JP2012213749A - Capsule production apparatus and capsule production method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To generate a capsule having a uniform shape while adjusting a particle diameter and a film thickness.SOLUTION: A capsule production apparatus, which forms a capsule containing a core and a film involving the core, includes a first injection nozzle for injecting a first liquid to form the film and a second injection nozzle for injecting a second liquid to form the core, wherein the first liquid is injected from the first injection nozzle to a mold used for forming the capsule to form one part of the film, the second liquid is injected from the second injection nozzle to the one part of the film formed on the mold to form the core, so that the first liquid is injected from the first injection nozzle to the core formed on the mold to form the film involving the core.

Description

  The present invention relates to a capsule manufacturing apparatus and a capsule manufacturing method.

  Capsules produced by covering the contents with a film are known, and are currently applied in various fields such as foods and pharmaceuticals as functional materials. Such capsules may be required to be produced so that the thickness of the film and the particle size of the capsules are uniform depending on the application.

  On the other hand, there is a method of generating capsules such that the thickness of the film is uniform by ejecting droplets from a nozzle. For example, a material liquid for forming a capsule film or inclusions is ejected from a multi-nozzle into a coagulation liquid flow to form droplets composed of a multilayer film. And the method of producing | generating a capsule continuously is proposed by hardening | curing the membrane | film | coat of an outermost layer in the process in which this droplet moves in the coagulation liquid flow (for example, patent document 1).

JP 2008-011765 A

  According to the capsule generating method of Patent Document 1, it is possible to generate capsules with uniform coating thickness and small variation in particle size by adjusting the injection amount of the material liquid forming the capsule coating. it can.

  However, such a method of producing capsules in the coagulating liquid flow is restricted by various conditions such as the characteristics of the material liquid and the flow velocity gradient of the coagulating liquid flow. Therefore, it is difficult to freely adjust the size of the particle size and the thickness of the film, and it has not been possible to sufficiently cope with various capsule generation conditions.

  An object of the present invention is to produce capsules having a uniform shape while adjusting the size of the particle size and the thickness of the film.

A main invention for achieving the above object is a capsule manufacturing apparatus for forming a capsule including a core and a film containing the core, and a first injection nozzle for injecting a first liquid forming the film. And a second jet nozzle that jets the second liquid that forms the core, and jets the first liquid from the first jet nozzle to a mold that is used to form the capsule, A part of the film is formed, and the second liquid is sprayed from the second spray nozzle onto a part of the film formed on the mold to form the core, and the first The capsule manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first liquid is sprayed from the spray nozzle onto the core formed in the mold to form a film including the core.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

It is a conceptual diagram of a capsule. It is the schematic showing the structure of the capsule manufacturing apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the process of the capsule production | generation operation | movement of 1st Embodiment. 4A to 4C are schematic views for explaining the capsule generating operation of the first embodiment. It is the schematic showing the structure of the capsule manufacturing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the process of the capsule production | generation operation | movement of 2nd Embodiment. 7A to 7C are schematic diagrams for explaining the capsule generating operation of the second embodiment. It is the schematic showing the structure of the capsule manufacturing apparatus in 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the process of the capsule production | generation operation | movement of 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are schematic views for explaining the capsule film (lower side) generation operation of the third embodiment. FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are schematic diagrams for explaining the capsule film (upper side) generation operation of the third embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the capsule which has a 2-layer membrane | film | coat. It is the schematic showing the structure of the capsule manufacturing apparatus in 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the process of the capsule production | generation operation | movement of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B are diagrams for explaining the operation of generating the first layer coating (lower side) and the second layer coating (lower side). FIG. 16A and FIG. 16B are diagrams for explaining the operation of generating the first layer coating (upper side) and the second layer coating (upper side). It is a figure explaining the method of forming a membrane | film | coat by spraying a membrane | film formation liquid in multiple times.

  At least the following matters will become clear from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  A capsule manufacturing apparatus that forms a capsule including a core and a coating that encloses the core, the first injection nozzle that sprays a first liquid that forms the coating, and a second liquid that forms the core A second spray nozzle that sprays the first liquid to the mold used to form the capsule to form a part of the film, The second liquid is sprayed onto a part of the film formed on the mold from the two spray nozzles to form the core, and the core formed on the mold from the first spray nozzle. A capsule manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first liquid is sprayed onto a core to form a film including the core.

  According to such a capsule manufacturing apparatus, a part of the film is formed with a desired thickness using the first injection nozzle, and a core is formed using the second injection nozzle for a part of the formed film. To do. And the membrane | film | coat which includes a core is formed using the 1st injection nozzle which formed a part of membrane | film | coat previously with respect to the formed core. Therefore, by appropriately controlling the amount of the first liquid ejected by the first ejection nozzle, it is possible to generate a capsule having a uniform shape in which the size of the particle size and the thickness of the film are adjusted.

  The capsule manufacturing apparatus further includes an irradiation unit that irradiates light, and the first liquid is a liquid that is cured by being irradiated with the light, and the liquid is cured from the first injection nozzle to the mold. After spraying the first liquid, the light is irradiated from the irradiation unit to form a part of the film, and from the second spray nozzle, to the part of the film formed on the mold, The second liquid is ejected to form the core, and after the first liquid is ejected from the first ejection nozzle to the core formed in the mold, the irradiation unit It is desirable to cure the first liquid by irradiating light to form a film including the core.

  According to such a capsule manufacturing apparatus, since the capsule film is formed using the first liquid that is cured by irradiating light, the film is made to have a desired hardness by adjusting the wavelength and period of the irradiated light. It becomes possible.

  The capsule manufacturing apparatus may further include a cooling unit that cools the first liquid, and the first liquid is a liquid that is cured by being cooled, and is transferred from the first injection nozzle to the mold. After the first liquid is ejected, the first liquid is cooled by the cooling unit to form a part of the film, and one of the films formed on the mold is formed from the second spray nozzle. After ejecting the second liquid to the part to form the core, and ejecting the first liquid from the first injection nozzle to the core formed in the mold, It is desirable to form a film including the core by cooling and curing the first liquid by the cooling unit.

  According to such a capsule manufacturing apparatus, since the capsule film is formed using the first liquid that is cured by cooling, the hardness of the film can be adjusted by adjusting the cooling temperature.

  In this capsule manufacturing apparatus, the first liquid is a liquid that is cured by a chemical reaction when coming into contact with the third liquid, and further includes a third injection nozzle that injects the third liquid. Injecting the first liquid from the injection nozzle into the mold, injecting the third liquid from the third injection nozzle into the mold, and bringing the first liquid and the third liquid into contact with each other; A part of the film is formed by curing the first liquid by a chemical reaction, and the second liquid is applied to the part of the film formed on the mold from the second injection nozzle. To form the core, the first liquid is injected from the first injection nozzle to the core formed in the mold, and the first liquid is injected to the core. For the liquid, from the third injection nozzle, the third Injecting the body is brought into contact with the third liquid with the first liquid, by curing the first liquid, it is desirable to form a film which encloses the core.

  According to such a capsule manufacturing apparatus, since the capsule film is formed using the first liquid that is cured by the chemical reaction, various capsules having different characteristics are manufactured by adjusting the conditions of the chemical reaction. Can do.

  In such a capsule manufacturing apparatus, the speed at which the first liquid is ejected to the mold is faster than the speed at which the second liquid is ejected, and the speed at which the first liquid is ejected to the core is It is desirable that it is slower than the speed at which the second liquid is ejected.

  According to such a capsule manufacturing apparatus, when the first liquid is ejected to the mold, by increasing the ejection speed, the liquid can easily spread when the first liquid reaches the mold. , Make it easier to form a film. On the other hand, when the first liquid is ejected onto the core, the possibility that the core is destroyed by the landing first liquid can be reduced by slowing the ejection speed.

  In the capsule manufacturing apparatus, it is preferable that when forming the film, the first liquid is sprayed into the mold in a plurality of times from the first spray nozzle to form the film.

  According to such a capsule manufacturing apparatus, since the film is formed by spraying the first liquid in a plurality of times, a large capsule (film) can be formed.

  In addition, the first liquid is jetted onto a mold used for forming the capsule to form a part of the film, and the second liquid is applied to a part of the film formed on the mold. Spraying to form a core, and spraying the first liquid onto the core formed in the mold to form a film enclosing the core. Becomes clear.

  In addition, after the first liquid that is cured by being irradiated with light is sprayed onto a mold that is used to form a capsule, the first liquid is irradiated to cure the first liquid. Forming a portion, spraying a second liquid on a part of the coating formed on the mold to form a core, and forming the core on the mold, After the first liquid is ejected, the capsule is produced by irradiating the light to cure the first liquid, thereby forming a film including the core.

=== About Capsule ===
FIG. 1 shows a conceptual diagram of a capsule generated in this embodiment. The “capsule” in the present embodiment is also called a multiple capsule, and is constituted by a core (inclusion) and a film covering the core as shown in the figure, and has a spherical outer shape. Such capsules are used in various fields such as foods, quasi-drugs, and pharmaceuticals, and the size of capsules (capacity of inclusions) and the thickness of the film vary depending on the application. .

In this embodiment, by ejecting droplets using an ink jet method, capsules having an arbitrary shape with a desired size are generated while freely adjusting the capsule size and the film thickness. In addition, a so-called microcapsule having a capsule size of the order of micrometers can be generated by ejecting a minute amount of droplets by an ink jet method. For example, a capsule size with a capacity of about 0.1 to 500 pl (picoliter) can be generated.
In addition, as will be described later, multiple capsules having two or more layers can be produced.

=== First Embodiment ===
In the first embodiment, a capsule film is formed by ejecting a liquid (hereinafter also referred to as a UV curable liquid) that is cured by irradiating light (electromagnetic waves) such as ultraviolet rays (hereinafter also referred to as UV).

<Configuration of capsule manufacturing apparatus>
A configuration of a capsule manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The capsule manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment includes a head unit 10, a carriage unit 20, an irradiation unit 40, and a controller (not shown). Moreover, when producing | generating a capsule in arbitrary shapes, the type | mold 100 is used.

  The head unit 10 is for ejecting a liquid that is a material of a core and a film constituting the capsule. The head unit 10 includes a core forming head 11 that ejects a core forming liquid that is a liquid material that forms a core, and a film forming head 15 that ejects a film forming liquid that is a liquid material that forms a film. In addition, the kind of core formation liquid and film formation liquid is suitably selected according to the use and manufacturing method of a capsule. The core forming head 11 and the film forming head 15 are mounted on a carriage 21 described later, and are arranged in parallel along the moving direction as shown in FIG. As the carriage 21 moves in the moving direction, the core forming head 11 and the film forming head 15 also move in the moving direction.

  The core forming head 11 has a core forming nozzle that ejects a core forming liquid. Inside the nozzle, a driving element such as a piezo element PZT, an elastic film, a pressure chamber and the like (both not shown) are provided. When ejecting the core forming liquid, a drive signal is applied from the controller to the piezo element PZT, and the piezo element PZT expands and contracts according to the potential of the drive signal. When the piezo element PZT expands and contracts, the elastic film inside the nozzle is deformed, and the pressure in the pressure chamber rises and falls, thereby ejecting droplets of the core forming liquid from the nozzle.

  The film forming head 15 has the same structure as that of the core forming head 11 and has a film forming nozzle for injecting a film forming liquid. And the droplet of a film formation liquid is ejected from a film formation nozzle by expansion-contraction of the piezo element PZT.

  Note that elements other than the piezo element PZT may be used as elements for performing the operation for ejecting the liquid. For example, a heating element or an electrostatic actuator can be used.

  The carriage unit 20 is for moving the carriage 21 to which the head unit 10 is attached in a predetermined direction (movement direction in FIG. 2). The carriage unit 20 includes a carriage 21 and a carriage motor 22 (not shown).

  The carriage 21 can be reciprocated in the moving direction while being supported by the guide rail, and is driven by a carriage motor 22. The operation of the carriage motor 22 is controlled by a controller. While the head 21 is moving in the moving direction, capsules can be continuously generated by intermittently ejecting the core forming liquid and the film forming liquid from the nozzles provided in the head unit 10.

  The irradiation unit 40 irradiates UV toward the film forming liquid sprayed from the film forming head 15 and landed on the pocket portion 110 (described later) of the mold 100. The film-forming liquid is cured by receiving UV irradiation from the irradiation unit 40.

  The irradiation unit 40 of this embodiment includes an irradiation unit 41 and an irradiation unit 42. The irradiation unit 41 is provided above the head 10 and irradiates UV from above the mold 100. The irradiation unit 41 includes a light emitting diode (LED) or a metal halide lamp as a light source for UV irradiation. The irradiation time, the wavelength of ultraviolet rays, and the like are appropriately determined according to the shape and size of the capsule, the type of material used for forming the capsule, and the like. Note that the irradiation unit 41 may be mounted on the carriage 21 and may be configured to irradiate UV while moving the moving direction together with the carriage.

  The irradiation unit 42 is provided below the mold 100 and irradiates UV from below the mold 100. The mold 100 of the present embodiment may be manufactured from a light-transmitting member such as an acrylic resin (described later). In such a case, the film forming liquid that has landed on the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100 can be efficiently cured by irradiating UV from below the mold 100 using the irradiation section 42. However, the irradiation unit 42 is not necessarily a necessary component for the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1. When the mold 100 is manufactured from a non-light-transmitting member such as a metal, the UV irradiated from the irradiation unit 42 is behind the mold 100 and may not reach the film forming liquid on the pocket 110. It is.

<About mold 100>
The mold 100 converts the ejected droplets such as a film forming liquid into a capsule structure, and forms the outer shape of the capsule. The mold 100 has a sheet shape and is disposed so as to face each nozzle of the head unit 10. A plurality of pocket portions 110 arranged in the movement direction are provided on the surface of the mold 100. Each of the pocket portions 110 is a hemispherical groove, and its size is determined according to the diameter of the capsule to be generated. The mold 100 is manufactured from a metal or acrylic resin film. When the mold 100 is formed of metal, the hemispherical groove can be formed with high accuracy by forming the pocket portion 110 by photoetching.

  Further, the shape of the pocket portion 110 on the surface of the mold 100 is not limited to the hemispherical groove, and the mold 100 includes the pocket portion 110 having an arbitrary shape, so that a capsule having an arbitrary shape can be formed. The pocket portion 110 having an arbitrary shape can also be applied to the embodiments described later.

<About capsule materials>
In the first embodiment, a UV curable monomer is used as a film forming liquid that is a liquid for forming a capsule film. Hereinafter, the film forming liquid is referred to as a first liquid. The UV curing monomer is a liquid that cures by performing a photopolymerization reaction upon receiving UV irradiation. As the UV curable monomer, an aqueous UV curable monomer having a specific gravity equal to or higher than that of water, or an oil-based UV curable monomer having a specific gravity lighter than water can be used. The selection of a specific UV curable monomer as the film forming liquid is determined depending on the actual use of the capsule.

  Moreover, in 1st Embodiment, the liquid (aromatic liquid solution) containing an aromatic compound is used as a core formation liquid which is the liquid which forms the core of a capsule. Hereinafter, the core forming liquid is referred to as a second liquid. As the aromatic liquid solution, an aqueous aromatic liquid solution having a specific gravity equal to or higher than that of water, or an oily aromatic liquid solution having a specific gravity lighter than water can be used. In the present embodiment, an aromatic liquid solution is used as a core forming liquid for the sake of explanation, but when an actual capsule is produced, a substance that needs to be included in the capsule may be selected according to the use of the capsule.

<Capsule generation operation>
The capsule generation operation in the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing steps of the capsule generating operation of the first embodiment. 4A to 4C are schematic views for explaining the capsule generating operation of the first embodiment.

  In 1st Embodiment, a capsule is produced | generated by performing each process of S101-S104 (FIG. 3).

  First, a part (lower side) of the capsule film is formed (S101). While the film forming head 15 mounted on the carriage 21 moves in the moving direction, a predetermined amount of film forming liquid (UV curing monomer) is sprayed from the film forming nozzle toward the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100 disposed below. (FIG. 4A). The injected UV curable monomer lands on the pocket 110, spreads along the inner wall shape, and becomes hemispherical. Here, when an oil-based UV curable monomer is used as the film-forming liquid, an oleophilic treatment is performed by applying oil or the like to the inner wall of the pocket portion 110 or applying surface processing to the inner wall. On the contrary, when an aqueous UV curable monomer is used as the film forming liquid, the inner wall of the pocket portion 110 is subjected to a hydrophilic treatment. Thereby, the UV curable monomer easily spreads along the inner wall of the pocket portion 110, and the hemispherical shape is easily maintained.

  In this state, by irradiating UV from the irradiation unit 41, the hemispherical UV curing monomer is cured. In the case where the mold 100 has translucency, the UV curing monomer can be cured more evenly by using the irradiation unit 42 at the same time. In this step, the UV curing monomer may be cured to such an extent that it can maintain a hemispherical shape. The timing of UV irradiation and the UV irradiation output are adjusted according to the components of the film-forming liquid used and the size of the capsule to be formed (amount of the film-forming liquid to be ejected).

  Thereby, a part of the capsule film, that is, the lower side (hemisphere) of the spherical capsule film is formed in the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100. In addition, the size of the capsule and the thickness of the capsule film can be freely changed by changing the amount of the film-forming liquid to be sprayed and the diameter of the pocket portion 110.

  Next, the core of the capsule is formed (S102). While the core forming head 11 mounted on the carriage 21 moves in the moving direction, a predetermined amount from the core forming nozzle is formed on a part (lower side) of the capsule film formed on the mold 100 (pocket portion 110) in S101. The core forming liquid is sprayed (FIG. 4B). For example, the core forming liquid includes a solution having a fragrance solution. The core forming liquid that has landed on a part (lower side) of the capsule film becomes droplets as shown in FIG. 4B. Thus, a portion that becomes the core of the capsule is formed on the capsule film formed in the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100.

  In addition, since the capsule film (lower side) formed in S101 is cured by UV irradiation, even if the core forming liquid (fragrance liquid solution) is sprayed on the capsule film in this step, the film forming liquid and There is little risk of mixing with the core forming liquid. Therefore, even if the film-forming liquid and the core-forming liquid are both water-based or oil-based having a specific gravity equal to or higher than that of water, they are difficult to mix. Even when an oil-based UV curable monomer is used as the film forming liquid and an aqueous aromatic liquid solution having a specific gravity higher than that of the oil is used as the core forming liquid, the core forming liquid is lower than the film forming liquid. Therefore, it is possible to form a core on the capsule film. Thus, in this embodiment, the specific gravity of the core forming liquid and the specific gravity of the film forming liquid may be different. In other words, it is possible to select the capsule forming material without considering the specific gravity difference between the core forming liquid and the film forming liquid.

  Subsequently, the upper side of the capsule film is formed (S103). While the film forming head 15 mounted on the carriage 21 moves in the moving direction, a predetermined amount of film forming liquid (UV curing monomer) is formed on the core formed in the mold 100 (pocket portion 110) in S102 from the film forming nozzle. ) Is injected (FIG. 4C). The injected UV curable monomer lands on the core-forming liquid droplets represented by the black circles in FIG. 4C and spreads so as to cover the core. By irradiating UV from the irradiation unit 41 to the UV curable monomer immediately after landing, the film forming liquid is cured so as to cover the core. Thereby, the spherical capsule which consists of the core of a center part and the membrane | film | coat which includes a core is formed.

  In this step, when the liquid UV curable monomer is jetted onto the core forming liquid (core), both liquids may be mixed. However, the UV curable monomer and the core forming liquid are liquids having different properties such as viscosity, and the UV curable monomer is not mixed with the core forming liquid immediately after landing. That is, both keep a separated state for a certain time. By appropriately performing UV irradiation during this period to cure the UV curable monomer, capsules can be formed without mixing the core forming liquid and the film forming liquid.

  Finally, the formed capsule is removed from the mold 100 (S104). Since the capsule film is hardened at the stage of S103, the capsule may be naturally dropped with the pocket portion 110 facing downward, or the formed capsule may be removed from the mold 100 by blowing off the capsule by air blow. Good.

  In this embodiment, it is possible to continuously generate a large number of capsules, but the generated capsules have a uniform outer shape in accordance with the size of the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100. Therefore, an operation (classification operation) for selecting capsules of the same size after removing the capsules is unnecessary. In addition, since it is not necessary to discard irregularly sized capsules, this is a very efficient capsule generation method.

  4A and 4B, the capsule film lower side forming step (S101) and the core forming step (S102) are described separately. However, both steps may be executed continuously. . For example, immediately after the film forming liquid sprayed from the film forming head 15 has landed on the predetermined pocket 110, UV is instantaneously irradiated to cure the film (lower side). Then, while the carriage 21 moves in the movement direction, the core forming liquid is ejected from the core forming head 11 to the same pocket portion 110. By repeating this operation, the lower capsule film and the core are formed while the carriage 21 moves from one side of the moving direction to the other side.

<Summary of First Embodiment>
In the capsule manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment, after the film forming liquid (first liquid) is sprayed from the film forming nozzle to the mold 100, the film forming liquid landed on the mold 100 is cured by irradiating UV from the irradiation unit 40. As a result, a part of the film (the lower side of the spherical film) is formed. Next, a core forming liquid (second liquid) is ejected from a core forming nozzle onto a part of the film formed on the mold 100 to form a core. And, after spraying the film forming liquid (first liquid) from the film forming nozzle onto the core formed on the mold 100, the film forming liquid is cured by irradiating UV from the irradiation unit 40, A film that encloses the core is formed.

  As a result, the core is formed after forming the film with the desired thickness, and the film on the core is also formed with the desired thickness, so the capsule particle size and film thickness can be freely adjusted. This is possible, and a large amount of capsules having a uniform shape (size) can be produced. In addition, since the core is formed after the film on the lower side of the core is solidified, and the film is formed and solidified so as to enclose the formed core, the entire core is covered with the film without exposing the core. Capsules can be formed.

=== Second Embodiment ===
In the second embodiment, a liquid that cures by cooling (hereinafter also referred to as a cooling / curing liquid) is used as the film forming liquid.

<Configuration of capsule manufacturing apparatus>
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the capsule manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment. The capsule manufacturing apparatus 2 is basically the same as the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment, except that it has a heating unit 60 and a cooling unit 70. The heating unit 60 and the cooling unit 70 may be external devices. Moreover, in the capsule manufacturing apparatus 2, the irradiation part 40 is unnecessary. Hereinafter, a description will be given focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  The heating unit 60 is for overheating the film forming liquid. The film forming liquid (cooling hardening liquid) used in the present embodiment has a property of hardening by cooling. Therefore, if the film forming liquid is exposed to a low temperature before jetting, it may harden inside the film forming head 15 and cause clogging of the nozzle. Then, although the film formation liquid before injection is heated to the temperature of about 60 degreeC with the heating unit 60, it may suppress that it hardens | cures before injection, The heating unit 60 is not an essential structure.

  The heating unit 60 is provided in a tank that stores the film forming liquid, and overheats the film forming liquid together with the tank. The film-forming liquid in a heated state is supplied from the tank to the inside of the film-forming head 15 through the transmission pipe. Thereby, it becomes possible to inject the liquid film forming liquid having fluidity.

  The cooling unit 70 is for cooling and hardening the film forming liquid that has landed on the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100. The cooling unit 70 may be provided so as to be in close contact with the mold 100 as shown in the figure, as long as the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100 can be cooled.

  In the present embodiment, a Peltier element can be used as the cooling unit 70. The Peltier element is a kind of thermoelectric element, and temperature control (cooling) can be performed by utilizing a “Peltier effect” in which heat moves between metals when a current flows. During the capsule generating operation, power is supplied to the Peltier element, and the lower part of the mold 100 is kept at about 4 ° C., thereby cooling the entire mold 100 and applying a film forming liquid (cooling hardening liquid) landed on the inner wall surface of the pocket 110. Harden. In the present embodiment, the mold 100 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity (for example, metal).

<About capsule materials>
In the second embodiment, a gelling material such as gelatin, agar, or pectin is used as a cooling and hardening liquid that is a film forming liquid (first liquid) for forming a capsule film. These gelling materials are in a liquid state at room temperature (or at a high temperature), but harden and solidify when cooled. Utilizing this property, a capsule film is formed.
Moreover, the liquid (aromatic liquid solution) containing the aromatic compound similar to 1st Embodiment is used as a core formation liquid (2nd liquid) which forms the core of a capsule.
Hereinafter, an example in which gelatin is used as the film forming liquid will be described.

<Capsule generation operation>
The capsule generation operation in the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing steps of the capsule generating operation of the second embodiment. 7A to 7C are schematic diagrams for explaining the capsule generating operation of the second embodiment.

  As in the first embodiment, first, a part (lower side) of the capsule film is formed (S201). However, in the second embodiment, the method of curing the film forming liquid is different.

  First, a liquid film forming liquid (gelatin) heated to about 60 ° C. by the heating unit 60 is sprayed from the film forming nozzle of the film forming head 15 (FIG. 7A). The jetted gelatin droplets land on the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100, spread along the inner wall shape, and become hemispherical.

  Here, the mold | type 100 is cooled by the cooling unit 70 provided in the lower part, and is maintained at the temperature of about 4 degreeC. Therefore, the hemispherical gelatin is rapidly cooled and hardened on the inner wall surface of the pocket portion 110. Thereby, the lower side of the spherical capsule film is formed.

  Next, the core of the capsule is formed (S202). The core forming process is exactly the same as S102 of the first embodiment. That is, a predetermined amount of the core forming liquid is sprayed from the core forming nozzle of the core forming head 11 onto a part (lower side) of the capsule film formed on the mold 100 (pocket portion 110) in S201 (FIG. 7B). . The core forming liquid that has landed on the lower side of the capsule film becomes droplets as shown in the figure. As a result, a portion that becomes the core of the capsule is formed on the lower film.

  Subsequently, the upper side of the capsule film is formed (S203). While the film forming head 15 mounted on the carriage 21 moves in the moving direction, gelatin is sprayed from the film forming nozzle onto the core formed in the mold 100 (pocket portion 110) in S202 (FIG. 7C). The sprayed gelatin lands on the core-forming liquid droplets and spreads so as to cover the core.

  Here, by the mold 100 cooled by the cooling unit 70, the lower capsule film and the core formed earlier are also cooled to a temperature of about 4 ° C. This is because the capsule produced in the present embodiment has a very small size (diameter), so that the temperature of the mold 100 is easily conducted. Therefore. The gelatin spread over the core is rapidly cooled and solidified while maintaining its shape. Thereby, the spherical capsule which consists of a core and the film | membrane which encloses it is formed.

  Finally, the formed capsule is removed from the mold 100 (S204). The removal method may be the same as in the first embodiment.

<Summary of Second Embodiment>
In the second embodiment, a film forming liquid (first liquid) composed of a cooling and hardening liquid is sprayed from a film forming nozzle onto the mold 100, and is cooled and cured by the mold 100, whereby a part of the film (spherical) Underside of the film). Next, a core forming liquid (second liquid) is jetted onto a part of the film formed on the mold from the core forming nozzle to form the core. Then, a film forming liquid (first liquid) made of a cooling and hardening liquid is sprayed from the film forming nozzle onto the core formed on the mold, and the core is cooled and cured by the mold 100. To form a film containing

  As a result, as in the first embodiment, a large amount of capsules having a uniform shape (size) can be generated while freely adjusting the size of the capsule particle size and the thickness of the film. Further, by using a cooling hardening liquid (gelling material) such as gelatin as the film forming liquid, the film can be easily hardened in the pocket of the mold without controlling UV irradiation or the like.

=== Third Embodiment ===
In the third embodiment, the film is cured by bringing a plurality of types of liquids into contact with each other as a film forming liquid to cause a chemical reaction. Specifically, the capsule is formed using a gelation reaction generated by contacting and mixing the first film forming liquid (referred to as the first liquid) and the second film forming liquid (referred to as the third liquid). Form a film.

<Configuration of capsule manufacturing apparatus>
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the capsule manufacturing apparatus 3 in the third embodiment. The capsule manufacturing apparatus 3 includes a first film forming head 16 and a second film forming head 17 as the film forming head of the head unit 10. Moreover, the irradiation part 40 is unnecessary in the capsule manufacturing apparatus 3. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The first film forming head 16 of the head unit 10 ejects a first film forming liquid (first liquid) for forming a film. The structure of the first film forming head 16 is the same as that of the film forming head 15 described above. That is, a film forming nozzle for injecting a film forming liquid (first film forming liquid) is provided. The nozzle has a driving element such as a piezo element PZT, an elastic film, a pressure chamber and the like (both not shown), and the film forming liquid droplets from the nozzle by expanding and contracting the driving element such as the piezo element PZT. Inject.

  The second film forming head 17 of the head unit 10 ejects a second film forming liquid (third liquid) for forming a film. The structure is exactly the same as that of the first film forming head 16 except that the liquid to be ejected is different.

  In addition, when mixing a 3 or more types of liquid as a film formation liquid and producing a chemical reaction, the number of film formation heads is increased according to the kind of this film formation liquid. For example, in the case of forming a capsule film using a chemical reaction by mixing three liquids, a third film forming head (not shown) is provided in addition to the first and second film forming heads described above.

<About capsule materials>
In the third embodiment, a liquid that causes a chemical reaction (gelation reaction) by mixing a plurality of types of liquids is used as a film forming liquid for forming a capsule film. For example, a sodium alginate aqueous solution is used as the first film forming liquid (first liquid), and a calcium chloride aqueous solution is used as the second film forming liquid (third liquid). Sodium alginate gels and hardens when mixed with calcium chloride (gelation reaction material). The first film forming liquid and the second film forming liquid may be interchanged, and when the film forming liquid is ejected in the present embodiment, either liquid may be ejected first.

  Moreover, the liquid which has the same aromatic compound as 1st Embodiment is used as a core formation liquid (2nd liquid) which forms the core of a capsule.

<Capsule generation operation>
The capsule generation operation in the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the steps of the capsule generating operation of the third embodiment.

  First, a part (lower side) of the capsule film is formed (S301). However, in the third embodiment, the method of curing the film forming liquid is different. FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are schematic views for explaining the capsule film (lower side) generation operation of the third embodiment.

  First, a sodium alginate aqueous solution that is a first film forming liquid is sprayed from the first film forming head 16 (FIG. 10A). The jetted droplets of the sodium alginate aqueous solution land on the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100, spread out along the inner wall shape, and become hemispherical as shown in FIG. 10A.

  Subsequently, a calcium chloride aqueous solution that is a second film forming liquid is sprayed from the second film forming head 17 toward the same pocket portion 110. The jetted droplets of the calcium chloride aqueous solution land on the pocket portion 110 and are mixed with the sodium alginate aqueous solution spreading along the inner wall of the pocket portion 110. The second film forming liquid can be easily diffused to the inner wall surface of the pocket portion 110 upon landing by appropriately adjusting, for example, by increasing the injection speed of the second film forming liquid. Mixing with the liquid can be promoted.

  As a result, the gelation reaction proceeds on the inner wall surface of the pocket portion 110, the two liquids are cured, and the lower side of the spherical capsule film is formed as shown in FIG. 10B.

  Next, the core of the capsule is formed (S302). The core forming process is exactly the same as S102 of the first embodiment. That is, a predetermined amount of core forming liquid (fragrance liquid solution) is sprayed from the core forming nozzle of the core forming head 11 onto a part (lower side) of the capsule film formed on the mold 100 (pocket portion 110) in S301. To do. As a result, a portion that becomes the core of the capsule is formed on the lower film.

  Next, the upper side of the capsule film is formed (S303). FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are schematic views for explaining the capsule film (upper side) generation operation of the third embodiment.

  While the first film forming head 16 mounted on the carriage 21 moves in the moving direction, an aqueous sodium alginate solution that is the first film forming liquid is formed on the core formed in the mold 100 (pocket portion 110) in S302. Inject (FIG. 11A). The aqueous sodium alginate solution lands on the droplet (core) of the fragrance solution and spreads so as to cover the core as shown in FIG. 11A.

  Subsequently, a calcium chloride aqueous solution that is a second film forming liquid is sprayed from the second film forming head 17 toward the same pocket portion 110 (FIG. 11B). The jetted droplets of the aqueous calcium chloride solution are mixed with the aqueous sodium alginate solution that spreads over the core. By mixing the two liquids, a gelling reaction proceeds on the upper surface of the core, and the two liquids are cured to form the upper side of the spherical capsule film as shown in FIG. 11B. Thereby, the spherical capsule which consists of a core and the film | membrane which encloses it is formed.

  Finally, the formed capsule is removed from the mold 100 (S304). The removal method is the same as that in each of the embodiments described above.

<Summary of Third Embodiment>
In the third embodiment, the first film forming liquid (first liquid) is sprayed onto the mold 100 from the first film forming nozzle, and then the second film forming liquid (third liquid) is discharged from the second film forming nozzle. ) And the two liquids are contacted and mixed on the mold 100. The two liquids are cured by a chemical reaction resulting from the mixing to form a part of the film (the lower side of the spherical film). Next, a core forming liquid (second liquid) is jetted onto a part of the film formed on the mold from the core forming nozzle to form the core. Then, on the core formed in the mold, the first film forming liquid (first liquid) is supplied from the first film forming nozzle, and the second film forming liquid (third liquid) is supplied from the second film forming nozzle. ) To mix both liquids. The two liquids are cured by a chemical reaction resulting from the mixing to form a film containing the core.

  As a result, as in the first embodiment, a large amount of capsules having a uniform shape (size) can be generated while freely adjusting the size of the capsule particle size and the thickness of the film. Further, by using a plurality of types of liquid as the film forming liquid and mixing them to cause a chemical reaction, the film can be easily cured on the mold without controlling UV irradiation or the like.

=== Fourth Embodiment ===
In the fourth embodiment, a capsule having a multilayer coating is generated. In each of the above-described embodiments, a capsule whose core is covered with a single layer of film is generated. In this embodiment, for example, a capsule whose core is covered with a two-layer film is generated.

  FIG. 12 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a capsule having a two-layer coating. As shown in the figure, the first layer coating includes a core, and the first layer coating further includes a second layer coating. The first layer film and the second layer film may be formed with the same film forming liquid, or may be formed with different film forming liquids. In the following example, a capsule manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a two-layer film using different film-forming liquids will be described.

<Configuration of capsule manufacturing apparatus>
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the capsule manufacturing apparatus 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The capsule manufacturing apparatus 4 includes a first layer film forming head 18 and a second layer film forming head 19 as the film forming head of the head unit 10. Other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Although the liquid (film forming liquid) to be ejected is different between the first layer film forming head 18 and the second layer film forming head 19, the structure of the head itself is the same as the film forming head 15 of the first embodiment.

  In the fourth embodiment, UV curable monomer A is used as the first layer film forming liquid, and UV curable monomer B is used as the second layer film forming liquid. As the UV curable monomer, an optimum substance is appropriately selected according to the intended use of the capsule.

  Moreover, the liquid containing the aromatic compound similar to 1st Embodiment is used as a core formation liquid which forms the core of a capsule.

<About capsule generation operation>
The capsule generation operation in the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing steps of the capsule generating operation of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B are diagrams for explaining the operation of generating the first layer coating (lower side) and the second layer coating (lower side). FIG. 16A and FIG. 16B are diagrams for explaining the operation of generating the first layer coating (upper side) and the second layer coating (upper side).

  Note that the capsule generating operation of the present embodiment can be applied to the above-described embodiments.

  In 4th Embodiment, a capsule is produced | generated by performing each process of S401-S406 (FIG. 14).

  First, a part (lower side) of the capsule film of the second layer is formed (S401). While the second layer film forming head 19 mounted on the carriage 21 moves in the moving direction, a predetermined amount of the second layer film forming liquid (UV curable monomer B) is directed toward the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100 disposed below. Is injected (FIG. 15A). The injected UV-curing monomer B lands on the pocket portion 110, spreads along the inner wall shape, and becomes hemispherical as shown in FIG. 15A. In this state, the UV curable monomer B having a hemispherical shape is cured by irradiating UV from the irradiation unit 41. As a result, the lower side (hemisphere) of the second layer coating is formed and fixed in the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100, respectively.

  Subsequently, a part (lower side) of the capsule film of the first layer is formed (S402). The operation of S402 is basically a repetition of the operation of S401. A predetermined amount of the first layer film forming liquid (UV curing monomer A) is sprayed from the first layer film forming head 18 onto the lower side of the second layer film cured in S401 (FIG. 15B). Then, as shown in the figure, the UV curable monomer A spreading in a hemispherical shape on the second layer film is irradiated with UV and cured. Thereby, the lower side (hemisphere) of the first layer film is further formed and fixed on the lower side (hemisphere) of the second layer film.

  Next, the core of the capsule is formed (S403). The core forming process is the same as S102 of the first embodiment. That is, a predetermined amount of core forming liquid (fragrance liquid solution) is sprayed from the core forming nozzle of the core forming head 11 onto the first layer capsule film (lower side) formed in the mold 100 (pocket portion 110) in S402. To do. Thereby, the part used as the core of a capsule is formed on a 1st layer capsule film | membrane.

  Next, the upper side of the first layer capsule film is formed (S404). A predetermined amount of the first layer film forming liquid (UV curing monomer A) is sprayed from the first layer film forming head 18 onto the core formed in S403 (FIG. 16A). The injected UV curable monomer A lands on the droplet (core) of the fragrance solution and spreads in a form covering the core as shown in FIG. 16A. Then, the UV curing monomer A is cured in a form that covers the core by irradiating the UV curing monomer A immediately after landing with UV from the irradiation unit 41. Thereby, the spherical first layer coating enclosing the core is formed.

  Subsequently, the upper side of the second layer capsule film is formed (S405). The operation of S405 is basically a repetition of the operation of S404. A predetermined amount of the second layer film forming liquid (UV curing monomer B) is sprayed from the second layer film forming head 19 onto the first layer film formed in S404 (FIG. 16B). Then, as shown in the drawing, the UV curable monomer B spreading hemispherically on the first layer film is irradiated with UV and cured. Thereby, a 2nd layer film is formed in the form which includes a 1st layer film.

  Finally, a capsule composed of a triple structure of the core, the first layer coating, and the second layer coating (see FIG. 12) is formed. It is also possible to form multiple capsules having two or more layers by further repeating the step of forming the layer.

  Finally, the formed capsule is removed from the mold 100 (S406). The removal method is the same as that in each of the embodiments described above.

<Summary of Fourth Embodiment>
In the fourth embodiment, the second layer film forming liquid is injected from the second layer film forming nozzle onto the mold 100 and cured, and then the first layer film forming liquid is injected from the first layer film forming nozzle and cured. By doing so, the lower side of the spherical film is formed to be overlapped by two layers. Next, the core forming liquid is sprayed onto a part of the coating formed on the mold from the core forming nozzle to form the core. Then, the first layer film forming liquid is sprayed and cured from the first layer film forming nozzle on the core formed in the mold, and the second layer film forming liquid is sprayed and cured from the second layer film forming nozzle. By doing so, a film containing the core is formed into a two-layer film.

  As a result, as in the first embodiment, a large amount of capsules having a uniform shape (size) can be generated while freely adjusting the size of the capsule particle size and the thickness of the film. Moreover, the capsule which has a multilayer coating of two or more layers can be produced | generated by dividing the formation process of a membrane | film | coat.

=== Modification ===
In the capsule generating operation of each embodiment described above, capsules can be generated more effectively by adjusting the spray speed of the capsule forming material (film forming liquid and core forming liquid) in each step.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the spraying speed (first liquid) of the film forming liquid sprayed in S101 is made faster than the spraying speed of the core forming liquid (second liquid) in S102. That is, the spray speed of the film forming liquid for forming the lower film is increased as much as possible. As a result, the film-forming liquid lands on the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100 vigorously, so that it easily spreads along the inner wall of the pocket portion 110. Thereby, it becomes easy to make a film formation liquid into a hemispherical shape.

  Further, the spray speed of the film forming liquid (first liquid) sprayed in S103 is made slower than the spray speed of the core forming liquid (second liquid) in S102. That is, the spray speed of the film forming liquid for forming the upper film is made as slow as possible. As a result, the film-forming liquid slowly lands on the core (core-forming liquid droplets), which makes it difficult to mix the core-forming liquid and the film-forming liquid.

  In this way, by changing the speed at which the capsule forming material (liquid) is ejected, it is possible to adjust the spread of the capsule forming material droplets upon landing. That is, the capsule can be formed with high accuracy.

  Moreover, when forming the film in each of the above-described embodiments, the liquid droplets are ejected by forming the film by spraying the film-forming liquid (first liquid) in a plurality of times from the film-forming nozzle. Capsules can also be produced without changing the diameter.

  For example, when the lower film is formed (S101) in the first embodiment, the film is not formed by spraying the film forming liquid once, but the film is formed by dividing the spray of the film forming liquid into a plurality of times. . FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a method for forming a film by spraying the film forming liquid in a plurality of times. In the figure, the capsule film (lower side) is formed in three steps.

  In the first injection, the film forming liquid is landed toward the center of the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100. Since the landed film-forming solution spreads in the region represented by the hatched portion in the figure, it is cured by irradiation with UV in this state. Thereby, a dish-shaped film is formed as a part of the film. Next, the film forming head 15 (carriage 21) is moved to the right side, and a second film forming liquid is ejected toward the vicinity of the side surface of the pocket portion 110. Since the landed film-forming solution spreads in the region represented by the horizontal line in the figure, it is cured by irradiating with UV in this state. Subsequently, the film forming head 15 (carriage 21) is moved to the left side, and a third film forming liquid is ejected toward the surface opposite to the second side of the pocket portion 110, and cured by irradiating UV. At this time, adjustments such as increasing the first injection speed and decreasing the second and third injection speeds may be performed.

  If all the hemispherical lower film is formed by spraying the film forming liquid once, the landed film forming liquid may not spread evenly on the inner wall of the pocket portion 110 and a clean hemispherical film may not be formed. . In such a case, as shown in FIG. 17, the film forming liquid is sprayed step by step so that the film forming liquid is evenly distributed over the entire inner wall of the pocket portion 110 of the mold 100, and an accurate hemispherical film is formed. Can be formed.

  It is more effective if the film forming head can move two-dimensionally in a plane parallel to the mold 100. That is, the moving direction of the carriage 21 can be moved not only in the horizontal direction in FIG. 2 but also in the depth direction. By moving the film forming head (film forming nozzle) finely and spraying the film forming liquid in multiple stages, a large hemispherical film can be formed without changing the droplet diameter. Will be able to. Further, it is possible to deal with the mold 100 including the pocket portions 110 having various sizes without changing the droplet diameter to be ejected.

=== Other Embodiments ===
Although the capsule manufacturing apparatus as one embodiment has been described, the above-described embodiment is for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and it is needless to say that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. Even the embodiments described below are included in the present invention.

<About capsule generation operation>
In each of the above-described embodiments, the example in which the capsule is generated by ejecting the capsule forming material from each nozzle to the fixed mold while moving the head unit mounted on the carriage unit has been described. This is not the case. For example, a method may be used in which capsules are generated by ejecting capsule-forming material from a fixed head while moving the mold. Further, the head and the mold may be movable together.

<About capsule forming materials>
In each of the above-described embodiments, the fragrance solution is used as the core-forming liquid. However, if the capsule is used in the food field, the core-forming liquid includes various extract materials, various fruit juices, sweeteners, flavors, antiseptics. An agent may be used. Moreover, as long as it is a capsule used in the pharmaceutical field, various pharmaceutical ingredients may be used as the core-forming liquid, and in the case of a capsule used in the biotechnology field, microorganisms or animal and plant cells may be used as the core-forming liquid.

  In the present specification, the film forming liquid and the core forming liquid are exemplified as the material for forming the capsule in each of the above-described embodiments. However, the capsule may be formed using a capsule forming material other than those exemplified. Is possible.

1-4 capsule manufacturing equipment,
10 head unit, 11 core forming head, 15 film forming head,
16 1st film formation head, 17 2nd film formation head,
18 First layer coating head, 19 Second layer coating head,
20 carriage unit, 21 carriage,
40 irradiation units, 41 irradiation units, 42 irradiation units,
60 heating unit,
70 cooling unit,
100 type, 110 pocket part

Claims (8)

A capsule manufacturing apparatus for forming a capsule including a core and a film enclosing the core,
A first injection nozzle for injecting a first liquid for forming the film;
A second injection nozzle for injecting a second liquid forming the core,
From the first injection nozzle, the first liquid is injected into a mold used to form the capsule to form a part of the film,
From the second spray nozzle, the second liquid is sprayed onto a part of the coating formed on the mold to form the core,
The capsule manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first liquid is sprayed from the first spray nozzle onto the core formed in the mold to form a film including the core. The capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
It further includes an irradiating unit that emits light,
The first liquid is a liquid that is cured by being irradiated with the light,
After spraying the first liquid onto the mold from the first spray nozzle, the light is irradiated from the irradiation unit to form a part of the film,
From the second spray nozzle, the second liquid is sprayed onto a part of the coating formed on the mold to form the core,
After the first liquid is ejected from the first ejection nozzle to the core formed in the mold, the light is irradiated from the irradiation unit to cure the first liquid, and the core An apparatus for producing a capsule, characterized by forming a film containing The capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
A cooling unit for cooling the first liquid;
The first liquid is a liquid that hardens when cooled.
After injecting the first liquid from the first injection nozzle onto the mold, the cooling unit cools the first liquid to form a part of the film.
From the second spray nozzle, the second liquid is sprayed onto a part of the coating formed on the mold to form the core,
The first liquid is ejected from the first ejection nozzle onto the core formed in the mold, and then the first liquid is cooled and cured by the cooling unit, whereby the core is A capsule manufacturing apparatus that forms a film to be included. The capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
The first liquid is a liquid that hardens by a chemical reaction when in contact with the third liquid;
A third injection nozzle for injecting the third liquid;
The first liquid is ejected from the first ejection nozzle to the mold, the third liquid is ejected from the third ejection nozzle to the mold, and the first liquid and the third liquid are injected. Forming a part of the coating by contacting and curing the first liquid by a chemical reaction;
From the second spray nozzle, the second liquid is sprayed onto a part of the coating formed on the mold to form the core,
The first liquid is ejected from the first ejection nozzle to the core formed in the mold, and the first liquid ejected from the core is ejected from the third ejection nozzle. A film containing the core is formed by ejecting the third liquid, bringing the first liquid and the third liquid into contact with each other, and curing the first liquid. Capsule manufacturing equipment. It is a capsule manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-4,
The speed at which the first liquid is injected into the mold is faster than the speed at which the second liquid is injected,
The capsule manufacturing apparatus, wherein a speed at which the first liquid is ejected to the core is slower than a speed at which the second liquid is ejected. It is a capsule manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-5,
A capsule manufacturing apparatus, wherein when forming the film, the first liquid is sprayed into the mold in a plurality of times from the first spray nozzle to form the film. Spraying a first liquid onto a mold used to form a capsule to form a portion of the coating;
Spraying a second liquid on a part of the coating formed on the mold to form a core;
Spraying the first liquid on the core formed in the mold to form a film containing the core;
A method for producing capsules. A first liquid that is cured by receiving light irradiation is sprayed onto a mold used to form a capsule, and then the light is irradiated to cure the first liquid, whereby a part of the film is formed. Forming,
Spraying a second liquid on a part of the coating formed on the mold to form a core;
Forming a film enclosing the core by irradiating the light to the core formed in the mold and then curing the first liquid by irradiating the light; ,
A method for producing capsules.