JP2022161440A - Method and device for cleaning tableting pestal or tableting mortar - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of reducing time and labor for cleaning more without enlarging a cleaning device when a tableting pestal or a tableting mortar is cleaned, and further capable of sufficiently cleaning a gap of a stamp and/or a cleavage small projection provided in a tableting surface.SOLUTION: A tableting pestal or tableting mortar cleaning method for cleaning a tableting pestal or tableting mortar attached to a tableting machine cleans the surface of the tableting pestal or the tableting mortar to be cleaned by injecting dry ice microparticles generated by using liquefied carbon dioxide from a tip of an injection nozzle toward the surface of the tableting pestal or the tableting mortar to be cleaned.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cleaning method and device for a tableting punch or a tableting die attached to a tableting machine for molding tablets such as pharmaceuticals.

Tablets such as pharmaceuticals are generally manufactured by using a tableting machine (tabletting machine) to press and mold a predetermined amount of material powder.

The tableting machine has, for example, a number of dies (tableting dies) with openings in the vertical direction along the circumferential direction of a turntable having a rotation axis in the vertical direction. A pair of upper and lower punches (punches for tableting) are arranged so as to be movable in the vertical direction. When a predetermined amount of material powder is supplied to the tableting die, a pressure is applied by a pair of upper and lower tableting punches, and the concave surfaces of the tableting punches and the cylindrical tableting die are pressed against each other. After that, the molded tablets are removed from the tableting die. By repeating such operations, tablets are manufactured continuously.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a tableting punch and a tableting die in a tableting machine. , and a plurality of sets (usually 36 to 48 sets) of forming sections 20 are provided on the turntable. In some cases, the concave tableting surfaces of the upper punch 211 and/or the lower punch 212 are provided with markings such as product names and product numbers and/or small projections for dividing lines.

And concrete tableting by such a tableting machine is performed according to the following procedures.

First, when the molding unit 20 moves in accordance with the rotation of the turntable and the tableting die 22 comes to the position of the hopper, a predetermined amount of powder is injected from the hopper into the space formed by the tableting die 22 and the lower punch 212 . of material powder.

Next, the lower punch 212 is raised to a predetermined position, and along with this, excess powder protruding from the upper surface of the tableting die 22 is scraped off to quantify the material required per tablet. do.

Next, the upper punch 211 is lowered along the inner peripheral surface of the tableting die 22 to close the space formed by the tableting punch 21 and the tableting die 22, and then the upper punch 211 is further lowered. By lowering and applying pressure, the material powder is compression-molded between the tableting punch 21 and the tableting die 22 to be tableted.

Next, the upper punch 211 is lifted (upward and retracted) to open the tableting punch 21 and the tableting die 22, and then the lower punch 212 is lifted to insert the molded tablet into the tableting die. 22 is raised above the upper surface, and the formed tablet is scraped sideways with a scraper and taken out (outside the system).

Next, the lower punch 212 is again lowered to a predetermined position, and the turntable is rotated. This moves the next set of molding sections 20 to the hopper position.

After that, tableting is continuously performed by repeating each operation described above.

In such a tableting machine, when tableting is continuously performed, the tableting surface, which is the molding surface of the tableting punch 21 (upper punch 211 and lower punch 212), and the tableting punch 21 and tableting Part of the material powder adheres to the sliding surface with the die 22, etc., and it is inevitable that this sticks due to the continuous tableting process over a long period of time. In addition, it is inevitable that part of the material powder enters and adheres to gaps such as stamps provided on the upper punch 211 and the lower punch 212 .

In the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, it is not preferable that such substances adhering to or sticking to the material powder are mixed in with tablets, and strict control is required. For this reason, for example, when changing the type of tablet to be molded or when the day's work is finished, the tableting punch and tableting die are washed to remove material powder deposits and solidified substances. must be removed.

As a specific cleaning method, each tableting punch and tableting die removed from the tableting machine is immersed in a cleaning solution containing an organic solvent (e.g., alcohol such as absolute ethanol) or water, and washed by hand. Instead of washing with, for example, a plurality of tableting punches and tableting dies removed from the tableting machine are stored in a washing basket, and washed and dried in a washing tank in which the washing liquid is stored. A more efficient cleaning method has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

However, although such a washing method can be said to be more efficient than washing by hand, it requires a large size of the entire apparatus because all the tableting punches and tableting dies housed in the washing basket are treated at once. become In addition, it cannot be said that the time and labor required for cleaning are sufficiently efficient. In addition, it is difficult to sufficiently clean gaps such as stamps provided on the tableting punch 21 by cleaning using a cleaning basket.

Therefore, it has been proposed to improve efficiency by coating the surfaces of the tableting punch and tableting die with a fluorine compound to suppress the adhesion of dirt and reduce the frequency of cleaning (patent Reference 2).

JP-A-10-008273 JP 2013-159814 A

However, even if the surfaces of the tableting punch and tableting die are coated with a fluorine compound to reduce the frequency of cleaning, as long as the same cleaning method as in the past is used, the increase in size of the apparatus cannot be avoided. However, there is a limit to the amount of time and labor required for cleaning. In addition, it cannot be said that cleaning of gaps such as markings is sufficient, and further improvement is required.

Therefore, the present invention is capable of further reducing the time and labor required for cleaning without increasing the size of the cleaning device when cleaning the punch or die for tableting, and furthermore, it is possible to reduce the time and labor required for cleaning. To provide a cleaning technique capable of sufficiently cleaning even a gap.

As a result of intensive studies, the inventors of the present invention have found that the above-described problems can be solved by the invention described below, and have completed the present invention.

The invention according to claim 1,
A tableting punch or tableting die cleaning method for cleaning a tableting punch or die attached to a tableting machine, comprising:
By injecting fine particles of dry ice produced using liquefied carbon dioxide from the tip of an injection nozzle toward the surface of the tableting punch or the tableting die to be cleaned, the tableting punch or A method for cleaning a punch for tableting or a die for tableting is characterized by cleaning a surface to be cleaned of the die for tableting.

The invention according to claim 2,
Microparticles of dry ice produced using liquefied carbon dioxide are accelerated by joining with a carrier gas and supplied toward the tip of an injection nozzle, and the accelerated microparticles of dry ice are supplied to the injection nozzle. 2. The method for cleaning a punch for tableting or a die for tableting according to claim 1, wherein the jetting is carried out from the tip.

The invention according to claim 3,
3. The tableting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a tableting punch cleaning adapter or a tableting die cleaning adapter is attached to the tip of the injection nozzle to inject the fine particles of dry ice. A method for cleaning punches or tableting dies.

The invention according to claim 4,
A tableting punch or die cleaning device for cleaning a tableting punch or die attached to a tableting machine, comprising:
an injection device for injecting fine particles of dry ice generated using liquefied carbon dioxide from the tip of an injection nozzle;
A cleaning device for a tableting punch or a tableting die is provided with a cleaning object fixing base for fixing the tableting punch or the tableting die.

The invention according to claim 5,
5. The cleaning of the tableting punch or the tableting die according to claim 4, wherein the tip of the injection nozzle is formed so that a tableting punch cleaning adapter or a tableting die cleaning adapter can be freely attached. It is a device.

The invention according to claim 6,
The injection device
a liquefied carbon dioxide supply path for supplying the liquefied carbon dioxide;
a carrier gas supply path for supplying a carrier gas;
an ejection portion for ejecting liquefied carbon dioxide supplied from the liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply path;
an expansion space in which the liquefied carbon dioxide gas ejected from the ejection part expands to generate fine particles of dry ice;
a confluence section for merging the carrier gas supplied from the carrier gas supply channel and the dry ice microparticles generated in the expansion space;
6. The punch for tableting or the die for tableting according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising an injection passage formed from the confluence portion to an injection port at the tip of the injection nozzle. Cleaning equipment.

The invention according to claim 7,
The cleaning object fixing base is
a fixing table main body portion for standingly holding the punches for punching by inserting the lower ends of the plurality of punches for punching from the side, respectively;
A mounting member for fixing the lower end of each of the tableting punches inserted and held upright to the fixing table main body by pressing the lower end of each of the punches for punching from the side by a spring. A cleaning device for a tableting punch or tableting die according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

The invention according to claim 8,
The cleaning object fixing base is
a fixing table main body for holding the tableting dies by inserting the plurality of the tableting dies from above;
7. A mounting member for pressing each of the held tableting dies from the side by a spring to fix them to the main body of the fixing base. 2. A cleaning device for a punch for tableting or a die for tableting according to item 1.

The invention according to claim 9,
9. Any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that at least one injection device and at least one cleaning object fixing base are accommodated in a box-like container having a predetermined space. 1. A cleaning device for a tableting punch or a tableting die according to item 1 or 2.

The invention according to claim 10,
10. Cleaning of tableting punches or tableting dies according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one finger insertion hole for operating the injection device is provided on a side surface of the box-shaped container. It is a device.

The invention according to claim 11,
The inside of the box-shaped container is divided into a plurality of compartments,
11. The apparatus for cleaning a punch for tableting or a die for tableting according to claim 9 or 10, wherein one or more of said cleaning object fixing bases are arranged in each of the compartments.

According to the present invention, when cleaning a punch or a die for tableting, it is possible to further reduce the time and labor required for cleaning without increasing the size of the cleaning device. It is possible to provide a cleaning technique capable of sufficiently cleaning even gaps.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the injection device and its peripheral members in the cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention; It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the injection gun in the washing|cleaning apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an injection gun in which a tableting punch cleaning adapter is attached to an injection nozzle in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an injection gun in which a tableting die cleaning adapter is attached to an injection nozzle in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. (a) Schematic perspective view of the main body of the fixing base, (b) Schematic perspective view of the mounting member, explaining the configuration of the cleaning object fixing base for fixing the tableting punch in the cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. and (c) a schematic side view of the mounting member. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a punch for tableting is inserted and fixed to an object-to-be-cleaned fixing base for fixing the punch for tableting in one embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are schematic perspective views of a main body of a fixing base, FIG. 4B, and FIG. It is a model side view of an attachment member. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a tabletting die is fixed to a table for fixing a tabletting die to be cleaned, in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a box-shaped storage body in which one injection device and one cleaning object fixing base are stored in one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a tableting punch and a tableting die in a tableting machine. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the shape of a surface to be cleaned of a tableting punch. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the shape of a surface to be cleaned of a tableting die. Fig. 2 is an enlarged photograph of a punch for tableting in one embodiment of the present invention (a) before washing and (b) after washing. It is an enlarged photograph (a) before washing and (b) after washing of a tableting die in one embodiment of the present invention.

[1] Conventional cleaning method and its problems Prior to describing the embodiments of the present invention, a conventional cleaning method and its problems will be described in more detail.

1. Conventional Cleaning Method First, the tableting punches (upper and lower punches) and the tableting dies are removed one by one from the tableting machine.

Next, the residue of the material powder adhering to the surface of the removed tableting punch or tableting die is wiped off with a dry cloth or the like to remove it.

Next, material powder that cannot be wiped off with a waste cloth or the like and adheres to the surface of the tableting punch or tableting die is washed. Specifically, one tableting punch and one tableting die may be immersed in a washing liquid containing an organic solvent (for example, alcohol such as absolute ethanol) or water and washed by hand. Considering efficiency, it is recommended to store a plurality of tableting punches and tableting dies in a washing basket, put them in a washing tank containing a washing liquid, and wash them with ultrasonic waves or water streams. is preferred.

After the cleaning is completed, water droplets remaining on the surface of the tableting punch and tableting die are wiped off, and then coated with anticorrosive oil and stored until the next use.

2. Problems of the Conventional Cleaning Method However, even the cleaning method using the cleaning basket described above has the following problems.

First, the time and labor required for cleaning can be said to be more efficient than hand-washing, but it was not sufficient. For example, when cleaning 45 sets of punches and dies using a cleaning basket, it takes 4 to 5 hours to complete cleaning.

In the case of using a cleaning liquid, if all the punches and dies for tableting are to be treated at once, the size of the whole apparatus will be increased, resulting in a large equipment cost. For this reason, cleaning is usually performed three to four times using a compact cleaning device. It is also necessary to install a septic tank.

In the cleaning operation performed by storing the tablets in a cleaning basket, it is difficult to sufficiently clean the gaps such as the markings provided on the tableting punch, and it is also not easy to remove the cleaning liquid that has entered the gaps.

Even with the coating technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, although the cleaning frequency is reduced, the problem still remains when cleaning is performed using a cleaning basket.

[2] Outline of the present invention As a result of earnestly studying methods for solving the problems in the above-described conventional cleaning methods, the present inventors have found that dry ice is used as a cleaning agent and dry ice is sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned. It was found that the above problems can be solved by washing.

That is, since dry ice has a lower hardness than the metals forming the punches and dies for tableting and quickly sublimes into gas and scatters, even if dry ice is sprayed from the spray nozzle onto the surface to be cleaned, It does not damage the surface coating of tableting punches and tableting dies, and the surface to be cleaned can be cleaned in a short time due to the thermal shock effect accompanying the sublimation of dry ice. In addition, wiping off and removal of the cleaning liquid after cleaning becomes unnecessary.

By spraying dry ice directly onto the object to be cleaned in this manner, the cleaning operation can be completed in a short time without enlarging the size of the equipment, thereby sufficiently improving the efficiency of time and labor. be able to.

In addition, since the fine particles of dry ice can easily enter into minute gaps such as the stamped part, the deposits adhering to the gaps such as the stamped part are rapidly thermally shrunk and cleaned in a short time. The target surface can be cleaned.

In addition, dry ice is nonflammable and nontoxic, so that cleaning work can be carried out safely. In addition, dry ice is less expensive than conventional cleaning agents, so it is preferable from these points of view.

Specifically, in the method for cleaning a tableting punch or tableting die according to the present invention having the above-described effects, fine particles of dry ice produced using liquefied carbon dioxide are ejected from the tip of an injection nozzle. The cleaning method is characterized by cleaning the surface of the tableting punch or the tableting die to be cleaned by injecting a jet toward the surface of the tableting punch or the tableting die to be cleaned.

[3] Specific Embodiments of the Present Invention Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with respect to a cleaning device for a punch or die for tableting (hereinafter also simply referred to as a “cleaning device”), A method for cleaning a punch for tableting or a die for tableting (hereinafter also simply referred to as "cleaning method") will be described in order with reference to the drawings.

1. Device for cleaning tableting punch or die according to the present embodiment The cleaning device according to the present embodiment sprays fine particles of dry ice produced using liquefied carbon dioxide from the tip of a spray nozzle. and an object-to-be-cleaned fixing base for fixing a punch for tableting or a die for tableting.

(1) Injection Device First, the injection device in the cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of an injection device and its peripheral members in a cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the injection gun 8. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the injection device is constructed by connecting a liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply line 6 and a carrier gas supply line 7 to an injection gun 8 . The liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply path 6 is connected to the liquefied carbon dioxide cylinder 2 via the control unit 5 . On the other hand, the carrier gas supply path 7 is connected to the air compressor 3 via the control unit 5 and the water separator 4 .

By pulling the trigger of the injection gun 8, the liquefied carbon dioxide supplied via the liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply path 6 is ejected from the tip of the injection gun 8 as dry ice fine particles to clean the surface to be cleaned. can do.

As shown in FIG. 2, the injection gun 8 is composed of an injection gun body 81 and an injection nozzle 82. Above the rear end of the injection gun body 81, the liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply path 6 is connected. ing.

In FIG. 2, 61 is a valve provided in the middle of the liquefied carbon dioxide supply passage 6, which opens and closes in conjunction with a trigger (not shown) of the injection gun 8 to control the supply of liquefied carbon dioxide. . Reference numeral 85 denotes an ejection portion for ejecting the liquefied carbon dioxide gas supplied from the liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply passage in accordance with the opening and closing of the valve 61. Reference numeral 88 denotes the liquefied carbon dioxide gas ejected from the ejection portion 85 expands to form dry ice. It is an expansion space that produces microparticles. 87 is an orifice plate provided for adjusting the flow rate of the liquefied carbon dioxide gas.

Reference numeral 86 denotes the terminal end of the carrier gas supply path 7 (FIG. 1), and the carrier gas (for example, compressed air) supplied from the carrier gas supply path 7 is transferred to the dry air generated in the expansion space 88 at the junction 821. By merging with the ice microparticles, the moving speed of the dry ice microparticles can be accelerated. The accelerated dry ice microparticles move along the jet path to the jet port 822 at the tip of the jet nozzle 82, and are then jetted from the jet port 822 toward the surface to be cleaned to perform cleaning. Although the carrier gas is not particularly limited, it is preferable to use compressed air, as described above, in consideration of cost.

At this time, in the case of a punch for tableting, since the surface to be cleaned is a concave flat surface, fine particles of dry ice can be ejected directly from the injection port toward the surface to be cleaned, and efficient cleaning can be performed. However, in the case of a tableting die, the surface to be cleaned is the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder, so the dry ice microparticles ejected from the injection port move parallel to the surface to be cleaned. It cannot be sprayed directly onto the surface to be cleaned, so it cannot be said to be sufficient for efficient cleaning.

For this reason, in the present embodiment, the tip of the injection nozzle is preferably formed so that a tableting punch cleaning adapter or a tableting die cleaning adapter can be freely attached. By appropriately replacing the die cleaning adapter and attaching it to the injection nozzle, the tableting punch and the tableting die can be efficiently cleaned even with a single injection gun.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the injection gun 8 in which a tableting punch cleaning adapter 820a is attached to the injection nozzle 82. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the injection gun 8 in which the tableting die cleaning adapter 820b is attached to the injection nozzle 82. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, a plurality of ejection direction control tubes 823 for controlling the ejection direction of the dry ice microparticles are radially provided at the tip of the tableting die cleaning adapter 820b.

As shown in FIG. 3, by attaching the tableting punch cleaning adapter 820a, dry ice microparticles can be concentrated and ejected in one direction from the ejection port 822, so that the tableting punch can be cleaned. The fine particles of dry ice are allowed to sufficiently penetrate into gaps such as stamped portions of the surface, and the surface of the punch for tableting to be cleaned can be efficiently cleaned in a short period of time.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, by attaching a tableting die cleaning adapter 820b having a plurality of jetting direction control tubes 823 radially provided, fine particles of dry ice are radially jetted from jetting ports 822. Since the entire surface to be cleaned of the cylindrical tableting die can be uniformly sprayed, the surface to be cleaned of the tableting die can be efficiently cleaned in a short time. This injection direction control pipe is provided at an angle θ ₁ with respect to the axis of the injection nozzle 82, and is appropriately set so as to inject at an intersecting angle θ ₂ (120 degrees in FIG. 4).

(2) Cleaning Object Fixing Base Next, the cleaning object fixing base will be described. During cleaning, it is necessary to simultaneously operate the injection gun and the object to be cleaned (tabletting punch or tableting die) to properly inject fine dry ice particles onto the surface to be cleaned. In the form of (1), an object-to-be-cleaned fixing base is provided, and the object to be cleaned is fixed and cleaned. As a result, it is possible to reduce the burden of the cleaning work and to perform efficient cleaning without waste.

There are two types of object-to-be-washed fixing bases, one for fixing a tableting punch and one for fixing a tableting die. is configured in the same way. The object to be cleaned fixing base is preferably made of metal from the standpoint of durability, and among these, the object to be cleaned fixing base made of light aluminum is preferred.

(a) Object-to-be-cleaned fixing base for fixing the tableting punch FIG. 5 illustrates the configuration of the object-to-be-cleaned fixing base for fixing the tableting punch according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view, (b) a schematic perspective view of an attachment member, and (c) a schematic side view of the attachment member.

As shown in FIG. 5( a ), a plurality of pedestals 911 are provided at predetermined intervals on the upper surface side of the fixing table main body 91 , and two fixing member mounting portions 92 are provided on the side surface. . Each fixing member mounting portion 92 includes a pair of bolts and nuts 921 and a spacer 922 , and the mounting member 93 is screwed through the bolts and nuts 921 .

As shown in FIG. 5B, the mounting member 93 includes a plate-like tableting punch fixing portion 931 and a tableting punch pressing portion 932 provided at a position corresponding to the base 911 of the fixing table main body portion 91. and Although not shown, the tableting punch fixing portion 931 is provided with a notch portion 934 for fitting with the bolt/nut 921 at a position corresponding to the fixing member mounting portion 92 . By fitting the notch 934 and the bolt/nut 921 and rotating and screwing the bolt/nut 921, the punch for tableting can be fixed. A cap portion is provided at the tip of the tableting punch pressing portion 932, and the cap portion is biased by the coil spring 933 to move the cap portion to a concave portion provided at the rear end of the outer peripheral portion of the tableting punch. 10), the vertical and horizontal movement of the punch for tableting is restricted, and the punch for tableting can be stably fixed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which six tableting punches 21 are inserted and fixed to the cleaning object fixing base 9 for fixing the tableting punches. In the case of the fixing table body 91 of the cleaning object fixing table 9 for fixing the tableting punches of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. A total of 12 tableting punches 21 can be fixed.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the lower end of the punch 21 for punching is inserted into the pedestal 911 of the fixing base 9 to be cleaned so that it is placed in an upright position, and then screwed using the fixing member mounting portion 92 . By doing so, it is fixed to the object-to-be-cleaned fixing base 9 .

(b) Object-to-be-cleaned fixing base for fixing the tableting die FIG. 7 illustrates the configuration of the object-to-be-cleaned fixing base for fixing the tableting die according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view, (b) a schematic perspective view of an attachment member, and (c) a schematic side view of the attachment member.

As shown in FIG. 7( a ), a plurality of pedestals 911 are provided at predetermined intervals on the upper surface of the fixing table main body 91 , and two fixing member mounting portions 92 are provided on the side surface. . Each fixing member mounting portion 92 includes a pair of bolts and nuts 921 and a spacer 922 , and the mounting member 93 is screwed through the bolts and nuts 921 .

As shown in FIG. 7B, the mounting member 93 includes a plate-like tableting die fixing portion 9311 and a tableting die pressing portion provided at a position corresponding to the pedestal 911 of the fixing table main body portion 91. 9321. Although not shown, the tableting die fixing portion 9311 is provided with a notch portion 934 for fitting with the bolt/nut 921 at a position corresponding to the fixing member mounting portion 92. By fitting the bolt/nut 921 to the bolt/nut 921 and rotating the bolt/nut 921 to screw them together, the tableting die can be fixed. A cap portion is provided at the tip of the tableting die pressing portion 9321, and the cap portion is biased by the coil spring 933 to press the recess (see FIG. 10) provided on the outer peripheral portion of the tableting die. ), the vertical and horizontal movements of the tableting die are restricted, and the tableting die can be stably fixed.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which six tableting dies 22 are fixed to the cleaning object fixing base 9 for fixing the tableting dies. As shown in FIG. 8, the fixing table main body 91 of the cleaning object fixing table 9 for fixing the tableting die of the present embodiment also has 6 pieces on one edge side, 6 pieces on the other side edge side, A total of 12 tableting dies 22 can be fixed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the tableting die 22 is fixed to the object-to-be-cleaned fixing base 9 by being fitted into the pedestal 911 from above and then screwed using the fixing member mounting portion 92 .

(3) Box-shaped storage body In the present embodiment, it is preferable that at least one injection device and at least one cleaning object fixing base are housed in a box-shaped storage body having a predetermined space. . It is preferable that at least one finger insertion hole for operating the injection device is provided on the side surface of the box-shaped container.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a box-shaped storage body in which one injection device and one cleaning object fixing base are stored. As shown in FIG. 9, it is preferable that at least one circular hole (two in the figure) is provided as a finger insertion hole 101 for operating the injection device on the side surface of the box-shaped storage body 10. A glove is attached to the finger insertion hole 101 and is isolated from the inside of the box-shaped container 10 . By inserting the finger into the glove of the finger insertion hole 101 and operating the injection gun of the injection device and the cleaning object fixing base, the cleaning operation can be performed safely and reliably.

In addition, on the side of the box-shaped storage body 10, a loading/unloading port 102 that can be freely opened and closed is provided for loading/unloading the tableting punch or tableting die, the injection gun 8, and the cleaning object fixing base 9, respectively. is preferably provided.

Further, it is preferable that a moving table 103, such as a turntable, is provided on the floor of the box-shaped storage body 10 for placing and moving the cleaning object fixing table 9 thereon. As a result, even if the cleaning object fixing table 9, which has a large weight due to the fixing of a plurality of tableting punches or tableting dies, can be easily moved to a predetermined cleaning position, and the tableting punches can be easily removed. The fine particles of dry ice can be accurately jetted toward the surface to be cleaned of the tableting die.

An exhaust path is preferably connected to the box-shaped container 10 so that the pressure inside the box-shaped container does not rise due to the vaporization of the dry ice.

Further, when a sterilization lamp is installed in the container, it is possible to sterilize the tableting punch and tableting die that have been washed, which is preferable.

2. Method for cleaning the punch or die according to the present embodiment Next, the procedure for the method for cleaning the punch or die according to the present embodiment, which is performed using the cleaning apparatus described above, will be described. will be described in detail later. In the following, cleaning of a punch for tableting will be described as an example, but the case of a die for tableting can also be considered in the same way.

(1) Fixation of the punches for tableting to the table for fixing the object to be cleaned First, each of the punches for tableting (lower punches 212) removed from the tableting machine was inserted into each of the pedestals 911 shown in FIG. 5(a). After that, the notch 934 of the mounting member 93 shown in FIG. 5(b) is fitted into the bolt/nut 921 and screwed, and the lower punch 212 is fixed to the cleaning object fixing base 9 as shown in FIG. do.

(2) Storing the object-to-be-cleaned fixing base in the box-shaped container Next, as shown in FIG. be placed on.

(3) Injection of dry ice to the punch for tableting Next, insert fingers into the glove of the finger insertion hole 101, put one hand on the injection gun 8, and fix the object to be cleaned 9 with the other hand. In addition, adjustment is made so that the tip of the injection nozzle 82 faces the surface of the punch for tableting to be cleaned.

After that, by pulling the liquefied carbon dioxide ejection trigger 84b provided on the injection gun main body 81, the liquefied carbon dioxide is ejected from the liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply passage 6 toward the ejection nozzle 82 to form fine particles of dry ice. . At this time, by pulling the carrier gas injection trigger 84a at the same time, the formed fine particles of dry ice are merged with the carrier gas. As a result, as described above, the moving speed of the dry ice microparticles is accelerated and ejected from the tip of the ejection nozzle 82 toward the surface to be cleaned, so that the surface to be cleaned can be cleaned.

The particle diameter of dry ice microparticles is preferably 120 to 160 μm. Dry ice particles can be thoroughly infiltrated for cleaning.

In consideration of more efficient cleaning, it is preferable that the dry ice particles be jetted not from the direction perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned, but from a direction inclined to some extent.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the shape of the surface to be cleaned of the tableting punch, wherein 215 is the tableting surface, 217 is the side surface, and θ ₃ and θ ₄ are injection angles with respect to the surface to be cleaned. Specifically, θ ₃ and θ ₄ are preferably 30 to 60°.

In cleaning the tableting die, as shown in FIG. ₁₂ , the injection angle is θ5 with respect to the inner peripheral surface 221 of the tableting die 22, which is the surface to be cleaned. Specifically, θ ₅ is preferably 30 to 60°, like θ ₃ and θ ₄ . FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the shape of the surface to be cleaned of the tableting die.

In the present embodiment, the cleaning operation can be completed in about 20 minutes even when cleaning 45 sets of a punch and a die for tableting. . Moreover, unlike the conventional cleaning method using a cleaning liquid, there is no need to remove the cleaning liquid by washing with water after cleaning. Therefore, compared with the required time of 4 to 5 hours in the conventional cleaning method, it is possible to greatly shorten the time.

If the liquefied carbon dioxide gas cylinder for generating dry ice particles is of normal size, it can be used continuously for about 3 hours, and can be refilled at low cost, so the cost of cleaning work is reduced. can be greatly reduced.

In addition, since the carbon dioxide vaporized from the dry ice and the removed deposits remain in the inner space of the box-shaped container, the working environment is not polluted and the cleaning work can be carried out safely. can.

FIG. 13 shows enlarged photographs of the punch for tableting (a) before washing and (b) after washing (washing time: about 15 seconds). Fig. 14 shows enlarged photographs of the tableting die (a) before washing and (b) after washing (washing time: about 30 seconds). In both cases, it can be seen that sufficient cleaning is performed.

(4) Storage of washed tableting punches After cleaning, tableting punches are coated with antirust oil and stored in the same manner as before.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when cleaning a tableting punch or a tableting die, it is possible to further reduce the time and labor required for cleaning without increasing the size of the cleaning device. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a cleaning technique capable of sufficiently cleaning gaps between fine uneven portions such as engraved marks and/or small protrusions for dividing lines provided on the tableting surface.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. It should be noted that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment within the same and equivalent range as the present invention.

2 Liquefied carbon dioxide gas cylinder 3 Air compressor 4 Water separator 5 Control unit 6 Liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply path 7 Carrier gas supply path 8 Injection gun 9 Cleaning object fixing base 10 Box-shaped storage body 20 Molding part 21 Punch for tableting 22 For tableting Mortar 61 Valve 81 Injection gun main body 82 Injection nozzle 84a Carrier gas ejection trigger 84b Liquefied carbon dioxide gas ejection trigger 85 Injection part 86 Termination (of carrier gas supply path) 87 Orifice plate 88 Expansion space 91 Fixed base main body 92 Fixed Member mounting portion 93 Mounting member 101 Finger insertion hole 102 Loading/unloading port 103 Moving table 211 Upper punch 212 Lower punch 215 Tableting surface 217 Side surface 221 (Tableting die) inner peripheral surface 820a Tableting punch cleaning adapter 820b Pressing Tableting die cleaning adapter 821 Junction part 822 Injection port 823 Jetting direction control pipe 911 Pedestal 921 Bolt/nut 922 Spacer 931 Tableting punch fixing part 932 Tableting punch pressing part 933 Coil spring 934 Notch part 9311 Tableting die fixing part Portion 9321 Tablet pressing portion θ ₁ Angle θ ₂ with respect to injection nozzle axis Crossing angle θ ₃ , θ ₄ , θ ₅ Injection angle

Claims (11)

A tableting punch or tableting die cleaning method for cleaning a tableting punch or die attached to a tableting machine, comprising:
By injecting fine particles of dry ice produced using liquefied carbon dioxide from the tip of an injection nozzle toward the surface of the tableting punch or the tableting die to be cleaned, the tableting punch or A method for cleaning a punch for tableting or a die for tableting, comprising cleaning a surface to be cleaned of the die for tableting. Microparticles of dry ice produced using liquefied carbon dioxide are accelerated by joining with a carrier gas and supplied toward the tip of an injection nozzle, and the accelerated microparticles of dry ice are supplied to the injection nozzle. 2. The method for cleaning a punch for tableting or a die for tableting according to claim 1, wherein the jetting is carried out from the tip. 3. The tableting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a tableting punch cleaning adapter or a tableting die cleaning adapter is attached to the tip of the injection nozzle to inject the fine particles of dry ice. Method for cleaning punches or tableting dies. A tableting punch or die cleaning device for cleaning a tableting punch or die attached to a tableting machine, comprising:
an injection device for injecting fine particles of dry ice generated using liquefied carbon dioxide from the tip of an injection nozzle;
A cleaning device for a punch or die for tableting, comprising a cleaning object fixing base for fixing the punch or die for tableting. 5. The cleaning of the tableting punch or the tableting die according to claim 4, wherein the tip of the injection nozzle is formed so that a tableting punch cleaning adapter or a tableting die cleaning adapter can be freely attached. Device. The injection device
a liquefied carbon dioxide supply path for supplying the liquefied carbon dioxide;
a carrier gas supply path for supplying a carrier gas;
a jetting portion for jetting liquefied carbon dioxide supplied from the liquefied carbon dioxide gas supply path;
an expansion space in which the liquefied carbon dioxide gas ejected from the ejection part expands to generate fine particles of dry ice;
a confluence section for merging the carrier gas supplied from the carrier gas supply channel and the dry ice microparticles generated in the expansion space;
6. The tableting punch or tableting die according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising an injection passage formed from the confluence portion to an injection port at the tip of the injection nozzle. cleaning equipment. The cleaning object fixing base is
a fixing table main body portion for standingly holding the punches for punching by inserting the lower ends of the plurality of punches for punching from the side, respectively;
A mounting member for fixing the lower end of each of the tableting punches inserted and held upright to the fixing table main body by pressing the lower end of each of the punches for punching from the side by a spring. A cleaning device for a tableting punch or tableting die according to any one of claims 4 to 6. The cleaning object fixing base is
a fixing table main body for holding the tableting dies by inserting the plurality of the tableting dies from above;
7. A mounting member for pressing each of the held tableting dies from the side by a spring to fix them to the main body of the fixing base. 2. A cleaning device for a punch for tableting or a tableting die according to item 1. 9. Any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that at least one injection device and at least one cleaning object fixing base are accommodated in a box-like container having a predetermined space. 2. A cleaning device for a punch or die for tableting according to item 1 or 2 above. 10. Cleaning of tableting punches or tableting dies according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one finger insertion hole for operating the injection device is provided on a side surface of the box-shaped container. Device. The inside of the box-shaped container is divided into a plurality of compartments,
11. The apparatus for cleaning a punch for tableting or a die for tableting according to claim 9 or 10, wherein one or more of said cleaning object fixing bases are arranged in each of the sections.

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