JP6114013B2 - PTP sheet manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus for forming a plurality of pocket portions on a sheet.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus for forming a plurality of pocket portions for containing tablets or the like, an apparatus provided with a guide member for preventing sheet meandering is known.

  In the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus, for example, a strip-shaped packaging sheet is wound in a roll shape on the uppermost stream side, and the drawing end side thereof is guided to a pocket portion forming means including a heating device and a pocket forming device. It has become so. And in the state which the sheet | seat for packaging was heated over the whole width direction with the heating apparatus and became comparatively flexible, a pocket part is shape | molded by the pocket shaping | molding apparatus at the sheet | seat for packaging. The pocket forming apparatus is provided with guide plates constituting guide means so as to correspond to both sides in the width direction of the packaging sheet. The guide plate is configured so as not to be displaced in the width direction when the packaging sheet is transferred (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 4302294

  In the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus that forms the pocket portion, the pocket portion is formed while the sheet is heated and softened, but there is a problem that the sheet expands and meanders due to the heating. Therefore, in the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus of Patent Document 1, a guide plate is provided outside the pocket forming apparatus, thereby preventing sheet meandering.

  However, in the configuration in which the guide plate is disposed outside the pocket forming apparatus, when using a sheet having a narrow width compared to the width of the pocket forming apparatus, the meandering sheet does not contact the guide plate, and the meandering cannot be appropriately corrected. There's a problem. There is also a problem that a sheet wider than the pocket forming apparatus cannot be formed.

  In addition, in the pocket molding apparatus, the sheet is cured after the pocket portion is molded. However, when the sheet contacts the guide plate immediately before (including the pocket portion molding or immediately before the pocket portion molding) and the meander is corrected. Further, since the distance to the cured region is short, the sheet may be distorted or wrinkled, which may affect the quality of the sheet.

  The elongation of the sheet varies depending on the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the sheet material, and meanders due to the influence of static electricity or the like. As described above, the meandering degree of the sheet is irregular, and it is difficult to uniformly correct the sheet.

  Furthermore, there is a known technique for detecting the position of the conveyed sheet before the pocket portion is formed, and correcting it when it is meandering. In this case, a sensor for detecting the position of the sheet is necessary. Thus, there is a problem that the configuration and control of the apparatus become complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and even when the sheet is elongated and meandered by heating before forming the pocket portion, the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus can easily correct the meandering. The purpose is to provide.

(1) The present invention is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus for forming a plurality of pocket portions in a sheet to be conveyed, the heating unit being provided on the sheet conveyance path, for heating the sheet, and the heating unit A pocket forming means for forming a pocket portion on the sheet on the downstream conveyance path and spaced apart from the heating means, and the sheet on at least one end side in the sheet width direction in the middle of the conveyance path of the heating means A position regulating means for regulating the position of the sheet, the position regulating means being provided only in a partial region located in the middle of the heating means in the conveying direction. It is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus characterized by being provided .

  According to the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present application, even if the sheet is stretched and meandered by heating during conveyance, the meandering can be corrected by the position regulating means.

  Further, since the position regulating means can adjust the position in the sheet width direction, it can follow even when the sheet width changes.

  Furthermore, the sheet is heated again after correcting the meandering by arranging the position regulating means in the middle of the conveying direction of the heating means. Accordingly, the sheet is softened around the position restricting means, and a sufficient distance can be secured from the region hardened by forming the pocket portion further downstream, so that distortion and wrinkles of the sheet due to correction of meandering can be prevented.

(2) In the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to (1), the heating unit is at least partially separated from the upstream side and the downstream side by the partial region. It is.
The heating unit includes an upstream heating unit and a downstream heating unit, and the position regulating unit is provided on the downstream side of the upstream heating unit and on the upstream side of the downstream heating unit. It is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus as described in 1).

(3) In the present invention, the heating unit includes two heating plates facing each other with the sheet interposed therebetween, and one of the heating plates allows movement of the position regulating unit in the partial area. The other heating plate is provided with a hole that penetrates the other heating plate and allows movement of the position restricting means in the partial area. It is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus as described in (1) or (2).

(4) In the present invention, the length in the transport direction from the downstream end of the partial area to the downstream end of the heating means (hereinafter referred to as “downstream length”) is also described above. a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to to any one of the above (1) to (3), characterized in that in the transport direction of the pocket forming means is a length equal to or greater than.

(5) The present invention is also characterized in that the length in the transport direction from the upstream end of the partial area to the upstream end of the heating means is longer than the downstream length. It is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus as described in (4).

(6) The present invention is also the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the sheet moves a predetermined distance intermittently .

  (7) In the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6), the position restricting unit may move in a direction perpendicular to the sheet. is there.

  (8) The present invention is also provided at both ends in the sheet width direction so as to be capable of adjusting the position in the sheet width direction, and is movable in the sheet width direction while maintaining a distance between the pair of position restricting means. It is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus in any one of said (1)-(7) characterized by being.

According to the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus described in the above (1) to ( 8 ) of the present invention, even when the sheet is elongated and meandered by heating before forming the pocket portion, the meandering is easily corrected. Can do.

It is a figure which shows the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus in 1st Embodiment of this invention, (A) is a top view, (B) is a side view. It is a figure which shows the PTP sheet in embodiment of this invention, (A) is a top view, (B) It is an expanded sectional view. It is a side view of the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus in 1st Embodiment of this invention, (A) It is a side view during manufacture, (B) It is a side view of an open state. It is a figure which shows the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (A) is a top view of an upper heating plate, (B) is a top view of a lower heating plate, (B) is a PTP sheet. It is a side view of a manufacturing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus in 3rd Embodiment of this invention, (A) is a top view, (B) is a side view.

  Hereinafter, a PTP (Press Through Packaging) sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, FIG. 1 (A) is a top view, and FIG. 1 (B) is a side view. FIG. 2 is a view showing the shape of the sheet 1 manufactured by the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 (A) is a top view of the sheet 1 after forming the pocket portion 1a, and FIG. ) Is a partially enlarged sectional view thereof. In addition, in this figure and each subsequent figure, one part structure is abbreviate | omitted suitably and drawing is simplified.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 includes an upstream heating device 11, a downstream heating device 12, a guide member 15 (15 a, 15 b), and a pocket forming device 13. It is a manufacturing apparatus which shape | molds the part 1a. FIG. 1 shows, for example, a belt-like sheet 1 having a predetermined width W (indicated by a two-dot chain line) whose molding surface (a surface parallel to the conveyance surface and on which the pocket portion 1a is molded) is a floor surface. It is a top view of the state which conveys in the conveyance direction T (in the illustration left side to the right side) so that it may become substantially parallel.

  Referring to FIG. 1A, the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 continuously draws and conveys the belt-like sheet 1 from the original roll, and has a concave shape that protrudes downward to a predetermined position of the sheet 1 during the conveyance. A large number of pocket portions 1a are formed (also referred to as molding or formation) and employed in a PTP package manufacturing apparatus. The PTP package stores a packaged object (for example, a tablet) in the pocket portion 1a of the sheet 1, and wraps the packaged object by crimping an upper lid separate from the sheet 1 to the sheet 1, and when opened This is a package in which the contents are pushed out from the pocket portion 1a side to break the upper lid and take out the package.

  On the conveyance path of the sheet 1, an upstream heating device 11, a downstream heating device 12, and a pocket forming device 13 are arranged in this order from the upstream side (left side in the drawing) to the downstream side (right side in the drawing). A guide member 15 is disposed between the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12.

  Referring to FIG. 1B, the upstream heating device 11 has two heating plates (upstream upper heating plate 111 and upstream lower heating plate 112) facing each other with the sheet 1 interposed therebetween. Note that “upper” and “lower” of the upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 are for convenience of explanation, and mean that there are two heating plates facing each other with the sheet 1 in between. That is, here, when the forming surface of the sheet 1 is conveyed so as to be substantially horizontal to the floor surface, the heating plate facing the first forming surface side S1 of the sheet 1 is the upstream upper heating plate 111, and the sheet 1 The heating plate facing the second molding surface side S2 will be described as an upstream lower heating plate 112. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sheet 1 may be conveyed in a substantially vertical direction or an oblique direction close to the vertical direction (diagonally upward, obliquely downward). In that case, the upstream left heating plate 111 and the upstream right heating plate 112 are used. And so on. The surfaces of the upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 facing the sheet 1 are both flat surfaces.

  The upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 are arranged in close contact with each other in close contact with the sheet 1. The upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 are provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction (here, the vertical direction) with respect to the molding surface of the sheet 1. It is appropriately selected depending on the thickness. The sheet 1 passing through the upstream heating device 11 is heated and softened.

  The downstream heating device 12 is provided downstream of the upstream heating device 11 and spaced apart from the upstream heating device 11, and is opposed to two heating plates that sandwich the sheet 1 (downstream upper heating plate 121, downstream lower heating plate 122). Have The names of “upper” and “lower” of the downstream upper heating plate 121 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 are the same as those of the upstream heating device 11. The opposing surfaces of the downstream upper heating plate 121 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 with respect to the sheet 1 are flat surfaces.

  The downstream upper heating plate 121 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 are arranged in close contact with each other, although they are not in contact with the sheet 1. The downstream upper heating plate 121 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 are provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction (here, the vertical direction) with respect to the molding surface of the sheet 1. It is appropriately selected depending on the thickness. The sheet 1 passing through the downstream heating device 12 is continuously heated and softened.

  The guide member 15 (15a, 15b) is a metal plate that is separate from both the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12, and is between the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12, that is, the upstream heating device. 11 on the downstream side of the downstream heating device 12. The guide members 15 are provided so as to be positioned on both outer sides (right end side and left end side) of the sheet 1 in the sheet width W direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction T of the sheet 1.

  Referring to FIG. 1A, the guide member 15 is provided such that its position can be adjusted as indicated by an arrow in the sheet width W direction, and restricts the position of the sheet 1 being conveyed from meandering beyond an allowable range. . Here, an example in which the guide member 15 is provided so as to be slidable in the sheet width W direction is shown.

  The guide members 15 (15a, 15b) are disposed at positions separated from the left and right ends of the sheet 1 by a predetermined distance according to the sheet width W of the sheet 1 being conveyed. The guide member 15a and the guide member 15b are individually slidable so as to approach or separate in the sheet width W direction. For example, each of the plate-like guide members 15a and 15b is attached to a screw shaft (not shown). The screw shaft is a rod-like body that can be connected to the two guide members 15a and 15b, and screw grooves that rotate in opposite directions are provided at both ends thereof. By rotating the screw shaft in one direction, the guide members 15a and 15b are moved closer to each other, and by rotating the screw shaft in the other direction, the guide members 15a and 15b are slid to move away from each other. Alternatively, the guide members 15a and 15b may be moved in the sheet width W direction by a slider that slides on the rail.

  In addition, the pair of guide members 15a and 15b that are arranged to face each other is maintained with the distance in the sheet width W direction (the distance between the guide member 15a and the guide member 15b), both of the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12. A separate body is movable in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction T of the sheet 1 (in the sheet width W direction, the vertical direction in FIG. 1A).

  With such a configuration, the guide member 15 can be moved to an appropriate position according to the sheet width W. That is, the meandering can be appropriately corrected for a plurality of sheets 1 having different sheet widths W.

  Further, the side surface (possibly) that contacts the sheet 1 of the guide member 15 has a curved surface shape with a small curvature when viewed from above (see FIG. 1A). By doing in this way, when the sheet | seat 1 contact | abuts to the guide member 15, a contact area with the sheet | seat 1 can be made small. Further, the sheet 1 can be moved to a position where it is desired to be regulated along the side surface, and the sheet 1 can be prevented from being caught. In addition, the side surface may have a tapered shape that widens from the upstream side toward the downstream side in a top view, and in this case, the sheet 1 can be moved to a position to be regulated along the side surface.

  The guide member 15 can also move in the direction perpendicular to the molding surface of the sheet 1, which will be described later.

  Both the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12 are arranged so as not to contact the guide member 15. It is sufficient that the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12 are separated enough to allow movement of the guide member 15 in the sheet width W direction. As an example, the separation distance (gap G) between them is 2 mm to 4 mm.

  The pocket forming device 13 is provided downstream of the downstream heating device 12 and separated from the downstream heating device 12, and forms the pocket portion 1 a in the sheet 1.

  The pocket forming apparatus 13 includes an upper die 131 having a plurality of convex portions (not shown) and a lower die 132 having a plurality of concave portions (not shown) meshing with the convex portions, and the softened sheet 1 is viewed from above and below. While sandwiching and forming the concave pocket portion 1a, the sheet 1 including the formed pocket portion 1a is cooled to fix its shape.

  Further, a sheet support plate 16 is provided between the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12. The sheet support plate 16 is composed of a metal plate or the like similar to the guide member 15, and is disposed between, for example, the two guide members 15 a and 15 b and perpendicular to the molding surface (S 1, S 2) of the sheet 1. It can move in the direction (here, the vertical direction). As will be described later, the upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 of the upstream heating device 11 are movable in a direction perpendicular to the forming surface of the sheet 1 and in a direction away from each other or close to each other. Similarly, the downstream upper heating plate 121 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 of the downstream heating device 12 are also movable in the direction perpendicular to the molding surface of the sheet 1 and away from each other or close to each other. In such a configuration, when the upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 and the downstream upper heating plate 121 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 are separated from each other in the vertical direction, the sheet 1 is bent and deformed. There is a fear. In such a case (the sheet support plate 16 moves up and down as necessary), the sheet support plate 16 contacts the sheet 1 to support it. Although illustration is omitted, the upper end surface serving as the contact surface with the sheet 1 may be curved.

  With reference to FIG. 2, the sheet | seat 1 manufactured with the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  The sheet 1 is, for example, a resin sheet such as polypropylene (PP) or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and stores a package (for example, a tablet) and has a plurality of pockets arranged in a matrix. It has a part 1a. For example, the sheet 1 constitutes a PTP package, and illustration thereof is omitted. However, in another process, an object to be packaged is stored in the pocket portion 1a, and an upper sheet separate from the sheet 1 is provided. The object to be packaged is packaged by pressure bonding to the sheet 1.

  In the pocket portion 1a, the shape of the planar region of the pocket portion 1a is substantially circular in a top view, and a convex storage region is formed below. A plurality of pocket portions 1 a are arranged in a matrix in the central region CR of the sheet 1, and margin regions SR are provided at the left and right end portions of the sheet 1. The pocket portion 1a is divided into a plurality of blocks B (shown by broken lines), and the pocket portions 1a of one block B are formed at the same time. The arrangement of the pocket portions 1a is not limited to the illustrated example.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the sheet 1 by the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The sheet 1 conveyed to the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 is softened by passing through the upstream heating apparatus 11 and the downstream heating apparatus 12. By sandwiching the sheet 1 in this state between the upper mold 131 and the lower mold 132 in the pocket forming apparatus 13, the pocket portion 1a of one block B is formed. That is, the sheet 1 moves intermittently for each length (for example, the length L of the block B) sufficient to form the pocket portion 1a in the block B unit in the pocket forming apparatus 13. The sheet 1 is cooled after the pocket portion 1a is formed. As a result, recrystallization is promoted by a temperature drop (rapid cooling) of the resin material (PP or PVP) and the shape of the pocket portion 1a is fixed.

  In the present embodiment, the heating device that heats and softens the sheet 1 is divided into two in the conveyance direction T of the sheet 1. And between these, the guide member 15 which protrudes in a perpendicular direction is arrange | positioned. Thereby, even if it passes through the upstream heating device 11 and the sheet 1 expands due to softening and meanders, the meandering can be corrected by the guide member 15. The sheet 1 whose meander has been corrected moves again for a predetermined distance in the downstream heating device 12 and is heated, and is thereafter molded by the pocket molding device 13.

  When the pocket is formed and cooled immediately after the meandering correction by the guide member (or while correcting the meandering) as in the conventional structure, the distance from the position to correct the meandering of the sheet to the cured sheet is short, and the sheet There is a problem in that deformation occurs such as distortion and wrinkles due to stress.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet 1 is heated and softened by the upstream heating device 11 at the installation position of the guide member 15. On the other hand, the installation position of the guide member 15 is separated from the unheated state (before softening) at the rear of the long sheet 1 in the conveyance direction, and is cured after forming the pocket portion 1a at the front of the sheet 1 in the conveyance direction. It is also separated from the part that was.

  That is, the sheet 1 in the vicinity of the guide member 15 is in a softened state. When the sheet 1 comes into contact with the guide member 15, the sheet 1 can be easily moved horizontally by a slight force at this position, and the meandering correction can be performed.

  Further, the side surface of the guide member 15 that contacts the sheet 1 has a curved surface shape with a small curvature in top view so that the contact area with the sheet 1 is small. Accordingly, the sheet 1 can be moved without difficulty even if the sheet 1 is greatly meandering and comes into strong contact with the guide member 15, so that even if the meandering is corrected, the sheet 1 is deformed thereby. Can be prevented.

  The degree of meandering of the sheet 1 is irregular because the degree of elongation of the sheet 1 varies depending on the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the sheet material, or is affected by static electricity or the like. It is possible to stabilize the position of the sheet 1 while suppressing damage to the sheet 1 due to the contact of the guide member 15.

  In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, when employ | adopting said PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 for a PTP packaging apparatus, for example in the molded pocket part downstream (after process) of PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 (for example, tablet) ), A lid sheet feeding device that feeds a lid sheet (for example, an aluminum sheet) on the sheet 1 supplied with the packaging material, and the sheet 1 and the lid sheet facing each other A sealing device that seals and integrates a predetermined portion to be closed and closes a space formed by the pocket portion, a cutter device that cuts a predetermined position sealed by the sealing device, and the like are provided.

  Next, the position of the guide member 15 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  The upstream heating device 11 has a first length (a length for heating the sheet 1 from both sides) L1 in the transport direction in the top view, and the downstream heating device 12 has a second length in the transport direction in the top view. (Length for heating the sheet 1 from both sides) L2. Moreover, the pocket shaping | molding apparatus 13 has the 3rd length L3 in a conveyance direction in top view.

  The guide member 15 is positioned such that the second length L2 of the downstream heating device 12 is longer than the third length L3 of the pocket forming device 13 and shorter than the first length L1 of the upstream heating device 11. To place. As an example, the first length L1 is 500 mm, the second length L2 is 400 mm, and the third length L3 is 250 mm.

  As described above, the pocket portion 1a is formed for each block B, and the sheet 1 is intermittently conveyed, for example, every length L in the conveying direction T of the block B (or a predetermined length slightly longer than that). . Here, the length L of the block B in the transport direction T is slightly shorter (or substantially equivalent) than the third length L3 of the pocket forming device 13.

  That is, when the second length L2 of the downstream heating device 12 is less than the third length L3 of the pocket forming device 13 and less than the length L of the block B in the transport direction T, the sheet 1 A part of the region that is not heated (the region sandwiched between the guide members 15) moves to the pocket forming apparatus 13, resulting in molding failure.

  Therefore, by setting the second length L2 of the downstream heating device 12 to be equal to or greater than the third length L3 of the pocket forming device 13, the sheet 1 after the meandering is corrected by the guide member 15 is It moves intermittently below the molding device 13. Further, the entire region of the sheet 1 moved to the pocket forming apparatus 13 is heated and softened. That is, in the pocket forming device 13, the meandering is corrected by the guide member 15 and the pocket portion 1 a for one block B can be formed at an appropriate position of the sheet 1 softened by the downstream heating device 12. Further, it is possible to secure a sufficient distance between the correction position of the meandering and the area to be cured after molding, and the stress on the sheet 1 can be reduced when the meandering is corrected.

  On the other hand, if the second length L2 of the downstream heating device 12 is too long, an area in which the softened sheet 1 is conveyed becomes long, which may cause the sheet 1 to meander (again), which is not desirable. Therefore, the second length L2 of the downstream heating device 12 is shorter than the first length L1 of the upstream heating device 11. Thereby, meandering of the sheet 1 passing through the downstream heating device 12 can be suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, as an example, the first length L1 of the upstream heating device 11 is a distance of one half or more of the total length (about 900 mm) in the conveying direction of the heating devices (the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12). As an example, the case where the guide member 15 is arranged downstream of the upstream heating device 11 has been described. However, the position of the guide member 15 is not limited to this example.

  The position of the guide member 15 is arranged on the outlet side of the entire heating device (upstream heating device 11 and downstream heating device 12) (positioned such that the second length L2 of the downstream heating device 12 is further reduced). Thus, the deviation (meandering) in the sheet width direction of the sheet 1 after passing through the guide member 15 (after the meandering is corrected) can be reduced. On the other hand, since the distance from the downstream pocket forming apparatus 13 (the region in which the sheet 1 is hardened) becomes small, the burden on the sheet 1 becomes large at the time of meandering correction. Therefore, the position of the guide member 15 is appropriately selected in consideration of these.

  FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10. FIG. 3A is a side view of the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 during manufacture of the sheet 1, and FIG. 3B shows that the upstream heating apparatus 11 and the downstream heating apparatus 12 are opened, for example, during maintenance. It is a side view of the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 in a state.

  Referring to FIG. 3A, the upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 of the upstream heating device 11 are disposed in close proximity to each other while being in non-contact with the sheet 1 during manufacture of the sheet 1. The By arranging the upstream upper heating plate 111 and the upstream lower heating plate 112 close to each other, it is also possible to regulate the deflection in the direction perpendicular to the molding surface of the sheet 1. The same applies to the downstream upper heating plate 121 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 of the downstream heating device 12.

  The pair of guide members 15a and 15b are separate from the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12 while maintaining the distance in the sheet width W direction, and are formed on the molding surface (S1, S2) of the sheet 1. On the other hand, it is movable in the vertical direction (here, the vertical direction). In this case, the guide portion 15 is moved up and down by, for example, a slide cylinder.

  Then, at the time of maintenance or the like, the guide member 15, the upstream heating device 11, and the downstream heating device 12 are each slid to open the surface facing the sheet 1.

  Specifically, first, the guide member 15 is moved downward (vertically in the vertical direction) as shown by the arrow 1. As a result, the guide member 15 is not disposed in the transport direction T between the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12. Thereafter, the upstream upper heating plate 111 and the downstream upper heating plate 121 are moved to the upstream side (the left side in the figure (the direction horizontal to the molding surface of the sheet 1)) as indicated by the arrow 2 while maintaining the gap G therebetween. And separated from the pocket forming apparatus 13. Thereafter, the upstream upper heating plate 111 of the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream upper heating plate 121 of the downstream heating device 12 are moved upward in the figure (upward in the vertical direction) as indicated by the arrow 3, and the upstream lower heating of the upstream heating device 11 is also performed. The plate 112 and the downstream lower heating plate 122 of the downstream heating device 12 are moved downward as shown by an arrow 4 in the drawing.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, the surfaces of the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12 that face the sheet 1 can be greatly opened. Although not shown, the pocket forming apparatus can also open the upper mold 131 and the lower mold 132 up and down in the figure. As described above, even if the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12 can be moved in the horizontal direction with respect to the conveyance surface of the sheet 1 by making the guide member 15 movable in the vertical direction, The guide member 15 does not become an obstacle.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 4 is a view showing the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 20 in the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 (A) is a top view of the upper heating plate 21, and FIG. 4 (B) is the lower heating plate 22. FIG. 4C is a top view, and FIG. 4C is a side view of the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 20. In addition, the same component as 1st Embodiment is shown with the same code | symbol, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12 are provided separately from each other has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the upstream heating device and the downstream heating device are provided integrally. This will be described below.

  With reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C, the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 20 includes a heating apparatus 250 and a pocket forming apparatus 13. The heating device 250 includes an upper heating plate 21 and a lower heating plate 22, and the upper heating plate 21 and the lower heating plate 22 are disposed to face each other with the sheet 1 interposed therebetween. The lower heating plate 22 faces the second molding surface S2 of the sheet 1 and faces the first molding surface S1 of the sheet 1.

  First, the upper heating plate 21 will be described with reference to FIG. A groove 230 is provided on the front surface (the back side in the drawing) of the upper heating plate 21 as shown by a broken line. The groove 230 has a shape such as an ellipse or a rectangle that is long in the sheet width W direction when viewed from above, and is provided at a depth that does not penetrate the thickness of the upper heating plate 21 except for both ends in the sheet width W direction. The distance from the upstream end UE2 to the upstream end UE1 of the upper heating plate 21 is the first length L1, and the downstream end LE1 of the upper heating plate 21 from the downstream end UE2 of the groove 230. Until the second length L2 is provided. The opening width of the groove part 230 in the conveyance direction T is, for example, 2 mm to 4 mm.

  4B, a long hole 232 is provided on the surface of the lower heating plate 22 on the sheet 1 side. The long hole portion 232 has a shape such as an ellipse or a rectangle that is long in the sheet width W direction in a top view, and is an opening provided so as to penetrate the thickness of the lower heating plate 22 except for both ends in the sheet width W direction. It is. The long hole portion 232 has a first length L1 from the upstream end UE3 to the upstream end UE1 of the lower heating plate 22, and the lower heating plate from the downstream end LE3 of the long hole 232. 22 is provided at a position where the distance to the downstream end LE1 is the second length L2. The opening width of the long hole portion 232 in the transport direction T is, for example, 2 mm to 4 mm.

  The guide members 25 (25a, 25b) are metal rod-like bodies (substantially cylindrical bodies) provided separately from both the upper heating plate 21 and the lower heating plate 22, and are arranged on both outer sides of the sheet 1 here. Is done. Each of the guide members 25 (25a, 25b) can move in the sheet width W direction, but the movement range is limited to the groove 230 or the long hole 232, and the upper heating plate 21 and the lower heating plate 22 are movable. Does not move outward. Except for this point, the guide member 25 is movable in the same manner as the guide member 15 of the first embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 4C, the guide member 25 extends in the vertical direction (here, the vertical direction) with respect to the surfaces of the upper heating plate 21 and the lower heating plate 22, and during the manufacturing process, the guide member 25 25 is inserted into the elongated hole 232 of the lower heating plate 22, and the tip thereof reaches the groove 230 of the upper heating plate 21.

  The upper heating plate 21 is partitioned by the groove portion 230 into an upstream region and a downstream region. Hereinafter, the upstream side of the upper heating plate 21 from the groove portion 230 is referred to as an upstream upper heating plate 211, and the downstream side from the groove portion 230 is referred to as a downstream upper heating plate 212.

  Further, the lower heating plate 22 is divided into an upstream region and a downstream region by the elongated hole portion 232. Hereinafter, the upstream side of the lower heating plate 22 from the elongated hole portion 232 is referred to as an upstream lower heating plate 221, and the downstream side of the elongated hole portion 232 is referred to as a downstream lower heating plate 222.

  The upstream upper heating plate 211 and the upstream lower heating plate 221 constitute an upstream heating device 251, and the downstream upper heating plate 212 and the downstream lower heating plate 222 constitute a downstream heating device 252.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the upstream and downstream upper heating plates 21 are integrated, and the upstream and downstream lower heating plates 22 are integrated. Then, the heating plate 251 is divided into an upstream side and a downstream side by the groove portion 230 provided in the upper heating plate 21 and the elongated hole portion 232 provided in the lower heating plate 22. Configure. That is, although the upstream heating device 251 and the downstream heating device 252 are partitioned by the groove portion 230 and the long hole portion 232, they are integrated.

  In such a configuration, the guide member 25 is disposed on the downstream side of the upstream heating device 251, and the downstream heating device 252 is disposed on the downstream side of the guide member 25. Further, the pocket forming device 13 is disposed on the downstream side of the downstream heating device 252. The pocket forming apparatus 13 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and a part of the illustration is omitted.

  The length of the upstream heating device 251 in the transport direction T is the first length L1, and the length of the downstream heating device 252 in the transport direction T is the second length L2, and the transport of the pocket forming device 13 is performed. The length in the direction T is the third length L3. The second length L2 is shorter than the first length L1 and is equal to or greater than the third length L3 (see FIG. 1A).

  Also, the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 20 of the second embodiment can open the surface facing the sheet 1 as in the first embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 4C, first, the guide member 25 is moved downward (vertically in the vertical direction) as shown by the arrow 1. As a result, the guide member 25 is extracted from the groove 230 between the upstream upper heating plate 211 and the downstream upper heating plate 212, and the guide member 25 is not disposed in the transport direction T between the heating device 251 and the downstream heating device 252. It becomes a state. Thereafter, the upstream upper heating plate 211 and the downstream upper heating plate 212 (that is, the upper heating plate 21) are moved in the direction of the arrow 2 and separated from the pocket forming apparatus 13. Thereafter, the upper heating plate 21 is moved upward (vertically in the vertical direction) as shown by the arrow 3, and the upstream lower heating plate 221 and the downstream lower heating plate 222 (that is, the lower heating plate 21) are moved downward as shown by the arrow 4. Move to. Thereby, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, between the upper heating plate 21 and the lower heating plate 22 opens large.

  In the second embodiment, the movement of the guide member 25 in the sheet width W direction is limited to the groove 230 or the long hole 232. Therefore, the tolerance of the width | variety of the sheet | seat 1 can be increased by making the shape of the guide member 25 into a rod-shaped body. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plate-like body similar to the first embodiment may be used.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 5 is a view showing a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 30 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 (A) is a top view of the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 30 and FIG. 5 (B) is a side view. . In addition, the same component as 1st Embodiment is shown with the same code | symbol, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 30 includes a heating apparatus 350 and a pocket forming apparatus 13. The heating device 350 includes an upper heating plate 31 and a lower heating plate 32, and the upper heating plate 31 and the lower heating plate 32 are disposed to face each other with the sheet 1 interposed therebetween. The lower heating plate 22 faces the second molding surface S2 of the sheet 1 and faces the first molding surface S1 of the sheet 1.

  In the heating device 350 of the third embodiment, the surface of the upper heating plate 31 on the sheet 1 side is a substantially flat surface, and the surface of the lower heating plate 32 on the sheet 1 side is also a substantially flat surface. And the guide member 35 (35a, 35b) is arrange | positioned in the middle of the conveyance path | route T of the heating apparatus 350. FIG. Here, the guide member 35 is illustrated as an example in which the guide member 35 is disposed on both outer sides of the sheet 1 in the sheet width W direction, but may be provided on at least one end side in the sheet width W direction. Each of the guide members 35a and 35b can move in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction T (an arrow in FIG. 5A) and in a direction parallel to the transport direction T, and maintain a distance between the guide members 35a and 35b. It is movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction T and in a direction parallel to the direction T.

  The guide member 35 is, for example, a metal plate-like body, and is inserted between these opposing surfaces from both ends of the upper heating plate 31 and the lower heating plate 32 in the sheet width W direction. In this case, the thickness of the guide member 35 (in this case, the thickness in the vertical direction when inserted into the heating device 350) is preferably equal to or greater than the thickness of the sheet 1.

  The distance from the upstream end UE4 of the guide member 35 to the upstream end UE1 of the heating device 350 is the first length L1, and the downstream end LE4 of the guide member 35 is downstream of the heating device 350. It is provided at a position where the distance to the end portion LE1 is the second length L2. The heating device 350 is divided into an upstream region and a downstream region by the guide member 35, and constitutes an upstream heating device 351 and a downstream heating device 352.

  That is, the guide member 35 is disposed on the downstream side of the upstream heating device 351, and the downstream heating device 352 is disposed on the downstream side of the guide member 35. Further, the pocket forming device 13 is disposed on the downstream side of the downstream heating device 352. The pocket forming apparatus 13 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and a part of the illustration is omitted.

  The length of the upstream heating device 351 in the transport direction T is the first length L1, and the length of the downstream heating device 352 in the transport direction T is the second length L2, and the transport of the pocket forming device 13 is performed. The length in the direction T is the third length L3. The second length L2 is shorter than the first length L1 and is equal to or greater than the third length L3 (see FIG. 1A).

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and technical idea thereof.

  For example, in FIG. 1A, the guide member 15 may slide upward.

  Further, the upstream heating device 11 and the downstream heating device 12 may not be slidable horizontally with respect to the molding surface of the sheet 1 but may be movable only in the vertical direction with respect to the molding surface of the sheet 1. In that case, the guide member 15 may not be movable in the direction perpendicular to the molding surface of the sheet 1.

  Further, although the guide member 15 has been described as an example of a configuration that can slide and move in the sheet width W direction, a replacement part corresponding to the sheet width W may be used.

  Furthermore, the case where the two guide members 15a and 15b (25a and 25b) are arranged opposite to each other on the outer sides of the left and right ends of the sheet 1 has been described as an example, but the guide member 15 (25) is provided on only one of them. There may be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sheet 1a Pocket part 10 PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 Upstream heating apparatus 111 Upstream upper heating plate 112 Upstream lower heating plate 12 Downstream heating apparatus 121 Downstream upper heating plate 122 Downstream lower heating plate 13 Pocket part molding apparatus 131 Upper mold 132 Lower mold 15 , 15a, 15b Guide member 16 Sheet support plate

Claims (8)

A PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus for forming a plurality of pocket portions on a conveyed sheet,
A heating means provided on the sheet conveyance path for heating the sheet;
A pocket forming means for forming a pocket portion on the sheet, which is provided on the conveyance path downstream of the heating means and spaced apart from the heating means;
A position regulating means for regulating the position in the sheet width direction on at least one end side in the sheet width direction in the middle of the conveyance path of the heating means and regulating the position of the sheet , and
The position restricting means is provided only in a partial area located in the middle of the heating means in the transport direction.
A PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus. The heating means is at least partially separated from the upstream side and the downstream side by the partial region.
The apparatus for producing a PTP sheet according to claim 1. The heating means has two heating plates facing each other across the sheet,
One of the heating plates is provided with a groove portion that allows movement of the position restricting means in the partial area.
The other heating plate is provided with a hole that penetrates the other heating plate and allows movement of the position restricting means in the partial area .
The PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus. The length in the transport direction from the downstream end of the partial area to the downstream end of the heating means (hereinafter referred to as “downstream length”) is the length in the transport direction of the pocket forming means . PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is the length equal to or greater than. 5. The PTP sheet manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein a length in the transport direction from an upstream end of the partial region to an upstream end of the heating unit is longer than the downstream length. apparatus. The sheet, PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that moving the intermittently a predetermined distance.   The PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the position restricting means is movable in a direction perpendicular to the sheet.   The position restricting means is provided at both ends in the sheet width direction so as to be capable of adjusting the position in the sheet width direction, and is movable in the sheet width direction while maintaining a distance between the pair of position restricting means. The PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the apparatus is a PTP sheet manufacturing apparatus.

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