U.S. patent application number 09/810610 was filed with the patent office on 2001-09-20 for unwrapping apparatus.
Invention is credited to Endo, Yoichi, Komatsu, Akihiro, Sugaya, Fumio, Takiue, Tomoyuki.
Application Number | 20010022928 09/810610 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18594340 |
Filed Date | 2001-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010022928 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sugaya, Fumio ; et
al. |
September 20, 2001 |
Unwrapping apparatus
Abstract
An unwrapping apparatus unwraps a slide pack wrapped with a
wrapping sheet to obtain a slide contained therein. As paired
rollers forward the slide pack, a squeezing member squeezes the
slide backward within an unsealed space in the slide pack to form a
wide cut allowance at the front edge of the slide pack. After the
slide reaches the rear end of the unsealed space, nip pressure
applied to the slide pack by the paired rollers is reduced to
further forward the slide pack to a predetermined position. At the
predetermined position, a cutter partially cuts the cut allowance
to form a slit thereon. Then, the slide pack is transferred back by
the paired rollers under a raised nip pressure which is sufficient
to squeeze the slide out from the slit. Accordingly, the slide will
be gradually separated from the wrapping sheet.
Inventors: |
Sugaya, Fumio;
(Kanagawa-ken, JP) ; Endo, Yoichi; (Kanagawa-ken,
JP) ; Komatsu, Akihiro; (Kanagawa-ken, JP) ;
Takiue, Tomoyuki; (Kanagawa-ken, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE, MION, ZINN,
MACPEAK & SEAS, PLLC
2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20037-3202
US
|
Family ID: |
18594340 |
Appl. No.: |
09/810610 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/412 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 69/0058
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
414/412 |
International
Class: |
B65B 069/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 17, 2000 |
JP |
076625/2000 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping a package containing a
solid object tightly wrapped with a wrapping sheet, said package
including an unsealed space where the solid object is contained and
a sealed portion surrounding the unsealed space, comprising paired
rollers rotatable so that the package caught between the paired
rollers is transferred along a predetermined transferring path, a
cutter located behind the paired rollers along the transferring
path for making a slit on the unsealed space at a position near the
front edge of the package, and controlling means for controlling
operations of the paired rollers and the cutter by setting nip
pressure applied to the package by the paired rollers at a pressure
suitable both for transferring the package containing the solid
object and for transferring the wrapping sheet without the solid
object, rotating the paired rollers in respective predetermined
directions so that the package is forwarded along the predetermined
transferring path, terminating rotation of the paired rollers when
the rear edge of the package comes between the paired rollers,
making a slit on the package, and rotating the paired rollers in
the directions opposite to said predetermined directions so that
only the wrapping sheet separated from the solid object is
transferred back by the paired rollers.
2. An unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping a package containing a
solid object tightly wrapped with a wrapping sheet, said package
including an unsealed space where the solid object is contained and
a sealed portion surrounding the unsealed space, comprising paired
rollers rotatable so that the package caught between the paired
rollers is transferred along a predetermined transferring path, nip
pressure altering means for altering nip pressure applied to the
package by the paired rollers, a cutter located behind the paired
rollers along the transferring path for making a slit on the
unsealed space at a position near the front edge of the package,
and controlling means for controlling operations of the paired
rollers, the nip pressure altering means and the cutter by setting
the nip pressure applied by the paired rollers at a first nip
pressure, rotating the paired rollers in respective predetermined
directions so that the package is forwarded along the predetermined
transferring path, terminating rotation of the paired rollers when
the rear edge of the package comes between the paired rollers,
making a slit on the package, setting the nip pressure applied by
the paired roller at a second nip pressure which is larger than the
first nip pressure, and rotating the paired roller in the
directions opposite to said predetermined directions so that only
the wrapping sheet separated from the solid object is transferred
back by the paired rollers.
3. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising
edge detecting means for detecting the front edge of the package
located in front of the paired rollers along the transferring path,
wherein the controlling means further controls operations of the
paired rollers by causing the paired rollers to begin the rotation
in said predetermined directions after the front edge of the
package is detected by the edge sensor.
4. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising
an object cartridge used for housing the solid object after being
separated from the wrapping sheet and being located behind the
paired rollers along the transferring path.
5. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising
a disposal bin used for temporarily storing the wrapping sheet
removed from the solid object and being located in front of the
paired rollers along the transferring path.
6. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising
a disposal bin used for temporarily storing the wrapping sheet
removed from the solid object and being located in front of the
paired rollers along the transferring path.
7. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the slit
formed by the cutter is shorter than the entire width of the
package.
8. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising
shift detecting means for recognizing that the solid object has
been sufficiently squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed
space in the package, wherein the controlling means further
controls operations of the paired rollers, the nip pressure
altering means and the shift detecting means by setting the nip
pressure applied by the paired roller at a third nip pressure which
is larger than the first nip pressure before setting the nip
pressure at the first nip pressure, rotating the paired roller in
said predetermined directions so that the package is forwarded
along the predetermined transferring path, and changing the nip
pressure applied by the paired rollers to the first nip pressure
when the shift detecting means recognizes that the solid object has
been sufficiently squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed
space in the package.
9. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising
edge detecting means for detecting the front edge of the package
located in front of the paired rollers along the transferring path,
wherein the controlling means further controls operations of the
paired rollers by causing the paired rollers to begin the rotation
in said predetermined directions after the front edge of the
package is detected by the edge sensor.
10. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 8, further
comprising an object cartridge used for housing the solid object
after being separated from the wrapping sheet and being located
behind the paired rollers along the transferring path.
11. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 8, further
comprising a disposal bin used for temporarily storing the wrapping
sheet removed from the solid object and being located in front of
the paired rollers along the transferring path.
12. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 10, further
comprising a disposal bin used for temporarily storing the wrapping
sheet removed from the solid object and being located in front of
the paired rollers along the transferring path.
13. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the slit
formed by the cutter is shorter than the entire width of the
package.
14. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 8, further
comprising a squeezing member located in front of the paired
rollers along the transferring path in such a manner that the
squeezing member can be freely inserted into and retracted from the
transferring path, wherein the controlling means further controls
operations of the squeezing member by inserting the squeezing
member into the transferring path before forwarding the package
under the third nip pressure, and retracting the squeezing member
from the transferring path when the shift detecting means
recognizes that the solid object has been sufficiently squeezed
back to the rear end of the unsealed space of the package.
15. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 14, further
comprising edge detecting means for detecting the front edge of the
package located in front of the paired rollers along the
transferring path, wherein the controlling means further controls
operations of the paired rollers by causing the paired rollers to
begin the rotation in said predetermined directions after the front
edge of the package is detected by the edge sensor.
16. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 14, further
comprising an object cartridge used for housing the solid object
after being separated from the wrapping sheet and being located
behind the paired rollers along the transferring path.
17. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 14, further
comprising a disposal bin used for temporarily storing the wrapping
sheet removed from the solid object and being located in front of
the paired rollers along the transferring path.
18. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 16, further
comprising a disposal bin used for temporarily storing the wrapping
sheet removed from the solid object and being located in front of
the paired rollers along the transferring path.
19. An unwrapping apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the slit
formed by the cutter is shorter than the entire width of the
package.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an unwrapping apparatus for
unwrapping a package wrapped with a wrapping sheet to obtain a
solid object wrapped therein.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Heretofore, there has been a widely used dry-type slide for
chemical analysis (hereinafter, referred to simply as a "slide").
Such a slide may be used for quantitative analysis of a chemical
component or a material component of a liquid sample dripped
thereon. More specifically, the quantitative analysis may be
carried out by dripping a drop of the liquid sample on the slide,
putting the slide in an incubator for a predetermined time to
promote color reaction (i.e., color matter producing reaction) of
the liquid sample, irradiating the slide with radiation including a
predetermined wavelength to measure optical density of a target
biochemical substance contained in the liquid sample, and
determining physical density of the target biochemical substance
based on the measured optical density referring to a predetermined
working curve correlating the optical density of the biochemical
substance with the physical density thereof. The predetermined
wavelength included in the radiation is determined depending on the
combination of the target biochemical substance contained in the
liquid sample and a reagent mixed in a material of the slide. The
entire process described above is carried out by a suitably
configured biochemical analyzer.
[0005] The biochemical analyzer used for the above quantitative
analysis has a slide stocking portion which holds a plurality of
slides ready for the analysis. Usually, when shipping the slides,
each slide is wrapped tightly with a plastic film laminated with a
metal lamina or a plurality of slides are packed in a single
tightly-wrapped cartridge. In each case, an unwrapped slide must be
used immediately or stocked in a dry atmosphere, as the reagent
mixed in the material of the slide deteriorates rapidly. Therefore,
it is desirable to use a plurality of individually-wrapped slides
when there is a need to analyze many slides. However, in such a
case, preparation for the analysis will require a lot of effort if
the examiner has to manually unwrap each slide.
[0006] To reduce the problem, there have been several known
apparatuses for unwrapping a package wrapped with a wrapping sheet
such as a wrapping film to obtain a solid object wrapped therein.
One example of such apparatuses is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined
Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-237383. The apparatus disclosed in
the Publication is directed to unwrapping a belt-like package
containing a series of sub-packs each containing beverage
ingredients therein. The sub-packs are tightly sandwiched between
an upper wrapping sheet and a lower wrapping sheet. Although the
disclosed apparatus is capable of unwrapping the belt-like package
by peeling off the upper wrapping sheet from the lower wrapping
sheet to obtain the sub-packs therein, the examiner is still
required to manually detach edges of the upper and lower wrapping
sheets in advance. Thus, the disclosed apparatus is incapable of
unwrapping the individually wrapped slides.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an
unwrapping apparatus capable of automatically unwrapping a package
containing a solid object such as the slide described above wrapped
with a wrapping sheet.
[0008] According to the first aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping a package
containing a solid object tightly wrapped with a wrapping sheet,
the package including an unsealed space where the solid object is
contained and a sealed portion surrounding the unsealed space,
comprising: paired rollers rotatable so that the package caught
between the paired rollers is transferred along a predetermined
transferring path; a cutter located behind the paired rollers along
the transferring path for making a slit on the unsealed space at a
position near the front edge of the package; and controlling means
for controlling operations of the paired rollers and the cutter by
setting nip pressure applied to the package by the paired rollers
at a pressure suitable both for transferring the package containing
the solid object and for transferring the wrapping sheet without
the solid object, rotating the paired rollers in respective
predetermined directions so that the package is forwarded along the
predetermined transferring path, terminating rotation of the paired
rollers when the rear edge of the package comes between the paired
rollers, making a slit on the package, and rotating the paired
rollers in the directions opposite to the predetermined directions
so that only the wrapping sheet separated from the solid object is
transferred back by the paired rollers.
[0009] When using the above unwrapping apparatus according to the
first aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the paired
rollers is terminated when the rear edge of the package comes
between the paired rollers after the paired rollers have run on a
portion of the package where the solid object resides. Then, the
paired rollers are rotated in the opposite directions after the
slit is formed on the package. Now, the solid object within the
package cannot be held between the paired rollers and thus cannot
be transferred backward. Thus, only the wrapping sheet is
transferred back to the area in front of the paired rollers.
Therefore, the solid object within the package is gradually
squeezed out from the slit formed on the package, and the solid
object is separated from the wrapping sheet. That is to say, the
unwrapping apparatus according to the first aspect of the present
invention automatically unwraps the package to separate the solid
object therein from the wrapping sheet. In addition, as the
wrapping sheet separated from the solid object is pressed between
the paired rollers while being transferred backward, the bulk of
the removed wrapping sheet is reduced to facilitate handling
thereof.
[0010] According to the second aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping a package
containing a solid object tightly wrapped with a wrapping sheet,
the package including an unsealed space where the solid object is
contained and a sealed portion surrounding the unsealed space,
comprising: paired rollers rotatable so that the package caught
between the paired rollers is transferred along a predetermined
transferring path; nip pressure altering means for altering nip
pressure applied to the package by the paired rollers; a cutter
located behind the paired rollers along the transferring path for
making a slit on the unsealed space at a position near the front
edge of the package; and controlling means for controlling
operations of the paired rollers, the nip pressure altering means
and the cutter by setting the nip pressure applied by the paired
rollers at a first nip pressure, rotating the paired rollers in
respective predetermined directions so that the package is
forwarded along the predetermined transferring path, terminating
rotation of the paired rollers when the rear edge of the package
comes between the paired rollers, making a slit on the package,
setting the nip pressure applied by the paired roller at a second
nip pressure which is larger than the first nip pressure, and
rotating the paired roller in the directions opposite to the
predetermined directions so that only the wrapping sheet separated
from the solid object is transferred back by the paired
rollers.
[0011] The term "the front edge of the package" refers to the edge
at the head of the package while being forwarded along the
transferring path by the paired rollers rotating in the above
predetermined directions. On the other hand, the term "the rear
edge of the package" refers to the edge at the tail of the package
while being forwarded by the paired rollers rotating in the above
predetermined directions.
[0012] The term "a first nip pressure" refers to a relatively low
nip pressure enabling the paired rollers to run on the portion of
the package where the solid object resides. On the other hand, the
term "a second nip pressure" refers to a relatively high nip
pressure preventing the paired rollers from running on the portion
of the package where the solid object resides therein. That is to
say, the solid object in the package is squeezed back within the
unsealed space in the package when the second nip pressure is
applied by the paired rollers.
[0013] When using the above unwrapping apparatus according to the
second aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the paired
rollers is terminated when the rear edge of the package comes
between the paired rollers after the paired rollers under the first
nip pressure have run on the portion of the package where the solid
object resides. Then, the paired rollers, which are now set at the
second nip pressure, are rotated in the opposite directions after
the slit is formed on the package. Accordingly, as the solid object
within the package cannot be held between the paired rollers and
thus cannot be transferred backward, only the wrapping sheet is
transferred back to the area in front of the paired rollers.
Therefore, the solid object within the package is gradually
squeezed out from the slit formed on the package, and the solid
object is separated from the wrapping sheet. That is to say, the
unwrapping apparatus according to the second aspect of the present
invention automatically unwraps the package to separate the solid
object therein from the wrapping sheet. In addition, as the
wrapping sheet separated from the solid object is pressed between
the paired rollers while being transferred backward, the bulk of
the removed wrapping sheet is reduced to facilitate handling
thereof.
[0014] It is desirable that the unwrapping apparatus according to
the second aspect of the present invention further comprises shift
detecting means for recognizing that the solid object has been
sufficiently squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed space in
the package; wherein the controlling means further controls
operations of the paired rollers, the nip pressure altering means
and the shift detecting means by setting the nip pressure applied
by the paired rollers at a third nip pressure which is larger than
the first nip pressure before setting the nip pressure at the first
nip pressure, rotating the paired rollers in the predetermined
directions so that the package is forwarded along the predetermined
transferring path, and changing the nip pressure applied by the
paired rollers to the first nip pressure when the shift detecting
means recognizes that the solid object has been sufficiently
squeezed back to the rear end of the unsealed space in the
package.
[0015] The term "a third nip pressure" refers to another relatively
high nip pressure preventing the paired rollers from running on the
portion of the package where the solid object resides. That is to
say, the solid object in the package is squeezed back within the
unsealed space in the package when the third nip pressure is
applied by the paired rollers. The third nip pressure may be the
same pressure as the second nip pressure described above.
[0016] In the above case where the unwrapping apparatus further
comprises the shift detecting means, the paired rollers first
forward the package with the third nip pressure which is larger
than the first nip pressure. Accordingly, the solid object is
squeezed back by the paired rollers within the unsealed space in
the package. Once the shift detecting means recognizes that the
solid object has been sufficiently squeezed back to the rear end of
the unsealed space, the nip pressure applied by the paired rollers
will be changed to the first nip pressure which enables the paired
rollers to run on the portion of the package where the solid object
resides. The forwarding operation of the paired rollers will be
terminated when the rear edge of the package comes between the
paired rollers. As the solid object has already been squeezed back
to the rear end of the unsealed space, a relatively wide cut
allowance can be obtained at the front edge of the package.
Therefore, the unwrapping apparatus with the shift detecting means
realizes a safer and easier cutting operation.
[0017] In addition, it is desirable that the unwrapping apparatus
according to the second aspect of the present invention further
comprises a squeezing member located in front of the paired rollers
along the transferring path in such a manner that the squeezing
member can be freely inserted into and retracted from the
transferring path; wherein the controlling means further controls
an operation of the squeezing member by inserting the squeezing
member into the transferring path before forwarding the package
under the third nip pressure, and retracting the squeezing member
from the transferring path when the shift detecting means
recognizes that the solid object has been sufficiently squeezed
back to the rear end of the unsealed space of the package. In this
case, the dedicated squeezing member located in front of the paired
rollers squeezes the solid object backward as the paired rollers
forward the package with the third nip pressure. Therefore, the
solid object can be reliably squeezed back to the rear end of the
unsealed space to form a wide cut allowance at the front edge of
the package, even if the solid object is relatively thin, by using
a suitably structured squeezing member.
[0018] Further, it is desirable that the unwrapping apparatus
according to the second aspect of the present invention further
comprises edge detecting means for detecting the front edge of the
package located in front of the paired rollers along the
transferring path; wherein the controlling means further controls
operations of the paired rollers by causing the paired rollers to
begin the rotation in the predetermined directions after the front
edge of the package is detected by the edge detecting means. Such a
configuration is effective in reducing power consumption, as the
rotation of the paired rollers is activated after the edge
detecting means detects the front edge of the package and is
suspended during the cutting operation.
[0019] In addition, it is desirable that the unwrapping apparatus
according to the second aspect of the present invention further
comprises an object cartridge which is used for housing the solid
object after being separated from the wrapping sheet and which is
located behind the paired rollers along the transferring path. Such
an object cartridge facilitates handling of the unwrapped solid
object. The use of the object cartridge is especially effective
when the solid object is a slide for chemical analysis as described
above, as a plurality of unwrapped slides housed in a desired order
in the object cartridge may be mounted directly on a biochemical
analyzer.
[0020] Further, it is desirable that the unwrapping apparatus
according to the second aspect of the present invention further
comprises a disposal bin which is used for temporarily storing the
wrapping sheet removed from the solid object and which is located
in front of the paired rollers along the transferring path. Such a
disposal bin facilitates handling of the removed wrapping sheet to
be discarded.
[0021] In addition, it is desirable that the slit formed by the
cutter is shorter than the entire width of the package. Such a form
of the slit, which prevents the wrapping sheet from splitting in
two, also facilitates handling of the removed wrapping sheet to be
discarded.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a selective unwrapping
apparatus including an unwrapping apparatus according to the first
embodiment of the present invention,
[0023] FIG. 2 is another perspective view showing an internal
structure of the selective unwrapping apparatus shown in FIG.
1,
[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a slide contained in the
slide pack to be unwrapped by the unwrapping apparatus,
[0025] FIGS. 4A and 4B show the structure of the slide pack to be
unwrapped by the unwrapping apparatus,
[0026] FIG. 5 shows the structure of the unwrapping apparatus
according to the first embodiment of the present invention,
[0027] FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate the structure of a roller
unit,
[0028] FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing the
structure of a controlling unit for controlling the operations of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0029] FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically showing the
structure of another controlling unit for controlling the
operations of a pack taking portion,
[0030] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the
selective unwrapping apparatus shown in FIG. 1,
[0031] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the
unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0032] FIG. 11 illustrates a step of the operation process of the
unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0033] FIG. 12 illustrates another step of the operation process of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0034] FIG. 13 illustrates another step of the operation process of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0035] FIG. 14 illustrates another step of the operation process of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0036] FIG. 15 illustrates another step of the operation process of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0037] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a partially-cut slide
pack,
[0038] FIG. 17 illustrates another step of the operation process of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0039] FIG. 18 illustrates another step of the operation process of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0040] FIG. 19 illustrates another step of the operation process of
the unwrapping apparatus according to the first embodiment of the
present invention,
[0041] FIG. 20 illustrates another mechanism for terminating the
operation of the paired rollers,
[0042] FIG. 21 illustrates another form of the squeezing
operation,
[0043] FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a slide pack cut in a
manner different from FIG. 16,
[0044] FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a slide pack cut in a
manner different from FIGS. 16 and 23,
[0045] FIG. 24 shows the structure of an unwrapping apparatus
according to the second embodiment of the present invention,
[0046] FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the
unwrapping apparatus according to the second embodiment of the
present invention, and
[0047] FIG. 26 illustrates a step of the operation process of the
unwrapping apparatus according to the second embodiment of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0048] Now, specific embodiments of the present invention will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0049] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a selective unwrapping
apparatus including an unwrapping apparatus according to the first
embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is another
perspective view showing an internal structure of the selective
unwrapping apparatus shown in FIG. 1. The selective unwrapping
apparatus 1 is directed to selecting and unwrapping a slide pack
containing a dry-type slide used for chemical analysis carried out
by a biochemical analyzer. In the present embodiment, the selective
unwrapping apparatus comprises a housing portion 3 including a
plurality of package cartridges 2 each provided for stocking slide
packs each corresponding to certain analysis, and an interface 4
for inputting a command on selection of the slide pack. The
interface 4 includes command keys 5 for inputting the command and a
display portion 6 for displaying the content of the command for
confirmation. An unwrapping apparatus 10 according to the present
embodiment is provided in an internal area below the interface 4. A
conveyer belt 8 is located near the unwrapping apparatus 10,
wherein the conveyer belt 8 is driven by a motor not shown in the
Figures. The conveyer belt 8 provided within the selective
unwrapping apparatus 1 carries a cartridge 7 for housing in a
desired order a plurality of slides obtained from the slide packs
unwrapped by the unwrapping apparatus 10. Also provided in the
internal area below the interface 4 is a disposal bin 17 which is
used for temporarily storing the wrapping sheet removed from the
slide and which can be freely removed from and re-attached to the
selective unwrapping apparatus 1. The slide pack is fed to the
unwrapping apparatus 10 through an opening 10A thereon.
[0050] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a slide contained in the
slide pack to be unwrapped by the unwrapping apparatus 10. FIG. 4A
is a perspective view of the slide pack before being unwrapped, and
FIG. 4B is a sectional view thereof along the line I-I in FIG. 4A.
As shown in FIG. 3, the slide 30 has a mount of a rectangular
shape, and a dripping hole 30a is opened on the rectangular mount.
In the present embodiment, blood plasma is dripped into the
dripping hole 30a for analysis. In addition, a bar code is provided
on the opposite side of the slide 30 for identifying the content of
the analysis etc. related with that slide 30. Preferable dimensions
for the slide 30 are 24 mm in width, 28 mm in length and 1.4 mm in
thickness. The slide pack 32 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is prepared
by sandwiching the slide 30 with a pair of wrapping sheets 33
(e.g., plastic films each laminated with a metal lamina), and
forming a sealed portion 35 around an unsealed space 34 while
suitably securing the unsealed space 34. In such a manner, the
slide 30 is wrapped tightly with the wrapping sheets 33. In the
case where the plastic film having the thickness of 0.05 mm is used
as the wrapping sheet 33 together with the slide 30 having the
above dimensions, dimensions of the slide pack 32 would be 46 mm in
width and 50 mm in length. Then, a plurality of slide packs 32 are
packed together in an outer package 42 before being shipped to the
examiner. Each of the package cartridges 2 in the present
embodiment is capable of housing all slide packs 32 contained in a
single outer package 42 without manually unpacking the outer
package 42.
[0051] Again in FIG. 2, a base plate 41 of the housing portion 3 is
provided with a plurality of openings (not shown). Positions of the
openings on the base plate 41 correspond to the positions of the
package cartridges 2. In addition, a cut-off portion 42a is
provided at the bottom of each outer package 42 for letting out the
slide pack 32. Therefore, a slide pack 32 can be taken out of each
outer package 42 housed in any package cartridge 2 through the
cut-off portion 42a and one of the openings on the base plate
41.
[0052] Provided under the base plate 41 is a pack taking portion 50
for taking the slide pack 32 out of a certain outer package 42 and
transferring the slide pack 32 to the opening 10A of the unwrapping
apparatus 10. The pack taking portion 50 includes a sucker 51 for
catching a desired slide pack 32. The sucker 51 is activated by
vacuuming means 59 connected thereto. A sucker holding portion 52
carrying the sucker 51 is provided with a screwed bore 52a, which
is screwed together with a screwed rod 53 extending in the
y-direction. Each end of the screwed rod 53 is supported by a
supporting portion 54. A pulse motor 55 fixed on the supporting
portion 54 revolves the screwed rod 53 to move the sucker holding
portion 52 in the y-direction. There are actually two separated
supporting portions 54 at both ends of the screwed rod 53, though
only one of them appears in FIG. 2.
[0053] Each of the supporting portions 54 is provided with another
screwed bore 54a. The screwed bores 54a are screwed together with
screwed rods 56A and 56B, respectively. The screwed rods 56A and
56B extend in the x-direction, and are suitably spaced from each
other to enable the sucker holding portion 52 to be moved freely
under the base plate 41. One end of the screwed rod 56A is
supported by a bearing 57A, and the other end is provided with a
pulse motor 58A. Similarly, one end of the screwed rod 56B is
supported by a bearing 57B, and the other end is provided with a
pulse motor 58B. The pulse motors 58A and 58B are controlled so
that the screwed rods 56A and 56B are revolved in a synchronized
motion. Thus, the sucker holding portion 52 is moved properly in
the x-direction. Accordingly, the sucker holding portion 52 can
move freely on the x-y plane under the base plate 41.
[0054] FIG. 5 shows the structure of the unwrapping apparatus 10.
The unwrapping apparatus 10 includes paired metal rollers 12 (each
having a diameter of 10 mm) driven in a synchronized motion. The
paired metal rollers 12 are provided along a transferring path 11
for the slide pack 32. The paired metal rollers 12 may be replaced
by paired resin rollers taking into consideration the friction
between the rollers and the wrapping sheet 33. The slide pack 32 is
first forwarded in the direction of the arrow A. Upper and lower
halves of a squeezing member 13, which can be freely inserted into
and retracted from the transferring path 11, are provided in front
of the paired rollers 12 along the transferring path 11. Further, a
reflection-type edge detector 16A is provided in front of the
squeezing member 13 along the transferring path 11 for detecting
the front edge of the slide pack 32. A cutter 14 is located behind
the paired rollers 12 along the transferring path 11 for partially
cutting the wrapping sheet 33 of the slide pack 32. The cutter 14
includes an upper blade 14A and a lower blade 14B each having a
width suitable for cutting the wrapping sheet 33 only partially.
Further, a contact-type abutment sensor 15 for recognizing the
abutment of the front edge of the slide pack 32 thereon is provided
behind the cutter 14 at the end of the transferring path 11. The
position of the abutment sensor 15 is determined so that the front
edge of the slide pack 32 abuts on the abutment sensor 15 when the
rear edge of the slide pack 32 comes right between the paired
rollers 12. In addition, the position of the cutter 14 is
determined so that the cutter 14 becomes capable of cutting the
unsealed space 34 when the rear edge of the slide pack 32 is held
right between the paired rollers 12. The blade thickness of the
lower blade 14B is larger than the blade thickness of the upper
blade 14A.
[0055] Located behind the paired rollers 12 and under the
transferring path 11 is the cartridge 7 for housing in a desired
order a plurality of slides 30 each obtained from a slide pack 32.
On the other hand, located in front of the paired rollers 12 and
under the transferring path 11 is the disposal bin 17 used for
temporarily storing the wrapping sheet 33 removed from the slide
30.
[0056] FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate the structure of a roller unit 18
for driving and moving the paired rollers 12, wherein FIG. 6A is a
plane view, FIG. 6B a side elevation, and FIGS. 6C and 6D are
figures for illustrating the operation thereof. As shown in FIGS.
6A and 6B, each of the rollers 12A and 12B constituting the paired
rollers 12 is respectively provided with a gear 19A or 19B,
engaging with each other, at one end thereof. The rotation shafts
of the rollers 12A and 12B are supported by supporting members 20
and 21. Each of shaft supporting holes 20A and 21A has an elongated
shape to enable upward movement of the roller 12A with respect to
the roller 12B. A motor 23 fixed to the supporting member 20 is
connected to the rotation shaft of the roller 12B. Because of the
engagement between the gears 19A and 19B, the rollers 12A and 12B
move in a synchronized motion when the motor 23 drives the roller
12B. Connected to the motor 23 is an ammeter 24 for measuring
driving current of the motor 23.
[0057] Further, each of the supporting members 20 and 21 is
provided with nip pressure altering means 27 for altering nip
pressure applied to the slide pack 32 by the roller 12A. The nip
pressure altering means 27 includes an actuator 25 and a spring 26.
When the actuator 25 is retracted, as shown in FIG. 6C, the spring
26 will stretch and the nip pressure applied by the paired rollers
12 will decrease. On the other hand, when the actuator 25 is
extended, as shown in FIG. 6D, the spring 26 will shrink and the
nip pressure applied by the paired rollers 12 will increase.
Hereinafter, the nip pressure in the state shown in FIG. 6C is
referred to as the first nip pressure, and the nip pressure in the
state shown in FIG. 6D is referred to as the second nip
pressure.
[0058] FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing the
structure of a controlling unit 60 for controlling the operations
of the unwrapping apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 7, connected to
the controlling unit 60 are the abutment sensor 15, the edge
detector 16A, a motor driving unit 61 for driving the motor 23, an
actuator driving unit 62 for driving the actuator 25 of the nip
pressure altering means 27, a squeezing member driving unit 63 for
driving the squeezing member 13 so as to be inserted into or
retracted from the transferring path 11, a cutter driving unit 64
for driving the cutter 14, the ammeter 24, and a ROM 65 containing
a program for driving the controlling unit 60 in the manner
described below.
[0059] FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically showing the
structure of another controlling unit 70 for controlling the
operations of the pack taking portion 50. As shown in FIG. 8,
connected to the controlling unit 70 are a first motor driving unit
71 for driving the pulse motor 55, a second motor driving unit 72
for driving the pulse motors 58A and 58B, a sucker driving unit 73
for driving the sucker holding portion 52 so that the sucker 51
thereon is moved in up and down directions, a vacuuming means
driving unit 74 for driving the vacuuming means 59, and a ROM 75
containing a program for driving the controlling unit 70 in the
manner described below.
[0060] Now, the operation of the selective unwrapping apparatus 1
of the present embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 9 is a
flowchart showing the operation process of the selective unwrapping
apparatus 1 until the slide pack 32 is transferred to the
unwrapping apparatus 10. First of all, whether or not the sucker 51
is appropriately located at a designated initial position thereof
is checked (Step 1). If the sucker 51 is not located at the
designated initial position, the first and second motor driving
units 71 and 72 will drive the pulse motors 55, 58A and 58B to move
the sucker 51 to the designated initial position (Step 2). In the
next step, whether or not the command on selection of the slide
pack 32 is received is checked (Step 3). The process proceeds to
the next step (Step 4) when an operator inputs a command on desired
selection of the slide pack 32 using the command keys 5 of the
interface 4. In Step 4, the first and second motor driving units 71
and 72 drive the pulse motors 55, 58A and 58B to move the sucker 51
from the initial position thereof to the position below a certain
package cartridge 2 where the desired slide pack 32 has been
stored. The first and second motor driving units 71 and 72 may
accomplish Step 4 by, for example, sending pulses to the pulse
motors 55, 58A and 58B by the number required for moving the sucker
51 from the initial position thereof to a given coordinate point
corresponding to the position of the desired package cartridge
2.
[0061] After the sucker 51 reaches the position below the desired
package cartridge 2, the sucker driving unit 73 drives the sucker
holding portion 52 so that the sucker 51 thereon is moved upward
(Step 5). Concurrently, the vacuuming means driving unit 74 drives
the vacuuming means 59 to activate the sucker 51 (Step 6). In the
next step (Step 7), whether or not vacuuming pressure on the
vacuuming means 59 has increased is judged. The increase of the
vacuuming pressure indicates that the desired slide pack 32 is
being sucked by the sucker 51. If the increase of the vacuuming
pressure is not recognized, the vacuuming operation will be
continued. If the increase of the vacuuming pressure is recognized,
the sucker driving unit 73 will move the sucker 51 downward to take
the desired slide pack 32 out of the outer package 42 stored in the
package cartridge 2 (Step 8).
[0062] In the next step (Step 9), the first and second motor
driving units 71 and 72 drive the pulse motors 55, 58A and 58B to
move the sucker 51 to the vicinity of the opening 10A of the
unwrapping apparatus 10, while continuing the vacuuming operation
for making the sucker 51 suck the slide pack 32. Then, the
vacuuming means driving unit 74 gradually releases the vacuuming
operation (Step 10), and operation of the second motor driving unit
72 is also terminated. Accordingly, only the first motor driving
unit 71 maintains its operation of driving the pulse motor 55 to
insert the slide pack 32 into the opening 10A (Step 11). The slide
pack 32 is separated from the sucker 51 when the paired rollers 12
in the unwrapping apparatus 10 catch the edge of the slide pack 32
and forward the slide pack 32 into the unwrapping apparatus 10. In
the next step (Step 12), whether or not vacuuming pressure on the
vacuuming means 59 has decreased to a certain level is judged. The
decrease of the vacuuming pressure indicates that the slide pack 32
is now separated from the sucker 51. If the decrease of the
vacuuming pressure is not recognized, the operation of inserting
the slide pack 32 into the opening 10A will be continued. If the
decrease of the vacuuming pressure is recognized, the vacuuming
means driving unit 74 will completely terminate the vacuuming
operation (Step 13) assuming that the slide pack 32 has
successfully been forwarded. Finally, to end the process of
transferring the slide pack 32 to the unwrapping apparatus 10, the
first and second motor driving units 71 and 72 drive the pulse
motors 55, 58A and 58B to move the sucker 51 back to the designated
initial position thereof (Step 14).
[0063] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the
unwrapping apparatus 10. The squeezing member 13 is assumed to be
in the recessed state with respect to the transferring path 11 when
starting the process of FIG. 10. First of all, whether or not the
edge detector 16A has detected the front edge of the slide pack 32
is checked (Step 21). When the front edge were detected as shown in
FIG. 11, the actuator driving unit 62 would extend the actuator 25
to cause the spring 26 to shrink until the nip pressure applied by
the paired rollers 12 reaches the predetermined second nip pressure
(Step 22). Then, the motor driving unit 61 drives the motor 23 to
rotate the paired rollers 12 in the rotating directions C indicated
by arrows in FIG. 11 (Step 23). Concurrently, the squeezing member
driving unit 63 inserts the squeezing member 13 into the
transferring path 11 (Step 24).
[0064] The slide pack 32 is initially forwarded in the direction
indicated by an arrow A while being sucked by the sucker 51. The
slide pack 32 is detached from the sucker 51 when the paired
rollers 12 in the unwrapping apparatus 10 catch the front edge of
the slide pack 32 and start forwarding the slide pack 32 along the
transferring path 11 (Step 25). As the squeezing member 13 has
already been inserted into the transferring path 11, the slide 30
in the slide pack 32 is squeezed back within the unsealed space 34
as the paired rollers 12 forward the slide pack 32. Accordingly, as
shown in FIG. 13, a wide cut allowance is formed at the front edge
of the slide pack 32. When the slide 30 abuts on the rear end 34A
of the unsealed space 34, pressure applied by the paired rollers
12, and thus the power supply to the motor 23 for driving the
paired rollers 12, will increase as the slide 30 can no longer be
squeezed back within the unsealed space 34. Therefore, whether or
not the power supply to the motor 23 has increased is checked in
Step 26 by monitoring the power supply using the ammeter 24. If the
increase of the power supply is detected, the actuator driving unit
62 will retract the actuator 25 to cause the spring 26 to stretch
until the nip pressure applied by the paired rollers 12 reaches the
predetermined first nip pressure (Step 27). In addition, the
squeezing member driving unit 63 would retract the squeezing member
13 from the transferring path 11 (Step 28). Accordingly, the paired
rollers 12 run on the portion of the slide pack 32 where the slide
30 resides, and further forward the slide pack 32 in the direction
indicated by the arrow A. On the other hand, if the increase of the
power supply is not detected in Step 26, the forwarding operation
of Step 25 will be continued.
[0065] After an additional forwarding operation (Step 29), whether
or not the front edge of the slide pack 32 has abutted on the
abutment sensor 15 is checked (Step 30). If the abutment is not
detected, the forwarding operation of Step 29 will be continued. If
the abutment is detected, as shown in FIG. 15, the motor driving
unit 63 will terminate the operation of motor 23 and thus the
operation of the paired rollers 12 (Step 31). Then, the cutter 14
driven in the direction indicated by an arrow B by the cutter
driving means 64 would partially cut the slide pack 32 (Step
32).
[0066] FIG. 16 shows the partially-cut slide pack 32. As shown in
FIG. 16, a slit 80 is formed in the vicinity of the sealed portion
35 at the front edge of the slide pack 32. As the blade thickness
of the lower blade 14B is larger than that of the upper blade 14A,
the sealed portion 35 at the front edge of the slide pack 32 would
form an up-winding arch after being cut with the cutter 14.
[0067] After the formation of the slit 80, the actuator driving
unit 62 extends the actuator 25 to cause the spring 26 to shrink
until the nip pressure applied by the paired rollers 12 reaches the
predetermined second nip pressure as shown in FIG. 6D (Step 33).
Then, the motor driving unit 61 drives the motor 23 in the reverse
direction so that the paired rollers 12 rotate in the reverse
directions indicated by arrows D in FIG. 17 (Step 34). Accordingly,
the slide pack 32 is transferred backward along the transferring
path 11 in the direction indicated by an arrow E. Because the
spacing between the paired rollers 12 is too narrow to catch the
slide 30, the slide 30 is gradually squeezed out of the slide pack
32 from the slit 80 as the slide pack 32 is transferred backward,
as shown in FIG. 18.
[0068] After further rotation of the paired rollers 12, the slide
30 would be completely separated from the wrapping sheet 33 as
shown in FIG. 19. As shown in FIG. 19, the slide 30 would be housed
in order in the cartridge 7 together with several other slides, and
the wrapping sheet 33 would be temporarily stored in the disposal
bin 17.
[0069] When the wrapping sheet 33 separated from the slide 30 is
discarded into the disposal bin 17, the pressure applied by the
paired rollers 12 and thus the power supply to the motor 23 for
driving the paired rollers 12 will decrease. Therefore, when the
decrease of the power supply to the motor 23 is detected by the
ammeter 24 (Step 35), the motor driving unit 61 will terminate the
operation of the motor 23 and thus the operation of the paired
rollers 12 (Step 36) to end the entire operation shown in FIG.
10.
[0070] As described so far, the slide pack 32 can be automatically
unwrapped to separate the slide 30 therein from the wrapping sheet
33 by using the unwrapping apparatus according to the present
embodiment. In addition, as the slide pack 32 is cut only partially
as shown in FIG. 16, the wrapping sheet 33 can keep the united form
which is easy to handle, even after the cutting process. What makes
the handling of the wrapping sheet 33 still easier is the reduced
bulk thereof, realized by the paired rollers 12 which transfers the
separated wrapping sheet 33 backward while pressing it.
[0071] Although the squeezing member 13 is utilized in the above
embodiment to squeeze the slide 30 backward within the unsealed
space 34 in the slide pack 32, the function of the squeezing member
13 may be incorporated into the paired rollers 12.
[0072] In addition, although the operation of the paired rollers 12
is terminated in Step 31 in FIG. 10 using the abutment sensor 15, a
reflection-type edge detector 16B for detecting the rear edge of
the slide pack 32 may be used instead of the abutment sensor 15. In
that case, the edge detector 16B is located at a predetermined
position on the transferring path 11 in front of the paired rollers
12 as shown in FIG. 20, and the operation of the paired rollers 12
is terminated when the rear edge of the slide pack 32 completely
passes below the edge detector 16B. The position of the edge
detector 16B is predetermined so that the rear edge of the slide
pack 32 completely passes below the edge detector 16B when the
unsealed space 34 in the vicinity of the sealed portion 15, as
shown in FIG. 16, comes to the cutting position of the cutter 14.
Otherwise, a reflection-type sensor for detecting the front edge of
the slide pack may be used in place of the abutment sensor 15.
[0073] Further, although whether or not the slide 30 in the slide
pack 32 has abutted on the rear end 34A of the unsealed space 34 is
determined by detecting the increase of the power supply to the
motor 23 in Step 26 in the above embodiment, it may be determined
instead by detecting the front edge of the slide pack 32 using a
reflection-type edge detector 16C provided at a predetermined
position on the transferring path 11 behind the paired rollers 12
as shown in FIG. 21. Instead, a reflection-type edge detector 16D
for detecting the rear edge of the slide pack 32 may be provided as
shown in FIG. 21. In the latter case, abutment of the slide 30 on
the rear end 34A of the unsealed space 34 is recognized when the
rear edge of the slide pack 32 completely passes below the edge
detector 16D. The positions of the edge detectors 16C and 16D are
determined so that the front edge and the rear edge of the slide
pack 32 are aligned with the respective positions when the slide
pack 32 is completely squeezed back by the squeezing member 13.
[0074] In addition, although the sealed portion 35 in the above
embodiment has a predetermined width on all of the four sides of
the wrapping sheet 33 as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, only the very
edges of the wrapping sheet 33 may sufficiently form the sealed
portion 35. Otherwise, the wrapping sheet 33 may have a bag-like
form, i.e., the form having three of the four side sealed only on
edges, so that a sealed portion 35 having a predetermined width is
formed on only one side after inserting the slide 30 into the
baglike wrapping sheet 33.
[0075] Further, although the length of the slit 80 is limited to
the width of the unsealed space 34 as shown in FIG. 16 in the above
embodiment, the slit may be formed from one side of the slide pack
32 as shown in FIG. 22. Otherwise, the slit 80 may range over the
entire width of the slide pack 32. In that case, a cut-off piece
which is not held between the paired rollers 12 must be separately
handled for disposal.
[0076] In addition, although the paired rollers 12 are activated
after the edge detector 16A detects the front edge of the slide
pack 32 in the above embodiment, the paired rollers 12 may be in
the active state throughout the process requiring no edge
detector.
[0077] Further, although the vacuuming operation of the vacuuming
means 59 is terminated when the decrease of the vacuuming pressure
is detected in the above embodiment, it may instead be terminated
by checking whether or not the front edge of the slide pack 32 is
caught between the paired rollers 12.
[0078] In addition, although the nip pressure applied by the paired
rollers 12 is set at the second nip pressure in both Step 22 and
Step 33 in the above embodiment, Step 22 and Step 33 may employ nip
pressures different from each other. For example, Step 33 may
employ a nip pressure which is different from the second nip
pressure but is sufficient to squeeze the slide 30 out of the slit
80, while using the second nip pressure in Step 22. Otherwise, Step
22 may employ a nip pressure which is different from the second nip
pressure but is sufficient to cause the squeezing member 13 to
squeeze the slide 30 backward, while using the second nip pressure
in Step 33.
[0079] Further, although the nip pressure applied by the paired
rollers 12 is altered in the above embodiment using the nip
pressure altering means 27, such altering of the nip pressure is
unnecessary if the paired rollers 12 are capable of running on the
portion of the slide pack 32 where the slide 30 resides and of
separating the slide 30 from the wrapping sheet 33 under a single
nip pressure.
[0080] In addition, although the cut allowance is formed by
squeezing the slide 30 in the slide pack 32 back to the rear end
34A of the unsealed space 34 in Steps 22 to 26 in the above
embodiment, the slide pack 32 may be cut by the cutter 14 without
going through Steps 22 to 26 (i.e., without using the squeezing
member 13) in the case where the unsealed space 34 has a sufficient
margin or where the slide 30 has been offset in advance toward the
rear end 34A.
[0081] Now, the second embodiment of the present invention
employing no squeezing member will be described. FIG. 24
illustrates the structure of an unwrapping apparatus according to
the second embodiment of the present invention. Each component in
FIG. 24 functions in the same way as the corresponding component
having the same reference number in FIG. 5. As is clear from FIG.
24, the unwrapping apparatus according to the present embodiment
comprises paired rollers 12, a cutter 14, an abutment sensor 15 and
an edge detector 16A.
[0082] Now, the operation process of the unwrapping apparatus of
the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference
to a flowchart shown in FIG. 25. It is assumed that initial nip
pressure applied to the slide pack 32 by the paired rollers 12 has
been settled at the first nip pressure. First of all, whether or
not the edge detector 16A has detected the front edge of a slide
pack 32 is checked (Step 41). When the front edge is detected by
the edge detector 16A, the motor driving unit 61 drives the motor
23 to rotate the paired rollers 12 in the same manner as the first
embodiment (Step 42). Then, the slide pack 32 is forwarded along
the transferring path 11 while being held between the paired
rollers 12 (Step 43).
[0083] As the nip pressure applied by the paired rollers 12 has
already been set at the first nip pressure, the paired rollers 12
naturally run on the portion of the slide pack 32 where the slide
30 resides as the slide pack 32 is forwarded, and further forward
the slide pack 32 in the direction indicated by the arrow A. After
an additional forwarding operation, whether or not the front edge
of the slide pack 32 has abutted on the abutment sensor 15 is
checked (Step 44). Step 44 may be replaced by a step of detecting
the rear edge of the slide pack 32 using an edge detector. If the
abutment is not detected in Step 44, the forwarding operation will
be continued. If the abutment is detected, the motor driving unit
63 will terminate the operation of motor 23 and thus the operation
of the paired rollers 12 (Step 45). Then, the cutter 14 driven by
the cutter driving means 64 would partially cut the slide pack 32
(Step 46). After formation of the slit 80, the actuator driving
unit 62 extends the actuator 25 to cause the spring 26 to contract
until the nip pressure applied by the paired rollers 12 reaches the
predetermined second nip pressure as shown in FIG. 6D (Step 47).
Then, Steps 48 to 50, which are identical to Steps 34 to 36 in FIG.
10, are carried out to separate the slide 30 from the wrapping
sheet 33.
[0084] Although both the first and second embodiments described
above relate to an unwrapping apparatus for unwrapping the slide
pack 32 containing the slide 30 for chemical analysis, the present
invention is applicable to any kind of package containing a solid
object wrapped with a wrapping sheet.
* * * * *