JP6577228B2 - Supply relay device for small molded products - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a small-sized article supply relay device, and more particularly, when a small-shaped article is supplied to a conveying device that conveys the small-shaped article to be subjected to a required process, the small-shaped article is stably stabilized without a target posture. It relates to technology for delivery in the state.

  Various treatments are applied to small molded products such as tablets after production. For example, the appearance is inspected for chipping, cracking, deformation, cracks, scratches, dirt, discoloration, peeling of the coating layer, and other morphological abnormalities. An inspection to determine the presence or absence of is performed. These inspections are generally performed in the process of transporting a small molded product from the viewpoint of speeding up and efficiency.

  As the inspection apparatus, there are an inspection apparatus that is combined with a conveyance apparatus that conveys small molded products in a row, and an inspection apparatus that is combined with a conveyance apparatus that conveys the small molded articles in a conveyance direction and a direction crossing the conveyance direction. That is, the former inspection apparatus sequentially inspects small molded articles one by one, and the latter inspection apparatus inspects one or more small molded articles that can exist simultaneously in the crossing direction. In any case, to carry out a uniform and stable inspection for all small molded products, the small molded products are transported in a target posture suitable for inspection and in a stable state without shaking. It is important that

JP 2001-97550 A

  However, when supplying small molded products to the transport device, if there is a difference in height between the supply device and the transport device, or if there is a speed difference, the posture of the small molded product may collapse on the transport device. There was a problem of shaking. In particular, when the small molded product is, for example, a spheroidal sugar-coated tablet or a so-called R-attached lock having a pair of opposed bulging curved portions, the curved portion comes into contact with the conveyance surface, and thus the shaking occurs. It is easy, and once the shaking occurs, it may not converge easily.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a relay device that can deliver a small molded product to a conveying device in a target posture and in a state in which no shaking occurs, and an object of the invention is to accurately perform processing performed in the conveying process. And

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a conveying device that conveys a small molded product to a processing apparatus that performs at least one of inspection and marking on the small molded product, and aligns the small molded products in at least one row, and the conveying device. A supply device for supplying a small molded product toward the device, and a supply relay device for a small molded product that transfers the small molded product so as to relay between the supply device,
The chamber is connected to a vacuum source, and an opening extending in the direction of transfer is provided on the bottom surface so as to face the downstream end region of the supply device and the upstream end region of the transfer device . A chamber ;
A belt orbiting the periphery of the chamber so as to pass through in the direction of the transfer, are arranged in the direction of circulation, the belt having a plurality of holes formed to pass through a position opposed to the opening,
Including
In the course of the belt, suction force acts on the downstream end region of the supply device , so that the small molded product is adsorbed in the hole , and the suction force is released at a predetermined position on the upstream end region of the transport device. And
Belt gap for the upstream end region of the downstream end region and conveying device of the feed device is set to be larger than the thickness of the small molded articles, it is set to and becomes minimum at the predetermined position It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, a small molded product can be picked up from the supply device, and the posture can be regulated by suction and then transferred to the conveying device without impact, thereby suppressing the collapse of the posture of the small molded product and the occurrence of shaking. can do. Thereby, the process performed in a conveyance process comes to be performed correctly.

It is a typical perspective view for demonstrating schematic structure of the processing system of the tablet containing the relay apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the supply guide part which the supply apparatus used for the system of FIG. 1 has. It is a side view of the connection part vicinity of the supply apparatus and conveying apparatus which are used for the system of FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the relay device concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the upper part. It is the perspective view which looked at the relay device concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the lower part. It is an isometric view for demonstrating the structure inside the chamber which the relay apparatus of embodiment has. It is a bottom view shown in the state where the adsorption belt which the relay device of an embodiment has was removed. It is explanatory drawing which shows the aspect of the supply relay of the tablet in embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structural example of the suction hole provided in a suction belt. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the structure of the relay apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, a tablet is exemplified as a small molded product. Further, the supply or transport direction of the tablet at the position of interest is defined as the X direction, and the direction intersecting with this is defined as the Y direction.

System Configuration FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a schematic configuration of a tablet processing system including a relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This processing system generally includes a tablet supply device 1, a transport device 3, and a relay device 2 that is interposed between the devices and delivers the tablets. Further, the transport device 3 is combined with a processing device that performs a required process on the tablet in the transport process. The processing apparatus can be, for example, the inspection apparatus 4 that is disposed so as to sandwich the conveyor belt 310 from above and below. The inspection apparatus 4 includes, for example, an X-ray source 401 and an X-ray line sensor 402 that faces the X-ray source and extends in the Y direction, and can inspect for the presence or absence of foreign matter inside the tablet. . For example, an inspection apparatus having a CCD line sensor may be used. Alternatively, as a processing device, a marking device 5 in the form of a line printer for marking required information such as a manufacturer name, a logo, and a medicine name on the tablet surface can be arranged instead of or together with the inspection device 4. .

Supply Device FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a supply guide unit used in the supply device, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the vicinity of a connection portion between the supply device 1 and the transport device 3. The supply guide unit 100 receives a tablet 110 that receives tablets from a hopper (not shown) or other appropriate insertion means, and guides the received tablets while aligning them in a plurality of rows in the Y direction. And a guide section 120 that supplies the connection section. The guide unit 120 is divided into three members that respectively form a first guide region 121, a second guide region 122, and a third guide region 123. In the first, second, and third guide regions 121, 122, and 123, guide paths that include grooves 131, 132, and 133 that extend in the X direction and are arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the Y direction are formed. Is done. These grooves or guide paths are aligned in the X direction, but each guide region is connected with a step. In addition, the first to third guide regions are arranged with different inclination angles with respect to the horizontal plane, and the inclination angle becomes larger toward the downstream in the supply direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the supply guide unit 100 is supported by a base member 140, and the base member 140 is further placed on a feeder 150 having a vibration mechanism. Then, the vibration of the feeder 150 is transmitted to the supply guide unit 100 via the base member 140, thereby introducing the tablet from the receiving unit 110 to the first guide region 121 and the first to third guide regions 121 to 123. The progression of the tablets on top is promoted.

  At this time, as described above, the guide regions are arranged so that the inclination angle sequentially increases with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, the preceding tablet increases the sliding speed when it moves to the downstream guide region, so that an interval in the X direction between the preceding tablet and the subsequent tablet can be ensured. Further, each guide area is connected with a step, thereby giving a movement of dropping to the tablet, further increasing the speed difference from the succeeding tablet and causing a change in the posture of the tablet. Thereby, it is possible to secure a further distance from the succeeding tablet, and it is possible to smoothly bring the tablet toward the center in the Y direction of each guide path by reliably preventing the contact between the preceding and following tablets.

  Note that the receiving unit 110 may also be connected to the first guide region 121 with a step and be arranged so that the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than that of the first guide region 121. A plurality of grooves 112 aligned with the grooves 131 are also formed in the connection area of the receiving portion 110 with the first guide area 121 so as to facilitate the introduction of dispersion into the plurality of grooves 131 in the first guide area 121. An introduction region 114 can be provided. Further, the upstream end portion of the groove 112 can have a shape that contributes to introduction into the groove 112.

The tablets arranged in multiple rows by the relay device supply device 1 are supplied to the transport device 3 via the relay device 2 which is the main part of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the relay device 2 is located above the connection region between the supply device 1 and the transport device 3 (that is, the downstream end region of the supply device 1 and the upstream end region of the transport device 3). And the function of preventing the collapse of the posture of the tablet and the occurrence of shaking caused by the step difference or speed difference between the supply device 1 and the conveying device 3.

  4 and 5 are perspective views of the relay device 2 according to the present embodiment as viewed from above and below, respectively. The relay device 2 according to the present embodiment generally has a belt 210 that circulates so as to pass through a region facing a connection region between the supply device 1 and the transport device 3, and a belt 210 that is wound to define a circulation path. Pulleys 220, 230, 240, and 250, and a chamber 260 that is disposed inside the circulation path of the belt 210 in a side view.

  A number of holes 212 are arranged in the belt 210 in the circumferential direction and in a direction perpendicular thereto. The arrangement pitch and position of the holes 212 in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction are substantially equal to the arrangement pitch and position of the grooves 133 in the Y direction on the third guide region 123. Moreover, the arrangement pitch of the holes 212 in the circumferential direction can be made equal to the pitch in the conveyance direction of the tablet to be secured on the conveyance device 3. Further, the shape and size of the holes 212 can be determined corresponding to the shape and size of the tablet. As a material of the belt 210, an appropriate material can be selected in consideration of the workability of the hole 212, the adsorptivity of the tablet to the hole (described later), and the like, and urethane is used in this embodiment.

  The pulleys 220 and 230 form a belt surface that faces a connection region between the supply device 1 and the conveyance device 3. Hereinafter, the region of the belt surface is simply referred to as a facing region, and particularly in the region facing the third guide region 123 that is the downstream end region of the supply device 1, the upstream facing region, the upstream of the conveying device 3. A region facing the side end region is referred to as a downstream facing region. In the present embodiment, the transport surface of the transport belt 310 of the transport device 3 is horizontal, while the third guide region 123 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, so that the third guide region 123 and the transport belt 310 are opposed to each other in the facing region. The pulleys 220 and 230 are arranged at different heights so that the required gap (the gap in which tablet progression is allowed) is maintained, i.e., the opposing areas are appropriately tilted. A pulley (not shown) is connected to the pulley 240, and the belt 210 circulates in the direction of the arrow in FIGS. 4 and 5 according to the driving thereof, and the circulatory speed, that is, the passing speed with respect to the connection region between the supply device 1 and the transport device 3. Can be controlled appropriately. Note that a mechanism 252 for adjusting the tension of the belt 210 and releasing the belt at the time of replacement is added to the pulley 250.

  6 is an isometric view showing the inside of the chamber 260 with the side cover 270 removed, and FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the relay device 2 shown with the belt 210 removed. The chamber 260 is connected to a vacuum source (a vacuum blower, a pump, an ejector, etc.) (not shown) via a suction port 280 provided at a position where it does not interfere with the belt 210. The bottom surface of the chamber 260 is located inside the opposing region, and has an opening 262 corresponding to the position of the hole 212 in the Y direction and extending in the X direction. Accordingly, when a vacuum source (not shown) is operated to bring the inside of the chamber 260 into a negative pressure state, a suction force acts on the hole 212 through the opening 262, and the tablet that has progressed on the third guide region 123 becomes a hole. Adsorbed to 212. In order to perform such an action, the opening 262 may be referred to as a suction opening, the hole 212 as an adsorption hole, and the belt 210 as an adsorption belt.

  The relay device 2 is configured to release the suction force at a predetermined position on the downstream facing area (hereinafter, this position is referred to as a suction release position). In the present embodiment, the pulleys 220 and 230 are arranged so that their lowermost ends tangent to the virtual horizontal plane are located below the bottom surface of the chamber 260. Therefore, especially in the upstream end region of the transport device 3, the gap between the suction belt 210 and the transport belt 310 is the narrowest at the lowermost end portion of the pulley 230. In light of the purpose of reducing the impact of dropping as much as possible and delivering the tablet to the conveyor belt 310, it is desirable that the portion where the gap is the narrowest be the suction release position. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the groove 232 aligned in the X direction with the opening 262 on the bottom surface of the chamber is formed in the pulley 230, and even if the suction hole 212 deviates from the position facing the opening 262, the groove 232 is interposed. A suction force is applied. Since this suction force becomes weaker as the suction hole 212 moves away from the opening 262, the bottom end position can be set by adjusting the size of the groove 232 and the degree of vacuum so that the suction state cannot be maintained at the bottom end of the pulley 230. The suction release position 234 can be set. However, the suction release position can be appropriately determined in relation to the height from the conveyance belt 310 and the shape of the tablet, and may be set downstream or upstream from the lowermost end of the pulley 230. For example, tablets that are not circular when viewed in plan (substantially elliptical deformed tablets having a major axis and a minor axis), and spheroidal tablets that are nearly circular when viewed from the side (tablets close to a sphere) are pulleys. It is considered that the lowermost end portion is not in a preferable posture with respect to the conveyor belt 310. That is, it is conceivable that the tablet is still inclined with respect to the target posture at the lowermost end of the pulley. Therefore, in such a case, a stable target posture can be obtained by setting the suction belt 210 and the transport belt 310 in parallel in the downstream facing region and setting the suction release position to the downstream side of the pulley bottom end 234. Then, the tablets can be transferred to the conveyor belt 310.

Embodiment 8 of the supply relay of the tablet is an explanatory view showing an aspect of a supply relay in the present embodiment, an arrow indicated by a broken line shows the movement state of the tablet. The tablets are picked up by the relay device 2 in the course of traveling through the third guide region 123, and are sucked and transferred to the suction holes 212, and then the effective suction force does not act at the suction release position 234, thereby transporting the tablets. It moves to the conveyor belt 310 of the apparatus 3.

  Note that the height of the suction belt 210 from the third guide region 123 and the conveyor belt 310 in the opposing region is the same as that of the tablet, the third guide region 123, the conveyor belt 310, and the suction belt 210 in the movement process shown in FIG. Needless to say, the gap is set so as not to cause inappropriate interference (collision or clogging).

  Further, when the traveling speed of the tablet on the third guide region 123 is V1, the circumferential speed of the suction belt 210, that is, the traveling speed of the suction belt 210 in the overlap region is V2, and the traveling speed of the transport belt 310 is V3, V1 ≦ It is preferable that there is a relationship of V2 = V3. Here, the speed V1 can be theoretically or experimentally determined based on the length or inclination angle of the third guide area 123, the length of the upstream facing area, and the like, and the speed V2 and the speed V1 can be determined accordingly. V3 can be set. Alternatively, the speed V2 may be detected using a speed sensor or the like, and the speeds V2 and V3 may be set accordingly. Alternatively, if there are preferable speeds V2 and V3 in relation to the inspection apparatus 4 or the like, the length or inclination angle of the third guide region 123 can be determined accordingly.

  V1 <V2 means that the amount of overlap of the suction belt 210 with respect to the travel distance of the tablet in the third guide region 123 corresponding to the upstream facing region is substantially increased. Therefore, the tablets are surely adsorbed in any of the adsorbing holes, and as a result, the tablets are easily held in the adsorbing belt 210 in an aligned state in the X and Y directions at a constant pitch. However, if such a constant pitch in the X direction and the Y direction is not required, V1 = V2.

  Further, setting V2 = V3 means that when the tablet moves to the transport belt 310 at the suction release position, the external force applied in the traveling direction is substantially zero, and the impact is greatly reduced. Further, if the gap between the belts at the suction release position is set as close as possible to the thickness of the tablet, the gravitational acceleration applied to the tablet during movement can be reduced as much as possible. As a result, the tablet moved to the transport belt 310 is prevented from being deformed or shaken, and the tablets are stably transported while maintaining a state of being aligned at a constant pitch in the X and Y directions. Note that the gap at the suction release position takes into account the size and shape of the tablet (ratio of thickness to long diameter (outer diameter), etc.), and the conveyance belt when the posture changes when being transferred from the upstream facing area to the downstream facing area Appropriately determined such that no contact with 310 occurs. According to the experiments by the present inventors, for the spheroidal sugar-coated tablets and the so-called R-attached locks having a pair of opposed bulging curved portions, the gaps are considered in consideration of variations in tablet thickness. It has been confirmed that if the tablet thickness is 120% to 150% of the tablet thickness, there will be no collapse or shaking of the tablet posture.

The technical idea of adsorbing and transferring the superior tablet of the present embodiment and supplying it to the next-stage transport device is also disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. The one described in this document uses a disk in which a slit capable of applying a suction force is formed on the outer peripheral surface. The received object to be conveyed is adsorbed to the slit and transferred by rotation of the disk. The structure which delivers a to-be-conveyed object to a conveyance belt because suction | attraction force is cancelled | released when it reaches to a conveyance part) is disclosed. However, the configuration described in this document is mainly intended to save the space of the transport device, and does not take into consideration the constant pitch of the transported object and the impact mitigation during delivery.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, it is advisable to pay attention to the effect that the posture can be stabilized and the pitch of the tablet can be ensured by adsorbing to the adsorption hole instead of the slit, and the gap at the adsorption release position and appropriate. By performing the speed setting, it is possible to obtain an effect that the posture and shaking of the tablet are suppressed. In addition, the adoption of suction belts simplifies the construction, facilitating manufacturing and maintenance.In addition, various suction belts with different sizes and shapes of suction holes are prepared and replaced as appropriate. By using it, it is possible to easily handle tablets of various sizes and shapes. Furthermore, when the inspection apparatus 4 including a line sensor or the marking apparatus 5 in the form of a line printer is combined with the conveyance apparatus 3, the tablets are distributed and conveyed in a two-dimensional plane without overlapping in the X direction or the Y direction. In addition, it is strongly desirable to be in a multi-row state at equal intervals in any direction. In that sense, the configuration of the present embodiment is effective.

(4) Modifications The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, the arrangement mode of the suction holes can be determined as appropriate, and even in a relationship with the apparatus that performs the next processing, it may be arranged in a two-dimensional plane such as a staggered pattern (checkered pattern). Good.

  The shape of the suction hole can also be determined as appropriate. In relation to the shape of the tablet, the cross section shown in the figure is not limited to a circular shape, but may be an oval shape. The longitudinal section of the suction hole 212 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may have a shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases as the distance from the surface (suction surface) increases, for example, as shown in FIG. According to this, even if it is a comparatively small tablet TS or a large tablet TL, it can be relayed to the transport device 3 with a stable target posture. In addition, a mechanism for adjusting the height and inclination of the relay device may be provided for the purpose of adjusting the height at the suction release position corresponding to the thickness of the tablet.

  In the above-described embodiment, the facing region is formed by the pulleys 220 and 230. However, as shown in FIG. 10, if there is no problem with scratching and friction, a facing region is formed by the bottom surface of the chamber 260, and a suction opening is arranged in the facing region to form a suction force working region. You may be made to do.

  Further, in view of the purpose of eliminating the disadvantage that the posture of the tablet collapses or shakes due to the difference in height between the supply device and the transport device or the speed difference, the supply guide unit 100 is not necessarily as described above. A plurality of guide regions with different inclination angles may not be combined, and the number of steps can be determined as appropriate. In addition, it is not essential to use a supply device in which a supply guide unit having such an inclined surface and a feeder are combined, and it is also possible to use a supply device including a belt similar to the conveying device. Another process such as an appearance inspection may be performed in the course of conveyance by the apparatus.

  In addition, the number of relay devices is not limited to one, and if there are a plurality of points that may cause a height difference or a speed difference in the tablet transfer process, they may be provided at those points. In addition, the relay device is not limited to application to an inspection device or a processing system on the premise that inspection is performed in a state where tablets are dispersed in a two-dimensional plane, and inspection is performed with small molded products aligned in a row. The present invention can also be applied to a configuration premised on performing. That is, the number of the suction holes arranged on the guide path or suction belt on the supply device in the Y direction can be appropriately determined in relation to the configuration of the processing device combined with the transport device.

  In addition, in order to further ensure the stable conveyance of the tablet on the conveyance device, the adsorption conveyance can be performed on the conveyance device. However, if the conveyance device uses the arrangement of the suction holes, it is necessary to consider the alignment with the suction holes on the relay device side. Therefore, it is preferable to employ a mesh belt as the conveyance belt.

  Moreover, although the tablet was illustrated as a small molded article in the above embodiment, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is applicable not only to a tablet but the supply apparatus and test | inspection system of granular confectionery and other small molded articles.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Supply apparatus 2 Relay apparatus 3 Conveyance apparatus 4 Inspection apparatus 5 Marking apparatus 100 Supply guide part 120 Guide part 150 Feeder 210 Adsorption belt 212 Adsorption hole 220, 230, 240, 250 Pulley 232 Adsorption release position 260 Chamber 262 Suction opening 280 Suction port 310 Conveyor belt

Claims (8)

A conveying device that conveys the small molded product to a processing apparatus that performs at least one of inspection and marking on the small molded product, and aligns the small molded product in at least one row, and supplies the small molded product toward the conveying device. A supply relay device for a small molded product that transfers the small molded product between the supply device and the supply device,
A chamber connected to a vacuum source, wherein an opening extending in the direction of transfer is provided on a bottom surface so as to face the downstream end region of the supply device and the upstream end region of the transfer device. A chamber formed;
A belt that circulates around the chamber so as to pass in the direction of the transfer, and has a plurality of holes that are arranged in the direction of the lap and are formed so as to pass through a position facing the opening. A belt, and
In the course of the belt, a suction force acts on the downstream end region of the supply device, so that the small molded product is adsorbed to the hole, and at a predetermined position on the upstream end region of the transport device. The suction force is released,
The gap of the belt with respect to the downstream end region of the supply device and the upstream end region of the transport device is set to be larger than the thickness of the small molded product and is minimized at the predetermined position. Supply relay device for small molded products, characterized in that it is set to   2. The small molded article supply relay device according to claim 1, wherein a circumferential speed of the belt is equal to a conveyance speed of the conveyance device.   The supply relay device for a small molded product according to claim 2, wherein a circulating speed of the belt is equal to or higher than a supply speed of the small molded product by the supply device.   The supply device includes a supply guide portion that aligns the small molded articles in at least one row, and the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of holes is aligned with the alignment direction of the small molded articles in the supply guide portion. The supply relay device for a small molded product according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   A pair of pulleys disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transfer direction with respect to the chamber are offset from the bottom surface, and the pulleys disposed on the downstream side include the opening and The supply of the small molded product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an aligned groove is provided, and the gap is minimized at a lowermost position of a pulley disposed on the downstream side. Relay device.   The small hole according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the hole has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape in which a cross-sectional area is reduced as the hole is separated from an adsorption surface of the belt that adsorbs the small mold. Supply relay device.   The small molded product according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a gap and / or an inclination with respect to a downstream end region of the supply device and an upstream end region of the transfer device are adjustable. Supply relay device.   The supply device has a supply guide section for aligning the small molded products in a plurality of rows, and the plurality of holes are two-dimensionally formed in the belt in correspondence with the small molded products supplied in alignment with the plurality of rows. The supply relay device for a small molded product according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the supply relay device is arranged in a shape.