JP2009035298A - Capsule inverting mechanism in device for filling material into capsule and - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inverting mechanism which, when a capsule falls upside down from a hopper randomly storing capsules, makes correction of positioning a body downside and a lid upside, in a filling device for filling liquid, powder or grain in the capsule formed by fitting the lid having a larger outer diameter to the body of a smaller outer diameter. <P>SOLUTION: A turn table 4 intermittently turned is provided adjacently to a drop hole 7 for dropping a capsule 1 guided from a hopper 29. A rotator 5 with a storage hole 15 for storing the dropped capsule 1 is formed on the outer periphery of the table 4 and is pivoted to turn on the axis in the radius direction. A fitting piece 16 is protrusively formed on the outside of the rotator 5 and a fitting part 23 fitted with the piece 16 and turned by 180° is provided adjoining the table 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is a capsule formed by fitting a main body and a lid to each other, and in a device for filling the capsule with a liquid, powder, or granule, for reversing the capsule in the opposite direction It relates to the mechanism.

  FIG. 1 shows a conventionally known general capsule form, which consists of a cylindrical main body and a cylindrical lid, and the outer diameter of the main body is smaller than the outer diameter of the lid. Of course, the cylindrical lid having a larger outer diameter may be determined as the main body, but in the present invention, the smaller outer diameter is defined as the main body. By the way, this capsule is filled with liquid medicine, powder medicine, or granular medicine.

  When filling the capsule with the medicine, remove the lid and separate it from the main body.After filling the main body with the top open, cover the lid and paste it so that the lid does not come off. The The empty capsules with lids are randomly placed in the hopper, taken out one by one from the hopper, the lids are opened, the medicine is packed in the main body, and glued so that the lid does not come off.

  “Capsule filling method and apparatus” according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-59602 includes an orientation device for directing a capsule in a vertical direction so that an apparatus for filling a capsule with a pharmaceutical product has an upper shell on the capsule. , The capsules so oriented are sequentially fed to a removal device for removing the upper shell, where the device checks at least one device for the absence of the capsule, and the capsule that is still closed from the orientation device. Transfer means for transferring the inspection apparatus to the removal apparatus is provided.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-92393 discloses a “device for metering and filling a medicine container, particularly a capsule”, which is continuously operated and includes a simple and reliable device for detecting the presence of a capsule and a liquid. And a device for metering drugs that are designed to be easily applied to both paste-like fillings.
That is, a rotating bottom portion formed with a hole engaged by a movable piston; a belt for transferring a capsule; a rotating top portion having a medicine container; a bottom central portion and a rotating central portion integral with the top portion; formed in the central portion The first position in which the container communicates with the hole along each hole in each rotation, and each piston moves downward to be drawn into the drug, and the piston moves upward to open the opening. And a mechanism for controlling movement of the other valve; and one valve adapted to travel between the second positions where a predetermined amount of medicine is supplied into the lower capsule.
"Capsule filling method and apparatus" according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-59602 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-92393, “Apparatus for Metering and Filling Drugs into Storage Containers, Especially Capsules”

  Thus, there are various devices for filling capsules with medicine. Basically, the lid body is removed and the capsule body is filled with medicine, but the capsule in the opposite direction must be reversed to align the capsule. The present invention provides a capsule reversing mechanism which is different from the conventional mechanism and has a simple reversing operation and a simple structure.

  The capsule reversing mechanism according to the present invention drops capsules one by one from hoppers that are randomly accommodated, and accommodates the dropped capsules in holes. At this time, if the capsule is facing down on the main body, if the main body fits into the lower small hole forming the stepped hole and conversely the lid is located on the lower side Does not fit in small stepped holes. The direction of the capsule is detected by a sensor, and when the lid is directed downward, the capsule is inverted.

  By the way, a rotary table that rotates intermittently is provided at the upper end of a shaft that stands vertically from a horizontal base, and a rotary body having a horizontal axis provided in the radial direction is supported on the outer periphery of the rotary table. The rotating body is formed with a receiving hole penetrating in the vertical direction, and a disc-shaped base is provided close to the lower side of the rotating body, and the inner diameter is set so that the body fits the base but the lid does not fit. A small hole is provided. Therefore, the accommodation hole provided in the rotating body is a large hole into which the capsule lid body is fitted, and the hole provided in the lower base of the rotating table is a small hole into which only the capsule body is fitted.

  Then, an engaging piece protrudes from the outer periphery of the rotating body, and if the engaging piece is turned, the rotating body rotates within the rotary table. Here, the rotary table is configured to be able to rotate intermittently, and for this purpose, the rotary table is provided with an intermittent rotation mechanism, but its specific structure is not limited. A reversing device is provided adjacent to the rotary table, and the engaging piece of the rotating body is configured to rotate 180 °.

  That is, when the rotary table is rotated, the engaging piece of the outer peripheral rotating body is engaged with the engaging portion of the reversing device, and when the engaging portion is rotated, the rotating body is rotated 180 ° to accommodate the rotating body. The capsule contained in the hole reverses its orientation. That is, by passing through the reversing device, all capsules fitted in the receiving holes of the rotary body of the rotary table are aligned in the correct orientation with the main body facing down.

  As described above, in the capsule whose main body faces downward, the main body is separated from the lid, and the main body is filled with liquid, powder, or granules. Thereafter, after the lid is attached, it is glued (sealed) so as not to come off, and the glue is dried. The apparatus of the present invention embodies a series of steps for filling a liquid capsule, powder, and granules into an empty capsule and attaching a lid, and in particular, a mechanism for aligning the direction of the capsule dropped from the hopper. .

  The capsule reversing mechanism according to the present invention is simple, and the capsule reversing operation is performed reliably and stably. In other words, when the capsule falling from the hopper accommodated at random is in the reverse direction, the small diameter formed on the base on the lower side of the rotary table that forms a stepped hole due to the large outer diameter of the lid The capsule is reversed by engaging with the engaging portion of the reversing mechanism when the engaging piece of the rotating body is engaged with the engaging portion of the reversing mechanism. The inverted capsule is removed from the lid, and the body is filled with liquid, powder, or granule to form a lid, and then glued (sealed) and dried.

  FIG. 1 is a specific example showing a capsule 1, which consists of a main body 2 and a lid 3, and the outer diameter of the main body 2 is smaller than the outer diameter of the lid 3, that is, the main body 2 is thinner than the lid 3. Yes. The present invention is an apparatus for filling the capsule 1 with a liquid medicine, powder medicine, or granular medicine. When the liquid medicine, powder medicine, or granular medicine is filled with the capsule 1, the lid body is used. 3 is removed and filled into the main body 2, and the lid 3 is attached and glued so as not to be removed, and then dried.

  By the way, the capsules 1, 1... That are randomly accommodated in the hopper fall into the accommodation holes of the rotating body provided on the outer periphery of the rotary table, but the capsule 1 that is fallen and accommodated is in the opposite direction In this case, it is necessary to reverse the direction and align it in the correct direction. In the reversing mechanism according to the present invention, the capsule 1 dropped and accommodated in the correct direction with the main body 2 facing down is left as it is, and the capsule 1 dropped and accommodated in the reverse direction with the lid 3 facing down is reversed. The direction of all capsules 1, 1,.

When the main body 2 is unified downward, the lid 3 is removed, and the main body 2 is filled with a liquid medicine, a powder medicine, or a granular medicine. Then, the lid 3 is attached again and then glued, and then dried and discharged. FIG. 2 shows a series of steps in which the capsule 1 drops from the hopper, puts liquid medicine, powdery medicine, or granular medicine into the main body 2 and then dries the lid 3.
(A) of the figure is the correct orientation with the main body 2 facing down, while (b) is the reverse orientation with the lid 3 facing down. Therefore, as shown in (b), when the capsule 1 dropped from the hopper is in the reverse direction, the lid 3 is removed after reversing and the body 2 is liquid medicine, powder medicine, or granular. The medicine is filled.

  FIG. 3 is a specific example showing the reversing mechanism of the capsule 1 according to the present invention, in which 29 is a hopper, 4 is a rotary table, and 5 is a rotating body. A large number of capsules 1, 1... Are randomly accommodated in the hopper 29, and the capsule 1 falls from a drop hole 7 of a pipe 6 that extends downward from the central axis of the hopper 29.

  The hopper 29 is attached to the upper end of the support column 8 standing up from the base 31, and a guide pipe 9 is provided on the outer periphery of the pipe 6 (the pipe 6 fits into the hole of the guide pipe 9), and the guide pipe 9 moves up and down. Installed as possible. That is, the swing pipe 9 is fitted with the pipe 6, and the upper end thereof is located at the center bottom of the hopper 29, and acts to guide the capsules 1, 1... In a random state to the drop hole 7 of the pipe 6. . The guide pipe 9 can be moved up and down through the rod 11 by the operation of the air cylinder 10 provided on the base side. That is, the capsule 1 in the hopper 29 can be moved up and down in synchronization with the intermittent rotational motion of the rotary table 4 so that the capsules 1 fall into the hole 7 one by one.

  On the other hand, the rotary table 4 is supported by a support column 12 standing from a base 31, and a support shaft 13 passes through the support column 12. The rotation table 4 is attached to the upper end of the support shaft 13. The lower end portion of the support shaft 13 extends downward from the support column 12, and a pulley 14 is attached to the lower end. The pulley 14 rotates via a timing belt (not shown), so that the rotary table 4 can also rotate. . In this case, the turntable 4 is driven to rotate intermittently by 90 °.

  There are various mechanisms for intermittently driving the rotary table 4. However, in general, a cam is used, and the other pulley connected to the pulley 14 via a timing belt is attached to the cam to perform an intermittent motion. It is composed. This intermittent motion is generally used in a feeding device for supplying a material to a press machine, and the description thereof is omitted here.

  And the rotary body 5,5 ... which has a horizontal axis in the radial direction is attached to the outer periphery of the rotary table 4, and this rotary body 5 has a receiving hole 15 in which the capsule 1 fits in the vertical direction, The engaging piece 16 is provided so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the rotary table 4. Therefore, the capsule 1 dropped from the hopper 29 and passing through the hole 7 fits into the accommodation hole 15 of the rotating body 5. A push-up pin 17 is provided below the accommodation hole 15 of the rotating body 5, and the push-up pin 17 can be moved up and down by the air cylinder 30.

  There are various height (length) dimensions of the capsule 1, and the plurality of capsules 1, 1... Are continuously stacked in the drop hole 7. The capsule 1 may be engaged with the receiving hole 15, and the capsule 1 is pushed up to raise the push-up pin 17. Therefore, it is assumed that one capsule 1 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 15 of the rotating body 5, and the upper capsule 1 does not fall and enter the accommodation hole 15 even when the push-up pin 17 is lowered. Can be adsorbed by air.

  Thus, the capsule 1 fitted in the accommodation hole 15 of the rotating body 5 rotates 90 ° with the rotation of the rotary table 4, and the orientation of the capsule 1 is detected at this position. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a state of the capsule 1 accommodated in the accommodation hole 15 of the rotating body 5. FIG. 4A shows the correct orientation, the main body 2 is located on the lower side, and the lid 3 is located on the upper side. On the other hand, FIG. 4B shows a case where the capsule 1 is in the reverse direction, in which the main body 2 is located on the upper side and the lid 3 is located on the lower side.

  A substantially ring-shaped base 18 is provided on the lower side of the rotating body 5, and the main body 2 is fitted into a hole 19 formed in the base 18 and protrudes downward. However, when it is formed in the reverse direction as shown in (b), the outer diameter of the lid 3 is large and does not fit into the hole 19. Accordingly, it is possible to know the orientation of the capsule 1 by detecting the main body 2 protruding downward from the base 18 with a sensor. Thus, the accommodation hole 15 of the rotating body 5 and the hole 19 of the base 18 form a stepped hole.

  FIG. 5 is a front view of the rotary table 4, and rotary bodies 5, 5... Are rotatably supported at four locations on the outer periphery of the rotary table 4, and each rotary body 5, 5. 16, 16, ... protrudes. A base 18 is provided on the lower side of the rotary table 4, and the body 2 of the capsule 1 protruding into the lower side of the base by being fitted in the hole 19 can be detected by a sensor 20 provided on the lower side of the base 18. I can do it. A push-up pin 21 is attached below the hole 19, and the push-up pin 21 can be moved up and down by the operation of the air cylinder 22.

  When the turntable 4 rotates, it is necessary to push up the main body 2 of the capsule 1 fitted in the hole 19 as shown in FIG. 4A, and a lid with a lower end partly fitted as shown in FIG. 4B. It is necessary to push up the body 3. Therefore, the capsule 1 can be pushed up by raising the push-up pin 21 by the operation of the air cylinder 22. The rotary body 5 in which the rotary table 4 rotates and accommodates the capsule 1 while being pushed up to a predetermined height rotates its position by 90 °.

  If the rotating body 5 is rotated 90 °, the engaging piece 16 projecting outward from the rotating body 5 is engaged with the concave groove of the engaging portion 23 as shown in FIG. Since the engagement piece 16 forms an elongated horizontal portion, the engagement piece 16 is fitted into a concave groove that is also cut out horizontally. Therefore, if the engaging portion 23 rotates 180 °, the engaging piece 16 and the rotating body 5 engaged with the concave groove of the engaging portion 23 also rotate 180 °.

  Accordingly, the capsule 1 fitted in the receiving hole 15 of the rotating body 5 in the reverse direction is reversed so that the main body 2 is located on the lower side and the lid 3 is located on the upper side. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the orientation of the capsule 1 is detected by the sensor 20, and when the capsule 1 is in the correct orientation, the engaging portion 23 does not rotate, but the orientation of the capsule 1 is When in the reverse direction, the engaging portion 23 can rotate 180 ° to correct the direction of the capsule 1.

  FIG. 6 is a specific example showing the rotation mechanism of the engaging portion 23. The engaging portion 23 is provided with a shaft 24 and is pivotally supported via a bearing on a column 25 rising from the base 31, and a pinion 26 is attached to the shaft 24. The pinion 26 meshes with the rack 27. If the rack 27 moves up and down by the operation of the air cylinder 28, the piston 26 can rotate. As for the rack 27, the ascending distance or descending distance is controlled so that the rotating body 5 rotates 180 °.

  The raised or lowered rack 27 is returned to the original position when the rotating table 4 further rotates and the engaging piece 16 is removed from the concave groove of the engaging portion 23. When the capsule 1 is aligned in the correct orientation by the reversing mechanism, the main body 2 and the lid 3 are separated from the capsule 1. Then, after the separated main body 2 is filled with liquid, powder, or granules, the lid 3 is attached and further glued (sealed). After that, in order to dry the glue, it is guided to a drying process, and the dried capsule 1 is discharged from the discharge hole.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a substance filling apparatus for capsules equipped with the reversing mechanism of the present invention. This substance filling apparatus includes a hopper that randomly accommodates capsules 1, 1..., A reversing mechanism of the present invention, a separation part between a main body and a lid, a liquid filling part, and a drying part.

Specific examples of capsules. A series of steps to fill a capsule with a substance. The Example which shows the inversion mechanism based on this invention. The direction of the capsule that fits in the receiving hole of the rotating body. The front view of the turntable provided with the rotary body. The specific example which shows the rotation mechanism of a rotary body. Capsule filling device.

Explanation of symbols

1 Capsule 2 Body 3 Lid 4 Rotating Table 5 Rotating Body 6 Pipe 7 Pit Hole 8 Strut 9 Guide Pipe
10 Air cylinder
11 Rod
12 props
13 Spindle
14 pulley
15 receiving hole
16 Engagement piece
17 Push pin
18 base
19 holes
20 sensors
21 Push-up pin
22 Air cylinder
23 Engagement part
24 axes
25 prop
26 Pinion
27 racks
28 Air cylinder
29 Hopper
30 Air cylinder
31 base

Claims (5)

A filling device that packs liquid, powder, or granules inside a capsule formed by fitting a main body with a small outer diameter and a lid with a large outer diameter, and the direction of the capsule falling from a hopper accommodated at random In the reversing mechanism for correcting the body so that the main body is on the lower side and the lid body is on the upper side, the capsule is guided from the hopper and intermittently rotates adjacent to the pit that falls. A rotary table is provided, and a rotary body having a receiving hole for receiving a dropped capsule is supported on the outer periphery of the rotary table so as to be rotatable about a radial axis, and is engaged with the outside of the rotary body. A capsule reversing mechanism in a substance-filling device for capsules, characterized in that an engaging portion that protrudes from a piece and engages with the engaging piece at a position adjacent to the rotary table and rotates by 180 ° is provided. 2. A capsule according to claim 1, wherein a push-up pin for pushing up the capsule fitted in the receiving hole of the rotating body is attached to the position of the drop hole extending downward from the hopper so as to move up and down in synchronization with the intermittent rotation of the rotary table. Capsule inversion mechanism in the substance filling device. A base is provided close to the lower side of the rotary table, and a hole for fitting the capsule body is formed in the base, and a sensor for detecting the main body that fits into the hole and projects downward is attached. Item 3. A capsule inversion mechanism in the substance filling device for capsules according to Item 2. 4. A substance to a capsule according to claim 1, wherein a guide pipe into which a pipe that forms a pit extending downward from the hopper is fitted is attached so as to move up and down in synchronization with the intermittent rotation of the rotary table. Capsule reversing mechanism in filling device The pinion is attached to the shaft on which the engaging portion is pivotally supported, and the rack that is moved up and down by the operation of the air cylinder is engaged with the pinion, according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4. Capsule reversing mechanism in a substance filling device for capsules.

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