32 is disposed between the connecting rod 31 and the top plate portion 21a. One end of the coil spring is fixed to the back surface of the top plate 21 a, and the other end is fixed to the connecting rod 31.

  Therefore, when a force for rotating the connecting rod 31 around the shaft 31b is applied, the coil spring 32 is elastically deformed. In this case, the connecting rod 31 receives an elastic force that rotates the connecting rod 31 in the opposite direction from the coil spring 32. In the example of FIG. 5, as indicated by an arrow, the coil spring 32 applies an elastic force that rotates the connecting rod 31 clockwise (CW: Clock wise).

  Further, a projection 31 a is provided on the other end side of the connecting rod 31. The protrusion 31a protrudes in a direction opposite to the direction in which the shaft 31b protrudes. Further, the protrusion 31 a is formed so as to fit into the groove 30 a of the disk 30. When the protrusion 31 a is fitted in the groove 30 a, the main body 21 and the rotation shaft 29 are connected via the connecting rod 31 and the disk 30, and the main body 21 is also rotated by the rotation of the rotation shaft 29.

  Thus, the clutch mechanism 28 connects the rotating shaft 29 and the main body 21. However, the clutch mechanism 28 releases the connection between the rotary shaft 29 and the main body 21 under certain conditions, specifically, until the analysis is completed after the rotary table 20 is positioned at the analysis position. This will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the groove 30a of the disk 30 is a portion on the clockwise side of the protrusion 31a when the disk 30 is viewed from above in the figure (see the diagram in the region X in FIG. 5). Is formed so as not to contact the counterclockwise (CCW) side portion. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 29 rotates counterclockwise, the groove 30a presses the protruding portion 31a, so that the groove 30a and the protruding portion 31a, that is, the rotating shaft 29 and the main body 21 are securely connected. It becomes the state. Whenever the rotating shaft 29 rotates counterclockwise, the main body 21 also rotates counterclockwise.

  When the rotating shaft 29 rotates clockwise, the groove 30a does not press the protrusion 31a, but the protrusion 31a is pressed against the groove 30a by the elastic force applied to the connecting rod 31 by the coil spring 32. As a result of this pressing, a frictional force is generated between the protrusion 31a and the groove 30a, whereby the protrusion 31a and the groove 30a are connected. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 29 rotates clockwise, the main body 21 also rotates clockwise.

  However, when the rotating shaft 29 rotates clockwise, if a force larger than the frictional force acts on the contact portion between the protrusion 31a and the groove 30a in the opposite direction, the protrusion 31a and the groove 30a The connection of is easily released. In this case, the rotating shaft 29 is in an idling state, and the main body 21 is not driven.

  Specifically, as described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the main body 21 rotates clockwise, and thereafter, the protrusion 27 and the opening edge 7a come into contact with each other, and the rotary table 20 is positioned at the analysis position. This contact generates a reaction force that rotates the main body 21 counterclockwise. This reaction force gives a larger force in the opposite direction to the direction in which the frictional force acts between the protrusion 31a and the groove 30a, thereby connecting the protrusion 31a and the groove 30a. To release.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an inclined surface is formed on the counterclockwise side of the groove 30a in order to smoothly release the connection between the protrusion 31a and the groove 30a (FIG. 5). (See region X inside). The inclined surface smoothly guides the protrusion 31a to the outer periphery of the disc 30. In the present embodiment, the protrusion 27 functions as a part of the clutch mechanism 28.

  In the present embodiment, the clutch mechanism 28 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, instead of the coil spring 32 using the elastic force generated by twisting, a coil spring or a plate spring using the elastic force generated by extension or compression may be used. Further, the disc 30 may be formed with a recess that functions in the same manner as the groove 30a.

  It is also important to maintain that state when the turntable 20 is in the analysis position. For this reason, it is preferable that a force for pressing the protrusion 27 against the opening edge 7 a of the table 5 is applied to the rotary table 20 when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position. As a method for applying such a force to the rotary table 20, for example, a magnet is installed in each of the main body 21 of the rotary table 20 and the recess 6 (see FIG. 3) of the table base 5, and the magnetic force of both is used. Is mentioned. Moreover, a magnet may be installed only in one of them, and a ferromagnetic material such as iron may be disposed on the other.

  Next, the structure of the drive part 50 which rotates the rotating shaft 29 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the drive unit illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, the drive unit 50 includes spur gears 51 to 53, a bevel gear 54, an electric motor 55, and a case 59 that accommodates these gears. In FIG. 8, the case 59 of the drive unit 50 is indicated by a broken line.

  The spur gear 51 is attached to the shaft 56 of the electric motor 55 and rotates about the shaft 56 as a central axis. The spur gear 51 meshes with the spur gear 52. The rotational power of the electric motor 55 is transmitted to the spur gear 52 via the spur gear 51. The spur gear 52 is attached to an output shaft 57 disposed in parallel with the shaft 56 and rotates about the output shaft 57 as a central axis. The output shaft 57 is connected to the power transmission unit 60 (see FIG. 3), and a part of the rotational power transmitted to the spur gear 52 is transmitted to the power transmission unit 60 via the output shaft 57.

  Further, the spur gear 52 is engaged with the spur gear 53. The spur gear 53 is attached to the shaft 58 and rotates about the shaft 58 as a central axis. The shaft 58 is disposed in parallel with the shaft 56 and the output shaft 57. A bevel gear 54 is also attached to the shaft 58. As described above, the bevel gear 54 is configured to mesh with the bevel gear 33 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the rotational power transmitted to the spur gear 52 is transmitted to the rotary table 20 via the spur gear 53, the bevel gear 54 and the bevel gear 33.

  Moreover, in the drive part 50, the number of teeth of the bevel gear 54 is larger than the number of teeth of the bevel gear 33 (refer FIG. 5) of the turntable 20 (for example, about 2 to 3 times). Therefore, while the output shaft 57 rotates once, the rotation shaft 29 (see FIG. 5) of the turntable 20 rotates a plurality of times (for example, two to three rotations).

  Further, when the bevel gear 54 rotates clockwise (CW), the rotating shaft 29 also rotates clockwise (CW) (see FIG. 5). In this case, the rotary table 20 in the placement position rotates to the analysis position. Further, in this case, the output shaft 57 rotates in the rotation direction A shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the bevel gear 54 rotates counterclockwise (CCW), the rotating shaft 29 also rotates counterclockwise. In this case, the turntable 20 in the analysis position rotates to the placement position. In this case, the output shaft 57 rotates in the rotation direction B shown in FIG.

  Thus, the drive unit 50 outputs rotational power to the rotary table 20 and the power transmission unit 60 using one electric motor 55. According to the drive unit 50, since the number of the electric motors 55 is small, the apparatus cost can be reduced. In FIG. 8, the output shaft 57 and the shaft 58 are attached to the case 59 in a rotatable state. The electric motor 55 is also attached to the case 59.

  Next, the structure of the power transmission part 60 is demonstrated using FIG.9 and FIG.10. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration of the power transmission unit shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the power transmission unit shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the power transmission unit 60 includes a power conversion mechanism that converts rotational power output from the drive unit 50 (see FIG. 8) into reciprocating power, a slider 61 that reciprocates by reciprocating power, and a slider. 62. These are attached to the case 87. In FIG. 10, the case 87 is not shown.

  The slider 61 is coupled to the arm member 24 via the lever 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) when the rotary table 20 is in the analysis position. Further, the slider 61 reciprocates the arm member 24 between a position where the analysis tool 90 can be supported and a position away from the analysis tool 90 by its reciprocation. In the present embodiment, the slider 61 may be directly connected to the arm member 24.

  The slider 62 is connected to the connector 40 as described above. Then, the slider 62 reciprocates the connector 40 between a position where the connector 40 can be connected to the analysis tool 90 (see FIG. 2) and a position away from the analysis tool 90 (FIG. 3). reference).

  The power conversion mechanism includes a disc-shaped crank 67 that reciprocates the slider 62, a cam 73 that reciprocates the slider 61, and a gear box 76. The gear box 76 transmits the rotational power from the drive unit 50 to the crank 67 and the cam 73 to rotate them.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the slider 61 is slidably attached to a sliding shaft 66 a and a sliding shaft 66 b fixed to the case 87. The sliding shaft 66a and the sliding shaft 66b are arranged in the horizontal direction, and the slider 61 can move in the horizontal direction using the sliding shaft 66a and the sliding shaft 66b as a guide.

  The slider 61 has an L shape and includes a groove 64 and a groove 65. Of these, the input shaft 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 7) of the lever 12 is inserted into the groove 64. The groove 64 is formed along the moving direction (horizontal direction) of the slider 61. However, since it is necessary to move the input shaft 14 in the vertical direction, the shape of the groove 64 is not a straight line but a shape having two straight portions and a bent portion connecting them.

  On the other hand, the crank pin 68 of the crank 67 is inserted into the groove 65. The groove 65 is formed in a straight line along the vertical direction. The groove 65 and the crank 67 function as a crank mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion.

  Therefore, when the crank 67 rotates, the slider 61 is pushed by the crank pin 68 and reciprocates. The crank 67 is rotated by a shaft 86 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). When the slider 61 reciprocates, the contact location of the groove 64 with the input shaft 14 changes, and the position of the input shaft 14 moves in the vertical direction (see FIG. 9). As a result, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the arm member 24 moves, and the analysis tool 90 is held and released.

  The “horizontal direction” in the description of FIGS. 9 and 10 refers to the long axis direction of the lever 12 and the rotary table when the power transmission unit 60 is attached to the table base 5 and viewed from above the table base 5. The direction is parallel to the tangential direction of 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Further, the “vertical direction” in the description of FIGS. 9 and 10 is a direction parallel to the normal line of the bottom surface 6a of the table base 5 when the power transmission unit 60 is attached to the table base 5 (see FIG. 3). ).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the slider 62 is slidably attached to the sliding shaft 71 a and the sliding shaft 71 b fixed to the case 87. Unlike the sliding shaft 66a and the sliding shaft 66b, the sliding shaft 71a and the sliding shaft 71b are arranged in the vertical direction. The slider 62 can move in the vertical direction using the sliding shaft 71a and the sliding shaft 71b as a guide.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the cam 73 that reciprocates the slider 62 is disposed on the gear box 76 side of the slider 62. A wall 75 is formed on the side of the gear box 76 of the slider 62 along the horizontal direction. The slider 62 is in contact with the cam 73 on the lower surface of the wall 75. With this configuration, when the cam 73 rotates, the slider 62 is pushed up or down by the cam 73 and reciprocates along the vertical direction. The slider 62 functions as a follower (cam follower) of the cam 73.

  Although not shown in FIG. 10, the top 62 a of the slider 62 is connected to the frame 43 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) of the connector 40. Therefore, by rotating the cam 73, the connector 40 reciprocates between a position where the connection with the analysis tool 90 is possible and a position away from the analysis tool 90. 9 and 10, reference numeral 70 denotes a slit for avoiding interference between a shaft 82 and a slider 62 described later. Reference numeral 74 denotes a slit for avoiding interference between a shaft 86 and a slider 62 which will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the gear box 76 includes a spur gear 77 to a spur gear 81. Among these, the spur gear 77 is attached to the shaft 82 and rotates around the shaft 82 as a central axis. Further, the spur gear 77 is in mesh with the spur gear 78. The shaft 82 is connected to the output shaft 57 of the drive unit 50 shown in FIG. 8 through a cylindrical joint 69. Therefore, the rotational power from the drive unit 50 is transmitted to the spur gear 77 and then transmitted to the spur gear 78.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the output shaft 57 rotates in the rotation direction A (see FIG. 8), the shaft 82 and the spur gear 77 also rotate in the rotation direction A. The spur gear 78 rotates in the B rotation direction. When the output shaft 57 rotates in the B rotation direction (see FIG. 8), the shaft 82 and the spur gear 77 also rotate in the B rotation direction, and conversely, the spur gear 78 rotates in the A rotation direction.

  9 and 10, the rotation directions “A” and “B” indicated by the arrows coincide with the rotation directions “A” and “B” shown in FIG. 9 and 10, the rotation direction of the shaft 82 and spur gears 77 and 78 when the output shaft 57 rotates in the direction A is indicated by a solid line, and when the output shaft 57 rotates in the direction B. These rotation directions are indicated by broken lines.

  The spur gear 78 and the spur gear 79 are attached to a common shaft 83 and both rotate about the shaft 83 as a central axis. Further, the spur gear 79 meshes with the spur gear 80, and the spur gear 80 meshes with the spur gear 81. Therefore, when rotational power is transmitted to the spur gear 79, the rotational power is also transmitted to the spur gear 80 and the spur gear 81.

  Further, the spur gear 80 is attached to the shaft 85 and rotates about the shaft 85 as a central axis. The shaft 85 is fixed to a mounting hole 73 a provided at the rotation center of the cam 73. Therefore, when rotational power is transmitted to the spur gear 80, the cam 73 rotates and the slider 62 moves along the vertical direction.

  The spur gear 81 is attached to the shaft 86 and rotates about the shaft 86 as a central axis. The shaft 86 is fixed to a mounting hole 67 a provided at the center of rotation of the disc-shaped crank 67. Therefore, when the rotational power is transmitted to the spur gear 81, the crank 67 rotates and the slider 61 moves along the horizontal direction.

  Incidentally, although the spur gear 79 is directly attached to the shaft 83, the spur gear 78 is attached to the shaft 83 via the clutch mechanism 84. The clutch mechanism 84 is a one-way clutch, and includes an outer ring and an inner ring (not shown in FIG. 10). When the gear 78 rotates in the setting direction (direction B in FIG. 10), the outer ring and the inner ring are locked, and the clutch mechanism 84 transmits the rotational power to the shaft 83. On the other hand, when the gear 78 rotates in the opposite direction, the outer ring and the inner ring are not locked, and the outer ring rotates idly with respect to the inner ring. In this case, the clutch mechanism 84 cuts off the rotational power.

  Specifically, the clutch mechanism 84 is configured to transmit rotational power to the shaft 83 when the spur gear 78 rotates in the direction B. In this case, the spur gear 79 rotates in the B rotation direction, whereby the spur gear 80 rotates in the A rotation direction and the spur gear 81 rotates in the B rotation direction. On the other hand, when the spur gear 78 rotates in the direction A, the clutch mechanism 84 cuts off the rotational power, so that the spur gears 79 to 81 do not rotate. 9 and 10, the rotation directions of the spur gears 79 to 81 are indicated by arrows only when the spur gear 78 rotates in the direction B (when the clutch mechanism 84 transmits power).

  In other words, the clutch mechanism 84 transmits rotational power when the output shaft 57 (see FIG. 8) rotates in the direction A (when the rotating shaft 29 shown in FIG. 5 rotates clockwise (CW)). To do. In this case, the rotary table 20 in the placement position rotates to the analysis position (see FIG. 3). Only in this case, the power transmission unit 60 converts the rotational power into reciprocating power and causes the slider 61 and the slider 62 to reciprocate.

  On the other hand, when the spur gear 78 rotates in the direction A (when the output shaft 57 rotates in the direction B), the clutch mechanism 84 cuts off the rotational power. In this case, the rotary table 20 in the analysis position rotates to the placement position (see FIG. 3).

  If the power transmission unit 60 is used in this way, the reciprocating power can be easily extracted from the rotational power. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a dedicated electric motor or the like for reciprocating the slider 61 and the slider 62, and the apparatus cost can be reduced. In FIG. 10, the shaft 82, the shaft 83, the shaft 85, and the shaft 86 are attached to the gear box 76 in a rotatable state.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the number of teeth of the spur gears 78, 80 and 81 is larger than the number of teeth of the spur gears 77 and 79 (for example, about 2 to 3 times). Therefore, the rotational power input to the shaft 82 is decelerated by the spur gear 77 and further decelerated by the spur gear 79. In the present embodiment, the sliders 61 and 62 are moved slowly compared to the rotational speed of the rotary shaft 29 (see FIG. 5). This suppresses a decrease in analysis accuracy.

  Also, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the power transmission unit 60 includes a sensor 63 for detecting the position of the slider 62. The sensor 63 includes a protrusion 63a provided on the side surface of the slider 62, and a detector 63b that detects the position of the protrusion 63a by an electric technique or an optical technique. The detector 63b outputs a signal for specifying the position of the protrusion 63, that is, the position of the slider 62, to the control device 19 (see FIG. 3).

  Next, the operation of the analyzer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13 are diagrams showing a series of main operation states of the analyzer according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11A shows a state where the analysis tool is placed, and FIG. 11B shows a state where the analysis tool is moved to the analysis position. FIG. 12A shows a state where an analysis using an analysis tool is performed, and FIG. 12B shows a state after the analysis is completed. FIG. 13 shows a state where the analysis tool is moved to the take-out position.

  11 to 13, the left diagram shows the operation of the power transmission unit 60, and the right diagram shows the position of the rotary table. Moreover, in each figure, the power transmission part 60, the connector 40, the arm member 24, and the analysis tool 90 are simplified and illustrated.

  First, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 11A, when the turntable 20 is in the placement position, the analyst places the analysis tool 90 on the turntable 20. At this time, the analysis tool 90 is held at a position determined by the holding unit 22 of the turntable 20.

  11A, the connector 40 and the slider 62 are located at the highest position, and the slider 61 and the lever 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 7) are not connected. The sensor 63 outputs a signal indicating that the slider 62 is at the highest position to the control device 19 (see FIG. 3).

  When the placement of the analysis tool 90 is completed, the drive unit 50 (see FIG. 8) rotates the rotating shaft 29 (see FIG. 5) clockwise. At this time, the rotary shaft 29 and the rotary table 20 are connected (ON state) by the clutch mechanism 28 provided on the rotary table 20. Therefore, the rotary table 20 also rotates clockwise together with the rotary shaft 29. In this case, the shaft 82 of the power transmission unit 60 is rotated in the direction A by the output shaft 57, and the clutch mechanism 84 (see FIG. 10) is in a connected state (ON state). However, the rotation angle of the shaft 82 is slight, and the movement of the sliders 61 and 62 is negligible.

  Next, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 11B, when the rotary table 20 is positioned at the analysis position, the clutch mechanism 28 releases the connection between the rotary shaft 29 and the rotary table 20 (OFF state). However, since the transmission of the rotational power by the drive unit 50 continues, only the rotary shaft 29 rotates clockwise with the rotary table 20 stopped.

  11B, the input shaft 14 of the lever 12 is fitted into the groove 64 of the slider 61, and the slider 61 and the lever 12 are connected. As a result, the arm member 24 becomes movable by the slider 61. Further, the shaft 82 of the power transmission unit 60 continues to rotate in the direction A. Since the clutch mechanism 84 is in the connected state, the slider 61 moves in the left direction in the figure, and the slider 62 moves in the downward direction in the figure.

  Further, when the rotation of the rotary shaft 29 in the clockwise direction is continued and the rotation of the shaft 82 in the direction A is continued, the slider 61 further moves in the left direction in the drawing. By the movement of the slider 61, the input shaft 14 moves relatively in the groove 64, passes through the bent portion, and reaches the linear portion that is lowered by one step.

  12A, the arm member 24 is pushed down together with the lever 12, and the holding of the analysis tool 90 by the holding portion 22 of the rotary table 20 is released. Further, the slider 62 further moves downward in the drawing and reaches the lowest position. At this time, the connector 40 is connected to the analysis tool 90.

  Further, when the slider 62 reaches the lowest position, the sensor 63 outputs a signal to that effect to the control device 19. When receiving this signal, the control device 19 stops the operation of the electric motor 55 of the drive unit 50. Thereafter, analysis is performed on each cell of the analysis tool 90. At this time, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 12A, the connector 40 rotates the analysis tool 90 to switch the cell to be analyzed.

  When the analysis is completed, the control device 19 operates the electric motor 55 of the drive unit 50 again. Then, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 12B, the idle rotation of the rotating shaft 29 in the clockwise direction is resumed while the rotary table 20 is positioned at the analysis position.

  Further, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 12B, the rotation of the shaft 82 in the direction A is also resumed. However, in this case, the slider 61 moves in the right direction in the figure. By the movement of the slider 61 in the right direction, the input shaft 14 moves relatively in the groove 64, passes through the bent portion, and reaches the straight portion that is raised by one step.

  This time, the arm member 24 is pushed up together with the lever 12, and the analysis tool 90 is held again by the holding portion 22 of the rotary table 20. Further, the slider 62 moves upward in the figure, and the connection between the connector 40 and the analysis tool 90 is released.

  When the slider 62 reaches the highest position, the sensor 63 outputs a signal to that effect to the control device 19. When the control device 19 receives this signal, the control device 19 stops the electric motor 55 of the drive unit 50 and then reversely rotates it.

  When the electric motor 55 rotates in the reverse direction, the drive unit 50 rotates the rotating shaft 29 counterclockwise as shown in the right diagram of FIG. At this time, the rotary shaft 29 and the rotary table 20 are connected (ON state) by the clutch mechanism 28 provided on the rotary table 20. Therefore, the rotary table 20 also rotates counterclockwise. Thereby, the turntable 20 moves from the analysis position to the placement position.

  In this case, the shaft 82 of the power transmission unit 60 is rotated in the direction B by the output shaft 57, but the clutch mechanism 84 (see FIG. 10) is in a disconnected state (OFF state). Therefore, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 13, the rotational power transmitted to the shaft 82 is not converted into reciprocating power, and the sliders 61 and 62 are stopped.

  Next, when the rotary table 20 reaches the mounting position shown in the right diagram of FIG. 11A, the control device 19 stops the electric motor 55. Thereafter, the analysis tool 90 is taken out by the analyst, and all the processes are completed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, after the rotary table 20 is positioned at the analysis position, the connection between the connector 40 and the analysis tool 90 and the release of the holding of the analysis tool 90 by the holding unit 22 are performed. According to the present embodiment, the positioning accuracy of the analysis tool 90 can be further improved. The operations of the analyzers shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 are summarized as shown in Table 1 below.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for an analyzer that performs optical measurement on a sample using an analysis tool. Therefore, the analyzer of the present invention has industrial applicability.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the analysis tool used in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing main components of the analyzer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the components shown in FIG. 3 are assembled. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the turntable shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 6A and 6B are perspective views showing the operation of the holding unit provided in the rotary table shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, FIG. 6A shows the holding state, and FIG. Shows the state. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of a lever provided on the table base shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the drive unit illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration of the power transmission unit shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the power transmission unit shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a series of main operating states of the analyzer according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11A shows a state where the analysis tool is placed, and FIG. 11B shows a state where the analysis tool is moved to the analysis position. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a series of main operating states of the analyzer according to the present embodiment. FIG. 12A shows a state in which an analysis using an analysis tool is being performed, and FIG. 12B shows a state after the analysis is completed. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a series of main operating states of the analyzer according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 shows a state where the analysis tool is moved to the take-out position.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Analyzing device 2 Case 3 Cover 4 Display part 5 Table base 6 Recessed part 6a Bottom surface of the recessed part 6b Side wall of the recessed part 6c Through-hole provided in the bottom face of the recessed part 7 Opening part 7a Opening edge 7b Sponsorship 8 Light receiving part 9 Supporting part 10 Light source Part 11 Stay 12 Lever 13a, 13b Lever support shaft 14 Lever input shaft 15 Lever groove 16a, 16b Bearing 17a, 17b Slide shaft 19 Controller 20 Rotary table 21 Main body 21a Top plate part 21b Skirt portion 22 Holding portion 23 Opening portion 24 Arm member 26 Bearing provided at the center of the rotary table 27 Protrusion 28 Clutch mechanism 29 Rotating shaft 30 Disc 30a Groove formed in the disc 31 Connecting rod 31a Connecting rod protrusion 31b Connecting rod shaft 32 Coil spring 33 Bevel gear 34 Inner circumference of arm member 35a Arm member support surface 35b Side wall formed on the outer edge of the support surface 36 Bar member provided on the arm member 38 Shaft for arm member attachment 40 Connector 41 Tip portion 42 Head 43 Frame 44a, 44b Provided on the frame of the connector Through-hole 50 drive unit 51, 52, 53 spur gear 54 bevel gear 55 motor 56 motor shaft 57 output shaft 58 shaft 59 drive unit case 60 power transmission unit 61 slider 62 slider 62a slider top 63 sensor 63a sensor 63b Sensors constituting the sensor 64, 65 Grooves 66a, 66b provided in the slider Slider shaft for moving the slider arranged in the horizontal direction 67 Disc-shaped crank 67a Mounting hole 68 Crank pin 69 Joint 70, 74 Slits on the slider 7 1a, 71b Slide shaft for slider movement arranged in the vertical direction 73 Cam 73a Mounting hole 75 Wall formed on the back surface of the slider 76 Gear box 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 Spur gears 82, 83, 85, 86 Shaft 84 Clutch mechanism 87 Power transmission case 90 Analytical tool 91 Transparent substrate 92 Transparent cover 93 Reservoir 94 Cell 95 Channel 96 Flat part 97 Supply port 98 Connection hole

Claims (7)

An analyzer that performs optical measurement on a sample placed in a cell of an analysis tool,
A light source unit that emits light for optical measurement, a light receiving unit that receives light for optical measurement, and the analysis tool are placed, and the placed analysis tool moves on a circular orbit. And a rotating table that rotates,
The rotary table includes a holding unit that holds the analysis tool at a predetermined position, and the rotary table rotates and a first position where the analysis tool is placed, and the optical measurement is performed. Positioned in position 2,
The light source unit is arranged such that when the rotary table is in the second position, the emitted light is incident on the cell of the analysis tool,
The light receiving unit is arranged to receive the optical measurement light that has passed through the sample or the optical measurement light reflected by the sample when the rotary table is in the second position. An analysis device characterized by that. A connector connected to the analysis tool;
2. The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the connector moves from a position away from the analysis tool to a position where connection with the analysis tool is possible when the rotary table is in the second position. The analysis tool includes a plurality of the cells arranged in an arc shape, and
The connector is connected to the analysis tool at the center of the cell array, and further rotates the analysis tool along the array direction;
The analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the holding unit releases the holding of the analysis tool when the connector is connected to the analysis tool. The holding portion includes an opening and an arm member,
The opening is disposed at a position on the rotary table where the analysis tool is placed, and is formed so that the analysis tool is accommodated in the opening.
The arm member supports the analysis tool at the predetermined position from the side opposite to the side on which the analysis tool is placed on the rotary table, and the connector is connected to the analysis tool. The analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the analyzer is moved away from the analysis tool to release the support of the analysis tool.   The analyzer according to claim 4, further comprising a support portion that supports the analysis tool through the opening at a position facing the connector. A drive unit that rotates the rotary table; and a power transmission unit.
The drive unit outputs a part of rotational power for rotating the rotary table to the power transmission unit,
The power transmission unit includes a power conversion mechanism that converts rotational power output from the drive unit into reciprocating power, and a first slider and a second slider that reciprocate by the reciprocating power,
The first slider is coupled to the connector, and the connector is reciprocated between a position where connection with the analysis tool is possible and a position away from the analysis tool,
The second slider is connected to the arm member when the rotary table is in the second position, and the arm member is separated from a position where the analysis tool can be supported and a position away from the analysis tool. The analyzer according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the analyzer is reciprocated between the two. The rotary table further includes a clutch mechanism;
The clutch mechanism shuts off rotational power that rotates the rotary table in a setting direction when the rotary table is in the second position;
The power conversion mechanism converts the rotational power into the reciprocating power only when the rotational power output from the drive unit to the power transmission unit is part of the rotational power that rotates the rotary table in the setting direction. The analyzer according to claim 6, wherein

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