JP2002325822A - Tablet splitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tablet splitter to set posture of tablets which has constitution suitable for miniaturizing. SOLUTION: This tablet splitter is equipped with a blade to cut a tablet to be treated and an arranging means to move the tablet to be treated by a prescribed distance to arrange the tablet to be treated so that the longitudinal direction of the tablet to be treated crosses the moving direction in right angles. The arranging means is equipped with a pushing plate to push the tablet to be treated by moving in an arc and a baffle plate in contact with the tip end position of the tablet to be treated to give force in the radial direction to the tip end position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a tablet dividing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, hospitals and dispensing pharmacies provide tablets to patients on the basis of a prescription. When a single tablet is overdosed or when it is difficult to take the tablet, the tablet is divided and provided. I have to.

In this case, the simplest method of dividing one tablet is to cut the tablet by hand. For this reason, some tablets have split grooves for division formed in advance. A tablet cutter as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-41546 has also been proposed.

However, the efficiency of manual operation is poor, and for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-114241 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2-292
An automatic splitting machine as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-257 is proposed.

[0005] However, this splitting machine is a mechanism in which tablets are clamped from the left and right by opposing belts, and are conveyed by belts to the position of a rotary cutter (or a thin blade cutter operated up and down). A is cut like A. This automatic splitting machine is considered to be exclusively used for circular tablets, and does not take into account tablets having an oval shape (or an oval cross section). For example, in the case of an oval tablet, it may be cut as shown in FIG.
Not appropriate.

That is, in the case of such an elliptical tablet, since the tablet cannot be stably held between the left and right belts, the longitudinal direction of the tablet being conveyed becomes inconsistent. Therefore, the positional relationship between the tablet conveyed to the cutter and the cutter is not uniquely determined, and, for example, even if the tablet is cut into equal pieces, it cannot be cut into equal pieces.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present application, a tablet is shown in FIG.
The present invention proposes a tablet dividing device for aligning the posture of the tablet so that the tablet is cut as shown in FIG.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a blade for cutting a tablet to be processed, and by moving the tablet to be processed by a predetermined distance, the longitudinal direction of the tablet to be processed is orthogonal to the moving direction. In the tablet dividing device provided with an aligning means for aligning the tablet tablets, the aligning means moves in an arc shape to press the tablet tablets to be processed, and a tip position of the pressed tablet tablets to be processed. And a baffle plate for applying a radial force to the tip position.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a tablet dividing machine according to this embodiment. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the tablet divider 1 with the cover removed, FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the tablet divider 1, and FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view of the tablet divider 1.

In FIG. 11, reference numeral 100 denotes a tablet case containing tablets, which is attached to a tablet feeder (described later).

The configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 with the cover removed.

The tablet dividing machine 1 of the embodiment basically has a box shape composed of three side walls 2, 3, and 4, a bottom wall 6 and a top wall 7, and a tablet feeder 8 is provided on the top wall 7. Is attached.

On a horizontal plate 11 erected below the ceiling wall 7,
Arc-shaped passage walls 12 and 13 are provided. The passage walls 12 and 13 are arranged at an interval from each other with the center of each arc being the same, and define an arc-shaped passage 14 therebetween. One end (right end as viewed) of this passage 14 corresponds to the lower part of the baffle plate 9 provided below the chute portion of the tablet feeder 8, and the other end extends to between the side walls 2 and 3. I have. Note that the baffle plate 9 may be omitted.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a rotary arm driven by a rotary arm motor 17 attached to the lower surface of the horizontal plate 11, and the center of rotation is the same as the center of the arc of the passage walls 12, 13. The rotary arm 16 has a push plate 16A having an area approximately equal to the cross-sectional area of the passage 14 and movably disposed in the passage 14. The rotary arm 16 is rotated by the rotary arm motor 17, and is thereby pushed. The plate 16A moves within the passage 14 at a predetermined speed from one end to the other end.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a slope plate (posture correcting means) provided continuously at the other end of the passage 14, and is provided between the side walls 2 and 3 so as to be inclined low toward the front. The baffle plate 1 is provided in the passage 14 between the slope plate 18 and the baffle plate 9.
9 is attached. The baffle plate 19 is rotatably attached to the outer passage wall 12 and projects from the passage wall 12 toward the center of the arc of the passage wall 12. Also,
The baffle plate 19 is made of a deformable elastic material.
These passage walls 12 and 13, the passage 14, the rotating arm 16 and the baffle plate 19 constitute an alignment means. The baffle 1
Numeral 9 may be, for example, an iron plate rotatably attached to the passage wall 12 and biasing and supporting the iron plate toward the center of the arc of the passage wall 12 by urging means such as a spring.

A holding spring (leaf spring) 21 is provided at the lower end of the slope plate 18 continuously at the same inclination and the front side is smoothly bent in the horizontal direction, and is attached between the side walls 2 and 3. . A shutter 22 is provided on the holding spring 21.
Further, a holding roller (rotating roller) 23 is provided below the shutter 22 slightly (on the near side) with side walls 2 and 3.
It is rotatably supported in between, and is located on the holding spring 21.

The shutter 22 includes a shutter motor 24 mounted on the outside of the side wall 2 and crank plates 26 and 27.
When the shutter motor 24 is rotated, the crank plates 26 and 27 are moved up and down by a crank mechanism.

The holding roller 23 is connected to a roller motor 31 mounted on the outside of the side wall 2 by a small pulley 3.
2, are connected via a large pulley 33 and a belt 34, and are rotated clockwise in FIG. 4 at a reduced low speed by rotation of the roller motor 31. The holding roller 23 and the holding spring 21 constitute a transport unit.

Reference numeral 36 denotes a rotary blade disposed below the holding roller 23 and the holding spring 21. The rotary blade 36 is attached to a rotary shaft of a rotary blade motor 37 mounted on the outside of the side wall 2 by a fixture 38, and is disposed corresponding to a lower center between the side wall 2 and the side wall 3, and the rotary blade motor 37 is provided. Rotates counterclockwise in FIG.

In this case, the groove 23A, the groove 23A and the groove 23A
1A are formed, and the upper portion of the rotary blade 36 passes through the grooves 21A and 23A and enters the inside of the holding roller 23. Therefore, the rotary blade 36 is used as the holding spring 2.
It does not hit 1 or the holding roller 23. Reference numeral 54 denotes a tray disposed below the rotary blade 36.

On the other hand, a pair of holding plates 41 and 42 (holding means) are provided on the left and right sides of the slope plate 18 and the holding spring 21 at a portion subsequent thereto. Each of the holding plates 41, 42 is fixed to a slide plate 43, 44, respectively. Each slide plate 43, 44 is composed of a substrate 46 and left and right holding plates 47, 48.
It is held movably in the horizontal direction between them. At this time,
The holding plates 41 and 42 are located on the back side of the substrate 46, and the slide plates 43 and 44 are located on the front side of the substrate 46. Both are formed with notches 46A, 46A formed in the substrate 46.
Are connected within.

Pins 43A and 44A are erected at the left ends of the slide plates 43 and 44, respectively.
A and 44A are rotatably and movably engaged with grooves 52A and 52B at both ends of a rod 52 attached to a rotating shaft of a holding plate motor 51 attached to the back surface of the substrate 46.
And, these holding plates 41, 42, slide plates 43, 4
4, substrate 46, holding plates 47, 48, holding plate motor 5
The holding mechanism 53 is constituted by the rod 52 and the like.

With this configuration, when the holding plate motor 51 rotates and the rod 52 rotates clockwise in FIG. 6, the slide plate 43 moves rightward in FIG. 6 and the slide plate 44 moves leftward in reverse. Therefore, the holding plates 41 and 42 move so as to be separated from each other. Conversely, when the holding plate motor 51 rotates in the reverse direction and the rod 52 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6, the slide plate 43 moves to the left in FIG. 6, and the slide plate 44 moves to the right in FIG. The holding plates 41 and 42 move so as to approach each other. However, it is assumed that the center position between the sandwiching plates 41 and 42 always coincides with the center between the side walls 2 and 3.

The rotary arm motor 17, the shutter motor 24, the roller motor 31, and the sandwiching plate motor 51 are composed of a stepping motor, and the rotary blade motor 37 is a DC motor.
It is configured by a motor, and each is controlled by a control device (not shown).

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. In this case, assuming that elliptical (or oblong) tablets are discharged one by one from the chute portion of the tablet feeder 8, the discharged tablets (processed tablets) M hit the baffle plate 9 to change the direction, and 14 falls. The control device drives the rotary arm motor 17 to rotate the rotary arm 16 counterclockwise in FIG. 3 (arrow in FIG. 3).

Thus, the pressing plate 16A of the rotating arm 16 is
The dropped tablet M is pushed to the baffle plate 19 and moved.
Due to the pressing force of the pressing plate 16A, the posture of the tablet M changes along the surface of the pressing plate 16A, and the longitudinal direction thereof becomes a direction orthogonal to the moving direction.

When the tablet M comes into contact with the baffle plate 19 by being pushed by the push plate 16A in this manner, the baffle plate 19 is deformed while being opened from the front end by its elasticity, and as a reaction force, the tablet M is obliquely applied to the tablet M in an oblique direction. Apply force. Since a rotational moment is generated by the sum of the vector of the force from the baffle plate 19 and the force of the push plate 16A, the posture of the tablet M is further aligned so that its longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the moving direction. become.

The tablet M that has passed through the baffle plate 19 reaches the slope plate 18 and slides down there. In the course of the sliding down, the longitudinal direction of the tablet M is surely perpendicular to the dropping direction.

At this time, since the holding plates 41 and 42 are separated from each other, the tablet M slides down between the holding plates 41 and 42. The rotating arm 16 is then rotated clockwise in FIG. 3 to return to the predetermined standby position. Further, the shutter 22
Since the tablet M has been lowered, the tablet M sliding down the slope plate 18 is blocked by the shutter 22.

In the state where the shutter 22 is dammed,
The center position of the tablet M does not always coincide with the center between the side walls 2 and 3. Therefore, the control device first drives the shutter motor 24 to raise the shutter 22 by the crank plates 26 and 27. Next, the holding plate motor 51 is driven to move the holding plates 41 and 42 so as to approach each other as described above. When the holding plates 41 and 42 move, the tablet M abuts on one of the holding plates 41 or 42, and when the center thereof coincides with the center of the side walls 2 and 3, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the tablet M are held by the holding plates. It will be pinched by 41 and 42.

In this state, the posture of the tablet M is such that its longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the moving direction, and its center is reliably positioned at the center of the side walls 2 and 3, that is, on the extension of the rotary blade 36. Will be.

Next, the control device slowly rotates the holding roller 23 by the roller motor 31 (the rotating blade 36 is rotating at this time), and separates the two holding plates 41 and 42 by the holding plate motor 51. .

As a result, the tablet M reaches the holding roller 23, and the tablet M is elastically sandwiched between the holding roller 23 and the holding spring 21 from above and below. Transported slowly in the direction. Since the center of the tablet M that has reached the rotary blade 36 matches the position of the rotary blade 36, the center is cut off, and the tablet M is accurately bisected. Then, the bisected tablet is further fed out by the holding roller 23 and falls into the tray 54.

At this time, the thickness of the tablet M is determined by the holding spring 21.
Are absorbed by being deformed downward. Further, since the rotary blade 36 is rotating in the grooves 21A and 23A and is cut by the rotary blade 36 while being pressed against the holding roller 23, the force at that time is not the holding spring 21 but the holding roller 23. Will join.

As described above, according to the present invention, the tablet M is moved by the rotating arm 16 in the arc-shaped passage 14.
After the longitudinal direction of the tablet M is aligned so as to be orthogonal to the moving direction, and in this state, it is sandwiched from the longitudinal direction by the sandwiching plates 41 and 42, and the center of the tablet M is aligned with the rotary blade 36. Since the tablet M is transported to the rotary blade 36 by the holding roller 23 and cut, the tablet M is transported to the rotary blade 36 even if the tablet has a non-circular shape such as an oval or oblong tablet. The position and the posture of the tablet M with respect to the rotary blade 36 at the time of the operation can be uniquely determined.

Further, since the rotary blade 36 can cut the tablet M more safely and more reliably than a push-type cutter, the tablet M can be accurately divided irrespective of its shape. Become like

In particular, since the inclined plate 18 is dropped and the posture is corrected so that the longitudinal direction of the tablet M is orthogonal to the falling direction, the longitudinal direction of the tablet M is moved in the moving direction when the tablet M exits the passage 14. Even in the case where the tablet M cannot be made orthogonal, the posture of the tablet M can be surely corrected.

Further, the tablet M is nipped by the holding roller 23 and the holding spring 21 and transported to the rotary blade 36, and the force applied to the tablet M at the time of cutting by the rotary blade 36 is applied to the holding roller 23. Since the relative position between the rotary blade 36 and the holding roller 23 and the rotation direction of the rotary blade 36 are set so as to act, no excessive force is applied to the tablet M or the rotary blade 36.

In the above embodiment, the holding plates 41, 42 are connected to the pins 43A, 44A of the slide plates 43, 44 and the rod 52.
The pulley 66 is attached to the rotating shaft of the clamping plate motor 51 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and the pulley on the side thereof is not limited thereto. Belts 61 are provided on the left and right sides of the substrate 46, and the slide plate 43 is fixed on the forward path of the reciprocating belt 61 via the connection plate 62, and the slide plate 44 is connected on the return path via the connection plate 63. May be fixed. In each figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS.

With this structure as well, the forward and backward paths of the belt 61 are moved in the left and right directions by the forward and reverse rotations of the holding plate motor 51, and the same operation as described above is performed.
4 can be given. In addition, a similar operation can be realized by, for example, a gear without using the belt drive. In this embodiment, the substrate 46 is substantially upright because the distance dimension of the slope plate 18 is shorter than that of the above-described embodiment. Thus, the slope plate 1
By making the falling path of the tablet 8 shorter, the falling distance of the tablet M can be reduced.

In the embodiment, the case where the elliptical tablet is divided has been described. However, it is needless to say that a normal circular tablet can be equally bisected at the center.

Next, an embodiment in which the baffle plate 19 is formed of an iron plate will be described with reference to FIGS. In the drawings, the same components as those in FIGS.

In FIG. 12, reference numeral 19 'denotes a baffle plate urged and supported toward the center of the arc of the passage wall 12 by a spring (not shown). The baffle plate 19 ′ is rotatably attached to the passage wall 12 side, and is biased and supported toward the center of the arc of the passage wall 12.

Reference numeral 16 'denotes a rotating arm. 16A 'is a pressing plate. 16B 'is a regulating lever for a baffle plate.

23 'is a holding roller. As shown in FIG. 13, the holding roller 23 ′
Unevenness is formed on the surface of the rubber roller. And it is comprised so that the unevenness | corrugation of the right and left both sides of the groove | channel 23A 'may become an object. The unevenness has a function of firmly holding the tablet, but the first object of the present embodiment is not that.

That is, when the roller 23 in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is rotated, the tablet is conveyed. At this time, the rollers on the left and right sides of the groove 23A do not always start conveying the tablet at the same timing. As it happens, if one of the rollers is transported quickly, the tablet will be tilted.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the unevenness is symmetrical. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the rollers on the left and right sides of the groove 23A 'start conveying the tablets at the same timing.

The operation of FIGS. 12 to 17 will be described.

First, when the division operation is performed, the rotating arm 1
6. The holding plates 41 and 42 are set to the initial positions.

Then, first, one tablet is discharged from the tablet feeder.

The rotary arm motor 17 is driven, and the push plate 16
A 'presses tablet M.

FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, the tablet M hits the baffle plate 19 '. Then, the long side of the tablet M comes along the surface of the pressing plate 16.

As shown in FIG. 16, the tablet M was
8 slides down and comes into contact with the shutter 22 and stops. At this time,. Until the pressing plate 16A returns to the original position, the return of the baffle plate 19 'to the original position is also restricted by the restricting lever 16B'.

The function of the slope plate 18 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the tablet M slides down. Here, there is a small possibility that the tablet stands as shown in FIG. 17C. At this time, the tablet M can be laid down as shown in FIGS.

Next, the function of the shutter 22 will be described.

The tablet M slides down the slope 18 and the leaf spring 21. At this time, the posture of the tablet M may be inclined.
If the roller 23 'hits the roller 23' while being tilted, the roller 23 'may bite into the roller 23' with the tilted posture.

Therefore, a shutter 22 is provided. With this shutter 22, the long side of the tablet M is
Since it follows the surface of No. 2, even if the attitude of the tablet M is inclined, it will be corrected.

Thereafter, the shutter 22 is opened, and the tablet M is dropped to the position where the roller 23 'comes into contact. Since the falling distance at this time is short, the tablet M does not bite into the roller 23 '.

Next, the holding plates 41 and 42 are positioned in the center direction (FIG. 1).
(E direction 6), and the center of the tablet M and the position of the rotary blade 36 are aligned.

Next, the roller 23 'is driven to
The tablet is held by 3 ′ and the holding spring 21.

Then, immediately, the holding plates 41 and 42 are expanded (in the direction opposite to E in FIG. 16) to return to the initial position.

Then, the tablet M is transported by the roller 23 ′ and cut by the rotary blade 36. At the time of this cutting, the force by the rotary blade 36 is not generated by the holding spring 21,
Since it acts on the roller 23 ′, the holding force of the tablet M by the roller 23 ′ and the holding spring 21 does not decrease even during rotation, and is stable.

In the above embodiment, the tablet M is cut by the rotary blade 36. However, the tablet M may be divided by a cutter (guillotine cutter) that moves vertically. In short, it is important to transport the tablet to the cutting position in a predetermined posture, and even if the tablet transported to the cutting position is cut with a rotary blade, it is cut with a guillotine cutter that moves up and down. May be.

[0065]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a simple configuration when aligning the postures of tablets.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tablet dividing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the tablet dividing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the tablet dividing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view of the tablet dividing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a holding mechanism of the tablet dividing machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of a holding mechanism portion of the tablet splitter of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged front view of a holding roller and a rotary blade portion of the tablet dividing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a tablet dividing machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is another perspective view of the tablet splitter of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the tablet dividing machine of FIG.

FIG. 11 is for explaining division of tablets.

FIG. 12 is a view for explaining a tablet dividing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view for explaining a tablet dividing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a view for explaining a tablet dividing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a view for explaining a tablet dividing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a view for explaining a tablet dividing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a view for explaining a tablet dividing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tablet dividing machine 2, 3, 4 Side wall 8 Tablet feeder 12, 13 Passage wall 14 Passage 16 Rotating arm 16A Push plate 18 Slope plate 21 Holding spring 22 Shutter 23 Holding roller (rotary roller) 36 Rotating blade 41, 42 Nipping Plate 53 clamping mechanism

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tetsuo Sakurai 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Motohiko Osano 2--5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka No. 5 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3C021 BB02 BB04

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A blade for cutting a tablet to be processed, and an aligning means for moving the tablet to be processed by a predetermined distance so as to align the longitudinal direction of the tablet to be processed so as to be orthogonal to the moving direction. In the tablet dividing apparatus provided, the aligning means moves in an arc shape, and a pressing plate that presses the tablet to be processed, and comes into contact with the front end position of the pressed tablet to be processed, and moves to the front end position. A tablet dividing device comprising a baffle plate for applying a radial force.