CN113102299A

CN113102299A - Transmission processing device

Info

Publication number: CN113102299A
Application number: CN202110003264.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 西川贵之
Original assignee: Screen Holdings Co Ltd
Current assignee: Screen Holdings Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-01-10
Filing date: 2021-01-04
Publication date: 2021-07-13
Also published as: TW202126279A; JP7412188B2; JP2024045130A; JP2021108974A; TWI803801B; KR20210090546A

Abstract

The invention provides a conveying processing device capable of preventing ultrafine powder of a tablet from being attached to a conveying belt near a discharging position of the discharged tablet. The conveying processing device is a device for conveying and processing a plurality of tablets (9), and comprises an adsorption belt (42), discharge mechanisms (100, 110), a receiving part (43) and a negative pressure generating part. The adsorption band adsorbs and holds the tablets (9) to the plurality of adsorption holes (421) and transports them. The discharge mechanism releases the adsorption of the tablet (9) at the discharge positions (P6, P7). The receiving member is disposed at a slight interval (D1) from the suction belt. The negative pressure generating section causes one space (R2) of the receiving member to be a negative pressure. The receiving member has a through hole (430) that communicates the space (R2) and the minute gap (D1). Each of the adsorption holes communicates with the minute gap (D1). At the restricting positions (P8, P9) on the downstream side of the discharge position, the through-hole of the receiving member and a part of the suction hole of the suction belt are closed.

Description

Transmission processing device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a conveyance processing apparatus that conveys a plurality of granular objects and performs predetermined processing.

Background

Characters and codes for identifying products are printed on tablets as pharmaceuticals. Further, a mark or a picture may be printed on a sheet-like candy such as a soda candy. Conventionally, a printing apparatus for printing an image on such granular materials such as tablets and candy tablets by an ink jet method is known. In particular, in recent years, the types of tablets have been diversified due to the spread of pharmaceuticals. Therefore, a technique of clearly printing an image on a tablet by an ink jet method has been attracting attention in order to easily recognize the tablet.

In such a printing apparatus, a plurality of tablets flowing into the apparatus are conveyed one by one at predetermined intervals in a conveying direction, and predetermined processes such as printing, inspection, and drying are performed on the surface of each tablet. In the production process of tablets using such a printing apparatus, since a large number of tablets are sequentially transported over a long period of time, the ultrafine powder generated from the tablets may adhere to the transport apparatus. In this case, when the inspection of the tablet is performed, it is difficult to discriminate the ultrafine powder and the tablet adhering to the conveying device, and an error may occur in the inspection result. Therefore, for example, patent document 1 discloses a device for removing a medicine powder (residual powder) adhering to a belt for transporting tablets.

The device 10 described in patent document 1 transports the tablet T while sucking and holding the tablet T in the suction grooves 12b of the

transport belts

12 and 22. In addition, while the tablet T passes near the inspection cameras 11 and 21, the upper surface and the side surface of the tablet T are inspected for flaws and dirt, and the tablet T is conveyed to the next process. Then, the video signals acquired by the inspection cameras 11 and 21 are input to the belt

cleaning control devices

30 and 40, and the accumulation of the surplus powder on the

conveyance belts

12 and 22 is detected based on the luminance levels of the signals. Then, the compressed air is ejected from the ejection nozzle 16 of the belt cleaning portion 15 to clean the dirt of the

conveyor belts

12 and 22.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-143653

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, since the apparatus 10 of patent document 1 is an inspection apparatus for inspecting the tablet T, when the tablet T is carried out to the next step of drying, packaging, and the like, it is possible that excess powder is again attached to the vicinity of the suction grooves 12b of the

conveyor belts

12 and 22. In particular, when compressed air is injected into the tablet T when the tablet T is carried out to the next process, more powder may be scattered and attached to the vicinity of the suction groove 12b of the

transport belts

12 and 22.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an apparatus capable of suppressing adhesion of ultrafine powder generated from tablets to a conveyor belt in the vicinity of a discharge position where the tablets are discharged to a next step.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect of the present invention is a conveyance processing apparatus that conveys a plurality of granular objects and performs predetermined processing, the conveyance processing apparatus including: an adsorption belt having a plurality of adsorption holes, and configured to adsorb and hold the particulate matter on the adsorption holes and move the particulate matter along a predetermined transport path; a discharge mechanism for releasing the adsorption of the granular objects at the adsorption hole at a discharge position on the conveying path and dropping the granular objects to a discharge port; a receiving member disposed with a slight gap from one surface of the suction belt; and a negative pressure generating portion that causes a negative pressure to be generated in a space located on one side of the receiving member, wherein the receiving member has a through hole that communicates the space and the small gap, the plurality of suction holes each communicate with the small gap by penetrating the suction belt, and at least a part of the through hole of the receiving member and the suction hole of the suction belt is closed at a restriction position on the transport path that is the same as or downstream of the discharge position.

Effects of the invention

According to the first invention of the present application, the shielding member weakens the suction force of the suction holes of the suction belt located near the discharge position. This can prevent the ultrafine powder generated from the granular material from adhering to the adsorption holes in the vicinity of the discharge position.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view of a tablet printing apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a tablet printing apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the tablet printing apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of the suction conveyor.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the print head.

Fig. 6 is a view of the adsorption conveyor and the reversing mechanism as viewed from the direction of hollow arrow V1 in fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing connections between the control unit and each unit.

Fig. 8 is a view of the suction conveyor, the defective product collecting mechanism, and the defective product discharging mechanism as viewed from the direction of hollow arrow V2 in fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the defective product discharge position and the vicinity of the defective product discharge position in fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a result of verifying an effect of providing the shielding member at the restricting position.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the tablet printing apparatus.

Fig. 12 is a modification of the view in fig. 8 showing the defective product discharge position and the vicinity of the defective product discharge position in an enlarged manner.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a tablet.

In the figure:

1-tablet printing device, 9-tablet, 10-feeder, 20-transport conveyor, 21-pulley, 22-conveyor belt, 30-adsorption roller, 40-adsorption conveyor, 41-pulley, 42-adsorption belt, 43-receiving member, 44-second suction mechanism, 50-first camera, 60-printing section, 61-print head, 70-second camera, 80-drying mechanism, 90-reversing mechanism, 100-defective product recovery mechanism, 101-defective product chute, 102-defective product recovery port, 103-nozzle, 110-defective product discharge mechanism, 111B-defective product chute, 112-defective product discharge conveyor, 113-hood, 114B-defective product discharge port, 115-pulley, 116-conveyor belt, 117-nozzle, 120-control section, 301-adsorption hole, 302-first suction mechanism, 420-peripheral surface, 421-adsorption hole, 430-through hole, 451-first shield member, 452B-second shield member, A1-first region, A2-second region, B2-second blowing mechanism, B3-third blowing mechanism, D1-minute gap, P6-defective discharge position, P7-defective discharge position, P8-first limit position, P9-second limit position, R2-space.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a direction in which a plurality of granular materials are conveyed is referred to as a "conveyance direction", and a direction perpendicular and horizontal to the conveyance direction is referred to as a "width direction".

< 1. integral Structure of tablet printing apparatus >

Fig. 1 is a side view of a tablet printing apparatus 1 as an example of a conveyance processing apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tablet printing apparatus 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the tablet printing apparatus 1. In fig. 1, the receiving member 43 of the suction conveyor 40, which will be described later, is not shown.

The tablet printing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that prints images such as product names, product codes, company names, logos, and the like on both front and back surfaces of each tablet 9 while transporting a plurality of tablets 9 as granular materials. In the present embodiment, as the tablet 9, a tablet that is likely to generate ultrafine powder, such as a non-coated tablet (bare tablet) excluding a coated tablet, a sugar-coated tablet, and a capsule tablet, is assumed. However, the tablet 9 may be a tablet other than a pharmaceutical tablet, which is a health product, or a tablet candy such as a soda candy. In the present embodiment, a light color tablet such as white or pale yellow is assumed as the tablet 9. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of tablet 9. As shown in fig. 13, tablet 9 has a circular surface, a back surface, and an annular side surface. However, the shape of the tablet 9 is not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the tablet printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a feeder 10, a transport conveyor 20, an adsorption cylinder 30, an adsorption conveyor 40, a first camera 50, a printing unit 60, a second camera 70, a drying unit 80, a reversing unit 90, a defective product collecting unit 100, a defective product discharging unit 110, and a control unit 120.

The feeder 10 is a mechanism for carrying the plurality of tablets 9 loaded into the tablet printing apparatus 1 into the transport conveyor 20. The feeder 10 is constituted by, for example, a feed hopper, a rotary feeder, a vibrating feeder, and the like. The plurality of tablets 9 fed into the tablet printing apparatus 1 are arranged in a plurality of rows by these mechanisms, and are conveyed to the conveying conveyor 20. Specifically, a plurality of rows of tablets 9 aligned in the conveying direction are formed in the width direction. In the present embodiment, three rows of tablets 9 are formed in the width direction. Further, the aligned plurality of tablets 9 are supplied to a conveying conveyor 20. In addition, only one column of tablets 9 is shown in fig. 1.

The conveying conveyor 20 is a mechanism that conveys the tablets 9 horizontally while holding them between the feeder 10 and the adsorption drum 30. The conveying conveyor 20 has a pair of pulleys 21 and an endless belt 22 stretched between the pair of pulleys 21. One of the pair of pulleys 21 is rotated by power obtained from a motor M1. Thereby, the conveying belt 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow in fig. 1. The other of the pair of pulleys 21 is driven to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the belt 22.

The plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the feeder 10 are placed on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 22, and move in the conveying direction together with the conveyor belt 22. At this time, the tablets 9 are arranged in a plurality of rows in the width direction by the feeder 10, but the intervals in the conveying direction of the tablets 9 in each row are not uniform. The plurality of tablets 9 are transported in a state of being closely attached to each other in the transport direction or with a minute interval therebetween.

The suction drum 30 is a mechanism for transferring the tablets 9 from the transfer conveyor 20 to the suction conveyor 40, which is located downstream of the transfer conveyor 20 in the transfer path. The adsorption drum 30 has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on a rotation axis O horizontally extending in the width direction. As shown by a broken line in fig. 1, a motor M2 is connected to the suction drum 30. When the motor M2 is driven, the suction drum 30 rotates about the rotation axis O. A plurality of suction holes 301 are provided in the outer circumferential portion of the suction drum 30. The plurality of suction holes 301 are provided at intervals in the conveying direction at a plurality of widthwise positions corresponding to respective rows of the plurality of tablets 9 arranged in the widthwise direction. Each of the suction holes 301 is horizontally opened in the width direction.

When the suction drum 30 rotates, the plurality of suction holes 301 move along an annular path including a first transfer position P1 close to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 22 and a second transfer position P2 close to the surface of the suction belt 42 described later. In the present embodiment, the first transfer position P1 is located directly below the rotation axis O of the suction drum 30. The second transfer position P2 is located slightly upstream of the rotation axis O of the suction drum 30 in the transport direction. However, the positional relationship of the first handover position P1 and the second handover position P2 is not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 1, a first suction mechanism 302 is connected to the suction drum 30. When the first suction mechanism 302 is operated, gas is sucked from the internal space R1 of the adsorption drum 30 located in the angular range between the first transfer position P1 and the second transfer position P2. This causes the internal space R1 to have a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. The tablets 9 transferred by the transfer conveyor 20 and reached the first transfer position P1 are held by suction to the suction holes 301 of the suction drum 30 by the negative pressure. The plurality of tablets 9 are adsorbed and held one by one in each adsorption hole 301. Thereby, the intervals in the conveying direction of the plurality of tablets 9 are predetermined intervals corresponding to the intervals of the suction holes 301. That is, the plurality of tablets 9 can be arranged at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction in addition to the width direction.

The tablet 9 is suction-held to the suction hole 301, and is transported from the first transfer position P1 to the second transfer position P2 in the direction of the arrow in fig. 1 by the rotation of the suction drum 30. When suction hole 301 passes through second transfer position P2, tablet 9 is released from the angle range of internal space R1 maintained at the negative pressure. Thereby, the tablets 9 are transferred from the adsorption drum 30 to the adsorption conveyor 40.

The suction conveyor 40 is a mechanism that conveys the plurality of tablets 9 along a predetermined endless conveying path while holding the tablets by suction. The suction conveyor 40 includes a pair of pulleys 41 and an endless suction belt 42 stretched between the pair of pulleys 41. One of the pair of pulleys 41 is rotated about a rotation shaft horizontally extending in the width direction by power obtained from a motor M3. Thereby, the suction belt 42 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in fig. 1. The other of the pair of pulleys 41 is driven to rotate about a rotation shaft extending horizontally in the width direction in accordance with the rotation of the suction belt 42. In the present embodiment, the color of the outer peripheral surface 420 (outer surface) of the suction belt 42 is brown or dark, for example. That is, in the Munsell color system (Munsell color system), the luminance of the tablet 9 is larger than the luminance of the outer surface of the adsorption-retaining tablet 9 in the adsorption zone 42. In addition, a large contrast is produced between the original color of the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42 and the color of the tablet 9.

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of the adsorption conveyor 40. As shown in fig. 4, a plurality of suction holes 421 are provided in the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42. The plurality of suction holes 421 are arranged at equal intervals in the transfer direction and the width direction. The suction conveyor 40 of the present embodiment further includes a receiving member 43 (see fig. 9), a second suction mechanism 44 (see fig. 1), a first shielding member 451 (see fig. 1), and a second shielding member 452 (see fig. 1). The second suction mechanism 44 is a negative pressure generating unit that sucks gas from the space inside the suction belt 42. The space inside the suction belt 42 is a space inside a receiving member 43 described later. Hereinafter, this space is referred to as "space R2". When the second suction mechanism 44 is operated, the space R2 becomes a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. The plurality of tablets 9 are adsorbed and held one by one in the adsorption hole 421 by the negative pressure. Each adsorption hole 421 adsorbs and holds the back surface of the tablet 9. Further, a more detailed configuration of the suction conveyor 40 including the receiving member 43, the first shielding member 451, and the second shielding member 452 will be described later.

In this way, the plurality of tablets 9 are held on the surface of the suction belt 42 in a state of being aligned in the conveying direction and the width direction. The suction conveyor 40 rotates the suction belt 42 to move the plurality of tablets 9 along a predetermined endless transport path formed by the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42. Further, a part of the predetermined endless transfer path includes a horizontal plane. In the present embodiment, the plurality of tablets 9 are conveyed in the horizontal direction below the four printing heads 61 described later, and below the three first air blowing mechanisms B1 described later, the second air blowing mechanism B2 described later, and the third air blowing mechanism B3 described later.

As shown in fig. 1, the adsorption conveyor 40 also has three first blowing mechanisms B1. Three first blowing mechanisms B1 are provided inside the suction belt 42. The three first blowing mechanisms B1 are provided at positions facing the first inclined roller 91, the third inclined roller 93, and the fifth inclined roller 95, which will be described later, via the suction belt 42. The three first blowing mechanisms B1 blow air only to the adsorption holes 421 opposed to the first inclined drum 91, the third inclined drum 93, and the fifth inclined drum 95 among the plurality of adsorption holes 421 of the adsorption belt 42. Then, the adsorption hole 421 has a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. Thereby, the suction of the tablet 9 at the suction hole 421 is released, and the tablet 9 is transferred from the suction belt 42 to the first inclined drum 91, the third inclined drum 93, and the fifth inclined drum 95.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, a first region a1 holding the tablet 9 before inversion by the inversion mechanism 90 described later and a second region a2 holding the tablet 9 after inversion exist on the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42 of the present embodiment. The first region a1 and the second region a2 are adjacent in the width direction. In the present embodiment, three rows of the suction holes 421 are provided in the first region a1 and the second region a2 in the width direction. The tablets 9 transferred from the suction drum 30 are sucked and held in the suction holes 421 of the first area a 1. The plurality of tablets 9 having been subjected to the printing process on both back surfaces are discharged from the suction holes 421 of the second area a2 to the outside of the tablet printing apparatus 1 by the defective collection mechanism 100 or the defective discharge mechanism 110.

The first camera 50 is a processing section for taking an image of the tablet 9 before printing. The first camera 50 is located on the downstream side of the transport path from the second transfer position P2 and on the upstream side of the transport path from the printing unit 60. The first camera 50 extends in the width direction across both the first area a1 and the second area a 2. The first camera 50 uses a line sensor in which image sensors such as CCD and CMOS are arranged in the width direction. The first camera 50 photographs the plurality of tablets 9 conveyed by the adsorption belt 42. The image acquired by shooting is sent from the first camera 50 to the control section 120. Based on the result of analyzing the distribution of the luminance values of the pixels of the image obtained from the first camera 50, the control unit 120 detects the presence or absence of the tablet 9 in each suction hole 421, the front and back of the tablet 9, the rotational posture of the tablet 9 about the vertical axis, and the misalignment of the tablet 9 with respect to the suction hole 421. Further, the control unit 120 checks whether or not each tablet 9 has a defect such as a chip based on the result of analyzing the distribution of the luminance values of the pixels in the image obtained from the first camera 50.

The printing unit 60 is a processing unit that prints the surface of the tablet 9 by an inkjet method at a printing position on the transport path of the suction conveyor 40. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the printing unit 60 of the present embodiment includes four printing heads 61. The four printing heads 61 are positioned above the suction belt 42 and arranged in a line along the conveying direction of the tablets 9. Each print head 61 extends in the width direction across both the first area a1 and the second area a2 of the suction belt 42. The four print heads 61 eject ink droplets of mutually different colors toward the tablet 9. The four print heads 61 discharge ink droplets of respective colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, for example. Then, a color image is recorded on the surface of tablet 9 by superimposing monochrome images formed of these respective colors. Further, as the ink discharged from each print head 61, edible ink made of a material approved by the japanese pharmacopoeia, food sanitation law, or the like is used.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of one print head 61. Fig. 5 shows the suction belt 42 and the plurality of tablets 9 held by the suction belt 42 by two-dot chain lines. As shown in fig. 5 in an enlarged manner, a plurality of nozzles 611 capable of ejecting ink droplets are provided on the lower surface of the print head 61. In the present embodiment, the plurality of nozzles 611 are two-dimensionally arranged in the conveyance direction and the width direction on the lower surface of the print head 61. The nozzles 611 are arranged in a staggered manner in the width direction. When the plurality of nozzles 611 are arranged two-dimensionally in this manner, the positions of the nozzles 611 in the width direction can be brought close to each other. However, the plurality of nozzles 611 may be arranged in a row along the width direction.

As a method of ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle 611, for example, a so-called piezoelectric method is used in which ink in the nozzle 611 is pressurized and ejected by applying a voltage to a piezoelectric element and deforming the piezoelectric element. However, the ink droplet discharge method may be a so-called thermal method in which ink in the nozzle 611 is heated and expanded by energizing a heater to discharge ink.

The second camera 70 is a processing section for taking an image of the printed tablet 9. The second camera 70 is located downstream of the printing unit 60 and upstream of the drying mechanism 80 in the conveyance path. The second camera 70 extends in the width direction across both the first area a1 and the second area a 2. The second camera 70 uses a line sensor in which image sensors such as CCD and CMOS are arranged in the width direction, for example. The second camera 70 photographs the plurality of tablets 9 conveyed by the adsorption belt 42. The image acquired by shooting is sent from the second camera 70 to the control section 120. The control unit 120 checks whether or not the image printed on the tablet 9 contains no dirt, a shift in the printed portion, missing dots, or the like, based on the result of analyzing the distribution of the luminance values of the pixels of the image obtained from the second camera 70.

The drying mechanism 80 is a mechanism for drying the ink adhering to the surface of the tablet 9. The drying mechanism 80 is located on the downstream side of the second camera 70 in the conveyance path. The drying mechanism 80 is located upstream of the reversing mechanism 90, the defective product collecting mechanism 100, and the defective product discharging mechanism 110, which will be described later, in the conveyance path. The drying mechanism 80 extends in the width direction across both the first area a1 and the second area a 2. The drying mechanism 80 uses, for example, a hot air supply mechanism that blows heated gas (hot air) toward the tablet 9 conveyed by the adsorption belt 42. The ink adhering to tablet 9 is dried with hot air and fixed to the surface of tablet 9.

The reversing mechanism 90 is a mechanism that reverses the front and back of the tablet 9 conveyed by the suction belt 42 and moves the tablet 9 from the first area a1 to the second area a 2. The reversing mechanism 90 is located downstream of the defective product collecting mechanism 100 and the defective product discharging mechanism 110 in the conveyance path and upstream of the suction drum 30 in the conveyance path.

Fig. 6 is a view of the adsorption conveyor 40 and the reversing mechanism 90 as viewed from the direction of the hollow arrow V1 in fig. 1. In fig. 6, a receiving member 43 to be described later of the suction conveyor 40 is not shown. As shown in fig. 1, 3, and 6, the reversing mechanism 90 of the present embodiment includes a first inclined roller 91, a second inclined roller 92, a third inclined roller 93, a fourth inclined roller 94, a fifth inclined roller 95, and a sixth inclined roller 96.

The first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction. The third inclined roller 93 and the fourth inclined roller 94 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction on the downstream side of the transport path from the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92. The fifth inclined roller 95 and the sixth inclined roller 96 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction on the downstream side of the transport path with respect to the third inclined roller 93 and the fourth inclined roller 94. Hereinafter, the position where the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92 are provided on the transport path of the suction conveyor 40 is referred to as a "first reverse position P3", the position where the third inclined roller 93 and the fourth inclined roller 94 are provided is referred to as a "second reverse position P4", and the position where the fifth inclined roller 95 and the sixth inclined roller 96 are provided is referred to as a "third reverse position P5".

The first inclined roller 91 has a conical first side surface 910 centered on a first axis C1 inclined with respect to the width direction. A portion of the first side surface 910 is opposed to the first region a1 of the suction belt 42 with a slight gap therebetween. In addition, the first tilting roller 91 is fixed to an output shaft of the motor 91M. When the motor 91M is driven, the first inclined roller 91 rotates about the first axis C1.

The second inclined roller 92 has a conical second side surface 920 centered on a second axis C2 inclined with respect to the width direction. The first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction so that tops of the rollers face each other. A portion of the second side 920 is opposed to the second region a2 of the absorbent tape 42 with a slight gap therebetween. Another portion of the second side 920 is opposite to the first side 910 with a slight gap. In addition, the second tilting roller 92 is fixed to an output shaft of the motor 92M. When the motor 92M is driven, the second tilting roller 92 rotates about the second axis C2.

In the present embodiment, the apex angle of the first inclined roller 91 and the apex angle of the second inclined roller 92 when viewed in the conveying direction of the adsorption conveyor 40 are both 90 °. The first axis C1 is inclined at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42. The second axis C2 is inclined at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42. Therefore, the first side surface 910 and the second side surface 920 are opposed to each other at a position of 90 ° with respect to the outer peripheral surface 420. In addition, the first and second

inclined rollers

91 and 92 have the same shape, configuration, and size as each other. Therefore, the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92 can be shared as a component. This can reduce the manufacturing cost of the tablet printing apparatus 1.

The first side surface 910 is provided with a plurality of suction holes 911. The plurality of suction holes 911 are provided in an annular shape at equal angular intervals around the first axis C1. Similarly, the second side surface 920 is also provided with a plurality of suction holes 921. The plurality of suction holes 921 are arranged in an annular shape at equal angular intervals around the second axis C2.

The pressure in the internal space of the first inclined roller 91 is maintained at a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure by a suction mechanism, not shown. The first inclined roller 91 holds the plurality of tablets 9 one by one in the plurality of suction holes 911 by the negative pressure. Similarly, the pressure in the internal space of the second inclined roller 92 is also maintained at a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure by a suction mechanism, not shown. The second inclined roller 92 holds the plurality of tablets 9 one by one to the plurality of adsorption holes 921 by the negative pressure.

As shown by a dotted line in fig. 6, a fourth blowing mechanism B4 is provided inside the first inclined drum 91. The fourth blowing mechanism B4 blows gas only to the adsorption hole 911 facing the second inclined drum 92 among the plurality of adsorption holes 911 of the first inclined drum 91. Then, the suction hole 911 is at a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. Thereby, the adsorption of the tablet 9 in the adsorption hole 911 is released, and the tablet 9 is transferred from the adsorption hole 911 of the first inclined drum 91 to the adsorption hole 921 of the second inclined drum 92.

In addition, as shown by a broken line in fig. 6, a fifth blowing mechanism B5 is provided inside the second inclined drum 92. The fifth blowing mechanism B5 blows gas only to the adsorption holes 921, which are opposed to the second area a2 of the adsorption belt 42, among the adsorption holes 921 of the second inclined drum 92. Then, the adsorption hole 921 has a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. Thereby, the adsorption of the tablet 9 at the adsorption hole 921 is released, and the tablet 9 is transferred from the adsorption hole 921 of the second inclined drum 92 to the adsorption hole 421 of the second area a2 of the adsorption belt 42.

Further, it is preferable that the adsorption force of the plurality of adsorption holes 921 of the second side surface 920 to the tablet 9 is slightly larger than the adsorption force of the plurality of adsorption holes 911 of the first side surface 910 to the tablet 9. Accordingly, when the tablet 9 is transferred from the suction hole 911 of the first inclined drum 91 to the suction hole 921 of the second inclined drum 92, the tablet 9 is less likely to fall off. However, the suction force of the plurality of suction holes 911 of the first inclined roller 91 and the suction force of the plurality of suction holes 921 of the second inclined roller 92 may be the same.

The third inclined roller 93 and the fourth inclined roller 94 have the same structure as the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92, and are disposed adjacent to each other in the same manner as the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92. However, the third tilt roller 93 and the fourth tilt roller 94 are disposed at the second inversion position P4 on the downstream side of the conveyance path from the first inversion position P3 at which the first tilt roller 91 and the second tilt roller 92 are disposed. The third inclined roller 93 and the fourth inclined roller 94 are disposed at positions shifted in the width direction by the arrangement interval in the width direction of one tablet 9 from the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92. The third tilting roller 93 is fixed to an output shaft of the motor 93M. The fourth tilting roller 94 is fixed to an output shaft of the motor 94M.

The fifth inclined roller 95 and the sixth inclined roller 96 also have the same structure as the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92, and are disposed adjacent to each other in the same manner as the first inclined roller 91 and the second inclined roller 92. However, the fifth and sixth

inclined rollers

95, 96 are disposed at a third inversion position P5 downstream of the second inversion position P4 at which the third and fourth

inclined rollers

93, 94 are disposed. The fifth inclined roller 95 and the sixth inclined roller 96 are disposed at positions shifted in the width direction by the arrangement interval of one tablet 9 in the width direction from the third inclined roller 93 and the fourth inclined roller 94. The fifth tilting roller 95 is fixed to an output shaft of the motor 95M. The sixth tilting roller 96 is fixed to an output shaft of the motor 96M.

As shown in fig. 3, the tablets 9 held in the suction holes 421 of the first position W1 in the width direction of the suction belt 42 and conveyed to the first reversal position P3 in the conveying direction are handed over to the first inclined drum 91. The first inclined drum 91 rotates while adsorbing and holding the tablet 9 received from the adsorption belt 42 to the adsorption hole 911 of the first side surface 910, and transfers the tablet 9 to the second inclined drum 92. Thereafter, the second inclined roller 92 rotates while sucking and holding the tablet 9 received from the first inclined roller 91 to the suction hole 921 of the second side surface 920, and transfers the tablet 9 to the suction hole 421 of the second position W2 in the width direction of the suction belt 42. Thereby, the position in the width direction of the tablet 9 in the conveyance path is moved from the first position W1 belonging to the first region a1 to the second position W2 belonging to the second region a2, and the front and back of the tablet 9 are reversed.

Similarly, the third and fourth

inclined rollers

93 and 94 move the position in the width direction of the tablet 9 in the conveying path from the third position W3 in the width direction belonging to the first region a1 to the fourth position W4 in the width direction belonging to the second region a2 at the second inversion position P4 in the conveying direction, and invert the front and back of the tablet 9. Similarly, the fifth and sixth

inclined rollers

95 and 96 move the position in the width direction of the tablet 9 in the conveying path from the fifth position W5 in the width direction of the first region a1 to the sixth position W6 in the width direction of the second region a2 at the third reverse position P5 in the conveying direction, and reverse the front and back of the tablet 9.

The defective product collecting mechanism 100 is a mechanism for carrying out the tablet 9 determined as a defective product by the control unit 120 described later from the adsorption conveyor 40. The non-defective product discharge mechanism 110 is a mechanism for discharging the tablet 9 determined as a non-defective product by the control unit 120 described later from the adsorption conveyor 40. The detailed configuration of the defective product collecting mechanism 100 and the defective product discharging mechanism 110 will be described later.

The control unit 120 controls the operation of each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing connections between the control unit 120 and each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in fig. 7, the control unit 120 is constituted by a computer having a processor 121 such as a CPU, a memory 122 such as a RAM, and a storage unit 123 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program CP for executing the printing process is installed in the storage unit 123.

As shown in fig. 7, the control unit 120 is communicably connected to the feeder 10, the transfer conveyor 20 (including the motor M1), the adsorption drum 30 (including the motor M2 and the first suction mechanism 302), the adsorption conveyor 40 (including the motor M3, the second suction mechanism 44, and the first blowing mechanism B1), the first camera 50, the printing unit 60 (including the printing head 61), the second camera 70, the drying mechanism 80, the reversing mechanism 90 (including the motors 91M to 96M, the fourth blowing mechanism B4, the fifth blowing mechanism B5, and the suction mechanism), the defective product recovery mechanism 100 (including the second blowing mechanism B2 described later), and the defective product discharge mechanism 110 (including the motor M4 and the third blowing mechanism B3 described later) by wire or wireless, respectively. The control unit 120 temporarily reads out the computer program CP and data stored in the storage unit 123 to the memory 122, and the processor 121 performs operation control of the above-described units by performing arithmetic processing based on the computer program CP. Thereby, the conveyance of the plurality of tablets 9 and the printing process for each tablet 9 are performed.

As described above, the control unit 120 analyzes the distribution of the luminance values of the pixels of the images received from the first camera 50 and the second camera 70, and checks the presence or absence of a defect such as a notch in each tablet 9, dirt in the image printed on the tablet 9, a shift in the printed portion, a missing dot, or the like based on the analysis result. Then, based on the result of the inspection, it is determined whether each tablet 9 is a non-defective product or a defective product. That is, the control unit 120 functions as a determination unit that determines whether or not the printed state or the shape of the tablet 9 is good at a determination position on the downstream side in the transport direction from the printing position. The determination position is, for example, the vicinity of the lower position of the second camera 70.

< 2. detailed construction of each discharge mechanism and adsorption conveyor

Next, the detailed configuration of the suction conveyor 40 in the vicinity of the defective product collecting mechanism 100 and the defective product discharging mechanism 110 and the defective product collecting mechanism 100 and the defective product discharging mechanism 110 will be described. Fig. 8 is a view of the suction conveyor 40, the defective product collecting mechanism 100 (partially omitted in the drawing), and the defective product discharging mechanism 110 as viewed from the direction of the hollow arrow V2 in fig. 2.

The defective product collecting mechanism 100 is a discharge mechanism for discharging the tablet 9 determined as a defective product by the control unit 120 from the adsorption conveyor 40 at a defective product discharge position P6 on the downstream side of the determination position on the conveying path. As shown in fig. 8, the defective product collecting mechanism 100 includes a defective product chute 101, a second air blowing mechanism B2, and a collecting box, not shown.

The defective product chute 101 is located downstream of the drying mechanism 80 in the conveyance path and upstream of the defective product discharge mechanism 110 in the conveyance path. The defective product chute 101 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The defective collection port 102, which is an opening at the upper end of the defective chute 101, is vertically opposed to the second region a2 of the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42 with a gap.

The second blowing mechanism B2 is provided inside the suction belt 42. The second air blowing mechanism B2 is provided at a position facing the defective collection port 102 with the suction belt 42 interposed therebetween. The second blowing mechanism B2 has a nozzle 103. When the suction holes 421 that suck the tablets 9 judged as defective reach the defective discharge position P6 facing the defective recovery port 102, the second air blowing mechanism B2 blows air toward the vertically downward direction only to the suction holes 421 at the defective discharge position P6 out of the plurality of suction holes 421 of the suction belt 42. Then, the adsorption hole 421 has a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. Thereby, the adsorption of the tablet 9 in the adsorption hole 421 is released, and the tablet 9 falls from the adsorption belt 42 to the defective collection port 102.

The tablet 9 dropped from the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42 to the defective product recovery port 102 of the defective product chute 101 passes through the inside of the defective product chute 101 and is stored in the recovery box. Then, the tablet 9 stored in the collection box is collected by an operator or the like and discarded to the outside of the tablet printing apparatus 1.

The non-defective discharge mechanism 110 is a discharge mechanism for discharging the tablet 9 determined as a non-defective by the control unit 120 from the adsorption conveyor 40 at a non-defective discharge position P7 downstream of the determination position and the non-defective discharge position P6 on the transport path. As shown in fig. 8, the non-defective product discharge mechanism 110 has a non-defective product chute 111, a third air blowing mechanism B3, a non-defective product discharge conveyor 112, and a hood 113.

The non-defective product chute 111 is located downstream of the defective product collecting mechanism 100 in the conveyance path. The non-defective product chute 111 has a cylindrical shape and has a configuration in which a portion thereof is bent. The non-defective product discharge port 114, which is an opening at the upper end of the non-defective product chute 111, faces the second region a2 of the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction belt 42 with a gap therebetween in the vertical direction.

The third blowing mechanism B3 is provided inside the suction belt 42. The third air blowing mechanism B3 is provided at a position facing the non-defective product discharge port 114 with the suction belt 42 interposed therebetween. The third blowing mechanism B3 has a nozzle 117. When the suction hole 421 that sucks and holds the tablet 9 determined as a non-defective reaches the non-defective discharge position P7 facing the non-defective discharge port 114, the third blowing mechanism B3 blows gas vertically downward only to the suction hole 421 at the non-defective discharge position P7 out of the plurality of suction holes 421 of the suction belt 42. Then, the adsorption hole 421 has a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. Thereby, the adsorption of the tablet 9 in the adsorption hole 421 is released, and the tablet 9 falls from the adsorption belt 42 to the non-defective product discharge port 114.

The tablets 9 falling from the suction holes 421 of the suction belt 42 to the non-defective product discharge port 114 of the non-defective product chute 111 pass through the inside of the non-defective product chute 111 and fall to the non-defective product discharge conveyor 112. The non-defective discharge conveyor 112 has a structure similar to that of the transport conveyor 20 described above. The pulley 115 of the non-defective product discharge conveyor 112 is rotated by power obtained from a motor M4, whereby the conveying belt 116 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in fig. 8. The plurality of tablets 9 dropped to the non-defective product discharge conveyor 112 are placed on the conveyor belt 116, and are conveyed to the outside of the tablet printing apparatus 1.

Fig. 9 is a view further enlarging the vicinity of the defective discharge position P6 and the non-defective discharge position P7 in fig. 8. As shown in fig. 9, in the suction conveyor 40, a receiving member 43 is provided inside the suction belt 42, and the receiving member 43 is fixed to the housing of the tablet printing apparatus 1. Here, as described above, the suction belt 42 has an annular structure stretched between the pair of pulleys 41. The receiving member 43 is disposed along the inner surface of the suction belt 42. The receiving member 43 is disposed at a slight gap D1 from the inner surface of the suction belt 42. Near the defective discharge position P6 and the non-defective discharge position P7, the receiving member 43 is disposed at a slight gap D1 from the upper surface 431 (inner surface) of the suction belt 42. In the suction conveyor 40, the suction belt 42 is more stably held by providing the receiving member 43.

As shown in fig. 9, in the vicinity of the defective discharge position P6 and the non-defective discharge position P7 of the suction belt 42, the upper surface 431 of the suction belt 42 faces the lower surface 432 of the suction belt 42 that sucks and holds the tablet 9, and faces the lower surface of the receiving member 43. The plurality of suction holes 421 of the suction belt 42 penetrate the suction belt 42 in the thickness direction and communicate with the minute gaps D1. The thickness direction of the suction belt 42 is perpendicular to the conveyance direction and the width direction, and is the vertical direction in the vicinity of the defective discharge position P6 and the non-defective discharge position P7. The receiving member 43 has a plurality of through holes 430. Each of the plurality of through holes 430 penetrates the receiving member 43 in the thickness direction. The thickness direction of the receiving member 43 is the vertical direction in the vicinity of the defective discharge position P6 and the non-defective discharge position P7. The nozzles of the first air blowing mechanism B1, the nozzle 103 of the second air blowing mechanism B2, and the nozzle 117 of the third air blowing mechanism B3 penetrate the through hole 430, and the leading ends thereof reach the vicinity of the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42.

By providing the through hole 430 in the receiving member 43, the space R2 located further inside the receiving member 43 communicates with the minute gap D1. The further inner side of the receiving member 43 is located above the vicinity of the defective discharge position P6 and the non-defective discharge position P7. Here, the second suction mechanism 44 sucks the gas from the space R2 at all times when the tablet printing device 1 is driven, and the space R2 becomes a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. Then, in addition to the space R2, the gas is sucked out from the minute gap D1 through the plurality of through holes 430, and the plurality of suction holes 421 become a negative pressure. Thereby, tablet 9 is stably held by adsorption through adsorption holes 421.

In the present embodiment, the first shielding member 451 is provided at the first restricting position P8 located slightly downstream of the defective product discharge position P6 on the conveyance path. Further, a second shield member 452 is provided at a second limit position P9 located slightly downstream of the non-defective product discharge position P7 on the conveyance path.

The first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 are positioned in the minute gap D1, and fixed to the lower surface of the receiving member 43 or the housing of the tablet printing apparatus 1. However, the upper portions of the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 may extend upward from the lower surface of the receiving member 43. The first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 cover the upper portions of the three suction holes 421 in the width direction of the second area a2, respectively.

The first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 each seal a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43. Thereby, the suction force of the suction hole 421 is weakened in the vicinity of the first limit position P8 and the second limit position P9, respectively. However, since the suction holes 421 communicate with the through-holes 430 other than the through-holes 430 closed by the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452, the suction force is not completely zero. Accordingly, even when the tablet 9 passes through the first restriction position P8 or the second restriction position P9, the tablet 9 can be continuously sucked and held in the suction hole 421.

In the present embodiment, the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 are not positioned on the lower surface 432 side of the suction belt 42 but positioned in the minute gap D1 on the upper surface 431 side, respectively, and thus a space for passing the tablet 9 can be maintained, and the tablet 9 can be transported without hindrance. Further, while the tablets 9 judged as non-defective are continuously suction-held from the non-defective discharge position P6 to the defective discharge position P7, all the tablets 9 fall from the suction hole 421 to the non-defective chute 111 when passing through the non-defective discharge position P7. Therefore, the suction force of the suction holes 421 can be completely zero even after passing through the non-defective product discharge position P7.

As described above, the second blowing mechanism B2 blows the gas to the suction holes 421 that reach the defective discharge position P6. The third blowing mechanism B3 blows gas to the suction holes 421 that reach the non-defective product discharge position P7. Thereby, more ultrafine powder is generated from the surface of the tablet 9. Therefore, if the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 are not provided, the ultrafine powder generated from the tablet 9 slightly moves to the downstream side in the transport direction due to the airflow flowing along the lower surface of the adsorption belt 42 caused by the movement of the adsorption belt 42, and is attached to the adsorption holes 421 of the adsorption belt 42 and the periphery of the adsorption holes 421 again (see the right drawing of fig. 10 described later). In this case, if the adsorption belt 42 to which the fine powder is attached is used as it is to transport a new tablet 9 and the first camera 50 and the second camera 70 capture an image of the tablet 9, it is difficult to discriminate the tablet 9 and the adsorption hole 421 to which the fine powder is attached in the obtained image data, and an error may occur in the result of the inspection by the control unit 120.

However, in the present embodiment, since the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 close a part of the through hole 430, the suction force of the suction hole 421 is weakened in the vicinity of the first limit position P8 and the second limit position P9 on the downstream side of the defective discharge position P6 and the non-defective discharge position P7. This can prevent the ultrafine powder generated from the tablet 9 from adhering to the adsorption holes 421 again.

Fig. 10 shows the result of verifying the effect exhibited by the suction belt 42 after processing of about 100 ten thousand tablets 9 using the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment when the second shielding member 452 is provided at the second restricting position P9 located slightly downstream of the non-defective product discharge position P7 on the transport path and when the second shielding member 452 is not provided. The left side of fig. 10 shows an image of the suction belt 42 after processing of about 100 ten thousand tablets 9 by the tablet printing apparatus 1 when the second shielding member 452 is provided. The right image of fig. 10 shows an image of the suction belt 42 after about 100 ten thousand tablets 9 have been processed by the tablet printing apparatus 1 when the second shielding member 452 is not provided.

As shown in fig. 10, as a result of visual observation, it was confirmed that the adhesion of the fine powder generated from the tablet 9 to the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42 and the vicinity of the suction hole 421 was suppressed in the case where the second shielding member 452 was provided (left drawing) as compared with the case where the second shielding member 452 was not provided (right drawing). In the processing step using the tablet printing apparatus 1 of the present invention, generally, the number of tablets 9 of which the number is about 99% or more than 99% is determined as non-defective, and discharged by the non-defective discharge means 110. That is, the gas is blown from the third blowing mechanism B3 to the large number of adsorption holes 421 holding the number of tablets 9 by 99% or more than 99%. Therefore, only the second shield member 452 that can be expected to be more effective is provided, and verification is performed.

The lengths of the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 in the conveying direction may be determined by considering the conveying speed of the tablet 9, etc., in addition to the weight and the volume of the tablet 9. As described above, only one of the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 (e.g., the second shielding member 452) may be provided. Further, instead of being fixed to the receiving member 43 or the like, the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452 may be configured to close a part of the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42 instead of closing a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43. That is, the first shielding member 451 may have a structure in which at least a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 and the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42 is closed at the first regulation position P8. The second shielding member 452 may have a structure in which at least a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 and the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42 is closed at the second regulation position P9.

< 3. flow on processing >

Next, the flow of the transport process and the printing process using the tablet printing apparatus 1 will be described. The following description will be made in order of processing performed on any one of the tablets 9. However, the tablet printing apparatus 1 transports the plurality of tablets 9 sequentially along the transport path and performs a predetermined process. Therefore, a plurality of tablets 9 are simultaneously present inside the tablet printing apparatus 1.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in the tablet printing apparatus 1. When a plurality of tablets 9 are loaded into the tablet printing apparatus 1 (step S1), first, the feeder 10 supplies the plurality of tablets 9 to the conveying conveyor 20. The plurality of tablets 9 supplied to the conveying conveyor 20 are placed on the upper surface of the conveying belt 22, and are moved substantially horizontally in the conveying direction to the first transfer position P1 with the rotation of the conveying belt 22 (step S2).

Next, the tablet 9 is sucked and held by the suction holes 301 of the suction drum 30 at the first transfer position P1, and is moved in the transport direction to the second transfer position P2 above by the rotation of the suction drum 30. At this time, the plurality of tablets 9 are arranged so that the intervals in the conveying direction are predetermined intervals corresponding to the intervals of the suction holes 301. When the tablet 9 reaches the second transfer position P2, the adsorption of the tablet 9 at the adsorption hole 301 is released. Thereby, the tablets 9 are transferred from the adsorption drum 30 to the adsorption conveyor 40 (step S3).

Next, the tablet 9 is adsorbed and held by the adsorption holes 421 of the first region a1 of the adsorption belt 42. Then, the tablet 9 is conveyed along the endless conveying path with the rotation of the suction belt 42. Hereinafter, the surface of the tablet 9 facing outward while being held in the suction hole 421 of the first region a1 will be referred to as "first surface". In this state, the surface adsorbed by the adsorption hole 421 is referred to as a "second surface". In fig. 2 and 3, the first surface of the tablet 9 is indicated by diagonal lines in order to distinguish the first surface from the second surface. However, the "first surface" and the "second surface" are not related to the original front and back surfaces of the tablet 9. For example, when the tablet 9 is a cut line tablet having a cut line 130 (see fig. 13) on only one surface, the tablet 9 having a surface having the cut line 130 as the first surface and the tablet 9 having no cut line 130 as the first surface may be mixed in the plurality of tablets 9 held in the first region a 1.

When the tablet 9 reaches below the first camera 50, the first camera 50 takes a picture of the first side of the tablet 9. Thereby, image data of the first face of tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the first camera 50 to the control unit 120. The control unit 120 performs pre-printing inspection of the first surface based on the image data received from the first camera 50 (step S4). Specifically, the presence or absence of tablet 9 in suction hole 421, the front and back of tablet 9, the rotational posture of tablet 9 about the vertical axis, the misalignment of tablet 9 with respect to suction hole 421, the presence or absence of shape defects in tablet 9, and the like are examined.

Next, when the tablet 9 reaches the printing position below the printing portion 60, the four printing heads 61 discharge ink droplets toward the first surface of the tablet 9. Thereby, the first surface of tablet 9 is subjected to printing treatment. As a result, an image is printed on the first surface of the tablet 9 (step S5). At this time, the control unit 120 adjusts the image to be printed on each tablet 9 based on the inspection result of step S4 described above. For example, an appropriate image is selected depending on whether the surface having the dividing line 130 or the surface opposite thereto is provided, and the selected image is rotated in accordance with the rotational posture of each tablet 9. Then, based on the adjusted image, a print signal is input to the print head 61. As a result, an appropriate image is printed on the first surface of each tablet 9 in an appropriate posture.

Next, when the tablet 9 reaches the determination position below the second camera 70, the second camera 70 photographs the first face of the tablet 9. Thereby, image data of the first face of tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the second camera 70 to the control unit 120. Further, the control unit 120 performs post-printing inspection of the first surface based on the image data received from the second camera 70 (step S6). Specifically, the control unit 120 compares the image data received from the second camera 70 with the data of the normal image prepared in advance, for example, to determine whether or not the printing state of the first surface of each tablet 9 is good.

Next, when the tablet 9 reaches the vicinity of the drying mechanism 80, the drying mechanism 80 blows hot air toward the first surface of the tablet 9. Thereby, the ink adhering to the first surface of the tablet 9 is dried, and the ink is fixed to the first surface (step S7).

Thereafter, when the tablet 9 reaches the inversion position on the conveyance path, i.e., the first inversion position P3, the second inversion position P4, or the third inversion position P5, the inversion mechanism 90 inverts the front and back of the tablet 9 and moves the tablet 9 from the first region a1 to the second region a2 (step S8). In step S8, the tablet 9 is in a state in which the first surface is adsorbed by the adsorption holes 421 of the second region a2 and the second surface faces outward.

Next, when the tablet 9 reaches below the first camera 50, the first camera 50 photographs the second face of the tablet 9. Thereby, image data of the second face of tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the first camera 50 to the control unit 120. Further, the control unit 120 performs pre-printing inspection of the second surface based on the image data received from the first camera 50 (step S9). Specifically, the presence or absence of tablet 9 in suction hole 421, the front and back of tablet 9, the rotational posture of tablet 9 about the vertical axis, the misalignment of tablet 9 with respect to suction hole 421, the presence or absence of shape defects in tablet 9, and the like are examined.

Next, when the tablet 9 reaches the printing position below the printing portion 60, the four printing heads 61 discharge ink droplets toward the second surface of the tablet 9. Thereby, the second side of the tablet 9 is subjected to the printing process. As a result, an image is printed on the second surface of the tablet 9 (step S10). At this time, the control unit 120 adjusts the image to be printed on each tablet 9 based on the inspection result of step S9 described above. For example, an appropriate image is selected depending on whether the surface having the dividing line 130 or the surface opposite thereto is provided, and the selected image is rotated in accordance with the rotational posture of each tablet 9. Then, based on the adjusted image, a print signal is input to the print head 61. As a result, an appropriate image is printed on the second surface of each tablet 9 in an appropriate posture.

Next, when the tablet 9 reaches the determination position below the second camera 70, the second camera 70 photographs the second face of the tablet 9. Thereby, image data of the second face of tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the second camera 70 to the control unit 120. Further, the control unit 120 performs post-printing inspection of the second surface based on the image data received from the second camera 70 (step S11). Specifically, the control unit 120 compares the image data received from the second camera 70 with the data of the normal image prepared in advance, for example, to determine whether or not the printing state of the second surface of each tablet 9 is good.

Next, when the tablet 9 reaches the vicinity of the drying mechanism 80, the drying mechanism 80 blows hot air toward the second surface of the tablet 9. Thereby, the ink adhering to the second surface of the tablet 9 is dried, and the ink is fixed to the second surface (step S12).

As described above, the control unit 120 determines the presence or absence of shape defects such as chipping and the like in the print state of the tablet 9 based on the image data received from the first camera 50 and the second camera 70. That is, the control unit 120 functions as a determination unit that determines whether or not the printed state or the shape of the tablet 9 is good at a determination position on the downstream side in the transport direction from the printing position. The determination unit then determines whether each tablet 9 is a good product having a good printing state and no shape defect such as a chip or a defective product having a poor printing state or a shape defect (step S13).

When the determining unit determines that the tablet 9 is a defective product (NO in step S13), and thereafter, when the tablet 9 determined to be a defective product reaches the defective product discharge position P6 on the downstream side in the conveying direction from the determination position, a positive pressure is applied to the suction hole 421 of the suction conveyor 40 that holds the tablet 9 by suction, and the suction of the tablet 9 by the suction hole 421 is released. Thereby, the tablet 9 determined as a defective is discharged to the defective recovery port 102 (step S14). At this time, the first shielding member 451 provided at the first limit position P8 located slightly downstream of the defective discharge position P6 on the conveyance path weakens the suction force of the suction hole 421 near the first limit position P8. Therefore, the ultrafine powder generated from the tablet 9 at the time of the above-described desorption can be suppressed from adhering to the adsorption holes 421 again.

When the determination unit determines that the tablet 9 is a non-defective product (YES in step S13), and thereafter, when the tablet 9 determined to be a non-defective product reaches the non-defective product discharge position P7 on the downstream side in the transport direction from the determination position, a positive pressure is applied to the suction hole 421 of the suction conveyor 40 that holds the tablet 9 by suction, and the suction of the tablet 9 in the suction hole 421 is released. Thereby, the tablet 9 determined as a non-defective product is discharged to the non-defective product discharge port 114 (step S15). The plurality of tablets 9 dropped from the non-defective product discharge port 114 to the non-defective product discharge conveyor 112 are placed on the conveyor belt 116, and are carried out to the outside of the tablet printing apparatus 1. At this time, the second shielding member 452 provided at the second limit position P9 located slightly downstream of the non-defective product discharge position P7 on the conveyance path weakens the suction force of the suction hole 421 near the second limit position P9. Therefore, the ultrafine powder generated from the tablet 9 at the time of the above-described desorption can be suppressed from adhering to the adsorption holes 421 again.

< 4. modification

While the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a modification of the embodiment described above, in which the vicinity of the defective discharge position P6 and the defective discharge position P7 in fig. 8 is enlarged further. As shown in fig. 12, in the present modification, the third blowing mechanism B3 described above is not provided. On the other hand, as in the above-described embodiment, the first shielding member 451 is provided at the first regulating position P8 located slightly downstream of the defective discharge position P6 on the conveyance path. Further, a second shield member 452B is provided at a second limit position P9 located slightly downstream of the non-defective product discharge position P7 on the conveyance path. The first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452B are positioned in the small gap D1, and are fixed to the lower surface of the receiving member 43 or the housing of the tablet printing apparatus 1. The first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452B cover the upper portions of the three suction holes 421 in the width direction of the second area a2, respectively. The first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452B each seal a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43. Further, the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452B may be configured to close a part of the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42 instead of being fixed to the receiving member 43 or the like and to close a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43.

The second shield member 452B of the present modification is longer in the conveyance direction than the second shield member 452 in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, the area of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 closed by the second shielding member 452B in the present embodiment is larger than the area of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 closed by the second shielding member 452 in the above-described embodiment. Thereby, the suction force of the suction hole 421 is significantly reduced in the vicinity of the second limit position P9. As a result, at the second limit position P9, although gas is not blown from the third blowing mechanism B3 to the suction holes 421 of the suction belt 42, the suction force of the suction holes 421 is significantly weakened, and the suction of the tablets 9 at the suction holes 421 is released, and the tablets 9 naturally fall from the suction belt 42 to the non-defective product discharge port 114B of the non-defective product chute 111B. That is, the second shielding member 452B of the present modification is a discharge mechanism that releases the suction of the tablet 9 in the suction hole 421 of the suction belt 42 by closing at least a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 at the second regulation position P9. As shown in fig. 12, the non-defective product discharge port 114B of the non-defective product chute 111B of the present modification is preferably longer in the conveyance direction than the non-defective product discharge port 114 of the non-defective product chute 111 of the above-described embodiment, in accordance with the length of the second shielding member 452B in the conveyance direction.

As described above, in the present modification, since the first shielding member 451 and the second shielding member 452B respectively close a part of the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43, the suction force of the suction hole 421 in the vicinity of the first limit position P8 on the downstream side of the defective discharge position P6 and the second limit position P9 on the downstream side of the defective discharge position P7 is weakened. This can prevent the ultrafine powder generated from the tablet 9 from adhering to the adsorption holes 421 again.

In the modification described above, the second shielding member 452B has a structure that is positioned at the small gap D1 and closes the through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 from the lower surface side of the receiving member 43. However, since all the tablets 9 fall from the suction holes 421 to the non-defective product chute 111B when passing through the non-defective product discharge position P7, the second shielding member 452B may have a structure that is positioned below the suction holes 421 of the suction belt 42 and closes the suction holes 421 from the lower surface 432 side of the suction belt 42. The second shielding member 452B may have a structure in which the tablet 9 is dropped from the suction belt 42 by coming into contact with the transported tablet 9. In this case, the suction force of the suction hole 421 near the second limit position P9 on the downstream side of the non-defective product discharge position P7 is also reduced. This can prevent the ultrafine powder generated from the tablet 9 from adhering to the adsorption holes 421 again.

In the modification described above, the upper surface 431 (inner surface) of the suction belt 42 faces the side opposite to the lower surface 432 of the suction belt 42 for sucking and holding the tablet 9. The receiving member 43 is disposed with a slight gap D1 from the upper surface 431 of the suction belt 42. The through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 communicates with the space R2 above the receiving member 43 and the small gap D1. In the above-described embodiment, the second suction mechanism 44 has a structure for sucking gas from the space R2 above the receiving member 43. However, their positional relationship may also be different. For example, the receiving member 43 may be disposed with a slight gap D1 from a surface of the suction belt 42 different from the surface for sucking and holding the tablet 9. The through hole 430 of the receiving member 43 may communicate with the space R2 adjacent to (on one side of) the receiving member 43 and the small gap D1. The second suction mechanism 44 may be configured to suck gas from the space R2 (located on one side) adjacent to the receiving member 43.

In the above-described embodiment and modification, the plurality of suction holes 421 are arranged at equal intervals in the conveyance direction and the width direction on the outer peripheral surface 420 of the suction conveyor 40. However, a plurality of suction holes 421 may be arranged at unequal intervals in the transport direction or the width direction on the outer circumferential surface 420 of the suction conveyor 40. In the above-described embodiment and modification, each of the suction holes 421 is a small hole having a perfect circular shape. However, each of the adsorption holes 421 may be a non-circular hole. The suction hole 421 may be a slit formed between the two belts.

The tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment and the modification includes the printing unit 60, and the printing unit 60 performs printing processing on the surface of the tablet 9 at a printing position on the transport path of the suction conveyor 40. However, the tablet printing apparatus 1 may include another processing unit such as a packaging device for packaging the tablets 9. That is, the "printing position" in the above-described embodiment and modification is interpreted as "processing position", the "printing process" is interpreted as "predetermined process", and the "non-defective product for determining the printing state of the tablet" is interpreted as "determining the quality of the processing state of the tablet".

In the above embodiment, each of the first to sixth inclined rollers 91 to 96 has a conical side surface. However, the side surfaces of the first to sixth inclined rollers 91 to 96 may have a polygonal pyramid shape such as a rectangular pyramid, a hexagonal pyramid, or an octagonal pyramid.

In the above embodiment, the printing unit 60 is provided with four printing heads 61. However, the number of the print heads 61 included in the printing unit 60 may be 1 to 3, or may be more than 4.

The detailed structure of the device may be different from the drawings of the present application. In addition, the respective elements described in the above embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined to the extent that no contradiction occurs.

Claims

1. A conveyance processing device that conveys a plurality of granular objects and performs a predetermined process, the conveyance processing device comprising:

an adsorption belt having a plurality of adsorption holes, and configured to adsorb and hold the particulate matter on the adsorption holes and move the particulate matter along a predetermined transport path;

a discharge mechanism for releasing the adsorption of the granular objects at the adsorption hole at a discharge position on the conveying path and dropping the granular objects to a discharge port;

a receiving member disposed with a slight gap from one surface of the suction belt; and

a negative pressure generating part for generating negative pressure in one space of the receiving member,

the receiving member has a through hole communicating the space and the small gap,

the plurality of adsorption holes are respectively communicated with the micro gaps by penetrating the adsorption belt,

at a restricting position on the transport path, which is the same as or downstream of the discharge position, at least a part of the through hole of the receiving member and the suction hole of the suction belt is closed.

2. The transmission processing apparatus according to claim 1,

the discharge mechanism is a blower mechanism that releases the adsorption of the particulate matter at the adsorption holes by applying a positive pressure to the adsorption holes that adsorb and hold the particulate matter at the discharge position.

3. The transmission processing apparatus according to claim 2,

the suction belt further includes a shielding member for closing at least a part of the through hole of the receiving member and the suction hole of the suction belt at the regulation position.

4. The transmission processing apparatus according to claim 3,

further comprising:

a processing unit that performs the predetermined processing on the surface of the particulate matter at a processing position on the conveyance path; and

a determination unit that determines whether the particulate matter is in a processing state at a determination position on the downstream side of the processing position on the conveyance path,

the discharge means applies a positive pressure to the adsorption holes that adsorb and hold the granular objects judged as non-defective products by the judgment section at a non-defective product discharge position that is the discharge position on the downstream side of the judgment position on the conveyance path, and releases the adsorption of the granular objects at the adsorption holes to drop the granular objects to a non-defective product discharge port that is the discharge port.

5. The transmission processing apparatus according to claim 3,

further comprising:

the discharge means applies a positive pressure to the adsorption holes that adsorb and hold the granular objects determined to be defective by the determination unit at a defective product discharge position that is the discharge position on the downstream side of the determination position on the conveyance path, releases the adsorption of the granular objects at the adsorption holes, and drops the granular objects to a defective product recovery port that is the discharge port.

6. The transmission processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,

at least a part of the shielding member is positioned in the minute gap and closes at least a part of the through hole of the receiving member.

7. The transmission processing apparatus according to claim 1,

the discharge mechanism is a shielding member that releases the particulate matter at the suction hole by closing at least a part of the through hole of the receiving member and the suction hole of the suction belt at the regulation position.

8. The transport processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

in the Munsell color system, the brightness of the granular material is greater than the brightness of the outer surface of the granular material maintained by the adsorption of the adsorption band.

9. The transport processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

the granular material is tablet or tablet candy except for coated tablet, sugar-coated tablet and capsule tablet.