JP2023014394A - Tablet printing device and tablet printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tablet printing device and a tablet printing method which can improve the printing efficiency.

SOLUTION: A tablet printing device comprises: a transport unit that transports tablets; an inversion unit that is connected to the transport unit and inverts the tablets and returns the tablets to the transport unit; a printing unit for performing printing on the tablet transported by the transport unit; and a control unit which controls printing by the printing unit. The transport unit is configured such that a first transport path for transporting the tablet toward the inversion unit and a second transport path for transporting the tablet inverted by the inversion unit pass through the common printing unit. The device further includes an imaging unit which is provided on the downstream side of the printing unit in the transport direction of the tablet of the first transport path and images the tablet subjected to the printing by the printing unit. The control unit performs control so as to inspect the quality of the printing by the printing unit based on the image captured by the imaging unit and cause the printing unit to perform printing only on the tablet which has passed the inspection in the second transport path.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a tablet printing apparatus and a tablet printing method.

2. Description of the Related Art In order to print identification information (an example of information) such as characters and marks on a tablet, a technique of printing using an inkjet print head is known. A tablet printing device that uses this technology transports tablets using a transport device such as a conveyor, and ejects ink from the nozzles of an inkjet print head located above the transport device toward the tablets passing below the print head. and print identification information on the tablet.

Tablets with a dividing line (straight recess) formed on one side are random when the side with the dividing line is the front side and the side without the dividing line is the back side. transported in good condition. More specifically, the surface of the tablet that is in contact with the conveying surface of a conveying device that conveys tablets such as a conveyor belt may be the surface on which the dividing line is formed or the back surface on which the dividing line is not formed. When printing on the tablet that is transported randomly on the front and back, for example, when printing identification information on the surface of the tablet, it is aligned with the secant line formed on the surface (for example, parallel to the extending direction of the secant line) (b) may print identification information. Identification information may also be printed on the back surface of the tablet so as to be aligned with the secant line on the front surface.

However, since tablets are delivered with their front and back sides in a random state, when printing identification information on the front side of a tablet, if the tablet is delivered with the back side facing up, the front side will not be printed. Therefore, the printing efficiency is lowered. In addition, even if identification information is printed on the back surface of a tablet, if the tablet is conveyed with the front surface facing up, the back surface is not printed, resulting in a decrease in printing efficiency.

JP-A-7-081050

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a tablet printing apparatus and a tablet printing method that can improve printing efficiency.

A tablet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:
a conveying unit that conveys tablets;
a reversing unit connected to the conveying unit, reversing the front and back of the tablet and returning it to the conveying unit;
a printing unit that prints on the tablet conveyed from the conveying unit;
a control unit that controls printing by the printing unit;
with
In the conveying unit, a first conveying path for conveying the tablet toward the reversing unit and a second conveying path for conveying the tablet after being reversed by the reversing unit share the printing unit. configured to pass through,
an imaging unit provided on the first transport path downstream of the printing unit in the tablet transport direction and capturing an image of the tablet printed by the printing unit;
The control unit inspects the quality of printing by the printing unit based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and performs the printing on the second conveying path only for the tablets that have passed the inspection. It is characterized in that control is performed so that printing is performed by copy.

A tablet printing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:
a step of conveying the tablet on the first conveying path by the conveying unit;
A first printing step of printing on the tablet conveyed on the first conveying path using a printing unit;
an imaging step of imaging the tablet printed on the first transport path;
A reversing step of reversing the tablet printed on the first transport path and then returning it to a second transport path different from the first transport path in the transport unit;
an inspection step of inspecting the quality of printing performed in the first printing step based on the image obtained in the imaging step;
a second printing step of printing, using the printing unit, only on the tablets that have passed the inspection step among the tablets that are conveyed on the second conveying path;
characterized by comprising

According to embodiments of the present invention, printing efficiency can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a first explanatory diagram for explaining a tablet reversing operation according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a second explanatory diagram for explaining the tablet reversing operation according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a third explanatory diagram for explaining the tablet reversing operation according to the first embodiment; It is a perspective view showing a tablet printing apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows a part of tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the reversing part which concerns on 5th Embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a tablet reversing operation according to the fifth embodiment; It is a perspective view which shows the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the reversing part which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the reversing part which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 7th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 8th Embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a tablet printing apparatus according to a ninth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a reversing portion according to a ninth embodiment; FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an inverting section according to a tenth embodiment; FIG.

<First embodiment>
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

(basic configuration)
As shown in FIG. 1, the tablet printing apparatus 1A according to the embodiment includes a conveying section 10, a detecting section 20, an imaging section 30, a printing section 40, an imaging section 50, an imaging section 60, an imaging It has a unit 70 and a control unit 80 . The detection unit 20 is for detecting the presence/absence of a dividing line and for detecting the imaging timing, the imaging unit 30 is for detecting the printing position and for detecting the dividing line angle, the imaging unit 50 is for inspection and detecting the dividing line angle, and the imaging unit 60 is for It is for printing position detection, and the imaging unit 70 is for inspection.

The conveying unit 10 has two conveying belts 11 and 12, and the tablets T supplied to the end of the conveying belt 11 from a supply unit (not shown) such as a hopper are conveyed by the conveying belt 11 in the conveying direction A1. The tablets are conveyed in a row (in the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 1), folded back at the end opposite to the side to which the tablets T are supplied, and conveyed in the conveying direction A2 (direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 1) by the conveyor belt 12. Convey in a line.

The tablet T having a dividing line (linear recessed portion) formed on one side is arranged in a random state when the surface having the dividing line is defined as the front surface and the surface without the dividing line is defined as the back surface. be transported. A dividing line is an example of a mark that can distinguish between the front and back.

The detection unit 20 is positioned downstream in the conveying direction A<b>1 of the position on the conveying belt 11 where the tablets T are supplied, and is provided above the conveying belt 11 . This detection unit 20 detects the presence or absence of the dividing line of the tablet T on the conveyor belt 11 by projecting and receiving laser light (for detecting the presence or absence of the dividing line), and also detects the position of the tablet T on the conveyor belt 11 in the conveying direction A1. Detect (for imaging timing). Various laser sensors such as a reflective laser sensor can be used as the detection unit 20 . The detector 20 is electrically connected to the controller 80 and transmits a detection signal to the controller 80 . Although the detection unit 20 is used both for detecting the presence or absence of the dividing line and for detecting the arrival of the tablet, separate devices may be provided for each.

The transfer section 10 described above is provided with a reversing section 13 and a reversing section 14 . The reversing section 13 is positioned downstream in the conveying direction A<b>1 from the position where the detecting section 20 is provided, and is provided with respect to the conveying belt 11 of the conveying section 10 . The reversing section 14 is provided as a path connecting the conveying belt 11 and the conveying belt 12 at the end of the conveying section 10 on the folding side.

The reversing section 13 has a reversing tube 13a and a reversing nozzle 13b. The reversing tube 13a functions as a reversing path for reversing the tablet T, and the reversing nozzle 13b functions as a moving part for moving the tablet T to the reversing path.

The reversing tube 13a is bent (twisted) by 180 degrees so that the front and back of the tablet T is reversed while the tablet T passes through the reversing tube 13a. ing. The reversing tube 13a has an inlet (a port into which the tablets T enter) H1 and an outlet (a port through which the tablets T exit) H2 (see also FIG. 2). The entrance H1 and the exit H2 are arranged so as to face the sides of the tablets T conveyed by the conveying belt 11, and the lower ends of the entrance H1 and the exit H2 are positioned at the height of the upper surface (conveying surface) of the conveying belt 11. aligned (e.g. at the same height). In addition, the outlet H2 is located downstream of the inlet H1 in the transport direction A1. When the tablets T move from the conveying belt 11 to the reversing tube 13a and pass through the reversing tube 13a, the tablets T are reversed and return to the same positions on the conveying belt 11 that existed before moving to the reversing section 13. (details will be described later).

The reversing nozzle 13b is provided at a position for blowing gas (for example, air) toward the inlet H1 of the reversing tube 13a, and moves the tablets T on the conveying belt 11 toward the inlet H1 of the reversing tube 13a. pass through. The blowing direction of the gas is a direction in which the tablets T on the conveying belt 11 are moved in a direction crossing (for example, perpendicular to) the conveying direction A1 in the horizontal plane. A valve (not shown) that controls the blowing out of gas by the reversing nozzle 13b is electrically connected to the controller 80, and its drive is controlled by the controller 80. FIG.

For example, when the tablet T is conveyed by the conveying belt 11 with the back surface on which the score line is not formed facing up, when the tablet T on the conveying belt 11 faces the reversing nozzle 13b, gas is released from the reversing nozzle 13b. blown out. As shown in FIG. 2, the tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 are moved to the reversing tube 13a by the gas blown out from the reversing nozzle 13b, and as shown in FIG. , returns onto the conveying belt 11 from the reversing tube 13a, as shown in FIG. As a result, when the tablet T passes through the reversing tube 13a from the conveying belt 11, the back surface on which the dividing line is not formed faces downward. .

Here, based on the transport speed of the tablets T by the transport belt 11, the reversing tube 13a is positioned on the transport belt 11 where the tablets T move from the transport belt 11 to the reversing tube 13a (the position in the transport direction A1 of the tablets T). , and the position on the conveying belt 11 returning from the reversing tube 13a to the conveying belt 11 (see FIGS. 2 to 4). That is, the conveying belt 11 moves only for the time required for the operation of reversing the tablet T, and the shape, opening position, etc. of the reversing tube 13a are determined in consideration of this moving distance.

Returning to FIG. 1, the reversing section 14 has a reversing tube 14a and a reversing nozzle 14b. The reversing tube 14a functions as a reversing path for reversing the tablet T, and the reversing nozzle 14b functions as a moving part for moving the tablet T to the reversing path.

The reversing tube 14a is bent 180 degrees so that the tablet T is turned over while passing through the inside of the reversing tube 14a. is provided for the conveying unit 10 at . This inverting tube 14a has an inlet H1 and an outlet H2, like the above-described inverting tube 13a. The inlet H1 is positioned at the downstream end of the conveying belt 11 in the conveying direction A1, and the lower end of the inlet H1 is aligned with the height of the upper surface of the conveying belt 11 . The outlet H2 is positioned at the upstream end of the conveying belt 12 in the conveying direction A2, and the lower end of the outlet H2 is aligned with the height of the upper surface of the conveying belt 12. As shown in FIG.

The reversing nozzle 14b is provided at a position for blowing gas (for example, air) toward the inlet H1 of the reversing tube 14a, and moves the tablets T on the conveying belt 11 toward the inlet H1 of the reversing tube 14a. pass through. The blowing direction of the gas is a direction in which the tablets T on the conveying belt 11 are moved in a direction crossing (for example, perpendicular to) the conveying direction A1 in the horizontal plane. A valve (not shown) that controls the blowing out of gas by the reversing nozzle 14b is electrically connected to the control unit 80, and its driving is controlled by the control unit 80. FIG.

For example, when the tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 face the reversing nozzle 14b, gas is blown out from the reversing nozzle 14b. The tablets T on the conveying belt 11 are moved to the reversing tube 14a by the gas blown out from the reversing nozzle 14b, pass through the reversing tube 14a, are reversed, and are moved onto the conveying belt 12 from the reversing tube 14a.

The imaging unit 30 is positioned downstream in the transport direction A<b>1 from the position where the reversing unit 13 is provided, and is provided above the transport belt 11 . The imaging unit 30 performs imaging at the timing when the tablet T reaches directly below the imaging unit 30 based on the above-described positional information of the tablet T in the conveying direction A1. surface) is acquired (for printing position detection and secant angle detection), and the acquired image is transmitted to the control unit 80 . As the imaging unit 30, various cameras having imaging elements such as CCD (charge coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) can be used. The imaging unit 30 is electrically connected to the control unit 80 and its driving is controlled by the control unit 80 . Illumination for imaging is also provided as needed.

The printing unit 40 is positioned downstream in the transport direction A1 from the position where the imaging unit 30 is provided, and is provided above both of the two transport belts 11 and 12 . The printing unit 40 can print both tablets T on the conveyor belts 11 and 12 . The printing unit 40 is an inkjet print head that has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) and ejects ink individually from the nozzles. The printing unit 40 is provided such that the direction in which the nozzles are aligned intersects (for example, orthogonally crosses) the transport directions A1 and A2 in the horizontal plane. As the printing unit 40, it is possible to use various inkjet print heads having drive elements such as piezoelectric elements, heating elements, or magnetostrictive elements. The printing unit 40 is electrically connected to the control unit 80 and its driving is controlled by the control unit 80 .

The imaging unit 50 picks up the tablets T on the conveying belt 12 downstream in the conveying direction A2 from the position where the reversing unit 14 is provided and upstream in the conveying direction A2 from the position where the printing unit 40 is provided. It is provided so that the lower surface (the surface of the tablet T in this embodiment) can be imaged. More specifically, a mirror M1 is provided so as to be inclined directly below the conveying belt 12, and the imaging section 50 is provided so as to pick up an image of the lower surface of the tablet T via the mirror M1. The transport belt 12 of the transport unit 10 is translucent, so that the imaging unit 50 can image the lower surface of the tablet T on the transport belt 12 via the mirror M1. As the transport belt 12 having translucency, for example, a transparent belt, a ladder-like belt, or a belt having countless holes can be used. Based on the above-described position information of the tablet T in the conveying direction A1, the imaging unit 50 performs imaging at the timing when the tablet T reaches directly above the mirror M1, and acquires an image including the lower surface of the tablet T (for inspection and secant line). for angle detection), and transmits the acquired image to the control unit 80 . As the imaging section 50, the same one as the imaging section 30 described above can be used, and electrical connection and drive control are the same as those of the imaging section 30 described above.

The imaging unit 60 is positioned downstream in the transport direction A2 from the position where the reversing unit 14 is provided and upstream in the transport direction A2 from the position where the printing unit 40 is provided. is provided. The imaging unit 60 performs imaging at the timing when the tablet T reaches directly below the imaging unit 60 based on the above-described positional information of the tablet T in the conveying direction A1. back side) is acquired (for printing position detection), and the acquired image is transmitted to the control unit 80 . As the imaging section 60, the same one as the imaging section 30 described above can be used, and electrical connection and drive control are the same as those of the imaging section 30 described above.

The imaging unit 70 is positioned downstream in the transport direction A2 from the position where the printing unit 40 is provided, and is provided above the transport belt 12 . The imaging unit 70 performs imaging at the timing when the tablet T reaches directly below the imaging unit 70 based on the above-described positional information of the tablet T in the conveying direction A1. (for inspection), and transmits the acquired image to the control unit 80 . As the imaging section 70, the same one as the imaging section 30 described above can be used, and electrical connection and drive control are the same as those of the imaging section 30 described above.

The control unit 80 includes a microcomputer that centrally controls each unit, and a storage unit that stores processing information, various programs, and the like (both not shown). The control unit 80 controls the image capturing unit 30, the printing unit 40, the image capturing unit 50, the image capturing unit 60, the image capturing unit 70, and the like. Images and the like transmitted from the unit 60 and the imaging unit 70 are received.

(Printing process)
Next, the printing process (printing process and inspection process) performed by the tablet printing apparatus 1A described above will be described. In the following printing process, double-sided printing will be described in which identification information is printed so as to align with the dividing line (for example, parallel to the extending direction of the dividing line) on both sides of a tablet T having a dividing line formed on one side.

When the tablets T are supplied onto the conveying belt 11 of the conveying unit 10, the tablets T are conveyed in a row by the conveying belt 11 in a random state. The tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 are detected by the detector 20 . At this time, the presence or absence of the dividing line of the tablet T and the position of the tablet T in the conveying direction A1 are detected and input to the control unit 80 . The control unit 80 determines whether or not the upper surface of the tablet T on the conveying belt 11 is the front surface based on the information on the presence/absence of the dividing line of the tablet T. As shown in FIG. When it is determined that the upper surface of the tablet T on the conveying belt 11 is the front surface, even if the target tablet T faces the reversing nozzle 13b, the reversing nozzle 13b does not blow gas. On the other hand, when it is determined that the upper surface of the tablet T on the conveying belt 11 is not the front surface, when the target tablet T faces the reversing nozzle 13b, gas is blown by the reversing nozzle 13b.

If the reversing nozzle 13b does not blow off the gas, the tablet T is conveyed by the conveying belt 11 as it is. On the other hand, when the gas is blown by the reversing nozzle 13b, the tablets T on the conveying belt 11 move from the conveying belt 11 to the reversing tube 13a, pass through the reversing tube 13a, are reversed, and return to the conveying belt 11. . In other words, the tablet T with the rear surface on which the dividing line is not formed faces up is returned to the conveying belt 11 with the rear surface facing downward, that is, with the surface on which the dividing line is formed facing up. Therefore, when the tablet T is conveyed with the back surface on which the dividing line is not formed facing up, when it passes through the reversing tube 13a, the surface on which the dividing line is formed becomes the upper surface. All the tablets T on the conveying belt 11 on the downstream side of A1 are conveyed with their surfaces facing up.

Next, the tablet T on the conveying belt 11 is imaged by the imaging unit 30 (printing position detection and secant angle detection), the captured image is transmitted to the control unit 80 . Print data based on the image transmitted from the imaging unit 30, based on the positional deviation information of the tablet T (for example, the positional deviation of the tablet T in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction), information on the angle at which the secant line is formed, etc. is generated by the control unit 80 and stored. Based on this print data, the printing conditions (ink ejection position, ejection speed, etc.) for the tablet T are set and saved by the control unit 80 . Note that the print data is print data for printing identification information (an example of information) aligned with the dividing line.

Next, the tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 are transferred based on the above-described print data and printing conditions at the timing based on the above-described positional information of the tablets T in the conveying direction A1, that is, at the timing when the tablets T reach directly below the printing unit 40. is printed by the printing unit 40. In the printing unit 40, ink is appropriately ejected from each nozzle, and identification information such as characters (eg, alphabet, katakana, numbers) and marks (eg, symbols, figures) are arranged on the dividing line on the upper surface (surface) of the tablet T ( for example, parallel to the direction of extension of the secant line). In addition, since all the tablets T passing directly under the imaging unit 30 are in a state in which the surface on which the dividing line is formed faces upward, only the surface of the tablet T on the conveying belt 11 is printed. will be taken.

After that, when the tablet T on which the identification information is printed is positioned at the downstream end of the conveying belt 11 in the conveying direction A1, that is, when the tablet T on the conveying belt 11 faces the reversing nozzle 14b, the gas is discharged from the reversing nozzle 14b. is blown out. The tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 move from the conveyor belt 11 to the reversing tube 14a, pass through the reversing tube 14a, are reversed, and move to the conveyor belt 12. FIG. That is, the tablet T with the surface on which the dividing line is formed facing up is moved to the conveyor belt 12 with the surface facing down, that is, the back surface on which the dividing line is not formed is facing up. Become. Therefore, when the tablet T, which is conveyed with the surface on which the dividing line is formed facing up, passes through the reversing tube 14a, the back surface on which the dividing line is not formed becomes the upper surface. All the tablets T on the conveying belt 12 downstream of A2 are conveyed with their back surfaces facing up.

Next, the tablets T on the conveyor belt 12 are moved at timings based on the positional information in the conveying direction A2 based on the positional information of the tablets T in the conveying direction A1, that is, when the tablets T are directly above the mirror M1 and directly below the imaging unit 60. , an image is captured by the imaging unit 50 (for inspection and secant angle detection) and also by the imaging unit 60 (for printing position detection), and the captured images are transmitted to the control unit 80. . Based on the image transmitted from the imaging unit 50, the control unit 80 generates print inspection information indicating the print position of the print pattern of the tablet T and saves it. Based on the print inspection information, the control unit 80 determines the print quality of the tablet T, and stores the print quality result information (inspection result) indicating the print quality result for each tablet T. For example, it is determined whether the print pattern is printed at a predetermined position on the tablet T or not. Further, based on each image transmitted from the imaging unit 60 and the imaging unit 50, positional deviation information of the tablet T (for example, positional deviation of the tablet T in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction), the angle at which the secant line is formed, The control unit 80 generates and saves print data based on information such as the above. Based on this print data, the print conditions for the tablet T are set by the control unit 80 and saved. Note that the print data is print data for printing identification information (an example of information) aligned with the dividing line.

Next, the tablets T on the conveyor belt 12 are transferred to the printing unit 40 based on the printing data and printing conditions described above at the timing based on the positional information in the conveying direction A2, that is, at the timing when the tablets T reach directly below the printing unit 40. 40. In the printing unit 40, ink is appropriately ejected from each nozzle, and identification information such as characters and marks are printed on the upper surface (back surface) of the tablet T aligned with the dividing line (for example, parallel to the extending direction of the dividing line). be. Note that since all the tablets T on the conveyor belt 12 are conveyed with the back surface on which the dividing line is not formed facing upward, only the back surface of the tablet T on the conveyor belt 12 is printed. will be taken. However, printing is executed only for tablets T that have passed the inspection described above, and printing is not executed for tablets T that have failed the inspection.

Next, the tablet T on the conveying belt 12 is imaged by the imaging unit 70 at the timing based on the position information of the tablet T in the conveying direction A2, that is, at the timing when the tablet T reaches directly below the imaging unit 70 (inspection). ), the captured image is transmitted to the control unit 80 . Based on the image transmitted from the imaging unit 70, the control unit 80 generates and stores print inspection information indicating the print position of the print pattern of the tablet T. FIG. Based on the print inspection information, the control unit 80 determines the print quality of the tablet T, and stores the print quality result information (inspection result) indicating the print quality result for each tablet T. For example, it is determined whether the print pattern is printed at a predetermined position on the tablet T or not. Thereafter, the non-defective and defective tablets T are collected separately.

According to such a printing process, while the tablet T reciprocates on the two transport belts 11 and 12, printing is performed on both sides of the tablet T by one printing unit 40. FIG. The tablet T is conveyed by the conveying unit 10 in a state in which the front and back sides are random, but during the conveyance, the top surface of the tablet T is aligned with the surface on which the dividing line is formed. That is, when the controller 80 determines whether or not the upper surface of the tablet T on the conveyor belt 11 is the front surface, and determines that the upper surface is not the front surface, when the tablet T to be determined faces the reversing nozzle 13b, Gas is blown out from the reversing nozzle 13b. When the gas is blown out, the tablets T on the conveying belt 11 move from the conveying belt 11 to the reversing tube 13a, pass through the reversing tube 13a, are reversed, and return to the conveying belt 11. FIG. As a result, the tablet T conveyed with the upper surface not the front surface, that is, the back surface without the dividing line facing upward, passes through the reversing tube 13a and the surface becomes upward. All the tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 on the downstream side in the direction A1 are in a state of facing up. In this way, the tablets T are conveyed with their front and back sides aligned, and when printing is performed on the front surfaces of the tablets T, all the tablets T are printed. printing efficiency can be improved. Similarly, when printing is performed on the back surface of the tablet T, since printing is performed on all tablets T, printing efficiency can be improved compared to the case where the tablets T are conveyed without aligning the front and back surfaces. . As described above, printing on the back surface of the tablet T may not be executed for the tablet T that has failed the inspection based on the image acquired by the imaging unit 50. .

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the tablet T is conveyed by the conveying unit 10 so that the front and back surfaces of the tablet T conveyed by the conveying unit 10 are aligned according to the detection result of the secant line (an example of the mark) of the tablet T. By moving the tablet T to the reversing tube 13a, the tablet T can be transported with the front and back sides of the tablet T aligned. For example, all of the tablets T, which are conveyed with their front and back sides in a random state, can be conveyed with their surfaces facing up. Therefore, it is possible to convey the tablets T with their front and back sides aligned. Printing efficiency can be improved compared to the case where T is conveyed. Similarly, when printing on the back surface of the tablet T, it is possible to print on all the tablets T, so the printing efficiency is higher than when the tablets T are conveyed without aligning the front and back surfaces. can be improved.

In the tablet printing apparatus 1A described above, the printing unit 40 is provided above both the two transport belts 11 and 12. It is sufficient if it is provided above the belt. For example, when printing only on the surface of the tablet T, printing is performed on the surface of all the tablets T in the printing unit 40 provided above the conveying belt 11 . At this time, the tablets T are conveyed so that all of the tablets T face upward on the upstream side of the imaging unit 30 . Therefore, the direction of the dividing line of the tablet T can be detected by the imaging unit 30, and printing can be performed on all the tablets T according to the direction of the dividing line by the printing unit 40. FIG. Furthermore, when printing only the back surface of the tablet T, the back surface of all the tablets T is printed in the printing unit 40 provided above the conveying belt 12 . At this time, the tablets T are transported to the transport belt 12 in a state in which the front and back sides are aligned in the reversing section 13 provided on the transport belt 11 . Therefore, the direction of the dividing line of the tablet T can be detected in the imaging unit 50 . In the printing section 40 of the conveying belt 12, printing can be performed on the back side of all the tablets T according to the direction of the secant line. In this manner, the front and back surfaces of the tablet T are aligned on the upstream side of the imaging unit that detects the direction of the secant line, so it is sufficient to provide only one printing unit 40, and the effects of space saving and ink saving can be obtained.

In addition to reciprocating the tablet T by the two transport belts 11 and 12, it is also possible to further transport the tablet T in the direction of the arrow A1 after being reversed by the reversing unit . In the case of reciprocating the tablets T, it is possible to bring the supply unit and the recovery unit of the tablets T close to each other, thereby improving workability.

In the prior art, when the tablet T is conveyed in a state in which the front and back sides are random, in some cases, printing is not performed by the print head to which the tablet T first comes, and after the tablet T is reversed, another print head is printed. Sometimes printing is done with a print head. However, if the front and back surfaces of the tablets T are aligned on the upstream side of the print head where the tablets T first come, printing efficiency can be improved because printing is not performed as described above. In addition, there is no timing at which ink is not ejected, and drying of the ink at the tip of the nozzle of the print head can be suppressed. Further, when single-sided printing is performed, by aligning the front and back of the tablet T on the upstream side of the print head 40, one print head 40 can be used. Also, if the printed pattern is different on the front and back of the tablet T, or if the ink printed on the front and back of the tablet T is different, it is effective to align the front and back before printing.

<Second embodiment>
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. In the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment (conveyance table, two discharge units, unprinted recovery unit) will be described, and other descriptions will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the transport unit 10 of the tablet printing apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment is provided with a transport table 15, a discharge unit 16, an unprinted collection unit 17, and a discharge unit 18. there is

The conveying table 15 is formed in a disk shape, and is provided at the downstream end of the conveying belt 11 in the conveying direction A1. The conveying table 15 is rotatable about a rotating shaft 15a, and is configured to suck the upper surface of the tablet T discharged from the reversing tube 14a of the reversing section 14 with the lower surface (see FIG. 6). ). The conveying table 15 sucks the upper surface of the tablet T discharged from the outlet H2 of the reversing tube 14a, rotates around the rotating shaft 15a, and then releases the sucking when the tablet T is positioned above the conveying belt 12. The tablet T discharged from the reversing tube 14a is supplied to the conveying belt 12.例文帳に追加

The imaging unit 50 is provided so as to capture an image of the lower surface of the tablet T (the surface of the tablet T in this embodiment) sucked by the transport table 15 . The imaging unit 50 performs imaging at the timing when the tablet T reaches right above the imaging unit 50, acquires an image including the lower surface of the tablet T (for inspection and secant angle detection), and transmits the acquired image to the control unit 80. Send to

The discharge section 16 has a discharge tube 16a and a discharge nozzle 16b. The discharge tube 16a functions as a discharge path for discharging the tablets T, and the discharge nozzle 16b functions as a moving part for moving the tablets T to the discharge path. The ejection unit 16 ejects the tablets T that have failed the inspection based on the image transmitted from the imaging unit 50 under the control of the control unit 80 . A failed tablet T is, for example, a tablet that is not printed in the correct position by the printing unit 40 or that is printed in a shape different from the characters or marks that should be printed (not reusable). tablets). Based on the image captured by the imaging unit 50, the control unit 80 compares the identification information actually printed on the tablet T by the printing unit 40 with the data of the identification information to be printed by the printing unit 40. Then, the acceptance/rejection of the tablet T is judged. At this time, the control unit 80 also determines the presence or absence of printing on the tablets T, and grasps the tablets T that have not been printed (reusable tablets).

The ejection tube 16a is positioned downstream in the transport direction A2 from the position at which the transport table 15 is provided and upstream in the transport direction A2 from the position at which the imaging unit 60 is provided. It is provided so that T can be discharged. This discharge tube 16a has an inlet H1 and an outlet H2. The lower end of the entrance H1 is aligned with the height of the upper surface of the conveyor belt 12, and the exit H2 is positioned inside a collection box (not shown).

The discharge nozzle 16b is provided at a position for blowing gas (for example, air) toward the inlet H1 of the discharge tube 16a, moves the tablets T on the conveying belt 12 toward the inlet H1 of the discharge tube 16a, and discharges them into the discharge tube 16a. is passed through and discharged. The blowing direction of the gas is a direction in which the tablets T on the conveying belt 12 are moved in a direction crossing (for example, perpendicular to) the conveying direction A2 in the horizontal plane. A valve (not shown) that controls the blowing out of gas by the discharge nozzle 16b is electrically connected to the controller 80, and its driving is controlled by the controller 80. FIG.

The unprinted paper collection section 17 has a collection tube 17a and a collection nozzle 17b. The recovery tube 17a functions as a recovery path for recovering the tablets T, and the recovery nozzle 17b functions as a moving part for moving the tablets T to the recovery path. The unprinted collection unit 17 discharges the tablets T determined as unprinted (reusable) by inspection based on the image transmitted from the imaging unit 50 as described above, under the control of the control unit 80 .

Since the configurations of the recovery tube 17a and the recovery nozzle 17b are basically the same as those of the discharge tube 16a and the discharge nozzle 16b, description thereof will be omitted. However, the recovery tube 17a and the recovery nozzle 17b, that is, the unprinted recovery section 17, are downstream in the transport direction A2 from the position where the discharge section 16 is provided, and are further downstream in the transport direction A2 than the position where the imaging section 60 is provided. is provided upstream of the

The discharge section 18 has a discharge tube 18a and a discharge nozzle 18b. The discharge tube 18a functions as a discharge path for discharging the tablets T, and the discharge nozzle 18b functions as a moving part for moving the tablets T to the discharge path. The ejection unit 18 ejects the tablets T that have failed the inspection based on the image transmitted from the imaging unit 70 under the control of the control unit 80 . Note that the control unit 80 performs the same processing as described above based on the image captured by the imaging unit 70, and determines whether the tablet T is acceptable.

Since the configurations of the discharge tube 18a and the discharge nozzle 18b are basically the same as those of the discharge tube 16a and the discharge nozzle 16b, description thereof will be omitted. However, the discharge tube 18a and the discharge nozzle 16b, that is, the discharge section 18 are provided downstream in the transport direction A2 from the position where the imaging section 70 is provided.

The printing process (printing process and inspection process) performed by the tablet printing apparatus 1B having such a configuration is basically the same as in the first embodiment. However, depending on the inspection result of the tablet T, the tablet T on the conveying belt 12 is discharged by the discharging section 16 or the discharging section 18 or collected by the unprinted collecting section 17 . As described above, it is possible to collect the tablets T that have failed the inspection simply by providing the discharging section 16, the unprinted recovery section 17, and the discharging section 18 having a simple configuration. In addition, it becomes possible to separate and collect rejected tablets T, that is, tablets T that cannot be reused and tablets T that can be reused.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, it is possible to collect the tablets T that have failed the inspection simply by providing the discharge unit 16, the unprinted recovery unit 17, and the discharge unit 18, which have a simple configuration. The simplification of the device can be realized as compared with the case of providing.

Here, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the height position of the conveyor belt 12 is lower than the height position of the conveyor belt 11 . As a result, it is possible to smoothly move the tablets T from the conveying belt 11 at a high position to the conveying belt 12 at a low position, so that clogging of the tablets T in the reversing tube 14a can be suppressed. , it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the feeding efficiency due to the defective feeding of the tablet T.

<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, in the third embodiment, the difference (shutter) from the first embodiment will be described, and other descriptions will be omitted. However, certain members whose reference numerals according to this embodiment are the same as those of other embodiments are basically the same (that is, unless otherwise described) as those of other embodiments (the same applies to subsequent embodiments). is).

As shown in FIG. 7, a tablet printing apparatus 1C according to the third embodiment is provided with two shutters S1 and S2. Tablets T are supplied to the transport belt 11 from the supply unit 11a.

The shutter S1 is provided at the end of the transport belt 11 on the upstream side in the transport direction A1. The shutter S1 is movable between a closed position where the tablets T supplied from the supply unit 11a are blocked and an open position where the tablets T supplied from the supply unit 11a are allowed to flow onto the conveyor belt 11. ing. When the shutter S1 is moved to the closed position described above, that is, when it is closed, the supply of the tablets T from the supply portion 11a to the conveyor belt 11 is restricted. The shutter S1 is electrically connected to the control section 80 and its driving is controlled by the control section 80. As shown in FIG.

The shutter S2 is provided so as to block the outlet H2 of the reversing tube 13a. The shutter S2 is formed so as to be movable between a closed position at which the tablets T moving in the reversing tube 13a are blocked, and an open position at which the tablets T moving in the reversing tube 13a are fed onto the conveyor belt 11. . When the shutter S2 is moved to the closed position described above, ie closed, the tablet T is restricted from passing through the inverting tube 13a. The shutter S2 is electrically connected to the control section 80 and its driving is controlled by the control section 80. FIG.

In the tablet printing apparatus 1C having such a configuration, when the shutter S1 is closed each time a certain period of time elapses, the shutter S2 is opened while the supply of the tablets T to the conveying belt 11 is stopped, and the reversing tube 13a is opened. The tablets T stored inside are collectively returned to the conveying belt 11. - 特許庁Note that the shutter S2 is normally closed. Therefore, when the tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 are moved to the reversing tube 13a by the gas blown out from the reversing nozzle 13b, the tablets T stay in the reversing tube 13a. That is, the reversing tube 13a holds the tablets T in the reversing tube 13a, and while the supply of the tablets T to the conveying belt 11 is stopped, the tablets T held in the reversing tube 13a are transferred to the conveying belt 11. will return. When returning the tablet T retained in the reversing tube 13a to the conveying belt 11, gas may be blown out from the reversing nozzle 13b.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, since the timing of returning the tablets T from the reversing tube 13a onto the conveying belt 11 can be changed, the position on the conveying belt 11 at which the tablets T are returned from the reversing tube 13a to the conveying belt 11 can be adjusted.

In the above-described third embodiment, the shutter S2 is opened to collectively return the plurality of tablets T to the conveying belt 11. The tablets T to be returned may be returned to the conveying belt 11 with an interval between them. Furthermore, this interval may be adjusted to be even. According to this, since a plurality of tablets T are conveyed at intervals, it is possible to prevent clogging of the tablets T in downstream processes such as the imaging unit 30 and the printing unit 40 .

<Fourth Embodiment>
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, in the fourth embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment (conveying unit) will be described, and other descriptions will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, a tablet printing apparatus 1D according to the fourth embodiment includes three conveying units 91, 92, and 93. As shown in FIG. Each transport section 91, 92, 93 is provided in a horizontal state. In FIG. 8 , the transport section 91 is arranged on the left side of the upper end of the transport section 92 , and the transport section 93 is arranged on the left side of the lower end of the transport section 92 .

The transport unit 91 has a transport belt 91a, the transport unit 92 has a transport belt 92a, and the transport unit 93 has a transport belt 93a. Two transport paths P1 and P2 are provided on each of the transport belts 92a and 93a. The transport path P1 is on the back side of the paper surface in FIG. 8 and extends in the belt stretching direction. The transport path P2 is on the front side of the paper surface in FIG. 8 and extends in the belt stretching direction. These transport paths P1 and P2 are each formed by a plurality of suction holes (not shown) arranged in a line. A suction chamber (not shown) is provided inside each of the conveying belts 91a, 92a, 93a, and the tablets T are sucked by the suction chamber through the suction holes. Note that the conveying units 91, 92, and 93 are synchronized, and even if the tablet T moves between the conveying units, it is possible to specify the location by an encoder or the like.

The conveying unit 91 absorbs the upper surfaces of the tablets T, which are conveyed in a row with the front and back sides at random, by the conveying belt 91a, conveys the tablets T in a line in the conveying direction A1, and supplies them to the conveying path P1 of the conveying unit 92. do. The transport unit 91 transports the tablet T so as to be suspended below the transport belt 91a. The conveying unit 92 sucks the lower surfaces of the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 91 by means of a conveying belt 92a, conveys the tablets T in a row in the conveying direction A1 along the conveying path P1 in a state where the front and back sides are random, and then transfers the tablets T to the reversing unit. 13 turns all the tablets T upside down during transportation (that is, the tablets T with their backsides up on the conveyor belt 92a are placed on the conveyor belt 92a based on the detection result of the detection unit 20a, which will be described later). (moved to the reversing section 13). After that, the tablets T whose surfaces are all facing up are conveyed downstream along with the rotation of the conveying belt 92a, and are supplied to the conveying path P1 of the conveying section 93. is the surface of T).

The conveying unit 93 conveys the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 92 in a line along the conveying path P1 in the conveying direction A2 (at this time, all the tablets T have their back surfaces facing up). to make all the tablets T face up, move them from the conveying path P1 to the conveying path P2 (the outlet H2 of the reversing section 13 faces the conveying path P2), and convey them along the conveying path P2. The sheets are conveyed in a line in the direction A2 and supplied to the conveying path P2 of the conveying section 92 . The conveying unit 92 absorbs the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 93 by the conveying belt 92a and conveys them in a row along the conveying path P2. ). In addition, when the tablet T is transferred from the conveying section 92 to the conveying section 93, the tablet T is reversed.

A detection unit 20 a is provided for the transport unit 91 . The detection unit 20 a is positioned below the conveying unit 91 and is provided so as to pick up an image of the lower surface of the tablet T conveyed with the upper surface thereof being attracted by the conveying unit 91 . This detection section 20a is for detecting the presence or absence of a dividing line.

The reversing unit 13, the detection unit 20b, the imaging unit 30, the printing unit 40, and the imaging unit 50a are arranged in that order along the transport path P1 of the transport unit 92 in the transport direction A1. . Further, in the transport path P2 of the transport unit 92, the detection unit 20b, the imaging unit 60, the printing unit 40 described above, and the imaging unit 70 are arranged in that order in the transport direction A1. The reversing unit 13 has the same configuration as in the first embodiment. The detection unit 20b is for detecting the imaging timing. The imaging unit 30 is for printing position detection and secant angle detection, the imaging unit 50a is for inspection, the imaging unit 60 is for printing position detection, and the imaging unit 70 is for inspection.

In the conveying unit 93, a reversing unit 13 for reversing and moving the tablet T from the conveying path P1 to the conveying path P2 is provided. The reversing section 13 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but the reversing tube 13a is formed to reverse and move the tablet T from the transport path P1 to the transport path P2. Further, a detecting section 20b and an imaging section 50b are provided for the conveying path P2 of the conveying section 93 . The detection unit 20b is for detecting the imaging timing, and the imaging unit 50b is for detecting the secant angle.

In the tablet printing apparatus 1D having such a configuration, the tablets T transported with their front and back sides in a random state are attracted by the transport belt 91a of the transport unit 91 at their upper surfaces and transported in a row in the transport direction A1. The presence or absence of a secant line is detected. Then, the transfer belt 91 a is released from the suction at the end of the transfer section 91 , so that the transfer path P<b>1 of the transfer section 92 is supplied. The tablets T supplied from the transport portion 91 to the transport path P1 of the transport portion 92 are sucked by the transport belt 92a of the transport portion 92 and transported along the transport path P1 in a line in the transport direction A1. In the reversing unit 13, the tablet T conveyed with the back surface facing up is reversed according to the detection result of the detection unit 20a so that the front surface of the tablet T is facing up (see the first embodiment). ). That is, the tablets T detected to have the dividing line by the detection unit 20 a are turned upside down on the transport unit 92 , and the tablets T are turned over by the turnover unit 13 . In the conveying path P1 on the downstream side of the conveying direction A1 from the reversing section 13, all the tablets T are conveyed with their surfaces facing upward.

When the tablet T on the transport path P1 of the transport unit 92 is detected by the detection unit 20b (for imaging timing), the transport path P1 is detected at the timing based on the detection, that is, at the timing when the tablet T arrives directly below the imaging unit 30. The upper surface of the upper tablet T is imaged by the imaging unit 30 (for printing position detection), printing is performed by the printing unit 40 based on the image, and the upper surface of the printed tablet T is captured by the imaging unit 50a (for inspection). An image is taken and the quality of the printing is inspected (see the first embodiment). The detector 20b of the transporter 92 can be omitted by making the detector 20a of the transporter 91 function also as a position detector. In addition, by providing the detecting section 20b upstream of the reversing section 13 in the conveying section 92 in the conveying direction, it is possible to detect both tablets and presence/absence of a dividing line.

After inspection, the tablets T sucked and transported by the transport belt 92 a of the transport unit 92 are supplied to the transport path P<b>1 of the transport unit 93 below the transport unit 92 . When the tablet T is transferred from the conveying section 92 to the conveying section 93, the tablet T is reversed. The tablets T supplied from the transport portion 92 to the transport path P1 of the transport portion 93 are sucked by the transport belt 93a of the transport portion 93 and transported along the transport path P1 in a line in the transport direction A2. In the reversing section 13, all the tablets T are reversed from the back surface to the front surface so that the front surface faces upward, and are further moved from the transport path P1 to the transport path P2. The tablets T moved to the transport path P2 are sucked by the transport belt 93a of the transport section 93 and transported along the transport path P2 in a line in the transport direction A2.

When the tablet T on the conveying path P2 of the conveying section 93 is detected by the detecting section 20b (for imaging timing), the conveying path P2 is detected at the timing based on the detection, that is, at the timing when the tablet T arrives directly below the imaging section 50b. The upper surface of the upper tablet T is imaged by the imaging unit 50b (for detecting the angle of the dividing line), the angle of the dividing line is detected, and the tablets are supplied to the conveying path P2 of the conveying unit 92. FIG. When the tablet T is transferred from the conveying section 93 to the conveying section 92, the tablet T is reversed. The tablets T supplied to the transport path P2 are sucked by the transport belt 92a of the transport section 92 and transported in a line along the transport path P2. The angle information of the secant line obtained by the imaging unit 50b is printed in a post-process printing process in which the identification information is printed along with the secant line on the back side when the back side, on which the secant line is not formed, faces up. used to

When the tablet T on the transport path P2 of the transport unit 92 is detected by the detection unit 20b (for imaging timing), the upper surface of the tablet T on the transport path P2 is detected by the imaging unit 60 (for printing position detection) at the timing based on the detection. ), printing is performed by the printing unit 40 based on the image, the upper surface of the printed tablet T is imaged by the imaging unit 70 (for inspection), and the quality of the printing is inspected (first see embodiment). Thereafter, the non-defective and defective tablets T are collected separately.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Fifth Embodiment>
A fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. In addition, in the fifth embodiment, the difference (conveyor) from the first embodiment will be explained, and other explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, a tablet printing apparatus 1E according to the fifth embodiment includes three conveying units 101, 102 and 103. As shown in FIG. Each transport section 101, 102, 103 is provided in a horizontal state. In FIG. 9 , the transport section 101 is arranged on the left side of the upper end of the transport section 102 , and the transport section 103 is arranged on the left side of the lower end of the transport section 102 . These transport units 101, 102, and 103 are the same as those in the fourth embodiment (synchronization, speed, etc.). The tablet T is adsorbed on the lower surface of 101a and conveyed.

The conveying unit 101 sucks the upper surfaces of the tablets T conveyed in four rows with their front and back sides at random by the conveying belt 101a, conveys the tablets T in four rows in the conveying direction A1, and supplies the tablets T to the conveying unit 102. The conveying unit 102 sucks the lower surfaces of the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 101 by means of the conveying belt 102a, conveys the tablets T in four rows in the conveying direction A1 in a state where the front and back sides are random, and rotates the tablets T in the conveying direction A1 by the reversing unit 13A. All the tablets T are turned upside down and supplied to the conveying section 103 (the surface of the tablet T is to be printed). The conveying unit 103 sucks the lower surfaces of the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 102 with the conveying belt 103a, and conveys the tablets T in four rows in the conveying direction A2 (the back surfaces of the tablets T are to be printed).

Two detection units 20a are provided at positions facing the surface of the conveying unit 101 on which the tablets T are conveyed. A reversing unit 13A, two detecting units 20b, two imaging units 30, a printing unit 40, and two imaging units 50 are arranged in that order at positions facing the surface of the transport unit 102 on which tablets T are transported. are arranged in the conveying direction A1. Two detection units 20b, two imaging units 60, a printing unit 40, and two imaging units 70 are arranged in that order with respect to the transport unit 103 in the transport direction A2. In addition, a drying unit 90 is individually provided at a position facing the surfaces of the conveying units 102 and 103 on which the tablets T are conveyed, for example, positioned below the respective conveying units 102 and 103 . These drying units 90 dry the ink applied to the tablets T and the tablets T themselves by radiant heat, wind, or the like. Each drying section 90 is electrically connected to the control section 80 and its drive is controlled by the control section 80 .

Each detection unit 20a is positioned below the conveying unit 101, and is provided so as to pick up an image of the lower surface of the tablet T conveyed with the upper surface thereof attracted by the conveying unit 101. As shown in FIG. These detection units 20a are for detecting the presence or absence of dividing lines. The printing unit 40 has the same configuration as the printing unit 40 according to the first embodiment. The detection unit 20b is for detecting the imaging timing of the tablet T. FIG. The imaging unit 30 is for printing position detection and secant angle detection, and the imaging unit 50 is for inspection and secant angle detection. The imaging unit 60 is for printing position detection, and the imaging unit 70 is for inspection.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the reversing section 13A has four reversing tubes 13a, four reversing nozzles 13b, two non-reversing tubes 13c, and two non-reversing nozzles 13d. are doing. The reversing tube 13a functions as a reversing path for reversing the tablets T, the non-reversing tube 13c functions as a non-reversing path for flowing the tablets T without reversing them, and the reversing nozzle 13b and the non-reversing nozzle 13d move the tablets T. functions as a department.

The transport unit 102 has four transport paths L1 to L4 so that the tablets T can be transported in four rows. The reversing tube 13a is provided for each row of the transport paths L1 to L4. The reversing tubes 13a provided in the transport paths L1 and L2 positioned on the upper end side of the transport belt 102a in FIG. The reversing tubes 13a provided in the transport paths L3 and L4 located on the lower end side in FIG. 11 of 102a are formed so as to extend to the lower end side in FIG. Of the two reversing tubes 13a extending from the upper end of the conveying belt 102a in FIG. 11, the upstream reversing tube 13a in the conveying direction A1 is for the conveying path L1, and the downstream reversing tube 13a is for the conveying path L2. . 11, the upstream reversing tube 13a is for the transport path L4, and the downstream reversing tube 13a is for the transport path L3.

The non-reversing tubes 13c are provided for each row in two rows at both ends of the four rows. One non-reversing tube 13c is provided for the upper end of the conveying belt 102a in FIG. 11, and this non-reversing tube 13c is for the conveying path L1. One non-reversing tube 13c is provided to the lower end of the conveying belt 102a in FIG. 11, and this non-reversing tube 13c is for the conveying path L4. Each non-reversing tube 13c is provided upstream in the conveying direction A1 from each reversing tube 13a, and moves the conveyed tablet T to the downstream side in the conveying direction A1 without inverting it.

Here, for example, a tablet Ta (see FIG. 11) positioned on the transport path L3 with its back side facing up and a tablet Tb positioned on the transport path L4 with its front side facing up (see FIG. 11). However, when the positions in the conveying direction A1 are the same, that is, when the tablets Ta are conveyed side by side, the air blown from the reversing nozzle 13b attempts to move the tablets Ta in the conveying path L3 to the reversing tube 13a. Also, the tablet Tb on the transport path L4 becomes an obstacle. Therefore, before the tablet Ta on the transport path L3 is moved to the reversing tube 13a, the gas blown from the non-reversing nozzle 13d moves the tablet Tb on the transport path L4 to the non-reversing tube 13c so that the back side faces up. The state in which the tablet Ta on the conveying path L3 in the state and the tablet Tb on the conveying path L4 with the surface facing up are arranged side by side is eliminated. Thereby, it becomes possible to move the tablet Ta in the transport path L3 to the reversing tube 13a by the gas blown out from the reversing nozzle 13b. The tablet Tb on the transport path L4 passes through the non-reversing tube 13c with its surface facing up by the gas blown out from the non-reversing nozzle 13d, and moves to the transport path L4.

When the tablets T are conveyed in four rows with the front and back sides being random, the reversing portion 13A is arranged so that the back surfaces of the tablets T in the four rows face up depending on the presence or absence of the dividing line (the front and back surfaces of the tablets T). The tablets T in the state are selectively reversed, and all the tablets T conveyed in four rows with their front and back sides at random are turned up. As a result, all the tablets T are conveyed with their surfaces facing up on the conveying belt 102a on the downstream side in the conveying direction A1 from the reversing section 13A.

In the tablet printing apparatus 1E having such a configuration, the tablets T transported in four rows to the transporting unit 101 with their front and back sides in a random state are adsorbed by the transport belt 101a of the transporting unit 101 and transported in four rows in the transporting direction A1. and supplied to the transport unit 102 . During this process, each detecting unit 20a (for detecting the presence or absence of a dividing line) detects whether or not there is a dividing line on the lower surface of the tablet T being sucked and conveyed by the conveying belt 101a of the conveying unit 101 . The tablets T supplied from the transport unit 101 to the transport unit 102 are sucked by the transport belt 102a of the transport unit 102 and transported in four rows in the transport direction A1. In the reversing section 13A, the tablet T conveyed with the back side facing up is reversed to the front side facing up according to the detection result of each detecting section 20a. On the downstream side in the conveying direction A1 from the reversing section 13A, all the tablets T are conveyed with their surfaces facing upward.

When the tablets T on the conveying belt 102a are detected by the detection units 20b (for imaging timing), the tablets T are detected on the conveying belt 102a at the timing based on those detections, that is, at the timing when the tablets T arrive directly below the imaging unit 30. The upper surface of the tablet T is imaged by each imaging unit 30 (for printing position detection), printing is performed by the printing unit 40 based on those images, and printing is performed together in four rows. (for inspection and secant angle detection), and the quality of the printing is inspected.

After inspection, the tablets T sucked and transported by the transport belt 102 a of the transport unit 102 pass above the drying unit 90 and are supplied to the transport unit 103 below the transport unit 102 in four rows. The tablets T supplied from the transport unit 102 to the transport unit 103 are sucked by the transport belt 103a of the transport unit 103 and transported in four rows in the transport direction A2.

When the tablets T on the conveying belt 103a are detected by the detection units 20b (for imaging timing), the tablets T are detected on the conveying belt 103a at the timing based on the detection, that is, at the timing when the tablets T arrive directly below the imaging unit 60. The upper surface of the tablet T is imaged by each imaging unit 60 (for printing position detection), printing is performed by the printing unit 40 based on these images, and printing is performed together in four rows. An image is taken by (for inspection), and the quality of the printing is inspected. After that, the non-defective and defective tablets T are separated and collected.

As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, by performing printing on the tablets T conveyed in four rows together, it is possible to increase the amount of printing per unit time, so that printing efficiency can be improved.

Also in this embodiment, similarly to the fourth embodiment described above, by providing the detecting section 20b on the upstream side of the reversing section 13A in the conveying direction, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of the dividing line and detect the position of the tablet. .

<Sixth embodiment>
A sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14. FIG. In addition, in the sixth embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment (conveying unit) will be described, and other descriptions will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, the tablet printing apparatus 1F according to the fifth embodiment includes five conveying units 111, 112, 113, 114, and 115. The conveying section 113 is provided in a vertical state in the longitudinal direction, and the conveying sections 111, 112, 114, and 115 are provided in a horizontal state. On the paper surface of FIG. 12 , the transport section 111 is arranged on the left side of the lower end portion of the transport section 113 , and the transport section 112 is arranged on the right side of the lower end portion of the transport section 113 . Further, the transport section 114 is provided on the upper right side of the transport section 113 , and the transport section 115 is provided on the upper left side of the transport section 113 .

The conveying unit 111 picks up the tablets T with the conveying belt 111a in a state in which the front and back sides are random, and conveys them in two rows in the conveying direction A1. , and supplied to the transport unit 113 . Similarly to the transport unit 111, the transport unit 112 adsorbs the tablets T in a random state by the transport belt 112a and transports the tablets T in two rows in the transport direction A2. is turned upside down and supplied to the conveying section 113 .

The conveying unit 113 sucks the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 111 by the conveying belt 113a, conveys them in two rows in the conveying direction A3 (the surfaces of the tablets T are to be printed), and supplies them to the conveying unit 114. Further, the transport unit 113 adsorbs the tablets T supplied from the transport unit 112 by the transport belt 113b, transports them in two rows in the transport direction A4 (the surfaces of the tablets T are to be printed), and supplies them to the transport unit 115. do.

The conveying unit 114 absorbs the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 113 by the conveying belt 114a and conveys them in two rows in the conveying direction A1 (the back surfaces of the tablets T are up), and all the tablets T are transferred by the reversing unit 14A during conveying. The tablets T are placed face up, are sucked by the conveying belt 114b, are conveyed in two rows in the conveying direction A2, and are returned to the conveying section 113. FIG. The transport unit 115 also adsorbs the tablets T supplied from the transport unit 113 by the transport belt 115a and transports them in two rows in the transport direction A2 (the back surface of the tablet T is up), and the reversing unit 14A transports the tablets T in the middle of transport. , all the tablets T are turned upside down, sucked by the conveying belt 115b, conveyed in two rows in the conveying direction A1, and returned to the conveying section 113. FIG.

The conveying unit 113 sucks the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 114 by the conveying belt 113b and conveys them in two rows in the conveying direction A4 (the back surfaces of the tablets T are to be printed). In addition, the conveying unit 113 sucks the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 115 by the conveying belt 113a and conveys them in two rows in the conveying direction A3 (the back surfaces of the tablets T are to be printed). During transportation, the non-defective and defective tablets T are separated and collected (a collection unit is not shown).

As shown in FIG. 13, the reversing section 13B has two reversing sections 13 (reversing tube 13a and reversing nozzle 13b) according to the first embodiment. One reversing section 13B is provided corresponding to one of the two columns in which the tablets T are conveyed, and the other reversing section 13B is provided corresponding to the other column.

As shown in FIG. 14, the reversing section 14A has two reversing sections 14 (reversing tube 14a and reversing nozzle 14b) according to the first embodiment. One reversing section 14A is provided corresponding to one of the two columns in which the tablets T are conveyed, and the other reversing section 14B is provided corresponding to the other column.

In the conveying section 111 described above, a detecting section 20a (for detecting the presence or absence of a dividing line) is provided. A detection unit 20b (for imaging timing detection), an imaging unit 30 (for printing position detection and secant angle detection), and a printing unit 40 are arranged on the right side (in FIG. 12) of the transportation belt 113a of the transportation unit 113. , and the imaging unit 60 (for printing position detection) are arranged in that order in the transport direction A3. A detection unit 20b (for imaging timing detection) and an imaging unit 50 (for inspection and secant angle detection) are provided for the transport belt 114b of the transport unit 114 . An imaging unit 70 (for inspection) is provided on the right side (in FIG. 12) of the transport belt 113b of the transport unit 113. As shown in FIG.

Further, in the same manner as in the arrangement described above, the conveying section 112 is provided with a detecting section 20a (for detecting the presence or absence of dividing lines). A detection unit 20b (for imaging timing detection), an imaging unit 30 (for printing position detection and secant angle detection), and a printing unit 40 are arranged on the left side (in FIG. 12) of the transportation belt 113b of the transportation unit 113. , and an imaging unit 60 (for printing position detection) are arranged in that order in the transport direction A4. A detection unit 20b (for imaging timing detection) and an imaging unit 50 (for inspection and secant angle detection) are provided for the transport belt 115b of the transport unit 115 . An imaging unit 70 (for inspection) is provided on the left side (in FIG. 12) of the conveying belt 113 a of the conveying unit 113 .

The printing process (printing process and inspection process) performed by the tablet printing apparatus 1F having such a configuration is basically the same as in the first to fifth embodiments. However, the printing process according to the fourth embodiment is performed simultaneously on the left side and the right side of the transport section 113 . Therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of printing per unit time, and to improve the printing efficiency. In addition, since it is possible to perform printing simultaneously on the left side and the right side of the transport section 113, even when performing maintenance on one of the sections related to printing, the other section related to printing can be used for printing. As a result, printing efficiency can be improved.

As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Also, printing efficiency can be improved.

<Seventh embodiment>
A seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, in the seventh embodiment, the difference (arrangement of each part) from the sixth embodiment will be explained, and other explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 15, a tablet printing apparatus 1G according to the seventh embodiment includes a conveying unit 113 according to the sixth embodiment in addition to each part of the tablet printing apparatus 1F according to the sixth embodiment. . That is, there are two transport units 113 . These conveying units 113 are provided in parallel with each other in a vertical state. In FIG. 15, the conveying units 111 and 112 are horizontally arranged in parallel with each other on the left side of the lower end of each conveying unit 113, and the conveying units 114 and 115 are horizontally arranged in parallel with each other. It is provided on the left side near the center of 113 .

Note that a detection unit 20a (for detecting the presence or absence of dividing lines), a detection unit 20b (for detecting imaging timing), an imaging unit 30 (for detecting printing positions and detecting dividing line angles), a printing unit 40, and a detection unit 20b (for detecting imaging timings). , the imaging unit 50 (for inspection and for detecting the secant angle), the imaging unit 60 (for printing position detection), and the imaging unit 70 (for inspection) align the tablet T with the dividing line of the tablet T as in the sixth embodiment. Double-sided printing is provided so that identification information is printed on both sides of the tape.

The printing process (printing process and inspection process) performed by the tablet printing apparatus 1G having such a configuration is basically the same as in the sixth embodiment. However, compared to the sixth embodiment, the drying distance traveled by the tablet T until the ink-coated surface of the tablet T next contacts the conveyor belt 114a or 115a is longer. As a result, it is possible to reliably dry the ink applied to the tablet T, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing defects due to undried ink. In addition, compared to the sixth embodiment, it is possible to increase the number of rows of tablets T to be conveyed and increase the amount of printing per unit time, thereby improving the printing efficiency.

As described above, according to the seventh embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing defects due to non-drying of the ink, and it is possible to improve the printing efficiency.

<Eighth embodiment>
An eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, in the eighth embodiment, the difference (arrangement of each part) from the seventh embodiment will be explained, and other explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, the tablet printing apparatus 1H according to the eighth embodiment includes the same units as the tablet printing apparatus 1G according to the seventh embodiment. On the paper surface of FIG. 16, the transport unit 111 is provided in the horizontal state on the left side of the lower end of the rear transport unit 113 of the two transport units 113, and the transport unit 112 is provided in the horizontal state on the front side of the transport unit. It is provided on the right side of the lower end of 113 . The conveying unit 114 is provided in a horizontal state on the left side near the lower side of the conveying unit 113 on the back side, and the conveying unit 115 is provided on the right side near the lower side of the conveying unit 113 on the front side in a horizontal state. It is

The printing process (printing process and inspection process) performed by the tablet printing apparatus 1H having such a configuration is basically the same as in the seventh embodiment. However, compared to the seventh embodiment, since it is possible to simultaneously print on the left side and the right side of the transport section 113, even when maintenance is performed on each section related to printing in one of them, it is possible to perform maintenance on each section related to printing in the other. The printing can be performed by using the high-speed printing method, and as a result, the printing efficiency can be improved.

As described above, according to the eighth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing defects due to non-drying of the ink, and it is possible to improve the printing efficiency.

<Ninth Embodiment>
A ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. In addition, in the ninth embodiment, the difference (arrangement of each part) from the eighth embodiment will be explained, and other explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 17, the tablet printing apparatus 1I according to the ninth embodiment includes five conveying units 116, 117, 118, 119, and 120. As shown in FIG. The conveying portion 117 is provided in a vertical state in the longitudinal direction, and the conveying portions 116 and 119 are provided in a horizontal state. 119. In FIG. 17 , the transport section 116 is provided on the left side of the lower end of the transport section 113 , and the transport sections 118 , 119 and 120 are provided at the upper end of the transport section 113 .

The conveying unit 116 picks up the tablets T with the conveying belt 116a in a state in which the front and back sides are random, and conveys them in four rows in the conveying direction A1. , and supplied to the transport unit 117 . The conveying unit 117 sucks the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 111 by the conveying belt 117a, conveys them in four rows in the conveying direction A3 (the surfaces of the tablets T are to be printed), and supplies them to the conveying unit 118. The conveying unit 118 sucks the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 117 by the conveying belt 118 a , conveys them in four rows, and supplies them to the conveying unit 119 .

The conveying unit 119 absorbs the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 118 by the conveying belt 119a and conveys them in four rows in the conveying direction A2 (the surface of the tablets T is up), and all the tablets T are transferred by the reversing unit 14B during conveying. The tablet T is turned upside down and supplied to the conveying section 120.例文帳に追加The conveying unit 120 sucks the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 119 by the conveying belt 120a and conveys them in four rows. The conveying unit 117 sucks the tablets T supplied from the conveying unit 120 by the conveying belt 117a and conveys them in four rows in the conveying direction A4 (the back surfaces of the tablets T are to be printed). During transportation, good and defective tablets T are separated and collected.

As shown in FIG. 18, the reversing section 14B has four reversing sections 14 (reversing tubes 14a and reversing nozzles 14b) according to the first embodiment. That is, the inverting section 14 is provided for each column. As a result, the tablets T with the front surface facing up pass through the reversing tube 14a row by row, so that all the tablets T are in a state with the back surface facing up. The configurations of the reversing section 13A and the reversing section 14A are the same as those of the fifth embodiment described above.

Two detection units 20a (for detecting the presence or absence of dividing lines) are provided for the transport unit 116 . Two detectors 20b (for imaging timing detection), two imaging units 30 (for printing position detection and secant angle detection), a printing unit 40, and two The imaging unit 50a (for inspection) and the drying unit 90 are arranged in that order in the transport direction A3. Two detection units 20b (for imaging timing detection) are provided on the left side (in FIG. 17) of the transport unit 119 . Two imaging units 50b (for secant angle detection) are provided on the right side of the conveying unit 120 (in FIG. 17). Two detectors 20b (for imaging timing detection), two imaging units 60 (for printing position detection), a printing unit 40, and two imaging units 70 (for inspection) are provided on the left side (in FIG. 17) of the transport unit 113. ), and the drying units 90 are arranged in that order in the conveying direction A4.

The printing process (printing process and inspection process) performed by the tablet printing apparatus 1I having such a configuration is basically the same as in other embodiments such as the first to eighth embodiments. However, compared to the case where the drying unit 90 is not provided, it is possible to dry the ink applied to the tablet T more reliably, so it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of printing defects due to undried ink.

As described above, according to the ninth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, it is possible to increase the types of tablet printing apparatuses that print on both sides of the tablet T, furthermore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing defects due to undried ink, and to improve the printing efficiency.

Incidentally, as described above, two members (each part) are provided for four-row conveyance. Therefore, there is a member every two rows (ie, one member treats both rows together). This is the same in the fifth to ninth embodiments (four-row conveyance), but it is only an example, and all members may be provided for each row.

<Tenth Embodiment>
A tenth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, in the tenth embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment (reversing portion) will be described, and other descriptions will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 19, the reversing section 14C according to the tenth embodiment includes a pair of inclined drums 14c and 14d.

The inclined drum 14 c has a conical side surface 14 c 1 centered on an axis that is inclined at, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the width direction of the conveyor belt 11 . A portion of the conical side surface 14c1 of the inclined drum 14c is separated from the upper surface of the conveying belt 11 by a predetermined distance (for example, about the thickness of the tablet T), and is rotatably provided above the conveying belt 11 by a motor 14e. It is The separation distance from the conveying belt 11 is set based on the thickness of the tablets T so that the tablets T can be transferred from the conveying belt 11 to the inclined drum 14c. The tilting drum 14c is fixed to the output shaft (rotating shaft) of the motor 14e, and rotates around the shaft by the rotational operation of the motor 14e. The motor 14e is electrically connected to the control section 80, and its driving is controlled by the control section 80. FIG.

A plurality of suction holes H3 are formed in the side surface 14c1 of the inclined drum 14c. These suction holes H3 are provided in an annular shape at regular intervals around the axis of the inclined drum 14c. The pressure in the inner space of the inclined drum 14c is kept at a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure by a suction mechanism (not shown). The inclined drum 14c holds the tablet T in one of the adsorption holes H3 by this negative pressure. The aforementioned suction mechanism is electrically connected to the control section 80 and its driving is controlled by the control section 80 .

The inclined drum 14d has a conical side surface 14d1 centered on an axis that is inclined at, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the width direction of the conveyor belt 12, opposite to the direction in which the inclined drum 14c is inclined. The axis of the tilting drum 14d and the axis of the tilting drum 14c described above are, for example, perpendicular to each other in a vertical plane. A portion of the conical side surface 14d1 of the inclined drum 14d is separated from the side surface 14c1 of the inclined drum 14c by a predetermined distance (for example, about the thickness of the tablet T). 12 and a predetermined distance (for example, about the thickness of the tablet T), and is provided above the conveying belt 12 so as to be rotatable by a motor 14f. The separation distance from the inclined drum 14c is set based on the thickness of the tablet T so that the tablet T can be transferred from the inclined drum 14c to the inclined drum 14d. Further, the separation distance from the conveying belt 12 is set so that the transfer of the tablets T from the inclined drum 14d to the conveying belt 12 is possible. The tilting drum 14d is fixed to the output shaft (rotating shaft) of the motor 14f, and rotates around the shaft by the rotational operation of the motor 14f. The motor 14f is electrically connected to the control section 80, and its drive is controlled by the control section 80. FIG.

A plurality of suction holes H4 are formed in the side surface 14d1 of the inclined drum 14d. These suction holes H4 are provided in an annular shape at regular intervals around the axis of the inclined drum 14d. The pressure in the inner space of the inclined drum 14d is kept at a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure by the aforementioned suction mechanism. The inclined drum 14d holds the tablet T in one of the suction holes H4 by this negative pressure.

A blow portion 14g is provided inside the inclined drum 14c. The blow part 14g blows the gas to the suction holes H3 of the tilted drum 14c that face the tilted drum 14d. As a result, the adsorption holes H3 to which the gas is blown have a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, so that the adsorption of the tablets T by the adsorption holes H3 is released, and the tablets T are transferred from the inclined drum 14c to the inclined drum 14d. . The blow portion 14g is electrically connected to the control portion 80, and its driving is controlled by the control portion 80. As shown in FIG.

A blow portion 14h is also provided inside the inclined drum 14d. The blow part 14h blows gas to the suction holes H4 facing the conveying belt 12 among the suction holes H4 of the inclined drum 14d. As a result, the adsorption holes H4 to which the gas is blown have a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, so that the adsorption of the tablets T by the adsorption holes H4 is released, and the tablets T are transferred from the inclined drum 14d to the conveying belt 12. . The blow section 14h is electrically connected to the control section 80, and its drive is controlled by the control section 80. As shown in FIG.

In order to reliably prevent the tablets T from falling off when the tablets T are transferred from the inclined drum 14c to the inclined drum 14d, the suction force of each suction hole H4 of the inclined drum 14d should be reduced to It is desirable to make it larger than the adsorption force of H3.

According to such a reversing unit 14C, the tablets T on which the identification information is printed are positioned at the downstream end of the conveying belt 11 in the conveying direction A1. Upon arrival, the tablet T is transferred from the conveyor belt 11 to the inclined drum 14c. The inclined drum 14c is rotated by the motor 14e while sucking and holding the tablets T received from the conveying belt 11 by the suction holes H3 on one of the side surfaces 14c1, and delivers them to the inclined drum 14d by blowing gas from the blowing part 14g. The inclined drum 14d sucks and holds the tablets T received from the inclined drum 14c with the suction holes H4 on one of the side surfaces 14d1, rotates with the motor 14f, and delivers the tablets to the conveyor belt 12 by blowing gas from the blower 14h. As a result, the tablets T on the conveyor belt 11 are moved from the conveyor belt 11 to the conveyor belt 12, and the front and back sides of the tablets T are reversed. Therefore, the tablet T conveyed with the surface on which the dividing line is formed faces up, and the rear surface on which the dividing line is not formed faces up by the reversing unit 14C.

As described above, according to the tenth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, the reversing section 14C as described above can be used, and various mechanisms can be used as the reversing section.

<Other embodiments>
In the above description, the use of the dividing line (straight recess) of the tablet T is exemplified as a mark capable of distinguishing between the front and back sides, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to use recesses of any shape, protrusions of various shapes, or marks by printing or drawing.

In the above description, the information is printed along the dividing line of the tablet T, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the information may be printed according to the dividing line based on the print data.

In the above description, the reversing tube 13a is used as the reversing path, and the reversing nozzle 13b is used as the moving part. It is possible, and it is also possible to use a member (for example, a rod-shaped member) for striking and moving the tablet T as the moving part.

It is also possible to connect gas nozzles in the middle of the reversing tubes 13a and 14a and the non-reversing tube 13c. The gas nozzle is formed to blow out gas (for example, air) in the direction of pushing the tablet T advancing inside the tubes such as the reversing tubes 13a and 14a and the non-reversing tube 13c. Since the tablet T is pushed by the gas blown out by the gas nozzle and the movement of the tablet T is promoted, the tablet T can be reliably passed through.

Further, in the above description, one printing unit 40 prints on tablets T conveyed through two conveying paths, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided for each conveying path. By providing a plurality of printing units 40 in this manner, printing can be performed using different inks.

Here, the above-mentioned tablets can include tablets used for medicine, eating and drinking, cleaning, industrial use, and aromatic use. Tablets include plain tablets (uncoated tablets), sugar-coated tablets, film-coated tablets, enteric-coated tablets, gelatin-coated tablets, multilayer tablets, and dry-coated tablets. can be included in Further, the shape of the tablet includes various shapes such as disk-shaped, lens-shaped, triangular, and elliptical. Edible ink is suitable as the ink to be used when the tablet to be printed is for medical use or for eating and drinking. As the edible ink, synthetic pigment ink, natural pigment ink, dye ink, or pigment ink may be used.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1A to 1I tablet printing apparatus 10 conveying section 11 conveying belt 13a reversing tube 13b reversing nozzle 20 detecting section 20a detecting section 40 printing section 92 conveying section 92a conveying belt 102 conveying section 102a conveying belt 111 conveying section 111a conveying belt 112 conveying section 112a conveying Belt 116 Conveyor 116a Conveyor Belt H1 Inlet H2 Outlet T Tablet

Claims (3)

a conveying unit that conveys tablets;
a reversing unit connected to the conveying unit, reversing the front and back of the tablet and returning it to the conveying unit;
a printing unit that prints on the tablet conveyed from the conveying unit;
a control unit that controls printing by the printing unit;
with
In the conveying unit, a first conveying path for conveying the tablet toward the reversing unit and a second conveying path for conveying the tablet after being reversed by the reversing unit share the printing unit. configured to pass through,
an imaging unit provided on the first transport path downstream of the printing unit in the tablet transport direction and capturing an image of the tablet printed by the printing unit;
The control unit inspects the quality of printing by the printing unit based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and performs the printing on the second conveying path only for the tablets that have passed the inspection. A tablet printing apparatus characterized by controlling printing by a unit. The reversing section includes a first inclined drum that receives the tablets from the first conveying path, and a second inclined drum that receives the tablets from the first inclined drum and delivers them to the second conveying path. , has
The first tilted drum and the second tilted drum each have a suction hole for sucking the tablet, and the suction force of the suction hole of the second tilted drum is equal to the suction force of the first tilted drum. 2. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction force is greater than the suction force of the suction holes. a step of conveying the tablet on the first conveying path by the conveying unit;
A first printing step of printing on the tablet conveyed on the first conveying path using a printing unit;
an imaging step of imaging the tablet printed on the first transport path;
A reversing step of reversing the tablet printed on the first transport path and then returning it to a second transport path different from the first transport path in the transport unit;
an inspection step of inspecting the quality of printing performed in the first printing step based on the image obtained in the imaging step;
a second printing step of printing, using the printing unit, only on the tablets that have passed the inspection step among the tablets that are conveyed on the second conveying path;
A tablet printing method comprising:

Images