JP6811880B2 - Tablet printing device and tablet printing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tablet printing apparatus and a tablet printing method for printing on the surface of a tablet.

Characters and codes for identifying products are printed on the surface of tablets, which are pharmaceutical products. Such characters and codes may be printed by engraving, but there is a problem that the engraving has low visibility. In particular, in recent years, the types of tablets have been diversified due to the spread of generic drugs. For this reason, in order to reliably identify tablets, a technique for clearly printing on the surface of tablets by an inkjet method has attracted attention.

A conventional inkjet tablet printing apparatus is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. In the tablet manufacturing process including this type of printing apparatus, in addition to printing defects, shape defects such as cracks and chips may occur. The tablet printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 prints on tablets and collects defective products from the printed tablets. In this way, it is possible to suppress the mixing of defective products into the product.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-10437

Even in the case of having a mechanism for collecting defective products such as the tablet printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, in rare cases, defective products that cannot be completely collected may be mixed in the product. When defective products are mixed in the product of pharmaceutical tablets, they are discarded in units of packaging, blister packs, or every dozen. Therefore, it is more desirable to further reduce the mixing rate of defective products in the product.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving the recovery efficiency of defective products in a tablet printing apparatus that prints on the surface of a tablet which is a pharmaceutical product.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application is a tablet printing device that prints on the surface of a tablet, and comprises a transport mechanism that applies a negative pressure to a plurality of suction portions to suck and hold the tablet. Based on the head that ejects ink droplets toward the surface of the tablet transported by the transport mechanism, the camera that is arranged on the downstream side of the head and captures the tablet, and the image captured by the camera. A positive pressure is applied to the defective product determination unit that determines the target tablet to be collected among the tablets and the adsorption unit that is arranged on the downstream side of the camera and holds the target tablet, and the target in the adsorption unit. A first blow mechanism for releasing the adsorption of tablets, an discharge sensor arranged on the downstream side of the first blow mechanism and detecting whether or not the target tablet is present in the suction portion, and a discharge sensor from the discharge sensor. Based on the detection signal, the residue determination unit that discriminates the residual tablet that is the target tablet and remains in the adsorption unit, and the adsorption unit that is arranged downstream of the discharge sensor and holds the residual tablet are positive. It has a second blow mechanism that releases the adsorption of the tablet containing the residual tablet in the adsorption unit by applying pressure, and when the residual tablet is not present in the determination of the residual determination unit, the transport mechanism. Does not reduce the transport speed or stop the transport, and when the residual tablet is present in the determination of the residual determination unit, the transport mechanism lowers the transport speed when the second blow mechanism is driven. Alternatively, stop the transportation.

The second invention of the present invention is the tablet printing apparatus of the first invention, and the transport mechanism reduces the transport speed when the second blow mechanism is driven.

The third invention of the present invention is the tablet printing apparatus of the first invention, and the transport mechanism stops the transport when the second blow mechanism is driven.

The fourth invention of the present application is the tablet printing apparatus according to any one of the first invention to the third invention, in which the suction portions are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction to form rows. The first blow mechanism exerts a positive pressure on the adsorption portion on which the target tablet is adsorbed at a predetermined position in the transport direction to release the adsorption of the target tablet, and the second blow mechanism is said. On the downstream side of the first blow mechanism, a positive pressure is applied to the adsorption portion on which the residual tablet is adsorbed to release the adsorption of the residual tablet.

The fifth invention of the present application is the tablet printing apparatus of the fourth invention, in which the second blow mechanism applies a positive pressure to the entire row including the suction portion where the residual tablet is held. To release the adsorption of all the tablets held in the row.

The sixth invention of the present application is the tablet printing apparatus according to any one of the first invention to the fifth invention, wherein the transport mechanism includes a first transport unit that transports the tablet while exposing the first surface, and the same. The head includes a second transport portion for transporting the tablet while exposing the second surface, and the head ejects ink droplets toward the first surface of the tablet transported by the first transport portion. The camera includes a first head and a second head that ejects ink droplets toward the second surface of the tablet transported by the second transport unit, and the camera is located downstream of the first head. A first camera that images the first surface of the tablet that is arranged and transported by the first transport unit, and the tablet that is arranged downstream of the second head and transported by the second transport unit. The defective product determination unit includes the second camera that captures the second surface of the above, and the defective product determination unit is based on both the image captured by the first camera and the image captured by the second camera. Determine the target tablet.

The seventh invention of the present application is a tablet printing method in which a negative pressure is applied to a plurality of suction portions by a transport mechanism to suck and hold and print on the surface of a tablet to be transported, and a) the tablet is transported by the transport mechanism. A step of ejecting ink droplets toward the surface of a tablet to print, and b) after the step a), an inspection is performed based on an image of the tablet, and the target to be collected among the tablets. A step of determining a tablet, c) a step of applying a positive pressure to the adsorption portion on which the target tablet determined in the step b) is held to release the adsorption of the target tablet in the adsorption portion. d) After the step c), a step of determining whether or not the target tablet has a residual tablet remaining in the adsorption portion, and e) when the residual tablet is present in the determination of the step d). In addition, the residual tablet has a step of applying a positive pressure to the suction portion where the residual tablet is held to release the adsorption of the residual tablet in the suction portion, and the residual tablet is determined in the determination of the step d). If it does not exist, the transport mechanism does not reduce the transport speed or stop the transport, and if the residual tablet is present in the determination of the step d ), the transport mechanism determines the transport speed in the step e). Lower or stop transport.

According to the first to seventh inventions of the present application, even if the defective product is not collected by the first blow mechanism, the defective product can be collected by the second blow mechanism. Therefore, the recovery efficiency of defective products can be improved.

Further, according to the first to seventh inventions of the present application, it is possible to more reliably recover the defective product in the second blow mechanism.

It is a figure which showed the structure of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the vicinity of the transport drum of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which showed the structure in the vicinity of the 2nd conveyor of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a bottom view of the head of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which showed the connection between each part in the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and a control part. It is a block diagram which showed the structure of the control part which concerns on the printing process in the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which showed the flow of the printing process in the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which showed the flow of the printing process in the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which showed the structure of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which showed the structure of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment near the 2nd conveyor. It is a block diagram which showed the structure of the control part which concerns on the printing process in the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which showed the flow of the printing process in the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction in which a plurality of tablets are transported is referred to as a "transport direction", and the direction perpendicular to and horizontal to the transport direction is referred to as a "width direction".

<1. First Embodiment>
<1-1. Configuration of tablet printing device>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a tablet printing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The tablet printing device 1 is a device that prints images such as a product name, a product code, a company name, and a logo mark on the surface of each tablet 9 while transporting a plurality of tablets 9 which are pharmaceutical products.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tablet printing device 1 of the present embodiment includes a supply mechanism 20, a transport mechanism 30, a printing unit 40, an inspection mechanism 50, a collection unit 60, and a control unit 10.

The supply mechanism 20 includes a hopper 21, a straight-ahead feeder 22, a rotary feeder 23, and an inclined feeder 24. The supply mechanism 20 is a mechanism for delivering the tablets 9 put into the apparatus to the transport mechanism 30.

The hopper 21 is a charging unit for collectively receiving a large number of tablets 9 into the apparatus. The hopper 21 is arranged at the top of the housing 100 of the tablet printing apparatus 1. The hopper 21 has an opening 211 located on the upper surface of the housing 100 and a funnel-shaped inclined surface 212 that gradually converges downward. The plurality of tablets 9 charged into the opening 211 flow into the straight feeder 22 along the inclined surface 212.

The straight-ahead feeder 22, the rotary feeder 23, and the inclined feeder 24 are mechanisms for transporting a plurality of tablets 9 charged into the hopper 21 to the transport mechanism 30. The straight feeder 22 has a flat plate-shaped vibrating trough 221. The plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the hopper 21 to the vibration trough 221 are conveyed to the rotation feeder 23 side by the vibration of the vibration trough 221.

The rotary feeder 23 has a disk-shaped turntable 231. The plurality of tablets 9 that have fallen from the vibration trough 221 onto the upper surface of the turntable 231 gather near the outer peripheral portion of the turntable 231 due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the turntable 231.

The inclined feeder 24 has a plate-shaped slope 241 extending diagonally downward from the outer peripheral portion of the turntable 231 to the transport drum 31 described later of the transport mechanism 30. FIG. 2 is a perspective view including a part of the inclined feeder 24, a part of the transfer drum 31 and a part of the first transfer conveyor 32. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of (8 in the example of FIG. 2) transfer grooves 242 are provided on the upper surface of the slope 241. The plurality of tablets 9 transported to the outer peripheral portion of the turntable 231 are each supplied to any one of the plurality of transport grooves 242, and flow down diagonally downward along the transport grooves 242. In this way, the plurality of tablets 9 are arranged in a plurality of transport rows by being dispersedly supplied to the plurality of transport grooves 242. Then, a plurality of tablets 9 in each transport row are supplied to the transport drum 31 in order from the first one.

The transfer mechanism 30 includes a transfer drum 31, a first transfer conveyor 32, a second transfer conveyor 33, and a carry-out conveyor 34.

The transfer drum 31 is a mechanism for transferring a plurality of tablets 9 from the inclined feeder 24 to the first transfer conveyor 32. The transport drum 31 has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface. The transport drum 31 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2 about a rotation axis extending in the width direction by a power obtained from a motor (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of suction portions 310 arranged at substantially equal intervals in the transport direction and the width direction are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transport drum 31. The plurality of suction portions 310 are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the transport drum 31 at the width direction positions corresponding to each of the transport grooves 242 of the inclined feeder 24.

Each of the suction portions 310 is a through hole provided on the surface of the transport drum 31. FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view showing the configurations of the transfer drum 31, a part of the first transfer conveyor 32, and the second transfer conveyor 33. As shown in FIG. 3, a suction mechanism 311 is provided inside the transport drum 31. When the suction mechanism 311 is operated, a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure is generated in each of the plurality of suction portions 310. The suction unit 310 sucks and holds the tablets 9 supplied from the inclined feeder 24 one by one by the negative pressure.

Further, a release blow mechanism 312 is provided inside the transport drum 31. The release blow mechanism 312 blows a locally pressurized gas from the inside of the transfer drum 31 toward the first transfer conveyor 32 side. The release blow mechanism 312 applies a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure to all of the suction units 310 arranged at predetermined positions facing the first conveyor 32 to suck the tablets 9 on the suction unit 310. To cancel.

As a result, in the suction unit 310 arranged at a position not facing the first conveyor 32, the tablet 9 is sucked only in the suction unit 310 facing the first conveyor 32 while maintaining the suction state of the tablet 9. Is released. In this way, the transfer drum 31 rotates while sucking and holding the plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the inclined feeder 24, and delivers the tablets 9 to the first transfer conveyor 32.

Here, the surface that is adsorbed by the adsorption unit 310 while the tablet 9 is adsorbed and held by the transport drum 31 is referred to as a first surface. On the other hand, the surface opposite to the first surface is referred to as the second surface. That is, the surface exposed to the outside while the tablet 9 is adsorbed and held by the transport drum 31 is referred to as a second surface. When the tablet 9 is delivered from the transport drum 31 to the first conveyor 32, the second surface of the tablet 9 faces the first conveyor 32. Therefore, the second surface of the tablet 9 is adsorbed on the first conveyor 32. Therefore, the first surface of the tablet 9 is exposed to the outside while being sucked and held by the first conveyor 32. In this way, the front and back sides of the tablet 9 are reversed between the time when the tablet 9 is sucked and held by the transport drum 31 and the time when the tablet 9 is sucked and held by the first conveyor 32.

The first conveyor 32 is a first conveyor having a pair of pulleys 321 and a conveyor belt 322 and a suction mechanism 323. The transport belt 322 is annularly hung between the pair of pulleys 321. A part of the transport belt 322 is arranged so as to be close to and face the outer peripheral surface of the transport drum 31. One of the pair of pulleys 321 rotates with power obtained from a motor (not shown). As a result, the transport belt 322 rotates in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2. At this time, the other of the pair of pulleys 321 is driven to rotate with the rotation of the transport belt 322.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the transport belt 322 is provided with a plurality of suction portions 320. The plurality of suction portions 320 are through holes provided on the surface of the transport belt 322, similarly to the suction portions 310 of the transport drum 31. The plurality of suction portions 320 are arranged in the transport direction at positions in the width direction corresponding to each of the plurality of transport rows. The distance between the plurality of suction portions 320 in the transport belt 322 in the transport direction and the width direction is equal to the distance between the plurality of suction portions 310 in the transport drum 31 in the transport direction and the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first conveyor 32 has a suction mechanism 323. The suction mechanism 323 creates a negative pressure in the space inside the pulley 321 and the transport belt 322. When the suction mechanism 323 is operated, a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure is generated in each of the plurality of suction portions 320. The suction unit 320 sucks and holds the tablets 9 delivered from the transport drum 31 one by one by the negative pressure. As a result, the first transfer conveyor 32 applies a negative pressure to the plurality of suction portions 320 to convey the plurality of tablets 9 while adsorbing and holding them in a state of being aligned in the transfer direction and the width direction.

Further, the first conveyor 32 is provided with a release blow mechanism 324 shown in FIG. The release blow mechanism 324 blows a locally pressurized gas from the inside of the transfer belt 322 toward the second transfer conveyor 33 side. The release blow mechanism 324 applies a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure to all of the suction units 320 arranged at predetermined positions facing the second conveyor 33 to suck the tablets 9 on the suction units 320. To cancel. As a result, the adsorption of the tablet 9 on the suction unit 320 is released, and the tablet 9 is delivered from the first conveyor 32 to the second conveyor 33.

Here, while the tablet 9 is sucked and held on the first conveyor 32, the second surface of the tablet 9 is sucked by the suction portion 320, and the first surface of the tablet 9 is exposed to the outside. When the tablet 9 is delivered from the first conveyor 32 to the second conveyor 33, the first surface of the tablet 9 faces the second conveyor 33. Therefore, the first surface of the tablet 9 is adsorbed on the second conveyor 33. Therefore, the second surface of the tablet 9 is exposed to the outside while being sucked and held by the second conveyor 33. In this way, the front and back sides of the tablet 9 are reversed between the time when the tablet 9 is sucked and held by the first conveyor 32 and the time when the tablet 9 is sucked and held by the second conveyor 33.

The second conveyor 33 is a second conveyor having a pair of pulleys 331, a conveyor belt 332 having a plurality of suction portions 330, and a suction mechanism 333. Since the pair of pulleys 331, the conveyor belt 332 and the suction mechanism 333 of the second conveyor 33 have the same configurations as the pair of pulleys 321, the conveyor belt 322 and the suction mechanism 323 of the first conveyor 32, the description thereof will be omitted. ..

As shown in FIG. 3, the second conveyor 33 is provided with a discharge blow mechanism 334. Below the discharge blow mechanism 334, a chute 341 that connects the second conveyor 33 and the unloading conveyor 34 is arranged. The discharge blow mechanism 334 blows a locally pressurized gas from the inside of the transport belt 332 toward the chute 341 side. The discharge blow mechanism 334 exerts a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure on all of the suction portions 330 arranged at predetermined positions facing the chute 341 to release the adsorption of the tablet 9 on the suction portion 330. .. As a result, the adsorption of the tablet 9 on the adsorption unit 330 is released, and the tablet 9 is delivered from the second transfer conveyor 33 to the carry-out conveyor 34.

The carry-out conveyor 34 is a mechanism for carrying out a plurality of printed tablets 9 to the outside of the housing 100 of the tablet printing device 1. The upstream end of the carry-out conveyor 34 is located below the chute 341. The downstream end of the carry-out conveyor 34 is located outside the housing 100. The downstream end of the unloading conveyor 34 is connected, for example, to a packaging device for packaging the printed tablets 9. For the carry-out conveyor 34, for example, a belt transport mechanism is used. The plurality of tablets 9 delivered from the second conveyor 33 to the carry-out conveyor 34 are carried out of the housing 100 by the carry-out conveyor 34.

The printing unit 40 has a first printing unit 41 and a second printing unit 42.

The first printing unit 41 is a processing unit for printing an image on the first surface of the tablet 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the first printing unit 41 is an inkjet head unit having four heads 411. Each of the four heads 411 ejects ink droplets toward the first surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the first conveyor 32. The four heads 411 eject ink droplets of different colors (for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). By superimposing the monochromatic images formed by each of these colors, a multicolor image is recorded on the surface of the tablet 9. As the ink discharged from each head 411, edible ink produced from a raw material approved by the Food Sanitation Law is used.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one head 411. In FIG. 4, the transport belt 322 and the plurality of tablets 9 held by the transport belt 322 are shown by an alternate long and short dash line. As shown enlarged in FIG. 4, a plurality of nozzles 410 capable of ejecting ink droplets are provided on the lower surface of the head 411. In the present embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 410 are two-dimensionally arranged on the lower surface of the head 411 in the transport direction and the width direction. The nozzles 410 are arranged so as to be displaced in the width direction. By arranging the plurality of nozzles 410 two-dimensionally in this way, the positions of the nozzles 410 in the width direction can be brought close to each other. However, the plurality of nozzles 410 may be arranged in a row along the width direction.

As a method for ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle 410, for example, a so-called piezo method is used in which the ink in the nozzle 410 is pressurized and ejected by applying a voltage to the piezo element, which is a piezoelectric element, to deform the ink droplets. The head 411 of the present embodiment can switch the size of ink droplets ejected from the nozzle 410 depending on the magnitude of the voltage applied to the piezo element. Specifically, any ink droplet can be ejected from four types of ink droplets from "size 1" which is the finest ink droplet to "size 4" which is the largest ink droplet. However, the size of the ink droplets that can be ejected may be 2 to 3 types or 5 or more types. Further, the ink droplet ejection method may be a so-called thermal system in which the heater is energized and the ink in the nozzle 410 is heated and expanded to eject the ink droplets.

The second printing unit 42 is a processing unit for printing an image on the second surface of the tablet 9. The second printing unit 42 is an inkjet head unit having four heads 421. Since the configuration of the second printing unit 42 is the same as that of the first printing unit 41, the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection mechanism 50 includes a first visual inspection camera 51, a second visual inspection camera 52, a first print inspection camera 53, a third visual inspection camera 54, and a second print inspection camera 55. And have.

The first visual inspection camera 51 is a camera that photographs the second surface of the tablet 9 transported by the transport drum 31.

The second visual inspection camera 52 is a camera that photographs the first surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the first conveyor 32 on the upstream side of the first printing unit 41. The first print inspection camera 53 is a camera that photographs the first surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the first conveyor 32 on the downstream side of the first printing unit 41.

The third visual inspection camera 54 is a camera that photographs the second surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the second conveyor 33 on the upstream side of the second printing unit 42. The second print inspection camera 55 is a camera that photographs the second surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the second conveyor 33 on the downstream side of the second printing unit 42.

The collection unit 60 includes a print defective product collection unit 61, an appearance defective product collection unit 62, a discharge sensor 63, and a rear collection unit 64.

The defective print product collection unit 61 includes a blow mechanism 611 for collecting defective print products and a defective print product collection box 612. The blow mechanism 611 for collecting defective prints is arranged on the downstream side of the second print inspection camera 55. Below the blow mechanism 611 for collecting defective prints, a defective print collection box 612 is arranged. The blow mechanism 611 for collecting defective prints blows locally pressurized gas from the inside of the transport belt 332 toward the defective print recovery box 612. The blow mechanism 611 for collecting defective prints exerts a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure on only a part of the adsorption unit 330 that holds the target tablet designated by the control unit 10, and exerts a positive pressure on the adsorption unit 330. Release the adsorption of the held target tablet. As a result, the target tablet is collected in the defective print collection box 612.

The defective appearance product collection unit 62 includes a blow mechanism 621 for collecting defective appearance products and a defective product collection box 622. The blow mechanism 621 for collecting defective appearance products is arranged on the downstream side of the defective printing product collection unit 61. A defective appearance collection box 622 is arranged below the blow mechanism 621 for collecting defective appearance products. The blow mechanism 621 for collecting defective products blows locally pressurized gas from the inside of the transport belt 332 toward the defective product collection box 622. The blow mechanism 621 for collecting defective products exerts a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure on only a part of the adsorption unit 330 that holds the target tablet designated by the control unit 10, and exerts a positive pressure on the adsorption unit 330. Release the adsorption of the held target tablet. As a result, the target tablet is collected in the defective product collection box 622.

The blow mechanism for collecting defective print products 611 and the blow mechanism for collecting defective appearance products 621 apply a positive pressure to the suction unit 330 on which the target tablet is held at a predetermined position in the transport direction, and the suction unit 330 It constitutes a first blow mechanism for releasing the adsorption of the target tablet.

In the present embodiment, the defective print collection unit 61 is arranged on the upstream side of the defective appearance collection unit 62, but the present invention is not limited to this. The defective appearance product collection unit 62 may be arranged on the upstream side of the print defective product collection unit 61.

Further, in the present embodiment, the tablet printing apparatus 1 has two first blow mechanisms, a blow mechanism for collecting defective print products 611 and a blow mechanism for collecting defective appearance products 621, but the present invention is limited to this. Absent. The tablet printing apparatus of the present invention may have a single first blow mechanism for collectively collecting defective products, or three including other blow mechanisms for collecting other types of defective products. It may have the above-mentioned first blow mechanism.

The discharge sensor 63 is arranged on the downstream side of the defective print collection unit 61 and the defective appearance collection unit 62. The emission sensor 63 is a sensor that irradiates the suction unit 330 with a laser and detects the reflected light to detect the distance to the object. The discharge sensor 63 can detect whether or not the tablet 9 is held in each suction portion 330 by detecting the reflection distance.

The post-recovery unit 64 has a post-recovery blow mechanism 641 and a post-recovery box 642. The post-recovery blow mechanism 641 is arranged on the downstream side of the discharge sensor 63. A post-recovery box 642 is arranged below the post-recovery blow mechanism 641. The post-recovery blow mechanism 641 blows a locally pressurized gas from the inside of the transport belt 332 toward the post-recovery box 642. The post-recovery blow mechanism applies a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure only to the predetermined adsorption unit 330 that holds the residual tablet designated by the control unit 10, and is held by the adsorption unit 330. Release the adsorption of the tablet 9. As a result, the tablet 9 is collected in the post-collection box 642.

The post-recovery blow mechanism 641 constitutes a second blow mechanism that releases the adsorption of residual tablets on the downstream side of the first blow mechanism, the print defective product recovery blow mechanism 611, and the appearance defective product recovery blow mechanism 621. To do.

The control unit 10 is a means for controlling the operation of each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit 10 and each unit in the tablet printing device 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 10 is composed of a computer having an arithmetic processing unit 101 such as a CPU, a memory 102 such as a RAM, and a storage unit 103 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program P for executing the printing process is installed in the storage unit 103.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 10 includes a straight-moving feeder 22, a rotary feeder 23, a transfer drum 31 (including a motor, a suction mechanism 311 and a release blow mechanism 312), and a first transfer conveyor 32 (motor, suction mechanism 323). , The release blow mechanism 324 is included), the second transfer conveyor 33 (including the motor, suction mechanism 333, and discharge blow mechanism 334), the carry-out conveyor 34, the four heads 411 of the first printing unit 41, and the second printing unit. 42 four heads 421, first visual inspection camera 51, second visual inspection camera 52, first print inspection camera 53, third visual inspection camera 54, second print inspection camera 55, blow mechanism for collecting defective prints 611 , The blow mechanism 621 for collecting defective products, the discharge sensor 63, and the blow mechanism 641 for post-recovery are each communicably connected.

The control unit 10 temporarily reads the computer program P and data stored in the storage unit 103 into the memory 102, and the arithmetic processing unit 101 performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program P to perform arithmetic processing on each of the above units. Control the operation. As a result, the printing process for the plurality of tablets 9 proceeds.

<1-2. Printing process flow>
Next, the flow of the printing process using the tablet printing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram conceptually showing the configuration of the control unit 10 involved in the printing process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the printing process in the tablet printing apparatus 1. Hereinafter, the flow of the printing process of the tablet printing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 10 of the present embodiment includes an appearance determination unit 11, a print processing unit 12, a print quality determination unit 13, a first discharge processing unit 14, a residue determination unit 15, and a third. It has 2 discharge processing units 16. Each of the above functions in the control unit 10 is realized by operating the computer as the control unit 10 according to the computer program P described above.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the printing process, the first visual inspection camera 51 first photographs the second surface of the tablet 9 transported by the transport drum 31. Then, the image data D51 acquired by the first appearance inspection camera 51 is input to the appearance determination unit 11.

The appearance determination unit 11 has tablets 9 in each suction unit 330 based on the image data D51, D52, and D54 acquired by the first appearance inspection camera 51, the second appearance inspection camera 52, and the third appearance inspection camera 54. It has a function of determining whether or not each tablet 9 has a shape defect such as cracks or chips and an appearance defect such as stains. Further, when the tablet 9 to be processed by the tablet printing apparatus 1 has a score line on its surface, the appearance determination unit 11 simultaneously determines the angle of the score line provided on each tablet 9.

Here, the secant line provided on the tablet 9 will be described. A secant is a groove carved on one side of a tablet and is provided to split the tablet in half. The tablet 9 of the present embodiment is, for example, a disk-shaped or oval-shaped tablet having a score line on one side.

When the image data D51 is input to the appearance determination unit 11, the appearance determination unit 11 determines whether or not the tablet 9 has an appearance defect when viewed from the second surface side based on the image data D51. At the same time, the appearance determination unit 11 determines whether or not each tablet 9 has a secant line on the second surface side and the angle of the secant line provided on the second surface. In this way, the appearance determination unit 11 inspects the appearance of the second surface of each tablet 9 (step S101).

Next, the second visual inspection camera 52 photographs the first surface of the tablet 9 delivered from the transfer drum 31 to the first transfer conveyor 32. Then, the image data D52 acquired by the second appearance inspection camera 52 is input to the appearance determination unit 11.

When the image data D52 is input to the appearance determination unit 11, the appearance determination unit 11 determines whether or not the tablet 9 has an appearance defect when viewed from the first surface side based on the image data D52. At the same time, the appearance determination unit 11 determines whether or not each tablet 9 has a secant line on the first surface side and the angle of the secant line provided on the first surface. In this way, the appearance determination unit 11 inspects the appearance of the first surface of each tablet 9 (step S102).

The appearance determination unit 11 generates the first appearance data D111 including the determination result of the presence or absence of the appearance defect of each tablet 9 and the determination result of the surface on which the score line is formed and the score line angle based on the image data D51 and D52. To do. Then, the appearance determination unit 11 passes the first appearance data D111 to the print processing unit 12 and the first discharge processing unit 14.

The print processing unit 12 has a function of causing the head 411 of the first printing unit 41 and the head 421 of the second printing unit 42 to perform printing processing based on the first appearance data D111 generated by the appearance determining unit 11.

Following step S102, the print processing unit 12 causes the first printing unit 41 to perform printing processing on the first surface of the tablet 9 based on the first appearance data D111 input from the appearance determination unit 11 (step). S103).

Specifically, in step S103, the print processing unit 12 first identifies the tablet 9 to be printed by the first printing unit 41 based on the first appearance data D111. As a result, the first printing unit 41 does not perform the printing process on the adsorbing unit 330 on which the tablet 9 is not adsorbed or on the tablet 9 having a poor appearance.

Further, the printing processing unit 12 determines which side of each tablet 9 to be printed has a score line and the angle of the score line of each tablet 9 based on the first appearance data D111. Then, based on the determination result, the head 411 of the first printing unit 41 is made to perform a printing process on the first surface of each tablet 9. As a result, the first printing unit 41 performs printing processing on the tablet 9 having a dividing line on the first surface according to the dividing line angle determined based on the image data D52. Further, the first printing unit 41 prints the tablet 9 having the dividing line on the second surface according to the dividing line angle determined based on the image data D51.

After the printing on the first surface is completed, the first printing inspection camera 53 photographs the first surface of the tablet 9 for which the printing process by the first printing unit 41 has been completed. Then, the image data D53 acquired by the first print inspection camera 53 is input to the print quality determination unit 13.

The print quality determination unit 13 has a function of determining whether the printing process on the surface of the tablet 9 is good or bad based on the image data D53 and D55 acquired by the first print inspection camera 53 and the second print inspection camera 55. ..

When the image data D53 is input to the print quality determination unit 13, the print quality determination unit 13 determines whether or not the image printed on the first surface is defective based on the image data D53. That is, the print quality determination unit 13 performs a print inspection on the first surface of each tablet 9 (step S104). Then, the print quality determination unit 13 delivers the first print quality data D131 including the determination result to the first discharge processing unit 14.

After that, the third visual inspection camera 54 photographs the second surface of the tablet 9 delivered from the first conveyor 32 to the second conveyor 33. Then, the image data D54 acquired by the third appearance inspection camera 54 is input to the appearance determination unit 11.

When the image data D54 is input to the appearance determination unit 11, the appearance determination unit 11 redetermines whether or not the tablet 9 has an appearance defect when viewed from the second surface side based on the image data D54. .. At the same time, the appearance determination unit 11 again determines the angle of the score line provided on the second surface of each tablet 9. In this way, the appearance determination unit 11 inspects the appearance of the second surface of each tablet 9 (step S105).

Based on the image data D54, the appearance determination unit 11 generates the second appearance data D112 including the determination result of the presence or absence of the appearance defect of the tablet 9 and the determination result of the surface on which the score line is formed and the score line angle. Then, the appearance determination unit 11 passes the second appearance data D112 to the print processing unit 12 and the first discharge processing unit 14.

Following step S105, the print processing unit 12 causes the second printing unit 42 to perform printing processing on the second surface of the tablet 9 based on the first appearance data D111 and the second appearance data D112 (step S106). ..

Specifically, in step S106, the print processing unit 12 first identifies the tablet 9 to be printed by the second printing unit 42 based on the first appearance data D111 and the second appearance data D12. As a result, the second printing unit 42 does not perform the printing process on the adsorbing unit 330 on which the tablet 9 is not adsorbed or on the tablet 9 having a poor appearance.

Further, the printing processing unit 12 determines which side of each tablet 9 to be printed has a score line and the angle of the score line of each tablet 9 based on the first appearance data D111 and the second appearance data D112. To do. Then, based on the determination result, the head 421 of the second printing unit 42 is made to perform a printing process on the second surface of each tablet 9. As a result, the second printing unit 42 performs the printing process on the tablet 9 having the dividing line on the second surface according to the dividing line angle determined based on the image data D54. Further, the second printing unit 42 prints the tablet 9 having the dividing line on the first surface according to the dividing line angle determined based on the image data D52.

After the printing on the second surface is completed, the second printing inspection camera 55 photographs the second surface of the tablet 9 for which the printing process by the second printing unit 42 has been completed. Then, the image data D55 acquired by the second print inspection camera 55 is input to the print quality determination unit 13.

When the image data D55 is input to the print quality determination unit 13, the print quality determination unit 13 determines whether or not the image printed on the second surface is defective based on the image data D55. That is, the print quality determination unit 13 performs a print inspection on the second surface for each tablet 9 (step S107). Then, the print quality determination unit 13 delivers the second print quality data D132 including the determination result to the first discharge processing unit 14.

As described above, the appearance determination unit 11 and the print quality determination unit 13 form a defective product determination unit that determines the target tablet to be collected among the tablets 9 based on the images captured by the cameras 51 to 55.

The first discharge processing unit 14 has a function of causing the blow mechanism 611 for collecting defective print products to release the adsorption of the tablet 9 having a poor appearance based on the first print quality data D131 and the second print quality data D132. Further, the first discharge processing unit 14 has a function of causing the blow mechanism 621 for collecting defective appearance products to release the adsorption of tablets 9 having printing defects based on the first appearance data D111 and the second appearance data D112.

Following step S107, the first discharge processing unit 14 holds the defective print product to be collected based on the first print quality data D131 and the second print quality data D132 input from the print quality determination unit 13. Identify unit 330. Then, the first discharge processing unit 14 causes the blow mechanism 611 for collecting defective print products to release the adsorption of the tablet 9 which is a defective print product. As a result, the defective print product is collected in the defective print collection box 612 (step S108).

After that, the first discharge processing unit 14 identifies the suction unit 330 that holds the defective product to be collected based on the first appearance data D111 and the second appearance data D112 input from the appearance determination unit 11. Then, the first discharge processing unit 14 causes the blow mechanism 621 for collecting the defective product to release the adsorption of the tablet 9 which is the defective product. As a result, the defective product is collected in the defective product collection box 622 (step S109).

Continuing from step S109, the discharge sensor 63 detects whether or not the tablet 9 is held in each of the suction units 330 on the downstream side of the print defective product collection unit 61 and the appearance defective product collection unit 62. Based on the detection result detected by the discharge sensor 63, the residual determination unit 15 among the target tablets (printing defective product and appearance defective product) to be collected by the printing defective product collecting unit 61 and the appearance defective product collecting unit 62. The residual tablet remaining in the adsorption unit 330 is determined. As a result, it is confirmed whether or not the printing defective product collection unit 61 and the appearance defective product collection unit 62 have been discharged normally (step S110).

Based on the determination result of the residual determination unit 15, the second discharge processing unit 16 releases the adsorption of the tablet 9 by the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 in a part of the adsorption unit 330 including the adsorption unit 330 that holds the residual tablet. Let me. As a result, the residual tablets are collected in the post-collection box 642 (step S111).

As described above, since the tablet printing device 1 has the discharge sensor 63 and the post-collection unit 64, the collection efficiency of defective products can be further improved. Therefore, the reliability of the quality of the pharmaceutical tablet 9 can be further enhanced.

In the present embodiment, the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 exerts a positive pressure on all of the suction unit 330 holding the residual tablet and the suction unit 330 having the same position in the transport direction to release the adsorption of the tablet 9. That is, the post-recovery unit 64 releases the adsorption of the tablet 9 with respect to the entire row including the adsorption unit 330 that holds the residual tablet among the plurality of adsorption units 330.

In this way, when the defective printing product collection unit 61 and the defective appearance product collection unit 62 do not discharge normally, not only the residual tablet but also the entire line including the residual tablet is collected to collect the defective product. Recovery efficiency can be further improved. Therefore, the reliability of the quality of the tablet 9 can be further enhanced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the positive pressure exerted by the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 which is the second blow mechanism on the suction portion 330 is the first blow mechanism, which is the print defective product recovery blow mechanism 611 and the appearance defective product. The recovery blow mechanism 621 is higher than the positive pressure applied to the suction unit 330.

When discharge failure occurs in the blow mechanism for collecting defective print products 611 and the blow mechanism for collecting defective appearance products 621, it is considered that the shape of the residual tablet and the state of the suction portion 330 in which the residual tablet is held are different from normal. Therefore, in order to more reliably discharge and recover the residual tablets in the post-recovery blow mechanism 641, the positive pressure value generated in the suction portion by the second blow mechanism is thus determined by the first blow mechanism. It is preferably larger than the positive pressure value generated in the suction portion.

The positive pressure exerted by the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 which is the second blow mechanism on the suction unit 330 is the first blow mechanism, which is the print defective product recovery blow mechanism 611 and the appearance defective product recovery blow mechanism 621. May be the same as the positive pressure acting on the suction unit 330.

<2. Second Embodiment>
Subsequently, the flow of the printing process using the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. The apparatus configuration of the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the printing process of the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment.

In the printing process of the second embodiment, the appearance inspection of the second surface of the tablet 9 (step S201), the appearance inspection of the first surface (step S202), the printing step on the first surface (step S203), and the first surface. Printing inspection (step S204), appearance inspection of the second surface (step S205), printing process on the second surface (step S206), printing inspection of the second surface (step S207), collection of defective printing products (step S208) And the collection of the defective product (step S209) is performed in order.

Since steps S201 to S209 of the printing process in the second embodiment are the same as steps S101 to S109 of the printing process in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

After the defective products are collected in steps S208 and 209, the residue determination unit 15 should be collected by the print defective product collection unit 61 and the appearance defective product collection unit 62 based on the detection result of the discharge sensor 63. Among the tablets (defective printing product and defective appearance product), the residual tablet remaining in the suction portion 330 is determined. That is, it is determined whether or not the printing defective product collecting unit 61 and the appearance defective product collecting unit 62 have normally discharged (step S210).

In step S210, when the residual determination unit 15 determines that the printing defective product collection unit 61 and the appearance defective product collection unit 62 have been discharged normally, the second discharge processing unit 16 determines the determination result of the residual determination unit 15. Based on the above, the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 is allowed to collect the sample tablets (step S211). Specifically, the second discharge processing unit 16 exerts a positive pressure on the adsorption unit 330 holding the non-defective tablet 9 at predetermined intervals (for example, at intervals of 1 tablet in 10 rows of the adsorption unit 330). Then, the adsorption of the tablet 9 on the adsorption unit 330 is released. As a result, the non-defective tablet 9 is collected as a sample tablet in the post-collection box 642.

In this way, by collecting the sample tablets on a regular basis, the quality control of the tablet 9 which is a pharmaceutical product can be easily performed.

On the other hand, in step S210, when the residual determination unit 15 determines that the defective print product collection unit 61 and the defective appearance product collection unit 62 are not discharged normally and the residual tablet is present in the suction unit 330, the control unit 10 causes the control unit 10. , The transport of the tablet 9 in the transport mechanism 30 is stopped (step S212). Then, the control unit 10 notifies the operator by voice, display, or the like that there is a residual defective product.

Then, when the operator operates the control unit 10, the second discharge processing unit 16 causes the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 to hold the residual tablet, and the tablet 9 in a part of the adsorption unit 330 including the adsorption unit 330. Release the adsorption of. As a result, the residual tablets are collected in the post-collection box 642 (step S213). After that, when the operator operates the control unit 10, the transfer of the tablet 9 in the transfer mechanism 30 is restarted, and the printing process is restarted.

By stopping the printing process before collecting the residual tablets in step S212 and intervening an operation by the operator, the operator collects the sample tablets collected in the post-collection box 642 in the post-collection box 642 before collecting the residual tablets. Can be taken out from. In this way, the sample tablet and the tablet 9 collected at the time of collecting the residual tablet can be separately collected.

Further, in step S213, when the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 is driven, by stopping the transport by the transport mechanism 30, the time for the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 to apply positive pressure to the suction portion 330 can be lengthened. The time for the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 to apply positive pressure to the suction unit 330 is longer than the time for the print defective product recovery blow mechanism 611 and the appearance defective product recovery blow mechanism 621 to apply positive pressure to the suction unit 330. By doing so, the residual tablet can be more reliably discharged and recovered by the post-recovery blow mechanism 641.

Further, after the residual tablets are collected in step S213, the transport by the transport mechanism 30 is restarted by the operation of the operator, so that the transport can be restarted after the operator confirms the discharge of the residual tablets. Therefore, the post-recovery unit 64 can more reliably discharge and recover the residual tablets.

When the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 is driven, the transfer speed by the transfer mechanism 30 may be reduced. Even in that case, the time for the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 to apply positive pressure to the suction portion 330 can be lengthened. Therefore, the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 can more reliably discharge and recover the residual tablets.

<3. Third Embodiment>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the tablet printing apparatus 1A according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a partial schematic view showing the configurations of the transfer drum 31, a part of the first transfer conveyor 32, and the second transfer conveyor 33 in the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a connection between the control unit 10A and each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1A in the third embodiment.

In FIGS. 9 to 11, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those in the first embodiment. First, the tablet printing device 1A according to the third embodiment will be described as being different from the tablet printing device 1 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, in the tablet printing apparatus 1A, the collection unit 60A does not have an discharge sensor. Along with this, as shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 10A does not have the residual determination unit and the second discharge processing unit, but has the sample discharge processing unit 17A. Other configurations of the tablet printing device 1A are the same as those of the tablet printing device 1 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the printing process of the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment. The flow of the printing process using the tablet printing apparatus 1A according to the third embodiment will be described below.

In the printing process of the third embodiment, the appearance inspection of the second surface of the tablet 9 (step S301), the appearance inspection of the first surface (step S302), the printing step on the first surface (step S303), and the first surface. Printing inspection (step S304), appearance inspection of the second surface (step S305), printing process on the second surface (step S306), printing inspection of the second surface (step S307), collection of defective printing products (step S308). And the collection of the defective product (step S309) is performed in order.

Since steps S301 to S309 of the printing process in the third embodiment are the same as steps S101 to S109 of the printing process in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

After the defective products are collected in steps S308 and 309, the sample discharge processing unit 17A causes the post-recovery blow mechanism 641 to collect the sample tablets (step S310). Specifically, the sample discharge processing unit 17A applies positive pressure to the adsorption unit 330 holding the non-defective tablet 9 at predetermined intervals (for example, at intervals of 1 tablet in 10 rows of the adsorption unit 330). Then, the adsorption of the tablet 9 in the adsorption unit 330 is released. As a result, the non-defective tablet 9 is collected as a sample tablet in the post-collection box 642.

In this way, by collecting the sample tablets on a regular basis, the quality control of the tablet 9 which is a pharmaceutical product can be easily performed.

In particular, when the unloading conveyor 34 to which the tablets 9 are delivered from the second conveyor 33 is directly connected to the packaging device, all the tablets 9 delivered to the unloading conveyor 34 are packaged and sample tablets are processed. Will be difficult to recover. Therefore, it is preferable that the sample tablets can be collected before the tablets 9 are delivered to the unloading conveyor 34 in this way.

<4. Modification example>
Although the main embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

The above-mentioned tablet printing device was a device that prints on both sides of a tablet by a first printing unit and a second printing unit. However, the tablet printing device of the present invention may be a device that prints only on one side of the tablet.

Further, the above-mentioned tablet printing device was a tablet printing device capable of printing on a tablet having a score line. Therefore, two visual inspection cameras are arranged on the upstream side of the first printing unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. When printing on a tablet having no score line, only one visual inspection camera may be arranged on the upstream side of the first printing unit.

Further, in the above-mentioned tablet printing apparatus, tablets are not always arranged in all the suction portions of the transport mechanism due to the configuration of the supply mechanism. Therefore, the visual inspection camera arranged on the upstream side of the printing unit confirms whether or not the tablet is held in each suction portion in order to avoid performing the printing process on the suction portion in which the tablet does not exist. Play a role.

However, the tablet printing apparatus does not have to have a visual inspection camera on the upstream side of the printing unit. The supply mechanism may be configured so that tablets can be placed on all the suction parts of the transport mechanism. Further, the appearance defective product may be determined by a print inspection camera provided on the downstream side of the printing unit.

Further, in the above-mentioned tablet printing apparatus, defective printing products and defective appearance products are collected by different collection units. In this way, it is easy to determine whether the tablet supplied to the tablet printing apparatus has a defect or whether the tablet has a defect in the tablet printing apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The defective print product and the defective appearance product may be collected by a single collection unit.

Further, the detailed configuration of the tablet printing apparatus may be different from each drawing of the present application. Further, the elements appearing in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction.

1,1A Tablet printing device 9 Tablet 10,10A Control unit 11 Appearance judgment unit 12 Printing processing unit 13 Print quality judgment unit 14 1st discharge processing unit 15 Residual judgment unit 16 2nd discharge processing unit 17A Sample discharge processing unit 30 Conveyance mechanism 32 1st transport conveyor 33 2nd transport conveyor 40 Printing section 41 1st printing section 42 2nd printing section 50 Inspection mechanism 51 1st visual inspection camera 52 2nd visual inspection camera 53 1st print inspection camera 54 3rd visual inspection camera 55 Second print inspection camera 60, 60A Recovery unit 61 Printing defective product collection unit 62 Appearance defective product collection unit 63 Discharge sensor 64 Rear collection unit 310, 320, 330 Suction unit 411,421 Head 611 Printing defective product recovery blow mechanism 621 Blow mechanism for collecting defective products 641 Blow mechanism for collecting after

Claims (7)

A tablet printing device that prints on the surface of tablets.
A transport mechanism that applies negative pressure to multiple suction parts to suck and hold tablets while transporting them.
A head that ejects ink droplets toward the surface of the tablet transported by the transport mechanism, and
A camera arranged on the downstream side of the head and imaging the tablet,
Based on the image taken by the camera, a defective product determination unit that determines the target tablet to be collected among the tablets, and
A first blow mechanism, which is arranged on the downstream side of the camera and exerts a positive pressure on the suction portion on which the target tablet is held to release the adsorption of the target tablet on the suction portion.
A discharge sensor, which is arranged on the downstream side of the first blow mechanism and detects whether or not the target tablet is present in the suction portion,
Based on the detection signal from the discharge sensor, a residue determination unit that determines the residual tablet that is the target tablet and remains in the adsorption unit, and
A second blow mechanism, which is arranged on the downstream side of the discharge sensor and exerts a positive pressure on the suction portion where the residual tablet is held to release the adsorption of the tablet containing the residual tablet in the suction portion.
Have,
When the residual tablet is not present in the determination of the residual determination unit, the transport mechanism does not reduce the transport speed or stop the transport.
When the residual tablet is present in the determination of the residual determination unit, the transport mechanism reduces the transport speed or stops the transport when the second blow mechanism is driven. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1.
The transport mechanism is a tablet printing device that reduces the transport speed when the second blow mechanism is driven. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1.
The transport mechanism is a tablet printing device that stops transport when the second blow mechanism is driven. The tablet printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The suction portions are lined up at equal intervals in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction.
The first blow mechanism exerts a positive pressure on the adsorption portion on which the target tablet is adsorbed at a predetermined position in the transport direction to release the adsorption of the target tablet.
The second blow mechanism is a tablet printing apparatus that releases the adsorption of the residual tablet by applying a positive pressure to the adsorption portion on which the residual tablet is adsorbed on the downstream side of the first blow mechanism. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 4.
The second blow mechanism exerts a positive pressure on the entire row including the adsorption portion where the residual tablet is held to release the adsorption of all the tablets held in the row. Tablet printing device. The tablet printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The transport mechanism
A first transport unit that transports the tablet while exposing the first surface, and
A second transport unit that transports the tablet while exposing the second surface,
Including
The head
A first head that ejects ink droplets toward the first surface of the tablet transported by the first transport unit, and
A second head that ejects ink droplets toward the second surface of the tablet transported by the second transport unit, and
Including
The camera
A first camera arranged on the downstream side of the first head and photographing the first surface of the tablet transported by the first transport unit, and a first camera.
A second camera arranged on the downstream side of the second head and capturing the second surface of the tablet transported by the second transport unit, and a second camera.
Including
The defective product determination unit is a tablet printing device that determines the target tablet based on both the image captured by the first camera and the image captured by the second camera. This is a tablet printing method in which a negative pressure is applied to a plurality of suction parts by a transport mechanism to hold and hold the tablets to print on the surface of the tablet.
a) A process of printing by ejecting ink droplets toward the surface of a tablet transported by the transport mechanism.
b) After the step a), an inspection is performed based on an image of the tablet, and a step of determining a target tablet to be collected from the tablets.
c) A step of applying a positive pressure to the adsorption portion on which the target tablet determined in the step b) is held to release the adsorption of the target tablet in the adsorption portion.
d) After the step c), a step of determining whether or not there is a residual tablet in which the target tablet remains in the adsorption portion,
e) When the residual tablet is present in the determination of the step d), a positive pressure is applied to the adsorption portion where the residual tablet is held to release the adsorption of the residual tablet in the adsorption portion. ,
Have,
When the residual tablet is not present in the determination of the step d), the transport mechanism does not reduce the transport speed or stop the transport.
A tablet printing method in which, when the residual tablet is present in the determination of the step d), the transport mechanism reduces the transport speed or stops the transport in the step e).

Images