Abstract:
A carrying apparatus includes a holder which houses an object to be carried and which comprises a holder side member; a carrying path which guides the movement of the holder; a helical member which generates, between the holder side member and the helical member, a first force in a direction to depart from the holder side member or a second force to attract the holder side member and which is disposed along the carrying path; and a rotation unit which rotates the helical member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-24682, filed Feb. 12, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a carrying apparatus which carries a sample such as blood. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A sample processing system which processes a sample such as blood has been suggested. The sample processing system of this type has a processing apparatus which processes the sample, and a carrying apparatus which carries the sample to the processing apparatus. The carrying apparatus has a sample holder which holds the sample, and a carrying path to carry the sample holder to the processing apparatus. The sample is housed in a container such as a test tube. The sample holder removably holds the test tube. 
         [0006]    A structure that uses a carrying belt has been suggested as the structure of the carrying path. A carrying path of this type has a belt to mount the sample holder, and a belt driver which drives the carrying belt. 
         [0007]    The carrying belt is an endless belt which is formed into a ring shape by way of example. The belt driver rotates to move on the carrying belt in its circumferential direction. If the carrying belt is rotated, the sample holder moves in response to the movement of the carrying belt. As a result, the sample holder is carried. A carrying apparatus of this type has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 4522463. 
         [0008]    The above-mentioned carrying apparatus has the following problems: In the sample processing apparatus, multiple sample holders are generally mounted on one carrying belt to process multiple sample holders. Therefore, when a predetermined sample holder is stopped at a predetermined position on the carrying path, the driving of the carrying belt is not stopped, but a stopper, for example, is used to stop the predetermined sample holder alone at the predetermined position. The sample holder is held by the stopper to stop the movement of the sample holder. In this case, the carrying belt is driven to carry other samples. 
         [0009]    Thus, friction is generated between the carrying belt and the sample holder which is stopped by the stopper. The carrying belt is worn by this friction. If the carrying belt is further worn, the carrying belt will be replaced. A higher replacement frequency of the carrying belt increases costs. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    According to an aspect of embodiments, a carrying apparatus includes a holder which houses an object to be carried and which comprises a holder side member; a carrying path which guides the movement of the holder; a helical member which generates, between the holder side member and the helical member, a first force in a direction to depart from the holder side member or a second force to attract the holder side member and which is disposed along the carrying path; and a rotation unit which rotates the helical member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a plan view showing part of a sample processing system having a carrying apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the sample processing system taken along the line F 2 -F 2  indicated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the sample processing system taken along the line F 3 -F 3  indicated in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a plan view showing one end of a carrying path of the carrying apparatus in a longitudinal direction; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a rotary member of the carrying apparatus. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    A carrying apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 1  is a plan view showing part of a sample processing system  10  having a carrying apparatus  20  according to the present embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the sample processing system  10  has the carrying apparatus  20  which carries a later-described sample holder  30 , a processing apparatus  90  which processes a sample  11  held by the sample holder  30 , a stopper apparatus  100  which selectively stops the sample holder  30  on a carrying path  50  of the carrying apparatus  20 , and a controller  110  which controls the operations of the carrying apparatus  20  and the processing apparatus  90 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the sample processing system  10  taken along the line F 2 -F 2  indicated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  shows how the sample holder  30  is placed on the lacer-described carrying path  50  along the extending direction of the carrying path  50 . In  FIG. 2 , the sample holder  30  is not cut. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the sample  11  is, for example, blood, and is housed in, for example, a test tube  12 . The test tube  12  is an example of an object to be carried. The processing apparatus  90  processes the sample  11 . The processing is, for example, dispensing. The processing performed by the processing apparatus is not exclusively the dispensing. A processing apparatus which not only performs the processing for the sample  11  but also the processing necessary for the test tube  12  may be provided.  FIG. 1  shows the part of the sample processing system  10  in the vicinity of the processing apparatus  90 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the sample processing system  10  taken along the line F 3 -F 3  indicated in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  shows the front of the sample holder  30  placed in the carrying path  50 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the carrying apparatus  20  has the sample holder  30 , the carrying path  50 , a rotary member  60 , and a helical member driver  70 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the sample holder (holder)  30  is configured to be able to house the sample  11 . The sample holder  30  has a test tube holding portion  31 , a held portion  32  which is formed at one end of the test tube holding portion  31  and which is held by a later-described traveling wall  53 , a top flange  33  formed on the upper edge of the held portion  32 , and a bottom flange  34  formed on the lower edge of the held portion  32 . 
         [0022]    The test tube holding portion  31  has a base  35 , and arms  36  provided in the base  35 . The base  35  is, for example, cylindrical. The arms  36  are fixed to the upper end of the base  35 , and extend upward. The arms  36  are arranged along a circle around the central line of the base  35  at the upper end of the base  35 . Each of the arms  36  is made of, for example, a metallic material, and is elastic. A catching portion  37  is formed at the upper end of each of the arms  36 . 
         [0023]    The catching portion  37  is formed by bending each the arms  36  inward. The space between the catching portions  37  of the arms  36  is narrower than the space between other parts of the arms  36 . The space between the catching portions  37  of the arms  36  is provided to be thinner than the test tube  12 . If the test tube  12  is inserted into the test tube holding portion  31 , the test tube  12  spreads the catching portions  37 . The spread arms  36  are restored inward by elasticity. The test tube  12  is caught and held by the elastic force of each of the arms  36 . 
         [0024]    The held portion  32  is provided at the lower end of the base  35 , and projects downward from the base  35 . When the held portion  32  is cut in a direction perpendicular to its axial line, the section of the held portion  32  has a size that fits in the lower end face of the base  35 . The held portion  32  is cylindrical by way of example, and its axial line is collinear with the axial line of the base  35 . Therefore, the held portion  32  has a shape which is diametrically smaller than the base  35 . 
         [0025]    The top flange  33  is provided on the upper edge of the held portion  32 , and projects diametrically outward from the held portion  32 . The bottom flange  34  is provided on the lower edge of the held portion  32 , and projects diametrically outward from the held portion  32 . A magnet (holder side member)  38  is housed at the lower end of the bottom flange  34 . The magnet  38  is located in the center of the bottom flange  34 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a plan view showing one end of the carrying path  50  in a longitudinal direction. As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4 , the carrying path  50  has a pair of sidewalls  52 , the traveling wall  53 , and a bottom wall  54 . The sidewalls  52  are fixed to the bottom wall  54 . The sidewalls  52  vertically extend to face each other. The sidewalls  52  are located apart from each other to have a gap which can house the sample holder  30  in between. 
         [0027]    The traveling wall  53  is provided in the center of the sidewalls  52  in a vertical direction, and extends in the width direction. More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the traveling wall  53  provided in one sidewall  52  projects toward the other sidewall  52 . The traveling wall  53  provided in the other sidewall  52  projects toward one sidewall  52 . Ends  53   a  of the traveling walls  53  are not in contact with each other, and have a space (communication groove) S 1  formed in between. 
         [0028]    The space S 1  is formed to be able to house the held portion  32  of the sample holder  30 . More specifically, the distance between the ends  53   a  is slightly greater than the diameter of the held portion  32 . The distance between the ends  53   a  is smaller than the diameters of the top flange  33  and the bottom flange  34 . Therefore, the held portion  32  can be housed between the ends  53   a . If the held portion  32  is housed between the ends  53   a , the top flange  33  comes into contact with the upper end face of the traveling wall  53 . 
         [0029]    Inwardly projecting projections  55  are formed at the upper ends of the sidewalls  52 . A space larger than the thickness of the top flange  33  is defined between the projection  55  and the traveling wall  53 . 
         [0030]    When the sample holder  30  is mounted on the traveling wall  53 , the projection  55  is located above the top flange  33  on the sample holder  30 , and projects to the position where the projection  55  overlaps the top flange  33  in the vertical direction. 
         [0031]    The projections  55  extend to the position where the projections  55  do not contact the test tube holding portion  31  when the held portion  32  is held between the ends  53   a  of the traveling wall  53 . More specifically, the distance between the projections  55  is greater than the diameter of the base  35  of the test tube holding portion  31 . 
         [0032]    Therefore, when the sample holder  30  travels on the traveling wall  53 , the top flange  33  does not contact the projections  55 . If the sample holder  30  is pulled upward, the top flange  33  contacts the projections  55 , so that the sample holder  30  is prevented from coming off the carrying path  50 . 
         [0033]    The space between the sidewalls  52  is divided into two parts in the vertical direction by the traveling wall  53 . The space above the traveling wall  53  is a traveling space where the sample holder  30  travels. The space under the traveling wall  53  is a rotary member housing space. The rotary member housing space is formed so that the rotary member  60  and part of the helical member driver  70  can be housed. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the rotary member  60 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the rotary member  60  has a cylindrical body  61 , and a helical member  62  provided in the circumferential part of the body  61 . The main material of the helical member  62  is iron, and the helical member  62  has such properties as to be attracted to the magnet  38  by magnetic force of the magnet  38 . 
         [0035]    The body  61  is made of, for example, a resin, and is a cylindrical member. An inwardly recessed groove  63  is formed in the circumferential surface of the body  61 . The groove  63  has a helical shape around the axial line of the body  61 , and extends from one end of the body  61  to the other. The helical member  62  is housed in the groove  63 . The helical member  62  is fixed to the groove  63 . The axial line of the helical member  62  is located on the axial line of the body  61 . 
         [0036]    The axial line of the rotary member  60  is located in the center of the width direction of the carrying path  50 . The size of the body  61  in the diametrical direction and the size of the helical member  62  in the diametrical direction are such sizes that the body  61  and the helical member  62  do not contact the bottom flange  34  and the magnet  38  of the sample holder  30 . 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the helical member driver (rotation unit)  70  has a drive electric motor  71 , a first pulley  72  rotatably fixed integrally to an output shaft of the drive electric motor  71 , a second pulley  73  rotatably fixed integrally to the rotary member  60 , and a belt member  74  put around the pulleys  72  and  73 . 
         [0038]    The drive electric motor  71  is located in the vicinity of one end of the carrying path  50  outside the carrying path  50 . The axial line of the second pulley  73  is located on the axial line of the body  61  of the rotary member  60 . The second pulley  73  is out of the carrying path  50 , and is adjacent to the first pulley  72 . The belt member  74  is formed to be able to transmit the rotation of the first pulley  72  to the second pulley  73 . 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the stopper apparatus  100  is formed so that the sample holder  30  can be stopped at the position where the processing apparatus  90  processes the sample  11 . Specifically, the stopper apparatus  100  has a stopper  101  and a stopper driver  102 . The stopper  101  is formed movably between the position where the stopper  101  can contact the sample holder  30  in the carrying path  50  and the position where the stopper  101  does not contact the sample holder  30 . The stopper driver  102  is formed to be able to drive the stopper  101 . The driving referred to here means to move the stopper  101  between the position where the stopper  101  can contact the sample holder  30  and the position where the stopper  101  does not contact the sample holder  30 . 
         [0040]    The controller  110  is formed to be able to control the operation of the processing apparatus  90 , the operation of the drive electric motor  71 , and the operation of the stopper driver  102 . 
         [0041]    Next, the operation of the sample processing system  10  is described. First, the test tube  12  is housed in the sample holder  30  placed on the carrying path  50  by, for example, an operator. The controller  110  drives the drive electric motor  71  when the test tube  12  is housed in the sample holder  30 . 
         [0042]    If the drive electric motor  71  is rotated, the first pulley  72  rotates. The rotation of the first pulley  72  is transmitted to the second pulley  73  by the belt member  74 . The second pulley  73  is rotated by the belt member  74 . The rotary member  60  rotates around its axial line in response to the rotation of the second pulley  73 . 
         [0043]    The helical member  62  rotates in response to the rotation of the rotary member  60 . If the helical member  62  rotates around its axial line, upper ends  65  facing between the ends  53   a  in the helical member  62  appear to move along a carrying direction A, as shown in  FIG. 4 . Since the helical member  62  only rotates around its axial line in actuality, the upper ends  65  do not move in the carrying direction A. 
         [0044]    When the upper ends  65  appear to move in the carrying direction, the sample holder  30  is attracted to the upper ends  65  by the magnetic force of the magnet  38 . As a result, the sample holder  30  is carried along the carrying path  50 . 
         [0045]    When the sample holder  30  reaches the processing apparatus  90 , the controller  110  drives the stopper driver  102  to move the stopper  101  to the position where the stopper  101  can contact the sample holder  30 . When the stopper  101  is moved to the position where the stopper  101  can contact the sample holder  30 , the traveling of the sample holder  30  is stopped by the contact of the sample holder  30  with the stopper  101 . A sensor which detects that the sample holder  30  has reached the processing apparatus  90  may be provided in the carrying path  50 . The stopper driver  102  may be driven in accordance with the detection result of the sensor. 
         [0046]    The controller  110  controls the processing apparatus  90  to process the sample  11  in the test tube  12  housed in the sample holder  30 . Even when the processing apparatus  90  is in the middle of processing, the drive electric motor  71  is driven, and the rotary member  60  continues rotating. When the processing of the sample  11  is finished, the controller  110  controls the stopper driver  102  to move the stopper  101  to the position where the stopper  101  does not contact the sample holder  30 . 
         [0047]    When the stopper  101  has moved to the position where the stopper  101  does not contact the sample holder  30 , the sample holder  30  resumes traveling by the attraction of the magnet  38  to the upper ends  65  of the helical member  62 . 
         [0048]    In the sample processing apparatus having such a configuration, the sample holder  30  and the rotary member  60  do not contact each other. Therefore, the rotary member  60  is prevented from being worn. 
         [0049]    The helical member  62  is made of a metallic material containing iron as the main material that costs less and is easier to process than the magnet. Consequently, the carrying apparatus  20  can be relatively easily produced. 
         [0050]    The upper ends  65  of the helical member  62  face the magnet  38  through the space between the ends  53   a  of the traveling wall  53 , so that the magnetic force of the magnet  38  can be efficiently used. 
         [0051]    In the present embodiment, the helical member  62  is formed by iron as the main material between the sample holder  30  and the helical member  62  of the rotary member  60  as an example of means for attracting the sample holder  3 C and the helical member  62  to each other, and the magnet  38  is provided in the sample holder  30 . 
         [0052]    Thus, the magnet  38 , and the metal which is attracted to the magnet are used. As another example, the helical member  62  may be formed by a magnet as the main material, and a material such as a metallic material that is attracted to the helical member  62  may be provided in the sample holder  30 . 
         [0053]    Alternatively, the helical member  62  may be made of a magnet, and a magnet which is attracted to the helical member  62  may be provided in the sample holder  30 . Alternatively, the helical member  62  may be made of a magnet. Thus, the helical member  62  may be entirely made of a magnet, or may be partly provided with a magnet. 
         [0054]    In short, the helical member  62  has only to be made of one of the materials having such properties as to be attracted to each other or partly provided with one of the materials, and the other has only to be provided in the sample holder  30  so that the sample holder  30  moves in response to the movement of the helical member  62 . 
         [0055]    Alternatively, one of two materials having such properties as to repel each other may be provided in the sample holder  30 , and the helical member  62  may be made of the other or partly provided with the other. One example of this structure is a pair of magnets that repel each other. According to this structure, if the upper ends  65  of the helical member  62  apparently move, the sample holder  30  moves due to repulsion working between the magnets. 
         [0056]    Although one rotary member  60  is used in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, multiple rotary members  60  may be arranged along the carrying path  50 . Moreover, in the present embodiment, the controller  110  of the sample processing system  10  controls the operation of the carrying apparatus  20  by way of example. That is, the controller  110  functions as a controller which controls the operation of the carrying apparatus  20 . As another example, an exclusive controller which controls the operation of the carrying apparatus  20  may be provided. 
         [0057]    This invention is not to be merely limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications of components can be made at the stage of carrying out the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Furthermore, various inventions can be made by properly combining the components disclosed in the embodiments described above. For example, some of all the components shown in the embodiments described above may be eliminated. 
         [0058]    Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.