JPH055727B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention <Field of Application of the Invention> The present invention utilizes drums with recesses (small holes for accommodating tablets, etc.) disposed adjacent to each other to produce tablets or similar small solid preparations. (For example, tablet-shaped catalysts, foods, solid seasonings, chemicals, photographic developers, agricultural chemicals, silver batteries, etc.) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "tablets") are inspected, printed, When processing, the target tablets, etc. are transferred from the front drum (not limited to processing drums, but also includes drums such as tablet supply drums, hereinafter referred to as the front drum) to the rear drum (hereinafter referred to as the rear drum), with their front and back sides turned over. The present invention relates to a device for transferring the present invention to a predetermined position and in a predetermined attitude.

<Background of the Invention> Today, an extremely wide variety of automatic machines and industrial robots are used in many industrial fields, making a significant contribution to improving productivity. But still,
There remain many fields that must rely on the human five senses and the movements of the fingertips, and a typical example is the field of testing that uses human vision. Conventionally, it has been customary for all tablets produced in a factory to be visually inspected to determine whether they are good or bad by an inspector located on the side of the conveyor in the flow direction. However, this method requires a large installation area for the conveyor, and deviations due to worker fatigue have been pointed out as a major problem.

However, with recent breakthroughs in optoelectronics, high-density solid-state imaging devices have made it possible to perform precise inspections even in fields that previously relied on the naked eye, opening the door to mechanical inspections.

However, since machines are incapable of making multidimensional judgments like humans, strict stability of posture is required for target tablets and the like located in the monitoring area of the sensor.

<Problems with conventional technology> Transferring tablets from the front drum to the rear drum is
In addition to performing the desired treatment between the front drum and the rear drum, it can also be performed between the supply drum that supplies tablets to the front drum and the front drum. When transferring from the front drum to the rear drum, if it is transferred in the same position, if the front drum shows the front side, the back side will come out on the rear drum, making it possible to process the front and back sides. If the tablets are turned over at this time, the front side will appear again in the subsequent drum, so it is necessary to prevent the tablets from turning over during transfer. Next, during transfer, if the tablet hits the wall of the recess, vibrates, or flops, the posture of the tablet is disturbed, and there is a problem that the tablet is not positioned in the predetermined position in the recess of the rear drum in a predetermined posture. If correct localization cannot be performed, correct processing cannot be performed, leading to errors. Moreover, if the tablet hits the wall of the recess, not only will it be damaged and the quality of the product will be degraded, but fragments will scatter and have an adverse effect. Therefore, when reprinting, it is necessary to avoid disturbing or damaging the above posture as much as possible.

Next, there is the problem of residual tablets being conveyed as they are by the preceding drum without being transferred from the preceding drum to the succeeding drum, or remaining tablets are conveyed as they are by the conveying drum without being ejected when they should be discharged after processing. There is. When residual tablets occur, the residual tablets collide with the next delivered tablet at the supply point or transfer point (generally called "jamming"), and both jammed tablets are crushed, resulting in poor yield. Not only that, but the fragments fly off and accumulate in the recess, causing adverse effects such as blocking the air holes at the bottom of the recess.

Furthermore, each drum can be placed vertically, on the left or right, or even diagonally; however, there are some differences in the reprinting mechanism depending on each method. be.

In the method of arranging the drums one above the other, the weight of the tablets is utilized and reloading can often be carried out using a simple auxiliary guide. In this case, the auxiliary guide could not be inserted into the recess, so the effect was incomplete. Further, the positions of the recesses were set so that the recesses of the front and rear drums completely overlapped. When using this method, the tablet may hit the wall of the recess and become misaligned.
In addition, reversal often occurred. Furthermore, the problem of jamming due to residual tablets could not be avoided. To solve this problem, air jets and
It was also possible to use suction in combination, but this inevitably made the structure more complicated.

On the other hand, in the method of arranging the tablets from side to side, it is not possible to utilize the weight of the tablets, so a small hole is drilled at the bottom of the recess, and air is blown out from the small hole in the front drum at the contact point between the front drum and the rear drum to move the tablets to the rear stage. A method is adopted in which the tablets are moved in the direction of the drum and air is sucked through the small holes in the rear drum to cause the tablets to be adsorbed in the recesses. A method has also been developed in which the rotational phase of the drums is finely adjusted in order to overlap the recesses of both drums. When using fumes in this way, the tablets often collide with the walls of the recesses and disturb their posture, and the overlapping of the recesses in both drums aggravated this tendency. Although the occurrence of residual tablets was reduced, it could not be completely eliminated. The use of auxiliary guides has also been attempted, but their effectiveness has been incomplete for the reasons previously explained.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> An object of the present invention is to minimize the disturbance in the posture of solid preparations when transferring them from the front drums to the rear drums arranged adjacent to each other, and to reduce the amount of solid preparations remaining in the front drums. The object of the present invention is to provide a solid preparation transfer device that eliminates the problems caused by jams.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The solid dosage transfer device according to the present invention includes a cylindrical drum having a plurality of equiangular radially carved recesses for accommodating solid dosage forms arranged adjacent to each other on its circumferential surface. In an apparatus configured to be able to perform inspection, processing, etc. on the solid preparation contained on the peripheral surface of the drum, the rear drum when viewed in the direction of transport of the solid preparation has a width slightly larger than the recess width. An annular groove is provided which is narrow and has the same depth and connects each recess when viewed in the circumferential direction, and the groove in the front drum is narrower in width and deeper in depth than the groove provided in the rear drum, and in the circumferential direction. An annular groove connecting the recesses along the front and rear drums is provided, and the contact points of the front and rear drums face each other across the contact points in a plane parallel to the tangential plane and perpendicular to the rotation axis of both drums, and their end surfaces complement each other. Front and rear guides having sloped parts facing each other to form an angle are arranged so that the interval between these sloped parts is slightly wider than the thickness of the solid preparation to be accommodated, and the width of the front guide is equal to the groove formed in the front drum. The width of the rear guide is slightly narrower than the width of the groove of the rear drum, and its tip is arranged so that it slides on the bottom of the groove, and its height is higher than the depth of the recess. The groove is slightly narrower than the width, and its tip is placed so that it slides on the bottom of the groove, and its height is approximately the depth of the recess. The solid preparation is forcibly discharged from the recess of the front drum by the front guide, and after passing between the front and rear guides, it is moved along the rear guide to the rear drum. It is characterized by being configured so that it can be smoothly moved to the recess.

That is, in the present invention, the rear drum is provided with an annular groove whose width is slightly narrower than the recess width and whose depth is the same as the depth of the recess and connects each recess when viewed in the circumferential direction. is provided with an annular groove that is narrower in width and deeper than the groove provided in the rear drum and connects each recess along the circumferential direction, and the guide in the former stage scoops out the solid drug contained in the recess from the recess. In order to raise the guide, the width is narrowed so that the tip slides on the bottom of the groove formed in the front drum, and the height is made higher than the depth of the recess.The rear guide is reprinted from the front drum. In order to reliably accommodate the solid preparation in the recess of the latter drum, its width is made wide so that its tip slides on the bottom surface of the groove formed in the latter drum, and its height is approximately the depth of the recess. In addition, sloped parts are provided at the tips of the front and rear guides,
They are placed facing each other with an interval slightly wider than the thickness of the solid preparation. With this configuration, the solid drug stored in the recess of the front drum is forcibly discharged by the front guide, so it will not remain in this recess, and therefore, there will be no obstruction due to the jam. It can be eliminated. In addition, the solid preparation forcibly discharged from the recess of the front drum in this way passes through a passage between the front guide and the rear guide, and the height of this passage is slightly higher than the height of the solid preparation. Therefore, the posture of the solid preparation is corrected when passing through this passage, and the solid preparation is smoothly transferred from the recess of the front drum to the recess of the rear drum.

Each of the above requirements will be outlined below.

(a) Drum device: A drum device including at least a pair of drum devices disposed adjacent to each other, a device for supplying target tablets, etc. to the drums, and a device for discharging processed tablets, etc. is a prerequisite configuration of the present invention. be. In this apparatus, at least a pair of processing drums that are arranged adjacent to each other are arranged horizontally along a common axial center surface so as to have a common tangent line to each other. Similar to conventional drums of this type, a plurality of recesses for accommodating a plurality of tablets, etc. are usually arranged on the surface of both drums in an equiangular radial pattern. It is operated so that the pitch of the recesses matches. Depending on the type of processing, a suction hole is provided at the bottom of each recess, and a structure is added to suck and hold the stored object, such as a tablet, until a specific processing (for example, printing, etc.) is completed.

A feeding device for tablets etc. is provided to the first drum. This is usually a coiled pipe because it is constantly vibrated, or a tablet supply drum interposed between the lower open surface of the pipe and the first processing drum. Of course, this tablet supply drum must have a recess similar to the first processing drum and be designed to coincide with the recess of the first drum when transferring the tablets to the first drum.

A cover for preventing tablets from falling off (drum guide) is provided along the outer side of the drum in the rotational direction from a position slightly above the horizontal plane to below, and prevents tablets and the like being transported from falling off. However, in the case of a structure in which tablets or the like are sucked and conveyed, the drum guide is not necessary. The above processing drums are usually provided in pairs, and the former drum processes one side of the target tablet, etc., and the latter drum processes the other side of the tablet, etc.; however, if there are multiple types of processing (for example, printing and inspection), naturally depending on the type of processing the logarithm of the drum must be increased.

The treated tablets, etc. are automatically discharged from the second drum. However, when the type of processing is an inspection, it is necessary to sort out defective tablets, etc., which have not passed the inspection, from normal tablets, etc. There are many ways to perform this sorting, but a method using a shutter that operates in response to a signal coming from a separate defect detection signal generator, as shown in the embodiment described later, is a simple, reliable and excellent method. This is one method.

(b) Drum grooves: Grooves are formed in the front drum in the circumferential direction to connect each recess.
The depth of this groove is greater than the depth of the recess, and the width thereof is considerably narrower than the width of the recess. Furthermore, grooves are formed in the subsequent drum in the circumferential direction so as to connect the respective recesses. The depth of this groove is equal to the depth of the recess, and the width is slightly narrower than the width of the recess. That is, the width of the groove formed in the front drum is made narrower than the width of the groove formed in the rear drum.

In the test drum of the example described later, it has the function of receiving the supply of solid preparations and transferring this to the subsequent drum.
The inspection drum has both the grooves formed in the front drum and the grooves formed in the rear drum, resulting in stepped grooves. In this case, the tip of the front guide (hereinafter also referred to as the posture correction guide), which has the function of correcting the posture of the solid preparation discharged from the front drum and transferring it to the recess of the drum, is placed in the shallow part of the stepped groove. The tip of the front guide (hereinafter also referred to as a corrective discharge guide), which has the function of sliding on the bottom surface and discharging the solid preparation from the recess, comes to slide on the bottom surface of the deep part of the stepped groove.

(c) Guide: This guide corrects the disordered posture of the target article when transferring from the previous drum to the next drum, and also forces the transfer.
This is the most distinctive feature of the present invention.

There are two types of guides: a forced ejection guide (scraper) that is attached to the front-stage drum and has a function of mainly forced ejection, and a posture enforcement guide that is attached to a rear-stage drum and has a main function of forcing posture. The main function of the forced ejection guide is to eject the tablet as described above, but in combination with the posture correction guide, it also has the function of correcting the posture of the tablet, as described below. Since the forced ejection guide must be scooped up from under the tablet, its height should be higher than the height of the tablet, and it should be provided in a groove deeper than the bottom of the recess, but the width may be narrow. The height of the posture correction guide should be about the depth of the recess, and the width should be wide.

These two guides are arranged opposite to each other across the contact points of the front and rear drums (however, there is a small gap between the two drums), and their opposing edges are sloped so that the sloped surfaces face each other. Preferably, the guides are gently tapered so as to form complementary angles to each other, and the lower edges of the guides are installed substantially parallel to the tangential direction of both drums. More specifically, the tip of the forced ejection guide is located within the trajectory of the inner cavity of the groove of the front drum and is tapered toward its base, and the lower edge of the guide is approximately Install parallel to the tangential direction. In addition, the tip of the posture correction guide is located within the locus of the inner cavity of the groove of the rear drum and is tapered toward its base, and the lower edge of the guide is approximately tangential to both drums. Install in parallel. It is desirable that the tapers of both guides be created along the flow line due to the weight of the tablets etc. and centrifugal force. Therefore, the taper changes depending on the rotation speed of the drum and the diameter of the drum. Strictly speaking, the shape of this taper is a parabola, but in practical terms it may be a straight line. A gap approximately equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of the target tablet, etc. is formed between the opposing edges of both guides. Therefore, in an actual device, it is desirable to be configured so that the main gap can be finely adjusted according to changes in the thickness of the target tablet, etc. When forming the taper and gap as above,
Since tablets and the like move along their natural flow lines without being subjected to unnecessary force, their posture is not disturbed. Even if a force that disturbs the tablet's posture is applied for some reason, the tablet, etc. will be forced to maintain its posture because the cross section of the passage is determined by both guides to be slightly larger than the size of the tablet, etc. be corrected. In the method of arranging both drums on the left and right, it is not possible to use the weight of the tablets, etc., so only the forced force from both guides is used, but this does not disturb the posture, causing problems in reprinting. Never.

With the forced ejection guide, even if tablets, etc. are held in the recess of the front drum due to adhesion or other reasons and are being conveyed, they are scooped up by the tip of the forced ejection guide and are forcibly removed by both guides. It will be reprinted. Therefore, there are no residual tablets, etc. Further, this forced ejection function does not change even if it is used alone, for example, at a discharge port for non-defective products.

The transfer and forced ejection functions described above are only possible by positioning both guides within the trajectory of the inner cavity of the groove, and when this groove is missing, such complete functions cannot be achieved. I can't.

(c) Aligning the recesses of both drums: When the drums are arranged vertically or horizontally, and when transferring from the upper part of the front drum to the lower part of the rear drum, the recesses are formed by both guides. Since the tablets, etc. fall down the diagonal path, they are subject to acceleration in the rotational direction of the rear drum. Therefore, it is desirable that the recess of the rear drum be slightly shifted from the recess of the front drum in the rotational direction of the rear drum. With this configuration, the tablet or the like can be oriented at a predetermined position without being disturbed.

<Function> FIG. 1 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts for explaining the above-described function when both drums are arranged one above the other. Referring to FIG. 1A, the tablets, etc. T accommodated and carried in each recess r of the upper drum D _U pass through the end of the drum guide G _D , point e, and then pass through the posture correction guide G _L (The tip thereof is located within the trajectory of the groove g′ of the lower drum D _L. )
It is carried on top and enters the recess r' of the lower drum D _L. At this time, the tablets, etc. T that have been transported in a normal posture (the bottom of the tablets, etc. are placed flat on the drum guide) are guided directly to the forced ejection guide.
It passes through the gap C between the tip of G _U (its tip is located within the trajectory of the groove of the upper drum D _U ) and the tip of the posture correction guide G _L , and maintains a predetermined accurate posture (i.e. (in relation to the upper drum, it moves into the recess r' in an exactly reversed position). On the other hand, when the tablets, etc. are transported in an abnormal position, such as the bottom surface not resting flat on the drum cover as shown in Figure 1B, the distance between the forced ejection guide and the forced posture guide is Since the tablet, etc. is only slightly wider than the thickness of the tablet, etc., the tablet, etc. is sandwiched between them, corrects its posture, and is transferred into the recess r'. As shown in Fig. 1C, when a tablet, etc. is transported with it attached to the bottom of the recess r, the tip of the forced ejection guide G _U is
The material is scooped up by the guide, its posture is forcibly corrected by the forced ejection guide and the forced posture guide, and then transferred into the recess r′. When reprinting the above, please
Since the position r' is set at a position where the flow line of tablets, etc. intersects with the lower drum D _L , the transferred tablets, etc. will not flop or collide with the side wall and become distorted.
There is no risk of injury, and the device stays in the same position as it was moved.

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts for explaining the above-described operation when both drums are arranged on the left and right sides. In this case, the weight of the tablet, etc. cannot be used, but the transshipment effect does not change because it is not necessary to use the weight of the tablet, etc. In this case, the force acting on the tablet etc. is exclusively the force exerted by both guides. At this time, if the drum surface faces downward after transfer, it is necessary to use a drum guide or use suction to ensure localization.

<Example> Hereinafter, an example of embodying the present invention will be shown using an example, but this example is of course for explanation only and does not limit the connotation or extension of the inventive concept.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of the main parts of a tablet inspection device to which the present invention is applied, in which drums are arranged one above the other.

Three drums, that is, a small-diameter tablet supply drum 1 and a first inspection drum 2 and a second inspection drum 3, each having the same diameter, are arranged in three upper and lower stages along a common vertical axis, On each of their circumferential surfaces, there are recesses 4, 4...: 5, 5... for storing tablets, respectively.
...: A plurality of rows of 6, 6 are recessed equiangularly and radially, and the recess 5 is set slightly offset from the recess 4, and the recess 6 is set slightly offset from the recess 5 in the rotation direction of the drums 2 and 3, respectively. Further, an annular groove (group 7, 7...: 8,
8...:9,9) are engraved in a cylindrical shape.

A bottom chute 11 is located below the chute 10 hanging from an upper hopper (not shown), and the upper edge of the tablet supply drum 1 is circumscribed below the bottom chute 11.

The three drum guides 12, 13, and 14 each cover about two-thirds of the circumferential surface of each drum in the rotational direction to prevent the tablets being conveyed from falling off. However, a chute 15 for discharging normal tablets is attached diagonally downward to the upper edge of the lowest drum guide 14.

Here, the groove 7 of the supply drum 1 should have a forced discharge function, so it should be narrow and deep, and the forced discharge guide 16 should have a narrow width and a high height. The groove 8 of the first drum is wide and shallow relative to the posture correction guide 17, and narrow and deep stepped relative to the forced ejection guide 18. The groove 9 of the second drum is wide and shallow relative to the posture correction guide 19, and the groove 9 is wide and shallow relative to the posture correction guide 19.
It is narrow and has a deep step. However, when the forced ejection guide 27 is not attached, it is not necessary to have a wide and shallow shape with steps. Forced discharge guide 16, 16...: 18, 18...: 27, 27
..., Posture correction guide 17, 17...: 19,
19 are supported by guide holders, respectively, and are parallel to the tangents of the contact portions of drums 1 and 2 and drums 2 and 3, and grooves 7, 7, . . . of each drum.
...: 8, 8...: 9, 9... are arranged horizontally along the locus of the inner cavity. The defective tablet sorting device 20 includes shutters 21, 21... attached to the lower surface of the second inspection drum 3, air cylinders 22, 22... for driving the shutters, and the shutters and the lowest drum guide. 14 and an adjustment guide 23 connecting the adjustment guide 14.

Surveillance cameras 24 and 25 with CCD monitor the tablets to be inspected from diagonally above the first and second inspection drums 2 and 3, and the video signals are sent via a control device (not shown) to air cylinders 22, 22... is transmitted to each solenoid valve.

Now, when the apparatus is operated while supplying tablets to be inspected from the upper hopper, the tablets that have entered the recess 4 of the supply drum 1 are transferred to the guides 16, 16, . . .
...: 17, 17..., the posture is corrected, and the drum is housed in each recess 5 of the first inspection drum 2, which is set slightly shifted from the position of the recess 4, and then the guide 18, 18...: 19 , 19..., and is transferred into the recess 6 of the second inspection drum 3, which is set slightly shifted from the position of the recess 5, and finally the shutters 21, 21..., adjustment guide 23 and Shute 1 via drum guide 14
5 and transported out of the device.

Throughout the above process, the cameras 24 and 25 constantly monitor the quality of each tablet, and when an abnormality is detected, they send a signal to the control device, which sends a signal when the tablet reaches the bottom position of the second inspection drum 3. When this happens, the corresponding solenoid valve is energized to operate the air cylinder 22, and the shutter 21 is moved backward, thereby dropping the defective tablet into the defective tablet container 26 below. Good products are discharged after discharging defective tablets.
It is discharged at 5. At this time, the forced ejection guide 2
7 ensures that the tablets are ejected without any residual tablets. Therefore, according to this device, the tablets to be inspected are always inspected on both sides in a fixed posture, and accurate sorting can be performed automatically.

FIG. 4 is a cutaway perspective view of the main parts of a tablet inspection device to which the present invention is applied, when the drums are arranged on the left and right sides. In this case, the arrangement and functions of each part are the same as when the drums are arranged one above the other, but since imaging by the first drum is performed on the bottom surface of the drum, suction by intake air is required at least near the imaging position. .

<Effects> As explained above, according to the present invention, the disturbance in the posture of the adjoining drums loaded with tablets, etc. when transferred from the front drum to the rear drum is minimized, and the generation of residual tablets is completely eliminated. This provides significant benefits for the inspection and other processing of tablets or similar small articles.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1A is an explanatory diagram of reloading when tablets, etc. are transported in a normal position, Figure 1B is an explanatory diagram of reloading when tablets, etc. are transported in an abnormal position, and Figure 1C is an explanatory diagram of reloading when tablets, etc. are transported in an abnormal position. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of transshipment when the drums are placed on the left and right, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the transshipment when the drums are placed vertically. FIG. 4 is a cutaway perspective view of the main parts of the tablet inspection apparatus. FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the main parts of the tablet inspection apparatus when the drums are arranged on the left and right sides. [Figures 1 and 2], D _U : Front drum, r:
D _U recess, g: D _U groove, D _L : rear drum,
r': recess of D _U , g': groove of D _U , G _U : forced ejection guide, G _L : posture correction guide, DL: left drum,
r: D _L recess, g: D _L groove, D _R : Right drum, r': D _R recess, g': D _R groove, G _L : Forced ejection guide, G _R : Posture correction guide , G _D : Drum guide, T: Tablet, [Figures 3 and 4], 1: Tablet supply drum,
4:1 recess, 7:1 groove, 2: front stage inspection drum, 5:2 recess, 8:2 groove, 3: rear stage inspection drum, 6:3 recess, 9:3 groove, 10: Tablet shoot, 11: Bottom shoot, 12,1
3, 14: Drum guide, 15: Normal tablet ejection chute, 16: Forced ejection guide, 17: Forced posture guide, 18: Forced ejection guide, 19: Forced posture guide, 20: Defective tablet sorting device, 21: Shutter at 20 , 22:21 driving air cylinder,
23: Adjustment guide at 20, 24, 25: Inspection camera, 26: Defective tablet container, 27: Forced ejection guide, 28: Guide holder at 27, 29: Small hole drilled at the bottom of the recess, 30:29 communicated. hole,
T: Tablet.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Cylindrical drums each having a large number of equiangular radially carved recesses for accommodating solid preparations on their circumferential surfaces are disposed adjacent to each other, and each drum has a plurality of recesses for accommodating solid preparations on the circumferential surface of each drum. In an apparatus configured to perform processing such as inspection and processing, the rear drum when viewed in the direction of transport of the solid drug has a width slightly narrower than the recess width and the same depth and extending in the circumferential direction. An annular groove connecting each recess is provided in the front drum, and an annular groove that is narrower in width and deeper than the groove provided in the rear drum and connecting each recess along the circumferential direction is provided in the front drum, A front stage having inclined parts facing each other across the contact point in a plane parallel to the tangential plane and perpendicular to the rotation axis of both drums at the contact point of the front and rear drums so that the end surfaces thereof form complementary angles to each other. and the rear stage guide are arranged so that the interval between these sloped parts is slightly wider than the thickness of the solid preparation to be accommodated, and the width of the front stage guide is slightly narrower than the width of the groove formed in the front stage drum, so that the tip thereof is The bottom of the groove is arranged so that it can slide, and its height is higher than the depth of the recess, and the width of the rear guide is slightly narrower than the width of the groove formed in the groove of the rear drum, so that the tip of the rear guide is placed so that it can slide on the bottom surface of the groove. The bottom surface of the drum is arranged so that it can slide, and its height is about the depth of the recess. The solid preparation is configured such that the solid preparation forcibly discharged from the recess of the front drum by the guide passes between the front and rear guides, and then smoothly moves along the rear guide to the recess of the rear drum. Formulation transfer equipment.