Abstract:
A device for dispensing directional objects is comprised of: a case for housing the objects in a horizontal direction; a shutter covering the case and capable of leaving a window; a pivot pivotally supporting the case to allow the case to swing around the pivot; a conveyor including a plurality of slots respectively holding the objects in the horizontal direction and being disposed to receive the objects dropped through the window into the slots; a guide including a bottom end and a slit opened upward to receive the objects dropped from the conveyor and gravitationally feed the objects toward the bottom; and a dropper coupled with the bottom end of the guide, where the objects are dispensed with the tip ends thereof directed downward.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-191706 (filed Aug. 31, 2012); the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing directional objects, such as pipette tips, directed in a particular direction. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Before automatically carrying out a biomedical test with respect to a plurality of specimens, a corresponding number of tips should be arranged in multiple lines and multiple rows and then set in a rack. The rack with the arranged tips is subsequently served for the test. Each tip is, however, directional and should be therefore directed in a particular direction in the rack. To direct the tip a particular direction is a very bothersome work if manually done. Thus there have been proposed some devices for automatically carrying out this work. 
     Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-326716 discloses a related art. In the disclosed art, as illustrated in  FIGS. 15 through 19  appended to this specification, a number of tips  80  are accommodated in a box-shaped container  1  and reciprocating motion of a lift-up plate  3  pushes out some of the tips  80 . Then the pushed-out tips  80  fall down onto a shooter  6  and slip into a slot formed thereon. The tips  80  stand in a row on the shooter  6 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the device illustrated in  FIGS. 15 through 19 , the pushed-out tips  80  often fail to slip into the slot and accordingly scatter around the device. Further the reciprocating motion gets the tips  80  to dance and mutually collide, thereby causing considerable damage and noise. Further improvement is desired. 
     The present invention has been achieved in view of the aforementioned problem. According to an aspect of the present invention, a device for dispensing directional objects each having a flanged end portion and a body with a tip end is comprised of: a case having a cavity so dimensioned as to house the objects in a horizontal direction and an opening over the cavity to receive the objects into the cavity; a shutter slidably attached to the case to cover the opening, the shutter being slidable a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction to leave a window in the covered opening to allow the objects to get out of the case; a pivot pivotally supporting the case to allow the case to swing around the pivot from a primary position for receiving the objects to a secondary position for dropping the objects through the window; a conveyor including a plurality of slots respectively so dimensioned as to hold the objects in the horizontal direction, the conveyor being so disposed as to receive the objects dropped from the case into the slots; a guide including a bottom end and a slit opened upward and elongated to the bottom end, the guide being so disposed as to receive the objects dropped from the slots into the slit and so inclined as to gravitationally feed the objects caught in the slit toward the bottom end, the slit being wider than the bodies of the objects but narrower than the flanged end portions whereby each of the objects pivots on the flanged end portion caught on peripheries of the slit to direct the tip end downward; and a dropper coupled with the bottom end of the guide to temporarily catch the objects with the tip ends directed downward and configured to one by one drop the objects with the tip ends directed downward. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tip dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention, where a case for housing tips is retracted in a chassis. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tip dispenser, where the case is pulled down. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a conveyor and the case in the tip dispenser, where the case is pulled down. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the tip. 
         FIG. 5A  is a plan view of the case with a shutter. 
         FIG. 5B  is an enlarged plan view of the case with the shutter, which mainly shows a joint therebetween. 
         FIG. 6A  is a partial elevational sectional view of the case and the shutter, which mainly shows a locking device for locking the shutter with the case. 
         FIG. 6B  is a plan view of the locking device. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the conveyor and the case, in which a sub-case filled with tips is loaded in the case. 
         FIG. 8  is an elevational view of the tip dispenser, which shows the interior of thereof. 
         FIG. 9  is an elevational view of the tip dispenser, which shows that the shutter is pulled up to open a window and some tips get out of the case through the window. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the conveyor and the case, in which a number of tips are directly packed in the case. 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged elevational view of the conveyor, which shows three plates with slots and a tip held in one of the slots. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a guide, a dropper and a rack, where some tips are fed to the dropper and waiting for being set in the rack. 
         FIG. 13A  is a plan view of the dropper in a state where the tips are caught. 
         FIG. 13B  is a plan view of the dropper in a state where one of the tips is being released. 
         FIG. 14  is an elevational view of the conveyor, the guide and the dropper with one of the tips being dropped therefrom. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a device of the prior art. 
         FIG. 16  is a side view of the device of the prior art. 
         FIGS. 17A through 17C  are elevational views of the device of the prior art, which show succeeding steps for dispensing tips. 
         FIG. 18  is an elevational view of the device of the prior art where the tips are arranged in a row. 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of a tip used in the device of the prior art. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Certain embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the appended drawings. It is noted that the drawings are not scaled and therefore dimensions are not limited to those shown therein. 
     The embodiments may apply to a dispenser which directs directional objects such as pipette tips in a particular direction, particularly where tip ends thereof are commonly directed downward, and then dispenses them into a rack or any container with keeping the direction. A tip h as an object to be dispensed is, as shown in  FIG. 4 , comprised of a flanged end portion h 1  and a body h 2  with a tip end. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a tip dispenser A according to an embodiment of the present invention is in general comprised of a chassis a, a controller b, a case c retractable in the chassis a, a conveyor d housed in the chassis a, and a dropper f. 
     The chassis a is in general constructed of a pedestal a 1  and frames a 2  standing thereon. Outer walls a 3  secured to the frames a 2  enclose a cavity but an opening is left at the front thereof. A rack g for receiving tips h is introduced through the opening into the cavity and the dropper f for dropping tips hangs over the rack g in the cavity. 
     The controller b, which may be housed in the chassis a or in a sub-chassis b 1  attached to the chassis a, is to execute electronic control of operatable components such as a conveyor therein. 
     The case c is pivoted on the chassis a, thereby being retractable as shown in  FIG. 1  and openable as shown in FIG.  2 . The case c may, at the opened position shown in  FIG. 2 , receive the tips h. The case c at the retracted position as shown in  FIG. 1  gradually drops the tips h toward the conveyor in the chassis a as described later. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the case c is generally formed in a boat-like shape and has a cavity defined by paired side walls c 1 , a bottom wall c 2 , an end wall c 3  and an opposite end wall c 7 , and an opening opened upward. The width of the cavity of the case c, as defined by the distance between the paired side walls c 1 , is adapted to a length L of each tip h. More specifically, the cavity is so dimensioned as to house the tips h laid in a horizontal direction, namely in a direction parallel to a lateral direction of the case c from one of the side walls c 1  toward the opposite wall c 1 . 
     The end wall c 3  is parallel to the horizontal direction but oblique to the bottom wall c 2 . The case c is pivoted around a top of the end wall c 3  as described later. Therefore, when the case c is pivotally lifted (retracted in the chassis a), the tips h can roll down along the oblique end wall c 3  with keeping the horizontal direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  in combination with  FIG. 3 , a shutter s is attached to the case c so as to cover the opening of the case c. Joints between the shutter s and the case c exemplarily applied are hinges c 4 . The hinges c 4  connect the shutter s with the case c side by side so that the shutter s is swingable about shafts c 5  inserted in the hinges c 4 . The hinges c 4  is further so structured as to allow slide of the shutter s along the shafts c 5  in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The hinges c 4  preferably have springs c 6  to urge the shutter s toward a direction opposite to the end wall c 3 . 
     More specifically, the shutter s can thoroughly cover the opening if biased against the springs c 6 , and can leave a window w in the covered opening when it is urged to slide along the shafts c 5 . As the window w is opened around the end wall c 3 , the window w allows the tips h to gravitationally get out of the case c when the case c is pivotally lifted. 
     To temporarily retain the shutter s in a position where the opening of the case c is closed, the shutter s may have a locking device s 1  and correspondingly the end wall c 7  of the case c may have a keyhole s 2  as shown in  FIG. 6A . As the locking device s 1  is inserted in the keyhole s 2  and properly twisted as shown in  FIG. 6B , the shutter s is temporarily locked with the case c to close the cavity. When the locking device s 1  is disengaged from the keyhole s 2 , the shutter s is freed and urged by the spring c 6  to open the window w. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the chassis a is comprised of a pivot j for pivotally supporting the case c. An axis of the pivot j is directed in parallel with the lateral direction of the case c. The case c can thereby swing around the pivot j from an opened position shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  7  and  10  to a retracted position shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  8  and  9 . The tips h are loaded in the case c at the opened position and next the case c is swung up around the pivot j and got into the retracted position. The chassis a may have an abutting plate k 1  on which the lifted case c rests. Further the chassis a may be further comprised of any locking means for keeping the case c at the retracted position. 
     The conveyor d is housed in a part k of the chassis a, which is disposed next to the case c. The conveyor d is, not limited to, a belt-like conveyor forming an endless loop powered by a motor M. While the endless loop inherently has an ascending side and a descending side, the ascending side is, around its bottom, made to face the window w of the case c and is properly inclined from the vertical. Due to this arrangement, the conveyor d receives the tips h falling down from the window w as shown in  FIG. 9  and lifts these tips h up. 
     Any means for preventing the tips h from further falling out of the chassis a may be further provided. One of such means is a flange c 8  elongated from the end wall c 7 . The flange c 8  may be properly bent relative to the end wall c 7  to seal a gap between the case c and the chassis a, which may be held when the case c is retracted. 
     Alternatively or in addition, a proper disposition of the pivot j can function as such means. While a dashed line z drawn in  FIG. 8  depicts a trajectory described by a lowermost extremity p of the case c when the case c swings, the pivot j could be so disposed as to make a gap α held between the conveyor d and the trajectory z to be narrower than the outer diameters of the tips h. The tips h falling from the case c are, throughout movement of the case c, prevented from going down toward the root of the conveyor d and are therefore further prevented from falling out of the chassis a. 
     Gearing for driving the conveyor d may include sprockets d 1  and chain belts d 2  turning around the sprockets d 1 . One of the sprocket d 1  is driven by the motor M, thereby endlessly driving the conveyor d. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the conveyor d is comprised of a plurality of plates d 3  held between the paired chain belts d 2  and arranged side by side. Each plate d 3  is, but not limited to, rectangular and long sideways and is sufficiently thick relative to the outer diameters of the tips h. Each plate d 3  has a slot d 4  so dimensioned as to hold one of the tips h laid in a horizontal direction. As each slot d 4  is directed in a direction identical to a direction of the tips h dropping from the case c, the tips h naturally get into the slots d 4  one by one. 
     Each slot d 4  may be either bottomed or bottomless. If each slot d 4  is formed as a bottomless slot, a bottom plate d 5  may be provided so as to prevent the tip h in the slot d 4  from falling off. Referring again to  FIGS. 7 through 10 , the bottom plate d 5  runs along, and at the back of, the ascending side of the conveyor d. A border at the top of the bottom plate d 5  is disposed close to the top of the ascending side and may be bent downward. When a tip h in a slot d 4  reaches the top border, the tip h falls out of the slot d 4  there. 
     Below the aforementioned border of the bottom plate d 5  provided is a guide e shown in  FIGS. 12 and 14 . The guide e is formed of paired guide rails e 2 , which define a slit opened upward. As the slit is disposed just below the border of the bottom plate d 5 , or the border is directed toward the slit, the guide receive the tips h dropped from the slots d 4  into the slit. 
     The slit defined by the rails e 2  is wider than the bodies h 2  of the tips h but narrower than the flanged end portions h 1 . Thus the bodies h 1  can get in the slit but the flanged end portions h 1  are caught by the rails e 2 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , each tip h pivots on the flanged end portion h 1  caught by the rails e 2 , thereby directing its tip end downward. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 12 and 14 , the guide e is inclined so as to gravitationally feed the tips h toward its bottom end. 
     With the bottom end of the guide e coupled is the dropper f. The dropper f is comprised of a movable frame f 2 , a stopper f 1  and a secondary stopper f 5  both secured to the frame f 2 , and a solenoid f 4  for driving the frame f 2 . The frame f 2  is, as pivoted on the pivot f 3 , swingable between a catching position shown in  FIG. 13A  and a releasing position shown in  FIG. 13B . When the frame f 2  is at the catching position shown in  FIG. 13A , the stopper f 1  crosses over the slit of the guide e and thus catches the tips h fed to the bottom end of the guide e. Then the secondary stopper f 5  does not obstruct movement of the tips h. When the frame f 2  swings to the releasing position shown in  FIG. 13B , the stopper f 1  recedes out of the row of the tips h and thus a leading tip h in the row is released. Then the secondary stopper f 5  gets into the row so as to catch the succeeding tips h. The frame f 2  is operated by the solenoid f 4  under the control by the controller b. Therefore the dropper f 2  drops the tips h one by one onto the rack g. 
     The tip dispenser A is further comprised of a movable table i. The table i is made movable both in a direction X and in a direction Y as shown in  FIG. 12 . To actuate the table i, the tip dispenser A may be comprised of motors and plungers driven by the motors as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The table i is driven by the motors via the plungers under the control by the controller b. 
     The rack g is placed on the table i. The rack g is comprised of a plurality of wells g 1 . The wells g 1  may form a plurality of lines and a plurality of rows. 
     The tip dispenser A may be operated in the following way. 
     First a plurality of tips h are loaded into the cavity of the case c. A user may use a sub-case c′ as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 7 , or may directly load the tips h into the case c as shown in  FIG. 10 . In either case, the tips h are commonly laid in a horizontal direction. The shutter s is made to cover the cavity and is temporarily locked by means of the locking device s 1 . Then the case c along with the tips h is lifted up and retracted in the chassis s as shown in  FIG. 8 . Then, as the pivot j is parallel to the direction of the tips h, the horizontal direction as being initially set is retained. 
     Next the locking device s 1  is unlocked and the shutter s is slid upward. Then the window w is opened and some of the tips h still in the case c fall down therethrough. Some of them naturally get into the slots d 4 . Also in this step the direction of the tips h is retained. 
     Next the conveyor d is driven to lift the tips h in the respective slots d 4 . As the precedent tips h move up, following tips h fall down and get into the following slots d 4  one after the other. 
     The lifted tips h fall onto the guide e. The respective tip ends are directed downward thereon and then the tips h are gravitationally fed to the bottom end of the guide e. 
     The fed tips h are temporarily caught by the dropper f and form a row there. The dropper f is started by the controller b to drop the tips h onto the rack g one by one. As the rack g is driven by the table i under synchronous control by the controller b, the wells g 1  are, from end to end, filled with the tips h each having the tip end directed downward. 
     The present embodiment efficiently prevents objects from falling out because movement of the objects is made within the chassis that is sufficiently sealed. Further the present embodiment enables silent operation and prevents damage to the objects because severe shaking or dancing does not occur during its operation. 
     Although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art, in light of the above teachings.