JP6839256B2 - Tablet transport device and tablet printing device - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a tablet transport device and a tablet printing device.

In order to print identification information such as characters and symbols on tablets, a technique of printing using an inkjet printing head is known. In a tablet printing apparatus using this technology, tablets are conveyed by a conveyor or the like, and ink (for example, edible ink) is directed from a nozzle of an inkjet printing head arranged above the conveyor to a tablet passing under the printing head. ) Is ejected and the identification information is printed on the tablet.

Usually, when the tablets are supplied to the conveyor of the tablet printing apparatus, the tablets are arranged and then supplied. This tablet transport device for supplying tablets aligns tablets while transporting them, but at this time, the tablets may stand upright or the tablets may overlap each other. If the tablet in this abnormal posture is conveyed as it is and supplied to the tablet printing device, a printing defect occurs in the tablet printing device. Therefore, it is desired to eliminate tablets in an abnormal posture or correct the posture in the tablet transport device. Therefore, for example, a gate member that allows the tablet in the normal posture to pass through and does not pass the tablet in the abnormal posture may be provided. However, in this case, the tablet in an abnormal posture may be clogged at that position, and the tablet transport efficiency is lowered.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-081050

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a tablet transport device and a tablet printing device capable of suppressing a decrease in tablet transport efficiency.

The tablet transport device according to the embodiment of the present invention
A transport belt for transporting tablets and
A contact member provided at a position on the transport belt in contact with the tablet in an abnormal posture,
The contact member can swing in a direction along the transport direction of the tablet or a direction along the vertical direction with the fulcrum as the center of rotation, and the stretching direction of the contact member is in the horizontal plane with the transport direction of the tablet by the transport belt. With a support portion that supports the contact member so as to intersect in a direction of
Have,
The surface of the contact member on the side of the transport belt that comes into contact with the tablet in the abnormal posture is characterized in that a plurality of triangular wave-shaped irregularities are provided in the intersecting directions.

The tablet printing device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the tablet transporting device according to the above-described embodiment and a printing device that prints on the tablets transported by the tablet transporting device.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in tablet transport efficiency.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the tablet transport device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows a part of the schematic structure of the tablet transporting apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the tablet contact device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the contact operation of the tablet contact device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a second diagram for explaining the contact operation of the tablet contact device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a third diagram for explaining the contact operation of the tablet contact device according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the contact member provided in the tablet contact device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the contact member provided in the tablet contact apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the modification of the contact member provided in the tablet contact device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the tablet contact device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the tablet contact device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the modification of the contact member provided in the tablet contact device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the tablet printing apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

(First Embodiment)
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

(Basic configuration)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tablet transfer device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a supply device 10, a transfer device 20, a tablet contact device 30, and a control device 40. As an example, the tablet transport device 1 is a device that aligns and transports tablets T in a plurality of rows (for example, two rows) and supplies them to a tablet printing device or the like in a subsequent step.

The supply device 10 includes a hopper 11 and a shooter 12 (see FIG. 1). The hopper 11 accommodates a large number of tablets T, and sequentially supplies the contained tablets T to the shooter 12. The shooter 12 supplies the supplied tablet T to the transport device 20. The supply device 10 is electrically connected to the control device 40, and its drive is controlled by the control device 40.

The transport device 20 includes a plurality of (three in the example of FIG. 2) transport units 21, 22, 23, and a gutter 24, and transports the tablets T supplied from the supply device 10 in two rows. To do.

First, regarding the structure common to each of the transport units 21, 22, and 23, the transport unit 22 will be described as a representative. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport unit 22 includes a transport belt 51, a drive pulley 52, a driven pulley 53, and a drive unit 54. The transport belt 51 is formed in an endless shape and is bridged over the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley 53. The drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley 53 are provided so as to be rotatable around a shaft, and the drive pulley 52 is connected to the drive unit 54. The drive unit 54 is, for example, a motor or the like, and is electrically connected to the control device 40, and the drive thereof is controlled by the control device 40. The transport unit 22 rotates the transport belt 51 together with the driven pulley 53 by the rotation of the drive pulley 52 by the drive unit 54, and transports the tablet T on the transport belt 51. The other transport units 21 and 23 have the same structure, but in the transport unit 23, the positions of the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley 53 are opposite to those of the other transport units 21 and 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transport units 21 and 22 are provided so as to sandwich the transport unit 23, and the tablets T supplied from the supply device 10 are arranged in a row and are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is conveyed in the direction of arrow A1 (transportation direction A1).

The transport unit 21 has a pair of alignment members 21a and 21b that align the tablets T supplied from the supply device 10 in a row. The alignment member 21a is provided above the transport belt 51 of the transport portion 21 and on the side opposite to the transport portion 23 side, and has a wall surface that extends in the transport direction A1 and curves toward the transport portion 23 side. .. Further, the alignment member 21b is provided above the transport belt 51 of the transport section 21 and on the transport section 23 side, and has a wall surface extending in the transport direction A1. These aligning members 21a and 21b guide the moving tablets T along the walls of each other and align the tablets T passing between them in a row.

Like the transport unit 21, the transport unit 22 also has a pair of aligning members 22a and 22b that align the tablets T supplied from the supply device 10 in a row. The alignment member 22a is provided above the transport belt 51 of the transport portion 22 and on the side opposite to the transport portion 23 side, and has a wall surface that extends in the transport direction A1 and curves toward the transport portion 23 side. .. Further, the alignment member 22b is provided above the transport belt 51 of the transport section 22 and on the transport section 23 side, and has a wall surface extending in the transport direction A1. These aligning members 22a, 22b guide the moving tablets T along the walls of each other and align the tablets T passing between them in a row.

The transport unit 23 is located between the transport units 21 and 22, receives the tablet T dropped from the transport units 21 and 22, and receives the received tablet T in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 2 (transport direction A1). It is conveyed in the opposite conveying direction A2) and returned to the respective conveying units 21 and 22. Therefore, the transport unit 23 is arranged so as to be able to receive the tablets T dropped from the transport units 21 and 22, and is inclined so as to gradually increase along the transport direction A2. Further, the transport unit 23 has a return member 23a for returning the received tablet T to the transport units 21 and 22 at the downstream end in the transport direction A2. The return member 23a guides the tablet T along its outer circumference and returns it to the respective transport units 21 and 22.

The gutter 24 is provided at the downstream end of the transport device 20 in the transport direction A1. The gutter 24 is formed so as to receive the tablet T dropped from the downstream end of the transport direction A1 in the transport portions 21 and 22 and return the tablet T to the transport portion 23 located between the transport portions 21 and 22. There is. For example, the tablet T on each of the transport units 21 and 22 is sucked and held by a delivery device (not shown) and transported to another device. At this time, among the tablets T on the transport belt 51 in each of the transport units 21 and 22, some tablets T are not sucked by the delivery device. The tablet T falls from the downstream end of the transport direction A1 in each of the transport units 21 and 22, is received by the gutter 24, and is returned to the transport unit 23.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tablet contact device 30 is provided for each of the transport units 21 and 22. The tablet contact device 30 allows the tablets T in the normal posture to pass through the transport units 21 and 22 without contacting the tablets T in the normal posture on the transport belt 51, while the tablets in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 pass through. In contact with T, the abnormal posture of the tablet T is corrected to the normal posture, or the tablet T in the abnormal posture is excluded from the transport unit 23 (details will be described later).

Here, the normal posture is, for example, a flat posture when the tablet T is flat (for example, the flat posture is a posture suitable for printing in a subsequent process and does not deteriorate the print quality. is there). On the other hand, the abnormal posture is, for example, a posture when the tablet T is not in a flat posture, for example, a standing posture when the tablet T is standing or an inclined posture when the tablet T overlaps with another tablet T. is there.

The control device 40 includes a microcomputer that centrally controls each unit and a storage unit (none of which is shown) that stores processing information, various programs, and the like. The control device 40 controls the supply device 10 and the transfer device 20 based on various information and various programs. The storage unit stores information on the moving speeds of the individual transport belts 51 of the transport units 21, 22, and 23.

(Tablet contact device)
Next, the tablet contact device 30 described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tablet contact device 30 includes a support portion 31 and a contact member 32. Although two tablet contact devices 30 are provided as described above (see FIG. 2), since their structures are basically the same, the tablet contact device 30 corresponding to the transport unit 21 will be described.

The support portion 31 includes a support column 31a, a first support member 31b, and a plurality of (two in the example of FIG. 3) second support members 31c. The support column 31a is formed in a columnar shape, for example, and is provided on the alignment member 21a. The first support member 31b is formed in a columnar shape, for example, and is horizontally supported by a support column 31a. Each second support member 31c is formed in an elongated shape such as a string shape, and is vertically supported by the first support member 31b. One end of each of these second support members 31c is arranged in the extending direction of the first support member 31b and connected to the first support member 31b, respectively, and functions as a fulcrum B1. Further, the other ends of each of the second support members 31c are arranged in the extending direction of the contact member 32, and are connected to the contact member 32 so that the contact member 32 is horizontal. Each second support member 31c is made of, for example, a non-stretchable and non-elastic material.

The contact member 32 is formed in a columnar shape, for example, and is provided by the support portion 31 at a position where the contact member 32 comes into contact with the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 without contacting the tablet T in the normal posture on the transport belt 51. It is supported horizontally. Further, the contact member 32 is positioned so that its extending direction intersects (for example, is orthogonal to) the transport direction A1 in the horizontal plane. The contact member 32 is horizontally supported by the support portion 31 as described above, and can swing along the transport direction A1 with each fulcrum B1, that is, the fulcrum axis as the center of rotation. Therefore, the contact member 32 functions as a pendulum supported by the support portion 31. The mass of the contact member 32 and the length from the fulcrum (the length of the pendulum) are appropriately determined depending on the type, size and weight of the tablet T. The swinging direction of the contact member 32 is a direction along the transport direction A1 and is not a direction that completely coincides with the transport direction A1.

Here, the lower end C1 of the contact member 32 is set higher than the upper end C2 of the tablet T in the normal posture (for example, flat posture) on the transport belt 51, and is set higher than the upper end C2 on the transport belt 51 in an abnormal posture (for example, standing). The posture) is set lower than the upper end C3 of the tablet T. However, when various abnormal postures exist as described above, the lower end C1 of the contact member 32 is set lower than the minimum height in those abnormal postures. Therefore, when the normal posture is the flat posture and the abnormal postures are the standing posture and the tilted posture, the lower end C1 of the contact member 32 is higher than the upper end C2 of the flat posture tablet T, and the tablet T in the tilted posture. Set lower than the top edge of.

(Transport process)
Next, the transport process performed by the tablet transport device 1 described above will be described.

First, various information such as transport data required for transport is stored in the storage unit of the control device 40. Further, a large number of tablets T to be transported are put into the hopper 11 of the supply device 10. Then, when the tablet transport device 1 is driven, the individual transport belts 51 of the transport units 21 and 22 rotate in the transport direction A1 as the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley 53 rotate by the drive unit 54, and the tablets are transported. The transport belt 51 of the unit 23 rotates in the transport direction A2 as the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley 53 rotate by the drive unit 54. In a state where the individual transport belts 51 of the transport units 21, 22 and 23 are rotating, the tablets T are randomly and sequentially supplied from the supply device 10 onto the individual transport belts 51 of the transport units 21 and 22.

The tablets T supplied on the transport belts 51 of the transport units 21 and 22 are sequentially transported at a predetermined moving speed, come into contact with the aligning members 21a and 22a, move along their wall surfaces, and further. , Passing between the alignment members 21a and 21b or between the alignment members 22a and 22b, and aligned in a row (see FIG. 2). At this time, the excess tablet T before alignment falls from the transport belt 51 of each of the transport units 21 and 22, and is received by the transport belt 51 of the transport unit 23. Further, some of the aligned tablets T fall from the transport belts 51 of the transport units 21 and 22, and are received by the transport belt 51 of the transport unit 23 via the gutter 24. After that, the received tablet T is transported in the transport direction A2 by the transport belt 51 of the transport unit 23, abuts on the return member 23a located at the downstream end of the transport belt 51, and reaches the outer periphery of the return member 23a. It moves along and is returned on the transport belt 51 of each of the transport portions 21 and 22.

Further, in the transport belts 51 of the transport units 21 and 22, as shown in FIG. 4, the tablet T in the flat posture passes below the contact member 32, while the tablet T in the standing posture is shown in FIG. As a result, it comes into contact with the contact member 32. Since the tablet T in the standing posture further moves in the transport direction A1 in a state of being in contact with the contact member 32, the contact member 32 is pushed by the tablet T. Due to the pressing force of the tablet T, the contact member 32 rotates about the fulcrum (fulcrum axis) B1 on the downstream side in the transport direction A1. The tablet T in the standing posture may fall down to a flat posture due to the first contact with the contact member 32, or may fall down to a flat posture while pushing the contact member 32. When the tablet T in the standing position collapses and the pressing force on the contact member 32 by the tablet T disappears, the contact member 32 rotates and sways upstream of the transport direction A1 about the fulcrum B1 as shown in FIG. After that, it stops in a few seconds and returns to the initial state (see FIG. 4). In this way, the tablet T in the standing posture is corrected to the flat posture during transportation, and only the tablet T in the flat posture is aligned and supplied to the tablet printing apparatus in the subsequent step.

For example, as described above, the tablet T in a standing position may fall down while pushing the contact member 32. When the tablet T pushes the contact member 32, the contact member 32 rotates about the fulcrum B1 on the downstream side of the transport direction A1 due to the pushing pressure, so that the potential energy of the contact member 32 gradually increases. (See FIG. 5). As a result, the resistance of the contact member 32 to the standing tablet T moving in the transport direction A1 also increases, so that the standing tablet T usually falls down.

In this way, when the tablet T in the standing posture comes into contact with the contact member 32, the posture of the tablet T in the standing posture is basically corrected to the flat posture, but the tablet T does not fall and maintains the standing posture. However, the tablet T in the standing posture is removed from the transport belt 51 by the contact member 32 and falls onto the transport portion 23. When the tablet T in this abnormal posture is positively eliminated, the contact member 32 is set so that the end of the contact member 32 on the transport portion 23 side is on the downstream side of the transport direction A1 from the end on the opposite side. It is desirable that the contact member 32 guides the tablet T in an abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 toward the transport unit 23. On the contrary, when the posture correction of the tablet T in the abnormal posture is positively performed instead of eliminating the tablet T in the abnormal posture, the end portion of the contact member 32 on the transport portion 23 side is from the end portion on the opposite side. It is desirable that the contact member 32 is provided so as to be on the upstream side of the transport direction A1, and the contact member 32 guides the tablet T in an abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 toward the alignment member 21a.

In this transfer step, the tablet T is supplied onto the transfer belt 51, and then the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transfer belt 51 is applied to the contact member 32 to correct the posture of the tablet T in the abnormal posture to the normal posture or its abnormality. Eliminate the posture tablet T. In particular, in correcting the posture of the tablet T or eliminating the tablet T, the tablet T in the abnormal posture comes into contact with the contact member 32 and the contact member 32 is moved by the pressing force pushing the contact member 32 to move the tablet T in the abnormal posture from the tablet T in the abnormal posture. Let go. That is, since the contact member 32 functions as a pendulum and moves even when pushed by the tablet T in an abnormal posture, it is possible to prevent the tablet T from being clogged due to being stopped by the contact member 32. is there. Further, the tablet T in an abnormal posture in which the contact member 32 passes under the contact member 32 is not excessively pressed against the transport belt 51, and the clogging of the tablet T can be more reliably suppressed.

For example, if the contact member 32 is fixed so as not to move, the tablet T in a standing posture may stop without falling due to the contact member 32 and stay in the contact member 32 in the standing posture. In this case, the tablet T carried after the standing tablet T is stopped by the standing tablet T. As a result, the tablet T is clogged, and the transport efficiency of the tablet T is lowered. Further, for example, when a member having elasticity or elasticity is brought into contact with the upper end side of the tablet T in a standing posture to correct the posture of the tablet T, the tablet T is transferred to the transport belt 51 by the expansion / contraction force or the elastic force of the member. It may be pressed and unable to move and stay in place. In this case as well, the tablet T will be clogged, and the transport efficiency of the tablet T will decrease.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the contact member 32 is provided at a position where the tablet T in the normal posture on the transport belt 51 does not come into contact with the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51. The contact member 32 is formed so as to be able to swing around each fulcrum B1 (fulcrum axis) as the center of rotation. As a result, since the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 hits the contact member 32, it is possible to correct the posture of the tablet T in the abnormal posture or eliminate the tablet T in the abnormal posture. .. Further, since the contact member 32 moves and escapes from the tablet T due to the pressing force when the tablet T in an abnormal posture comes into contact with the contact member 32 and pushes the contact member 32, clogging of the tablet T by the contact member 32 can be suppressed. It will be possible. In this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the transport efficiency of the tablet T. Further, the impact on the tablet T can be reduced as compared with the case where the tablet T hits the contact member in the fixed state, and the tablet T is not subjected to excessive pressing force by the contact member made of an elastic body such as rubber. Damage can be suppressed.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment, that is, the contact member 32 will be described, and other description will be omitted. In FIG. 7, the transport direction A1 is a direction from the front side of the paper surface to the back side of the paper surface, and in FIG. 8, the transport direction A1 is a direction from the bottom of the paper surface to the top of the paper surface.

As shown in FIG. 7, on the surface of the contact member 32 according to the second embodiment on the transport belt 51 side, a triangular wave-shaped uneven portion 32a is formed in a direction intersecting the transport direction A1 (for example, in a direction orthogonal to each other). ing. The contact member 32 tilts, for example, the tablet T in a standing posture in a direction intersecting the transport direction A1 by the triangular wave-shaped uneven portion 32a. As a result, the tablet T in the standing posture tends to fall in the direction intersecting the transport direction A1, so that the abnormal posture of the tablet T can be reliably corrected to the normal posture. The contact member 32 has a plurality of slopes M1 that incline along a direction intersecting the transport direction A1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, two convex portions 32b are formed on the upstream surface of the contact member 32 according to the second embodiment. These convex portions 32b are provided at both ends orthogonal to the transport direction A1 on the surface on the upstream side of the contact member 32. Each convex portion 32b has a slope M2 that gradually inclines toward the inside of the contact member 32. The contact member 32 guides, for example, the tablet T in a standing posture toward the inside of the contact member 32 by each of the convex portions 32b. As a result, the tablet T in a standing posture is guided to the inside of the contact member 32, that is, the triangular uneven portion 32a, so that the tablet T can be reliably tilted by the uneven portion 32a.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, by providing the triangular uneven portion 32a on the surface of the contact member 32 on the transport belt 51 side, for example, the tablet T in a standing posture is likely to fall down, so that the abnormal posture of the tablet T is surely corrected to the normal posture. be able to. Further, by providing the convex portions 32b at both ends of the surface on the upstream side of the contact member 32, for example, the tablet T in a standing posture is guided to the triangular uneven portion 32a located inside the contact member 32. The uneven portion 32a makes it possible to reliably tilt the tablet T, and the abnormal posture of the tablet T can be reliably corrected by the normal posture. Both the concave-convex portion 32a and the convex portion 32b are not essential, and only one of them may be used.

(Modification example)
A modified example of the contact member 32 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 9, the transport direction A1 is a direction from the front side of the paper surface to the back side of the paper surface.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the modified example of the contact member 32 according to the second embodiment, the contact member 32 is composed of a plurality of rotating bodies 32c. These rotating bodies 32c are formed in a biconical shape, for example, and are rotatably attached to the support shaft 32d. The support shaft 32d is supported by each second support member 31c. A through hole 32c1 is formed in a portion of the central shaft of the rotating body 32c, and the support shaft 32d is passed through the through hole 32c1. The through hole 32c1 is formed so that its diameter is larger than the diameter (thickness) of the support shaft 32d. The contact member 32 has a plurality of slopes M1 that incline along a direction intersecting the transport direction A1. The shape of the rotating body 32c is not limited to the bicone shape.

Also in this modification, the contact member 32 is tilted by each rotating body 32c, for example, in a direction in which the tablet T in a standing position intersects the transport direction A1. As a result, the tablet T in the standing posture tends to fall in the direction intersecting the transport direction A1, so that the abnormal posture of the tablet T can be reliably corrected to the normal posture. Further, it is possible to reduce the impact given to the tablet T by rotating the contact point, and it is possible to suppress the breakage of the tablet T.

(Third Embodiment)
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. In the third embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment, that is, the tablet contact device 60 will be described, and other description will be omitted. In FIG. 10, the transport direction A1 is a direction from the front side of the paper surface to the back side of the paper surface, and in FIG. 11, the transport direction A1 is a direction from the bottom of the paper surface to the top of the paper surface.

As shown in FIG. 10, the tablet contact device 60 according to the third embodiment includes a support portion 61 and a contact member 62.

The support portion 61 includes a support column 61a, a support member 61b, and a balance weight 61c. The support column 61a is formed in a columnar shape having a fulcrum B2, for example, and is provided on the bottom surface of the groove portion 21a1 of the alignment member 21a. The groove portion 21a1 is formed on the upper surface of the alignment member 21a so that its stretching direction is orthogonal to the transport direction A1 in the horizontal plane. The support member 61b is formed in a prismatic shape, for example, and is supported by the support column 61a. A contact member 62 is provided at the end of the support member 61b on the transport path side of the tablet T, and a balance weight 61c is provided at the end on the opposite side. The balancing weight 61c is balanced with the contact member 62 and keeps the supporting member 61b horizontal.

The contact member 62 is supported by the support portion 61 at a position where the contact member 62 does not come into contact with the tablet T in the normal posture on the transport belt 51 but comes into contact with the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51. As shown in FIG. 11, the contact member 62 has a slope M3 that extends in the transport direction A1 and curves to the opposite side of the alignment member 21a. The contact member 62 is horizontally supported by the support portion 61 as described above, and can swing along the vertical direction with the fulcrum B2 as the center of rotation. The swinging direction of the contact member 62 is a direction along the vertical direction, and is not a direction that completely coincides with the vertical direction.

Further, the end portion of the contact member 62 on the alignment member 21a side is located in the groove portion 21a1 of the alignment member 21a. As a result, even if the tablet T in an abnormal posture comes into contact with the contact member 62, the end portion of the contact member 62 on the alignment member 21a side comes into contact with the inner surface of the groove portion 21a1, so that the contact member 62 has the fulcrum B2 as the center of rotation. Rotation to the downstream side of the transport direction A1 is restricted. Similarly, it is also restricted that the contact member 62 rotates about the fulcrum B2 on the upstream side in the transport direction A1. Therefore, the contact member 62 can rotate only in the vertical direction with the fulcrum B2 as the center of rotation.

The contact member 62 does not necessarily have to be supported horizontally, and may be supported at least at a position on the transport belt 51 in contact with the tablet T in an abnormal posture so as to be balanced with the balance weight 61c. When the contact member 62 and the counterweight 61c are in equilibrium, the center of gravity is located below the fulcrum B2.

According to such a tablet contact device 60, the tablet T in an abnormal posture on the transport belt 51, for example, the tablet T in a standing posture, comes into contact with the contact member 62 as shown in FIG. The tablet T in the standing posture moves along the contact member 62 while pushing the contact member 62 in a state of being in contact with the contact member 62. Therefore, the contact member 62 is pushed by the tablet T. Due to the pressing force of the tablet T, the contact member 62 rotates upward about the fulcrum B2.

The tablet T in the standing posture may fall down to a flat posture due to the first contact with the contact member 62, or may fall down to a flat posture while pushing the contact member 62. When the tablet T in the standing position collapses and the pressing force on the contact member 62 by the tablet T disappears, the contact member 62 rotates downward around the fulcrum B2 and sways, and then stops in a few seconds to the initial state (FIG. FIG. 10). In this way, the tablet T in the standing posture is corrected to the flat posture during transportation, and only the tablet T in the flat posture is aligned and supplied to the tablet printing apparatus in the subsequent step.

Further, when the tablet T in the standing posture comes into contact with the contact member 62, the posture of the tablet T in the standing posture is basically corrected to the flat posture, but even if the tablet T in the standing posture comes into contact with the contact member 62. It may not fall down. Even in this case, the tablet T that does not fall down moves along the slope M3 of the contact member 62 while pushing the contact member 62. As a result, the tablet T in the standing position is removed from the transport belt 51 by the contact member 62 and falls onto the transport portion 23.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, a contact member 62 is provided at a position on the transport belt 51 that does not contact the tablet T in the normal posture but contacts the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51, and the contact member 62 is centered on the fulcrum B2. It is formed so that it can shake. As a result, since the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 hits the contact member 62, it is possible to correct the posture of the tablet T in the abnormal posture or eliminate the tablet T in the abnormal posture. .. Further, since the contact member 62 moves and escapes from the tablet T due to the pressing force when the tablet T in an abnormal posture comes into contact with the contact member 62 and pushes the contact member 62, clogging of the tablet T by the contact member 62 can be suppressed. It will be possible. In this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the transport efficiency of the tablet T.

The contact member 62 and the balancing weight 61c do not necessarily have to be balanced. The resistance to the tablet T can be adjusted by changing the position (distance from the fulcrum) of the balance weight 61c according to the weight of the tablet T. This makes it possible to obtain an appropriate resistance even if the weight of the tablet T changes due to product type switching or the like. Further, even if the size of the tablet T changes, the resistance force can be adjusted by providing a stopper under the end portion of the support member 61b on the contact member 62 side and adjusting the height position of the contact member 62. It is also possible to replace the entire tablet contact device 60 according to the product type switching or the like.

(Modification example)
A modified example of the contact member 62 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 12, the transport direction A1 is a direction from below the paper surface to above the paper surface.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the modified example of the contact member 62 according to the third embodiment, the contact member 62 is formed in a symmetrical shape such as a cone, and the end portion of the contact member 62 on the apex side is formed. It is fixed to the support member 61b. Therefore, the contact member 62 has a slope M4 that inclines toward the support member 61b. As a result, the contact member 62 can guide the tablet T in an abnormal posture toward the alignment member 21a.

Also in this modified example, the same effect as that of the third embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the contact member 62 applies a force in the lateral direction to the tablet T, it becomes easier to correct the posture of the tablet T, and the tablet T in an abnormal posture is guided to the alignment member 21a side by the contact member 62. Therefore, the supply rate of the tablet T can be increased.

As shown in FIG. 11, the contact member 62 has a slope M3 that extends in the transport direction A1 and curves to the opposite side of the alignment member 21a, and the surface facing the transport belt 51 is the slope M4. It is also possible to make a combination that has a slope such as.

Further, it is also possible to provide the conical contact member 62 at the end of the support member 61b, which is the opposite of the above. In this case, since the tablet T in the abnormal posture is guided to the transport portion 23 side by the contact member 32, the tablet T in the abnormal posture can be positively eliminated. Further, the shape of the contact member 62 is not particularly limited, and may be formed in a bicone shape, for example. In this case, the tablets T in an abnormal posture can be eliminated and aligned in a well-balanced manner.

(Fourth Embodiment)
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the fourth embodiment, the tablet printing device 1A including the tablet transport device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the overlapping portion with the first embodiment will be omitted. In addition to the first embodiment, the tablet transport device 1 according to the second and third embodiments can be applied to the tablet printing device 1A.

(Basic configuration)
As shown in FIG. 13, the tablet printing device 1A according to the fourth embodiment includes the tablet transfer device 1 according to the first embodiment, the delivery device 71, the two transfer devices 72, and the two printing devices 73. , The accommodating device 74 and the control device 75 are provided.

Here, the two transfer devices 72 have basically the same structure, and the two printing devices 73 also have basically the same structure. Since the two transfer devices 72 have a vertical positional relationship, the upper transfer device 72 is referred to as the first transfer device 72, and the lower transfer device 72 is referred to as the second transfer device 72. Similarly, the upper printing device 73 corresponding to the first transport device 72 is referred to as the first printing device 73, and the lower printing device 73 corresponding to the second transport device 72 is referred to as the second printing device 73. .. Regarding the two transport devices 72 and the two printing devices 73, only the first transport device 72 and the first printing device 73 will be described for simplification of the description.

The delivery device 71 sucks and receives the tablets T which are aligned and transported by the tablet transfer device 1 as in the first embodiment, and transports the tablets T while maintaining the row of the tablets T to be the first. It is passed to the transfer device 72. As the delivery device 71, for example, a belt transfer mechanism or the like can be used.

The first transfer device 72 has a transfer belt 72a, a drive pulley 72b, and a driven pulley 72c. The transport belt 72a is formed in an endless shape and is bridged by a drive pulley 72b and a driven pulley 72c. The drive pulley 72b is connected to a motor (not shown) that serves as a drive source. The first transfer device 72 receives the tablet T supplied from the transfer device 71 on the transfer belt 72a, and sucks and holds the tablet T on the transfer belt 72a. The first transfer device 72 rotates the transfer belt 72a together with the driven pulley 72c by the rotation of the drive pulley 72b, and conveys the tablet T on the transfer belt 72a in the direction of the thick black arrow in FIG. The second transfer device 72 has the same structure as the first transfer device 72.

The first transfer device 72 and the second transfer device 72 are arranged vertically so that a part of the first transfer device 72 and the second transfer device 72 overlap each other. Therefore, the second transport device 72 transports the tablet T supplied from the first transport device 72, that is, the tablet T that is released from the holding by the transport belt 72a and falls after printing by the first printing device 73. Received by belt 72a. The first transfer device 72 releases the holding of the tablet T when the tablet T on the transfer belt 72a reaches a desired position, for example, near the end of the first transfer device 72 on the driven pulley 72c side. To do.

The first printing device 73 grasps the position of the tablet T on the transport belt 72a by a detector (not shown) such as a sensor or a camera, and identifies the tablet T based on the position information and the printing information (for example,). Print letters, symbols, etc.). The first printing device 73 includes, for example, an inkjet printing head (not shown) that ejects ink such as edible ink, and the printing head prints on the tablet T. As the print head, for example, various inkjet print heads having a driving element such as a piezoelectric element, a heat generating element, or a magnetostrictive element can be used. The second printing device 73 has the same structure as the first printing device 73.

The accommodating device 74 is provided at an end of the second transport device 72, for example, at the end of the second transport device 72 on the driven pulley 72c side. The accommodating device 74 is configured to be able to receive and collect the tablets T that are released from the holding by the transport belt 72a and fall after printing by the second printing device 73. The second transfer device 72 releases the holding of the tablet T when the tablet T on the transfer belt 72a reaches a desired position, for example, near the end of the second transfer device 72 on the driven pulley 72c side. To do.

The control device 75 includes a microcomputer that centrally controls each unit and a storage unit (none of which is shown) that stores processing information, various programs, and the like. The control device 75 also includes the control device 40 according to the first embodiment. The control device 75 controls the tablet transfer device 1, the delivery device 71, each transfer device 72, and each printing device 73 based on various information and various programs. The storage unit stores printing patterns such as characters and symbols to be printed on the tablet T, print data including printing positions of characters and symbols on the tablet T, belt movement speed information, and the like.

(Printing process)
Next, the printing process (printing process) performed by the tablet printing apparatus 1A described above will be briefly described.

First, various information such as print data required for printing is stored in the storage unit of the control device 75. Further, a large number of tablets T to be printed are put into the hopper 11 of the supply device 10 of the tablet transfer device 1. Then, when the tablet printing device 1A is driven, the tablet transporting device 1 transports and aligns the tablet T as in the first embodiment. The tablets T aligned by the tablet transport device 1 are received by the delivery device 71, transported while maintaining the aligned state, and supplied to the first transport device 72. The tablet T supplied to the first transfer device 72 is conveyed by the first transfer device 72 and printed by the first printing device 73. After that, the printed tablet T is conveyed by the first transfer device 72, and is supplied from the first transfer device 72 to the second transfer device 72 at a desired position. The tablet T supplied to the second transfer device 72 is conveyed by the second transfer device 72 and printed by the second printing device 73. After that, the printed tablet T is transported by the second transport device 72, and is collected by the storage device 74 at a desired position.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, by using the tablet transport device 1, it is possible to align only the tablets T in the normal posture and supply them to the first transport device 72, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing defects in the tablet printing device 1A. be able to.

(Other embodiments)
In each of the above-described embodiments, the tablet T is transported in two rows, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of rows may be one row, three rows, four rows or more, and is particularly limited. It's not something. Further, the number of transport belts 51 is not particularly limited.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the number and shape of the contact members 32 and 62 are illustrated, but the number and shape of the contact members 32 and 62 are not particularly limited. For example, it is possible to arrange a plurality of contact members 32 in a direction intersecting the transport direction A1 (for example, a direction orthogonal to each other), and the shape of the contact members 32 at this time is various such as a sphere, a cylinder, and a prism. It is possible to use the shape of. By using a plurality of contact members 32 and 62, the chances of correcting or eliminating the posture of the tablet T are increased, and the tablet T in the normal posture can be reliably transported.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, when the contact members 32 and 62 are arranged obliquely with respect to the transport direction A1, the contact members 32 and 62 apply a force in the lateral direction to the tablet T, which makes it easier to correct the posture. Become. Further, when the contact members 32 and 62 are tilted so as to guide the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 toward the transport portion 23 by the contact members 32 and 62, the tablet T in the abnormal posture can be easily eliminated. On the contrary, when the tablet T in the abnormal posture on the transport belt 51 is tilted by the contact members 32 and 62 so as to be guided toward the alignment members 21a and 22a, the supply rate of the tablet T can be easily increased. Therefore, if the contact members 32 and 62 on the upstream side are slanted for alignment and the contact members 32 and 62 on the downstream side are slanted for exclusion, the first contact members 32 and 62 do not correct the posture and the tablet T is formed. Even if it remains, it can be eliminated by the contact members 32 and 62 on the downstream side. Of course, a plurality of contact members 32 and 62 may be arranged in the same direction, or may be arranged diagonally alternately, and the combination thereof is free.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the contact members 32 and 62 are arranged horizontally, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the contact members 32 and 62 can be arranged in a state other than horizontal. In this case, the same effect as that of the second embodiment described above can be obtained. Therefore, as described above, the contact members 32 and 62 can be tilted in the transport direction A1 of the tablet T and in the vertical direction with respect to the transport belt 51, or have slopes that are tilted. You may combine them. That is, it has a direction that intersects the transport direction A1 of the tablet T, for example, a slope that slopes along the transport direction A1 of the tablet T and a slope that slopes along the direction perpendicular to the transport belt 51.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the contact members 32 and 62 are provided at positions on the transport belt 51 that do not come into contact with the tablet T in the normal posture, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is better not to contact the contact members 32 and 62 with the tablet T as much as possible so as not to damage the tablet T, but if the damage of the tablet T is not a problem, the tablet T in a normal posture may be brought into contact with the tablet T. In the case of the tablet T in the normal posture, even if the contact members 32 and 62 come into contact with the tablet T in the normal posture, the tablet T is not unstable like the abnormal posture, so that the normal posture can be changed to the abnormal posture. There is no such thing, and the contact members 32 and 62 do not interfere with the transportation due to the escape.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the swinging direction of the contact member 32 is exemplified as a direction along the transport direction A1, and in the third embodiment described above, the swinging direction of the contact member 62 is along the vertical direction. Although the direction has been illustrated as an example, the direction is not limited to this, and either direction may be used. For example, the direction may be a direction intersecting the transport direction A1 (for example, a direction orthogonal to the direction).

Further, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the contact member 32 is illustrated as a simple pendulum, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a physical pendulum (substantive pendulum) may be used. Further, the contact member 32 may be rotated around the axis. For example, the contact member 32 may be rotated around a central axis extending in the extending direction of the contact member 32 as a rotation axis. Similarly, the contact member 62 may also be rotated about an axis. For example, the contact member 62 may be rotated around a central axis extending in the extending direction of the support member 61b as a rotation axis. By making the contact members 32 and 62 rotatable in this way, it is possible to reduce the impact given to the tablet T by rotating the contact point, and it is possible to suppress damage to the tablet T.

Further, a stopper may be provided so that the contact member 32 does not swing on the upstream side in the transport direction A1 from the vertical position with respect to the transport belt 51. By suppressing the swinging movement of the contact member 32 to the upstream side, it is possible to speed up the return of the contact member 32 to the initial position. Further, when the contact member 32 swings to the upstream side, the tablet T does not get caught between the tablet T and the transport belt 51 and bite. With such a stopper, the initial position of the contact member 32 may be shifted downstream in the transport direction A1. The height through which the tablet T in the normal posture passes may be adjusted by this shift amount.

Further, the second support member 31c may be a string or chain having flexibility, or may be something like a wire having a certain degree of rigidity. When the second support member 31c is a rigid member, the first support member 31b may be rotatably supported to serve as a fulcrum for the swing of the contact member 32.

Here, the above-mentioned tablets may include tablets used for pharmaceutical purposes, food and drink, cleaning, industrial use, or aromatic use. Further, for example, as tablets, there are naked tablets (bare tablets), sugar-coated tablets, film-coated tablets, enteric-coated tablets, gelatin-encapsulated tablets, multi-layer tablets, nucleated tablets and the like. Furthermore, various capsule tablets such as hard capsules and soft capsules can also be included in the tablets. Further, as the shape of the tablet, there are various shapes such as a disk shape, a lens shape, a triangle shape, and an ellipse shape.

When the tablet to be printed is for pharmaceutical use or food and drink, edible ink is suitable as the ink to be used. As the edible ink, any of synthetic dye ink, natural dye ink, dye ink, and pigment ink may be used.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 Tablet transport device 1A Tablet printing device 31 Support part 32 Contact member 51 Transport belt 61 Support part 62 Contact member 73 Printing device B1 fulcrum B2 fulcrum M1 slope M2 slope M3 slope M4 slope T tablet

Claims (4)

A transport belt for transporting tablets and
A contact member provided at a position on the transport belt in contact with the tablet in an abnormal posture,
The contact member can swing in a direction along the transport direction of the tablet or a direction along the vertical direction with the fulcrum as the center of rotation, and the stretching direction of the contact member is in the horizontal plane with the transport direction of the tablet by the transport belt. With a support portion that supports the contact member so as to intersect in a direction of
Have,
A tablet transporting device characterized in that a plurality of triangular wave-shaped irregularities are provided on a surface of the contact member on the transport belt side that comes into contact with a tablet in an abnormal posture in the intersecting direction. The surface of the contact member on the upstream side in the transport direction of the tablet is characterized by having convex portions having slopes gradually inclined toward the inside of the contact member at both ends in the intersecting direction. The tablet transport device according to claim 1. The tablet transfer device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the contact member is composed of a plurality of rotating bodies, and each rotating body has a bicone shape. The tablet transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A printing device that prints on tablets transported by the tablet transport device, and
A tablet printing apparatus comprising.

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