JP2011116376A - Tablet cushioning injection system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tablet cushioning injection system that eliminates the need for a worker to replace a container full of tablets with an empty container, shortens time required for container replacement, and also prevents tablet damage resulting from contact with the wall of a pipe shoot. <P>SOLUTION: The tablet cushioning injection system includes: a tablet storage hopper for storing tablets; the pipe shoot inserted in the tablet storage hopper and provided with tablet openings formed every predetermined length, for causing tablets in the tablet storage hopper to fall into a pipe; a shoot lifting/lowering rotary implement for lifting/lowering the pipe shoot, rotating it around its axis, and provided with a portion for switching the lifting/lowering motion and the rotating motion; and a plurality of cushioning plates disposed every predetermined height within the pipe of the pipe shoot and used to cause the tablet falling vertically in the pipe to slide and fall obliquely. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tablet buffering device, and more particularly to a tablet buffering device capable of charging a tablet such as a sugar-coated tablet or a capsule tablet into a container without damaging it.

In pharmaceutical factories, containers are used to transport tablets between processes. That is, the tablet discharged from the previous process is once put into a container, and the tablet together with the container is transferred to the subsequent process. When a tablet is charged into the container at a high speed (dropping speed), the tablet may be damaged by the impact of the tablet colliding with the bottom of the container.
As a conventional technique for solving this problem, for example, a buffer loading device for tablets of Patent Document 1 is known. This conventional apparatus is internally provided with a cylindrical case (pipe chute) inserted so as to be able to be pulled out from the opening formed in the center of the lid of the container into the container, and at an appropriate interval in the vertical direction in the cylindrical case. A plurality of chute bodies (buffer plates). Each chute body is integrally connected on the same axis by a connecting shaft to constitute a chute assembly. A window hole for discharging the overflowing tablet is formed at a predetermined height position on the peripheral wall of the cylindrical case.

  When the conventional apparatus is used, a tablet is loaded from the opening at the upper end of the cylindrical case. Thereby, the tablet falls on the slope in order from the upper chute body, is put into the container through the opening at the lower end of the cylindrical case, and is gradually deposited on the bottom surface of the container. Thereafter, after reaching a height at which the tablet closes the opening at the lower end of the cylindrical case, the tablet gradually accumulates in the flow path of the cylindrical case. Thus, after the tablet reaches the window hole, the tablet falls into the container through the window hole. Thereby, the tablet can be loaded up to a high position in the container while preventing the tablet from cracking or chipping when the tablet is loaded. When replacing the container, the cylindrical case is pulled out from the lid.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-338318

However, in the buffering device for tablets of Patent Document 1, when the tablet is full in the container, the operation of the buffering device is stopped, and then the operator pulls out the cylindrical case from the container, It had been replaced. For this reason, an operator is required to insert and remove the cylindrical case, which takes time and increases the time for replacing the container. Moreover, the tablet production line was stopped during that time.
Further, when pulling out the cylindrical case from the pile of tablets, there is a risk that the tablet may be damaged by the peripheral wall of the cylindrical case.

  In addition, since the cylindrical case is fixed to the lid, the direction in which the tablet is inserted from the cylindrical case is always constant when the tablet is inserted. For this reason, even if a cylindrical case is placed in the center of the lid, the tablets are not evenly distributed in the container, and the angle of repose of the peaks on which the tablets are deposited is partially different. As a result, when the tablet was filled in the container, a large space appeared in a part of the upper space of the container, so that the internal space could not be used effectively, and the maximum input amount of tablets was reduced.

Accordingly, as a result of earnest research, the inventor has arranged a tablet storage hopper above the container, and inserted a pipe chute into the tablet storage hopper so as to be automatically raised and lowered, so that the entire inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute or a predetermined height thereof is inserted. The present invention has developed a tablet buffering device having a structure in which a buffer path material is provided in each and a tablet mouth is formed for each predetermined length (height) of the pipe chute. This eliminates the need for an operator to insert and remove the pipe chute from the container, thereby shortening the container replacement time and eliminating tablet damage due to contact with the wall surface of the cylindrical case, thereby completing the present invention. It was.
In addition, as a result of intensive research, the inventor has found that if the pipe chute is configured to be automatically rotatable, the tablets can be evenly dispersed in the container, and the amount of tablets to be charged into the container can be increased. The present invention was completed.

The present invention provides a tablet buffer loading device that does not require an operator to insert and remove the pipe chute from the container, thereby shortening the container replacement time and eliminating tablet damage due to contact with the wall surface of the pipe chute. The purpose is to do.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tablet buffer charging device capable of increasing the amount of tablets charged into a container.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tablet storage hopper that is disposed above a container for storing a tablet and has an upper opening and a lower opening to store the tablet, and the upper opening of the tablet storage hopper. And a plurality of tablet openings, each of which is inserted through the lower opening and into which the tablet stored in the tablet storage hopper is dropped into the tube, and the tablet in the tube is placed in the container at the lower end. A pipe chute formed with a tablet insertion port, a chute raising / lowering rotating means for vertically raising and lowering the pipe chute while being inserted into the tablet storage hopper, and rotating around the axis of the pipe chute, and the pipe chute And a buffer path material which is provided for the entire inner peripheral surface of the tablet or for each predetermined length thereof, and which obliquely slides the tablet dropped into the tube from the tablet mouth, and rotates the chute up and down. The stage is provided with a vertical drive shaft connected to the upper part of the pipe chute, a bearing through which the drive shaft is inserted, and a bearing that contacts an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft with respect to the axis of the drive shaft at a predetermined angle. Any of a rotating block body, a rotating motor that rotates the rotating block body about the axis of the driving shaft, and a rotational force and a direct power that act on the driving shaft from the rotating block body that is rotated by the rotating motor. This is a tablet buffering device having an up / down / rotation switching unit for selecting one of them.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the operation of the chute raising / lowering rotating means is switched to the chute raising / lowering side by the rotation switching means, and then the pipe chute is lowered by the chute raising / lowering rotating means until the tablet insertion port reaches the bottom of the container. Let At this time, a predetermined tablet mouth of the pipe chute is arranged in the tablet storage hopper. Thereafter, if the tablet is supplied to the tablet storage hopper, the tablet falls from the tablet storage hopper through the tablet mouth into the pipe chute. In the middle of the fall, the tablet slides down the slope of the buffer path material, and the drop speed of the tablet decreases. When the tablet reaches the lower end of the pipe chute, the tablet is introduced into the container from the tablet insertion port, and gradually accumulates on the bottom surface of the container. At this time, since the falling speed of the tablet is reduced by the buffer path material, the impact force when the tablet collides with the bottom surface of the container is small, and the tablet is hardly damaged.

  If the rotation switching means is switched to the chute rotating side during the tablet charging, and the pipe chute is automatically rotated continuously (discontinuously) or intermittently (intermittently) by the chute raising / lowering rotating means, the tablet is placed in the container. The inner space can be uniformly introduced over the entire circumference. As a result, the internal space of the container can be effectively used, and the amount of tablets put into the container can be increased.

  Next, when the pile of tablets that have been deposited reaches the vicinity of the tablet insertion port, the rotation switching means is switched to the chute raising / lowering side, the chute raising / lowering rotating means is operated, and the pipe chute is moved from the tablet mouth in the tablet storage hopper to 1 The stepped tablet mouth is raised until it reaches the tablet storage hopper. At this time, the tablets may continue to be supplied into the tablet storage hopper. In addition, when the one-stage lower tablet mouth reaches the tablet storage hopper in this way, the tablet in the tablet storage hopper falls from the tablet mouth into the pipe chute, and similarly, the dropping speed is suppressed by the buffer path material. It is put into the container through the tablet inlet. Again, during tablet loading, the rotation switching means is switched to the chute rotation side, the pipe chute is automatically rotated continuously or intermittently by the chute raising / lowering rotation means, and the tablets are uniformly charged over the entire inner space of the container. Is possible.

Thereafter, similarly, the tablet buffer charging device is operated, the pipe chute is intermittently raised by the height of one tablet mouth, and the tablets are sequentially loaded into the container. Thereafter, after the inside of the container is filled with tablets, the pipe chute is raised above the container, and the container is replaced with an empty container.
This eliminates the need for an operator to insert and remove the pipe chute from the container when the tablet is put into the container, and shortens the container replacement time. Moreover, the lower part of the pipe chute is not buried in the pile of tablets. Therefore, the tablet is not damaged by the contact with the pipe chute.

As tablets, for example, sugar-coated tablets, naked tablets, coated tablets, capsule tablets, buccal tablets, troche tablets and the like can be employed.
The shape of the container is arbitrary. For example, a cylindrical container, a rectangular container, etc. are employable.
As the tablet storage hopper, for example, a funnel shape in which the upper part is cylindrical and the lower part is tapered downward can be adopted. The upper opening of the tablet storage hopper has a larger diameter than the lower opening. The tablet storage hopper may be fixed to the lid of the container. In this case, when replacing the container, the container is not replaced with the cover, but only the container is replaced. The fixing position of the tablet storage hopper on the lid is preferably the center of the lid. This is because, in the automatic tablet loading, it is easy to obtain a conical shape with the central axis of the container as the peak of the tablets accumulated in the container that can maximize the amount of tablet loading.
The pipe chute is a straight pipe having a circular cross section, and a plurality of tablet openings are formed for each predetermined length. As a material of the pipe chute, for example, various metals such as stainless steel and hard aluminum, various synthetic resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene can be employed.
As the shape of the tablet mouth, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a polygon more than a quadrangle, and the like can be adopted. The interval of each tablet mouth may be constant or different. The number of tablet mouths formed is arbitrary as long as it is two or more.

As a material of the buffer path material, for example, the same material as the pipe chute or a different material may be used.
As the buffer path material, for example, a spiral path material (spiral groove) formed over the entire length of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute can be employed. The spiral path material may be formed integrally with the pipe chute or may be formed separately. Further, as another buffer path member, a buffer plate that is an inclined plate can be employed. The upper end of the buffer plate is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute. A space through which the tablet can pass is formed between the lower end of each buffer plate and the inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute. For example, one buffer plate (one lower plate) is provided at a position 180 ° around the axis of the pipe chute. The interval between the buffer plates may be constant or different. The number of buffer plates formed is arbitrary as long as it is two or more. Moreover, although the inclination angle of each buffer plate is arbitrary, for example, around 45 ° is preferable.

The structure of the chute raising / lowering rotating means is arbitrary as long as it raises and lowers the pipe chute and rotates the pipe chute around its axis. For example, a “slide screw” manufactured by Nippon Bearing Co., Ltd. can be used. The chute raising / lowering rotation means may perform the raising / lowering and rotation of the pipe chute individually or simultaneously.
As the drive shaft, for example, a shaft in which the axis line of the pipe chute and the axis line are connected can be adopted. However, if the axes are parallel to each other, it is not necessarily connected to the upper end surface of the pipe chute.

The bearing uses the friction between the bearing and the drive shaft to convert the rotary motion of the rotating block body into the linear motion (linear motion) of the drive shaft, and the rotation surface of the bearing is relative to the axis of the drive shaft. In contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft in a state inclined by a predetermined angle (lead). As the bearing, for example, a radial ball bearing or an angular bearing can be adopted. The number of bearings used is arbitrary. For example, when there are three bearings, the bearings are brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft every 120 ° with respect to the axis of the drive shaft. As for the relationship between the drive shaft and the rotating block body, either one cannot be moved in the axial direction, and if this is rotated in this state, the remaining one moves directly in the axial direction of the drive shaft. Here, the movement of the rotating block body in the axial direction is restricted.
The rotating block body is divided into a plurality of (for example, two) partial blocks on a plane parallel to the axis of the drive shaft, for example, and the clamping force of each partial block with respect to the drive shaft of the bearing is adjusted by a thrust adjusting bolt. Thus, the linear motion speed in the axial direction of the drive shaft may be adjusted.

As the rotary motor, for example, various actuators including an electric motor (such as a pulse motor) can be employed.
The structure of the raising / lowering / rotation switching unit is arbitrary as long as it can select any one of the rotational force and the direct power acting on the drive shaft from the rotating block body rotated by the rotary motor. For example, a plurality of (two, three or more) sandwiching rollers for sandwiching the drive shaft are arranged on the rotary block body so as to be in contact with and separated from the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft in the radial direction. it can be adopted. The abutment and separation operation of each clamping roller may be manual or automatic operation with an electric motor or the like.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, a supply nozzle that supplies the tablet to the tablet storage hopper is communicated with a part of the peripheral wall of the tablet storage hopper, and the tablet storage hopper includes a tablet mouth of the pipe chute. The tablet buffer loading device according to claim 1, wherein an opening / closing shutter is provided.

According to invention of Claim 2, the tablet supplied to the tablet storage hopper from the supply nozzle falls in the pipe chute through the tablet mouth arrange | positioned in the tablet storage hopper. When the pipe chute is raised and lowered, the tablet mouth is closed by the open / close shutter, and the tablet supplied from the supply nozzle is temporarily stored in the tablet storage hopper until the lifting operation is completed. After the lifting / lowering operation is completed, the opening / closing shutter is opened, so that the tablet stored in the tablet storage hopper falls into the pipe chute through the tablet mouth. Such temporary storage of the tablets in the tablet storage hopper is also performed when the container is replaced. Thus, the pipe chute can be moved up and down and the container can be replaced without stopping the tablet production line.
The open / close shutter is optional as long as it can open and close the tablet mouth of the pipe chute. For example, a cylindrical body inserted through a pipe chute may be used. The open / close shutter may be of a lifting / closing type or a rotary opening / closing type.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the tablet buffer hopper according to the first or second aspect, wherein the tablet storage hopper is provided with suction means for sucking the powder adhering to the tablet in the tablet storage hopper. Device.

According to the invention of claim 3, when the tablet is supplied into the tablet storage hopper, the powder adhering to the tablet is sucked and removed by the suction means. As a result, tablets with high commercial value can be put into the container.
As the suction means, for example, a negative pressure generator (vacuum device) can be employed. A suction nozzle communicated with the suction part of the negative pressure generator via a hose is inserted into the internal space of the tablet storage hopper.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tablet storage hopper that is disposed above a container for storing a tablet and has an upper opening and a lower opening to store the tablet, and the upper opening of the tablet storage hopper. And a plurality of pipe chutes each having a predetermined length for dropping the tablets stored in the tablet storage hopper into the pipe, and the pipe chutes are stored in the tablet storage. Chute raising and lowering means for vertically raising and lowering in a state of being inserted into the hopper, and the entire area of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute or at a predetermined height of the inner peripheral surface, and obliquely injecting the tablets dropped into the pipe from the tablet mouth The tablet buffering device is provided with a buffer path material that slides down.

According to invention of Claim 4, a pipe chute is lowered | hung until a tablet insertion port reaches the bottom part of a container by a chute raising / lowering means. At this time, a predetermined tablet mouth of the pipe chute is arranged in the tablet storage hopper. Thereafter, if the tablet is supplied to the tablet storage hopper, the tablet falls from the tablet storage hopper through the tablet mouth into the pipe chute. In the middle of the fall, the tablet slides down the slope of the buffer path material, and the fall speed decreases.
Thereafter, when the tablet reaches the lower end of the pipe chute, the tablet is introduced into the container from the tablet insertion port, and gradually accumulates on the bottom surface of the container. At this time, the dropping speed of the tablet is reduced by the buffer path material. Therefore, the impact force when the tablet collides with the bottom of the container is small, and the tablet is hardly damaged.

Next, when the crest of the tablet rises to the vicinity of the tablet inlet, the chute raising / lowering means is actuated again, and the pipe chute reaches the tablet storage hopper with the tablet mouth one level lower than the tablet mouth in the tablet storage hopper. to increase. At this time, the tablets may continue to be supplied into the tablet storage hopper. Next, when the tablet mouth at the lower stage reaches the tablet storage hopper, the tablet in the tablet storage hopper falls from the tablet mouth into the pipe chute, and the dropping speed is similarly suppressed by the buffer path material. It is put into the container through the tablet inlet.
Thereafter, the tablet buffer loading device is operated similarly, and the tablets are sequentially loaded into the container while raising the pipe chute by the height of one tablet mouth. Thereafter, after the inside of the container is filled with tablets, the pipe chute is raised above the container, and the container is replaced with an empty container.

This eliminates the need for an operator to insert and remove the pipe chute from the container when the tablet is put into the container, and shortens the container replacement time. Moreover, since the lower part of the pipe chute is not buried in the tablet pile, the tablet is not damaged by the contact with the pipe chute.
The structure of the chute raising / lowering means is arbitrary as long as it has an actuator for driving up and down (such as an electric motor) and has a structure capable of automatically raising and lowering the pipe chute. For example, a cylinder method, a screw feed method, or the like can be employed.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the tablet buffer loading device according to claim 4, further comprising chute rotating means for rotating the pipe chute about the axis of the pipe chute.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the pipe chute is rotated around the axis of the pipe chute by the chute rotating means, it is possible to uniformly feed the tablet over the entire circumference of the internal space of the container. As a result, the internal space of the container can be effectively used, and the amount of tablets put into the container can be increased.

The structure of the chute rotating means is arbitrary as long as it has an actuator (such as an electric motor) for rotational driving and a structure for automatically rotating the pipe chute. For example, a gear rotation system, a belt / pulley rotation system, a chain / sprocket rotation system, and the like can be employed.
The chute rotating means may be integrated with the chute raising / lowering means (the pipe chute rotating function and elevating function are combined).

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, after the operation of the chute raising / lowering rotating means is switched to the chute raising / lowering side by the rotation switching means, the tablets in the tablet storage hopper are piped in a state where the falling speed is suppressed by the buffer path material. When a tablet pile approaches the pipe chute in the container, the chute lifting / lowering rotation means is activated to raise the pipe chute by the height of one tablet mouth. The tablet is continuously put into the container. This eliminates the need for an operator to insert and remove the pipe chute from the container when the tablet is put into the container, and shortens the container replacement time. Moreover, since the lower part of the pipe chute is not buried in the tablet pile, the tablet is not damaged by the contact with the pipe chute. Further, by switching the rotation switching means to the chute rotation side during the tablet container charging, the tablets can be uniformly charged into the container over the entire inner space. As a result, the internal space of the container can be effectively used, and the amount of tablets put into the container can be increased.

  In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the supply nozzle is connected to a part of the peripheral wall of the tablet storage hopper, and the opening / closing shutter for the tablet mouth of the pipe chute is provided in the tablet storage hopper. The tablet mouth is closed by the opening / closing shutter, and the tablet supplied from the supply nozzle can be stored in the tablet storage hopper until the lifting / lowering operation is completed. As a result, it is possible to raise and lower the pipe chute and replace the container without stopping the tablet production line.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the tablet is supplied into the tablet storage hopper, the powder adhering to the tablet can be sucked and removed by the suction means. As a result, tablets with high commercial value can be put into the container.

  According to invention of Claim 4, the tablet in a tablet storage hopper is thrown into a container from the tablet insertion port of a pipe chute in the state which suppressed fall speed | velocity with the buffering path material, and after that, a tablet is sequentially carried out in a container. When the crest approaches the pipe chute, the chute raising / lowering rotation means is operated, the pipe chute is raised by the height of one tablet mouth, and the tablet is continuously put into the container. This eliminates the need for an operator to insert and remove the pipe chute from the container when the tablet is put into the container, and shortens the container replacement time. Moreover, since the lower part of the pipe chute is not buried in the tablet pile, the tablet is not damaged by the contact with the pipe chute.

  In particular, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the pipe chute is rotated around its axis by the chute rotating means, the tablet can be uniformly charged over the entire circumference of the internal space of the container. Thereby, the effective use of the internal space of the container can be achieved, and the amount of tablets put into the container can be increased.

It is a front view which shows the state which fell to the lower limit position of the pipe chute | shoot of the tablet buffer charging device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a front view of the pipe chute which comprises a part of tablet buffer injection | throwing-in apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a side view of the pipe chute which comprises a part of tablet buffer injection | throwing-in apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a front view of another pipe chute which comprises a part of tablet buffering device concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the tablet supply state of the tablet insertion hopper which comprises a part of tablet buffer charging device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the tablet storage state of the tablet insertion hopper which comprises a part of tablet buffer charging device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a front view of the chute raising / lowering rotation means which comprises a part of tablet buffering device concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is a top view of the rotating block body which comprises a part of tablet buffering device concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is a bottom view of the shaft clamper which constitutes a part of the tablet buffer charging device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a principal part enlarged front view which shows the switching state to the rotational motion side of the drive shaft of the raising / lowering / rotation switching part which comprises a part of tablet buffer charging device concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is a principal part enlarged front view which shows the switching state to the linear motion side of the drive shaft of the raising / lowering / rotation switching part which comprises a part of tablet buffering device concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the 1 step | paragraph ascending state of the pipe chute | shoot of the tablet buffer charging device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows one rotation half rotation state of the pipe chute | shoot of the tablet buffer charging device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which rose to the upper limit position of the pipe chute | shoot of the tablet buffer charging device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention.

  Examples of the present invention will be specifically described below. In addition, the direction (front-back, left-right, up-down) in description means the direction on drawing of FIG.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a tablet buffering device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This tablet buffering device 10 is disposed above a container 11 for storing tablets (bare tablets), and has an upper opening 12a and a bottom. A tablet storage hopper 12 having a side opening 12b for storing a tablet, and an upper opening 12a and a lower opening 12b of the tablet storage hopper 12 are inserted into the tablet storage hopper 12 and dropped into the tube. A plurality of tablet mouths 13 are formed for each predetermined length, and a pipe chute 15 in which a tablet insertion port 14 for feeding a tablet in a tube into the container 11 is formed at the lower end and the pipe chute 15 are connected to the tablet storage hopper 12. Chute elevating / rotating means (chute elevating means, chute rotating means) 16 for vertically elevating and rotating around the axis of the pipe chute 15 in the inserted state, and the pipe chute A plurality of buffer plates (buffer material) 17 that are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 5 at a predetermined height and slide the tablets falling vertically in the tube obliquely in the tube, and support these in a cantilever state. The stand 18 is provided.

  The stand 18 is of a telescopic type in which an inner cylinder 20b is inserted into an outer cylinder 20a erected at the center of a disk-shaped base plate 19 so as to be movable up and down. The base of the arm 21 extending in the horizontal direction is fixed to the upper end of the inner cylinder 20b. A mounting casing 22 that is horizontally long and has an upper surface opened is fixed to the tip of the arm 21. The mounting casing 22 accommodates the chute raising / lowering rotating means 16, and an upper end of a cylindrical cover 24 that covers a drive shaft 23 and a pipe chute 15 described later is fixed to the lower plate of the mounting casing 22. The tablet storage hopper 12 is fixed to the lower end of the cylindrical cover 24. Further, a control unit 25 incorporating a CPU and a timer is housed in a portion of the internal space of the mounting casing 22 opposite to the arm 21 side. In the memory of the control unit 25, operation programs of the rotary motor 26, the first solenoid 27, and the pair of second solenoids 28 controlled by a timer are recorded.

Hereinafter, these components will be described in detail.
The container 11 is a circular deep container 11 in plan view. The opening of the container 11 is closed by a disc-shaped lid 29. A through hole 29a having a diameter larger than the diameter of the pipe chute 15 is formed in the center of the lid 29, and is formed around the lower opening 12b of the tablet storage hopper 12 on the formation portion of the through hole 29a. The flange 12c is detachably mounted.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pipe chute 15 is a cylindrical tube, and one end of the lower end thereof is cut obliquely to form the tablet insertion port 14. The pipe chute 15 is provided with a total of seven rectangular tablet mouths 13 at a predetermined pitch in the length direction. The tablet mouths 13 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are arranged at a phase position of 180 ° around the axis of the pipe chute 15. That is, the tablet mouth 13 is arranged in a staggered pattern in the vertical direction. In addition, the upper end portion of the buffer plate 17 having an inclination angle of 45 ° is fixed to the portion directly above the tablet mouth 13 except the uppermost one of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute 15. Each buffer plate 17 covers the corresponding tablet mouth 13 in a bowl shape from the inside of the tube. Of course, a gap is formed between each buffer plate 17 and the inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute 15 so as not to hinder the tablet from dropping.

  Further, a structure that increases the fixing force of each buffer plate 17 within the pipe chute 15 and facilitates cleaning of the pipe chute 15 and each buffer plate 17 may be employed (FIG. 4). This structure has a support rod 70 having an upper end fixed to the center of the lower surface of a connecting member 37, which will be described later, detachably provided on the upper end of the pipe chute 15A, and disposed on the axis of the pipe chute 15A. An insertion hole 17a for the support bar 70 is formed at the center, and each buffer plate 17A disposed at a predetermined pitch in the length direction of the support bar 70, and mounted on the support bar 70, and a plurality of partial collars 71-77. And a cylindrical collar 78 that sandwiches each buffer plate 17A from above and below. Each of the partial collars 71 to 77 has an end surface that is in contact with the buffer plate 17A cut in accordance with an inclination angle at which the corresponding buffer plate 17A is disposed. Thus, each buffer plate 17A is fixed to the support rod 70 via the cylindrical collar 78, so that the inner portion of the pipe chute 15A is cantilevered in the pipe chute 15A as compared with the case where the base portion is cantilevered. The fixing strength of each buffer plate 17A increases. In addition, after use, each buffer plate 17A can be easily removed from the pipe chute 15A by pulling the support rod 70 together with the connecting member 37 from the pipe chute 15A. This facilitates cleaning of the pipe chute 15A and each buffer plate 17A.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the tablet storage hopper 12 has a straight barrel portion at the top and a funnel portion at the bottom. Among these, a short tablet supply pipe part 30 is communicated with a part of the lower part of the straight body part with an inclination angle of 20 °, and a short suction pipe part 31 is communicated with the same inclination angle immediately above. A base of a supply nozzle 32 that supplies tablets to the tablet storage hopper 12 is inserted into the tablet supply pipe portion 30. It is assumed that the suction tube portion 31 communicates with the tip portion of the suction hose led out from the suction portion of the negative pressure generator B. The upper opening 12 a of the tablet storage hopper 12 is formed at the center of the ceiling plate 33 of the tablet storage hopper 12. The upper opening 12a and the lower opening 12b have the same diameter. On both end portions of the outer edge of the ceiling plate 33, latch pins 34 are projected.

  A cylindrical opening / closing shutter 35 is inserted into the upper opening 12 a and the lower opening 12 b of the tablet storage hopper 12 while being inserted into the pipe chute 15. A rectangular opening / closing port 36 having a size larger than that of the tablet mouth 13 is formed below the opening / closing shutter 35. The length of the opening / closing shutter 35 is substantially the same as the height (length in the axial direction) of the tablet storage hopper 12. A flange 35 a is formed at the upper end of the open / close shutter 35. A pair of pin holes 35b are formed at both end portions (180 ° phase position) of the flange 35a so that both the latch pins 34 are latched. By inserting corresponding latching pins 34 into both pin holes 35b, the open / close shutter 35 is positioned with respect to the tablet storage hopper 12 so that the open / close port 36 faces the original opening of the supply nozzle 32. .

Next, the chute raising / lowering rotation means 16 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 to 11, the chute elevating / rotating means 16 includes a vertical drive shaft 23 having a lower end portion detachably connected to an upper portion of the pipe chute 15 via a connecting member 37, and a drive. A rotating block body 39 in which a total of six bearings 38 that are inserted through the shaft 23 and are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the driving shaft 23 at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis of the driving shaft 23 is disposed, and the rotating block body 39 is driven. The rotary motor 26 that rotates about the axis of the shaft 23, and the elevation / rotation switching unit 40 that selects one of the rotational force and the direct power acting on the drive shaft 23 from the rotary block body 39. ing.

  Among these, the drive shaft 23 is inserted through a through hole 41 a formed in the central portion of the lower plate 41 of the mounting casing 22. A bearing 42 is fixed to the upper surface of the lower plate 41 where the through hole 41a is formed. A pipe shaft 44 that is suspended from a rotating disk 43 on which the rotating block body 39 is placed is supported on the bearing 42. The drive shaft 23 is inserted through the tube shaft 44. A large-diameter pulley 45 is fixed to a portion of the tube shaft 44 between the bearing 42 and the rotating disk 43. A rotating block body 39 is fixed on the center of the rotating disk 43 via an L-shaped bracket 39a.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the rotating block body 39 is a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped, and is configured by combining two front and rear partial blocks 46. Both partial blocks 46 are connected by a pair of spaced thrust adjusting bolts 47. Both thrust adjusting bolts 47 are provided with coil springs 48 that always urge both partial blocks 46 in the approaching direction. By adjusting the screwing amount of the thrust adjustment bolt 47 urged by the two coil springs 48, the clamping force of the drive shaft 23 by both the partial blocks 46 varies, and the propulsive force of the rotating block body 39 varies.
Two bearings 38 are attached to one end surface of one partial block 46, and one bearing 38 is attached to the other end surface of one partial block 46 by a set screw 49. Each bearing 38 is a radial bearing in which the outer cylinder is rotatable with respect to the inner cylinder via a steel ball, and the outer circumference of the bearing 38 is inclined at a predetermined angle (a predetermined angle with respect to the axis of the drive shaft 23). The surface is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 23. Specifically, nut holes (not shown) are provided obliquely on both end faces of one partial block 46, and the bearings 38 are attached by the set screws 49 by screwing set screws 49 into the nut holes. The other partial block 46 also has the same structure, and one bearing 38 is disposed on one end surface and two bearings 38 are disposed on the other end surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the rotary motor 26 is a stepping motor. The rotary motor 26 is fixed on the arm mounting side of the lower plate 41, and is fixed to the upper plate of the casing 50 with the left and right end faces opened by projecting the output shaft 51 into the casing 50. A small-diameter pulley 52 is fixed to the output shaft 51. A timing belt 53 is bridged between the pulley 52 and the large-diameter pulley 45. By rotating the output shaft 51 of the rotary motor 26, the small-diameter pulley 52 rotates, whereby the rotary disk 43 rotates through the timing belt 53 and the large-diameter pulley 45. As a result, the rotary block body 39 is rotated. It rotates around the axis of the drive shaft 23.

Next, the elevation / rotation switching unit 40 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7 and FIGS. 9 to 11, the up / down / rotation switching unit 40 is fixed to the upper surface of the lower plate 41 of the mounting casing 22, and the bases of the four columns 54 are fixed to the upper surface of each column 54. Of the outer edge of the rotary disk 43 and the portal frame 56 that covers the rotary block body 39 from above and to which the upper plate 55 having the insertion hole 55a of the drive shaft 23 is fixed at the center, the center of the rotary disk 43 Two pedestal columns 57 erected on both ends centering on the shaft, and arranged so as to be movable up and down between the upper plate 55 and both pedestal columns 57 so as to be detachable from the upper ends of both pedestal columns 57 And a switching disc 58 in which the drive shaft 23 is inserted into an insertion hole 58a formed in the center, and a pair of rollers 59 provided on the lower surface of the switching disc 58 and clamping the drive shaft 23 from the diameter direction. Near the central part of the shaft clamper 60 and the upper plate 55 The first solenoid 27 that pushes down the switching disc 58 and holds the switching disc 58 on both pedestal columns 57 and the both ends of the outer peripheral portion of the upper plate 55, and pulls up the switching disc 58. A pair of second solenoids 28 for separating the switching discs 58 from both pedestal columns 57 and the central portion of the upper plate 55 are fixed, and the switching discs 58 are pulled up (in a linear motion state of the drive shaft 23) or pushed down. And a switching detection sensor 61 that detects whether it is in a state (rotational motion state of the drive shaft 23). The rods 28a of both the second solenoids 28 are bent at their tip portions, and the rods 28a are pulled in, so that a part of the outer periphery of the switching disk 58 is hooked up. The first solenoid 27 and the second solenoids 28 are fixed vertically to the upper surface of the upper plate 55 of the gate-type gantry 56 via a bracket 62.

In the gate-shaped gantry 56, four columns 54 are erected in a rectangular shape on a central portion of the lower plate 41 of the mounting casing 22 in a plan view. The upper plate 55 of the portal frame 56 is a rectangular plate in plan view.
Both pedestal columns 57 are cylinders having a length in which the upper end surface of the pedestal columns 57 is about 1 cm lower than the upper end surface of each column 54 in a standing state on the rotating disk 43.
The shaft clamper 60 has a pair of equilateral angle iron-shaped shaft support brackets 62 arranged in parallel on both sides of the back surface of the switching disc 58 with the insertion hole 58a as the center. The pair of rollers 59 are connected to each other at both ends in the longitudinal direction of both the shaft support brackets 62 through four elongated holes 62a and two roller shafts 63 inserted through the opposed elongated holes 62a. It is supported in a parallel state. Each long hole 62 a is long in the length direction of the shaft support bracket 62. Each roller shaft 63 protrudes outward from the pivot support bracket 62 at each end. Both projecting portions of the two roller shafts 63 are hooked by both ends of two coil springs 64 that bring the rollers 59 close to each other by spring force. The two roller shafts 63 are attracted to each other by the two coil springs 64, whereby the two rollers 59 are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 23 from the side.

A pair of retaining holes 58b are formed at both ends of the outer periphery of the switching disk 58 with the insertion hole 58a as the center. In addition, a pair of first latching protrusions 65 that can be latched in both latching holes 58 b are fixed to the upper end surfaces of both pedestal columns 57. Furthermore, a pair of second latching protrusions 66 that can be latched in the latching holes 58b are fixed to a portion of the lower surface of the upper plate 55 facing the both pedestal columns 57.
Therefore, if the rod 27a of the first solenoid 27 is protruded, the switching disk 58 is pushed down with the drive shaft 23 as a guide, and both the first latching protrusions 65 are latched in the both latching holes 58b. (Figure 10). As a result, the drive shaft 23, and thus the pipe chute 15, can be rotated using the rotational force from the rotary motor 26. Further, when the rods 28a of the second solenoids 28 are pulled back, the switching disc 58 is pulled up with the drive shaft 23 as a guide, and both the first latching protrusions 65 are separated from both the latching holes 58b. The second latching protrusion 66 is latched in both the latching holes 58b (FIG. 11). Thereby, the drive shaft 23 and by extension the pipe chute 15 will be in the state which can perform a linear motion using the rotational force from the rotary motor 26. The switching detection sensor 61 detects that the drive shaft 23 is in a rotationally movable state by the rotating disk 43 coming into contact with the detector 61a protruding from the temporary surface of the upper plate 55, and the detector 61a has a rotating circle. Since the plate 43 is not in contact, it is detected that the drive shaft 23 is in a state in which the drive shaft 23 can be linearly moved (lifted and lowered).

  In FIG. 7, reference numeral 67 denotes a lower limit switch that is fixed on the longitudinal center of the rear plate 68 of the mounting casing 22 and detects the lower limit position of the drive shaft 23 (pipe chute 15). Reference numeral 69 denotes a lower limit flange that is fixed to the upper end of the drive shaft 23 and detects the lowering limit of the pipe chute 15. Reference numeral 70 denotes an upper limit flange that is fixed to the lower end portion of the drive shaft 23 and detects the rising limit of the pipe chute 15. Reference numeral 71 denotes an upper limit switch that is fixed on the central portion in the length direction of the rear plate 68 of the mounting casing 22 and detects the ascent limit of the drive shaft 23. The upper limit switch 71 can detect the origin position of the pipe chute 15 (the state in which the pipe chute 15 is housed in the cylindrical cover 24).

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 1-14, operation | movement of the tablet buffer charging device 10 which concerns on Example 1 of this invention is demonstrated. Prior to the start of operation, it is assumed that the empty container 11 is disposed directly below the lid 29, and the pipe chute 15 is pulled out of the container 11 and stored at the origin position in the cylindrical cover 24 (FIG. 14). . At this time, the upper limit switch 71 is in contact with the upper limit flange 70, and the operation of each device is stopped. The operations of the rotary motor 26, the first solenoid 27, and the second solenoid 28 are controlled by a timer according to a program stored in the memory of the control unit 25.

By inserting the up / down / rotation changeover switch of the control unit 25 to the up / down side, the rods 28a of both the second solenoids 28 are pulled back, the switching disc 58 is pulled up, and both the second hooking projections 66 are latched. The hole 58b is hooked (FIG. 11).
Next, by pressing an operation start button of the control unit 25, the output shaft 51 of the rotary motor 26 rotates for a predetermined time to the descending side of the pipe chute 15 (drive shaft 23), and both pulleys 45, 52, timing belt 53 and The rotating block body 39 rotates in a predetermined direction via the rotating disk 43 (FIG. 1). As a result, the rotational motion of the rotary block 39 is converted into a downward linear motion of the drive shaft 23 via the six bearings 38, and the pipe chute 15 descends from the cylindrical cover 24 into the container 11. At this time, a part of the drive shaft 23 is clamped by both rollers 59, and its linear motion is guided. When the lower end of the pipe chute 15 reaches the vicinity of the bottom surface of the container 11, the lower limit flange 69 comes into contact with the lower limit switch 67, and the descent of the pipe chute 15 is stopped. At this time, the uppermost tablet mouth 13 of the pipe chute 15 is arranged in the internal space of the tablet storage hopper 12 in a state facing the opening / closing mouth 36 side.

Thereafter, the tablets are supplied from the supply nozzle 32 to the tablet storage hopper 12 and the negative pressure generator B is operated to reduce the pressure in the tablet storage hopper 12 to the extent that the tablets are not sucked through the suction pipe portion 31 ( Figure 5). By this negative pressure, the powder adhering to the tablet is removed by suction, and the commercial value of the tablet is increased. Thereafter, the tablet passes through the tablet storage hopper 12, passes through the uppermost tablet port 13 from the opening / closing port 36 of the opening / closing shutter 35, is put into the tube of the pipe chute 15, and falls in this tube as it is (FIG. 1). In the middle of the process, the tablet slides down the slope in order from the upper buffer plate 17, so that the dropping speed is lowered. At this time, all the tablet mouths 13 are arranged in the back surface direction of the buffer plate 17 directly above. Therefore, there is almost no possibility that the falling tablet will jump out of the tablet mouth 13 into the container 11.
When the tablet reaches the lower end of the pipe chute 15, the tablet is introduced into the container 11 at a low speed from the tablet inlet 14 at a low speed, and gradually accumulates on one side of the bottom surface of the container 11. go. As described above, since the drop speed of the tablet is lowered by the buffer plate 17, the impact force when the tablet collides with the bottom surface of the container 11 is small, and the tablet is hardly damaged.

Next, when the time for which the tablets are accumulated until the tablet 11 reaches the vicinity of the lower end of the pipe chute 15 in the container 11 has elapsed, the output shaft 51 of the rotary motor 26 rotates to the ascending side of the pipe chute 15 for a predetermined time. As a result, the rotating block body 39 rotates in the opposite direction. As a result, the rotary motion of the rotary block 39 is converted into a linear motion upward of the drive shaft 23 via each bearing 38, and the pipe chute 15 has a height (length) corresponding to one step of the tablet mouth 13. Only rise (FIG. 12). During this time, the supply of tablets from the supply nozzle 32 to the tablet storage hopper 12 is continued. As a result, the tablets are gradually stored in the internal space of the tablet storage hopper 12.
Thereafter, the up / down / rotation switch is automatically switched, the rod 27a of the first solenoid 27 protrudes, and the switching disk 58 is pushed down. As a result, both the latching holes 58b are disengaged from both the second latching protrusions 66, and the both latching holes 58b are latched to both the first latching protrusions 65 (FIG. 10). As a result, the switching disc 58 is integrated with the rotating block body 39 via both pedestal columns 57.

  Next, the output shaft 51 of the rotary motor 26 rotates in a predetermined direction for a predetermined time, and the rotating block body 39 is rotated in a predetermined direction for a predetermined time via both pulleys 45 and 52, the timing belt 53, and the rotating disc 43 ( FIG. 13). As a result, the rotating block body 39 rotates one and a half times (540 °) around the axis of the drive shaft 23 via the bearings 38, both pedestal columns 57, the rotating disc 43, and the shaft clamper 60. As a result, the tablet mouth 13 one level lower than the uppermost level is opened in the tablet storage hopper 12. As a result, the tablets stored in the tablet storage hopper 12 fall into the pipe chute 15 from the opening / closing port 36 and the tablet port 13. Thereafter, the tablet supplied from the supply nozzle 32 passes through the tablet storage hopper 12 and continuously falls into the pipe through the opening / closing port 36 and the tablet port 13. Thereby, the tablet is gradually deposited in the region on the opposite side of the bottom surface of the container 11.

Thereafter, the above-described tablet loading operation is continued until the tablet loading into the container 11 from the lowermost tablet mouth 13 is completed by the timer control of the control unit 25. Thereby, the tablet is filled in the container 11 in a state in which the angle of repose is large and uniform throughout the circumferential direction of the container 11. Therefore, compared with the conventional apparatus, the internal space of the container 11 can be used effectively, and a large amount of tablets can be stored in the container 11.
After the tablet container 11 has been charged, the pipe chute 15 is pulled back to the original position, and the opening / closing port 36 of the opening / closing shutter 35 is closed. At this time, the upper limit flange 70 comes into contact with the upper limit switch 71, and the operation of the apparatus is stopped by a command from the control unit 25.

Thereafter, the full container 11 is replaced with an empty container. At this time, although not shown in the drawing, the mounting casing 22 and the cylinder are provided so as to facilitate the exchange of the container 11 by operating a micro lifting device that is provided at a connecting portion of the arm 21 with the inner cylinder 20b and lifts and lowers the arm 21 by several cm. The tablet storage hopper 12 is slightly raised from above the lid 29 via the cover 24.
At the time of this replacement, the pipe chute 15 is automatically pulled out from the container 11 in advance, so that an operator who pulls out the pipe chute 15 becomes unnecessary. Moreover, the replacement time of the container 11 can be shortened compared to the conventional case. Therefore, it is possible to continue the supply of tablets from the supply nozzle 32 to the tablet storage hopper 12. In particular, when an automatic container changer (not shown) is used for container exchange, the exchange time of the container 11 can be further shortened, and therefore the possibility of continued tablet supply during container exchange is further increased. Further, since the lower part of the pipe chute 15 is not buried in the tablet pile, the tablet is not damaged by the contact with the pipe chute 15. In addition, since the apparatus is compact and the apparatus configuration is simple as described above, the tablet buffer charging device of Example 1 can be incorporated into an existing tablet production line. Further, the pipe chute 15 simply reciprocates between the container 11 and the cylindrical cover 24 and is not exposed to the outside. For this reason, there is little risk of foreign matter mixing into the tablet.

  The present invention is useful as a tablet buffer loading device for loading tablets discharged from various processes after tablet formation into a container in a production line for various tablets.

10 Tablet buffering device,
11 container,
12a upper opening,
12b lower opening,
12 Tablet storage hopper,
13 tablets ports,
14 Tablet inlet,
15, 15A Pipe chute 16 Chute raising / lowering rotating means (chute raising / lowering means, chute rotating means),
17, 17A buffer plate (buffer path material),
23 drive shaft,
38 bearing,
39 rotating the block body,
26 rotary motor,
40 Lifting / rotation switching part,
32 supply nozzle,
35 Open / close shutter,
B Negative pressure generator (suction means).

Claims (5)

A tablet storage hopper disposed above a container for storing tablets and having an upper opening and a lower opening to store the tablets;
The tablet storage hopper is formed with a plurality of tablet ports inserted into the tube and inserted into the upper opening and the lower opening of the tablet storage hopper and dropped into the tube at a predetermined length. A pipe chute formed with a tablet insertion port for charging the tablet in a tube into the container;
Chute raising / lowering rotating means for raising and lowering the pipe chute vertically while being inserted into the tablet storage hopper, and rotating around the axis of the pipe chute,
A buffer path member that is provided for the entire inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute or for each predetermined height thereof, and that obliquely slides down the tablets dropped into the pipe from the tablet mouth;
The chute elevating / rotating means includes a vertical drive shaft connected to the upper part of the pipe chute and the drive shaft, and abuts the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft with respect to the axis of the drive shaft at a predetermined angle. A rotating block body provided with a bearing, a rotating motor for rotating the rotating block body around the axis of the drive shaft, and a rotational force and a direct power acting on the drive shaft from the rotating block body rotated by the rotary motor A tablet buffering device having an elevation / rotation switching unit for selecting one of them. A supply nozzle for supplying the tablet to the tablet storage hopper is communicated with a part of the peripheral wall of the tablet storage hopper,
The tablet buffer charging device according to claim 1, wherein the tablet storage hopper is provided with an opening / closing shutter for a tablet mouth of the pipe chute.   The tablet buffer charging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tablet storage hopper is provided with suction means for sucking powder adhering to the tablets in the tablet storage hopper. A tablet storage hopper disposed above a container for storing tablets and having an upper opening and a lower opening to store the tablets;
A pipe chute that is inserted into the upper opening and the lower opening of the tablet storage hopper, and a plurality of tablet openings for dropping the tablets stored in the tablet storage hopper into a pipe;
Chute raising and lowering means for vertically raising and lowering the pipe chute in an inserted state through the tablet storage hopper;
A tablet buffering device provided with a buffer path material provided at every predetermined height of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe chute or at a predetermined height of the inner peripheral surface and for sliding the tablet dropped into the pipe from the tablet mouth obliquely .   The tablet buffer charging device according to claim 4, further comprising chute rotating means for rotating the pipe chute about an axis of the pipe chute.

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