JP7758488B2 - Blood collection tube storage box - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a blood collection tube storage box for storing blood collection tubes.

Traditionally, blood collection tubes have been widely used as containers for collecting blood samples from patients. A blood collection tube comprises a cylindrical container body with a bottom and a stopper that closes the opening of the container body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Typically, the blood collection tube is supplied to a testing device, where the blood sample contained in the blood collection tube is tested. For this reason, a label is affixed to the blood collection tube to display identification information for the blood sample.

Labels are attached to the blood collection tube container body using a labeling device. For this purpose, the user must set the blood collection tube in the rack of the labeling device. Note that blood collection tubes are provided to users in boxes containing multiple tubes.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-282942

However, the blood collection tubes must be set in the rack of the labeling device in an aligned state so that their axial directions are facing the same direction. Therefore, users must remove the blood collection tubes one by one or several at a time from the box and transfer them to the rack, but this transfer process is tedious and places a heavy burden on the user.

The object of the present invention is to provide a blood collection tube storage box that allows for smooth transfer of blood collection tubes to a labeling device.

A blood collection tube storage box according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a bottom portion, side portions, and a top portion that serves as a lid for opening and closing the opening, and is a blood collection tube storage box in which multiple blood collection tubes are stored in a predetermined arrangement, and is characterized by further comprising opening forming means for forming a second opening through which multiple blood collection tubes can be removed while maintaining the predetermined arrangement.

With the above configuration, the opening forming means can form a second opening that allows the blood collection tubes to be removed while maintaining the specified arrangement of the blood collection tubes. For example, by tilting the storage box on the rack of the labeling device so that the second opening faces downward, the blood collection tubes can be transferred to the rack all at once while maintaining the arrangement of the blood collection tubes in the storage box. It is also possible to remove the blood collection tubes by opening the lid as usual.

A second aspect of the present invention is a blood collection tube storage box that has a bottom surface, side surfaces, and a top surface, and that stores multiple blood collection tubes in a predetermined arrangement.The box further includes an opening forming means for forming an opening that allows the multiple blood collection tubes to be removed while maintaining the predetermined arrangement, and the opening is formed in only a portion of the top surface, or in at least one of the bottom surface and side surfaces.

With the above configuration, the opening forming means can form an opening in only a portion of the top surface, the bottom surface, or at least one of the side surfaces, which allows for removal of blood collection tubes while maintaining the specified arrangement of the blood collection tubes. For example, by tilting the storage box on the rack of the labeling device so that the opening faces downward, the blood collection tubes can be transferred to the rack all at once while maintaining the arrangement of the blood collection tubes in the storage box.

In a blood collection tube storage box according to a second aspect of the present invention, the opening forming means is a cutting assist line, and the side portion includes a first side portion, a second side portion opposing the first side portion, and a third side portion connecting the first and second side portions, and the cutting assist line may be formed on the side portion, extending from the first and second side portions to the lower end of the third side portion.

With the above configuration, the openings are formed on the side surfaces, so the blood collection tubes can be easily transferred to the rack of the labeling device even when the storage box is tilted at a smaller angle than when the openings are formed on the top surface. This reduces the force with which the blood collection tubes fall into the rack, making it less likely that the arrangement of the blood collection tubes will be disrupted. Furthermore, by pushing the areas of the first and second side surfaces where the cutting assist lines are formed or their vicinity toward the inside of the box, the first and second side surfaces can be easily cut along the cutting assist lines. In other words, the cutting starting points for forming the openings are easily formed, making it easier to form the openings.

A third aspect of the present invention is a blood collection tube storage box that has a bottom portion, side portions, and a top portion, and that stores multiple blood collection tubes in a predetermined arrangement.The box further includes an opening forming means for forming an opening that allows the multiple blood collection tubes to be removed while maintaining the predetermined arrangement, and the opening forming means is a cutting assist line.

With the above configuration, by cutting the bottom, side, or top surface along the cutting assist line, which serves as the opening forming means, it is possible to easily form an opening that allows the blood collection tubes to be removed while maintaining the specified arrangement of the blood collection tubes.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a blood collection tube storage box that has a bottom, side, and top surface and stores multiple blood collection tubes in a predetermined arrangement. The bottom, side, or top surface has an opening/closing structure that opens and closes the opening, and further has an opening forming means for unfolding the opening/closing structure to form the opening. The opening forming means has a contact portion that is folded and positioned inside the box and contacts the inner surface of the opening/closing structure, and a knob portion that is connected to the contact portion and extends from inside the box to the outside, and is configured so that pulling the knob portion causes the contact portion to push the opening/closing structure out from inside the box.

With the above configuration, by placing the storage box on the rack of the labeling device with the opening/closing structure facing downwards and pulling the knob, the opening/closing structure can be unfolded to form an opening, allowing the blood collection tubes to be transferred to the rack in one go.

The blood collection tube storage box of the present invention allows for smooth transfer of blood collection tubes to the labeling device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blood collection tube storage box of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 1 with the lid open. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 1. 2 is a diagram showing how the blood collection tubes are transferred from the blood collection tube weekly report box of FIG. 1 to a rack of the labeling device. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 5 . FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 9 . FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fourth modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the first embodiment. 12 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 11. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fifth modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the first embodiment. 14 is a diagram showing the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 13 with the lid open. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a blood collection tube storage box according to a second embodiment. 16 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 15. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the second embodiment. 18 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 17. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 19. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a blood collection tube storage box according to a third embodiment. 22 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 21. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the blood collection tube storage box of the third embodiment. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 23. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a blood collection tube storage box according to a fourth embodiment. 26 is a diagram showing the opened state of the blood collection tube storage box of FIG. 25. FIG.

An example of an embodiment of a blood collection tube storage box according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. Furthermore, it is anticipated from the outset that the components of the multiple embodiments and modified examples described below may be selectively combined.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, blood collection tube storage boxes 1A to 1F (hereinafter simply referred to as "storage boxes 1A to 1F") according to a first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[Storage box 1A]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage box 1A, and FIG. 2 is a view showing the state in which the lid 11 of the storage box 1A is open. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the storage box 1A includes a box body 10 that stores a plurality of blood collection tubes 100 and a lid 11 that opens and closes the opening of the box body 10. The storage box 1A is a rectangular box having an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is longer left-to-right than it is front-to-back and up-to-down. The box body 10 includes a bottom surface portion 12 and side surfaces, and has an opening at the top end of the box body 10. In the storage box 1A, the entire top surface portion opposite the bottom surface portion 12 forms the lid 11. The lid 11 is connected to the box body 10 and is configured to open by rotating from front to back.

For ease of explanation, in this specification, the top surface (lid side) of the storage box is referred to as the upper side, and the bottom surface is referred to as the lower side, and the direction in which the top surface and bottom surface are aligned is referred to as the "vertical direction." Of the directions perpendicular to the vertical direction, the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the lid is referred to as the "front-rear direction," and the direction along the rotation axis of the lid is referred to as the "left-right direction." In the first, second, and third embodiments, the part of the side surface to which the lid is connected is referred to as the back surface.

Storage box 1A is, for example, a paper box in which the box body 10 and lid 11 are integrated, and like a typical paper box, it is constructed by assembling a single sheet of cardboard cut to a predetermined shape. Storage box 1A has a glue tab on one side, which joins adjacent side panels together, forming the side panel into a rectangular tube shape. The side panel includes a front panel 13, a back panel 14, a left side panel 15, and a right side panel 16, with the front panel 13 and back panel 14 (first and second side panels) facing each other in the front-to-back direction, and the left side panel 15 and right side panel 16 (third side panel) facing each other in the left-to-right direction. In storage box 1A, a glue tab is formed on the front panel 13, and the front panel 13 and left side panel 15 are joined via this glue tab.

The box body 10 has a rectangular cylindrical shape with a bottom. The side surfaces are erected perpendicular to the bottom surface 12. The bottom surface 12 is formed, for example, by engaging two flap-like portions connected to the front surface 13 and back surface 14, respectively. The structure of the bottom surface 12 is not particularly limited. The left side surface 15 and right side surface 16 have flaps 15a, 16a that are folded inward of the storage box 1A to support the lid 11 from the inside of the storage box 1A.

The box body 10 contains multiple blood collection tubes 100 in a predetermined arrangement. Each blood collection tube 100 comprises a cylindrical container body 101 with a bottom and a stopper 102 that closes the opening of the container body 101. The blood collection tubes 100 extend longer in the axial direction than in the radial direction, and are cylindrical overall. The blood collection tubes 100 are contained in the box body 10 in a stacked state, with the axial direction of the blood collection tubes 100 aligned with the front-to-rear direction of the storage box 1A. In this embodiment, the blood collection tubes 100 are stacked so that the stoppers 102 of adjacent blood collection tubes 100 face in opposite directions. The front-to-rear length of the storage box 1A is slightly longer than the axial length of the blood collection tubes 100.

The lid 11 is connected to the back portion 14 and is configured to rotate from the front to the back of the storage box 1A around the boundary with the back portion 14 as a rotation axis to open it. The front end of the lid 11 is provided with a tack 11a that is inserted into the interior of the storage box 1A along the inner surface of the front portion 13. In addition, the upper end of the front portion 13 is formed with a semicircular notch 13a that exposes part of the tack 11a. For example, the lid 11 can be opened by pushing up the part of the tack 11a exposed through the notch 13a.

Before use, a label is affixed to the container body 101 of each blood collection tube 100. Since the label is affixed by a labeling device, the blood collection tubes 100 are transferred from the storage box 1A to the rack 110 (see Figure 4) of the labeling device. As will be described in more detail below, the storage box 1A is equipped with an opening forming means for forming a second opening through which multiple blood collection tubes 100 can be removed while maintaining a predetermined arrangement. The opening forming means forms a second opening in the storage box 1A with the lid 11 closed. In other words, the second opening is formed in a location separate from the first opening that is closed by the lid 11.

The storage box 1A has perforation lines 17 as an opening forming means for forming the second opening. The perforation lines 17 are cutting assist lines that make it easier to cut the storage box 1A. By cutting the storage box 1A along the perforation lines 17, the storage box 1A is opened and the second opening is formed. In this embodiment, the perforation lines 17 are formed on the side portions of the box body 10. On the other hand, the perforation lines 17 are not formed on the lid 11 and bottom portion 12. Note that the cutting assist lines are not limited to the perforation lines 17 and may be, for example, half-cut lines, or a combination of the perforation lines 17 and half-cut lines.

The perforation line 17 is a cutting aid line consisting of cut sections that penetrate the side surface in the thickness direction and are arranged linearly at predetermined intervals. In other words, the perforation line 17 is formed by alternating cut sections and non-cut sections. The cuttability and durability of the side surface can be adjusted by changing the length of the cut sections and non-cut sections (the distance between cut sections) that make up the perforation line 17. In general, increasing the length of the cut sections and shortening the distance between cut sections makes it easier to cut the side surface along the perforation line 17. The shape of the cut sections that make up the perforation line 17 is, for example, a thin line, but it may also be a perfect circle or ellipse.

Perforation lines 17 are formed on the side surface, extending from each of the front surface 13 and the back surface 14 to the lower end of the right surface 16. The perforation lines 17 formed on the front surface 13 and the perforation lines 17 formed on the back surface 14 are not connected to each other and are independent. In other words, two perforation lines 17 are formed on the storage box 1A. As shown in Figure 3 below, by cutting the side surface of the storage box 1A along the perforation lines 17, a second opening is formed over a wide area of the right surface 16.

In this embodiment, a large second opening is formed in the right side surface portion 16 (third side surface portion) along the axial direction of the blood collection tube 100. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where a second opening is formed in the front surface portion 13 along the radial direction of the blood collection tube 100, the removal speed of the blood collection tube 100 can be slowed, and the arrangement of the blood collection tubes 100 is less likely to be disrupted. Furthermore, the blood collection tubes 100 roll more easily when removed from the storage box 1A, making removal of the blood collection tubes 100 smoother.

The first perforation line 17 is formed on the front portion 13 in a portion close to corner A of the box body 10, which forms the boundary with the right side portion 16. The perforation line 17 extends downward from the upper end of the front portion 13, past corner A at the bottom of the front portion 13, and extends to the bottom end of the right side portion 16. The second perforation line 17 is similarly formed on the back portion 14 in a portion close to corner B of the box body 10, which forms the boundary with the right side portion 16. The second perforation line 17 extends downward from the upper end of the back portion 14, past corner B at the bottom of the back portion 14, and extends to the bottom end of the right side portion 16.

The first perforation line 17 curves convexly toward the left-right center of the front portion 13 and is formed in a roughly semicircular shape when viewed from the front. The perforation line 17 is formed to bulge from the upper end of corner A toward the left-right center of the front portion 13 and intersects with corner A again at the bottom of the front portion 13. The perforation line 17 intersects with corner A, for example, within a length range from the lower end of the front portion 13 that is 10% to 20% of the vertical length of the front portion 13. The bulge of the perforation line 17 toward the left-right center of the front portion 13 is set to a length that allows a finger to press between corner A and the perforation line 17. The part of the perforation line 17 farthest from corner A is located, for example, 10 mm to 30 mm from corner A.

The first perforation line 17 is formed in a straight line from the bottom of corner A to the bottom end of the right side portion 16, and is formed short only near corner A at the bottom of the right side portion 16. The second perforation line 17, which is formed from the back portion 14, is similarly formed short only near corner B at the bottom of the right side portion 16. In this case, a second opening can be formed over a wide area of the right side portion 16. The perforation line 17 is formed as a single continuous cutting aid line from the top end of corner A to the bottom end of the right side portion 16. The perforation line 17 intersects with the bottom end of the right side portion 16, for example, in a length range from corner A to 10% to 30% of the front-to-back length of the right side portion 16.

The right side surface 16 has a first corner 16d that is triangular in side view and is bounded by its bottom edge, corner A, and first perforation line 17. Furthermore, a second corner 16d is formed by second perforation line 17 on the back surface 14 side of the right side surface 16. The first corner 16d connects the front surface 13 and bottom surface 12 on the right side surface 16 where the second opening is formed, and maintains the shape of the storage box 1A in the opened state. Similarly, the second corner 16d connects the back surface 14 and bottom surface 12, and together with the first corner 16d, maintains the shape of the storage box 1A in the opened state.

The perforation line 17 is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the bottom end of the right side surface 16 so that the corners 16d can maintain the shape of the storage box 1A in the opened state, are sized so as not to interfere with the removal of the blood collection tubes 100, and allow the storage box 1A to be opened smoothly along the perforation line 17. A suitable angle of inclination of the perforation line 17 relative to the bottom end of the right side surface 16 is, for example, 20° to 45°. It is also possible to form the perforation line 17 only on the front surface 13 and back surface 14, without providing the corners 16d. However, in this case, the front surface 13 and back surface 14 will be more likely to swing back and forth relative to the bottom surface 12, and the bottom surface 12 will be more likely to bend, compared to when the corners 16d are present.

The front-to-rear length of the right side surface 16 is approximately 5% to 20% longer than the axial length of the blood collection tube 100, and is set to a length that allows the fingers to reach from the front surface 13 to the back surface 14 with one hand. An example of the front-to-rear length of the right side surface 16 is 100 mm to 130 mm. In the storage box 1A, the front surface 13 and the back surface 14 face each other, and the left surface 15 and the right surface 16 face each other. However, a perforation line 17 is formed from the front surface 13 and the back surface 14, which are close to each other, to the right surface 16 that connects these two surfaces. As will be described in more detail below, in this case, the second opening can be easily formed with one hand.

The second perforation line 17 is formed on the back surface 14 in the same shape as the first perforation line 17 formed on the front surface 13. In the storage box 1A, the two perforation lines 17 overlap in the front-to-back direction. The second perforation line 17 is also formed on the right side surface 16 symmetrically to the first perforation line 17.

Figure 3 shows the opened state in which the storage box 1A has been cut along the perforation line 17 to form a second opening. Figure 4 shows the process of transferring the blood collection tubes 100 through the second opening to the rack 110 of the labeling device. As shown in Figure 3, when the side portion is cut along the perforation line 17, a large second opening is formed in most of the right side portion 16. Then, as shown in Figure 4, by tilting the storage box 1A within the rack 110 so that the second opening faces downward, the blood collection tubes 100 can be transferred all at once without significantly disrupting the arrangement of the blood collection tubes 100 in the storage box 1A.

When the side of storage box 1A is cut along perforation line 17, as shown in FIG. 3, the right side surface 16 rotates to the right and opens, forming a second opening with lid 11 closed. Because the lower end of the right side surface 16 is connected to box body 10, the right side surface 16 rotates around the lower end of the right side surface 16 as an axis of rotation. With storage box 1A, the front surface 13 and back surface 14 are cut along perforation line 17 by pushing the semicircular portions between corners A and B and perforation line 17 toward the inside of the box.

The distance between the front portion 13 and the back portion 14 of the storage box 1A is such that it can be grasped with one hand. For example, the right side of the box body 10 can be grasped with one hand, and the front portion 13 can be pressed with the thumb and the back portion 14 with the middle finger. This causes the front portion 13 and back portion 14 to be cut along the perforation line 17, and the second opening can be easily formed by simply pulling the grasped portion of the box body 10 to the right.

As shown in Figure 4, when transferring blood collection tubes 100 to rack 110, storage box 1A with the second opening formed therein is inserted into rack 110, and storage box 1A is tilted so that the second opening faces downward. Then, storage box 1A is gradually lifted while moving along the longitudinal direction of rack 110, so that each blood collection tube 100 flows into rack 110 through the second opening while generally maintaining the arrangement in storage box 1A. This allows the blood collection tubes 100 to be transferred to rack 110 all at once. At this time, storage box 1A is inserted into rack 110 while holding the side portion (right side portion 16) cut along perforation line 17 with one hand, and then the right side portion 16 is released inside rack 110 to form the second opening.

With the storage box 1A, the second opening is formed in the side portion, so the blood collection tubes 100 can be easily transferred to the rack 110 even when the angle at which the storage box 1A is tilted is small. In this case, the blood collection tubes 100 move gently within the rack 110, making it less likely that the arrangement of the blood collection tubes 100 will be disrupted. Furthermore, the right side portion 16, where the second opening is formed, is smaller than, for example, the front portion 13, so the speed at which the blood collection tubes 100 are removed can be reduced, making it less likely that the arrangement of the blood collection tubes 100 will be disrupted. In addition, because the second opening is formed over substantially the entire right side portion 16, the right side portion 16 does not interfere with the removal of the blood collection tubes 100, allowing for smooth transfer of the blood collection tubes 100.

[Storage box 1B]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of storage box 1B, and FIG. 6 shows the opened state of storage box 1B. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, storage box 1B is similar to storage box 1A in that it includes perforation lines 17 formed on the side surface as opening forming means for forming a second opening. Furthermore, perforation lines 17 are formed from the upper ends of front surface 13 and back surface 14 to the lower end of left side surface 15. The first perforation line 17 formed on front surface 13 and the second perforation line 17 formed on back surface 14 overlap in the front-to-rear direction of storage box 1B and are independent without intersecting with each other. Similar to storage box 1A, storage box 1B includes a first corner 15d connecting front surface 13 and bottom surface 12 and a second corner 15d connecting back surface 14 and bottom surface 12 on the left side surface 15 where the second opening is formed.

On the other hand, the perforation lines 17 of storage box 1B differ from the curved perforation lines 17 of storage box 1A in that they are formed in a straight line on the front portion 13 and back portion 14. The first perforation line 17 is formed in a straight line at the top end of the front portion 13, from a position away from corner C of the box body 10, which forms the boundary with the left side portion 15, toward the bottom of corner C. On the left side portion 15, the first perforation line 17, like in the case of storage box 1A, is formed in a short, straight line from the bottom of corner C to the bottom end of the left side portion 15. The second perforation line 17 is also formed in a short, straight line from the bottom of corner D of the box body 10, which forms the boundary between the back portion 14 and the left side portion 15, to the bottom end of the left side portion 15.

Storage box 1B has a notch 11b that exposes part of flap 15a. Notch 11b is formed in a semicircular shape in the center of the front-to-rear direction at the left end of lid 11. In storage box 1B, for example, by pushing down the part of flap 15a exposed from notch 11b, the side surface is cut along perforation line 17, as shown in FIG. 6, and a second opening is formed in most of left side surface 15. Because the lower end of left side surface 15 is connected to box body 10, pushing down flap 15a rotates left side surface 15 around the lower end of left side surface 15 as an axis of rotation, easily forming the second opening.

[Storage box 1C]
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the storage box 1C, and Fig. 8 shows the storage box 1C in an opened state. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in the storage box 1C, perforation lines 17 are formed only on the left side surface portion 15 as opening forming means for forming a second opening. The perforation lines 17 are formed in a generally T-shape in side view. The perforation lines 17 include a first perforation line 17 extending in the front-to-rear direction of the left side surface portion 15 and a second perforation line 17 extending in the up-down direction in the left-to-right central portion of the left side surface portion 15, with the second perforation line 17 being perpendicular to the longitudinal central portion of the first perforation line 17.

The first perforation line 17 is formed in a straight line along the entire front-to-rear length of the lower part of the left side surface 15. For example, the first perforation line 17 is formed from the bottom end of the left side surface 15 to a range of 10% to 30% of the vertical length of the left side surface 15. The second perforation line 17 extends from the top end of the left side surface 15 to the intersection with the first perforation line 17, and is curved so that the middle section is convex toward corner C. A fold line is formed in the storage box 1C connecting both ends of the curved portion of the second perforation line 17. The semicircular portion surrounded by this fold line and the second perforation line 17 is pressed against the inside of the box when forming the second opening, and serves as the starting point for opening.

When the semicircular portion of the storage box 1C is pushed into the inside of the box and the left side surface 15 is pulled, the left side surface 15 is cut along the perforation line 17 to form a second opening. Because the left side surface 15 is connected to the front surface 13 and back surface 14 at corners C and D, respectively, it can be rotated back and forth around corners C and D as the axis of rotation to open, forming a second opening over a wide area of the left side surface 15. As shown in Figure 7, part of the left side surface 15 remains below the first perforation line 17 in the storage box 1C, so the blood collection tube 100 can be removed, for example, with the lid 11 facing downward.

[Storage box 1D]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the storage box 1D, and FIG. 10 shows the opened state of the storage box 1D. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the storage box 1D is similar to the storage box 1C in that a perforation line 17 is formed only on the left side surface 15 as an opening forming means for forming a second opening. On the other hand, in the storage box 1D, the perforation line 17 is formed in a roughly U-shape in side view. The perforation line 17 extends from the lower end of the left side surface 15 along the corner C, and then extends in the front-to-rear direction from the top of the corner C to the top of the corner D. Then, it extends from the top of the corner D along the corner D to the lower end of the left side surface 15. Note that the lower part of the perforation line 17 at the corner C is inclined away from the corner C and toward the inside of the left side surface 15.

Perforation line 17 extends in the front-to-rear direction, for example, between the top end of left side surface 15 and the center in the vertical direction. Perforation line 17 curves so that the middle part of the part extending in the front-to-rear direction is convex downward, and a fold line is formed connecting both ends of this curved part. The semicircular part surrounded by this fold line and perforation line 17 is pressed against the inside of the box when forming the second opening, as in the case of storage box 1C, and serves as the starting point for opening.

As with storage box 1C, storage box 1D is constructed such that the semicircular portion is pushed inward and left side wall 15 is pulled, cutting left side wall 15 along perforation line 17 to form a second opening. Left side wall 15 rotates around its lower end as an axis of rotation, forming a second opening over a wide area of left side wall 15. As shown in FIG. 10 , with storage box 1D, the second opening extends to the bottom end of left side wall 15, while a portion of left side wall 15 remains at the top. Therefore, as with storage boxes 1A and 1B, the blood collection tube 100 is removed with the bottom wall 12 facing downward. The portion of left side wall 15 remaining above the second opening serves to adjust the removal speed of the blood collection tube 100 and prevents the blood collection tube 100 from spilling out all at once when storage box 1D is tilted.

[Storage box 1E]
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of storage box 1E, and Fig. 12 shows the opened state of storage box 1E. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, storage box 1E is similar to storage boxes 1C and 1D in that perforation lines 17 are formed only on the left side surface 15 as opening forming means for forming a second opening. On the other hand, storage box 1E has two perforation lines 17 formed along the front-to-rear direction at the top and bottom ends of left side surface 15. The two perforation lines 17 extend substantially parallel to each other over the entire length of left side surface 15 in the front-to-rear direction. In addition, a cut line 18 is formed along corner C to connect the two perforation lines 17.

Unlike perforation line 17, cut line 18 does not have any uncut portions and is composed only of cut portions. With storage box 1E, the portion where cut line 18 is formed is used as the starting point for opening, and by pulling left side surface 15 from front to back, left side surface 15 is cut along perforation line 17, forming a second opening over a wide area of left side surface 15. With storage box 1E, as with storage box 1D, the second opening is formed all the way to the bottom of left side surface 15, while a portion of left side surface 15 remains at the top. Note that perforation line 17 may be formed along corner C instead of cut line 18.

In storage box 1E, perforation line 17 is not formed along corner D. Therefore, when left side surface 15 is cut along perforation line 17, left side surface 15 rotates rearward around corner D as the axis of rotation, as shown in FIG. 12. Furthermore, the first perforation line 17 formed along the bottom edge of left side surface 15 is inclined at both front-to-rear ends of left side surface 15, gradually moving away from the bottom edge of left side surface 15 as it approaches corners C and D. The second perforation line 17 formed at the top of left side surface 15 extends linearly along its entire length.

[Storage box 1F]
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of storage box 1F, and FIG. 14 shows the opened state of storage box 1F. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, storage box 1F is similar to storage boxes 1C-1E in that perforation line 17 is formed only on the left side surface 15 as an opening forming means for forming a second opening. However, storage box 1F differs from storage boxes 1C-1E in that the lid 11 is formed by overlapping two flap-like portions connected to the front surface 13 and back surface 14. The lid 11 of storage box 1F has a double-door opening structure that opens in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, perforation line 17 extends from the top to the bottom at the center of the left side surface 15 in the front-to-rear direction.

In storage box 1F, left side surface 15 has a lower flap 15b, and an upper flap (not shown) only at the rear portion, separated by perforation line 17. Perforation line 17 is formed from the upper end of left side surface 15 to the tip of flap 15b. Perforation line 17 is gently curved so as to convex toward corner D. When left side surface 15 is cut along perforation line 17, the entire left side surface 15, including flap 15b, is divided into a front portion and a rear portion, as shown in Figure 14.

In storage box 1F, a second opening is formed by rotating the front portion of left side surface 15 forward around corner C as the axis of rotation. Furthermore, corner B is used as the axis of rotation to rotate front surface 13, right side surface 16, the front portion of left side surface 15 connected to these, and the lower flap 15b to the right side of the box. Then, by releasing the overlap between the two flap-like portions connected to each of front surface 13 and back surface 14 that form lid 11, and releasing the engagement between the two flap-like portions connected to each of front surface 13 and back surface 14 of bottom surface 12, lid 11 and bottom surface 12 are roughly divided into two, front and rear.

Second Embodiment
15 to 20, blood collection tube storage boxes 2A to 2C (hereinafter simply referred to as "storage boxes 2A to 2C") according to the second embodiment will be described in detail. In the following, the same or similar components as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 15 to 20, storage boxes 2A to 2C of the second embodiment are similar to the first embodiment in that perforation lines 17, which are opening forming means for forming a second opening, are formed on the side surfaces. On the other hand, storage boxes 2A and 2B differ from the first embodiment in that perforation lines 17 are formed along corners A and C, which are the boundaries between the front surface 13 and the left and right side surfaces 15 and 16, respectively, forming a second opening in the front surface 13. Furthermore, storage box 2C has perforation line 17 formed along corner C, and the front surface 13 is rotated to the right to form the second opening.

Storage boxes 2A-2C further have an interior member disposed inside the box body 10. In storage boxes 2A-2C, the interior member overlaps part of the side surface and the bottom surface 12, forming a double layer in part of the box body 10. Blood collection tubes 100 are then disposed on top of the interior member. As will be described in more detail below, in storage boxes 2A-2C, when the side surface is cut along perforation line 17 to form a second opening, the interior member is pulled out through the second opening and the blood collection tube 100 is removed.

[Storage box 2A]
Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the storage box 2A, and Fig. 16 is a view showing the opened state of the storage box 2A. As shown in Figs. 15 and 16, in the storage box 2A, perforation lines 17 are formed from the upper end of the front portion 13 to the lower ends of the corners A and C, respectively, approximately along each of the corners A and C. The two perforation lines 17 are inclined at the upper end of the front portion 13 from the corners A and C toward the center in the left-right direction of the front portion 13. In the storage box 2A, by pulling the upper end of the front portion 13 forward so as to rotate the front portion 13 forward around the lower end of the front portion 13 as a rotation axis, the box body 10 is cut along the perforation lines 17, and a second opening is formed in the front portion 13 as shown in Fig. 16.

The storage box 2A has an interior member 20 arranged inside the box body 10. The interior member 20 is arranged, for example, along the inner surfaces of the bottom surface 12, front surface 13, left side surface 15, and right side surface 16. The interior member 20 can be pulled forward through the second opening when the storage box 2A is opened. In the storage box 2A, the blood collection tube 100 is arranged on the interior member 20, so it moves forward together with the interior member 20 and is removed through the second opening. Note that the storage box 2A can also be configured without the interior member 20.

[Storage box 2B]
Fig. 17 is a perspective view of storage box 2B, and Fig. 18 is a view showing storage box 2B in an opened state. As shown in Figs. 17 and 18, storage box 2B is similar to storage box 2A in that it has perforation lines 17 formed from the upper end of front portion 13 to the lower ends of corners A and C, respectively, approximately along each of corners A and C. Storage box 2B also has an interior member 21 disposed inside box body 10. Interior member 21 is formed to be connected to the upper end of front portion 13, is folded back at the upper end of front portion 13 to the inside of storage box 2B, and is disposed along the inner surfaces of front portion 13, bottom portion 12, and back portion 14.

In storage box 2B, similar to storage box 2A, by pulling the upper end of front portion 13 forward, box body 10 is cut along perforation line 17, and a second opening is formed in front portion 13 as shown in FIG. 18 . Interior member 21 is folded back at the upper end of front portion 13, with its tip located near the upper end of rear portion 14. With storage box 2B, after the second opening is formed, pulling the tip of interior member 21 toward the second opening causes interior member 21 to unfold, allowing the blood collection tube 100 placed on interior member 21 to be removed through the second opening.

[Storage box 2C]
Figure 19 is a perspective view of storage box 2C, and Figure 20 shows the opened state of storage box 2C. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, storage box 2C has a perforation line 17 formed along corner C from the top to the bottom. Corner A does not have perforation line 17. Storage box 2C is configured so that by cutting the side portion along perforation line 17, corner B of box body 10, which is the boundary between back portion 14 and right side portion 16, serves as the rotation axis, and front portion 13, right side portion 16, and interior member 22 connected thereto rotate to the right side of the box.

The interior member 22 includes a wall portion facing the front portion 13 and a bottom portion facing the lid 11. The bottom portion is connected to the lower ends of the front portion 13 and the right side portion 16, and together with the front portion 13 and the right side portion 16, it is formed into a box shape similar to that of the box body 10. The bottom portion of the interior member 22 forms part of the bottom portion 12 of the box body 10, and the blood collection tube 100 is placed on top of it. When the storage box 2C is opened, the box formed by the front portion 13, right side portion 16, and interior member 22 has an opening on the surface facing the right side portion 16, allowing the blood collection tube 100 to be removed all at once through this opening.

Third Embodiment
21 to 24, a third embodiment of blood collection tube storage boxes 3A and 3B (hereinafter simply referred to as "storage boxes 3A and 3B") will be described in detail. In the following, the same or similar components as those in the above-described embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 21 to 24, storage boxes 3A and 3B of the third embodiment are similar to the above-described embodiments in that they have perforation lines 17, which are cutting assistance lines, as opening forming means for forming the second opening. However, storage boxes 3A and 3B differ from the above-described embodiments in that perforation lines 17 are formed on the lid 11. With storage boxes 3A and 3B, a second opening is formed in part of the first opening closed by the lid 11 by cutting a portion of the lid 11 along perforation lines 17.

[Storage box 3A]
Fig. 21 is a perspective view of storage box 3A, and Fig. 22 is a view showing storage box 3B in an opened state. As shown in Figs. 21 and 22, storage box 3A has two perforation lines 17 formed on lid 11. Perforation lines 17 are formed along the front and rear ends of lid 11, respectively, from the left end of lid 11. In addition, lid 11 is formed with a fold line 19 extending in the front-to-rear direction and connecting the two perforation lines 17. In storage box 3A, the size of the second opening can be adjusted by changing the length of perforation lines 17.

When the lid 11 of the storage box 3A is cut along the perforation line 17, the left portion of the lid 11 rotates around the fold line 19 as an axis of rotation, as shown in FIG. 22, forming a second opening in part of the lid 11. With the storage box 3A, the blood collection tube 100 is removed by placing the second opening facing downward on the rack 110. Note that the flap 15a of the left side surface 15 is present in the area where the second opening is formed, and therefore the second opening can be opened wide by folding the flap 15a back toward the outside of the box.

[Storage box 3B]
Figure 23 is a perspective view of storage box 3B, and Figure 24 shows the opened state of storage box 3B. As shown in Figures 23 and 24, storage box 3B is similar to storage box 3A in that it has two perforation lines 17 formed on the lid 11. The first perforation line 17 includes a first portion extending along the front and rear ends of the lid 11 and a second portion extending in the front-to-rear direction and connecting the first portions, and is formed in a generally U-shape in plan view from the left end of the lid 11. The second perforation line 17 is formed inward of the lid 11 from the first perforation line 17 and parallel to the first perforation line 17, with a similar shape in plan view.

A band-shaped portion 30 that is roughly U-shaped or U-shaped in plan view is formed on the lid 11 of the storage box 3B, in the area sandwiched between the two perforation lines 17. By pulling this band-shaped portion 30, the lid 11 is cut along the two perforation lines 17, and as shown in FIG. 24, a portion of the lid 11 surrounded by the first perforation line 17 is removed to form a second opening. In this case, by tilting the storage box 3B within the rack 110 so that the second opening faces downward, the blood collection tubes 100 can be quickly removed through the second opening.

<Fourth embodiment>
A fourth embodiment of the blood collection tube storage box 4 (hereinafter simply referred to as "storage box 4") will be described in detail with reference to Figures 25 and 26. In the following, the same or similar components as those in the above-described embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

Figure 25 is a perspective view of the storage box 4, and Figure 26 shows the storage box 4 in an opened state. As shown in Figures 25 and 26, the storage box 4 is provided with an opening forming means 40 for unfolding the lid 11, which is the top surface, to form an opening. The opening forming means 40 differs from the opening forming means of the above-described embodiment in that it does not form a second opening, but rather forms a first opening closed by the lid 11. The lid 11 of the storage box 4 is a double-door lid having a first flap 11c connected to the front surface 13 and a second flap 11d connected to the back surface 14. In other words, the storage box 4 has an opening/closing structure on the top surface, and is provided with an opening forming means 40 for unfolding the opening/closing structure to form an opening.

The first flap 11c has a notch 11e into which the protrusion 11f formed on the second flap 11d is inserted. The lid 11 of the storage box 4 closes the opening of the box body 10 by placing the second flap 11d on top of the first flap 11c and inserting the protrusion 11f into the notch 11e.

The opening forming means 40 is folded and placed inside the box. It has an abutment portion 41 that abuts against the inner surface of the lid 11, which has an opening/closing structure, and a knob portion 42 that is connected to the abutment portion 41 and extends from the inside of the box to the outside. Pulling the knob portion 42 causes the abutment portion 41 to push the lid 11 out from inside the box. One opening forming means 40 is formed on each of the left and right sides of the storage box 4. The abutment portion 41 of the first opening forming means 40 is formed, for example, by joining the flap-shaped portions of the front portion 13, back portion 14, and left side portion 15. Similarly, the abutment portion 41 of the second opening forming means 40 is formed by joining the flap-shaped portions of the front portion 13, back portion 14, and right side portion 16.

The knob 42 is a tongue-shaped portion connected to the abutment portion 41, and extends to both the left and right sides of the storage box 4 when the lid 11 is closed. A notch 15c is formed in the left side surface 15, and the tip of the knob 42 is positioned along the outer surface of the left side surface 15 and inserted into the notch 15c. A similar notch is formed in the right side surface 16, into which the tip of the knob 42 is inserted.

When the pair of knobs 42 extending outside the box are pulled to the left and right, the contact portions 41 push up and unfold the lid 11 from inside the box, as shown in Figure 26. With the storage box 4, by placing the storage box 4 on the rack 110 with the lid 11 facing downwards and pulling the knobs 42, the lid 11 unfolds, forming an opening, allowing the blood collection tubes 100 to be transferred to the rack 110 in one go.

As described above, with each storage box according to the above-described embodiments, the opening forming means allows the blood collection tubes 100 to be transferred all at once to the rack 110 of the labeling device while maintaining the specified arrangement of the blood collection tubes 100 in the storage box. This eliminates the need for the user to, for example, grab the blood collection tubes 100 one by one or several at a time and transfer them to the rack 110, allowing for smooth transfer of the blood collection tubes 100 to the rack 110.

The above-described embodiments can be modified as needed without impairing the purpose of the present invention. For example, while the above-described embodiments illustrate a storage box having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the storage box may also have a cubic shape with the same length from front to back, left to right, and top to bottom. Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments illustrate a configuration in which cutting assistance lines are formed on the side and top surfaces, the cutting assistance lines may also be formed on the bottom surface.

The storage box of the first, second, and third embodiments does not have to have a lid that can be opened without using the opening forming means. The opening formed by the opening forming means may be formed in only a portion of the top surface, or in at least one of the bottom surface and side surface. Furthermore, as described above, a cutting assist line can be applied to the opening forming means. The storage box may be configured with a strip-shaped cutout formed by two cutting assist lines surrounding the top surface, allowing the entire top surface to be separated from the box body. Alternatively, in a storage box where the top surface serves as the lid, a strip-shaped cutout may be formed at the upper end of the back surface where the lid is connected, allowing the entire top surface to be separated from the box body.

The storage box according to the present invention may also be configured so that the side of the box body has two flap-like portions that are joined together and overlap each other, and an opening is formed by peeling off the joined portion. The opening-forming means is formed, for example, on the side and makes it easy to peel off the joined portion. One example of an opening-forming means is a cutting assist line that is roughly U-shaped in side view. The cutting assist line is formed on the first flap-like portion of the two flap-like portions, the overlapping portion of which is located inside the box. In this case, by pushing the portion surrounded by the cutting assist line into the inside of the box, a hole is formed in the side portion through which a finger can be inserted. By inserting a finger through the hole and pulling the second flap-like portion from the inside of the box, the joined portion is peeled off and an opening is formed in the side portion.

In the fourth embodiment, the opening/closing structure may be provided on the bottom or side surface. In this case, when the opening/closing structure is deployed by the opening-forming means, an opening is formed in the bottom or side surface. The opening may be formed on the side surface, for example, as in storage box 1A of the first embodiment. The abutment portion of the opening-forming means may be accordion-shaped and may extend when a portion of the side surface is opened, connecting the side surface to the box body. In addition, the storage box of the fourth embodiment does not need to have a lid that can be opened without using the opening-forming means.

1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4 Blood collection tube storage box, 10 Box body, 11 Lid, 11a Tuck, 11b, 13a Notch, 11c First flap, 11d Second flap, 11e, 15c Notch, 11f Convex portion, 12 Bottom surface, 13 Front surface, 14 Back surface, 15 Left side surface, 15a, 16a, 15b Flaps, 15d, 16d Corner portion, 16 Right side surface, 17 Perforation line, 18 Cut line, 19 Fold line, 20, 21, 22 Interior member, 30 Belt-shaped portion, 40 Opening forming means, 41 Contact portion, 42 Handle portion, 100 Blood collection tube, 101 Container body, 102 Plug, 110 rack

Claims (4)

A blood collection tube storage box that includes a bottom surface, side surfaces, and a top surface that is a lid that opens and closes an opening, and that stores a plurality of blood collection tubes in a predetermined arrangement and stacked state ,
further comprising an opening forming means for forming a second opening through which the plurality of blood collection tubes can be removed while maintaining the predetermined arrangement;
the opening forming means is a cutting assist line formed at least on the side surface portion ,
the auxiliary cutting line is formed so as to leave a lower end of the portion where the second opening will be formed, a corner, and a corner portion surrounded by the auxiliary cutting line;
A blood collection tube storage box characterized in that the plurality of blood collection tubes can be transferred all at once to a rack of a labeling device by tilting the storage box so that the second opening formed by the cutting assist line faces downward . The blood collection tube storage box according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting assist line is formed in a substantially U -shape on the side surface. the side surface portion includes a first side surface portion, a second side surface portion facing the first side surface portion, and a third side surface portion connecting the first side surface portion and the second side surface portion,
3. The blood collection tube storage box according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting assist line is formed on the side surface portion, extending from the first side surface portion and the second side surface portion to a lower end of the third side surface portion. the side surface portion includes a first side surface portion, a second side surface portion facing the first side surface portion, and a third side surface portion connecting the first side surface portion and the second side surface portion,
The blood collection tube storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cutting assist line is formed along a corner that is a boundary between the first side surface portion and the third side surface portion, and the second opening is formed in the first side surface portion.