JP2008237250A - Cutting method for dispensing apparatus and its mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cutting method of a dispensing apparatus capable of completely separating a PTP (press through package) tablet sheet in a simple constitution and the mechanism. <P>SOLUTION: In the cutting mechanism of the dispensing apparatus 1, the PTP tablet sheet 900 makes relative movements to a transverse upper blade 750a in a pitch which is shorter than a length of a cut groove of the PTP tablet sheet 900 in the cutting performance by using the transverse upper blade 750a. The blade edge part 7502a of the transverse upper blade 750a is formed into a waveform when seeing from the side opposing to the PTP tablet sheet 900 in the cutting performance so that the cut groove of the PTP tablet sheet 900 before the relative movements is partially superposed with the cut groove of the PTP tablet sheet 900 after the relative movements. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cutting method for a dispensing device and its mechanism, and in particular, the tablet sheet in a dispensing device for automatically dispensing a packaged tablet called a PTP (press-through package) tablet sheet into a tablet cassette and having a predetermined shape. It is suitable for the method of cutting and its mechanism.

  Traditionally, pharmacists do dispensing work according to doctors' prescriptions at pharmacies such as hospitals, but in general hospitals where medical fields are wide, there are many types of tablets that can be taken out at all times, and storage locations In addition, the work of dispensing based on a prescription was very mentally and physically burdensome.

  Therefore, a dispensing device has been developed that automatically dispenses a predetermined number of predetermined tablets including a fraction of a PTP tablet sheet based on a preset program (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The PTP tablet sheet is a packaging format in which tablets are taken out by breaking the aluminum sheet portion at the bottom by pressing the tablet side. Generally, 10 or more tablets are made into one sheet. Supplied.

Here, the tablet cassette on which the PTP tablet sheet is placed is accommodated in the cassette shelf, and the claw portion of the chucking device mounted on the head device chucks the PTP tablet sheet at the lowest position in the tablet cassette. The king is transferred to a cutting device, where it is cut into a predetermined shape.
JP-A-4-269960 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-052233

  However, when the cutting operation of the PTP tablet sheet is performed with the cutting devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, as shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the cutting blade 750 is linear and the blade thickness is thin. If the position of the blade 750 is slightly shifted during cutting or connecting the horizontal blades, as shown in the lower part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 in FIG. 8, the cuts of the blade 750 are not connected to each other, and the PTP tablet sheet There was a problem that 900 could not be completely separated. In this case, a work for reworking the cut portion of the PTP tablet sheet 900 occurs, and the work efficiency of cutting is reduced.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and it aims at providing the cutting method of the dispensing apparatus which can fully isolate | separate a PTP tablet sheet with a simple structure, and its mechanism.

  A first invention is a cutting method for a dispensing device in which the tablet sheet is moved relative to the blade at a pitch shorter than the length of the cut groove of the tablet sheet when a cutting operation is performed using a blade having a predetermined shape. The cutting groove of the tablet sheet before the relative movement is partially overlapped with the cutting groove of the tablet sheet after the relative movement by using a blade in which at least a part of the cutting edge protrudes in the blade width direction. Further, the cutting operation is performed.

  A second invention is a cutting mechanism of a dispensing device that moves the tablet sheet relative to the blade at a pitch shorter than the length of the cut groove of the tablet sheet when a cutting operation is performed using a blade having a predetermined shape. And at least a part of the blade edge of the blade is protruded in the blade width direction so that the cut groove of the tablet sheet before the relative movement partially overlaps the cut groove of the tablet sheet after the relative movement. It is characterized by this.

  According to the first and second inventions, the tablet sheet is moved relative to the blade at a pitch shorter than the length of the cut groove of the tablet sheet when a cutting operation is performed using a blade having a predetermined shape. . At that time, the cutting groove of the tablet sheet before the relative movement is partially overlapped with the cutting groove of the tablet sheet after the relative movement by using a blade in which at least a part of the cutting edge protrudes in the blade width direction. In addition, since the cutting operation is performed, even if the blade thickness of the cutting blade is thin and the blade position is slightly shifted in the blade width direction when cutting in the vertical and horizontal directions or when cutting the horizontal blades together, The cuts (cut grooves) of the blades are always connected, so that the tablet sheet can be completely separated. As a result, there is no need to rework the cut portion of the tablet sheet as in the conventional example, and the cutting work efficiency is greatly improved.

  Preferably, the cutting edge has a wave shape when viewed from the side facing the tablet sheet during the cutting operation.

  According to invention of Claim 3, since the said blade edge was made to make a wave shape seeing from the side which opposes the tablet sheet | seat at the time of the said cutting operation, it is monotonous in the length direction of a blade, and a blade width direction. Repeated cut shapes are obtained. As a result, the cutting pressure applied to the cutting edge is slightly larger than the conventional linear shape, but the entire cutting edge is applied with a uniform cutting pressure as in the conventional linear shape. In this case, a good cut surface can be obtained. In addition, since the cut shape is monotonously repeated in the blade length direction and the blade width direction, the cutting edge can be easily processed, and an increase in cost can be suppressed as much as possible.

  As in the invention described in claim 4, it is preferable to set the height of the corrugated portion of the cutting edge to be at least higher than the thickness of the tablet sheet.

  According to the invention of claim 4, since the height of the corrugated portion of the cutting edge is set to be at least higher than the thickness of the tablet sheet, the cutting edge can bite beyond the thickness of the tablet sheet. Thus, the tablet sheet can be completely separated in the thickness direction.

  As in the invention described in claim 5, it is preferable that the blade is replaceably attached to a moving member that moves relative to the tablet sheet in the contact / separation direction.

  According to the invention of claim 5, since the blade is replaceably attached to a moving member that moves relative to the tablet sheet in the direction of separation, the blade can be easily replaced during maintenance. Convenient. In addition, since it can be easily replaced with a conventional straight blade, the conventional cutting device can be easily applied to the present invention.

    According to the first and second inventions, the tablet sheet is moved relative to the blade at a pitch shorter than the length of the cut groove of the tablet sheet when a cutting operation is performed using a blade having a predetermined shape. . At that time, the cutting groove of the tablet sheet before the relative movement is partially overlapped with the cutting groove of the tablet sheet after the relative movement by using a blade in which at least a part of the cutting edge protrudes in the blade width direction. In addition, since the cutting operation is performed, even if the blade thickness of the cutting blade is thin and the blade position is slightly shifted in the blade width direction when cutting in the vertical and horizontal directions or when cutting the horizontal blades together, The cuts (cut grooves) of the blades are always connected, so that the tablet sheet can be completely separated. As a result, there is no need to rework the cut portion of the tablet sheet as in the conventional example, and the cutting work efficiency is greatly improved.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing main components of a dispensing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the dispensing device 1 includes two Y carriages 200 and 200 provided on the left and right sides of the box-shaped device main body 100, and X carriages supported by the Y carriages 200 and 200, respectively. 300, 300, two chucking units 400, 400 supported by these X carriages 300, 300, and two on the front left and right sides of the apparatus main body 100, and a plurality of tablet cassettes 500, 500,. Cassette shelves 600, 600 that can be mounted side by side in the left-right direction, cutting units (corresponding to a cutting mechanism) 700, 700 that are respectively disposed below these cassette shelves 600, 600, and left and right cassette shelves 600, Below one of the two cassette shelves 600, 600, one conveyance core disposed between the left and right ends. And a bare unit 800.

  Hereinafter, representative components of a plurality of components will be described.

  The Y carriage 200 includes a servo motor 210, a ball screw 220 in the vertical axis direction (Y direction in FIG. 1) driven by the servo motor 210, vertical guides 230 and 230 respectively disposed on the left and right of the ball screw 220, The X carriage 300 includes a carriage main body 310 that moves up and down together with the nut 240 by the rotation of the ball screw 220 while being guided by the vertical guides 230 and 230, and the carriage main body. On 310, a servo motor 410, a ball screw 415 in the horizontal axis direction (X direction in FIG. 1) driven by the servo motor 410, and a nut (not shown) are provided.

  2 is a perspective view of the tablet cassette 500 as viewed from the side facing the chucking unit 400, FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state of the tablet cassette 500 before the sheet is cued, and FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the state of time. In the following, the side of the tablet cassette 500 that faces the chucking unit 400 is referred to as the front, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear.

  The tablet cassette 500 in the present embodiment is formed to be slightly wider than various PTP tablet sheets (corresponding to tablet sheets) 900 to be stacked. Accordingly, a plurality of tablet cassettes 500 having different width dimensions are prepared according to the widths of various PTP tablet sheets 900. As shown in FIG. 2, the specific configuration thereof includes a long cassette base 510 having a concave cross section and a cassette body 520 that is detachably fitted from the longitudinal direction of the cassette base 510. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, projections 512 and 512 having L-shapes in a side view are formed in the front and rear (and left and right), respectively, on the back side of the bottom plate 511 of the cassette base 510. The rear end of the bottom plate 511 is A tongue piece 513 that is bent upward and has elasticity is formed. A support member 514 having a reverse concave shape in cross section is formed on the surface side of the rear portion of the bottom plate 511, and two left and right tongue pieces 515 and 515 that are cantilevered by the support member 514 are formed so as to be lowered toward the front. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the support member 514 and the tongue pieces 515 and 515 are both disposed in the left and right side walls 516 and 517 of the cassette base 510, and the tongue pieces 515 and 515 are used for the PTP tablet sheet. A fraction of 900, 900,... Is chucked. However, the number of the strips 515 is not limited to two but may be one or three or more.

  The cassette main body 520 further includes a main body upper part 530 on which a plurality of PTP tablet sheets 900, 900,... Can be stacked, and a main body lower part 540 attached integrally with the lower part of the main body upper part 530. .

  The main body lower part 540 is disposed so as to be buried in the left and right side walls 516 and 517 of the cassette base 510 in the assembled state of the cassette main body 520 to the cassette base 510. As shown, a link mechanism (not shown) for sequentially taking out the PTP tablet sheets 900 stacked at the bottom of the upper portion 530 of the main body is provided on a bottom plate 541 having a long shape with a concave cross section.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the main body upper part 530 is embedded in the left and right side walls 516 and 517 of the cassette base 510 from its rear part to the middle part in an assembled state with the cassette base 510 of the cassette main body 520. The side wall 516 and 517 of the cassette base 510 are projected from the middle part to the front part of the cassette base 510 so as to project in an L shape when viewed from the side. The projected front walls 531 are bent inward at the front end. Thus, they are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap. The upper ends of the front wall 531 are connected to each other by a reinforcing plate 532.

  A bar-like member 533 is erected on the rear part of the upper part 530 of the main body, and is laid down when the PTP tablet sheets 900, 900,... Are filled, so that the PTP tablet sheet 900, The PTP tablet sheets 900, 900,... Are aligned by raising the rod-like member 533 while sandwiching 900,.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the chucking unit 400 includes a Z carriage 411 extending forward (Z direction in FIG. 1) from the carriage body 310, a rotary solenoid 420 disposed on the Z carriage 411, and the rotary solenoid 420. Chuck 430 driven by the horizontal axis, horizontal guides 440 and 440 respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the chuck 430, a primary bucket 450 provided at a lower portion between the horizontal guides 440 and 440, and a front portion of the primary bucket 450 A line sensor 460 provided and a secondary bucket 480 with a shutter 470 provided below the primary bucket 450 are provided. The Z carriage 411 is composed of a servo motor (not shown), a ball screw, and a nut.

  If it is not necessary to punch the fraction of the PTP tablet sheet 900, the chuck 430 of the chucking unit 400 moves forward in response to an operation command from a controller (not shown), and the chuck 430 directly uses the tablet cassette. By pressing the pressing member 543 of 500, the pushing member (not shown) is moved forward by the function of the link mechanism.

  By pressing the rear end of the PTP tablet sheet 900 loaded on the lowermost side of the tablet cassette 500 with the moved extruding member, the front end of the PTP tablet sheet 900 slightly protrudes from the tablet cassette 500. From the state shown in FIG. 3 to the state shown in FIG. 4, so-called cueing is performed. The chucked PTP tablet sheet 900 is chucked by the chuck 430 and pulled forward, and the chucking by the chuck 430 is released in order to drop the pulled PTP tablet sheet 900 into the primary bucket 450. The primary bucket 450 is moved onto the secondary bucket 480 using the X carriage 300 and the Y carriage 200. Then, a bottom shutter (not shown) of the primary bucket 450 is opened, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is dropped into the secondary bucket 480. Next, the bottom shutter 470 of the secondary bucket 480 is opened, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is dropped onto the transport conveyor unit 800.

  5 and 6 are perspective views showing a configuration example of the cutting unit 700. FIG. In FIG. 5, the vertical upper blade (corresponding to the blade) 740 and the horizontal upper blade (corresponding to the blade) 750 of the cutting unit 700 are both at the home position. Is shown separately. FIG. 6 shows a cutting state by the vertical upper blade 740 or the horizontal upper blade 750. In FIG. 6, the drive system is omitted, but the configuration of the drive system is the same as that of FIG. 5 and 6, the tablet sheet 900 chucked by the chuck 430 of the chucking unit 400 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cutting unit 700 (corresponding to a cutting mechanism) includes a unit body 710 having a square shape when viewed from the front, and slide shafts 730 erected on the left and right of the front portion of the unit body 710. The upper blade mounting member (corresponding to a moving member) mounted on the left and right slide shafts 730 and mounted with the vertical upper blade 740 and the horizontal upper blade 750 so as to slide in the vertical direction by the drive unit 720. 735, and a lower blade attachment table 780 to which a vertical lower blade 760 and a horizontal lower blade 770 are attached, which are opposed to the vertical upper blade 740 and the horizontal upper blade 750 of the upper blade attachment member 735, respectively. .

  More specifically, the unit main body 710 includes a bottom plate, side plates erected on both left and right sides of the bottom plate, and a top plate supported by the side plate. 780 is configured.

  The drive unit 720 includes a large-diameter drive gear 722 that is rotationally driven by a pulse motor 721, a small-diameter driven gear 723 that meshes with the drive gear 722, and a left-right drive shaft that is further rotationally driven by the driven gear 723. 724, and pinion gears 725 and 725 fixed to the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724, respectively.

  The slide shafts 730 and 730 are provided on the bottom plate of the unit main body 710, and the left and right sleeves are inserted into the lower blade mounting table 780 in the middle and the upper portion is mounted on the upper blade mounting member 735. 715 and 715 are slidably fitted. Near the lower part of the slide shafts 730 and 730, sensors 790 and 790 that are linked to the upper blade attachment member 735 are inserted, and the slide amounts of the upper blade attachment member 735 are detected by these sensors 790 and 790. It is like that.

  The upper blade attaching member 735 has a vertical upper blade 740 suspended from the lower portion thereof, and a horizontal upper blade 750 suspended from the lower portion. In addition, racks 736 and 736 are attached to the left and right ends of the upper blade attaching member 735, and these racks 736 and 736 mesh with the pinion gears 725 and 725 of the drive unit 720, respectively.

  A vertical lower blade 760 is horizontally attached to the upper portion of the lower blade attachment table 780, and a horizontal lower blade 770 is horizontally attached to the upper portion. The vertical lower blade 760 has a vertical groove in which the vertical upper blade 740 can be inserted and removed, and the horizontal lower blade 770 has a horizontal groove in which the horizontal upper blade 750 can be inserted and removed. The lower blade may be a contact plate.

  In the following, in order to clarify the features of the present invention, the horizontal upper blade 750 having a straight cutting edge similar to the conventional one is described first, and then the wave-shaped cutting edge which is a typical example of the present invention is continuously described. The horizontal upper blade 750a having the above will be described. Note that the vertical upper blades 740 and 740a are the same as the horizontal upper blades 750 and 750a, respectively, and thus redundant description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a detailed structure of a horizontal upper blade 750 having a straight cutting edge similar to the conventional one, wherein (a) is a state of the horizontal upper blade 750 alone, and (b) is a mounting member 7503. It is in the state attached to. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a connection state of cuts (cut grooves) by the horizontal upper blade 750.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the horizontal upper blade 750 includes a square blade body 7501 and a straight blade edge portion 7502 similar to the conventional one. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the upper part of the blade main body 7501 of the horizontal upper blade 750 is screwed in a state of being fitted in a groove portion 7504 formed in an attachment member 7503 having an L-shaped cross section. . The attachment member 7503 is further screwed onto the lower surface side of the upper blade attachment member 735 of FIGS.

  The operation of the horizontal upper blade 750 will be described briefly. First, in the home position as shown in FIG. 5, the tip of the horizontal upper blade 750 attached to the lower side of the upper blade attachment member 735 with the attachment member 7503 is slightly viewed. ing. Below the horizontal upper blade 750, a PTP tablet sheet 900 having its end held by the chuck 430 of the chucking unit 400 shown in FIG. 1 is placed on the lower blade attachment member 780.

  Now, the fraction of the PTP tablet sheet 900 to be cut is calculated according to the prescription data by a control device (not shown), and the pulse motor 721 is driven by a predetermined step in response to an operation command signal from a controller (not shown) corresponding to the calculated value. Is done. Thus, cutting with the horizontal upper blade 750 is performed. In this case, when the pulse motor 721 is driven, the drive gear 722 decelerates the driven gear 723 to a predetermined rotational speed and drives the rack 736 via the pinion gears 725 and 725 at the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724. , 736 are pushed down by the same amount.

  Then, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered while maintaining the horizontal state, and the horizontal upper blade 750 is pushed down. In this way, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered to cut the PTP tablet sheet 900 first. At this time, for example, a linear cut groove corresponding to the shape of the cutting edge portion 7502 of the horizontal upper blade 750 is formed in the upper left half of the PTP tablet sheet 900 of FIG.

  When the horizontal upper blade 750 finishes cutting the PTP tablet sheet 900, it receives an operation command signal from a controller (not shown) again, and the pulse motor 721 is driven in the opposite direction by a predetermined step. Thus, the upper blade attaching member 735 is raised and the horizontal upper blade 750 is returned to the original position. In this case, when the pulse motor 721 is driven, the drive gear 722 drives the driven gear 723 to a predetermined value. And the racks 736 and 736 are pushed up by the same amount via the pinion gears 725 and 725 on the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724.

  Then, the upper blade attaching member 735 is raised while maintaining a horizontal state, and the horizontal upper blade 750 is pushed up. After the cutting edge portion 7502 of the horizontal upper blade 750 is separated from the notch (cut groove) of the PTP tablet sheet 900, the PTP tablet sheet 900 is horizontally moved to the left by the chuck 430 of the chucking unit 400. The pitch of this movement shall be shorter than the length of the said cut groove.

  In response to the operation command signal from the controller, the pulse motor 721 is driven by a predetermined step. Thus, cutting with the horizontal upper blade 750 is performed. In this case, when the pulse motor 721 is driven, the drive gear 722 decelerates the driven gear 723 to a predetermined rotational speed and drives the rack 736 via the pinion gears 725 and 725 at the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724. , 736 are pushed down by the same amount.

  Then, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered while maintaining the horizontal state, and the horizontal upper blade 750 is pushed down. In this way, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is cut again. At this time, for example, in the upper right half of the PTP tablet sheet 900 of FIG. A corresponding linear cut groove is formed. And as long as the position in the front-rear direction before and after the movement of the PTP tablet sheet 900 substantially coincides (strictly, as long as it is within the blade width), both the cut grooves are continuous through the overlapping portion 950, and the PTP tablet The sheet 900 is completely separated.

  However, as shown in the lower part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 in FIG. 8, if the position in the front-rear direction before and after the movement of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is shifted by a dimension d larger than the blade width, both cut grooves are Since it is linear, the parallel portion 960 is discontinuous, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is not completely cut, and is connected by the parallel portion 960. This point is as described above.

  9A and 9B are perspective views showing the detailed structure of the horizontal upper blade 750a having a wave-shaped cutting edge according to the present invention. FIG. 9A is a state of the horizontal upper blade 750a alone, and FIG. It is in the attached state. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a connection state of cuts (cut grooves) by the horizontal upper blade 750a.

  As shown in FIG. 9 (a), the horizontal upper blade 750a has a square blade body 7501a and a blade edge portion 7502a. The blade edge portion 7502 includes the PTP tablet sheet 900 at the time of cutting operation. It has a so-called wave shape when viewed from the opposite side. Thereby, the cut shape which repeats monotonously in the blade length direction and the blade width direction is obtained. As a result, the cutting pressure applied to the cutting edge is slightly larger than the conventional linear shape, but the entire cutting edge is applied with a uniform cutting pressure as in the conventional linear shape. In this case, a good cut surface can be obtained. In addition, since the cut shape is monotonously repeated in the blade length direction and the blade width direction, the cutting edge can be easily processed, and an increase in cost can be suppressed as much as possible. The height of the blade edge portion 7502a is set to be higher than the maximum thickness dimension of the PTP tablet sheet 900 assumed to be used. As a result, the cutting edge can bite beyond the thickness of the tablet sheet, and the tablet sheet can be completely separated in the thickness direction.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, the upper part of the blade body 7501a of the horizontal upper blade 750a is screwed in a state of being fitted in a groove portion 7504 formed in an attachment member 7503 having an L-shaped cross section. Yes. The attachment member 7503 is further screwed onto the lower surface side of the upper blade attachment member 735 of FIGS. This is convenient because the blade can be easily replaced during maintenance. Further, since it can be easily replaced with a conventional straight blade, there is also an advantage that the conventional cutting device can be easily applied to the present invention. In the following description, the horizontal upper blade 750 in FIGS. 5 and 6 is replaced with the horizontal upper blade 750a of the present invention.

  The operation of the horizontal upper blade 750a will be described briefly. First, as shown in FIG. 5, at the home position, the tip of the horizontal upper blade 750 attached to the lower side of the upper blade attachment member 735 with the attachment member 7503 is slightly. Peeking. Below the horizontal upper blade 750a, a PTP tablet sheet 900 having its end held by the chuck 430 of the chucking unit 400 shown in FIG. 1 is placed on the lower blade attachment member 780.

  Now, the fraction of the PTP tablet sheet 900 to be cut is calculated according to the prescription data by a control device (not shown), and the pulse motor 721 is driven by a predetermined step in response to an operation command signal from a controller (not shown) corresponding to the calculated value. Is done. Thereby, cutting with the horizontal upper blade 750a shall be performed. In this case, when the pulse motor 721 is driven, the drive gear 722 decelerates the driven gear 723 to a predetermined rotational speed and drives the rack 736 via the pinion gears 725 and 725 at the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724. , 736 are pushed down by the same amount.

  Then, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered while maintaining the horizontal state, and the horizontal upper blade 750a is pushed down. In this way, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered to cut the PTP tablet sheet 900 first. At this time, for example, a wavy cut groove corresponding to the shape of the horizontal upper blade 750a is formed in the upper left half of the PTP tablet sheet 900 of FIG.

  When the horizontal upper blade 750a finishes cutting the PTP tablet sheet 900, the pulse motor 721 is driven in the opposite direction by a predetermined step in response to an operation command signal from a controller (not shown). Thus, the upper blade attaching member 735 is raised and the horizontal upper blade 750a is returned to the original position. In this case, when the pulse motor 721 is driven, the drive gear 722 drives the driven gear 723 to a predetermined value. And the racks 736 and 736 are pushed up by the same amount via the pinion gears 725 and 725 on the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724.

  Then, the upper blade attachment member 735 is raised while maintaining a horizontal state, and the horizontal upper blade 750a is pushed up. After the cutting edge portion 7502a of the horizontal upper blade 750a is separated from the notch (cut groove) of the PTP tablet sheet 900, the PTP tablet sheet 900 is moved to the left by the chuck 430 of the chucking unit 400. The pitch of this movement shall be shorter than the length of the said cut groove.

  In response to the operation command signal from the controller, the pulse motor 721 is driven by a predetermined step. Thereby, cutting with the horizontal upper blade 750a shall be performed. In this case, when the pulse motor 721 is driven, the drive gear 722 decelerates the driven gear 723 to a predetermined rotational speed and drives the rack 736 via the pinion gears 725 and 725 at the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724. , 736 are pushed down by the same amount.

  Then, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered while maintaining the horizontal state, and the horizontal upper blade 750 is pushed down. In this way, the upper blade attaching member 735 is lowered and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is cut again. At this time, for example, in the upper right half of the PTP tablet sheet 900 of FIG. Corrugated cut grooves corresponding to are formed. And since the position in the front-rear direction before and after the movement of the PTP tablet sheet 900 coincides, both cut grooves are continuous via the overlapping portion 950 of the corrugated shapes, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is completely cut.

  However, in this case, unlike the case of using the horizontal upper blade 750, the position in the front-rear direction before and after the movement of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is the blade width as shown in the lower part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 in FIG. Even if it is displaced by a larger d dimension, both cut grooves are continuous through the overlapping portion 960, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is completely separated.

  When the horizontal upper blade 750a finishes cutting the PTP tablet sheet 900, the pulse motor 721 is driven in the opposite direction by a predetermined step in response to an operation command signal from a controller (not shown). Thus, the upper blade attaching member 735 is raised and the horizontal upper blade 750a is returned to the original position. In this case, when the pulse motor 721 is driven, the drive gear 722 drives the driven gear 723 to a predetermined value. And the racks 736 and 736 are pushed up by the same amount via the pinion gears 725 and 725 on the left and right ends of the drive shaft 724.

  Then, the upper blade attaching member 735 is raised while maintaining a horizontal state, the horizontal upper blade 750a is pushed up, and the cutting operation is completed. Although not shown, the operation of the vertical upper blade 740a is exactly the same.

  The PTP tablet sheets 900 corresponding to the punched fractions are dropped directly onto the transport conveyor unit 800.

  The remaining part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 that has been punched out is returned to the original tablet cassette 500 while being chucked by the chuck 430. In this case, the remaining part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is the tongue of the cassette base 510. It is inserted and stored in the remaining storage section 515a below the pieces 515, 515 in a cueing state.

  The remaining portion of the PTP tablet sheet 900 stored in the remaining storage portion 515a is then chucked by the chuck 430 with the remaining portion of the PTP tablet sheet 900 and pulled forward, and is formed by the line sensor 460. Check. Then, when it is not necessary to punch out the remaining part of the PTP tablet sheet 900, the chucking by the chuck 430 is released in order to drop the remaining part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 into the primary bucket 450. The primary bucket 450 is moved onto the secondary bucket 480 using the X carriage 300 and the Y carriage 200. Then, a bottom shutter (not shown) of the primary bucket 450 is opened, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is dropped into the secondary bucket 480. Next, the bottom shutter 470 of the secondary bucket 480 is opened, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is dropped onto the transport conveyor unit 800.

  On the other hand, even when it is necessary to punch the remaining fraction of the remaining portion of the PTP tablet sheet 900, as described above, the chuck 430 can cue it from the remaining portion storage portion 515a under the tongue pieces 515 and 515 of the cassette base 510. The remaining portion of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is chucked and pulled forward. The remaining portion of the pulled PTP tablet sheet 900 is conveyed to the cutting unit 700 while being chucked. Then, the remaining part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is punched using the vertical blade and the horizontal blade, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 corresponding to the further punched part is dropped directly onto the transport conveyor unit 800.

  On the other hand, the remaining part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 that has been subjected to further blanking is returned to the original tablet cassette 500 while being chucked by the chuck 430. In this case, the remaining part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is also the cassette base 510. Are inserted and stored in the remaining storage portion 515a below the tongue pieces 515, 515.

  In this way, the PTP tablet sheet 900 loaded on the tablet cassette 500 is dispensed to its fraction without waste.

  The transport conveyor unit 800 includes a roller group or the like 801 and tablet takeout buckets 802 and 802 that are moved in the front / rear and left / right directions by the roller group or the like. Then, the PTP tablet sheet 900 dropped from the secondary bucket 480 via the shutter 470 or its remaining part is moved in the front / rear / left / right direction by a roller group 801 and dropped into one of the tablet takeout buckets 802 and 802. It is like that.

  On the other hand, the remaining portion or further remaining portion of the PTP tablet sheet 900 dropped from the cutting unit 700 is similarly moved in the front-rear and left-right directions by the roller group 801 and dropped into one of the tablet take-out buckets 802 and 802.

  In this way, the dispensed buckets 802 and 802 accommodate the dispensed PTP tablet sheet 900 or the remainder thereof.

  According to this embodiment, the PTP tablet sheet 900 is placed at a pitch shorter than the length of the cut groove of the PTP tablet sheet 900 when a cutting operation is performed using, for example, the horizontal upper blade 750a as a blade having a predetermined shape. It is moved relative to the horizontal upper blade 750a. At that time, the cut groove of the PTP tablet sheet 900 before the relative movement is formed by using the horizontal upper blade 750a having the wavy blade edge portion 7502a when viewed from the side where the blade edge portion 7502 faces the PTP tablet sheet 900. Since the cutting operation is performed so as to partially overlap the cut groove of the PTP tablet sheet 900 after the relative movement, the blade thickness of the horizontal upper blade 750a is thin, and when cutting in the vertical and horizontal directions or the horizontal blade Even when the position of the horizontal upper blade 750a is slightly deviated at the time of cutting each other, the cuts (cut grooves) of the horizontal upper blade 750a are always connected by the overlapping portion 960 so that the PTP tablet sheet 900 can be completely separated. become. As a result, there is no need to rework the cut portion of the tablet sheet as in the conventional example, and the cutting work efficiency is greatly improved.

  In the above embodiment, the two cassette shelves 600 and 600 are arranged on the left and right. However, the cassette shelves 600 and 600 may be arranged on the front and back, or one or three or more cassette shelves may be arranged. Good. In that case, it is preferable from the viewpoint of work efficiency that the number of carriages, chucking units, cutting units, and the like correspond to this.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the blade edge | tip part 7502a of the horizontal upper blade 750a shall be a uniform wave shape in the length direction, other shapes, for example, a U-shape, may be sufficient. That is, it is sufficient to use a blade with at least a part of the blade edge protruding in the blade width direction. In this case, as described above, the cutting pressure becomes uniform in the blade length direction and the blade width direction. Therefore, it is desirable that a good cut surface can be obtained and processed at low cost. .

  Moreover, although the application example about the horizontal upper blade 750a was demonstrated in the said embodiment, this invention can be similarly applied to the vertical upper blade 740a. Further, unlike the above, the present invention can be applied to a case where there is only one blade or a case where there are a larger number of blades.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the horizontal upper blade 750a is simply moved up and down, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is gripped by the chuck 430 of the chucking unit 400 and moved horizontally with respect to the horizontal upper blade 750. The horizontal upper blade 750a may be moved horizontally.

  In the above embodiment, the PTP tablet cassettes 500, 500,... Are arranged on the shelf plate 602 of the cassette shelf 600 in the width direction of the PTP tablet cassettes 500, 500,. However, the shelf plate is not limited to a stationary flat plate shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape rotating around a predetermined axis. In that case, it is sufficient to move the chucking unit 400 relative to each PTP tablet cassette 500, 500,... Mounted on the rotating shelf.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the main components of the dispensing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view seen from the side which faces the chucking unit of a tablet cassette. It is a sectional side view which shows the state before the sheet | seat cueing of a tablet cassette. It is a sectional side view which shows the state at the time of the sheet | seat search of a tablet cassette. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the cutting unit in case a blade exists in a home position. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the cutting unit in which the blade is performing cutting operation. It is a perspective view which respectively shows the detailed structure of the horizontal upper blade which has the same linear blade edge as the past, (a) The state of the horizontal upper blade single-piece | unit, (b) is the state which attached it to the attachment member. . It is a top view which shows the connection state of the cut groove | channel by the horizontal upper blade which has the same linear blade edge as the past. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of the horizontal upper blade which has a wave-shaped blade edge | tip of this invention, respectively, Comprising: (a) The state of the horizontal upper blade single-piece | unit, (b) is the state which attached it to the attachment member. It is a top view which shows the connection state of the cut groove | channel by the horizontal upper blade which has a wave-shaped blade edge | tip of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Dispensing device 100 Main body 200 Y carriage 300 X carriage 400 Chucking unit 500 Tablet cassette 600 Cassette shelf 700 Cutting unit (corresponding to cutting mechanism)
710 Unit body 720 Drive unit 730 Slide shaft 735 Upper blade attaching member (corresponding to a moving member)
740 Vertical upper blade (corresponds to a blade)
750 Horizontal upper blade (corresponds to a blade)
7501 Blade body 7502 Blade edge portion 7503 Attachment member 760 Vertical lower blade 770 Horizontal lower blade 780 Lower blade attachment table 800 Conveyor unit 900 PTP tablet sheet (corresponds to tablet sheet)
920 Tablet 950 Overlapping part 960 Overlapping part or parallel part

Claims (5)

A cutting method of a dispensing device that moves the tablet sheet relative to the blade at a shorter pitch than the length of the cut groove of the tablet sheet when a cutting operation is performed using a blade having a predetermined shape,
Using a blade with at least a part of the blade tip protruding in the blade width direction,
A cutting method for a dispensing device, wherein the cutting operation is performed such that the cut groove of the tablet sheet before the relative movement partially overlaps the cut groove of the tablet sheet after the relative movement. A cutting mechanism of a dispensing device that moves the tablet sheet relative to the blade at a pitch shorter than the length of the cut groove of the tablet sheet when a cutting operation is performed using a blade having a predetermined shape,
At least a part of the blade edge of the blade is protruded in the blade width direction so that the cut groove of the tablet sheet before the relative movement partially overlaps the cut groove of the tablet sheet after the relative movement. Cutting mechanism for dispensing equipment.   The cutting mechanism of a dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the cutting edge has a wave shape when viewed from the side facing the tablet sheet during the cutting operation.   The cutting mechanism of the dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein the height of the corrugated portion of the cutting edge is set to be at least higher than the thickness of the tablet sheet.   The cutting mechanism of the dispensing device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the blade is replaceably attached to a moving member that moves relative to the tablet sheet in a separation / contact direction. .

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