JP3093985B2 - Method and apparatus for preventing curling of PTP sheet - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for preventing curling of a PTP sheet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for heat-sealing a cover film and a container film, and then locally heating the PTP sheet from the container film side to cause curling of the PTP sheet. The present invention relates to a curl prevention method and apparatus for preventing the occurrence of curl or reducing the generated curl (increase the radius of curvature of the curl).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art PTP produced by a PTP packaging process
Due to the difference in heat shrinkage between the container film and the cover film after the container film and the cover film are adhered to each other, a curl occurs in which both ends of the package sheet curl toward the side opposite to the container film, that is, toward the cover film. The occurrence of such curling hinders a pack packaging process when a plurality of packaging sheets are stacked and packaged as one pack.

For this reason, it is necessary to remove the curl generated on the wrapping sheet prior to pack packaging.
Conventionally, for example, JP-A-47-19968, JP-A-52-73154, and JP-A-55-158808.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 52-36856 or Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 52-36856, devices for removing or correcting curling of a PTP sheet have been proposed. There is a problem that the curls must be removed one by one and a large-scale curl removing device must be provided.

To solve such a problem, the present applicant has proposed a "curl correcting device for PTP sheets" disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-110632. The device described in this publication has a curved surface having a small radius of curvature formed between a pair of planes 42 forming an acute angle on the opposite pocket side, that is, the cover film side, of a continuous packaging film after sealing and before punching. By pressing the engaging surface of the molding die 40 on which the engaging surface 41 is formed, by folding the packaging film in a direction opposite to the curl direction, the packaging film is bent at the position of the slit between adjacent pockets, This is to substantially reduce the curl generated in the packaging sheet after punching. The correction method performed by this apparatus requires a special molding step using a molding die for imparting a reverse curl, and is not always sufficient in terms of simplification of the PTP packaging apparatus.

[0005] An engagement surface 4 formed on the molding die is provided.
1 extends in a direction perpendicular to the film feeding direction, the curl that can be removed or reduced is as shown in FIG.
5A is a curl generated along the PTP sheet and the width direction as shown in FIG.
The curl generated along the longitudinal direction of the P sheet cannot be removed.

[0006]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is that the container film is heat-sealed with the cover film and then locally heated in a straight line extending in the longitudinal direction, whereby the length of the PTP sheet is reduced. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for preventing curl along a direction and reducing the degree of curl generated.

[0007]

One aspect of the present invention is a PTP sheet formed by pressing a container film and a cover film with a pair of seal dies to heat-bond the two films, and then punching out the desired size. After the container film and the cover film are bonded to each other, a heating member extending in the width direction of the container film between the adjacent pockets is brought into contact with the container film to locally heat the container film. It is configured as follows. In the above-described curl prevention method, the locally heated area may be at least one linear area having a width of 1 mm to 3 mm, and the local heating may be performed simultaneously with the formation of a cut in the film. May be performed. Another invention of the present application is a device for preventing curling of a PTP sheet in which a container film and a cover film are pressed with a pair of seal molds to heat-bond both films, and then punched into a desired size. A pair of frames that move relative to each other, a plurality of slitter blades attached to one of the frames to form cuts in the container frame, and a heating device attached to the one frame to heat the slitter blades Heating, wherein the one frame is heated by the heating device and the upper edge is locally in contact with the container film to heat the container film when forming a cut in the container film with the slitter blade. It is configured by arranging members. In the curl prevention device, an edge cut into the container film may be formed at an upper edge of the heating member. Ma
In addition, the slitter blade is fixed to the base plate at predetermined intervals.
The heating member is fixed to the base plate,
The base plate is detachably fixed to the heating device.
It may be.

In the present invention, by locally heating the container film, even when the PTP sheet is punched from the film after heat sealing, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of curl extending along the longitudinal direction of the PTP sheet, or to prevent such curling. Curling can be reduced. Furthermore, if the local heating is performed simultaneously with the formation of the cuts, there is no need to provide a separate device, and the entire packaging device can be simplified.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, an example of a PTP packaging apparatus for implementing the curl prevention method of the present invention is schematically indicated by reference numeral 1 as a whole. In the figure, the heater 2 for heating the container film F ₁ made of a resin material, 3 forming apparatus for forming a plurality of container or pocket p in container film F _1, item such as a tablet in the pocket p is 4 filling apparatus for filling a 5 heat-sealing apparatus for sealing by heat bonding the container film F ₁ and the cover film F ₂ which Kabusare thereon, 6 perforations or slits or the like on the film at its periphery each pocket A notch forming device 7 for forming a notch of a predetermined size is a punching device for punching a continuous film into a PTP sheet of a predetermined size. The cover film F ₂ is in this embodiment made of the same resin material as the container film as the base, the adhesive layer softened by heating the surface of the container film side.

In order to carry out the curl prevention method of the present invention, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS.
A notch forming device 6 for forming notches such as perforations or slits in the film after heat sealing the container film and the cover film is provided with a means for locally heating the container film. In the figure, the notch forming device 6 includes a fixed frame 61 having a lower frame member 611 and an upper frame member 612 fixed to each other by a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) connecting columns 613, and the lower frame member 611. The movable frame 62 is vertically movably guided between the upper frame member 612 and the connecting column 613. The movable frame 62 has a frame plate 621. The movable frame 62 includes the driving mechanism 6
3 allows the frame to move relatively up and down with respect to the fixed frame 61.

The drive mechanism 63 includes an eccentric shaft 631 rotatably supported by a lower frame member 611 of the fixed frame 61.
And a connecting member 632 rotatably supported by an eccentric portion of the eccentric shaft 631 via a bearing.
The tip of 32 is connected to the lower part of the movable frame 62 via a pin 633. When the eccentric shaft 631 is rotated by a motor (not shown), the connecting member moves up and down, whereby the movable frame also moves up and down.

On the upper surface of the movable frame 62, a heating device 6 comprising a heating plate 641 to be heated by a known method (for example, by embedding an electric heater or the like).
4 is removably mounted. Heating plate 641
A slitter blade unit 65 is detachably mounted on the top. The slitter blade unit 65 includes a base plate 651 and a plurality (seven as a set of five pieces) fixed to the base plate 651 in an upright state.
And a slitter blade 652. This slitter blade forms a slit S extending over the entire width in the width direction of the PTP sheet a shown in FIG. A heating member 66 for executing the method of the present invention is fixed to the base plate 651 at a position separated from the center of the slitter blade 652 by a pitch P equal to the width W of the PTP sheet. The heating member 66 is a plate-like member having a thickness of 1 mm to 3 mm at the upper end edge made of a metal having excellent heat conductivity, and is provided in a width direction of the packaging film (left and right direction in FIG. 2), that is, a plurality of members. Extend along the direction in which the slitter blades 652 are arranged. The heating member 66 is heated to a desired temperature, for example, from 120 ° C. to 170 ° C. by a heating plate together with the slitter blade 652. A contact plate 67 is arranged on the lower surface of the upper frame member 612, and is detachably attached by a plurality of known fixing tools such as bolts. The upper edge or edge of the slitter blade 652 is substantially at the same level as the upper edge of the heating member 66, or is slightly (for example, 0.1 mm).
02Mm) protrude, when the upper edge of the heating member is in contact with the lower surface of the container film F _1, the edge of the slitter blade is adapted to cut slightly container film.

The base plate 651 of the slitter blade unit 65 has inclined surfaces 65 at both ends (left and right ends in FIG. 2).
3, 654, one of the inclined surfaces 653 is engaged with the corresponding inclined surface 642 formed on the heating plate 641,
The other inclined surface 654 is engaged with a surface formed on a lock member 643 rotatably attached to a corresponding side portion of the heating plate 641, so that the slitter blade unit can be detachably attached to the heating device with one touch. You may. In the above embodiment, the upper edge of the heating member, that is, the heating edge is a single section, and the heating portion of the PTP sheet is also a single linear section. However, the heating section may have a plurality of sections. Since the devices other than the switching <br/> interrupt viewed forming apparatus may be one having a known structure and function, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the curl prevention device incorporated in the notch forming device 6 will be described in relation to the overall operation of the PTP packaging device 1 of FIG. Forming a pocket p in container film by a forming device 3 after the container film F ₁ was heated to the desired temperature by the heater 2. Then filling goods into the pockets p by the filling device 4, when in a state of covering the cover film F ₂ on the container film F ₁ through between the lower and upper seal rolls 51 and 55, the cover film F ₂ is both films by adhesive layer is deposited on the surface of the container film F ₁ is heat-sealed. Thereafter, when the heat-sealed films F ₁ and F ₂ arrive at the position of the notch forming device 6, the movable frame 62 of the device is raised by the driving device 63. Then, the slitter blade unit 64 also rises, and the tip of the slitter blade 652 of the unit is located between the pockets formed in the width direction of the packaging film (this direction is the longitudinal direction of the PTP sheet punched from the film). Cut into the container film at the location to form the cuts or slits S. At the same time, the upper edge 661 of the heating member 66 contacts the lower surface of the container film between adjacent pockets in the longitudinal direction of the film to locally heat the container film. In this case, since the heat-sealed container film and cover film are intermittently fed in the direction of arrow X (FIG. 3) at a pitch P, a slit S for one PTP sheet is first formed by the slitter blade 652, and then the slit S is formed. Is intermittently fed at a pitch P
A heating section e is formed at the center of the TP sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is punched into a desired size and shape by the punching device 7 to form a PTP sheet a as shown in FIG. 4, for example. In this PTP sheet, notches or slits s extending in the width direction are formed between pockets adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the PTP sheet, and linear heating portions e extending in the longitudinal direction between pockets adjacent in the width direction are formed. Is done. This prevents the PTP sheet from being bent or curled in the longitudinal direction after being punched out by the punching device.

In the above embodiment, the case where a resin film is used as the cover film has been described. However, the same effect can be obtained when a film based on an aluminum foil is used. Further, in the above embodiment, a cut or a slit is not formed in the central portion (the portion where the heating portion e is formed) of the PTP sheet, but a slit extending in the longitudinal direction of the PTP sheet (the width direction of the film before punching) is formed at that position. If you want to form
The heating member 6 is positioned at the center of the slitter blade 652 in the extension direction.
Another slitter blade extending parallel to 6 may be arranged, or an edge cut into the container film may be formed at the center (the center in the thickness direction) of the upper edge 661 of the heating member.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Since the curl removing operation is performed at the same time as the notch processing, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of curl without requiring any special device. (2) Even when a PTP sheet is conveyed through an integrated line of a PTP packaging device, curl generated along the longitudinal direction of the PTP sheet can be eliminated or reduced. Can be performed stably. (3) Even when the PTP sheet is inserted into the cartoner, the curl in the longitudinal direction of the sheet is eliminated or reduced, so that the insertion can be easily performed. (4) The appearance of the PTP sheet is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a PTP packaging apparatus for implementing a curl prevention method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the notch forming apparatus, as viewed along line BB in FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a view of the notch forming apparatus taken along line AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a PTP sheet.

5A and 5B are diagrams showing a state of curl of a PTP sheet, wherein [A] shows a state of curl occurring along the width direction of the sheet, and [B] shows a state of curl occurring along the longitudinal direction of the sheet. It is a figure showing the state of.

[Explanation of symbols]

5 cut-forming apparatus 61 fixed frame 62 movable frame 63 drive mechanism 64 heating device 65 slitter blade unit 66 heating element F ₁ container film F ₂ cover film

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for preventing a curl of a PTP sheet produced by pressing a container film and a cover film with a pair of seal molds to heat-bond the two films and then punching the PTP sheet into a desired size. A method of preventing curling of a PTP sheet, wherein a heating member extending in the width direction of a container film between adjacent pockets is brought into contact with the container film after the film is adhered and locally heated from the container film side. . 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the locally heated area is at least one linear area having a width of 1 mm to 3 mm. 3. The method for preventing curling of a PTP sheet according to claim 1, wherein the local heating is performed simultaneously with the formation of cuts in the film. 4. A curling prevention device for a PTP sheet, in which a container film and a cover film are pressed with a pair of seal molds to heat-bond the two films and then punched into a desired size. And a plurality of slitter blades attached to one of the frames to form cuts in the container frame; and a heating device attached to the one frame to heat the slitter blades; A heating member which is heated by the heating device and has an upper edge locally in contact with the container film and heats the container film when the slitter blade forms a cut in the container film. P characterized by being arranged
TP sheet curl prevention device. 5. The PTP sheet curling prevention device according to claim 4, wherein an edge cut into the container film is formed at an upper end edge of the heating member. 6. The PTP sheet according to claim 4 or 5,
In the anti-curl device, the slitter blade is a base plate.
And the heating member is fixed to the base plate at a predetermined interval.
And the base plate is fixed to the heating device.
An anti-curl device for a PTP sheet that is detachably fixed.