JP2022025436A - Carrier device and tablet printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a structure which enables a position of a press member, pressing a granular material against an outer peripheral surface of a drum, to be easily adjusted without replacing the press member itself for a carrier device comprising the press member.SOLUTION: A carrier device comprises a supply mechanism, a drum, a first press member 26, a first elastic member 27, and a first height adjusting mechanism S1. The supply mechanism supplies a plurality of granular objects along a horizontal supply path. The drum receives the granular objects supplied from the supply mechanism in the vicinity of an upper end part. The first press member 26 is arranged near a position for delivery from the supply mechanism to the drum. The first elastic member 27 presses the first press member 26 toward the drum. The first height adjusting mechanism S1 adjusts a height of the first press member 26 relative to the supply path of the supply mechanism. Consequently, the position of the first press member can be easily adjusted without replacing the first press member 26 with a member differing in shape or size.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting granules and a tablet printing device provided with the transport device.

Letters and codes for identifying products are printed on tablets, which are pharmaceutical products. In addition, marks and illustrations may be printed on ramune and other locks. Conventionally, a printing device for printing an image on such granules such as tablets and confectionery by an inkjet method has been known. In particular, in recent years, the types of tablets have diversified due to the spread of generic drugs. Therefore, in order to make it easier to identify the tablet, a technique for clearly printing an image on the tablet by an inkjet method is attracting attention.

In this type of printing device, a large number of tablets are poured into a hopper for delivery. The printing device aligns the poured tablets one by one at predetermined intervals in the transport direction. Then, printing is performed on a plurality of tablets that are transported in an aligned state. Further, not only in a printing device but also in an inspection device for inspecting tablets and a packaging device for packaging tablets, it is necessary to transport a plurality of tablets while arranging them at predetermined intervals in the transport direction. ..

For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a mechanism for transporting a plurality of tablets while arranging them at predetermined intervals in the transport direction.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-59036 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-85519

In the structure of Patent Document 1, a plurality of tablets (t) supplied along the chute (22) are cut into individual tablets (t) by a plurality of cutting pieces (31) of the supply roller (3). It is supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the input drum (1) (see paragraph 0036, FIG. 4, etc.).

In the structure of Patent Document 2, the lowermost tablet (9a) in the chute (50) is held by the stopper (70). Then, the stopper (70) retracts in accordance with the rotation of the drum (1), so that the tablet (9a) falls and is supplied to the recess (2) of the drum (1).

However, in the structures of Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the tablet is sandwiched between the chute and the cut piece or the stopper, the tablet may be clogged or the tablet may be cracked.

On the other hand, for example, if the tablets are supplied in the horizontal direction to the pockets provided on the outer peripheral surface of the drum, it is considered that the tablets are relatively unlikely to be clogged or cracked. However, in that case, a pressing member that presses the tablet supplied in the horizontal direction toward the outer peripheral surface of the drum is required. Further, since the shape and size of the tablet are various, it is necessary to adjust the pressing member according to the type of the tablet. In addition, it is necessary to adjust the pressing member according to the assembly error of the device and the machine difference.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure capable of easily adjusting the position of a pressing member without exchanging the pressing member itself in a transport device provided with a pressing member for pressing the granular material toward the outer peripheral surface of the drum. And.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application is a transport device for transporting granules, which is a supply mechanism for supplying a plurality of granules in a transport direction along a horizontal supply path, and the transport direction. A drum that receives granules supplied from the supply mechanism and a drum from the supply mechanism in the vicinity of the upper end thereof while rotating around an axis orthogonal to and parallel to the width direction, which is a horizontal direction. Adjust the heights of the first pressing member arranged near the delivery position to, the first elastic member that presses the first pressing member toward the drum, and the first pressing member with respect to the supply path. It is provided with a first height adjusting mechanism.

The second invention of the present invention is the transport device of the first invention, in which a base member fixed to the supply path and the first pressing member are rotated about a first rotation axis extending in the width direction. Further including a first support member that movably supports the first support member, the first height adjusting mechanism adjusts the height of the first support member with respect to the base member.

The third aspect of the present invention is the transport device of the second invention, and the first height adjusting mechanism adjusts the height of the first support member with respect to the base member at two points in the width direction.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is the transport device of the second invention or the third invention, in which the first pressing member is positioned in the initial state by coming into contact with the first pressing member pressed by the first elastic member. A first contact member for adjusting the position of the first contact member and a first initial state adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the first contact member are further provided.

The fifth invention of the present application is the transport device of any one of the second to fourth inventions, the second pressing member located on the downstream side of the transport path from the first pressing member, and the first pressing member. (2) A second elastic member that presses the pressing member toward the drum and a second height adjusting mechanism that adjusts the height of the second pressing member with respect to the drum are further provided.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is the transport device of the fifth aspect, further comprising a second support member that rotatably supports the second pressing member about a second rotation axis extending in the width direction. The second height adjusting mechanism adjusts the height of the second support member with respect to the first support member.

The seventh aspect of the present invention is the transport device of the sixth invention, and the second height adjusting mechanism adjusts the height of the second support member with respect to the first support member at two points in the width direction. ..

The eighth invention of the present application is the transport device of the sixth invention or the seventh invention, further comprising a position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the second support member in the transport direction with respect to the first support member.

The ninth invention of the present application is the transport device of any one invention from the sixth invention to the eighth invention, and the second pressing member is located on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the second rotation shaft. A shaft adjusting mechanism having a pressing protrusion and a downstream end portion located on the downstream side in the transport direction from the second rotating shaft, and adjusting the position of the second rotating shaft with respect to the second supporting member. Further prepare.

The tenth invention of the present application is the transport device of any one of the fifth to ninth inventions, in which the second pressing member comes into contact with the second pressing member pressed by the second elastic member. Further, a second contact member for positioning the member in the initial state and a second initial state adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the second contact member are further provided.

The eleventh invention of the present application is a transport device of any one of the first to tenth inventions, and the granules are tablets.

The twelfth invention of the present application includes the transport device of the eleventh invention and a printing unit for printing an image on the surface of a tablet by an inkjet method.

According to the first to twelfth inventions of the present application, the height of the first pressing member with respect to the supply path can be adjusted. Therefore, the position of the first pressing member can be easily adjusted without changing the first pressing member to another shape or a different size.

In particular, according to the third invention of the present application, the inclination angle of the first support member with respect to the base member in the width direction can be adjusted.

In particular, according to the fourth invention of the present application, the initial state of the first pressing member can be adjusted.

In particular, according to the fifth invention of the present application, the height of the second pressing member with respect to the drum can be adjusted. Therefore, the position of the second pressing member can be easily adjusted without changing the second pressing member to another shape or a different size.

In particular, according to the seventh invention of the present application, the inclination angle of the second support member with respect to the first support member in the width direction can be adjusted.

In particular, according to the eighth invention of the present application, the positional relationship of the second pressing member with respect to the first pressing member in the transport direction can be adjusted.

In particular, according to the ninth invention of the present application, both the pressing protrusion and the downstream end portion can be adjusted to appropriate positions by using the second height adjusting mechanism and the shaft adjusting mechanism together.

In particular, according to the tenth invention of the present application, the initial state of the second pressing member can be adjusted.

It is a figure which showed the structure of the tablet printing apparatus. It is a partial perspective view of a conveyor. It is a bottom view of one head. It is a block diagram which showed the connection between a control part and each part in a tablet printing apparatus. It is a partial side view of the 1st drum. It is a side view of a pressing mechanism. It is a figure which showed the state of the 1st delivery position at a certain time point. It is a figure which showed the state of the 1st delivery position at another time point. It is a figure which showed the state of the 1st delivery position at another time point. It is a figure which showed the state of the 1st delivery position at another time point. It is a figure which showed the state of the 1st delivery position at another time point. It is a partial top view of the pressing mechanism. It is a partial side view of a pressing mechanism. It is a partial vertical sectional view of the pressing mechanism at the position AA of FIG. It is a top view of the pressing mechanism. It is a vertical sectional view of the pressing mechanism at the BB position of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. Overall configuration of tablet printing equipment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a tablet printing device 1 including a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tablet printing device 1 is a device that prints images such as a product name, a product code, a company name, and a logo mark on the surface of each tablet 9 while transporting a plurality of tablets 9 which are granular substances. The tablet 9 may be an uncoated tablet (bare tablet), or may be a coated tablet such as a sugar-coated tablet or a film-coated tablet (FC tablet). Further, the tablet 9 may be a capsule containing a hard capsule and a soft capsule. Further, the "granular substance" in the present invention is not limited to tablets as a pharmaceutical product, but may be tablets as a health food or tablet confectionery such as ramune.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tablet printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a supply mechanism 10, a first drum 20, a second drum 30, a conveyor 40, a first camera 50, a printing unit 60, a second camera 70, and drying. It includes a mechanism 80, a discharge mechanism 90, and a control unit 100.

The supply mechanism 10 is a mechanism for supplying a plurality of tablets 9 charged into the tablet printing device 1 to the first drum 20. The supply mechanism 10 of the present embodiment includes a bowl feeder 11, a first chute 12, a supply conveyor 13, and a second chute 14.

The bowl feeder 11 has a disc-shaped trough 110 that receives a plurality of tablets 9. The bowl feeder 11 moves the plurality of tablets 9 by vibrating the trough 110 and supplies them to the first chute 12. The first chute 12 extends in an arc shape between the discharge port of the trough 110 and the supply conveyor 13. The first chute 12 has a plurality of supply paths. The bowl feeder 11 supplies the tablet 9 to each supply path of the first chute 12. As a result, a large number of tablets 9 are arranged in a plurality of rows. That is, a plurality of rows of tablets 9 arranged in the transport direction are formed in the width direction (direction orthogonal to and horizontal to the transport direction). Then, the aligned tablets 9 are supplied from the first chute 12 to the supply conveyor 13. Note that FIG. 1 shows only one row of tablets 9.

The supply conveyor 13 is a mechanism for horizontally and linearly transporting the tablets 9 from the first chute 12 to the second chute 14. The supply conveyor 13 has two pulleys 131 and an annular supply belt 132 spanned over the two pulleys 131. One of the two pulleys 131 is rotated by power obtained from a motor (not shown). As a result, the supply belt 132 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The other pulley 131 is driven to rotate with the rotation of the supply belt 132. Further, a partition plate extending along the boundary of the row of tablets 9 is provided on the upper portion of the supply belt 132. The tablets 9 supplied from the first chute 12 are transported to the downstream side in the transport direction by the rotation of the supply belt 132 while maintaining the state of being aligned in a plurality of rows by the partition plate.

The second chute 14 extends linearly between the supply conveyor 13 and the first drum 20. The second chute 14 has a plurality of horizontal supply paths. The plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the supply conveyor 13 are supplied to each supply path of the second chute 14. Then, the tablet 9 in the second chute 14 advances to the downstream side in the transport direction by being pushed by the subsequent tablet 9 transported by the supply conveyor 13. Then, the tablet 9 is supplied to the first drum 20 from the end portion of the second chute 14 on the downstream side in the transport direction.

The first drum 20 is a mechanism for transporting a plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the second chute 14 while holding them at regular intervals in the transport direction. The first drum 20 has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on the first axis O1 parallel to the width direction. Further, a motor (not shown) is connected to the first drum 20. When the motor is driven, the first drum 20 rotates about the first axis O1 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The first drum 20 conveys the tablet 9 from the first delivery position P1 near the upper end thereof to the second delivery position P2 close to the second drum 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first drum 20 has a drum body 21 and a retaining ring 22. The drum body 21 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on the first axis O1. The drum body 21 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The retaining ring 22 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 21. Specifically, a plurality of retaining rings 22 are arranged at widthwise positions corresponding to each of the rows of tablets 9. The retaining ring 22 is formed of, for example, a resin such as polyacetal.

The outer peripheral surface of each retaining ring 22 has a plurality of concave pockets 23. The plurality of pockets 23 are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction centered on the first axis O1. Further, the retaining ring 22 has a suction hole 24 for sucking the tablet 9 at the bottom of each pocket 23. The suction hole 24 is a through hole that penetrates the holding ring 22.

The first drum 20 is connected to a suction mechanism (not shown). When the suction mechanism is operated, gas is sucked out from the internal space of the first drum 20 located in the angular range between the first delivery position P1 and the second delivery position P2. As a result, the internal space becomes a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. In addition, a negative pressure is also generated in the suction hole 24 communicating with the internal space. The plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the second chute 14 are sucked and held in the suction holes 24 of the holding ring 22 by this negative pressure.

The tablets 9 supplied from the second chute 14 are housed one by one in the pocket 23 and are sucked and held in the suction holes 24. As a result, the spacing in the transport direction of the plurality of tablets 9 becomes a predetermined spacing according to the spacing of the pockets 23. Each tablet 9 is transported from the first delivery position P1 to the second delivery position P2 by the rotation of the first drum 20 while being sucked and held in the suction hole 24 in the pocket 23. Then, when the tablet 9 passes through the second delivery position P2, the tablet 9 is released from the adsorption by deviating from the angular range of the internal space maintained in the negative pressure. As a result, the tablet 9 is delivered from the first drum 20 to the second drum 30.

At the first delivery position P1, the tablet 9 is attracted to the pocket 23 of the holding ring 22 by being pressed by the pressing mechanism 25. As a result, one tablet 9 can be stored in each pocket 23 while suppressing clogging and cracking of the tablet 9. The details of the pressing mechanism 25 will be described later.

The second drum 30 is a mechanism for transporting the tablets 9 delivered from the first drum 20 to the transport conveyor 40. The second drum 30 has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on the second axis O2 parallel to the width direction. In the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the first drum 20 and the outer diameter of the second drum 30 are substantially the same. However, the outer diameter of the first drum 20 and the outer diameter of the second drum 30 may be different. A motor (not shown) is connected to the second drum 30. When the motor is driven, the second drum 30 rotates about the second axis O2 in the direction opposite to that of the first drum 20. The second drum 30 conveys the tablet 9 from the second delivery position P2 close to the first drum 20 to the third delivery position P3 close to the transfer conveyor 40. The height of the third delivery position P3 is higher than the height of the first delivery position P1 and the second delivery position P2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second drum 30 has a drum body 31 and a retaining ring 32. The drum main body 31 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on the second axis O2. The drum body 31 is made of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel. The retaining ring 32 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 31. Specifically, a plurality of retaining rings 32 are arranged at widthwise positions corresponding to each of the rows of tablets 9. The retaining ring 32 is formed of, for example, a resin such as silicone.

Each retaining ring 32 has a plurality of suction holes 34. The suction hole 34 is a through hole that penetrates the holding ring 22. Further, the second drum 30 is connected to a suction mechanism (not shown). When the suction mechanism is operated, gas is sucked out from the internal space of the second drum 30 located in the angular range between the second delivery position P2 and the third delivery position P3. As a result, the internal space becomes a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. In addition, a negative pressure is also generated in the suction hole 34 communicating with the internal space. The plurality of tablets 9 delivered from the first drum 20 are sucked and held in the suction holes 34 of the holding ring 32 by this negative pressure.

The tablet 9 sucked and held in the suction hole 34 is conveyed from the second delivery position P2 to the third delivery position P3 by the rotation of the second drum 30. Then, when the tablet 9 passes through the third delivery position P3, the tablet 9 is released from the adsorption by deviating from the angular range of the internal space maintained in the negative pressure. As a result, the tablet 9 is delivered from the second drum 30 to the conveyor 40.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the supply mechanism 10 are conveyed to the conveyor 40 via the two drums of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30. The first drum 20 holds a plurality of tablets 9 in a state of being spaced apart in the transport direction. The second drum 30 conveys the tablets 9 to the transfer conveyor 40 while maintaining the distance in the transfer direction. At that time, the transport direction (rotation direction) of the tablet 9 is reversed between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30. As a result, the tablets 9 can be sent from the second drum 30 to the conveyor 40 according to the direction of operation of the conveyor 40.

Further, the holding ring 32 of the second drum 30 is made of a material that is more easily elastically deformed than the holding ring 22 of the first drum 20. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the second drum 30 is made of a material that is more easily elastically deformed than the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 20. Further, the holding ring 32 of the second drum 30 is made of a material that is more easily elastically deformed than the transfer belt 42 described later of the transfer conveyor 40. Specifically, the retaining ring 32 of the second drum 30 is made of, for example, silicone. By doing so, the elastic force of the holding ring 32 acts when the tablet 9 is delivered from the first drum 20 to the second drum 30 and the tablet 9 is delivered from the second drum 30 to the transfer conveyor 40. , It is possible to suppress the dropping and cracking of the tablet 9 and increase the success rate of delivery.

The conveyor 40 is a mechanism for transporting a plurality of tablets 9 delivered from the second drum 30 while adsorbing and holding them. The conveyor 40 has a pair of pulleys 41 and an annular conveyor belt 42 spanned between the pair of pulleys 41. One of the pair of pulleys 41 is rotated by the power obtained from the motor (not shown). As a result, the transport belt 42 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The other of the pair of pulleys 41 is driven to rotate with the rotation of the transport belt 42.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the conveyor 40. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of suction holes 421 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transport belt 42. The plurality of suction holes 421 are arranged at equal intervals in the transport direction and the width direction. Further, the conveyor 40 has a suction mechanism (not shown) that sucks gas from the space inside the conveyor belt 42. When the suction mechanism is operated, the space inside the transport belt 42 becomes a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. The plurality of tablets 9 are adsorbed and held one by one in the adsorption holes 421 by the negative pressure.

In this way, the plurality of tablets 9 are held on the surface of the transport belt 42 in a state of being aligned in the transport direction and the width direction. Then, the conveyor 40 conveys a plurality of tablets 9 by rotating the conveyor belt 42. Below the four heads 61 described below, the plurality of tablets 9 are transported horizontally.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor 40 has a blow mechanism 44. The blow mechanism 44 is provided inside the transport belt 42 and at a position facing the discharge chute 91, which will be described later, via the transport belt 42. The blow mechanism 44 blows gas only to the suction holes 421 facing the discharge chute 91 among the plurality of suction holes 421 of the transport belt 42. Then, the suction hole 421 has a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. As a result, the adsorption of the tablet 9 in the suction hole 421 is released, and the tablet 9 is delivered from the transport belt 42 to the discharge conveyor through the discharge chute 91.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the transport device for transporting the tablets 9 is configured by the supply mechanism 10, the pressing mechanism 25, the first drum 20, the second drum 30, and the transport conveyor 40.

The first camera 50 is a processing unit for photographing the tablet 9 before printing. The first camera 50 is located on the downstream side of the transport path from the above-mentioned third delivery position P3 and on the upstream side of the transport path from the printing unit 60. For the first camera 50, for example, a line sensor in which image pickup elements such as CCD and CMOS are arranged in the width direction is used. The first camera 50 photographs a plurality of tablets 9 transported by the transport belt 42. The image acquired by shooting is transmitted from the first camera 50 to the control unit 100 described later. The control unit 100 detects the presence / absence of the tablet 9 in each suction hole 421, the position of the tablet 9, and the posture of the tablet 9 based on the image obtained from the first camera 50. Further, the control unit 100 also inspects each tablet 9 for defects such as chipping based on the image obtained from the first camera 50.

The printing unit 60 is a processing unit that prints an image on the surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the conveying belt 42 by an inkjet method. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing unit 60 of this embodiment has four heads 61. The four heads 61 are located above the transport belt 42 and are arranged in a row along the transport direction of the tablets 9. The four heads 61 eject ink droplets of different colors (eg, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) toward the tablet 9. Then, a multicolor image is recorded on the surface of the tablet 9 by superimposing the monochromatic images formed by each of these colors. As the ink discharged from each head 61, edible ink manufactured from raw materials approved by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, the Food Sanitation Law, etc. is used.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of one head 61. In FIG. 3, the transport belt 42 and the plurality of tablets 9 held by the transport belt 42 are shown by a two-dot chain line. As shown enlarged in FIG. 3, a plurality of nozzles 611 capable of ejecting ink droplets are provided on the lower surface of the head 61. In the present embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 611 are two-dimensionally arranged on the lower surface of the head 61 in the transport direction and the width direction. The nozzles 611 are arranged so as to be displaced in the width direction. By arranging the plurality of nozzles 611 two-dimensionally in this way, the positions of the nozzles 611 in the width direction can be brought close to each other. However, the plurality of nozzles 611 may be arranged in a row along the width direction.

As the method of ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle 611, for example, a so-called piezo method is used in which the ink in the nozzle 611 is pressurized and ejected by applying a voltage to the piezo element to deform it. However, the ink droplet ejection method may be a so-called thermal system in which the heater is energized to heat and expand the ink in the nozzle 611 to eject the ink droplets.

The second camera 70 is a processing unit for photographing the tablet 9 after printing. The second camera 70 is located on the downstream side of the transport path from the printing unit 60 and on the upstream side of the transport path from the drying mechanism 80. For the second camera 70, for example, a line sensor in which image pickup elements such as CCD and CMOS are arranged in the width direction is used. The second camera 70 photographs a plurality of tablets 9 transported by the transport belt 42. The image acquired by shooting is transmitted from the second camera 70 to the control unit 100 described later. The control unit 100 inspects the quality of the image printed on the tablet 9 based on the image obtained from the second camera 70.

The drying mechanism 80 is a mechanism for drying the ink adhering to the tablet 9. The drying mechanism 80 is located on the downstream side of the transport path with respect to the second camera 70 and on the upstream side of the transport path with respect to the discharge chute 91 described later. As the drying mechanism 80, for example, a hot air supply mechanism that blows a heated gas (hot air) toward the tablets 9 transported by the transport belt 42 is used. The ink adhering to the tablet 9 is dried by hot air and fixed on the front surface or the back surface of the tablet 9.

The discharge mechanism 90 is a mechanism for discharging a plurality of tablets 9 from the conveyor 40 to the outside of the tablet printing device 1. The discharge mechanism 90 has a discharge chute 91 shown in FIG. 1 and a discharge conveyor (not shown). The discharge chute 91 is located on the downstream side of the transport path with respect to the drying mechanism 80. When the tablet 9 adsorbed in the suction hole 421 reaches the position facing the discharge chute 91, the blow mechanism 44 releases the adsorption of the tablet 9. As a result, the tablet 9 drops from the suction hole 421 of the transport belt 42 to the upper surface of the discharge conveyor through the discharge chute 91. Then, the dropped tablet 9 is discharged to the outside of the tablet printing device 1 by the discharge conveyor.

The control unit 100 is a means for controlling the operation of each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit 100 and each unit in the tablet printing device 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 100 is composed of a computer having a processor 101 such as a CPU, a memory 102 such as RAM, and a storage unit 103 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program CP for executing a printing process is installed in the storage unit 103.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 100 includes the bowl feeder 11, the supply conveyor 13, the first drum 20, the second drum 30, the transport conveyor 40, the first camera 50, the printing unit 60, and the second camera. It is communicably connected to the 70, the drying mechanism 80, and the discharging mechanism 90, respectively, by wire or wirelessly. The control unit 100 temporarily reads the computer program CP and data stored in the storage unit 103 into the memory 102, and the processor 101 performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program CP to control the operation of each of the above units. do. As a result, the transportation of the plurality of tablets 9 and the printing process for each tablet 9 proceed.

<2. About the outer peripheral surface shape of the first drum>
Subsequently, the detailed shape of the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 20 will be described. FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the first drum 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the retaining ring 22 of the first drum 20 has a plurality of pockets 23 and a plurality of convex portions 230. The plurality of pockets 23 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the holding ring 22 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The convex portion 230 is located between the adjacent pockets 23. The circumferential length of the pocket 23 is larger than one of the tablets 9 to be transported and smaller than two. Therefore, the number of tablets 9 that can be normally accommodated in one pocket 23 is one.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pocket 23 of the present embodiment has a bottom surface 231 and a front end surface 232 and a rear inclined surface 233. The bottom surface 231 is a surface constituting the bottom portion of the pocket 23. The bottom surface 231 extends substantially in a plane along the rotation direction of the first drum 20. The front end surface 232 is located at the front end portion (end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction) of the pocket 23. The front end surface 232 extends substantially perpendicular to the circumferential direction centered on the first axis O1. The rear inclined surface 233 is located at the rear end portion (end portion on the upstream side in the transport direction) of the pocket 23. The rear inclined surface 233 is an inclined surface connecting the bottom surface 231 and the outer surface of the rear convex portion 230. The height of the rear inclined surface 233 gradually increases toward the rear.

Each suction hole 24 of the first drum 20 is located near the front end portion of the bottom surface 231 of the pocket 23 in the rotation direction of the first drum 20. By doing so, the front end portion of the tablet 9 can be brought into contact with the front end surface 232 of the pocket 23, and the tablet 9 can be adsorbed and held while positioning the tablet 9. Therefore, the tablets 9 can be accurately aligned at regular intervals in the transport direction.

<3. About the pressing mechanism>
The tablet printing device 1 has a pressing mechanism 25 between the second chute 14 and the first drum 20. The pressing mechanism 25 presses the tablet 9 supplied from the second chute 14 toward the first drum 20 at the first delivery position P1. As a result, the tablets 9 are housed one by one in the plurality of pockets 23 of the first drum 20.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the pressing mechanism 25. As shown in FIG. 6, the pressing mechanism 25 includes a first pressing member 26, a first elastic member 27, a second pressing member 28, and a second elastic member 29. The first pressing member 26, the first elastic member 27, the second pressing member 28, and the second elastic member 29 are provided for each row of the tablets 9. For example, when the rows of the tablets 9 supplied from the second chute 14 are three rows, the pressing mechanism 25 may use the first pressing member 26, the first elastic member 27, the second pressing member 28, and the second elastic member 29. , Has 3 sets in the width direction.

The first pressing member 26 is rotatably supported around a first rotation shaft A1 extending in the width direction. The tip of the first pressing member 26 is located between the end of the second chute 14 on the downstream side in the transport direction and the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 20. The first pressing member 26 is formed of, for example, a resin such as polyacetal.

The first elastic member 27 is a member for pressing the first pressing member 26 toward the first drum 20. For the first elastic member 27, for example, a coil spring is used. The lower end of the first elastic member 27 is connected to the first pressing member 26. The upper end of the first elastic member 27 is connected to the first support member 16 whose position is fixed. Therefore, when the tip portion of the first pressing member 26 is displaced upward, a downward pressing force is generated on the tip portion of the first pressing member 26 due to the contraction of the first elastic member 27. The first elastic member 27 may be an elastic member other than the coil spring (for example, a torsion spring or a leaf spring).

As shown in FIG. 6, the tip end portion of the first pressing member 26 has a holding surface 261 and a contact surface 262. The holding surface 261 is the lower surface of the tip end portion of the first pressing member 26. The holding surface 261 and the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 20 face each other in the vertical direction. In a state where the tip portion of the first pressing member 26 is not displaced upward (initial state), the vertical distance between the holding surface 261 and the convex portion 230 is larger than the thickness of the tablet 9 to be transported. small.

The contact surface 262 is located on the upstream side (second chute 14 side) of the transport path with respect to the holding surface 261. The contact surface 262 extends diagonally upward from the upstream end of the holding surface 261. Specifically, the contact surface 262 is inclined so as to gradually move away from the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 20 as it approaches the second chute 14. The upstream end of the contact surface 262 is close to the downstream end of the second chute 14. The holding surface 261 and the contact surface 262 are connected via a smooth curved surface. Therefore, even when the tablet 9 has a groove such as a score line, it is possible to prevent the tablet 9 from being caught at the boundary between the holding surface 261 and the contact surface 262.

The second pressing member 28 is located on the downstream side of the transport path with respect to the first pressing member 26. The second pressing member 28 is rotatably supported around a second rotation shaft A2 extending in the width direction. The tip of the second pressing member 28 is arranged at a position adjacent to the downstream side of the tip of the first pressing member 26. The second pressing member 28 is formed of, for example, a resin such as polyacetal.

The second elastic member 29 is a member for pressing the second pressing member 28 toward the first drum 20. For the second elastic member 29, for example, a coil spring is used. The lower end of the second elastic member 29 is connected to the second pressing member 28. The upper end of the second elastic member 29 is connected to the second support member 17 whose position is fixed. Therefore, when the tip portion of the second pressing member 28 is displaced upward, a downward pressing force is generated on the tip portion of the second pressing member 28 due to the contraction of the second elastic member 29. The second elastic member 29 may be an elastic member other than the coil spring (for example, a torsion spring, a leaf spring, or the like).

As shown in FIG. 6, the tip end portion of the second pressing member 28 has a pressing protrusion 281 protruding downward. The pressing protrusion 281 is located on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the second rotation shaft A2. The pressing protrusion 281 has a pressing surface 282 at the lower end portion. The pressing surface 282 is arranged at a position close to the downstream side of the holding surface 261 of the first pressing member 26. In a state where the tip portion of the second pressing member 28 is not displaced upward (initial state), the vertical distance between the pressing surface 282 and the convex portion 230 is larger than the thickness of the tablet 9 to be transported. small.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the second pressing member 28 has a guide surface 283 and a downstream end portion 284. The guide surface 283 is located on the downstream side of the transport path with respect to the pressing protrusion 281. Further, the guide surface 283 is inclined so as to gradually approach the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 20 toward the downstream side of the transport path. The downstream end portion 284 is an end portion on the downstream side of the second pressing member 28. The downstream end portion 284 is located on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the second rotation shaft A2.

<4. About the transport state of tablets at the first delivery position>
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the state of the first delivery position P1 at a certain time point when a plurality of tablets 9 are continuously transported. As shown in FIG. 7, among the plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the second chute 14, some tablets 9 may not be directly accommodated in the pocket 23 but may be supplied on the convex portion 230. .. At this time, the tablet 9 comes into contact with the contact surface 262 of the first pressing member 26. As a result, the tablet 9 is blocked until the pocket 23 next to the first drum 20 reaches the first delivery position P1. Then, when the next pocket 23 reaches the first delivery position P1 due to the rotation of the first drum 20, the blocked tablet 9 falls into the pocket 23. As a result, the tablet 9 can be normally stored in the pocket 23.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the state of the first delivery position P1 at other time points. The pressing force of the first pressing member 26 by the first elastic member 27 is set to a force that does not damage the tablet 9. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the first pressing member 26 may be displaced upward by being pushed by the tablet 9. In this case, the tablet 9 is sandwiched between the holding surface 261 of the first pressing member 26 and the convex portion 230 of the first drum 20. That is, the tablet 9 is held between the holding surface 261 of the first pressing member 26 and the convex portion 230 by the pressing force of the first pressing member 26 by the first elastic member 27. As a result, the tablet 9 stops at the position of the transport path without moving to the downstream side. Then, when the next pocket 23 reaches the first delivery position P1 due to the rotation of the first drum 20, the stopped tablet 9 falls into the pocket 23. As a result, the tablet 9 can be normally stored in the pocket 23.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the state of the first delivery position P1 at other time points. As shown in FIG. 9, after one tablet 9 is housed in the pocket 23, the front end (downstream end) of the subsequent tablet 9 may be placed in the same pocket 23. In this case, the tablet 9 is arranged obliquely along the rear inclined surface 233 of the pocket 23. Further, the rear end portion (upstream end portion) of the tablet 9 is in a state of protruding from the pocket 23.

In this way, the tablet 9 that rides on the rear end portion of the pocket 23 is sandwiched and held between the rear inclined surface 233 of the pocket 23 and the contact surface 262 of the first pressing member 26. As a result, the movement of the tablet 9 to the downstream side in the transport direction is stopped. Then, as the rotation of the first drum 20 progresses, the position of the tablet 9 moves from the rear inclined surface 233 to the upper surface of the convex portion 230. As a result, the tablet 9 is held between the holding surface 261 of the first pressing member 26 and the convex portion 230, as in FIG. 8 described above.

After that, when the next pocket 23 reaches the first delivery position P1 due to the further rotation of the first drum 20, the stopped tablet 9 falls into the pocket 23. This prevents the tablet 9 from moving to the downstream side in the transport direction while riding on the rear end of the pocket 23, and one tablet 9 can be normally stored in each pocket 23. can.

The suction hole 24 is located on the front end side of the bottom surface 231 of the pocket 23 with respect to the center in the rotation direction of the first drum 20. Therefore, the tablet 9 first supplied to one pocket 23 is not adsorbed to the suction hole 24 in a state where it rides on the rear end portion of the pocket 23. That is, the tablet 9 first supplied to one pocket 23 moves smoothly to the front end of the pocket 23. As a result, it is possible to further prevent the tablet 9 from being transported in a state of being carried on the rear end portion of the pocket 23.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the suction hole 24 is located at the front end portion of the bottom surface 231 of the pocket 23 in the rotation direction of the first drum 20. By doing so, the front end surface of the tablet 9 can be brought into contact with the front end surface 232 of the pocket 23, and the tablet 9 can be adsorbed and held while positioning the tablet 9. Therefore, the tablets 9 can be accurately aligned at regular intervals in the transport direction. Further, by bringing the front end surface of the tablet 9 into contact with the front end surface 232 of the pocket 23, the front end surface of the tablet 9 is in a posture along the front end surface 232 of the pocket 23. This makes it possible to prevent the tablet 9 from being sucked and held in the suction hole 24 in an upright posture.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, the inclination angle α of the rear inclined surface 233 with respect to the circumferential direction centered on the first axis O1 is the contact surface 262 with respect to the circumferential direction centered on the first axis O1. Slightly larger than the tilt angle β of. That is, the relationship between these inclination angles α and β is α> β. By doing so, the gap between the rear inclined surface 233 and the contact surface 262 becomes smaller than in the case of α ≦ β. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the tablet 9 from riding on the rear end portion of the pocket 23.

Further, as described above, the holding ring 22 is removable from the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 21. Therefore, the retaining ring 22 can be replaced according to the shape and size of the tablet 9. As a result, the shape of the rear inclined surface 233 of the pocket 23 can be changed to a shape suitable for the tablet 9 to be processed without changing the shape of the drum main body 21. For example, a plurality of retaining rings 22 having different inclination angles α may be prepared, and the retaining ring 22 having the optimum inclination angle α may be selected and used according to the type of the tablet 9.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of the first delivery position P1 at other time points. When the tablet 9 is supplied to the upper surface of the convex portion 230 and fails to be dammed by the first pressing member 26, the tablet 9 remains on the upper surface of the convex portion 230 and the second pressing member 28 It may be transported to the bottom. In this case, the pressing protrusion 281 of the second pressing member 28 is temporarily displaced upward by being pushed by the tablet 9. Then, when the rear end of the tablet 9 approaches the pressing protrusion 281, the pressing protrusion 281 is lowered again by the elastic force of the second elastic member 29. Then, the tablet 9 is pressed by the pressing surface 282 of the pressing protrusion 281 and pushed into the front pocket 23 (downstream in the transport direction) as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. At that time, the tablet 9 smoothly moves into the pocket 23 along the rear inclined surface 233 of the pocket 23. As a result, the tablet 9 can be normally stored in the pocket 23.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the state of the first delivery position P1 at other time points. Some tablets 9 may be held in the pocket 23 in an abnormal position. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, some tablets 9 may be adsorbed and held in the adsorption holes 24 in an upright posture. Such tablets 9 are corrected to a normal posture by the gradually approaching guide surface 283 as they are transported downstream by the rotation of the first drum 20. As a result, the tablet 9 can be stored in the pocket 23 in a normal posture.

As described above, in the tablet printing apparatus 1, even if the tablet 9 does not directly enter the pocket 23 of the first drum 20 from the second chute 14, the pressing mechanism 25 provides the first drum 20. The position of the tablet 9 in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the tablet 9 can be adjusted to lure the tablet 9 into the pocket 23. As a result, the tablet 9 can be normally stored in each pocket 23 of the first drum 20 while suppressing the clogging of the tablet 9 and the cracking of the tablet 9.

<5. About adjustment of pressing mechanism ＞
In the tablet printing apparatus 1, each part of the pressing mechanism 25 can be finely adjusted according to an assembly error of the apparatus and a machine difference. Hereinafter, the structure for adjusting each part of the pressing mechanism 25 will be described. In the following, a case where the pressing mechanism 25 has three sets of the first pressing member 26, the first elastic member 27, the second pressing member 28, and the second elastic member 29 in the width direction will be described.

<5-1. Adjustment of the first pressing member>
First, a structure for adjusting the position and posture of the first pressing member 26 will be described. FIG. 12 is a partial top view of the pressing mechanism 25. FIG. 13 is a partial side view of the pressing mechanism 25. FIG. 14 is a partial vertical sectional view of the pressing mechanism 25 at the position AA of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the pressing mechanism 25 has a base member 15 and a first support member 16. The base member 15 is fixed to the second chute 14. The base member 15 may be a single component or may be configured by combining a plurality of components. The first support member 16 is fixed to the base member 15. The first support member 16 may be a single component or may be configured by combining a plurality of components.

A first shaft 161 extending along the first rotation shaft A1 is fixed to the first support member 16. The three first pressing members 26 are rotatably attached to the first shaft 161. As a result, the first pressing member 26 is rotatably supported around the first rotation shaft A1. That is, the first support member 16 rotatably supports the three first pressing members 26 via the first shaft 161. Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the first elastic member 27 is interposed between the upper surface of the first pressing member 26 and the lower surface of the first support member 16.

The first support member 16 is fixed to the upper surface of the base member 15 by three first bolts B1. One of the three first bolts B1 is located at the end of the first support member 16 on the upstream side in the transport direction and in the center in the width direction. The other two of the three first bolts B1 are located on the downstream side in the transport direction from the above one, and are provided at intervals in the width direction. Each of the three first bolts B1 penetrates the first support member 16 in the vertical direction and is fastened to the base member 15.

Further, the pressing mechanism 25 has three first shims S1. The first shim S1 is a plate-shaped member having a circular hole in the center. The three first shims S1 are interposed between the upper surface of the base member 15 and the lower surface of the first support member 16 at the fastening position of each of the first bolts B1. The first bolt B1 penetrates the circular hole of the first shim S1. By arranging the first shim S1 between the base member 15 and the first support member 16 in this way, the first support member 16 with respect to the base member 15 can be changed by changing the thickness or the number of laminated layers of the first shim S1. You can adjust the height of. As a result, the height of the first pressing member 26 with respect to the second chute 14 can be adjusted. That is, in the present embodiment, the three first shims S1 constitute a "first height adjusting mechanism" that adjusts the height of the first pressing member 26 with respect to the supply path of the second chute 14.

As described above, the pressing mechanism 25 of the present embodiment can adjust the height of the first pressing member 26 with respect to the supply path of the second chute 14 according to the assembly error of the apparatus and the machine difference. Therefore, the position of the first pressing member 26 can be adjusted by a simple adjustment without changing the first pressing member 26 itself to another shape or another size.

Further, in the structure of the present embodiment, of the three first shims S1, two first shims S1 located on the downstream side in the transport direction are located at intervals in the width direction. The thickness of these two first shims S1 can be adjusted individually. That is, the height of the first support member 16 with respect to the base member 15 can be individually adjusted at two points in the width direction. By doing so, the inclination angle (inclination angle with respect to the width direction) of the first support member 16 with respect to the base member 15 can be adjusted. Therefore, when there is a difference in height between the three first pressing members 26 arranged in the width direction, they can be adjusted evenly.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the pressing mechanism 25 has three second bolts B2. The three second bolts B2 are fastened to the first support member 16. Further, each second bolt B2 penetrates the first support member 16 in the vertical direction from above the first support member 16. Then, the lower end of each second bolt B2 comes into contact with the upper surface of the first pressing member 26. Further, the first elastic member 27 is located on the downstream side in the transport direction from the first rotation shaft A1, while the second bolt B2 is located on the upstream side in the transport direction from the first rotation shaft A1. do.

The first elastic member 27 presses one end of the first pressing member 26 clockwise around the first rotation shaft A1 in FIGS. 13 to 14, but the other end of the first pressing member 26 is the second. By contacting the lower end of the bolt B2, the clockwise rotation of the first pressing member 26 is stopped. As a result, the first pressing member 26 is positioned in the initial state. That is, in the present embodiment, the second bolt B2 is a "first contact member" that positions the first pressing member 26 in the initial state.

Further, the pressing mechanism 25 has three second shims S2. The second shim S2 is a plate-shaped member having a circular hole in the center. The three second shims S2 are interposed between the upper surface of the first support member 16 and the head of the second bolt B2 at the fastening position of each second bolt B2. The second bolt B2 penetrates the circular hole of the second shim S2. By arranging the second shim S2 between the first support member 16 and the head of the second bolt B2 in this way, the first support member 16 can be changed by changing the thickness of the second shim S2 or the number of laminated layers. The height of the second bolt B2 can be adjusted with respect to the above. As a result, the rotation angle of the first pressing member 26 described above in the initial state can be adjusted. That is, in the present embodiment, the "first initial state adjusting mechanism" for adjusting the position of the second bolt B2 is configured by the three second shims S2.

The thickness of the three second shims S2 can be adjusted individually. Therefore, the initial states of the three first pressing members 26 can be individually adjusted. As a result, the initial states of the three first pressing members 26 can be appropriately adjusted according to the assembly error of the device and the machine difference.

The lower end of the second bolt B2 is preferably a convex smooth curved surface. Specifically, it is preferable that the lower end portion of the second bolt B2 has a shape corresponding to a part of the spherical surface. Thereby, the error of the rotation angle in the initial state of the first pressing member 26 can be suppressed.

<5-2. Adjustment of the second pressing member>
Subsequently, a structure for adjusting the position and posture of the second pressing member 28 will be described. FIG. 15 is a top view of the pressing mechanism 25. FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the pressing mechanism 25 at the position BB of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the pressing mechanism 25 further includes a second support member 17. The second support member 17 is fixed to the first support member 16. The second support member 17 may be a single component or may be configured by combining a plurality of components.

A second shaft 171 extending along the second rotation shaft A2 is fixed to the second support member 17. The three second pressing members 28 are rotatably attached to the second shaft 171. As a result, the second pressing member 28 is rotatably supported around the second rotation shaft A2. That is, the second support member 17 rotatably supports the three second pressing members 28 via the second shaft 171. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the second elastic member 29 is inserted between the upper surface of the second pressing member 28 and the lower surface of the second support member 17.

The second support member 17 is fixed to the upper surface of the first support member 16 by three third bolts B3. One of the three third bolts B3 is located at the end of the second support member 17 on the upstream side in the transport direction and in the center in the width direction. The other two of the three third bolts B3 are located on the downstream side in the transport direction from the above one, and are provided at intervals in the width direction. Each of the three third bolts B3 penetrates the second support member 17 in the vertical direction and is fastened to the first support member 16.

Further, the pressing mechanism 25 has three third shims S3. The third shim S3 is a plate-shaped member having a circular hole in the center. The three third shims S3 are interposed between the upper surface of the first support member 16 and the lower surface of the second support member 17 at the fastening position of each third bolt B3. The third bolt B3 penetrates the circular hole of the third shim S3. In this way, if the third shim S3 is arranged between the first support member 16 and the second support member 17, the thickness of the third shim S3 or the number of stacked sheets can be changed to change the thickness of the third shim S3 with respect to the first support member 16. 2 The height of the support member 17 can be adjusted. As a result, the height of the second pressing member 28 with respect to the first drum 20 can be adjusted. That is, in the present embodiment, the "second height adjusting mechanism" that adjusts the height of the second pressing member 28 with respect to the first drum 20 is configured by the three third shims S3.

As described above, the pressing mechanism 25 of the present embodiment can adjust the height of the second pressing member 28 with respect to the first drum 20 according to the assembly error of the apparatus and the machine difference. Therefore, the position of the second pressing member 28 can be adjusted by a simple adjustment without changing the second pressing member 28 itself to another shape or a different size.

Further, in the structure of the present embodiment, of the three third shims S3, the two third shims S3 located on the downstream side in the transport direction are located at intervals in the width direction. The thickness of these two third shims S3 can be adjusted individually. That is, the height of the second support member 17 with respect to the first support member 16 can be individually adjusted at two points in the width direction. By doing so, the inclination angle (inclination angle with respect to the width direction) of the second support member 17 with respect to the first support member 16 can be adjusted. Therefore, when there is a difference in height between the three second pressing members 28 arranged in the width direction, they can be adjusted evenly.

The second support member 17 has three through holes 172 through which the third bolt B3 is passed. Each through hole 172 is an elongated hole extending in the transport direction. That is, the length of each through hole 172 in the transport direction is longer than the outer diameter of the shaft portion of the third bolt B3. Therefore, if the fastening of the three third bolts B3 is loosened, the second support member 17 can be slightly moved in the transport direction with respect to the first support member 16 and the three third bolts B3. can. Then, after the second support member 17 is appropriately positioned, the second support member 17 can be fixed to the first support member 16 by refastening the three third bolts B3.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the three through holes 172 provided in the second support member 17 and the three third bolts B3 are used in the transport direction of the second support member 17 with respect to the first support member 16. A "position adjustment mechanism" that adjusts the position is configured. Thereby, the positional relationship of the second pressing member 28 with respect to the first pressing member 26 in the transport direction can be easily adjusted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first pressing member 26 and the second pressing member 28 from coming into contact with each other without changing the shape of the first pressing member 26 or the second pressing member 28.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 16, the pressing mechanism 25 has three fourth bolts B4. The three fourth bolts B4 are fastened to the second support member 17. Further, the second pressing member 28 has an engaging portion 285 that engages with the lower end portion of the fourth bolt B4. The engaging portion 285 is located on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the second rotation shaft A2, and protrudes toward the upstream side in the transport direction. Further, the engaging portion 285 has a bifurcated shape having a notch 286 in the center in the width direction.

The lower end of the fourth bolt B4 is inserted into the notch 286 of the engaging portion 285. A first washer 287 and an e-ring 288 are interposed between the expanded lower end portion of the fourth bolt B4 and the lower surface of the engaging portion 285. This prevents the engaging portion 285 from coming off downward from the fourth bolt B4.

The second elastic member 29 is arranged between the lower surface of the second support member 17 and the upper surface of the engaging portion 285. The fourth bolt B4 penetrates the second elastic member 29 in the vertical direction. Further, a second washer 289 is interposed between the lower end portion of the second elastic member 29 and the upper surface of the engaging portion 285.

The second elastic member 29 presses the engaging portion 285 of the second pressing member 28 counterclockwise in FIG. 16 with the second rotation shaft A2 as the center, but is fixed to the lower end portion of the fourth bolt B4. When the lower surface of the engaging portion 285 comes into contact with the first washer 287, the counterclockwise rotation of the second pressing member 28 is stopped. As a result, the second pressing member 28 is positioned in the initial state. That is, in the present embodiment, the fourth bolt B4 and the first washer 287 are "second contact members" that position the second pressing member 28 in the initial state.

Further, the pressing mechanism 25 has three fourth shims S4. The fourth shim S4 is a plate-shaped member having a circular hole in the center. The three fourth shims S4 are interposed between the upper surface of the second support member 17 and the head of the fourth bolt B4 at the fastening position of each fourth bolt B4. The fourth bolt B4 penetrates the circular hole of the fourth shim S4. By arranging the fourth shim S4 between the second support member 17 and the head of the fourth bolt B4 in this way, the second support member 17 can be changed by changing the thickness of the fourth shim S4 or the number of laminated layers. The height of the 4th bolt B4 can be adjusted. As a result, the rotation angle of the second pressing member 28 described above in the initial state can be adjusted. That is, in the present embodiment, the "second initial state adjusting mechanism" for adjusting the position of the fourth bolt B4 is configured by the three fourth shims S4.

The thickness of the three fourth shims S4 can be adjusted individually. Therefore, the initial states of the three second pressing members 28 can be individually adjusted. As a result, the initial states of the three second pressing members 28 can be appropriately adjusted according to the assembly error of the apparatus and the machine difference.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the pressing mechanism 25 of the present embodiment has four cylindrical sleeves 173. The four sleeves 173 are fitted into holes provided in the second support member 17. Each sleeve 173 has an insertion hole 174 extending in the width direction. The second shaft 171 is inserted into the insertion holes 174 of the four sleeves 173. That is, the second support member 17 supports the second shaft 171 via the four sleeves 173.

The four sleeves 173 are removable from the second support member 17. Therefore, if the four sleeves 173 are replaced with the other four sleeves 173 whose insertion holes 174 are eccentric, the position of the second shaft 171 with respect to the second support member 17 can be adjusted. That is, in the present embodiment, the four sleeves 173 form a "shaft adjustment mechanism" that adjusts the position of the second rotation shaft A2 with respect to the second support member 17.

By adjusting the position of the second rotation shaft A2 in this way, the downstream end portion 284 of the second pressing member 28 can be arranged at an appropriate position. Therefore, the second pressing member 28 can appropriately correct the posture of the tablet 9 and prevent the tablet 9 from being excessively pressed. Further, by using the adjustment by the three third shims S3 and the adjustment by the four sleeves 173 in combination, the height of the pressing protrusion 281 and the height of the downstream end portion 284 can be adjusted to appropriate positions.

<6. Modification example>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, three first shims S1 are used as the first height adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of the first support member 16 with respect to the base member 15. However, the first height adjusting mechanism may have another configuration. For example, by providing a long hole extending in the height direction in the base member 15 and changing the position of the bolt for fixing the first support member 16 with respect to the long hole, the first support member 16 with respect to the base member 15 You may adjust the height.

Similarly, the first initial state adjusting mechanism, the second height adjusting mechanism, and the second initial state adjusting mechanism may also have a configuration that does not utilize a shim.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the pressing mechanism 25 has three sets of the first pressing member 26, the first elastic member 27, the second pressing member 28, and the second elastic member 29 in the width direction has been described. .. However, the pressing mechanism 25 may have one or two sets of the first pressing member 26, the first elastic member 27, the second pressing member 28, and the second elastic member 29 in the width direction, and four sets. It may have the above.

Further, the shapes of the first pressing member 26, the second pressing member 28, the first support member 16, the second support member 17, and the like are not limited to the shapes shown in the respective figures of the present application. The shape of each of these members may be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Further, the transport device of the present invention may not include the second pressing member 28, the second elastic member 29, and the second support member 17.

Further, in the above embodiment, the printing unit 60 is provided with four heads 61. However, the number of heads 61 included in the printing unit 60 may be 1 to 3, or 5 or more.

Further, in the above embodiment, the tablet printing device 1 that prints an image on the tablet 9 has been described. However, the transport device of the present invention may be used for an inspection device for inspecting tablets 9 and a packaging device for packaging tablets 9.

Further, the elements appearing in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction.

1 Tablet printing device 9 Tablets 10 Supply mechanism 14 2nd chute 15 Base member 16 1st support member 17 2nd support member 20 1st drum 21 Drum body 22 Retaining ring 23 Pocket 24 Suction hole 25 Pressing mechanism 26 1st pressing member 27 1st elastic member 28 2nd pressing member 29 2nd elastic member 30 2nd drum 40 Conveyor conveyor 50 1st camera 60 Printing unit 70 2nd camera 80 Drying mechanism 90 Discharge mechanism 100 Control unit 161 1st shaft 171 2nd shaft 172 Through hole 173 Sleeve 174 Insertion hole 261 Holding surface 262 Contact surface 281 Pressing protrusion 288 Pressing surface 283 Guide surface 284 Downstream end 285 Engagement part 286 Notch 287 1st washer 288 e-ring 289 2nd washer A1 1st rotation Shaft A2 2nd rotating shaft B1 1st bolt B2 2nd bolt B3 3rd bolt B4 4th bolt S1 1st shim S2 2nd shim S3 3rd shim S4 4th shim

Claims (12)

A transport device that transports granules.
A supply mechanism that supplies multiple granules in the transport direction along a horizontal supply path,
A drum that receives particles supplied from the supply mechanism in the vicinity of the upper end thereof while rotating around an axis orthogonal to the transport direction and parallel to the width direction, which is a horizontal direction.
A first pressing member arranged near the delivery position from the supply mechanism to the drum, and
A first elastic member that presses the first pressing member toward the drum, and a first elastic member.
A first height adjusting mechanism that adjusts the height of the first pressing member with respect to the supply path, and
A transport device. The transport device according to claim 1.
A base member fixed to the supply path and
A first support member that rotatably supports the first pressing member about a first rotation axis extending in the width direction,
Further prepare
The first height adjusting mechanism is a transport device that adjusts the height of the first support member with respect to the base member. The transport device according to claim 2.
The first height adjusting mechanism is a transport device that adjusts the height of the first support member with respect to the base member at two points in the width direction. The transport device according to claim 2 or 3.
A first contact member that comes into contact with the first pressing member pressed by the first elastic member and positions the first pressing member in an initial state.
A first initial state adjusting mechanism that adjusts the position of the first contact member,
Further equipped with a transport device. The transport device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
The second pressing member located on the downstream side of the transport path from the first pressing member,
A second elastic member that presses the second pressing member toward the drum, and a second elastic member.
A second height adjusting mechanism that adjusts the height of the second pressing member with respect to the drum, and
Further equipped with a transport device. The transport device according to claim 5.
A second support member that rotatably supports the second pressing member about a second rotation axis extending in the width direction is further provided.
The second height adjusting mechanism is a transport device that adjusts the height of the second support member with respect to the first support member. The transport device according to claim 6.
The second height adjusting mechanism is a transport device that adjusts the height of the second support member with respect to the first support member at two points in the width direction. The transport device according to claim 6 or 7.
A transport device further comprising a position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the second support member in the transport direction with respect to the first support member. The transport device according to any one of claims 6 to 8.
The second pressing member is
A pressing protrusion located on the upstream side in the transport direction from the second rotation shaft,
A downstream end located on the downstream side in the transport direction from the second rotation axis, and
Have,
A transport device further comprising a shaft adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the second rotating shaft with respect to the second support member. The transport device according to any one of claims 5 to 9.
A second contact member that comes into contact with the second pressing member pressed by the second elastic member to position the second pressing member in the initial state, and
A second initial state adjusting mechanism that adjusts the position of the second contact member,
Further equipped with a transport device. The transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
The transport device, wherein the granules are tablets. The transport device according to claim 11 and
A printing unit that prints images on the surface of tablets by inkjet method,
A tablet printing device.

Images