JP2022020489A - Medicine packing device and medicine dividing and packing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a medicine packing device and a medicine dividing and packing machine with which widths of the individual packages to be packed can be selected from multiple types with relative positions of a vertical seal mechanism, a medicine hopper and a horizontal seal being fixed, and wrinkles in sealing parts or sealing failure do not happen.SOLUTION: A medicine packing device includes: packing paper transport parts 110, 113 which transport the packing paper in a horizontal upright position; a packing paper transport control part 200 that controls the transport of the packing paper; a packing paper vertical seal part 107 that seals the packing paper in the vertical direction for dividing the packing paper into individual packages; a medicine hopper 10 that can receive medicine from above and drop it downward; and a packing paper horizontal sealing part 109 which is provided in front of the medicine hopper 10 and seals the upper end of the packing paper in the horizontal direction. When the distance between the vertical packing paper seal part 107 and the rear end part of the horizontal packing paper seal part 109 is approximately 2 W, the packing paper transport control part 200 operates the packing paper transport parts 110, 113 to transport the packing paper by approximately 2 W/n (n is an integer of 2 or more).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a drug packaging device that packages a drug such as a tablet or a powder into individual packages for each dose or a predetermined drug amount according to a prescription, and a drug packaging machine incorporating the same.

In the dispensing business, hundreds of tablets and powders such as tablets and capsules of various shapes and sizes are prescribed according to the prescription, for example, 42 doses for 2 weeks in the morning, day and night, one dose each. A drug packaging device (Patent Document 1) has been put into practical use, which can count a predetermined number of tablets and capsules of the above, or divide the tablets and capsules into predetermined masses and continuously enclose them in one individual package.

This example is called an oblique wrapping device, in which the wrapping paper is conveyed in an obliquely downward standing position. Although the technique of making it variable is shown, the vertical length of the wrapping paper currently on the market is generally 70 mm, whereas the horizontal width can be made variable from 60 to 90 mm. many.

In the first place, the packaging device aims to improve the efficiency of administration by individually packaging a large number of tablets and powders for each dose, which is called unit prescription, but on the other hand, it is called multi-dose. So, there is also a method of packaging a specific drug in small portions and paying out only the required package each time the prescription requires it.

In particular, in the case of multi-dose tablets, if one tablet is individually wrapped, it can be used without waste for the quantity used in the prescription, so it is required to individually package one tablet per packet. Considering that most of the commercially available tablets have a diameter of 12 mm or less, even with the minimum width of the individual wrapping (70 mm × 60 mm), there is an envy that the individual wrapping width of the wrapping paper is too large for the tablet volume. As a result, there are problems that the amount of wrapping paper used per tablet increases, the storage volume after packaging increases, and the paper cost of wrapping paper increases.

More specifically, it can be said that there is an increasing need on the dispensing pharmacy side for a packaging machine capable of individually packaging one tablet with a width of about 40 mm, but as in the above example, the vertical seal is created as an individual package. It will be formed with the tablet present on the side, and it will be directly affected by the swelling due to the shape of the tablet, wrinkles will occur in the seal part, not only the appearance will deteriorate, but also airtightness will occur if gaps occur. There is a problem that the sex is deteriorated and it cannot be stored for a long time.

On the other hand, in the example of Patent Document 2 called a horizontal wrapping device, the wrapping paper is conveyed in a horizontal and horizontal standing position, a vertical sealing mechanism and a horizontal sealing mechanism are separately provided, and the wrapping paper before the tablets are sealed. Since the vertical seal is formed in a flat state, wrinkles are less likely to occur, and a seal with excellent appearance and high airtightness can be realized, but on the other hand, the positional relationship between the vertical seal mechanism, the tablet drop hopper and the horizontal seal is fixed. If there was, the width of the individual package to be packaged could not be changed.

In order to make the width of the individual package variable in the horizontal packaging device, a vertical seal mechanism, a tablet drop hopper, and an automatic movement mechanism that makes the positional relationship of the horizontal seal variable may be provided. The drive mechanism that safely and reliably moves the sealing mechanism has the problem that it must be complicated and expensive, and the individual packaging width of the horizontal packaging device of the packaging machine that is widely used in the current market is 70 mm in length. × A fixed dimension of 80 mm in width is common.

As described in detail above, in a horizontal packaging device that can form a seal with excellent appearance and high airtightness by executing the vertical seal before encapsulation of the drug, wrinkles of the vertical seal are less likely to occur. There is a demand for a technique that makes it possible to easily change the width, and more specifically, in the case of a multi-dose formulation of tablets (1 tablet per tablet), the amount of wrapping paper used per tablet is increased. It is required to reduce the storage volume after packaging and to reduce the paper cost of wrapping paper.

JP 2013-244966 JP-A-2019-20201

The first problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it possible to select a plurality of widths of individual packages to be packaged while keeping the positional relationship between the vertical sealing mechanism, the tablet dropping hopper and the horizontal sealing fixed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a horizontal drug packaging device capable of being capable of and a drug packaging machine incorporating such a horizontal drug packaging device.

Further, the second problem to be solved by the present invention is a horizontal type in which the width of the individual package is made as short as possible in comparison with the dimensions of a large tablet so that wrinkles and sealing defects do not occur in the sealed portion. To provide a drug packaging device and a drug packaging machine incorporating such a horizontal drug packaging device.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the first aspect of the present invention is a drug packaging device.
-A wrapping paper transport section that transports continuous wrapping paper that has been folded downward in a vertical position.
-The wrapping paper transport control unit that controls the transport of the wrapping paper by the wrapping paper transport unit,
-In order to divide the wrapping paper into individual packages, the wrapping paper vertical seal part that seals the wrapping paper in the vertical direction,
-A drug hopper that is provided in front of the vertical sealing portion of the wrapping paper in the transport direction and is disposed inside the wrapping paper whose upper end is open so that the drug can be received from above and dropped downward. When,
-It has a wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion which is provided in front of the drug hopper in the transport direction and seals the upper end of the wrapping paper in the lateral direction.
When the distance between the vertical wrapping paper sealing portion and the rear end portion of the horizontal wrapping paper sealing portion is approximately 2 W, the wrapping paper transport control unit operates the wrapping paper transport section to omit the wrapping paper. It is characterized in that it can be conveyed by 2 W / n (n is an integer of 2 or more).

In this way, when the standard (maximum) width of the individual package is W, and n = 2, the wrapping paper transport control unit moves to the wrapping paper transport unit after the vertical seal at the wrapping paper vertical seal unit is completed. If the wrapping paper is conveyed by 2 W / 2 = W and the next vertical seal is performed, a prototype of an individual package having a width W (without a horizontal seal) can be formed.

Further, the wrapping paper horizontal seal portion can be reached by instructing the wrapping paper transport unit by the wrapping paper transport control unit to carry out the wrapping paper transport at a distance W once more (twice in total). If the wrapping machine horizontal sealing portion has a sealable length of W, lateral sealing is performed at that position.

Here, since the drug hopper for charging the drug is provided between the vertical seal portion of the wrapping paper and the horizontal seal portion of the wrapping paper, the drug is charged after the vertical seal of the wrapping paper is completed, and then the horizontal seal is performed. Is done, and the individual package is completed with the drug contained.

The position for charging the drug from the drug hopper is preferably after the vertical seals on both sides are completed, and is preferably immediately before the horizontal seal portion of the wrapping paper.

Similarly, in the case of n = 3, after the wrapping paper vertical sealing is completed, the wrapping paper transport control unit instructs the wrapping paper transport unit to transport the wrapping paper by 2W / 3, and the next vertical sealing is performed. , A prototype of an individual package having a width of 2 W / 3 can be formed, and the wrapping paper transport control unit instructs the wrapping paper transport unit to carry out the transport at a distance of 2 W / 3 two more times (three times in total). You can reach the horizontal seal part of the wrapping paper and perform horizontal seal.

Here, since the drug hopper for charging the drug is provided between the vertical seal portion of the wrapping paper and the horizontal seal portion of the wrapping paper, the drug is charged after the vertical seal of the wrapping paper is completed, and then the horizontal seal is performed. In the state where the drug is encapsulated, an individual package having a narrower width than in the case of n = 2 is completed.

The position for charging the drug from the drug hopper is preferably after the vertical seals on both sides are completed, and is preferably immediately before the horizontal seal portion of the wrapping paper.

Even when n = 3 or more, the wrapping paper transport control unit instructs the wrapping paper transport unit to perform the same transport, so that an individual package having a narrower width can be created.

As described above, in the first aspect of the present invention, in the drug packaging device, by completing the vertical seal before charging the drug, the vertical seal is surely performed without being affected by the contained drug. In addition to being able to do this, it is possible to create a narrower individual package having a standard width of 2 W / 2 = W as a maximum and 2 W / n (n is 3 or more).

That is, while the positional relationship between the vertical wrapping paper seal portion, the drug hopper, and the horizontal wrapping paper seal portion remains fixed, the width of the individual package can be determined according to the dimensions, capacity, number, and the like of the drug to be charged.

In particular, in order to change the position of the seal part that has the heat source, it is necessary to consider a large-scale mechanism and safety regardless of whether it is automatic or manual. The width of the individual wrapping can be changed only by the instruction from the wrapping paper transport control unit, and the amount of wrapping paper used can be reduced.

In addition, for those who handle or take the completed individual packaging, the compact packaging that matches the drug makes it convenient for transportation, carrying, and storage.

Specifically, if the width of the individual wrapping is switched to three types of W, 2W / 3, and W / 2, and the maximum individual wrapping width is 80 mm, the individual wrapping widths of 53.33 mm and 40 mm are divided. It is also possible to select the optimum width of individual packaging according to the shape and quantity of tablets, and no matter which individual packaging width is selected, wrinkles and poor sealing will occur in the vertical seal. It is possible to provide a drug packaging device that has never been used, and a drug packaging machine incorporating the drug packaging device.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the distance between the vertical wrapping paper sealing portion and the rear end portion of the horizontal wrapping paper sealing portion is approximately 2W, but the meaning of approximately 2W is that of the horizontal wrapping paper sealing portion. This is because the rear end may be slightly displaced back and forth, or the wrapping paper may be slightly meandering. Even in that case, depending on the width of the vertical seal and the like, the sealing property of the individual package may be maintained, and within that range, it is included in approximately 2W.

The second aspect of the present invention is the drug packaging device of the first aspect, and further
-A printing section for printing on the wrapping paper is provided behind the wrapping paper vertical seal section in the wrapping paper transport direction, and the wrapping paper transport length between the wrapping paper vertical seal section and the printing section is approximately 2 W. It may be characterized by being.

That is, the printing unit may have a mechanism for manually or automatically changing the position of the printed unit each time the width of the individual package is changed, but the configuration and work are complicated.

As in this embodiment, if the wrapping paper transport length between the wrapping paper vertical seal portion and the printing portion is set to approximately 2 W, as described in the first aspect, the wrapping paper vertical seal portion and the wrapping paper horizontal seal Since it is equal to the distance from the rear end of the portion, by transporting the wrapping paper in increments of approximately 2 W / n, it is possible to print at an accurate position without changing the mechanism.

Considering the case where the wrapping paper is not linear but curved and transported, the length of the wrapping paper is not the distance between the vertical wrapping paper sealing portion and the printing portion, but the length of the wrapping paper between them.

Here, the reason why it is set to about 2W is for the same reason as described in the first aspect.

Further, the third aspect of the present invention is the drug packaging device of the second aspect, and further
-The printing section has a line drawing portion for marking the wrapping paper behind the wrapping paper transport direction, and the wrapping paper transport length between the printing section and the line drawing section is approximately 2 W. It may be a feature.

That is, the line drawing portion may be a mechanism that manually or automatically changes the position of the line drawing portion each time the width of the individual package is changed, but the configuration and work become complicated.

If the wrapping paper transport length between the printing portion and the line drawing portion is set to approximately 2 W as in this embodiment, as described in the first aspect, after the wrapping paper vertical sticker portion and the wrapping paper horizontal seal portion. Since it is equal to the distance from the edge, it is possible to draw a line at an accurate position without changing the mechanism by transporting the wrapping paper by about 2 W / n.

Considering the case where the wrapping paper is not linear but curved and transported, the length of the wrapping paper is not the distance between the printed portion and the drawn portion, but the length of the wrapping paper between them.

Here, the reason why it is set to about 2W is for the same reason as described in the first aspect.

Further, the fourth aspect of the present invention is the drug packaging device of the first aspect, and further
-It has a wrapping paper cutting portion provided in front of the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion in the wrapping paper transport direction, and the distance between the rear end of the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion and the wrapping paper cutting portion is approximately 2 W. It may be characterized by being present.

By doing so, regardless of the width of the individual wrapping being 2 W / n (n is an integer of 2 or more), the wrapping paper is conveyed n times by a distance of 2 W / n from the rear end of the wrapping paper horizontal seal portion. Then, the vertical seal portion at the rear end of the individual wrapping reaches the wrapping paper cutting portion, and the individual wrapping is cut.

That is, when the wrapping operation is continuously continued, it is necessary to surely cut the wrapping paper (individual wrapping) at the position of the vertical seal every time 2 W / n is conveyed to create a useless blank wrapping. Since there is no such thing, the amount of wrapping paper used can be reduced.

Further, the fifth aspect of the present invention may be the drug packaging device of the first aspect, characterized in that the drug hopper is replaceable.

Here, "replaceable" means that the same drug hopper can be removed, cleaned, and then reloaded, or the cross-sectional area of the path that can be moved back and forth inside the wrapping paper of the drug hopper is the same, or Includes replacement with a different drug hopper.

In this way, the drug hopper can be kept clean at all times, and when the width of the individual package is changed, the drug hopper with the appropriate path cross-section can be selected and attached to the individual package size. It is also possible to enclose the maximum shape or the maximum number of tablets.

Further, the sixth aspect of the present invention is the drug packaging device of the first aspect, and further
-It may be characterized by having a brake portion for suppressing the transport of the wrapping paper behind the position of the drug hopper in the direction of transporting the wrapping paper.

In this way, tension can be applied to the wrapping paper with respect to the carrying force of the wrapping paper transport section, which is particularly necessary when the width of the individual wrapping is small and a large tablet is enclosed. If the upper part of the wrapping paper is wide open, if horizontal sealing is performed as it is, wrinkles may occur in the horizontal sealing part, but this phenomenon can be reduced and sealing failure occurs. Can also be prevented.

Further, the seventh aspect of the present invention is the drug packaging device of the first aspect.
The wrapping paper horizontal seal portion may be characterized in that the wrapping paper is welded by a heating element, and the heat generation temperature can be variably controlled according to the dimensions of the individual wrapping.

By doing so, if a horizontal seal of half the width of W / 2 is performed using a wrapping paper horizontal seal portion that can seal the maximum width W, the horizontal seal will be performed twice in the same place. In this case, by setting the heat generation temperature lower than that of the individual package having the maximum width W, it is possible to prevent melting or breakage due to overheating of the seal portion.

Further, the eighth aspect of the present invention may be a drug packaging machine, which may be characterized by incorporating the drug packaging device of the first aspect.

In this way, in addition to the tablet and powder counting and weighing functions required for packaging, the drug packaging device having the characteristics described in the first aspect can be incorporated as a drug packaging machine. It is possible to carry out the packaging work extremely efficiently, economically and accurately.

As described above, according to the present invention, the width of the individual package to be packaged can be changed to a plurality of types while the positional relationship between the vertical wrapping paper seal portion, the drug hopper and the horizontal wrapping paper seal portion is fixed. And a drug packaging machine incorporating such a drug packaging device can be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drug packaging device capable of shortening the width of an individual package as much as possible in comparison with the size of a drug (tablet) and a drug packaging machine incorporating such a drug packaging device.

It is a front view of one Embodiment of the drug packing machine which concerns on this invention. It is a plan view and a plan layout of the embodiment of the drug packaging apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a front view and the front layout of the embodiment of the drug packaging apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a front view and the side view of one Embodiment of the drug hopper which concerns on this invention. It is a front view and the side view of the 2nd Embodiment of the drug hopper which concerns on this invention. It is a front view and the side view of the 3rd Embodiment of the drug hopper which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation sequence of the medicine packing machine which concerns on this invention. It is a table which shows the combination of the width setting of the sachet individual package which concerns on this invention.

Hereinafter, the drug packaging device and the drug packaging machine according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, the applied drug is described as a tablet, but the drug is not limited to the tablet, and can be applied to a drug such as a capsule, and even in the case of powdered drug, it cannot be counted as a quantity. Similar designs are possible and the same effects are exhibited depending on the magnitude of the mass per packet.

<Structure of drug packaging machine>
FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the drug packaging machine according to the present invention, and three front and rear slide shelves 2a to 2c arranged laterally when viewed from the front are attached to the housing of the drug packaging machine 1. Has been done. These front and rear slide shelves 2a to 2c are stored in the back side while the machine is operating, and are manually or electrically pulled out forward when replenishing tablets, etc., and the dedicated tablet storage container 3 is attached and detached from the left and right sides. It is designed to do.

When a specific prescription instruction is transmitted from the electronic prescription system 201 as a higher-level system to the main control device 202 operated by the program of the operation program accommodating unit 204, it is received and enclosed in an individual package for each dosing order. It is configured so that the combination of tablets to be used can be determined and the operation instructions can be given to the front and rear slide shelves 2a to 2c. Reference numeral 203 denotes a power supply device that supplies electric power to each unit of the main control unit 202 and the drug packaging machine 1.

Different tablets P are stored in the dedicated tablet storage container 3, and when a different tablet P is instructed to be released, one tablet is released one by one in the direction of the arrow 4 by a known drive control. At this time, after detecting the passage of the tablet by a sensor (not shown), the inside of the vertical chute 5 is dropped, and the tablet is dropped from the lower opening 6 provided at the lower part of the front and rear slide shelves 2a to 2c.

The tablets P that fall from the lower opening 6 as shown in FIG. 1 are temporarily accumulated in the storage shutter 7 of the slide shelf. For example, when the electronic prescription system 201 instructs 1 tablet of P1 drug, 2 tablets of P2 drug, and 3 tablets of P3 drug, a predetermined number of tablets P are dropped from the dedicated tablet storage containers 3 for P1 drug, P2 drug, and P3 drug, respectively. To complete.

Next, the storage shutters 7 of the three horizontally arranged front and rear slide shelves 2a to 2c are simultaneously opened, and the tablet P is dropped onto the oblique chute 8. The tablets P that fall along the slope of the oblique chute 8 are collected at the central lower outlet 9, and further temporarily accumulated by the drug hopper 10 of the drug packaging device 100.

Next, by opening the shutter of the drug hopper 10 and dropping it into the space for one packet of the wrapping paper B that is continuously conveyed, a plurality of tablets P can be contained in one packet.

Even the tablets in the dedicated tablet storage container 3 placed in any place on each shelf can be stored in one package without delaying the other tablets.

<Structure of drug packaging equipment>
Next, the configuration of the drug packaging device, which is an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail.
FIG. 2 is a plan view and a plan layout of an embodiment of the drug packaging device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a front view and a front layout of an embodiment of the drug packaging device according to the present invention.

The drug wrapping device 100 arranges the drug hopper 10 on the upper portion thereof, and works on the wrapping paper B (which may be called a wrapping paper because it is used for packaging the drug) on the base surface 101 thereof. The elements are arranged, and the paper is laid from the outer circumference of the roll paper R, which is made by winding the valley-folded wrapping paper B into a continuous paper in a roll shape, from left to right.

That is, the roll paper R is mounted on the delivery reel 102 from the left, the paper front end side is once hung on the first back tension roll 103, and the paper is further spread over the rollers of each part beyond the roll and is led out to the exit of the arrow 104.

The tip of the delivery reel 102 includes a line drawing portion 105, a printing portion 106, a wrapping paper vertical seal portion 107, a tablet drop position 108 which is the lower end of the drug hopper 10, a wrapping paper horizontal seal portion 109, a drive roller 110, and a cutting portion 111. Arranged in order.

The reference for the distance relationship is the wrapping paper vertical sealing portion 107, and the maximum width of one packet created by the drug packaging device 100 is set as the reference one packet width W, and the back of the wrapping paper transport direction (sending reel 102). On the side), the heat-sensitive print head 112, which is the printing unit 106, and the platen 113 facing the printing unit 106 are arranged at a position where the wrapping paper transport length is 2 W.

The printing unit is not limited to the heat-sensitive type (using transfer ribbon or thermal paper) as long as it can print characters, codes, patterns, etc., and can be printed by various printing mechanisms such as inkjet type and ink ribbon type. There may be.

Here, a swing roller 115 is disposed in front of the printing section 106 in the transport direction, and the wrapping paper B is wound around the swing roller 115, and the wrapping paper is vertically formed from the position of the platen 113 in the center of the printing section 106. The wrapping paper transport length to the position of the seal portion 107 is set to 2 W.

The swing roller 115 is a neck-down mechanism (not shown) so that the wrapping paper transport length 2W can be slightly changed.

This is because the drive motor M1 of the platen 113 of the printing unit 106 and the drive motor M2 of the drive roller 110 have the same movement step distance when moving one packet, but there is a slight difference in the rising and falling characteristics of each. This is to prevent them from being pulled together.

Further, the line drawing portion 105 is arranged at a position where the wrapping paper transport length is 2 W on the rear side in the transport direction from the platen 113 of the printing section 106. Also in this case, since the wrapping paper transport path has a curved portion, the wrapping paper transport length is set to 2 W instead of the distance of 2 W.

The line drawing portion 105 attaches a plurality of color pens and draws a color line on a predetermined package of the wrapping paper B with a pen of a predetermined color according to a prescription instruction, but is substantially selectively selected for the traveling wrapping paper B. It is a mechanism that presses the pen tip, and especially when the individual package is created in the order of morning, day and night, the time to take the individual package is clearly indicated by drawing a line such as red in the morning, green in the day, and blue in the evening. It works to guide the user.

However, the line drawing portion is not limited to such a configuration, and any mechanism may be used as long as it is not limited to the line drawing and can add some kind of mark.

On the front side of the reference wrapping paper vertical sealing portion 107 in the transport direction, the rear end portion of the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion 109 is first arranged at a distance of 2W, and the cutting portion 111 is further arranged at a position 2W forward, so that the drawing portion is drawn. Each part of 105, the printing part 106, the wrapping paper vertical sealing part 107, the wrapping paper horizontal sealing part 109, and the cutting part 111 are arranged in order with an interval of 2W (or a wrapping paper transport length of 2W). Become.

Further, the friction brake portion 114 is located immediately in front of the vertical wrapping paper sealing portion 107, the tablet drop position 108 from the drug hopper 10 is located in front of the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion 109, and the tablet is directly in front of the cutting portion 111. A drive roller 110 that drives and conveys the wrapping paper B by a pair of rollers is also arranged in the vehicle.

As described above, the transport driving force for the wrapping paper is applied by the platen 113 of the printing unit 106 and the driving roller 110. They are rotationally driven by a stepping motor M1 and a stepping motor M2, respectively. These drive mechanisms are collectively referred to as a wrapping paper transport unit.

The wrapping paper transporting unit is not limited to such a structure, and may be any mechanism as long as the wrapping paper is transported by a specified distance (length).

As for the timing of transporting the wrapping paper, M1 and M2 are intermittently driven one packet at a time according to the instruction from the wrapping paper transport control unit 200 connected to the main control unit 202, but are completely synchronized. A oscillating roller 115 is provided in front of the printing unit 106 on the assumption that the printing unit 106 cannot be removed so that the difference in mileage can be absorbed.

The main control unit 200 and the package transfer control unit 200 are provided with a CPU, a memory, a communication interface, an input / output device, and the like, and these elements may be separately provided in both control units. , Some or all elements may be shared, additional elements may be added, or some elements may not be present.

The wrapping paper vertical sealing portion 107 and the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion 109 are each composed of two opposing planes, and a heat source is built in on both sides or one side thereof, and the flat plate is heated by heat conduction, and the wrapping paper B is placed in that state. The wrapping paper B is thermally melted and sealed by pressure contacting. Until now, it has been customarily called wrapping paper, but since the inside of the valley-folded paper is coated with resin, the resin layer melts and can be reliably sealed.

Further, a first temperature setting unit 116 and a second temperature setting unit 117 are provided for the heat sources of the wrapping paper vertical sealing unit 107 and the wrapping paper horizontal sealing unit 109, respectively, from the wrapping paper transport control unit 200. The temperature can be set based on the instructions.

By the way, the width of the wrapping paper horizontal seal portion 109 is equivalent to the width of one packet W based on the maximum value of the width of one packet, but the width is set slightly wider than W so that an unsealed portion does not occur between consecutive individual packages. And I try to overlap the seal.

The cutting portion 111 vertically cuts the center of the vertical seal position of each individual package with a cutting blade, but may also have a function of forming only perforations without completely cutting. In this case, it is often controlled to perform perforations for each packet and cutting for each prescription.

<Composition of drug hopper>
FIG. 4 is a front view and a side view of an embodiment of the drug hopper 10 according to the present invention. 4 (a) is a front view and FIGS. 4 (b) to 4 (d) are side views. The drug hopper 10 is composed of an upper hopper 11 and a lower hopper 12, and is formed from a wide upper opening 13 of the upper hopper 11. The tablet P is dropped, the opening is narrowed in a funnel shape, and the tablet P is dropped onto the next lower hopper 12, and between the vertical seals 107a and 108b of the valley-folded wrapping paper B previously formed by the vertical seal portion 107 of the wrapping paper. The tablet P is housed in the space B1 of the above.

On the lower end side of the lower hopper 12, thin beak-shaped guide bodies 14a and 14b are arranged on both sides of the lower hopper 12 at a position where the thin beak-shaped guide bodies 14a and 14b are inserted inside the upper open end of the wrapping paper B by a distance L. Since it is opened slightly wider than the distance L, it does not get in the way even if the wrapping paper B is moved laterally with the guide bodies 14a and 14b inserted inside.

The upper hopper 11 is fixed to the hopper holding body 15, and a rotary shutter mechanism 17 capable of closing or opening the lower opening portion 16 is provided below, and the lower hopper 12 is below the hopper holding body 15. It is attached to the carriage 19 via a guide shaft 18 vertically held on the side, and can be moved up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a crank mechanism.

Similarly, the rotary shutter mechanism 17 can be opened and closed by a drive mechanism like a plate cam, and by operating these two drive mechanisms in synchronization, the upper hopper 11 and the lower hopper as shown in FIG. 4 (b) are operated. The "tablet receiving position" in which the 12 is approached and the rotary shutter 17 is closed, and the lower hopper 12 in FIG. 4C is lowered to enter the inner part of the wrapping paper B and the upper hopper. The rotation shutter 17 of 11 can be selectively moved to two positions, that is, the “tablet encapsulation position” in the open state.

The configuration in which the upper hopper 11 and the lower hopper 12 are integrated is referred to as a drug hopper 10, and while being held by the hopper holder 15, the upper hopper 11 and the lower hopper 12 are fixed to a fixing base 21 overhanging from the drug packaging device 100 by a latch 22. By removing the latch 22 as in 4 (d), it can be removed from the drug packaging machine 1.

<Explanation of action>
The operation of the drug packaging machine 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 7 in a flowchart showing the operation sequence thereof.

As for the operation of each part, a continuous operation for a specific package is executed in parallel for each individual package, so that each step is performed in one step in the same time, which is called a tact and is called tact in FIG. 7. Although shown as T01, T02, T03, T04 ..., in the drug packaging machine 1 of the embodiment, this one tact is executed in about 1 second.

The operation of each part in each tact is shown by the example of the nth package, the operation on the wrapping paper B side is expressed as Sn1, Sn2, Sn3, Sn4 ..., And the operation on the tablet P side is expressed as Jn1, Jn2, Jn3. The following operations are performed, but all tacts include an operation of rotating the drive roller 110 to move the distance W for one package of the wrapping paper B.

Sn1 ... Draw a line at the line drawing part while moving the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn2 ... Move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn3 ... Printing is performed in the printing section while moving the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn4 ... Move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn5 ... Vertically seal the wrapping paper at the vertical seal part, and move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn6 ... Move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn7 ... Enclose the tablet and move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn8 ... Perform horizontal sealing at the horizontal sealing part of the wrapping paper, and move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn9 ... Move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.
Sn10 ... Cut the wrapping paper at the cutting part and move the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance.

However, in S89, whether or not to execute cutting at the cutting portion is selective, and in general, cutting is not performed in the continuous stage for one prescription, and cutting is often performed only when the packaging for one prescription is completed. ..

Sn2, Sn4, Sn6, and Sn9 are all operations of "moving the wrapping paper by one packet distance", but in the case of the operation of only one packet, this is the case, but individual packages are continuously created. In the case of going, for example, since S12 "moving the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance" and S21 "execution of line drawing" are carried out with the same tact, "moving the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance" is substantially performed in S21. It is executed, and it is not necessary to execute S12 separately.

That is, in the case of parallel operation within the same tact, "moving the wrapping paper by one wrapping distance" is included in each case, but the wrapping paper transport control unit 200 is controlled to execute the wrapping paper only once.

Jn1 ... The tablet P is released from the dedicated tablet storage container 3 and temporarily stored in the storage shutter 7.
Jn2 ... The storage shutter 7 is opened and the tablet P is temporarily stored in the upper hopper 11.
Jn3 ... The rotation shutter 17 is opened and the lower hopper 11 is lowered.

The Sn sequence and the Jn sequence are also synchronized, and Jn1 is executed with the same tact as Sn5, and Jn3 is executed with the same tact as Sn7.

The sequence for creating a continuous individual package with the maximum packaging width W has been described above. Next, regarding the method for producing an individual package with a width smaller than W, the second embodiment of the drug hopper according to the present invention. 5 is a front view and a side view of the above, and FIG. 6 is a front view and a side view of a third embodiment of the drug hopper according to the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the positional relationship of each main component is twice the maximum packaging width W = 2W, and an individual package having a width of 2W / n can be created with n as an integer. Is n = 3, and if the width of the individual package is 2W / 3 and W = 80 mm, then 2W / 3 = 53.33 mm.

In this case, the hopper holder 15 in the state of holding the drug hopper 10 used for the maximum packaging width W is first removed, and the dedicated drug hopper (medium size) 30 is attached, but the configuration itself is basically the drug hopper 10. In the same way as above, the inner width Ha of the cross section of the tubular portion 32 that enters the wrapping paper of 31 of the lower hopper is reduced, and when W = 80 mm, Ha = 25 to 30 mm is used to make one large tablet. Suitable for multi-dose of minutes.

In the example of FIG. 6, n = 4, the width of the individual package is 2W / 4, and if W = 80 mm, 2W / 4 = 40 mm. In this case, the maximum package width W was used first. The drug hopper 10 is removed and a dedicated drug hopper (small size) 40 is attached, but the configuration itself is basically the same as that of the drug hopper 10, and the cross-sectional inner width Hb of the cylinder portion 42 that enters the wrapping paper of the lower hopper 41 is formed. It is made smaller, and when W = 80 mm, Ha = 25 to 30 mm is suitable for multi-dose for one small tablet.

The above is an example of n = 2, n = 3, but further subdivision into n = 4, n = 5, etc. can be realized by replacing each with an upper and lower hopper corresponding to the packing width. Although the description was given with W = 80 mm as an example, various embodiments in which this is generalized will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a combination of packaging widths that can be created under each condition when the maximum packaging width W is W = 70 mm, W = 80 mm, W = 90 mm, W = 100 mm and n = 2 to 6. Shown.

From the above, it was shown that a package having a width of 2 W / n (n is an integer of 2 or more) can be executed with respect to the maximum package width W without changing the drug packaging device 100. Distance between section 105 and printing section 106, distance between printing section 106 and wrapping paper vertical sealing section 107, distance between wrapping paper vertical sealing section 107 and rear end of wrapping paper horizontal sealing section, rear of wrapping paper horizontal sealing section It is assumed that the distance between the end and the cut portion 111 is equal to 2 W.

Further, if the diameter of the drive roller 110 is set so that the circumference length is W, the wrapping paper B of W in one rotation of the drive roller and 2 W in two rotations can be conveyed, and is a general two-phase excitation type. By incorporating a deceleration mechanism of the stepping motor M2 that rotates the drive roller 110 by an angle of 1 degree at a step angle of 1.8 degrees of the stepping motor, n = 2 for all dimensions of 2 W / n. From up to 6, the required transport can be performed with an integer number of steps. Such transport control of the wrapping paper is controlled by the wrapping paper transport control unit 200.

A first temperature setting unit 116 and a second temperature setting unit 117 are provided for the heat sources of the wrapping paper vertical sealing unit 107 and the wrapping paper horizontal sealing unit 109, respectively, from the wrapping paper transport control unit 200. The temperature can be set based on the instructions.

As described above, the practical necessity of setting the temperature is that the sealing surface width of the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion 109 is set to be slightly wider than W, so that n = 3 other than the maximum packaging width W and an integer larger than that. In the case of divided packages, thermocompression bonding is performed each time one package is fed, so only one thermocompression bonding is performed for one vertical seal. This is because thermocompression bonding is performed a plurality of times with respect to the width of one package, the amount of heat input to the seal portion becomes excessive, and the seal portion may be melted more than necessary.

Specifically, the set temperature changes depending on the material of the wrapping paper B, but when it is preferable to set 140 ° C. in the first temperature setting unit 116, 135 ° C. in the second temperature setting unit 117 at n = 3. At n = 4, it is possible to prevent the amount of heat input to the seal from becoming excessive by setting it to 130 ° C., which can be executed by describing this on the control program, and the drug. A code may be attached to the hoppers 10, 30 and 40, and when the code is attached, the code may be read and the temperature may be set corresponding to the code.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the width of the individual package to be packaged can be changed to a plurality of types while the positional relationship between the vertical wrapping paper seal portion, the drug hopper and the horizontal wrapping paper seal portion remains fixed. A drug packaging device and a drug packaging machine incorporating such a drug packaging device can be provided, and a seal can be provided even if the width of the individual package is as short as possible in comparison with the size of a relatively large tablet. It has been possible to provide a drug packaging device in which wrinkles and sealing defects do not occur in a portion and a drug packaging machine incorporating such a drug packaging device.

The apparatus according to the present invention is expected to be widely used in dispensing pharmacies and the like, and has great industrial applicability.

1 Drug packaging machine 3 Dedicated tablet storage container 7 Storage shutter 10 Drug hopper 11 Upper hopper 12 Lower hopper 15 Hopper holder 17 Rotating shutter 30 Drug hopper (medium size)
40 Drug hopper (small size)
100 Drug packaging device 105 Line drawing part 106 Printing part 107 Wrapping paper vertical seal part 108 Tablet drop position 109 Wrapping paper horizontal seal part 110 Drive roller 111 Cutting part

In the example of FIG. 6, n = 4, the width of the individual package is 2W / 4, and if W = 80 mm, 2W / 4 = 40 mm. In this case, the maximum package width W was used first. The drug hopper 10 is removed and a dedicated drug hopper (small size) 40 is attached, but the configuration itself is basically the same as that of the drug hopper 10, and the cross-sectional inner width Hb of the cylinder portion 42 that enters the wrapping paper of the lower hopper 41 is formed. When the size is small and W = 80 mm, Hb = 25 to 30 mm is suitable for multi-dose for one small tablet.

Claims (8)

-A wrapping paper transport section that transports continuous wrapping paper that has been folded downward in a vertical position.
-The wrapping paper transport control unit that controls the transport of the wrapping paper by the wrapping paper transport unit,
-In order to divide the wrapping paper into individual packages, the wrapping paper vertical seal part that seals the wrapping paper in the vertical direction,
-A drug hopper that is provided in front of the vertical sealing portion of the wrapping paper in the transport direction and is disposed inside the wrapping paper whose upper end is open so that the drug can be received from above and dropped downward. When,
-It has a wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion which is provided in front of the drug hopper in the transport direction and seals the upper end of the wrapping paper in the lateral direction.
When the distance between the vertical wrapping paper sealing portion and the rear end portion of the horizontal wrapping paper sealing portion is approximately 2 W, the wrapping paper transport control unit operates the wrapping paper transport section to omit the wrapping paper. A drug packaging device capable of transporting 2 W / n (n is an integer of 2 or more) at a time. Further, the wrapping paper vertical seal portion has a printing portion for printing on the wrapping paper behind the wrapping paper transport direction, and the wrapping paper transport length between the wrapping paper vertical seal portion and the printing portion is substantially short. The drug packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the product is 2 W. Further, the printed portion has a line drawing portion for marking the wrapping paper behind the wrapping paper transporting direction, and the wrapping paper transport length between the printing portion and the line drawing portion is approximately 2 W. 2. The drug packaging device according to claim 2. Further, it has a wrapping paper cutting portion provided in front of the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion in the wrapping paper transport direction, and the distance between the rear end of the wrapping paper horizontal sealing portion and the wrapping paper cutting portion is approximately 2 W. The drug packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the drug packaging device is characterized by the above. The drug packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the drug hopper is replaceable. The drug wrapping device according to claim 1, further comprising a brake portion for suppressing the transport of the wrapping paper behind the position of the drug hopper in the wrapping paper transport direction. The drug wrapping device according to claim 1, wherein the wrapping paper horizontal seal portion welds the wrapping paper by a heating element, and the heat generation temperature can be variably controlled according to the size of the individual wrapping. A drug packaging machine incorporating the drug packaging device according to claim 1.

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