JP7219241B2 - Blister sheet, manufacturing method thereof, and blister packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a blister sheet containing contents such as tablets, a manufacturing method thereof, and a blister packaging machine for manufacturing the blister sheet.

Blister sheets such as PTP (press through pack) sheets are used in the field of pharmaceuticals and the like. A blister sheet includes a container film having a pocket portion in which contents such as tablets are stored, and a cover film attached to the container film so as to seal the opening side of the pocket portion.

Generally, the container film is made of a transparent or translucent material so that the contents in the pocket can be seen when the blister sheet is viewed from the protruding side of the pocket. The pocket also has a bottom wall and side walls. The bottom wall portion is a portion of the pocket portion that includes the bulging top portion, and constitutes the bottom portion of the pocket portion. The side wall portion is an annular portion that connects the flat portion (flange portion) of the container film to which the cover film is attached and the bottom wall portion, and constitutes the side portion of the pocket portion.

Blister sheets can be produced by a blister packaging machine. A blister packaging machine comprises means for forming a pocket portion in a belt-shaped container film to be transported, means for filling the pocket portion with contents, and a belt-shaped cover film for the container film so as to seal the opening side of the pocket portion. and a means for punching out a band-shaped blister film consisting of a container film and a cover film into blister sheet units.

In recent years, by printing character information such as characters and symbols using a printing means that employs an ink-jet method, some contents have a printed portion formed on the front or back surface.

A blister packaging machine comprising printing means for forming a printed portion on the contents, and filling means for filling the pocket portion with the contents so that the surface on which the printed portion is formed is positioned on the bottom wall portion side. is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). According to this blister packaging machine, printed portions with the same contents are positioned on the bottom wall side in all pocket portions, and a blister sheet in which the printed portions can be visually recognized from the projecting side of the pocket portions can be obtained.

JP-A-3-148430

However, with the technique described in Patent Document 1, the information externally displayed by the printing unit is limited to information that can be expressed only on the front side or the back side of the content. Therefore, the amount of information displayed to the outside by the printing unit may be reduced.

Therefore, in order to increase the amount of information, it is possible to attach information on the side of both printed parts located on the opposite side of the bottom wall to the cover film (that is, information on the printed part that is invisible or difficult to see from the outside). Conceivable. However, in this case, there is a risk of lowering productivity and increasing costs associated with the manufacture of blister sheets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a blister sheet or the like capable of increasing the amount of information displayed to the outside by a printing unit.

Each means suitable for solving the above object will be described below by itemizing. It should be noted that actions and effects peculiar to the corresponding means will be added as necessary.

Means 1. Contents are accommodated in each of a plurality of pockets each having a bottom wall and a side wall formed in a transparent or translucent container film, and a cover film is attached to the container film so as to cover the pockets. A blister sheet to which is attached,
The content includes a first printed portion consisting of character information printed on the front side, and a second printed portion printed on the back side and consisting of character information different in content from the first printed portion,
a face-up content, which is a content accommodated in the pocket portion such that the first printed portion is positioned on the bottom wall portion side;
A blister sheet, comprising: a back-facing content, which is a content accommodated in the pocket portion such that the second printed portion is positioned on the bottom wall portion side.

Note that "character information" refers to information composed of characters and symbols.

According to the above means 1, the blister sheet consists of a front-facing content with the first printed portion (front side) positioned on the bottom wall side of the pocket portion and a back side with the second printed portion (back side) positioned on the bottom wall side. It has an orientation and a content. Therefore, both the first printed portion and the second printed portion can be visually recognized from the outside through the transparent or translucent pocket portion. As a result, the amount of information displayed externally by the printing unit can be further increased, and the convenience of using and managing the blister sheet (contents) can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the above means 1, since both printed parts are visible, there is no need to attach information on the printed parts to the cover film. Therefore, it is possible to effectively improve the productivity and reduce the cost of manufacturing the blister sheet.

Means 2. The orientation of the first printed portion in the face-up content and the orientation of the second printed portion in the face-down content are configured to match,
The blister sheet according to means 1, wherein the blister sheet according to means 1 is configured so as to be capable of restricting the rotation and reversal of the contents accommodated in the pocket.

The direction of the first printing portion and the second printing portion refers to the direction in which the character information of these printing portions is read (the same applies hereinafter). In addition, "rotation of the contents" means that the contents are rotated so that the reading direction of the character information on the printed part changes greatly (for example, 90 degrees or more), and "reversal of the contents" means that the contents It means that the contents are rotated so that the front surface and the back surface of the object are exchanged (the same applies to means 8 and 15 described later).

According to the above means 2, the orientation of the first printed portion on the face-up content and the orientation of the second print portion on the face-down content are matched, and the face-up content and the face-down content are turned upside down or rotated. It is possible to prevent it from falling. Therefore, it is possible to reliably maintain a state in which both the first printed portion and the second printed portion can be visually recognized from the outside, and to align the character information constituting the first printed portion and the second printed portion so that the Character information can be made easier to read. As a result, the convenience of using and managing the blister sheet (contents) can be more effectively enhanced.

Means 3. A blister sheet according to means 1 or 2, characterized in that the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are provided in a paired state.

According to the above means 3, the contents facing up and the contents facing down are arranged in a pair. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably put both the first printing part and the second printing part into the field of view at once, and it becomes easy to collectively grasp the information from these printing parts. In addition, it becomes easy for the user, etc., to understand that the information is displayed as a set of the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents, so that the user, etc. can easily understand the intention of displaying the information. Furthermore, for users, etc., it is easy to understand that the contents are stored so that both printed parts can be seen intentionally, so it is unfair to see the contents of the printed parts that are visually different. It is possible to more reliably prevent the feeling of uneasiness that the appropriate contents are stored.

Means 4. Having a dividing line for separating into a plurality of small sheet pieces,
4. A blister sheet according to any one of means 1 to 3, characterized in that said sheet strip is configured to contain both said front-facing contents and said back-facing contents.

According to the means 4, each sheet piece includes a front-facing content and a back-facing content. Therefore, both the first printing portion and the second printing portion can be checked even when the contents are used or managed in the form of sheet pieces. Thereby, the further improvement of convenience can be aimed at.

Means 5. At least one of the second printed portion on the front-facing content and the first printed portion on the back-facing content is configured to be visible through the side wall portion. 5. The blister sheet according to any one of 4.

According to the means 5, at least a part of the first printed portion and the second printed portion located on the side opposite to the bottom wall portion can be confirmed through the side wall portion of the pocket portion. Therefore, for example, even if there is a doubt that inappropriate contents are stored due to the difference in the contents of the printed part visually recognized through the bottom wall part, the pocket part Both printed portions of each tablet can be viewed through the bottom and side walls to confirm whether or not the proper contents are contained without removing the contents from the container. Thereby, the improvement of convenience can be aimed at further.

Means 6. Contents are accommodated in each of a plurality of pockets each having a bottom wall and a side wall formed in a transparent or translucent container film, and a cover film is attached to the container film so as to cover the pockets. A blister packaging machine for producing a blister sheet attached with
filling means for filling contents into the pocket portions of the belt-shaped container film to be transported;
attaching means for attaching the strip-shaped cover film to the container film in which the pocket portion is filled with the content so as to cover the pocket portion;
separating means for separating a blister sheet from a belt-shaped blister film formed by attaching the cover film to the container film,
The filling means
By adsorbing and conveying the content and releasing the adsorption of the content at a predetermined filling position, the content can be filled into the pocket portion of the container film that has been conveyed to the filling position. a configured transport means;
A first printed portion consisting of character information is printed on the surface of the content being sucked and conveyed by the conveying means, and a second printed portion consisting of character information different in content from the first printed portion is printed on the back side of the content. and printing means for printing two printing units,
The filling means includes, in the finally obtained blister sheet, the face-up contents, which are contents in which the first printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side, and the second printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side. A blister packaging machine characterized in that the contents are filled into the pocket portion so that the contents facing down are present in the blister packaging machine.

According to the above means 6, the same effects as those of the above means 1 can be achieved.

Means 7. The filling means fills the pocket portion with the contents in such a manner that the direction of the first printed part on the front-facing contents matches the direction of the second printed part on the back-facing contents. The blister packaging machine according to means 6.

According to the above means 7, the contents are placed in the pocket part so that the direction of the first printed part on the front-facing contents (the direction in which character information is read) matches the direction of the second printed part on the back-facing contents. be filled. Therefore, the readability of the first printed portion and the second printed portion in the obtained blister sheet can be further improved, and the convenience of using and managing the blister sheet (contents) can be further improved.

Means 8. Pocket portion forming means for forming the pocket portion in the belt-shaped container film upstream of the filling means,
8. The blister packaging machine according to means 6 or 7, wherein the pocket portion forming means forms the pocket portion having a shape capable of regulating the rotation and reversal of the contained contents.

Note that the pocket portion may have any shape as long as it is capable of regulating the rotation and reversal of the contained contents when the cover film is attached to the container film (the same applies to means 15 described later). ).

According to the means 8, it is possible to reliably maintain a state in which both the first printing portion and the second printing portion are visible from the outside. Further, when the configuration of the above means 7 is also employed, the same effect as that of the above means 2 can be obtained.

Means 9. The filling means fills the pocket portion with the contents so that the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are aligned in pairs in the finally obtained blister sheet. A blister packaging machine according to any one of means 6 to 8.

According to the means 9, the same effect as the means 3 can be obtained.

Means 10. The blister sheet has a parting line to allow it to be separated into a plurality of sheet pieces,
10. The blister package according to any one of means 6 to 9, wherein the filling means fills the sheet small piece with the contents so that both the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are included. machine.

According to the means 10, the same effect as the means 4 can be obtained.

Means 11. The conveying means is configured to sequentially convey the contents of each row to the printing means in a state in which a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents,
The printing means
upstream-side printing means for alternately performing printing by the first printing unit and printing by the second printing unit on each row of contents conveyed by the conveying means;
Every time one row of contents is conveyed by the conveying means downstream of the upstream side printing means, the printing of the first printing unit and the printing of the second printing unit are performed on these contents. alternating downstream printing means,
The filling means is downstream of the downstream side printing means, and by canceling the adsorption and conveyance of the contents for one row, fills the contents into the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film. 11. A blister packaging machine according to any of the means 6 to 10, characterized in that it is arranged to:

According to the above means 11, every time one row of contents is conveyed, the upstream side printing means alternately prints the first printing portion and the second printing portion on these contents. Then, downstream of the upstream side printing means, every time one row of contents is conveyed, the downstream side printing means prints the contents with the first printing portion and the second printing portion (more specifically, both The printed portion that is not printed on the content) is alternately printed. As a result, downstream from the downstream side printing means, the row of contents whose front side (the side with the first printed part) is sucked and the content whose back side (the side with the second printed part) is sucked by the conveying means The contents are conveyed so that rows of articles are alternately positioned along the conveying direction. By releasing the adsorption of the contents for one row at a predetermined filling position, the contents are filled into a plurality of pocket portions arranged in the width direction of the container film. Therefore, the contents for one row are filled into the pocket portions while the front and back are alternately exchanged, so that the blister sheet having the contents facing up and the contents facing down can be obtained more easily. In addition, since there is no need to complicate the structure of the filling means in manufacturing such a blister sheet, it is possible to effectively suppress an increase in costs related to manufacturing, maintenance, etc. of the blister packaging machine.

Further, the printing means is composed of an inkjet type apparatus having a print head having a plurality of ejection nozzles capable of ejecting ink, and the plurality of ejection nozzles are selected and controlled. In the case of printing at an arbitrary position on the content by ejecting ink, the above-described means 11 can also provide the following effects. That is, according to the above means 11, the upstream side printing means and the downstream side printing means alternately print both the first printing portion and the second printing portion, respectively, so that each ejection nozzle is selected as an ink ejection target. easier. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent clogging of the ejection nozzles due to solidification or thickening of the ink, and to more reliably prevent the occurrence of printing defects. In addition, since clogging of the ejection nozzles is less likely to occur, the cleaning frequency of the printing means can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the cost associated with the production of blister sheets and to further improve the production speed.

Means 12. The conveying means is configured to sequentially convey the contents of each row to the printing means in a state in which a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents,
The printing means
Each time one row of contents is conveyed by the conveying means, at least one of the contents is printed by the first printing unit, and the rest of the contents are printed by the first printing unit. upstream printing means for printing by the second printing unit;
Every time one row of contents is conveyed by the conveying means downstream of the upstream side printing means, the second printing is performed on the contents printed by the first printing portion among the contents. a downstream side printing means for performing printing of the first printing portion on the content printed by the second printing portion among these contents,
The filling means is downstream of the downstream side printing means, and by canceling the adsorption and conveyance of the contents for one row, fills the contents into the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film. 11. A blister packaging machine according to any of the means 6 to 10, characterized in that it is arranged to:

According to the above means 12, every time a row of contents is conveyed, the upstream side printing means prints the first printed portion on at least one of these contents, and prints on the remaining contents. A second print portion is printed. Then, downstream of the upstream side printing means, every time one row of contents is conveyed, the downstream side printing means prints the first printed part of these contents, and the second printing part is printed. The printed part is printed, and the first printed part is printed on the contents printed with the second printed part. As a result, in the downstream side of the downstream side printing means, the content whose front surface (the surface with the first printed part) is sucked and the content whose back surface (the surface with the second printed part) is sucked are separated by the conveying means. are present in each row. By releasing the adsorption of the contents for one row at a predetermined filling position, the contents are filled into a plurality of pocket portions arranged in the width direction of the container film. Thus, a blister sheet with a front-facing content and a back-facing content can be obtained more easily. In addition, since there is no need to complicate the structure of the filling means in manufacturing such a blister sheet, it is possible to effectively suppress an increase in costs related to manufacturing, maintenance, etc. of the blister packaging machine.

It should be noted that the upstream side printing means and the downstream side printing means may be configured so that only one of the first printing portion and the second printing portion always prints on the content at a predetermined position in the row. For example, when one row is composed of five contents, the upstream printing means prints the first printing part on the three contents located at both ends and the center, and the second printing on the other contents. Also, the downstream side printing means may print the second printed portion on the three contents located at both ends and the center, and print the first printed portion on the other contents. good.

Means 13. Contents are accommodated in each of a plurality of pockets each having a bottom wall and a side wall formed in a transparent or translucent container film, and a cover film is attached to the container film so as to cover the pockets. A method for manufacturing a blister sheet to which is attached,
a filling step of filling contents into the pocket portions of the conveyed strip-shaped container film;
an attaching step of attaching the strip-shaped cover film to the container film in which the pocket portion is filled with the content so as to cover the pocket portion;
a separating step of separating a blister sheet from a belt-shaped blister film formed by attaching the cover film to the container film;
The filling step includes
Conveying to fill the pocket portion of the container film conveyed to the filling position with the content by sucking and conveying the content and canceling the suction of the content at a predetermined filling position. process and
In the conveying step, a first printed portion consisting of character information is printed on the surface of the content being sucked and conveyed, and a second printed portion consisting of character information different in content from the first printed portion is printed on the back surface of the content. A printing process for printing two printing units,
In the filling step, in the finally obtained blister sheet, the front-facing contents, which are contents in which the first printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side, and the second printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side A method for producing a blister sheet, characterized in that the contents are filled into the pocket portion so that the contents facing down are present.

According to the means 13, the same effect as the means 6 can be obtained.

Means 14. In the filling step, the contents are filled into the pocket part so that the direction of the first printed part on the front-facing contents matches the direction of the second printed part on the back-facing contents. The method for producing a blister sheet according to means 13.

According to the means 14, the same effect as the means 7 can be obtained.

Means 15. In a step prior to the filling step, a pocket portion forming step of forming the pocket portion in the belt-shaped container film,
15. The method for producing a blister sheet according to means 13 or 14, wherein, in the pocket portion forming step, the pocket portion is formed to have a shape capable of regulating the rotation and reversal of the contained contents.

According to the means 15, the same effect as the means 8 can be obtained.

Means 16. In the filling step, the pocket portion is filled with the contents so that the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are aligned in pairs in the finally obtained blister sheet. The method for producing a blister sheet according to any one of means 13 to 15.

According to the means 16, the same effect as the means 9 can be obtained.

Means 17. The blister sheet has a parting line to allow it to be separated into a plurality of sheet pieces,
17. The blister sheet according to any one of means 13 to 16, wherein in the filling step, the sheet pieces are filled with contents so that both the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are included. manufacturing method.

According to the means 17, the same effects as those of the means 10 can be obtained.

Means 18. In the conveying step, a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents, and the contents in each row are sequentially conveyed to the execution position of the printing process,
The printing process includes
an upstream printing step of alternately performing printing by the first printing unit and printing by the second printing unit on the contents each time one row of contents is conveyed;
In a stage subsequent to the upstream side printing process, every time one row of contents is conveyed, printing by the first printing unit and printing by the second printing unit are alternately performed on these contents. a downstream printing process,
In the filling step, the contents are transferred to the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film by releasing suction and conveying of the contents in one row in a stage after the downstream printing step. 18. A method for producing a blister sheet according to any one of means 13 to 17, characterized by filling.

According to the means 18, the same effect as that of the means 11 can be obtained.

Means 19. In the conveying step, a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents, and the contents in each row are sequentially conveyed to the execution position of the printing process,
The printing process includes
Each time a row of contents is conveyed, at least one of the contents is printed by the first printing unit, and the rest of the contents is printed by the second printing unit. an upstream printing process for printing the
In a stage after the upstream side printing process, every time one row of contents is conveyed, the second printing part prints on the contents printed by the first printing part among these contents and a downstream side printing step of printing the first printing unit on those of the contents printed by the second printing unit,
In the filling step, the contents are transferred to the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film by releasing suction and conveying of the contents in one row in a stage after the downstream printing step. 18. A method for producing a blister sheet according to any one of means 13 to 17, characterized by filling.

According to the means 19, the same effect as that of the means 12 can be obtained.

1 is a perspective view showing a PTP sheet in the first embodiment; FIG. It is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a PTP sheet. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tablet when viewed from the surface side; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tablet when viewed from the back side; 1 is a plan view of a PTP sheet when viewed from the container film side in the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a PTP film in a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a PTP packaging machine; FIG. It is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of a tablet filling apparatus. It is a perspective schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of a 1st drum and a 2nd drum. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a print head; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a first drum and tablets when viewed from the upstream printing device side in the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a second drum, tablets, and the like when viewed from the downstream printing device side in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing how tablets are accommodated in a pocket portion in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the PTP sheet when viewed from the container film side in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a first drum and tablets when viewed from the upstream printing device side in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing a second drum, tablets, and the like when viewed from the downstream printing device side in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a PTP sheet in another embodiment; In another embodiment, it is a plan view of a PTP sheet when viewed from the container film side. In another embodiment, it is a side schematic diagram which shows the state which looked at the pocket part from the side. It is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows schematic structures, such as a supply chute in another embodiment.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[First embodiment]
First, the configuration of the PTP sheet will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the PTP sheet 1 has a container film 3 having a plurality of pockets 2 and a cover film 4 attached to the container film 3 so as to cover the pocket portions 2. ing. In this embodiment, the PTP sheet 1 corresponds to a "blister sheet".

The container film 3 is made of a transparent or translucent thermoplastic resin material such as PP (polypropylene) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride), and has translucency. That is, the container film 3 allows the inside of the pocket portion 2 to be visually recognized from the outside. The container film 3 extends outward from the opening side end of the pocket portion 2 and has a flat flange portion 3a to which the cover film 4 is attached. The pocket portion 2 is in the shape of an oblong disk substantially parallel to the flange portion 3a, and connects the bottom wall portion 2a including the bulging top portion of the pocket portion 2, the outer peripheral portion of the bottom wall portion 2a, and the flange portion 3a. and an annular side wall portion 2b.

The cover film 4 is made of an opaque material (for example, aluminum foil, etc.) having a surface coated with a sealant made of, for example, PP resin. The materials for the films 3 and 4 are not limited to these, and other materials may be used.

The PTP sheet 1 is manufactured by punching a strip-shaped PTP film 6 (see FIG. 6) formed from a strip-shaped container film 3 and a strip-shaped cover film 4 into a sheet shape, and is approximately rectangular in plan view. formed into a shape. In this embodiment, the PTP film 6 constitutes a "blister film".

In the PTP sheet 1, two rows of pocket rows each including five pocket portions 2 arranged along the longitudinal direction are formed in the transverse direction. That is, a total of ten pocket portions 2 are formed. Each pocket portion 2 accommodates one tablet 5 as a "content".

The tablet 5 in this embodiment is an uncoated tablet having an oval shape in a plan view, and has a side surface 5a and a front surface 5b and a rear surface 5c sandwiching the side surface 5a. The front surface 5b and the rear surface 5c each have a tapered portion that chamfers the boundary with the side surface 5a.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the surface 5b of the tablet 5 is printed with a first printed portion 5f including character information (characters and symbols). On the other hand, on the back surface 5c of the tablet 5, a second printed portion 5g having character information different from that of the first printed portion 5f is printed. Character information may include "product name", "content", "dosage form", "manufacturer" and "lot number".

In addition, the PTP sheet 1, as shown in FIG. It is configured to have a face-down tablet 5y, which is the tablet 5 accommodated so that the second printed portion 5g is located in the inside. In the present embodiment, the face-faced tablet 5x constitutes the "face-faced content", and the face-down tablet 5y constitutes the "face-faced content". When the PTP sheet 1 is viewed from the container film 3 side, both the first printed portion 5f and the second printed portion 5g are visible through at least the bottom wall portion 2a.

In addition, the face-up tablet 5x and the face-down tablet 5y are arranged in pairs in the lateral direction of the PTP sheet 1. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, in the PTP sheet 1, the orientation of the first printed portion 5f of each face-up tablet 5x (that is, the direction in which character information is read) is configured to match the orientation of the second printed portion 5g of each face-down tablet 5y. there is

Further, the container film 3 is formed with a plurality of dividing lines 3 b for dividing (separating) the PTP sheet 1 into small sheet pieces 7 each including two pocket portions 2 . In this embodiment, the dividing line 3b is formed by a groove (slit) extending in the short side direction of the PTP sheet 1. As shown in FIG. The dividing line 3b may be formed by perforations in which a plurality of through-holes are linearly arranged at intervals.

In addition, when the PTP sheet 1 is divided into a plurality of small sheet pieces 7, each small sheet piece 7 contains both the face-up tablet 5x and the face-down tablet 5y. In this embodiment, each sheet piece 7 includes one face-up tablet 5x and one face-down tablet 5y arranged in a pair.

Furthermore, the inner surface shape of the pocket portion 2 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the tablet 5 (for example, a shape similar to the shape of the tablet 5 that is one size larger). Therefore, in the state where the cover film 4 is attached to the container film 3 , the pocket portion 2 is capable of regulating the reversal and rotation of the accommodated tablets 5 .

Next, a schematic configuration of a PTP packaging machine 10 for manufacturing the PTP sheet 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the PTP packaging machine 10 corresponds to a "blister packaging machine".

As shown in FIG. 7, on the most upstream side of the PTP packaging machine 10, the strip-shaped container film 3 is wound into a roll. The lead end side of the container film 3 wound in a roll is guided by a guide roll 13 . The container film 3 is hung on the intermittent feed roll 14 on the downstream side of the guide roll 13 . The intermittent feed roll 14 is connected to a motor that rotates intermittently, and transports the container film 3 intermittently.

Between the guide roll 13 and the intermittent feed roll 14, along the transport path of the container film 3, a heating device 15 and a pocket forming device 16 are arranged in order. Then, the container film 3 is heated by the heating device 15 and in a state where the container film 3 is relatively soft, a plurality of pocket portions 2 are formed at predetermined positions of the container film 3 by the pocket portion forming device 16 .

The formation of the pocket portion 2 is performed at intervals between the transporting operations of the container film 3 by the intermittent feed rolls 14, and the formed pocket portion 2 is formed when the cover film 4 is attached to the container film 3. It has a shape capable of regulating the reversal and rotation of the tablets 5 to be accommodated. In this embodiment, the heating device 15 and the pocket forming device 16 constitute "pocket forming means". Further, the step of forming the pocket portion 2 in the container film 3 corresponds to the "pocket portion forming step".

The container film 3 sent out from the intermittent feed roll 14 is put on the tension roll 18, the guide roll 19 and the film receiving roll 20 in this order. Since the film receiving roll 20 is connected to a motor that rotates at a constant speed, the container film 3 is transported continuously at a constant speed. The tension roll 18 is in a state where the container film 3 is stretched by elastic force, and prevents the container film 3 from being slackened due to the difference in conveying operation between the intermittent feed roll 14 and the film receiving roll 20, thereby tightening the container. The film 3 is kept in tension at all times.

A tablet filling device 21 and an inspection device 22 are arranged in this order along the transport path of the container film 3 between the guide roll 19 and the film receiving roll 20 .

The tablet filling device 21 has a function as a “filling means” that prints the printed portions 5 f and 5 g on the tablet 5 while sucking and conveying the tablet 5 and also fills the pocket portion 2 with the tablet 5 . Details of the tablet filling device 21 will be described later.

The inspection device 22 mainly inspects tablet defects such as whether the tablets 5 are surely filled in the respective pocket portions 2, whether the tablets 5 are abnormal, and whether the pocket portions 2 are mixed with foreign matter.

On the other hand, the strip-shaped original fabric of the cover film 4 is wound into a roll on the most upstream side. A lead end of the cover film 4 wound in a roll is guided toward the heating roll 25 by the guide roll 24 .

The heating roll 25 can be brought into pressure contact with the film receiving roll 20 , and the container film 3 and the cover film 4 are fed between the two rolls 20 and 25 . Then, the films 3 and 4 pass between the rolls 20 and 25 in a heated and pressurized state, whereby the cover film 4 is attached to the container film 3 and the pocket portion 2 is closed with the cover film 4 . As a result, strip-shaped PTP film 6 in which tablet 5 is accommodated in each pocket 2 is manufactured. In this embodiment, the film receiving roll 20 and the heating roll 25 constitute the "fixing means". Further, the process of attaching the cover film 4 to the container film 3 corresponds to the "attachment process".

The PTP film 6 sent out from the film receiving roll 20 is placed on a tension roll 27 and an intermittent feed roll 28 in this order. Since the intermittent feed roll 28 is connected to a motor that rotates intermittently, the PTP film 6 is transported intermittently. The tension roll 27 is in a state in which the PTP film 6 is stretched by its elastic force, and prevents the PTP film 6 from slackening due to the difference in the conveying operation between the film receiving roll 20 and the intermittent feed roll 28. The PTP film 6 is always held in tension.

The PTP film 6 sent out from the intermittent feed roll 28 is wound on the tension roll 31 and the intermittent feed roll 32 in this order. Since the intermittent feed roll 32 is connected to a motor that rotates intermittently, the PTP film 6 is transported intermittently. The tension roll 31 is in a state in which the PTP film 6 is pulled to the tension side by elastic force, and the slackness of the PTP film 6 between the intermittent feed rolls 28 and 32 is prevented.

Between the intermittent feed roll 28 and the tension roll 31, along the transport path of the PTP film 6, a dividing line forming device 33 and a stamping device 34 are arranged in order. The dividing line forming device 33 has a function of forming the dividing line 3b at a predetermined position of the PTP film 6. As shown in FIG. In addition, the marking device 34 has a function of marking a predetermined position (for example, a tag portion) of the PTP film 6 . In addition, in FIG. 1 etc., the marking is omitted and illustrated.

The PTP film 6 sent out from the intermittent feed roll 32 is sequentially wound on the tension roll 35 and the continuous feed roll 36 on the downstream side thereof. A sheet punching device 37 is arranged along the transport path of the PTP film 6 between the intermittent feed roll 32 and the tension roll 35 . The sheet punching device 37 has a function of cutting (punching) the outer edge of the PTP film 6 into individual PTP sheets. In this embodiment, the sheet punching device 37 constitutes a “separating means”. Also, the process of separating the PTP sheet 1 from the PTP film 6 corresponds to the "separating process".

The PTP sheet 1 punched by the sheet punching device 37 is conveyed by the conveyor 39 and temporarily stored in the hopper 40 for finished products. However, the PTP sheet 1 determined to be defective by the inspection device 22 is discharged separately by a defective sheet discharge mechanism (not shown) without being sent to the hopper 40 for finished products.

A cutting device 41 is arranged downstream of the continuous feed roll 36 . An unnecessary film portion 42 that constitutes a belt-like residual material portion (scrap portion) after punching by the sheet punching device 37 is guided by the tension roll 35 and the continuous feed roll 36, and then guided to the cutting device 41. . A cutting device 41 cuts the unnecessary film portion 42 to a predetermined size. The cut unnecessary film portion 42 (scrap) is stored in a scrap hopper 43 and then disposed of separately.

Next, the tablet filling device 21 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 8 , the tablet filling device 21 includes a reservoir 45 , a supply chute 46 , a first drum 47 , a second drum 48 and a printer 49 . The tablet filling device 21 also includes a control device 71 for controlling each mechanism (storage section 45, supply chute 46, drums 47 and 48, printer 49). In this embodiment, the first drum 47 and the second drum 48 constitute a "conveying means", and the printing device 49 constitutes a "printing means".

The storage part 45 is configured to be able to store a large number of tablets 5, and is configured to sequentially supply the tablets 5 to the supply chute 46 from here. The tablets 5 stored in the storage portion 45 are not printed on both the printed portions 5f and 5g.

The supply chutes 46 are provided corresponding to the positions of the respective pocket portions 2 in the width direction (the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 8) of the horizontally transported container film 3 . That is, in this embodiment, five supply chutes 46 are arranged in parallel along the width direction of the container film 3 . Each supply chute 46 has a tubular shape, and is configured so that the tablets 5 can be loaded in a horizontal row in a vertical direction.

Each supply chute 46 is arranged so that its lower opening is close to the first drum 47 . A shutter (not shown) is provided in the vicinity of the lower opening of each supply chute 46, and the tablets 5 are naturally dropped one by one from each supply chute 46 by opening and closing the shutter. It is adapted to be supplied to the first drum 47 by pressing.

Next, the first drum 47 and the second drum 48 will be explained. The first drum 47 and the second drum 48 basically have the same configuration.

The drums 47, 48 are cylindrical and rotatably supported. As shown in FIG. 9, the outer peripheral surfaces of the drums 47 and 48 are formed with a large number of suction portions 55a for holding the tablets 5 by suction. The adsorption portions 55a are regularly arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential and axial directions of the drums 47 and 48 . In this embodiment, five suction portions 55a are provided at equal intervals in the axial direction of the drums 47 and 48 corresponding to the positions of the respective pocket portions 2 in the width direction of the container film 3 . A plurality of rows of the five suction portions 55a arranged in the axial direction are provided in the circumferential direction of the drums 47 and 48 at regular intervals. Further, the formation interval (pitch) of the suction portions 55a in the circumferential direction of the drums 47 and 48 is substantially the same as the formation interval of the pocket portions 2 in the conveying direction of the container film 3 (rightward direction in FIG. 8).

Each suction portion 55a has a recessed shape on the outer peripheral surface of the drums 47 and 48, and has a substantially elliptical shape in plan view in the radial direction of the drums 47 and 48. As shown in FIG. A portion of the tablet 5 protrudes from the outer peripheral surfaces of the drums 47 and 48 in a state where the tablet 5 is adsorbed and held by the adsorption portion 55a.

Furthermore, a suction hole 55b formed along the radial direction of the drums 47 and 48 is open at the center of the bottom of each adsorption portion 55a. The suction hole 55b opened at the bottom of the suction portion 55a is evacuated by a predetermined vacuum pump until the suction portion 55a moves from approximately directly above the rotating shafts of the drums 47 and 48 to approximately directly below. It is configured to be in a pulled state (a state in which negative pressure is supplied). As a result, the tablet 5 is sucked and held by the suction portion 55a while being conveyed from approximately directly above to approximately directly below the rotating shaft of the drums 47, 48 as the drums 47, 48 rotate. That is, the drums 47 and 48 sequentially transfer the tablets 5 in each row to the printer 49 in a state in which a plurality of (five in this embodiment) tablets 5 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the tablets 5 are conveyed. It will be transported.

On the other hand, the suction hole 55b opening at the bottom of the adsorption portion 55a is open to the atmosphere until the adsorption portion 55a moves from approximately directly below to approximately above the rotating shafts of the drums 47 and 48. is configured to be As a result, when the tablet 5 reaches the vicinity directly below the rotating shaft of the drums 47 and 48 as the drums 47 and 48 rotate, the adsorption and holding of the tablet 5 by the adsorption portion 55a is released.

Each of the drums 47 and 48 is provided with an encoder (not shown), and a signal relating to the rotation angle is output from the encoder to the control device 71 at predetermined time intervals. As a result, the control device 71 can grasp the rotational positions of the drums 47 and 48, and thus can grasp the position of the tablet 5 that is suction-conveyed.

Under the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, the first drum 47 and the second drum 48 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. Further, the second drum 48 is arranged so as to be close to the horizontally transported container film 3 .

In addition, the first drum 47 and the second drum 48 are always continuously rotated at the same rotational speed in predetermined directions (thick arrow directions in FIG. 8) so as to be synchronized with the conveying operation of the container film 3 by the PTP packaging machine 10. It is driven and controlled by the control device 71 so as to rotate. In this embodiment, the first drum 47 continuously rotates clockwise and the second drum 48 continuously rotates counterclockwise on the paper surface of FIG.

Also, the timing at which the adsorption portion 55a of the first drum 47 passes the third position P3 corresponding to the position directly below the first drum 47 and the position directly above the second drum 48 and the timing at which the adsorption portion 55a of the second drum 48 passes set to match the timing.

Further, the timing at which the adsorption portion 55a of the second drum 48 passes the fifth position P5, which is located directly below the second drum 48, is set to coincide with the timing at which the pocket portion 2 of the container film 3 passes. there is In this embodiment, the fifth position P5 corresponds to the "filling position".

Next, the printer 49 will be explained. The printing device 49 includes an upstream printing device 61 provided corresponding to the first drum 47 and a downstream printing device 62 provided corresponding to the second drum 48 . In this embodiment, the upstream printing device 61 constitutes "upstream printing means", and the downstream printing device 62 constitutes "downstream printing means".

Each of the printing devices 61 and 62 performs non-contact printing on the tablet 5 using a predetermined ink jet type (for example, piezo type or thermal type) print head. The printing devices 61 and 62 print a plurality of (five in this embodiment) aligned in the rotational axis direction of the drums 47 and 48 so as to correspond to the plurality of adsorption portions 55a (tablets 5) aligned in the rotational axis direction. Each has a head 63 . These print heads 63 are provided with a plurality of ejection nozzles 64 for ejecting ink droplets onto the tablets 5 (see FIG. 10). Character information can be printed on the tablets 5 by ejecting edible ink droplets from these ejection nozzles 64 .

The upstream printing device 61 is arranged at a second position P2, which is a side position of the first drum 47. As shown in FIG. Then, the upstream side printing device 61 ejects ink from each print head 63 toward each tablet 5 that is suction-conveyed by the first drum 47 and passes through the second position P2 to perform non-contact printing.

The downstream printing device 62 is arranged at a fourth position P4, which is a side position of the second drum 48. As shown in FIG. Then, the downstream printing device 62 ejects ink from each print head 63 toward each tablet 5 that is suction-conveyed by the second drum 48 and passes through the fourth position P4 to perform non-contact printing. In this embodiment, the second position P2 and the fourth position P4 respectively correspond to the "printing process execution position".

In addition, a cleaning mechanism that pressurizes and purges dust, thickened or solidified ink, etc. clogged inside the ejection nozzles 64 corresponding to each print head 63 of both the printing devices 61 and 62, and A cleaning device (not shown) having a wiping mechanism for wiping the print head 63 after purging is provided.

The control device 71 includes a CPU as computing means, a ROM that stores various programs, a RAM that temporarily stores various data, and a storage medium (such as a hard disk) for long-term storage of information. The control device 71 executes control processing related to each mechanism of the tablet filling device 21 such as the printers 61 and 62 by the CPU executing a predetermined program. In this embodiment, the storage medium stores print data relating to the first printing unit 5f and the second printing unit 5g.

The control device 71 uses print data and the like for both printing units 5f and 5g, and each time a row of tablets 5 is conveyed to the second position P2 by the first drum 47, the tablets 5 are printed on both sides. The operation of the upstream side printing device 61 is controlled so as to alternately form the printing portions 5f and 5g. As a result, the two printed portions 5f and 5g are alternately printed on each of the tablets 5 passing through the second position P2 (see FIG. 11). In addition, the control device 71 makes the directions of the first printing portions 5f printed on the tablets 5 the same (the direction in which the character information is read), and the second printing portions 5g printed on the tablets 5. The upstream side printing device 61 is controlled so that the respective directions of are the same.

Furthermore, the control device 71 uses the print data for both the printing units 5f and 5g to print the tablets 5 on each row of tablets 5 each time the second drum 48 conveys the tablets 5 to the fourth position P4. On the other hand, the operation of the downstream printing device 62 is controlled so that the printing portions 5f and 5g are formed alternately. As a result, the two printed portions 5f and 5g are alternately printed on each row of tablets 5 passing through the fourth position P4 (see FIG. 12). However, the control device 71 prints the second printed portion 5g on the tablet 5 on which the first printed portion 5f is printed by the upstream side printing device 61, and the second printed portion 5g is printed by the upstream side printing device 61. The downstream side printing device 62 is controlled to print the first printing portion 5 f on the tablet 5 .

In addition, the control device 71 makes the direction of each first printing portion 5f printed on each tablet 5 the same (the direction in which character information is read), and the second printing portion 5g printed on each tablet 5. The operation of the downstream side printing device 62 is controlled so that the directions of the . At this time, in the finally obtained PTP sheet 1, the control device 71 controls the downstream side so that the orientation of the first printed portion 5f on the face-up tablet 5x and the orientation of the second printed portion 5g on the face-down tablet 5y match. It controls the printing operation by the printing device 62 .

In this embodiment, a camera (not shown) is provided for capturing an image of the tablet 5 that is sucked and conveyed by the drums 47 and 48, and the orientation and position of the tablet 5 in the image data obtained by the camera are In addition, the printing positions are appropriately adjusted, and as a result, the orientations of the printing portions 5f and 5g printed on the tablets 5 are made more reliably the same. When the tablet 5 has a dividing line, the printing portions 5f and 5g may be configured to print at positions avoiding the dividing line according to the position and direction of the dividing line.

In the tablet filling device 21 configured as described above, the tablets 5 are conveyed and printed as follows.

That is, by opening and closing the shutter of each supply chute 46 at a predetermined timing when the empty suction portion 55a that moves with the rotation of the first drum 47 reaches a predetermined first position P1 (see FIG. 8), , the tablets 5 are dropped one by one from each of the supply chutes 46, and these tablets 5 are sucked and held by the suction portions 55a that have moved to the first position P1. The first position P1 is a position corresponding to the drop position of the tablets 5 from the supply chute 46. As shown in FIG.

When the first drum 47 rotates and one row of tablets 5 reaches the second position P2, the control device 71 controls the operation of the upstream printing device 61 . As a result, the upstream side printing device 61 alternately prints both the printing portions 5f and 5g on the non-suction surface side of the tablets 5 in one row passing through the second position P2. In the present embodiment, the process of alternately printing both the printing sections 5f and 5g by the upstream printing device 61 corresponds to the "upstream printing process".

Thereafter, when the first drum 47 rotates and one row of tablets 5 is arranged at the third position P3, these tablets 5 are released from the adsorption and transferred to the second drum 48 . At this time, each tablet 5 is adsorbed and held by the second drum 48 while being turned upside down.

Then, when the tablet 5 for one row is conveyed as the second drum 48 rotates and reaches the fourth position P4, the control device 71 controls the operation of the downstream printing device 62 . As a result, the downstream side printing device 62 alternately prints both the printed portions 5f and 5g on the non-adsorbed side of the tablets 5 in one row passing through the fourth position P4. 5f and 5g, respectively. In this embodiment, the process of alternately printing both the printing portions 5f and 5g by the downstream printing device 62 corresponds to the "downstream printing process". A process of printing the first printed portion 5f on the front surface 5b of the tablet 5 and printing the second printed portion 5g on the back surface 5c of the tablet 5 by both the printing devices 61 and 62 corresponds to the "printing process".

After that, when one row of tablets 5 reaches the fifth position P5 as the second drum 48 rotates, these tablets 5 enter the pocket portion 2 of the container film 3 conveyed to the fifth position P5. enter. Further, the tablets 5 are released from the adsorption and holding, so that the tablets 5 drop and fill the plurality of pockets 2 arranged in the width direction of the container film 3 . As a result, the tablets 5 for one row are sequentially filled into the pocket portion 2 while turning over (see FIG. 13). In FIG. 13, the illustration of the second drum 48 is omitted in order to more clearly show how the tablets 5 are filled in the pocket portion 2. As shown in FIG.

By printing and filling the tablets 5 as described above, the pockets 2 are filled with the tablets 5 so that the finally obtained PTP sheet 1 includes the face-up tablets 5x and the face-down tablets 5y. becomes. In addition, in the finally obtained PTP sheet 1, both tablets 5x and 5y are arranged in pairs, and both tablets 5x and 5y are included in the small sheet piece 7. The pocket portion 2 is filled with the tablets 5 so that the orientation of the printed portion 5f and the orientation of the second printed portion 5g of the face-down tablet 5y match.

In the present embodiment, the drums 47 and 48 adsorb and convey the tablets 5, and the second drum 48 cancels the adsorption of the tablets 5 for one row, thereby filling the pockets 2 with the tablets 5. Corresponds to "conveyance process". Further, the process including this process and the printing process of the printing units 5f and 5g by the printing devices 61 and 62 corresponds to the "filling process".

After filling the pocket portion 2 with the tablets 5, the process of attaching the cover film 4 to the container film 3 (that is, the "attaching process"), the process of forming the dividing line 3b and the marking on the PTP film 6, The PTP sheet 1 is obtained by going through the process of cutting the PTP film 6 into individual PTP sheets (that is, the "cutting process").

As described in detail above, according to the present embodiment, the PTP sheet 1 has the face-up tablets 5x and the face-down tablets 5y. Both of the two printed portions 5g can be made visible. As a result, the amount of information displayed externally by the printing unit can be further increased, and the convenience of using and managing the PTP sheet 1 (tablet 5) can be improved.

Furthermore, since both the printed portions 5f and 5g are visible, it is not necessary to attach information on the printed portions to the cover film 4. FIG. Therefore, it is possible to effectively improve the productivity and reduce the cost of manufacturing the PTP sheet 1 .

In addition, the orientation of the first printed portion 5f on the face-up tablet 5x and the orientation of the second printed portion 5g on the face-down tablet 5y can be matched, and the tablets 5x and 5y can be prevented from being turned upside down or rotated. It is said that Therefore, it is possible to reliably maintain a state in which both the printed portions 5f and 5g can be visually recognized from the outside, and to align the character information constituting the respective printed portions 5f and 5g to make the character information easier to read. be able to. As a result, the convenience of using and managing the PTP sheet 1 (tablet 5) can be more effectively enhanced.

In addition, since the tablets 5x and 5y are arranged in pairs, it is possible to more reliably bring both the printed portions 5f and 5g into view at the same time. It becomes easy to collectively grasp each information. In addition, it becomes easier for the user, etc., to understand that the information is displayed as a set of the face-up tablet 5x and the face-down tablet 5y, so that the user, etc. can easily understand the intention of displaying the information. Furthermore, for users, etc., it is easy to understand that the tablets 5 are accommodated so that both the printed portions 5f and 5g are intentionally visible. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the feeling of uneasiness that inappropriate tablets 5 may be contained due to such a situation.

Furthermore, since each of the small sheet pieces 7 includes the respective tablets 5x and 5y, even when using or managing the tablets 5 in the state of the small sheet pieces 7, both printed portions 5f and 5g can be confirmed. be able to. Thereby, the further improvement of convenience can be aimed at.

Furthermore, when the PTP sheet 1 is manufactured, the tablets 5 are sequentially filled into the pocket portion 2 while alternating the front and back sides of the tablets 5 in one row, so that the PTP sheet having the face-up tablets 5x and the face-down tablets 5y 1 can be obtained more easily. In addition, since it is not necessary to complicate the structure of the tablet filling device 21 in manufacturing such a PTP sheet 1, it is possible to effectively suppress increases in costs related to manufacturing, maintenance, etc. of the PTP packaging machine 10. can.

Furthermore, since the printing devices 61 and 62 alternately print on the printing portions 5f and 5g, each ejection nozzle 64 is likely to be selected as an ink ejection target. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent clogging of the ejection nozzles 64 due to solidification or thickening of the ink, and to more reliably prevent the occurrence of printing defects. In addition, since clogging of the discharge nozzle 64 is less likely to occur, the frequency of cleaning by the cleaning device can be reduced. As a result, the cost of producing the PTP sheet 1 can be reduced and the production speed can be further improved.
[Second embodiment]
Next, the second embodiment will be described, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the PTP sheet 1 has three rows of pocket rows in the width direction, each row consisting of five pocket portions 2 arranged along the longitudinal direction. ing. That is, a total of 15 pocket portions 2 are formed.

Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the PTP sheet 1 is provided with the dividing line 3b. Both 5x and face down tablets 5y are to be included. However, in the second embodiment, the number of face-up tablets 5x and face-down tablets 5y included in each sheet piece 7 is different, and in each sheet piece 7, one of both tablets 5x and 5y is Both tablets 5x and 5y are arranged so as to be sandwiched by the other of tablets 5x and 5y.

Further, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the container film 3 has a number of pocket portions 2 (six in the second embodiment) arranged in the width direction corresponding to two sheets. It is configured as Further, the tablet filling device 21 of the second embodiment includes printers 61 and 62 (the printers 61 and 62 are not shown in FIGS. 15 and 16), drums 47 and 48, as in the first embodiment. 15 and 16, drums 47, 48, etc. correspond to the number of pocket portions 2 along the width direction of the container film 3 in the second embodiment. have a configuration. In other words, both drums 47 and 48 are provided with the suction portions 55a in a number (that is, six) corresponding to the number of pocket portions 2 along the rotation axis direction. In addition, each of the printing devices 61 and 62 prints a plurality (that is, six) of the drums 47 and 48 so as to correspond to the suction portions 55a (tablets 5) arranged in the rotation axis direction. Each has a head 63 .

In the second embodiment, the control device 71 controls the upstream printing device 61 to perform predetermined operation control every time the first drum 47 conveys one row of tablets 5 to the second position P2. I do. As a result, the upstream printing device 61 prints the first printing portion 5f on at least one of the tablets 5 each time one row of tablets 5 is conveyed to the second position P2, The rest of these tablets 5 are printed by the second printing unit 5g (that is, the “upstream side printing step”).

In the second embodiment, the upstream printing device 61 prints on the tablets 5 in one line so that the printed portions 5f and 5g are alternately formed along the direction in which the tablets 5 are arranged. . Therefore, in the upstream printing device 61, the printing contents handled by the individual printing heads 63 are the same, and only one of the two printing units 5f and 5g is printed on the tablet 5 at a predetermined position in the row. will be printed.

Further, the control device 71 performs predetermined operation control on the downstream printing device 62 each time one row of tablets 5 is conveyed to the fourth position P4 by the second drum 48 . As a result, every time one row of tablets 5 is conveyed to the fourth position P4, the downstream printing device 62 prints the first printed part 5f of the tablets 5, and the second A step of printing the printed portion 5g and printing the first printed portion 5f on those of the tablets 5 on which the second printed portion 5g is printed (that is, the “downstream side printing step”) is performed.

In the second embodiment, the downstream printing device 62 prints on the tablets 5 in one row so that the printed portions 5f and 5g are alternately formed along the direction in which the tablets 5 are arranged. . Therefore, in the downstream side printing device 62 as well, the print contents handled by the individual print heads 63 are the same, and the tablet 5 at a predetermined position in the row is always printed by one of the two printing units 5f and 5g. will be printed.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, basically the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

Further, according to the second embodiment, downstream of the downstream printing device 62, the tablet 5 having the surface 5b (the surface with the first printing portion 5f) sucked by the second drum 48 and the back surface 5c (the surface having the first printing portion 5f) The tablets 5 are conveyed in a state in which the tablets 5 having the second printed portion 5g (surface with the printed portion 5g) are present in each row. Then, by releasing the adsorption of the tablets 5 for one row at the fifth position P5, the tablets 5 having the first printed portion 5f arranged on the side of the bottom wall portion 2a and the second printed portion 5f on the side of the bottom wall portion 2a The pocket portion 2 is filled at once with the tablet 5 on which the printed portion 5g is arranged. Therefore, the PTP sheet 1 having the face-up tablets 5x and the face-down tablets 5y can be obtained more easily. In addition, since it is not necessary to complicate the structure of the tablet filling device 21 in manufacturing such a PTP sheet 1, it is possible to effectively suppress increases in costs related to manufacturing, maintenance, etc. of the PTP packaging machine 10. can.

Furthermore, when taking out the tablet 5 from the small sheet piece 7, it is generally considered that the tablet 5 located on the end side of the small sheet piece 7 is taken out first. and one of the face-down tablets 5y is sandwiched by the other of the two. Therefore, even when one tablet 5 is taken out from the small sheet piece 7, the state in which the small sheet piece 7 contains the tablets 5x and 5y can be easily maintained. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the convenience for users and the like.

In addition, it is not limited to the description content of the said embodiment, For example, you may implement as follows. Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are naturally possible.

(a) The arrangement and number of pocket portions 2 in the PTP sheet 1 are not limited to those of the above-described embodiment, and PTP sheets having various arrangements and numbers can be employed. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the PTP sheet 1 has two rows of pockets in the width direction, each row consisting of three pocket portions 2 arranged in the longitudinal direction. may Furthermore, the shape of the pocket portion 2 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the pocket portion 2 may have a rectangular shape in plan view, a circular shape in plan view, a polygonal shape in plan view, an elliptical shape in plan view, or the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the PTP film 6 has a configuration in which a number of pocket portions 2 corresponding to one or two sheets are arranged along the width direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the number of pocket portions 2 corresponding to three sheets or more are arranged along the width direction may be employed.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the PTP sheet 1 is used as the blister sheet, but the technical idea of the present invention may be applied to a blister sheet other than the PTP sheet 1.

(b) In the above embodiment, the second printed portion 5g of the face-up tablet 5x and the first printed portion 5f of the face-down tablet 5y (that is, the printed portion located on the opposite side to the bottom wall portion 2a) are visible from the outside. Impossible or difficult to see. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19, by appropriately changing the shape of the tablet 5, at least one of the second printed portion 5g of the face-up tablet 5x and the first print portion 5f of the face-down tablet 5y is It may be configured to be visible through the side wall portion 2b (FIG. 19 shows an example in which at least part of the second printed portion 5g of the face-up tablet 5x is visible).

In the case of such a configuration, for example, there is a question that an inappropriate tablet 5 is accommodated due to the fact that the contents of the printed portions 5f and 5g visually recognized through the bottom wall portion 2a are different. Even if this occurs, without taking out the tablet 5 from the pocket portion 2, the appropriate tablet 5 can be accommodated by looking at both printed portions 5f and 5g of each tablet 5 through the bottom wall portion 2a and the side wall portion 2b. You can check whether it is Thereby, the improvement of convenience can be aimed at further.

(c) In the above embodiment, the PTP sheet 1 includes a plurality of each of the face-facing tablets 5x and the face-face tablets 5y, but may include only one face-face tablet 5x or face-face tablet 5y. For example, the PTP sheet 1 of the first embodiment may be configured to have nine face-up tablets 5x and only one face-down tablet 5y.

(d) In the above embodiment, the sheet piece 7 is configured to include both the face-up tablets 5x and the face-down tablets 5y. may be configured.

(e) In the above embodiment, the contents are tablets 5, but the contents are not limited to tablets.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, as the tablet 5, an uncoated tablet having an oval shape in plan view is exemplified, but the type, shape, etc. of the tablet are not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, tablets include not only medicines but also tablets used for eating and drinking. Tablets include not only uncoated tablets, but also sugar-coated tablets, film-coated tablets, orally disintegrating tablets, enteric-coated tablets, gelatin-coated tablets, etc., as well as various capsules such as hard capsules and soft capsules. Also includes tablets.

Furthermore, the shape of the contents such as the tablet 5 can be changed as appropriate, and may be, for example, a rectangular shape in plan view, a circular shape in plan view, a polygonal shape in plan view, an elliptical shape in plan view, or the like.

(f) The cleaning devices of the printing devices 61 and 62 of the above embodiments are configured to remove dust, ink, etc. by pressurized purging. good.

Also, a printing device 49 (printing devices 61 and 62) using a method other than the inkjet method may be used. For example, a printer that prints by directly contacting the tablet 5 or a printer that prints by irradiating the tablet 5 with laser may be used.

(g) The method of restricting the reversal and rotation of the tablet 5 accommodated in the pocket portion 2 is not limited to the method mentioned in the above embodiment. For example, by sandwiching the tablet 5 between the bottom wall portion 2 a of the pocket portion 2 and the cover film 4 , the reversal and rotation of the tablet 5 may be restricted.

(h) In the above embodiment, the first drum 47 and the second drum 48 are used as the conveying means. good.

In the above-described embodiment, each supply chute 46 is configured to load the tablets 5 horizontally in a row in the vertical direction while supplying the tablets 5 to the first drum 47, which is shown in FIG. Each supply chute 46 may be configured to supply the tablets 5 to the first drum 47 while vertically stacking the tablets 5 in a vertical posture. In this case also, as in the above embodiment, the tablets 5 are supplied to the first drum 47 by opening and closing the shutters (not shown) provided near the lower openings of the supply chutes 46. The Rukoto.

Reference Signs List 1 PTP sheet (blister sheet) 2 pocket portion 2a bottom wall portion 2b side wall portion 3 container film 3b dividing line 4 cover film 5 tablet (content) 5f First printed part, 5g... Second printed part, 5x... Face-up tablet (face-face contents), 5y... Back-face tablet (face-face contents), 6... PTP film (blister film), 7... Sheet piece, 10... PTP packaging machine (blister packaging machine), 15 heating device (pocket forming means), 16 pocket forming device (pocket forming means), 20 film receiving roll (attaching means), 21 tablet filling device ( Filling means), 25 Heating roll (fixing means), 37 Sheet punching device (separating means), 47 First drum (conveying means), 48 Second drum (conveying means), 49 Printing device (printing means), 61: upstream side printing device (upstream side printing means), 62: downstream side printing device (downstream side printing means).

Claims (19)

Contents are accommodated in each of a plurality of pockets each having a bottom wall and a side wall formed in a transparent or translucent container film, and a cover film is attached to the container film so as to cover the pockets. A blister sheet to which is attached,
The content includes a first printed portion consisting of character information printed on the front side, and a second printed portion printed on the back side and consisting of character information different in content from the first printed portion,
a face-up content, which is a content accommodated in the pocket portion such that the first printed portion is positioned on the bottom wall portion side;
A blister sheet, comprising: a back-facing content, which is a content accommodated in the pocket portion such that the second printed portion is positioned on the bottom wall portion side. The orientation of the first printed portion in the face-up content and the orientation of the second printed portion in the face-down content are configured to match,
2. The blister sheet according to claim 1, wherein the blister sheet is configured to restrict the rotation and reversal of the contents accommodated in the pocket. 3. The blister sheet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are provided in a pair and arranged side by side. Having a dividing line for separating into a plurality of small sheet pieces,
4. A blister sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sheet piece is configured to contain both the face-up content and the face-down content. 2. At least one of said second printed portion on said front-facing content and said first printed portion on said back-facing content is configured to be visible through said side wall portion. 5. The blister sheet according to any one of items 1 to 4. Contents are accommodated in each of a plurality of pockets each having a bottom wall and a side wall formed in a transparent or translucent container film, and a cover film is attached to the container film so as to cover the pockets. A blister packaging machine for producing a blister sheet attached with
filling means for filling contents into the pocket portions of the belt-shaped container film to be transported;
attaching means for attaching the strip-shaped cover film to the container film in which the pocket portion is filled with the content so as to cover the pocket portion;
separating means for separating a blister sheet from a belt-shaped blister film formed by attaching the cover film to the container film,
The filling means
By adsorbing and conveying the content and releasing the adsorption of the content at a predetermined filling position, the content can be filled into the pocket portion of the container film that has been conveyed to the filling position. a configured transport means;
A first printed portion consisting of character information is printed on the surface of the content being sucked and conveyed by the conveying means, and a second printed portion consisting of character information different in content from the first printed portion is printed on the back side of the content. and printing means for printing two printing units,
The filling means includes, in the finally obtained blister sheet, the face-up contents, which are contents in which the first printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side, and the second printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side. A blister packaging machine characterized in that the contents are filled into the pocket portion so that the contents facing down are present in the blister packaging machine. The filling means fills the pocket portion with the contents in such a manner that the direction of the first printed part on the front-facing contents matches the direction of the second printed part on the back-facing contents. 7. A blister packaging machine according to claim 6. Pocket portion forming means for forming the pocket portion in the belt-shaped container film upstream of the filling means,
8. The blister packaging machine according to claim 6, wherein said pocket portion forming means forms said pocket portion having a shape capable of regulating rotation and reversal of contained contents. The filling means fills the pocket portion with the contents so that the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are aligned in pairs in the finally obtained blister sheet. A blister packaging machine according to any one of claims 6 to 8. The blister sheet has a parting line to allow it to be separated into a plurality of sheet pieces,
10. The filling device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the filling means fills the small sheet with the contents so that both the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are included in the sheet pieces. blister packaging machine. The conveying means is configured to sequentially convey the contents of each row to the printing means in a state in which a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents,
The printing means
upstream-side printing means for alternately performing printing by the first printing unit and printing by the second printing unit on each row of contents conveyed by the conveying means;
Every time one row of contents is conveyed by the conveying means downstream of the upstream side printing means, the printing of the first printing unit and the printing of the second printing unit are performed on these contents. alternating downstream printing means,
The filling means is downstream of the downstream side printing means, and by canceling the adsorption and conveyance of the contents for one row, fills the contents into the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film. 11. A blister packaging machine according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that it is arranged to. The conveying means is configured to sequentially convey the contents of each row to the printing means in a state in which a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents,
The printing means
Each time one row of contents is conveyed by the conveying means, at least one of the contents is printed by the first printing unit, and the rest of the contents are printed by the first printing unit. upstream printing means for printing by the second printing unit;
Every time one row of contents is conveyed by the conveying means downstream of the upstream side printing means, the second printing is performed on the contents printed by the first printing portion among the contents. a downstream side printing means for performing printing of the first printing portion on the content printed by the second printing portion among these contents,
The filling means is downstream of the downstream side printing means, and by canceling the adsorption and conveyance of the contents for one row, fills the contents into the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film. 11. A blister packaging machine according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that it is arranged to. Contents are accommodated in each of a plurality of pockets each having a bottom wall and a side wall formed in a transparent or translucent container film, and a cover film is attached to the container film so as to cover the pockets. A method for manufacturing a blister sheet to which is attached,
a filling step of filling contents into the pocket portions of the conveyed strip-shaped container film;
an attaching step of attaching the strip-shaped cover film to the container film in which the pocket portion is filled with the content so as to cover the pocket portion;
a separating step of separating a blister sheet from a belt-shaped blister film formed by attaching the cover film to the container film;
The filling step includes
Conveying to fill the pocket portion of the container film conveyed to the filling position with the content by sucking and conveying the content and canceling the suction of the content at a predetermined filling position. process and
In the conveying step, a first printed portion consisting of character information is printed on the surface of the content being sucked and conveyed, and a second printed portion consisting of character information different in content from the first printed portion is printed on the back surface of the content. A printing process for printing two printing units,
In the filling step, in the finally obtained blister sheet, the front-facing contents, which are contents in which the first printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side, and the second printed part is positioned on the bottom wall side A method for producing a blister sheet, characterized in that the contents are filled into the pocket portion so that the contents facing down are present. In the filling step, the contents are filled into the pocket part so that the direction of the first printed part on the front-facing contents matches the direction of the second printed part on the back-facing contents. The method for manufacturing a blister sheet according to claim 13. In a step prior to the filling step, a pocket portion forming step of forming the pocket portion in the belt-shaped container film,
15. The method of manufacturing a blister sheet according to claim 13 or 14, wherein in the pocket portion forming step, the pocket portion is formed to have a shape capable of regulating the rotation and reversal of the contained contents. . In the filling step, the pocket portion is filled with the contents so that the front-facing contents and the back-facing contents are aligned in pairs in the finally obtained blister sheet. The method for manufacturing a blister sheet according to any one of claims 13 to 15. The blister sheet has a parting line to allow it to be separated into a plurality of sheet pieces,
17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein in the filling step, the content is filled so that the sheet pieces contain both the front-facing content and the back-facing content. manufacturing method of the blister sheet. In the conveying step, a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents, and the contents in each row are sequentially conveyed to the execution position of the printing process,
The printing process includes
an upstream printing step of alternately performing printing by the first printing unit and printing by the second printing unit on the contents each time one row of contents is conveyed;
In a stage subsequent to the upstream side printing process, every time one row of contents is conveyed, printing by the first printing unit and printing by the second printing unit are alternately performed on these contents. a downstream printing process,
In the filling step, the contents are transferred to the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film by releasing suction and conveying of the contents in one row in a stage after the downstream printing step. 18. A method for producing a blister sheet according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized by filling. In the conveying step, a plurality of contents are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the contents, and the contents in each row are sequentially conveyed to the execution position of the printing process,
The printing process includes
Each time a row of contents is conveyed, at least one of the contents is printed by the first printing unit, and the rest of the contents is printed by the second printing unit. an upstream printing process for printing the
In a stage after the upstream side printing process, every time one row of contents is conveyed, the second printing part prints on the contents printed by the first printing part among these contents and a downstream side printing step of printing the first printing unit on those of the contents printed by the second printing unit,
In the filling step, the contents are transferred to the plurality of pockets arranged in the width direction of the container film by releasing suction and conveying of the contents in one row in a stage after the downstream printing step. 18. A method for producing a blister sheet according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized by filling.

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