JP2023157976A - Tablet printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a tablet printing device capable of performing printing processing even on the back of a tablet provided with a mark.SOLUTION: A first dividing line camera 51 images one side of a plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by a conveyance drum 10. When tablets 2 are delivered from the conveyance drum 10 to a first conveyance belt 20, all the tablets 2 are turned over while maintaining the directivity. A second dividing line camera 52 images the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyance belt 20. The direction of the dividing line is specified on the basis of the image data on the front and back sides of the plurality of tablets 2 which is acquired by the first dividing line camera 51 and the second dividing line camera 52, a first inkjet head 61 performs printing process for the front surface with respect to the front surface of the tablet 2 along a predetermined direction to the dividing line, and a second inkjet head 62 performs printing process for the back surface with respect to the back surface of the tablet 2 along the same direction as the predetermined direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a tablet printing device that performs printing processing on tablets.

Conventionally, pharmaceutical tablets often have a code printed on them to identify the medicine. Typically, the identification code printed on the tablet is, for example, a company code representing the manufacturer or a product code for distinguishing the product. Such identification codes are mainly used in medical institutions and pharmacies for dispensing drugs. Furthermore, in order to prevent accidental ingestion of tablets (for example, to prevent accidental ingestion of antihypertensive agents and vasopressor agents), tablets may be labeled with labels that are clearly recognizable to patients. Additionally, there is a desire to number tablets for drug traceability purposes.

Such identification codes are sometimes stamped on the surface of tablets, but visibility is problematic, so there is an increasing need to print them directly on tablets. Patent Documents 1 and 2 propose printing techniques for tablets using an inkjet printer.

Patent Document 1 discloses that a plurality of randomly supplied works (tablets) are imaged, information such as the position and orientation of each work is detected, and a printing pattern for each work is created based on the work information. Disclosed. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that a plurality of randomly supplied tablets are imaged by a line sensor camera, and print data is created based on the image data in accordance with the direction of the score lines of the tablets.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-20325 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-121432

In the printing technology for tablets disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, printing is performed only on one side of the tablet (for example, the side on which the score line is formed in Patent Document 2), but printing is performed on both the front and back sides of the tablet. It is also expected that the printer will be able to perform printing processing. When printing on both the front and back sides of a tablet, it is desirable to print in the same direction on the front and back sides from the viewpoint of preventing drug counterfeiting.

Furthermore, tablets (particularly uncoated tablets) are often marked with a score line for cutting them in half. Patent Document 2 discloses that printing is performed in accordance with the direction of the score line, but when printing is performed in different directions on the front and back sides of the tablet, the tablet is divided in half along the score line. Sometimes, a problem arises in that the printed information on the back side is divided and the information value is lost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tablet printing device that can perform printing processing even on the back side of a tablet provided with a mark.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 provides a tablet printing apparatus that performs a printing process on tablets, including: a second conveyance section that conveys the tablet by suctioning and holding one side of the tablet on a first conveyor belt; a third conveying section that receives the tablet from the second conveying section and conveys the tablet by suctioning and holding the other side of the tablet on the second conveying belt; a blow mechanism disposed above the second conveyance section for blowing air into the suction holes of the first conveyance belt; a first printing section that has a first inkjet head that discharges droplets and performs a printing process; and the one side of the tablet that is arranged above the third transport section and that is transported by the third transport section. a second printing unit that performs a printing process by having a second inkjet head that discharges ink droplets toward the tablet; and a second printing unit that performs printing processing, and the tablet that is disposed below the second transport unit and that is transported by the second transport unit. a first heater that heats and dries the tablet, and a second heater that is disposed below the third transport section and heats and dries the tablet that is transported by the third transport section, The tablets are transferred from the conveying section to the third conveying section by blowing air from the blowing mechanism into the suction holes at a position where the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt closely face each other. This is done by releasing the adsorption state of the object.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 provides the tablet printing apparatus according to the invention according to claim 1, wherein a second imaging section is provided upstream of the first printing section in the conveying direction and captures an image of the other surface of the tablet. and a third imaging section that is provided upstream of the second printing section in the conveying direction and captures an image of the one side of the tablet.

Further, the invention of claim 3 is the tablet printing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tablet printing device is provided downstream of the first printing section and the second printing section in the conveying direction, and a first inspection camera that images the one side; and a second inspection camera that is provided downstream of the first printing section and the second printing section in the conveyance direction and that images the other side of the tablet. Be prepared for more.

Further, the invention according to claim 4 is the tablet printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first heater and the second heater blow hot air onto the tablets being conveyed. Dry the tablet.

According to the invention of claims 1 to 4, since the printing process is performed on one side and the other side of the tablet, the printing process can also be performed on the back side of the tablet where the mark is provided.

1 is a diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a tablet printing device according to the present invention. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of a conveyance drum and a first conveyance belt. 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure of processing operations in the tablet printing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure of processing operations in the tablet printing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. It is a top view of a tablet. It is a figure which shows an example of the imaging result by a 1st secant camera. It is a figure which shows an example of the imaging result by a 2nd secant camera. It is a figure which shows an example of the printing processing result by a 1st inkjet head. It is a figure which shows an example of the imaging result by a 3rd secant camera. It is a figure which shows an example of the printing processing result by a 2nd inkjet head.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. This tablet printing device 1 is a device that performs printing processing on both the front and back sides of a tablet. 1 and 2, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane is appropriately attached to FIGS. 1 and 2 to clarify their directional relationship. In addition, in FIG. 1 and the subsequent figures, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for easy understanding.

The tablet printing device 1 includes a hopper 8, a conveyance drum 10, a first conveyance belt 20, a second conveyance belt 30, a third conveyance belt 40, a first score camera 51, a second score camera 52, and a third score line as main elements. It includes a camera 53, a first inkjet head 61, and a second inkjet head 62. The tablet printing device 1 also includes a control section 3 that controls each drive section provided in the device to advance the printing process on the tablet.

The hopper 8 is provided above the ceiling of the housing 5 of the tablet printing device 1. The hopper 8 is a loading section for loading a large number of tablets into the device at once. A plurality of tablets introduced from the hopper 8 are guided to a conveyance drum 10 by a slider 9. Note that other elements except the hopper 8 are provided inside the casing 5 of the tablet printing apparatus 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the conveyance drum 10 and the first conveyance belt 20. The conveyance drum (first conveyance section) 10 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is rotated clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. 1 about a central axis along the Y-axis direction by a rotary drive motor (not shown). Ru. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of suction holes 11 are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the conveyance drum 10. In this embodiment, suction holes 11 are formed in five rows at equal intervals along the central axis of the conveyance drum 10. Further, five rows and one set of suction holes 11 are provided in a plurality of rows at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the transport drum 10.

The shape of the suction hole 11 corresponds to the shape of the tablet to be printed. For example, in this embodiment, since a disc-shaped tablet is processed, the shape of the suction hole 11 is also circular. The size of the suction holes 11 is slightly larger than the size of the tablet. For example, if the diameter of the disk-shaped tablet is about 10 mm, the diameter of the suction hole 11 is about 12 mm.

A small hole smaller than the suction hole 11 is provided at the bottom of the plurality of suction holes 11, and each of the plurality of suction holes 11 is connected to a suction mechanism (not shown) provided inside the conveyance drum 10 through the small hole. (omitted). By operating the suction mechanism, negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure can be applied to each of the plurality of suction holes 11. Thereby, each suction hole 11 of the conveyance drum 10 can suction-hold one tablet.

Further, inside the conveyance drum 10, a blow mechanism is provided near a portion facing the first conveyance belt 20. The blow mechanism blows pressurized air toward the small hole provided at the bottom of the suction hole 11 . By blowing air from the blow mechanism, a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure can be applied to the suction holes 11. Thereby, the suction state of the tablet by the suction hole 11 can be released. In this way, while the suction force is applied to all of the plurality of suction holes 11 provided in the conveyance drum 10 by the suction mechanism, the suction force is applied to all of the suction holes 11 in five columns and one row facing the first conveyance belt 20. can be released from adsorption using a blow mechanism.

The first conveyance belt (second conveyance section) 20 is constructed by connecting a plurality of holding plates 22 together in a belt shape, which is stretched around a pair of pulleys. By rotationally driving the pair of pulleys by a drive motor (not shown), a belt-shaped body made up of a plurality of holding plates 22 rotates in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. The first conveyor belt 20 is installed so that a part of the belt-like body made up of a plurality of holding plates 22 is close to and faces the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor drum 10 .

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of suction holes 21 are formed in each of the plurality of holding plates 22 at equal intervals along the belt width direction (Y-axis direction). In this embodiment, suction holes 21 are formed in five rows in each holding plate 22 along the Y-axis direction. The shape and size of the suction holes 21 of the first conveyance belt 20 are the same as those of the suction holes 11 of the conveyance drum 10 . Furthermore, the intervals between the suction holes 21 arranged in five rows on each holding plate 22 are equal to the intervals between the suction holes 11 arranged in five rows along the central axis of the transport drum 10.

Similar to the suction holes 11 described above, a small hole smaller than the suction hole 21 is provided at the bottom of the plurality of suction holes 21, and each of the plurality of suction holes 21 is connected to the first conveyor belt 20 through the small hole. It communicates with the suction mechanism provided inside the. By operating the suction mechanism, negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure can be applied to each of the plurality of suction holes 21. Thereby, each suction hole 21 of the first conveyor belt 20 can suction-hold one tablet.

Further, inside the first conveyor belt 20, a blow mechanism is provided near a portion facing a second conveyor belt 30, which will be described later. The blow mechanism blows pressurized air toward the small hole provided at the bottom of the suction hole 21 . By blowing air from the blow mechanism, a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure can be applied to the suction holes 21. Thereby, the suction state of the tablet by the suction hole 21 can be released.

Next, the configurations of the second conveyance belt (third conveyance section) 30 and the third conveyance belt (fourth conveyance section) 40 are generally similar to the first conveyance belt 20. That is, both the second conveyor belt 30 and the third conveyor belt 40 are constructed by connecting a plurality of holding plates together in a belt shape, which is stretched around a pair of pulleys. By rotationally driving the pair of pulleys by a drive motor (not shown), the second conveyor belt 30 and the third conveyor belt 40 rotate in the directions indicated by arrows in FIG. 1, respectively. The second conveyor belt 30 is installed so that a part of the belt-like body made up of a plurality of holding plates faces the first conveyor belt 20 in close proximity. Similarly, the third conveyance belt 40 is installed so that a part of the belt-like body made up of a plurality of holding plates faces the second conveyance belt 30 in close proximity.

Each holding plate of the second conveyance belt 30 and the third conveyance belt 40 is also provided with a plurality of suction holes (five rows in this embodiment) at equal intervals along the belt width direction (Y-axis direction). Similarly to the above, a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure can be applied to the suction holes of the second conveyor belt 30 by a suction mechanism provided inside the second conveyor belt 30 . Thereby, each suction hole of the second conveyor belt 30 can suction-hold one tablet. Further, a blow mechanism is provided inside the second conveyor belt 30 near a portion facing the third conveyor belt 40 . By blowing air from the blow mechanism, a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure can be applied to the suction holes of the second conveyor belt 30, thereby releasing the tablet from being suctioned by the suction holes.

Similarly, a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure can be applied to the suction holes of the third conveyor belt 40 by a suction mechanism provided inside the third conveyor belt 40 . Thereby, each suction hole of the third conveyor belt 40 can suction-hold one tablet. Moreover, blow mechanisms are provided at three locations inside the third conveyor belt 40. By blowing air from the blow mechanism, a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure can be applied to the suction holes of the third conveyor belt 40, thereby releasing the suction state of the tablets by the suction holes.

The three blow mechanisms of the third conveyor belt 40 all blow air downward or diagonally downward. Therefore, among the three blow mechanisms, the blow mechanism provided at the portion facing the good product duct 48 blows air to release the tablet from the suction hole and release the tablet into the good product duct 48. be able to. The tablets discharged into the good product duct 48 are collected into a good product collection box 58. Further, by blowing air from a blow mechanism provided at a portion facing the uninspected duct 47, the suction state of the tablet by the suction hole can be released and the tablet can be discharged into the uninspected duct 47. The tablets released into the uninspected duct 47 are collected into the uninspected box 57. Further, by blowing air from a blow mechanism provided at a portion facing the defective product duct 46, the adsorption state of the tablet by the suction hole can be released and the tablet can be discharged into the defective product duct 46. The tablets discharged into the defective product duct 46 are collected into the defective product box 56.

Next, a first secant camera (first imaging unit) 51, a second secant camera (second imaging unit) 52, and a third secant camera (third imaging unit) 53 are all used for imaging a predetermined area. For example, it is a CCD camera. The first secant camera 51 is installed facing the outer circumferential surface of the transport drum 10 so that its imaging area becomes the outer circumferential surface of the conveyance drum 10 . Furthermore, the first secant camera 51 is provided at a position where it can image the downstream side of the slider 9 along the conveyance direction of the conveyance drum 10 . The first score camera 51 images the plurality of tablets being sucked and held by the suction holes 11 of the conveyance drum 10 and conveyed. The size of the imaging area of the first secant camera 51 can be set appropriately, but since the image is taken of the cylindrical circumferential surface of the transport drum 10, it is necessary to focus on a wide range of the cylindrical circumferential surface. It is difficult. Therefore, the imaging area of the first secant camera 51 may be of a size that can at least image the five columns and one row of tablets facing the first secant camera 51.

The second secant camera 52 is installed facing the conveying surface of the first conveying belt 20 so that its imaging area becomes the conveying surface. The second dividing line camera 52 is provided at a position downstream of the position facing the transport drum 10 along the transport direction of the first transport belt 20 and at a position upstream of the first inkjet head 61. It is being The second secant camera 52 images the plurality of tablets being sucked and held by the first conveyor belt 20 and conveyed. The size of the imaging area of the second secant camera 52 can be set appropriately, as long as it can image at least 5 columns and 1 row of tablets facing the second secant camera 52. . Note that, unlike the transport drum 10, the transport surface of the first transport belt 20 is substantially flat, so even if the imaging area of the second secant camera 52 is wide, it is relatively easy to focus on the entire area.

The third secant camera 53 is installed facing the conveying surface of the second conveying belt 30 so that its imaging area becomes the conveying surface. The third dividing line camera 53 is positioned downstream of the position facing the first conveyance belt 20 along the conveyance direction of the second conveyance belt 30 and at a position where it can image an area upstream of the second inkjet head 62. It is set in. The third secant camera 53 images the plurality of tablets being sucked and held by the second conveyor belt 30 and conveyed. The size of the imaging area of the third secant camera 53 can be set appropriately, as long as it can image at least the five columns and one row of tablets facing the third secant camera 53. . As with the second secant camera 52, since the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt 30 is substantially flat, even if the imaging area of the third secant camera 53 is wide, it is relatively easy to focus on the entire area. .

The first inkjet head 61 and the second inkjet head 62 include a plurality of ejection nozzles, and eject ink droplets from these ejection nozzles using an inkjet method. The inkjet method may be a piezo method that applies voltage to a piezoelectric element to deform it and eject ink droplets, or a piezo method that ejects ink droplets by applying electricity to a heater and heating the ink. It may also be a thermal method that discharges. In this embodiment, in order to print on pharmaceutical tablets, the ink ejected from the first inkjet head 61 and the second inkjet head 62 is an edible ink manufactured from raw materials approved by the Food Sanitation Act. use. Further, the first inkjet head 61 and the second inkjet head 62 can eject ink of four colors, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), and these can be mixed. Color printing is possible.

The first inkjet head 61 is provided downstream of the second secant camera 52 along the transport direction of the first transport belt 20 . The first inkjet head 61 performs a printing process on a plurality of tablets that are sucked and held by the first conveyor belt 20 and conveyed. Further, the second inkjet head 62 is provided downstream of the third secant camera 53 along the conveyance direction of the second conveyance belt 30 . The second inkjet head 62 performs a printing process on the plurality of tablets that are sucked and held by the second conveyor belt 30 and conveyed. Note that the first inkjet head 61 and the second inkjet head 62 are preferably full-line heads that cover the entire widthwise area of the first conveyance belt 20 and the second conveyance belt 30, respectively.

The tablet printing device 1 also includes a first inspection camera 71 and a second inspection camera 72. As the first inspection camera 71 and the second inspection camera 72, for example, a CCD camera can be used like the above-mentioned secant camera. The first inspection camera 71 is installed facing the conveying surface of the second conveying belt 30 so that its imaging area becomes the conveying surface. The first inspection camera 71 is provided at a position where it can image the downstream side of the second inkjet head 62 along the conveyance direction of the second conveyance belt 30 . The first inspection camera 71 images the plurality of tablets being sucked and held by the second conveyor belt 30 and conveyed. As shown in FIG. 1, the first inspection camera 71 is provided below the second conveyor belt 30, but since the second conveyor belt 30 suctions and holds the tablets and conveys them, the tablets do not touch the bottom side. Even when the tablet is facing upward (the suction hole is open downward), the tablet is transported without falling.

The second inspection camera 72 is installed facing the conveying surface of the third conveying belt 40 so that its imaging area becomes the conveying surface. The second inspection camera 72 images the plurality of tablets being sucked and held by the third conveyor belt 40 and conveyed.

The tablet printing device 1 also includes a first heater 76 and a second heater 77. As the first heater 76 and the second heater 77, for example, a hot air drying type heater that blows hot air to heat and dry the tablet can be used. The first heater 76 is provided downstream of the first inkjet head 61 along the transport direction of the first transport belt 20 . The first heater 76 blows hot air onto the tablets printed by the first inkjet head 61 to dry them.

The second heater 77 is provided downstream of the second inkjet head 62 along the transport direction of the second transport belt 30 . The second heater 77 blows hot air onto the tablets printed by the second inkjet head 62 to dry them. Note that the first heater 76 and the second heater 77 are provided below the first conveyor belt 20 and the second conveyor belt 30, respectively. Because the tablets are transported while being held by suction, even if the tablets are facing downward, the tablets are transported without falling.

Furthermore, the tablet printing device 1 includes four cleaning mechanisms 81, 82, 83, and 84. Powder produced from tablets may adhere to the conveyance drum 10, the first conveyance belt 20, the second conveyance belt 30, and the third conveyance belt 40. The cleaning mechanisms 81, 82, 83, and 84 clean powder adhering to the conveyance drum 10, the first conveyance belt 20, the second conveyance belt 30, and the third conveyance belt 40, respectively. As the cleaning mechanisms 81, 82, 83, and 84, for example, one that blows air to suck and recover the surrounding atmosphere can be adopted.

The control unit 3 controls the various operating mechanisms described above provided in the tablet printing device 1. The hardware configuration of the control unit 3 is similar to that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 3 stores a CPU that performs various calculation processes, a ROM that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and control software and data. It is configured with a magnetic disk. As the CPU of the control unit 3 executes a predetermined processing program, the processing for tablets in the tablet printing apparatus 1 progresses. The control unit 3 also has a function as a print control unit that controls the first inkjet head 61 and the second inkjet head 62 based on the image data acquired by the first secant camera 51, the second secant camera 52, etc. are doing.

Next, processing operations in the tablet printing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be explained. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the procedure of processing operations in the tablet printing apparatus 1. First, a plurality of tablets are put into the hopper 8 of the tablet printing device 1 at once (step S1). The batch loading of tablets may be carried out manually by an operator using a bucket or the like, or may be carried out automatically by a transport mechanism separate from the tablet printing apparatus 1. However, all the tablets that are injected at once are of the same type.

In this embodiment, a plurality of disc-shaped tablets 2 are placed into the hopper 8. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the tablet 2. A score line 7 for dividing the tablet 2 in half is carved on one side of the tablet 2. The score line 7 is a groove cut along the radial direction of the disc-shaped tablet 2. The score line 7 is carved on only one side of the tablet 2.

In this embodiment, the surface on the side where the score line 7 is provided is the surface of the tablet 2. No score line 7 is engraved on the back side of the tablet 2. Note that there is no difference in drug properties between the front and back sides of the tablet 2, and the side on which the score line 7 is provided is simply designated as the front side for convenience of differentiation.

A plurality of tablets 2 placed in a hopper 8 are guided to a conveyance drum 10 by a slider 9, and each of the plurality of tablets 2 is sucked and held in a suction hole 11 of the conveyance drum 10 one by one. Five rows of suction holes 11 are formed in the conveyance drum 10 in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (circumferential direction of the conveyance drum 10 ), that is, along the central axis direction of the conveyance drum 10 . Therefore, the transport drum 10 transports a plurality of tablets 2 in five rows in which five tablets are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. In this specification, a unit in which five tablets are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport drum 10 is referred to as a "row". That is, the conveyance drum 10 individually adsorbs and holds the tablets 2 in each suction hole 11, and conveys the plurality of tablets 2 in a state in which they are arranged in five columns and a plurality of rows (step S2). In addition, so that the conveyance drum 10 can smoothly adsorb and hold five tablets 2 inputted from the hopper 8, the hopper 8 is provided with an alignment mechanism that aligns and feeds the plurality of tablets 2 five at a time. It's okay. As such an alignment mechanism, for example, a ball folder type mechanism can be adopted.

Next, the first secant camera 51 images the plurality of tablets 2 being transported by the transport drum 10 (step S3). The plurality of tablets 2 are held in the suction holes 11 of the conveyance drum 10 and conveyed clockwise along the circumferential direction of the conveyance drum 10 on the paper surface of FIG. Although the plurality of tablets 2 are arranged in five rows and transported, it is completely random whether the surface of each tablet 2 faces inside the transport drum 10 (toward the center of the transport drum 10) or faces outside. . Furthermore, since the circular suction holes 11 hold the circular tablets 2, the orientation of the tablets 2 is arbitrary, and the orientation of the dividing line 7 of each tablet 2 conveyed by the conveyance drum 10 is also completely random. The first scoring camera 51 images the tablet 2 from outside the conveyance drum 10. Therefore, the plurality of tablets 2 imaged by the first secant camera 51 randomly include tablets with the front side facing the first secant camera 51 and tablets with the back side facing the first secant camera 51.

In other words, the first score line camera 51 images one side of the plurality of tablets 2 being conveyed by the conveyance drum 10 . Here, "one side" refers to the side facing the outside of the tablet 2 being conveyed by the conveyance drum 10, regardless of whether it is the front side or the back side of the tablet 2.

Further, the first score line camera 51 captures an image for each row in which five tablets are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport drum 10. The reason for this is that since the outer circumferential surface of the transport drum 10 is cylindrical, it is difficult to focus the first secant camera 51 over a plurality of lines.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an imaging result by the first secant camera 51. The first score camera 51 images one side of the plurality of tablets 2 being conveyed by the conveyance drum 10 . When each tablet 2 is sucked and held on the conveyance drum 10, it is random whether the surface faces outward or inward. The front surface on which is formed and the back surface, which is the opposite surface, are randomly included. In the example of FIG. 6, of the tablets 2 arranged in five rows, the front surfaces of the leftmost and center tablets 2 are imaged, and the back surfaces of the other tablets 2 are imaged by the first secant camera 51. Image data as shown in FIG. 6, which is the result of imaging by the first secant camera 51, is transmitted to the control unit 3.

Next, the tablets 2 in 5 columns and 1 row, which are imaged by the first secant camera 51, are further transported by the transport drum 10 and reach a position close to and opposite to the first transport belt 20. At this time, the blow mechanism of the conveyance drum 10 releases the suction state for the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row by blowing air to the 5 suction holes 11 in which the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row are held by suction. do. On the other hand, negative pressure is acting on the suction holes 21 of the holding plate 22 of the first conveyance belt 20 at a position close to and opposite to the conveyance drum 10 . Therefore, the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row whose suction state by the conveyance drum 10 has been released are transferred from the suction holes 11 of the conveyance drum 10 to the suction holes 21 of the first conveyance belt 20 and held by suction. . In order to ensure such delivery of the tablets 2, the control unit 3 makes the conveying speed of the conveying drum 10 equal to the conveying speed of the first conveying belt 20, and also makes sure that the suction holes 11 and 21 are accurately aligned. Control is performed to synchronize the operations of both transport units so that they face each other.

When the tablet 2 is transferred from the transport drum 10 to the first transport belt 20, the tablet 2 moves as it is without rotating or the like. That is, each tablet 2 is transferred from the conveyor drum 10 to the first conveyor belt 20 while maintaining the direction of the score line 7.

Further, when the tablets 2 are transferred from the conveyor drum 10 to the first conveyor belt 20, each tablet 2 is turned over. That is, the tablets 2, which had been suction-held in the conveyance drum 10 with the surface on which the score line 7 was formed facing outward, are suction-held in the suction holes 21 of the first conveyance belt 20 with the back surface facing outward. On the contrary, the tablets 2, which had been suction-held on the conveyance drum 10 with their back surfaces facing outward, are suction-held on the first conveyance belt 20 with their front surfaces facing outward. Therefore, each tablet 2 that has been transported by the transport drum 10 is turned over while maintaining its orientation, and is transferred to the first transport belt 20 and transported (step S4).

Subsequently, the second secant camera 52 images the plurality of tablets 2 being conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 (step S5). The first conveyor belt 20 conveys a plurality of tablets 2 which have been received from the conveyor drum 10 with their front and back turned upside down, and are arranged in five rows in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The second score camera 52 images the tablet 2 from outside the first conveyor belt 20 . Therefore, among the plurality of tablets 2 imaged by the second secant camera 52, tablets 2 whose front side is facing the second secant camera 52 and tablets whose back side is facing the second secant camera 52 are randomly included. However, since the front and back sides of each tablet 2 are reversed when being delivered from the transport drum 10 to the first transport belt 20, the front and back sides of each tablet 2 imaged by the first secant camera 51 and the corresponding image taken by the second secant camera 52 are different. The front and back sides of Tablet 2 are completely reversed.

In other words, the second secant camera 52 images the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20. Here, "the other side" means the side opposite to the above-mentioned one side, and regardless of whether it is the front side or the back side of the tablet 2, it is conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20. This is the outward facing surface of the tablet 2.

Since the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 20 is substantially flat, the second secant camera 52 can image the tablets 2 over multiple lines, but in this embodiment, the image capturing range matches the imaging range of the first secant camera 51. In this way, the second secant camera 52 also captures images for each row of five tablets arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the first conveyor belt 20.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an imaging result by the second secant camera 52. The second secant camera 52 images the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 . The other surface is the surface opposite to the one surface of the plurality of tablets 2 imaged by the first secant camera 51. Therefore, for the tablet 2 whose front surface was imaged by the first secant camera 51, the back surface is imaged by the second secant camera 52. Conversely, for the tablet 2 whose back surface was imaged by the first secant camera 51, the front surface is imaged by the second secant camera 52.

In the example of FIG. 7, contrary to FIG. 6, of the tablets 2 arranged in five rows, the leftmost and center tablets 2 are imaged of their back surfaces, and the other tablets 2 are images of the surfaces on which the score lines 7 are formed. is imaged by the second secant camera 52. Image data as shown in FIG. 7, which is the result of imaging by the second secant camera 52, is transmitted to the control unit 3. In addition, in FIG. 7, the dotted line indicates the score line 7 on one side of the tablet 2 that is imaged and recognized by the first score line camera 51, and the score line 7 that is imaged directly by the second score line camera 52. isn't it.

Next, the tablet 2 imaged by the second secant camera 52 is further conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 and reaches a position facing the first inkjet head 61 . Then, the first inkjet head 61 performs printing processing on the tablet 2 (step S6). Here, the control unit 3 controls the printing process by the first inkjet head 61 based on the image data acquired by the first secant camera 51 and the second secant camera 52. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a print processing result by the first inkjet head 61.

As described above, the first score camera 51 images one side of the plurality of tablets 2 being conveyed by the conveyance drum 10. When the tablets 2 are transferred from the transport drum 10 to the first transport belt 20, all the tablets 2 are turned over. Then, the second secant camera 52 images the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20. Therefore, for all the tablets 2, both the front and back sides are imaged by the first secant camera 51 and the second secant camera 52 to obtain image data. Specifically, for the tablet 2 whose front surface was imaged by the first secant camera 51, the back surface is imaged by the second secant camera 52 (in the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, the tablets 2 at the left end and the center). Conversely, for tablets 2 whose back surfaces were imaged by the first secant camera 51, the front surfaces are imaged by the second secant camera 52 (in the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, the second, fourth, and fifth tablets 2 from the left ).

The first inkjet head 61 performs a printing process on the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 . The control unit 3 selects tablets 2 whose other side is the front surface among the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 (the second, fourth, and fifth tablets 2 from the left in the examples of FIGS. 7 and 8). , the first inkjet head 61 is caused to perform front side printing processing based on the front side print data. Here, the print data for the front side is, for example, character data of "ABCD".

Further, the control unit 3 causes the first inkjet head 61 to perform surface printing processing on the surface of the tablet 2 along a predetermined direction with respect to the dividing line 7 carved on the surface of the tablet 2. In this embodiment, the first inkjet head 61 performs printing along a direction parallel to the dividing line 7 on the surface of the tablet 2. The direction of the score line 7 in the tablet 2 whose other side is the front surface among the plurality of tablets 2 carried by the first conveyor belt 20 is controlled by performing image processing on the image data acquired by the second score line camera 52. 3 can be recognized (in the direction of the dividing line 7 shown by the solid line in FIG. 8). As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, among the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20, the tablets 2 whose other side is the front side are transported along the direction parallel to the score line 7 carved on the surface. Then, the character string "ABCD" is printed on the surface of the tablet 2 by the first inkjet head 61.

On the other hand, for tablets 2 whose other side is the back side (tablets 2 at the left end and center in the examples of FIGS. 7 and 8) among the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20, The first inkjet head 61 is caused to perform back side printing processing based on the print data for the second side. Here, the print data for the back side is, for example, character data of "1234".

Further, the control unit 3 causes the first inkjet head 61 to perform back printing processing on the back side of the tablet 2 along the same direction as the predetermined direction with respect to the score line 7 carved on the surface of the tablet 2. . In this embodiment, the printing process is performed on the front side of the tablet 2 along the direction parallel to the score line 7, and the printing process is performed on the back side of the tablet 2 along the direction parallel to the score line 7 on the front side. The first inkjet head 61 performs printing processing. Regarding the direction of the score line 7 on the front side of the tablet 2 whose other side is the back surface among the plurality of tablets 2 transported by the first conveyor belt 20, image processing is performed on the image data acquired by the first score line camera 51. This allows the control unit 3 to recognize this (the direction of the dividing line 7 indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 8). As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, among the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20, the tablets 2 whose other side is the back side are transported along the direction parallel to the score line 7 carved on the surface. Thus, the character string "1234" is printed on the back side of the tablet 2 by the first inkjet head 61.

Further, the control unit 3 finely adjusts (corrects) the printing position of each tablet 2 by the first inkjet head 61 based on the image data acquired by the second secant camera 52 . Since the size of the suction holes 21 of the first conveyor belt 20 is slightly larger than the size of the tablets 2, the directionality of each tablet 2 is maintained when the tablets 2 are transferred from the conveyor drum 10 to the first conveyor belt 20. However, some positional variations occur within the range of the suction holes 21. The control unit 3 detects the positional deviation of each tablet 2 within the suction hole 21 from the image data acquired by the second secant camera 52, and finely adjusts the printing position based on the detection result. In this way, the printing process on the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 is executed.

Next, the tablet 2 whose other side has been printed is further conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 and reaches a position facing the first heater 76 . As shown in FIG. 1, the first heater 76 is installed below the first conveyor belt 20, and when the tablet 2 reaches a position facing the first heater 76, the tablet 2 is placed below the first conveyor belt 20. It is held downward by this. Since the first conveyor belt 20 suction-holds the tablet 2 by applying negative pressure to the suction hole 21, it is also possible to hold the tablet 2 facing downward.

The first heater 76 blows hot air onto the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 to dry the plurality of tablets 2 (step S7). By performing such a drying process, the ink ejected from the first inkjet head 61 onto the plurality of tablets 2 can be quickly dried and bleeding can be prevented.

Next, the tablets 2 in 5 columns and 1 row, which have been dried by the first heater 76, are further conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 and reach a position close to and opposite to the second conveyor belt 30. At this time, the blowing mechanism of the first conveyor belt 20 blows air to the five suction holes 21 in which the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row are suctioned and held, thereby changing the suction state for the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row. Release. On the other hand, negative pressure is acting on the suction holes of the second conveyor belt 30 at positions close to and opposite to the first conveyor belt 20 . Therefore, the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row whose suction state by the first conveyor belt 20 has been released are transferred from the suction holes 21 of the first conveyor belt 20 to the suction holes of the second conveyor belt 30 and are held by suction. That will happen. In order to ensure such delivery of the tablets 2, the control unit 3 makes sure that the conveying speed of the first conveying belt 20 and the conveying speed of the second conveying belt 30 are equal, and that the suction holes of both conveying belts are accurately aligned. Control is performed to synchronize the operations of both conveyor belts so that they face each other.

When the tablet 2 is transferred from the first conveyor belt 20 to the second conveyor belt 30, the tablet 2 moves as it is without rotating or the like. That is, each tablet 2 is transferred from the first conveyor belt 20 to the second conveyor belt 30 while maintaining the direction of the score line 7.

Further, when the tablets 2 are transferred from the first conveyor belt 20 to the second conveyor belt 30, each tablet 2 is turned over. That is, the tablet 2, which had been suction-held on the first conveyor belt 20 with the surface on which the score line 7 was formed facing outward, is suction-held on the second conveyor belt 30 with the back surface facing outward. On the contrary, the tablet 2 which was suction-held on the first conveyor belt 20 with its back side facing outward is suction-held on the second conveyor belt 30 with its front side facing outside. Therefore, each tablet 2 that was being conveyed by the first conveyor belt 20 is turned over while maintaining its orientation, and is transferred to and conveyed to the second conveyor belt 30 (step S8).

Subsequently, the third secant camera 53 images the plurality of tablets 2 being conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30 (step S9). The second conveyor belt 30 conveys the plurality of tablets 2 received from the first conveyor belt 20 with their front and back turned upside down, arranged in five rows in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The third secant camera 53 images the tablet 2 from outside the second conveyor belt 30. Therefore, the front and back sides of each tablet 2 imaged by the third secant camera 53 are completely opposite to the front and back sides of the corresponding tablet 2 imaged by the second secant camera 52, while the front and back sides of each tablet 2 imaged by the first secant camera 51 are completely opposite. The front and back sides of tablet 2 match perfectly. That is, the third secant camera 53, like the first secant camera 51, images one side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30.

Since the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt 30 is substantially flat, the third secant camera 53 can image the tablets 2 over multiple lines, but in this embodiment, the image capturing range matches the imaging range of the first secant camera 51. In this manner, the third secant camera 53 also captures images for each row of five tablets arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the second conveyor belt 30.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an imaging result by the third secant camera 53. The third score camera 53, like the first score camera 51, images one side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30. Therefore, the imaging result by the third secant camera 53 is approximately the same as the imaging result by the first secant camera 51. In particular, regarding the orientation of each of the plurality of tablets 2, the imaging result by the third secant camera 53 and the imaging result by the first secant camera 51 completely match.

In the example of FIG. 9, as in FIG. 6, of the tablets 2 arranged in five rows, the leftmost and center tablets 2 are imaged of the surfaces on which the score lines 7 are formed, and the back surfaces of the other tablets 2 are imaged. The image is captured by the third secant camera 53. Image data as shown in FIG. 9, which is the result of imaging by the third secant camera 53, is transmitted to the control section 3. In addition, in FIG. 9, the dotted line indicates the score 7 on the other side of the tablet 2 that is imaged and recognized by the second score line camera 52, and the score line 7 that is imaged directly by the third score line camera 53. isn't it.

However, the control unit 3 does not recognize the direction of the score line 7 carved on the surface of the tablet 2 from the image data acquired by the third score line camera 53. This is because for the tablet 2 whose one side is the front side, the direction of the score line 7 has already been recognized from the image data acquired by the first score line camera 51, and there is no need to repeat the process. Rather, if the control unit 3 recognizes the direction of the secant line 7 from the image data acquired by the third secant camera 53, there is a possibility that the second inkjet head 62, which will be described later, prints in a 180° reverse direction. There is.

The imaging by the third secant camera 53 is performed to detect variations in the positions of the plurality of tablets 2 held by the second conveyor belt 30 . The control unit 3 detects a positional shift of each tablet 2 within the suction hole of the second conveyor belt 30 from the image data acquired by the third secant camera 53.

Next, the tablet 2 imaged by the third secant camera 53 is further transported by the second transport belt 30 and reaches a position facing the second inkjet head 62 . Then, the second inkjet head 62 performs printing processing on the tablet 2 (step S10). Here, the control unit 3 controls the printing process by the second inkjet head 62 based on the image data acquired by the first secant camera 51 and the second secant camera 52. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a print processing result by the second inkjet head 62.

The second inkjet head 62 performs a printing process on one side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyance belt 30. The control unit 3 performs surface printing for tablets 2 whose one side is the front surface (tablets 2 at the left end and center in the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10) among the plurality of tablets 2 transported by the second transport belt 30. The second inkjet head 62 is caused to perform surface printing processing based on the data. Here, the print data for the front side is "ABCD" character data similar to the above.

Further, the control unit 3 causes the second inkjet head 62 to perform surface printing processing on the surface of the tablet 2 along the predetermined direction with respect to the dividing line 7 carved on the surface of the tablet 2. In this embodiment, the second inkjet head 62 performs the printing process along a direction parallel to the dividing line 7 on the surface of the tablet 2. The direction of the score line 7 in the tablet 2 whose one side is the front surface among the plurality of tablets 2 carried by the second conveyor belt 30 is controlled by performing image processing on the image data acquired by the first score line camera 51. 3 can be recognized (in the direction of the dividing line 7 shown as a solid line in FIG. 10). As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, among the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30, the tablets 2 whose one side is the front side are transported along the direction parallel to the score line 7 carved on the surface. Then, the character string "ABCD" is printed on the surface of the tablet 2 by the second inkjet head 62.

On the other hand, the control unit 3 controls the tablets 2 whose one side is the back side (the second, fourth, and fifth tablets from the left in the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10) among the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30 Regarding 2), the second inkjet head 62 is caused to perform the back side printing process based on the back side print data. Here, the print data for the back side is character data of "1234" similar to the above.

Further, the control unit 3 causes the second inkjet head 62 to perform back printing processing on the back side of the tablet 2 along the same direction as the predetermined direction with respect to the score line 7 carved on the surface of the tablet 2. . In this embodiment, the printing process is performed on the front side of the tablet 2 along the direction parallel to the score line 7, and the printing process is performed on the back side of the tablet 2 along the direction parallel to the score line 7 on the front side. The second inkjet head 62 performs printing processing. Regarding the direction of the score line 7 on the front side of the tablet 2 whose one side is the back surface among the plurality of tablets 2 transported by the second conveyor belt 30, image processing is performed on the image data acquired by the second score line camera 52. This allows the control unit 3 to recognize this (the direction of the dividing line 7 indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 10). As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, among the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30, the tablets 2 whose one side is the back side are transported along the direction parallel to the score line 7 carved on the surface. Then, the character string "1234" is printed on the back side of the tablet 2 by the second inkjet head 62.

Further, the control unit 3 finely adjusts (corrects) the printing position of each tablet 2 by the second inkjet head 62 based on the image data acquired by the third secant camera 53. As described above, when the tablets 2 are transferred from the first conveyor belt 20 to the second conveyor belt 30, although the directionality of each tablet 2 is maintained, there may be slight positional variations within the range of the suction holes. occurs. The control unit 3 detects the positional deviation of each tablet 2 in the suction holes of the second conveyor belt 30 from the image data acquired by the third secant camera 53, and finely adjusts the printing position based on the detection result. Execute it. In this way, the printing process for one side of the plurality of tablets 2 is executed.

Next, the tablet 2 that has undergone the printing process on one side is further conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30 and reaches a position facing the first inspection camera 71 . The first inspection camera 71 images one side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyance belt 30, and images the result of the printing process on one side of the plurality of tablets 2 by the second inkjet head 62. The first inspection camera 71 transmits the acquired image data to the control unit 3. The control unit 3 checks the print processing result of the second inkjet head 62 on one side of the plurality of tablets 2 based on the image data acquired by the first inspection camera 71 (step S11).

Subsequently, the tablet 2 whose one side of the printing process result has been inspected is further conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30 and reaches a position facing the second heater 77 . The second heater 77 blows hot air onto one side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the second conveyance belt 30 to dry the plurality of tablets 2 (step S12). By performing such a drying process, the ink ejected from the second inkjet head 62 onto the plurality of tablets 2 can be quickly dried and bleeding can be prevented.

Next, the tablets 2 in 5 columns and 1 row, which have been dried by the second heater 77, are further conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30 and reach a position close to and opposite to the third conveyor belt 40. At this time, the blowing mechanism of the second conveyor belt 30 blows air to the five suction holes in which the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row are suctioned and held, thereby checking the suction state of the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row. unlock. On the other hand, negative pressure is acting on the suction holes of the third conveyor belt 40 at a position close to and opposite to the second conveyor belt 30. Therefore, the tablets 2 in the 5th column and 1st row whose suction state by the second conveyor belt 30 has been released are transferred from the suction holes of the second conveyor belt 30 to the suction holes of the third conveyor belt 40 and held by suction. becomes. In order to ensure such delivery of the tablets 2, the control unit 3 makes the conveying speed of the second conveying belt 30 equal to the conveying speed of the third conveying belt 40, and makes sure that the suction holes of both conveying belts are accurately aligned. Control is performed to synchronize the operations of both conveyor belts so that they face each other.

When the tablet 2 is transferred from the second conveyor belt 30 to the third conveyor belt 40, the tablet 2 moves as it is without rotating or the like. That is, each tablet 2 is transferred from the second conveyor belt 30 to the third conveyor belt 40 while maintaining the direction of the score line 7.

Furthermore, when the tablets 2 are transferred from the second conveyor belt 30 to the third conveyor belt 40, each tablet 2 is turned over. That is, the tablet 2, which had been suction-held on the second conveyor belt 30 with the surface on which the score line 7 was formed facing outward, is suction-held on the third conveyor belt 40 with the back surface facing outward. On the other hand, the tablet 2 that was suction-held on the second conveyor belt 30 with its back side facing outward is suction-held on the third conveyor belt 40 with its front side facing outside. Therefore, each tablet 2 that was being conveyed by the second conveyor belt 30 is turned over while maintaining its orientation, and is transferred to and conveyed to the third conveyor belt 40 (step S13).

Subsequently, the second inspection camera 72 images the plurality of tablets 2 being conveyed by the third conveyor belt 40 . Like the first conveyor belt 20, the third conveyor belt 40 holds the plurality of tablets 2 by suction with the other side of the tablets 2 facing outward. Therefore, the second inspection camera 72 images the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 conveyed by the third conveyor belt 40, and images the result of the printing process on the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 by the first inkjet head 61. . The second inspection camera 72 transmits the acquired image data to the control unit 3. The control unit 3 checks the print processing result of the first inkjet head 61 on the other side of the plurality of tablets 2 based on the image data acquired by the second inspection camera 72 (step S14).

Finally, the tablets 2 whose front and back surfaces have been inspected are sorted (step S15). Tablets 2 with no problems in the inspection results of both the front and back sides in step S11 and step S14, that is, good tablets 2, are thrown into the good product duct 48 by air blowing from the blow mechanism. The tablets 2 discharged into the non-defective product duct 48 are collected into the non-defective product collection box 58. On the other hand, tablets 2 that have a problem in the test results on either the front or back surface, that is, defective tablets 2, are thrown into the defective product duct 46 by air blowing from the blow mechanism. The tablets 2 discharged into the defective product duct 46 are collected into the defective product box 56. In this manner, the printing process on the tablet 2 in the tablet printing device 1 is completed.

In this embodiment, based on the image data of both the front and back sides of the plurality of tablets 2 acquired by the first score line camera 51 and the second score line camera 52, a predetermined direction with respect to the front score line 7 on the front surface of the tablet 2 is determined. The printing process for the front side is performed along the same direction as the predetermined direction of the back side, and the printing process for the back side is performed on the back side of the tablet 2 along the same direction as the above-mentioned predetermined direction of the back side. Therefore, printing can be performed on both the front and back sides of the tablet 2 in the same direction with respect to the score line 7.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the printing process is performed on the front and back sides of the tablet 2 along a direction parallel to the dividing line 7, but this is not limiting. If so, it is possible to perform printing processing in any direction with respect to the dividing line 7.

Furthermore, the reference for the printing process direction is not limited to the dividing line 7, but may be any mark for identifying the direction, such as an arrow carved on the surface of the tablet 2. It's okay. As long as the direction of the mark can be identified, printing processing similar to that of the above embodiment can be performed along a predetermined direction for the mark.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the score line 7 is carved on the surface of the tablet 2, but as mentioned above, the surface on which the score line 7 is provided is simply defined as the surface for convenience, and the score line 7 is The surface on which it is provided may be the back surface.

Further, the shape of the tablet 2 is not limited to a disk shape, and may be other shapes such as a substantially elliptical shape or a rod shape. In this case, the suction holes of each conveyance section correspond to the shape of the tablet 2.

Further, in the above embodiment, the tablets 2 are transported in units of 5 columns and 1 row, but the invention is not limited to this, and the tablets 2 may be transported in 1 row, The tablets 2 may be conveyed in two or more rows.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the tablets 2 are sorted into good or defective products based on the inspection results by the first score camera 51 and the second score camera 52, but the tablet printing device 1 does not perform the inspection. It is also possible to select a mode in which only print processing is performed without any printing. When such a mode is selected, all the tablets 2 that have been subjected to the printing process are thrown into the uninspected duct 47 from the third conveyor belt 40. The tablets 2 put into the uninspected duct 47 are collected into the uninspected box 57. Furthermore, the tablet printing apparatus 1 may be set to a mode in which only the testing process is performed for untested tablets 2.

The tablet printing device according to the present invention can be suitably used to print on both the front and back sides of pharmaceutical tablets, etc., on which score lines are engraved.

1 Tablet printing device 2 Tablet 3 Control unit 7 Score line 8 Hopper 10 Conveyance drum 20 First conveyor belt 30 Second conveyor belt 40 Third conveyor belt 51 First score line camera 52 Second score line camera 53 Third score line camera 61 First inkjet Head 62 Second inkjet head 71 First inspection camera 72 Second inspection camera 76 First heater 77 Second heater

Claims (4)

A tablet printing device that performs printing processing on tablets,
a second conveyance unit that conveys one side of the tablet by suctioning and holding it on the first conveyance belt;
a third conveyance section that receives the tablet from the second conveyance section, and conveys the tablet by adsorbing and holding the other side of the tablet, which is the opposite side to the one side, on a second conveyance belt;
a blow mechanism provided in the first conveyor belt and blowing air into suction holes of the first conveyor belt;
A first inkjet head that is disposed above the second transport unit and that performs a printing process and has a first inkjet head that discharges ink droplets toward the other surface of the tablet that is transported by the second transport unit. printing department and
A second inkjet head that is disposed above the third transport unit and that performs a printing process and has a second inkjet head that discharges ink droplets toward the one side of the tablet that is transported by the third transport unit. printing department and
a first heater that is disposed below the second conveyance section and heats and dries the tablets conveyed by the second conveyance section;
a second heater that is disposed below the third conveyance section and heats and dries the tablets conveyed by the third conveyance section;
Equipped with
The tablets are transferred from the second conveyance section to the third conveyance section by blowing air into the suction holes from the blow mechanism at a position where the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt closely face each other. A tablet printing device that prints tablets by releasing the adsorption state on the tablets. The tablet printing device according to claim 1,
a second imaging unit that is provided upstream of the first printing unit in the conveying direction and captures an image of the other surface of the tablet;
a third imaging unit that is provided upstream of the second printing unit in the conveying direction and that images the one side of the tablet;
A tablet printing device further comprising: The tablet printing device according to claim 1 or 2,
a first inspection camera that is provided on the downstream side of the first printing unit and the second printing unit in the conveying direction and captures an image of the one side of the tablet;
a second inspection camera that is provided downstream of the first printing unit and the second printing unit in the conveyance direction and captures an image of the other surface of the tablet;
A tablet printing device further comprising: The tablet printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first heater and the second heater are tablet printing devices that dry the tablets by blowing hot air onto the tablets being transported.

Images