Automatic analyzer

An apparatus configured to discard a used container in an automatic analyzer, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing portion which houses the used container;
• a hollow discarding cylinder which guides the container to the housing portion in a vertical direction;
• a container gripping mechanism which grips the container by moving a plurality of gripping pieces close to each other in a horizontal direction and lets the container fall by separating the plural gripping pieces from each other in the horizontal direction;
• and
• a control section which controls the container gripping mechanism, wherein
• a discarding hole in an upper end of the discarding cylinder is formed by a container guide portion for guiding the container and a gripping piece separating portion forming a space for the plural gripping pieces to be separated from each other, and
• the gripping piece separating portion is a notch made in the upper end of the discarding cylinder,
• wherein the plurality of gripping pieces includes a first gripping piece that has a claw, which is arranged at a bottom end of the first gripping piece and is configured to engage a flange of the container, and a second gripping piece that does not have a claw and has a curved abutment surface that abuts against a curved outer surface of the container above the flange.