JPH0789048A - Method and device for cleaning transfer roller of device for printing on solid preparation - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a transfer roller cleaning device and cleaning method of a solid preparation printing device wherein ink once wiped off does not restick to the surface of a transfer roller and a cleaning member is usable repeatedly. CONSTITUTION:In one time cleaning operation, a return travel of a cleaning member 35 is allowed to perform in the direction of axis of rotation of a transfer roller 20 up to an end part of a side different from that facing on a shunting position of the transfer roller from the shunting position while bringing the cleaning member 35 into contact with the surface of the transfer roller 20, in the meantime the cleaning member 35 is turned a turn centering around the axis.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention cleans excess ink, dirt, etc. adhering to a transfer roller in a solid preparation printing apparatus for printing predetermined characters or symbols on the surface of solid preparations such as tablets and capsules. And a cleaning method therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a solid formulation printing apparatus prints a solid formulation according to the following procedure. First, ink is supplied to the recesses corresponding to the characters or symbols to be printed on the surface of the solid preparation provided on the surface of the design roller, and the ink attached to the surface of the design roller is temporarily transferred to the surface of the transfer roller. On the surface of the transfer roller, ink is transferred in a shape in which characters or symbols to be printed are viewed from the back side. Next, the ink transferred onto the surface of the transfer roller is retransferred onto the surface of the solid preparation which is conveyed in a certain direction by a supply drum or a conveyor. as a result,
Predetermined characters and symbols are printed on the surface of the solid preparation. The material of the ink transferred onto the surface of the solid preparation is required to be dried in a relatively short time after the transfer and not easily peeled off after the drying. When printing is continuously performed by the solid formulation printing device, excess ink gradually remains on the surface of the transfer roller. The ink remaining on the surface of the transfer roller adheres to the surface of the solid preparation to cause stains, and causes characters or the like printed on the surface of the solid preparation to bleed. Therefore, when continuously printing in the solid preparation printing apparatus, it is necessary to clean the transfer roller every time a predetermined operation time elapses.

As a device for cleaning a transfer roller of a solid preparation printing device, for example, a device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-3384 is known. A transfer roller cleaning device of a conventional solid formulation printing device will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 8, the transfer roller 100 can selectively take two positions, a cleaning position shown by a solid line and a printing position shown by a chain double-dashed line. Transfer roller 10
As the 0 cleaner, an annular cloth belt 101 is provided, and the cloth belt 101 as a whole can reciprocate in a direction indicated by an arrow in the figure. A nozzle 102 for supplying a solvent to the cloth belt 101 is provided inside the cloth belt 101. When cleaning the surface of the transfer roller 100, the transfer roller 100 is moved to a position indicated by a solid line, and the cloth belt 101 is stationary while rotating at that position.
It is done by pressing on. The solvent that has penetrated into the cloth belt 101 dissolves the ink attached to the surface of the transfer roller 100, and the dissolved ink is absorbed by the cloth belt 101. As a result, the surface of the transfer roller 100 is cleaned. When the cleaning of the transfer roller 100 is completed, the cloth belt 101 is moved back and forth once in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. The cloth belt 101 is rotated by a predetermined amount in conjunction with this operation. As a result, the soiled portion of the cloth belt 101 is fed by a predetermined amount, and a new clean portion appears at the position where it contacts the transfer roller 100. The next cleaning of the transfer roller 100 is performed using this clean portion.

[0004]

As described above, in the transfer roller cleaning device of the conventional solid preparation printing apparatus, the cloth belt 1 is being cleaned while the transfer roller 100 is being cleaned.
Since 01 is stationary, the cloth belt 101 is not removed immediately after the cleaning is started, but when the cleaning is almost completed.
The ink itself is contaminated with the ink dissolved in the solvent. Therefore, the dissolved ink that has permeated the cloth belt 101 may reattach to the surface of the transfer roller 100.
It was difficult to completely clean the surface of 00. Further, the cloth belt 101 uses a clean portion which is not contaminated each time the transfer roller 100 is cleaned,
Since the cleaning mechanism of the cloth belt 101 itself is not provided, if the cleaning of the transfer roller 100 is performed a predetermined number of times, the cloth belt 101 must be replaced with a new one, and only the time required for the replacement of the cloth belt 101 is required. It has a problem that the printing process of the solid preparation is stopped. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and a transfer of a solid preparation printing apparatus capable of repeatedly using a cleaning member without re-adhering the once wiped ink to the surface of the transfer roller. roller·
An object is to provide a cleaning device and a cleaning method.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a transfer roller cleaning device for a solid preparation of the present invention is provided on an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the transfer roller, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the surface of the transfer roller. Different from the side facing the retracted position of the transfer roller from the retracted position not in contact with the transfer roller in the axial direction in one cleaning operation. Side reciprocating motion to the end portion of one side, a rotating mechanism rotating the cleaning member once around the shaft at the same time as the one reciprocating motion in one cleaning operation, and a solvent for the cleaning member. And a solvent supply mechanism for supplying. In the above configuration,
It is preferable to include a cleaning mechanism for the cleaning member. The cleaning mechanism is provided in the vicinity of the retracted position, and in the state where the cleaning member is retracted to the retracted position, a cleaning container filled with a solvent so that a part of the cleaning member is immersed in the solvent, and the cleaning member. It is preferable to include a squeezing member for squeezing out the solvent that has permeated the substrate, and a housing for protecting the solvent from sticking to the transfer roller or the like. Further, it is preferable that the cleaning device also serves as the solvent supply device, and that after the cleaning of the cleaning member is completed, the cleaning member is rotated at a high speed around the shaft to remove excess solvent that has permeated the cleaning member. . Further, it is preferable that the cleaning container is movable up and down in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cleaning member, and is lowered so as not to be immersed in the solvent except when the cleaning member is cleaned. . In addition, the housing includes an opening for allowing the cleaning member to reciprocate in the axial direction, and a shutter for preventing the solvent from leaking to the outside during the cleaning of the cleaning member. It is preferable. Further, the cleaning device includes a mechanism for supplying a clean solvent to the cleaning container, a mechanism for discharging the contaminated solvent from the cleaning container, and a sensor for detecting the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container. Is preferred. Further, during the cleaning of the transfer roller, it is preferable to rotate the transfer roller at a speed higher than the rotation speed at the time of printing the solid preparation.

On the other hand, the transfer roller for the solid preparation of the present invention
The cleaning method is such that the transfer roller of the solid formulation printing device is rotated at a predetermined speed, and the cleaning member containing a predetermined amount of solvent is pressed against the surface of the transfer roller with a predetermined pressure, while the cleaning member is attached to the shaft of the transfer roller. It is configured to make one reciprocation in a direction parallel to the above and make one rotation during that time so that the clean surface of the cleaning member is always in contact with the surface of the transfer roller for cleaning. In the above structure, it is preferable that the cleaning member be washed after the cleaning is completed.

Further, another method for transferring and cleaning a transfer roller of a solid preparation printing apparatus according to the present invention is a step of supplying a clean solvent to a cleaning container and raising the cleaning container in a vertical direction at a first predetermined speed. While permeating the rotating cleaning member with the solvent, pressing the diaphragm member against the cleaning member and squeezing out the solvent permeating the cleaning member, and detecting the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container,
When the predetermined degree of contamination is reached, the cleaning container is lowered, the cleaning member is relatively raised from the cleaning container, and the process of discharging the contaminated solvent in the cleaning container and the cleaning member Of the solid preparation printing apparatus, rotating at a second predetermined speed that is higher than the predetermined speed to shake off excess solvent that has permeated the cleaning member, and include a predetermined amount of solvent in the cleaning member. While the transfer roller is rotated at a predetermined speed, the cleaning member containing the predetermined amount of the solvent is reciprocated once in a direction parallel to the axis of the transfer roller, and the cleaning is performed during the reciprocation. While the member is pressed against the surface of the transfer roller with a predetermined pressure, the cleaning member is placed in parallel with the axis of the transfer roller. It is configured to include a process for one revolution about the axis of the member.

Further, according to still another method for cleaning a transfer roller for a solid preparation of the present invention, the step of supplying a clean solvent to the cleaning container, the cleaning container is raised in the vertical direction, and rotated at a first predetermined speed. At the same time that the solvent is permeated into the cleaning member, the step of pressing the squeezing member against the cleaning member to squeeze out the solvent permeated into the cleaning member and the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container are detected to reach a predetermined degree of contamination. At that time, the cleaning container is lowered, the cleaning member is relatively pulled up from the cleaning container, the process of discharging the contaminated solvent in the cleaning container, and the cleaning member is moved faster than the first predetermined speed. The second step of rotating the cleaning member to shake off the contaminated solvent that has permeated the cleaning member, Clean solvent is supplied, the clean solvent is permeated into the cleaning member, the cleaning member is rotated at the second predetermined speed, and the excess solvent permeated into the cleaning member is shaken off to a predetermined amount. In the step of including the cleaning solvent in the cleaning member, and in a state in which the transfer roller of the solid formulation printing apparatus is rotated at a predetermined speed, the cleaning member containing the predetermined amount of the solvent is parallel to the axis of the transfer roller. In one direction, and during the one reciprocating motion, the cleaning member is pressed against the surface of the transfer roller with a predetermined pressure, and the cleaning member is parallel to the axis of the transfer roller. It is configured so as to have a stroke for making one rotation about the axis of the member. In the above configuration, the clean solvent first supplied to the cleaning container is preferably the clean solvent secondly supplied in the previous cleaning of the transfer roller. Further, when the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container exceeds a predetermined concentration within a predetermined time, the contaminated solvent in the cleaning container is discharged, and a clean solvent is injected into the cleaning container. Is preferred.

[0009]

The transfer roller is continuously rotated in a predetermined direction at a constant speed (for example, 15 rpm) as in the case of the printing process of the solid preparation. While the cleaning member is in contact with the surface of the transfer roller, in one cleaning operation, from the retracted position not in contact with the transfer roller to the end on the side different from the side facing the retracted position of the transfer roller, the transfer member is transferred. Make one round trip in the direction of the roller's axis of rotation. During this reciprocating movement, the cleaning member makes one revolution about its axis. That is, the portion of the surface of the cleaning member that is in contact with the surface of the transfer roller always moves, and the surface of the transfer roller is cleaned by the clean portion of the surface of the cleaning member. Therefore, the ink once wiped off the cleaning member does not redeposit on the surface of the transfer roller. In addition, the ink used for printing solid preparations generally contains a wax component to improve quick-drying and adhesion. However, when a solvent is included in the cleaning member, the wax component adheres to the surface of the transfer roller. Even solidified ink can be easily wiped off. In order to prevent the ink once wiped on the cleaning member from reattaching to the surface of the transfer roller, the rotation number of the cleaning member may be less than one rotation. Further, during the cleaning operation, the transfer roller is rotated at a higher speed than during the printing of the normal solid preparation, so that the cleaning efficiency of the transfer roller is improved.

By cleaning the cleaning member each time one cleaning operation is completed, the transfer roller is always cleaned using a clean cleaning member. By providing the cleaning mechanism for the cleaning member near the position where the cleaning member is retracted, the cleaning member can be used for cleaning the next transfer roller while the transfer roller is printing the solid preparation. It will be possible. As the material of the cleaning member, for example, a material having elasticity and a solvent impregnating property such as a continuous foam of polyurethane or silicon rubber, a non-woven fabric, or a cloth laminated with cotton gauze is used. A part of the cleaning member is dipped in a cleaning container filled with a solvent, brought into contact with the diaphragm member, and the cleaning member is kept at a first predetermined speed (for example, 450 rpm) while repeating the solvent penetration and the diaphragm.
The ink that has permeated inside the cleaning member is removed by rotating with. The sensor detects the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container, and when the contamination of the solvent does not proceed further, that is, when all the ink that has permeated the cleaning member is removed and dissolved in the solvent, the cleaning member is removed. Raise the cleaning member relatively from the cleaning container
At a predetermined speed (for example, 3000 rpm), the solvent contained in the cleaning member is shaken off by centrifugal force. As a result, the excess solvent contained in the cleaning member is removed, and the cleaning member is appropriately moistened with the solvent. When the degree of contamination of the solvent is severe, the solvent in the cleaning container is replaced and the cleaning member cleaning process is repeated. As a result, the ink that has permeated the cleaning member is removed almost completely, and the ink that has once been wiped off is prevented from reattaching to the transfer roller. After the cleaning of the cleaning member is completed, a clean solvent is supplied to the cleaning container, and the clean solvent is contained in the cleaning member, so that the transfer roller can be cleaned almost completely. Further, by using the clean solvent supplied to the cleaning container here for cleaning the cleaning member after the cleaning of the next transfer roller is completed, the solvent can be effectively used without waste.

[0011]

【Example】

<First Embodiment> A first embodiment of the transfer roller cleaning device and the cleaning method of the solid preparation printing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a retracted state of the transfer roller / cleaning device of the solid formulation printing apparatus according to the first embodiment in which the transfer roller is not cleaned, and FIG. 2 is a state in which the transfer roller is being cleaned. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the cleaning operation of the cleaning member in the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is its flowchart.

1 and 2, when printing solid preparations such as tablets and capsules, the solid preparations (not shown) are accommodated in regularly arranged pockets 11 provided on the transport slat 10 and transferred. The transfer slat 10 moves below the roller 20 in a predetermined direction. on the other hand,
When cleaning the surface of the transfer roller 20, the supply of the solid preparation is temporarily stopped, and the rotation axis of the transfer roller 20 is moved in parallel from the printing position to the cleaning position.
In the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the surface of the transfer roller 20 and the surface of the transport slat 10 are not in direct contact with each other, but are apart from each other. The transfer roller cleaning device of this embodiment includes a cleaning member 35 that directly contacts the surface of the transfer roller 20 for cleaning, a drive mechanism of the cleaning member 35 shown in FIG. 3, a cleaning device 30 that cleans the cleaning member 35, and the like. It is composed of. The cleaning device 30 is provided in the vicinity of the retracted position where the cleaning member 35 does not clean the transfer roller 20, and includes a housing 31, a cleaning container portion 37 for housing and cleaning the cleaning member 35, and a cleaning member. An opening 32 for allowing the entrance and exit 35 to enter and exit, a shutter 33 for opening and closing the opening 32, and the like are included. A diaphragm member 36 is provided near the bottom of the cleaning container 37. The diaphragm member 36 is, for example, a driven roller of metal or resin, contacts the cleaning member 35 at a predetermined pressure, and is rotated by the rotation of the cleaning member 35. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a solvent supply port 38 for supplying a clean (unused) solvent is provided above the throttling member 36 of the cleaning container portion 37, and below the throttling member. A solvent discharge port 39 for discharging the contaminated (used) solvent is provided on the (bottom part of the cleaning container part 37). The solvent supply port 38 is connected to the solvent container 61, and the solvent discharge port 39 is connected to the waste liquid container 60.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning member 35.
Shaft 34 of the transfer roller 20 from the retracted position not in contact with the transfer roller 20 in the axial direction of the transfer roller 20.
It is possible to reciprocate (expand and contract) up to the end on the side different from the side facing the retracted position of 0. In the case of this embodiment, the length of the transfer roller 20 in the axial direction is, for example, 30 cm, and the diameter thereof is approximately 10 cm. The cleaning member 35 has an axial length of about 3 cm and a diameter of about 10 cm. Further, as indicated by the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cleaning member 35 is rotatable in the direction opposite to the transfer roller 20. The mechanism is shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the shaft 34 of the cleaning member 35 is a ball / spline shaft,
The rotary force can be transmitted, and at the same time, it can move linearly in the axial direction. The shaft 34 is supported by a ball / spline bearing 42 in the middle thereof, and the cleaning member 3
5, the end opposite to 5 is moved through the bearing 54 to the moving frame 5
Supported by 3. Feed screw 52 parallel to shaft 34
Is provided on the moving frame 53, so that the threaded portion (not shown) is engaged with the external threaded portion of the feed screw 52. The shaft 34 is connected to the motor 4 via the gear unit 41.
The feed screw 52 is engaged with the motor 50 via the gear unit 51. The feed screw 52 is driven by the motor 50, whereby the moving frame 53 is translated in the direction of the shaft 34. With the movement of the moving frame 53, the shaft 34 supported by the moving frame 53 is linearly moved in the axial direction. The shaft 34 reciprocates by rotating the motor 50 in the normal or reverse direction. Irrespective of this operation, the shaft 34 is rotated in a predetermined direction by the motor 40 via the gear unit 41. Motor 40
As will be described later in detail, the super low speed rotation (for example, 3 rpm) when cleaning the transfer roller 20 and the low speed rotation (for example, 450 r) when cleaning the cleaning member 35.
pm) and high-speed rotation (for example, 3000 rpm) at the time of shaking off the excess solvent contained in the cleaning member 35, the rotation speed can be switched to three stages. On the other hand, the air cylinder 62 is engaged with the housing 31,
By the operation of the air cylinder 62, it can move up and down in the vertical direction. As the material of the cleaning member 35, a material having elasticity and a solvent impregnating property such as a continuous foam of polyurethane or silicone rubber, a non-woven fabric, or a cloth laminated with cotton gauze is used. As the solvent, for example, alcohol or the like is used.

Next, a method of cleaning the transfer roller using the transfer roller cleaning device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, the solid preparation is printed for a predetermined time, and when ink or the like adheres to the surface of the transfer roller 20, the supply of the solid preparation is stopped. Next, the transfer roller 2
The rotation axis of 0 is moved in parallel so that the transfer roller 20 does not come into contact with the design roller (not shown), the transport slat 10, and the like. Up to this point, the method is the same as the conventional method. With the cleaning member 35 shown in FIG. 1 retracted, the shutter 33 is moved to the position shown by the chain double-dashed line in the figure, and the opening 32 of the housing 31 is opened. The motor 40 is driven to rotate the shaft 34 at an extremely low speed (for example, 3 rp).
m) At the same time, the motor 50 is rotationally driven in a predetermined direction to advance the shaft 34 to the transfer roller 20 in parallel with the shaft as shown in FIG. At this time, the position of the transfer roller 20 is set so that the surface of the cleaning member 35 and the surface of the transfer roller 20 come into contact with each other with a predetermined pressure. Further, the cleaning member 35 is in a state of being moistened with a predetermined amount of solvent. The cleaning member 35 is advanced until it reaches the end of the transfer roller 20 on the side different from the side facing the retracted position, and after reaching, the motor 50 is rotated in the reverse direction to retract the cleaning member 35 to the retracted position. That is, the cleaning member 35 is reciprocated once in the rotation axis direction of the transfer roller 20. During this period, the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the motor 40 are constant. The relationship between the rotation speed of the motor 40 and the rotation speed of the motor 50 (or the reciprocating speed of the cleaning member 35) is determined by the cleaning member 3 while the cleaning member 35 reciprocates once in the rotation axis direction of the transfer roller 20.
5 is set so as to make exactly one rotation (or slightly less than one rotation) about the shaft 34. Therefore, the portion of the surface of the cleaning member 35 that comes into contact with the transfer roller 20 always moves at a slow speed, and the surface of the cleaning member 35 cleans the surface of the transfer roller 20. When the cleaning of the transfer roller 20 is completed, the cleaning member 35 is in a state in which the ink dissolved in the solvent has permeated. In addition, generally, the rotation speed (for example, about 15 rpm) of the transfer roller 20 at the time of printing the solid preparation is set so as to be synchronized with the transport speed of the solid preparation. Further, the transport speed of the solid preparation is limited by the processing capacity of other devices such as a printing inspection device and a PTP packaging device. However, there is no such limitation when cleaning the transfer roller 20. Therefore, by setting the rotation speed of the transfer roller 20 at the time of cleaning to be higher than the rotation speed at the time of printing, the number of times a specific portion on the surface of the transfer roller 20 is cleaned by the cleaning member 35 increases, and Cleaning efficiency is improved.

Next, the cleaning operation of the cleaning member 35 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4A, the solvent is supplied from the solvent container 61 to the cleaning container portion 37 through the solvent supply port 38 (step 100 in FIG. 5).
1). At this time, the cleaning member 35 has completed the cleaning of the transfer roller 20, and the ink dissolved in the solvent has permeated. Next, as shown in (b), the air cylinder 62 is driven to raise the housing 31 in the vertical direction so that part of the cleaning member 35 is immersed in the solvent (step 1002). At this time, the diaphragm member 36 and the cleaning member 35 are brought into contact with each other with a predetermined pressure. That is, since the cleaning member 35 is, for example, a sponge or the like, contact with the diaphragm member 36 deforms the shape in the vicinity of the contact portion, and the solvent contained in the deformed portion is squeezed out. In this state, the cleaning member 35
Is rotated at a first predetermined speed (for example, 450 rpm) (step 1003). The diaphragm member 36 also rotates in accordance with the rotation of the cleaning member 35, and the contact portion between the cleaning member 35 and the diaphragm member 36 also moves. as a result,
The cleaning member 35 that has been deformed by contact until then
The part of is restored by its elasticity, and at that time, it newly absorbs the solvent. At the same time, the solvent contained in the portion newly deformed by the contact is squeezed out. By repeating this operation for a predetermined time, the ink component that has permeated the inside of the cleaning member 35 is dissolved in a large amount of solvent in the cleaning container section 37, and the cleaning member 35 is cleaned (step 1004).

When the cleaning of the cleaning member 35 is completed, the housing 31 is lowered as shown in (c) and the cleaning member 35 is pulled up from the solvent (step 1).
005). Then, the cleaning member 35 is moved to a second predetermined speed (for example, 3000 rp) higher than the first predetermined speed.
It is rotated by m) (step 1006). The solvent contained in the cleaning member 35 is shaken off by the centrifugal force. The time for rotating the cleaning member 35 at the second predetermined speed is controlled so that the cleaning member 35 is slightly moistened with the solvent. Then, as shown in (d), the rotation of the cleaning member 35 is stopped, and the contaminated solvent is discharged from the solvent discharge port 39 to the waste liquid container 60 (step 1007). This completes the cleaning of the cleaning member 35. The next cleaning of the transfer roller 20 is performed using the cleaned cleaning member. Generally, if the interval for cleaning the transfer roller 20 is shortened, the surface of the transfer roller 20 is not so dirty. Therefore, even when cleaning the cleaning member 35, the solvent is not so contaminated, and it is not necessary to replace the solvent.
Further, since the amount of the solvent used for cleaning is much larger than the amount of the ink that has permeated the cleaning member 35, the solvent itself after cleaning is not much contaminated.
Therefore, even if the cleaning member 35 is moistened with the solvent used for cleaning the cleaning member 35 and the next transfer roller 20 is directly cleaned, there is no practical problem.
The cleaning member 35 may be cleaned in parallel with the process of printing the solid preparation using the transfer roller 20. In this case, it is preferable that the shutter 33 has a closed structure so that the solvent used for cleaning the cleaning member 35 does not leak from the housing 31 and adhere to the transfer roller 20, the solid preparation or the like during printing.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the transfer roller cleaning device and the cleaning method of the solid preparation printing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the cleaning device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the cleaning method according to the second embodiment. Note that FIG.
The cleaning device according to the second embodiment shown in FIG.
The sensor 43 for detecting the degree of contamination of the solvent is added to the cleaning container portion 37 of the cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The second embodiment is constructed so as to be suitable when the transfer roller 20 is heavily soiled. That is, in general, when the amount of ink attached to the surface of the transfer roller 20 is large, a large amount of ink also bleeds into the cleaning member 35 that has cleaned the surface of the transfer roller 20. Therefore, if the cleaning member 35 in which such a large amount of ink has permeated is washed with a solvent, the contamination of the solvent proceeds within a short time. Therefore, the progress of the contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container portion 37 is detected by the sensor 43, and when the solvent is contaminated to a predetermined level within a predetermined time, the amount of ink that has permeated the cleaning member 35 is large. Then, replace the solvent.

Next, the cleaning method of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 7 while referring to FIG. 4 used in the description of the first embodiment. The solvent is supplied from the solvent container 61 to the cleaning container portion 37 through the solvent supply port 38 (step 2001). At this time, the cleaning member 35 has completed the cleaning of the transfer roller 20, and a large amount of ink dissolved in the solvent has permeated. Next, the housing 31 is lifted in the vertical direction, and the cleaning member 3
So that a part of 5 is immersed in the solvent (step 200
2). In this state, the cleaning member 35 is rotated at the first predetermined speed (for example, 450 rpm) (step 2
003). Next, the sensor 43 is used to detect whether or not the solvent has reached a predetermined contamination level. (Step 200
4). When the solvent reaches a predetermined degree of contamination, it is determined whether a predetermined time has passed (step 2005). If the predetermined time has not passed, the contaminated solvent is discharged (step 2006) and cleaned. A proper solvent is re-injected (step 2007), and the cleaning of the cleaning member 35 is continued.
When the cleaning of the cleaning member 35 is completed, the housing 31 is lowered and the cleaning member 35 is pulled up from the solvent (step 2008). Then, the cleaning member 35 is rotated at a second predetermined speed (for example, 3000 rpm) that is higher than the first predetermined speed, and the excess solvent contained in the cleaning member 35 is shaken off by the centrifugal force (step 2009). The time for rotating the cleaning member 35 at the second predetermined speed is controlled so that the cleaning member 35 is slightly moistened with the solvent. Then, the rotation of the cleaning member 35 is stopped, and the contaminated solvent is discharged from the solvent discharge port 39 to the waste liquid container 60 (step 2010). This completes the cleaning of the cleaning member 35. In order to minimize the amount of the solvent used, the predetermined level as the standard for detecting the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container part 37 is gradually tightened every time the solvent is replaced (for example, transparency is set). May be increased).

<Third Embodiment> The above first and second embodiments
In the embodiment, the cleaning member 35 is not completely dried, but the cleaning member 35 is moistened with the last solvent used for cleaning the cleaning member 35, and the cleaning member 35 is used for cleaning the next transfer roller 20. Although it is configured to be used, in order to clean the transfer roller 20 more completely,
After the completion of the cleaning of 5, the clean solvent may be supplied to the cleaning container part 37 and the clean solvent may be contained in the cleaning member 35. Further, in order to effectively use the solvent without waste, the clean solvent supplied to the cleaning container section 37 is not discarded, but is used for cleaning the cleaning member 35 after completion of cleaning of the next transfer roller 20. You may.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, while the cleaning member is in contact with the surface of the transfer roller,
In one cleaning operation, the transfer roller is reciprocated once in the rotational axis direction from the retracted position not in contact with the transfer roller to the end on the side different from the side facing the retracted position of the transfer roller, and cleaning is performed between them. Since the member is configured to rotate once about its axis, the portion of the cleaning member that is in contact with the transfer roller always moves, and the clean portion of the cleaning member cleans the surface of the transfer roller. As a result, the ink once wiped off the cleaning member does not redeposit on the surface of the transfer roller. Further, by including the solvent in the cleaning member, it is possible to easily wipe off even the ink that has adhered to the surface of the transfer roller and solidified. Further, during the cleaning operation, the transfer roller can be rotated at a higher speed than that during the printing of the normal solid preparation, whereby the cleaning efficiency of the transfer roller can be improved.
Furthermore, by cleaning the cleaning member each time one cleaning operation is completed, the transfer roller can be cleaned always with a clean cleaning member. Further, by providing the cleaning mechanism for the cleaning member near the position where the cleaning member is retracted, the cleaning member is cleaned in preparation for the next cleaning of the transfer roller while the transfer roller is printing the solid preparation. be able to. Further, a part of the cleaning member is dipped in a cleaning container filled with a solvent and brought into contact with the diaphragm member, and the cleaning member is rotated at a first predetermined speed while repeating the permeation of the solvent and the diaphragm, so that the inside of the cleaning member The ink that has soaked into the cleaning container is removed, the sensor detects the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container, and when the contamination of the solvent does not progress any further, the cleaning member is pulled up relatively from the cleaning container to remove the cleaning member. Since the solvent contained in the cleaning member is spun off by the centrifugal force by rotating the cleaning member at the second predetermined speed, the excess solvent contained in the cleaning member is removed, and the cleaning member is appropriately removed by the solvent. Can be moistened. Further, when the degree of contamination of the solvent is severe, the solvent in the cleaning container is replaced and the cleaning process of the cleaning member is repeated, so that it is possible to prevent re-adhesion of the once wiped ink to the transfer roller. Furthermore, since the cleaning solvent is supplied to the cleaning container after the cleaning of the cleaning member is completed and the cleaning solvent is contained in the cleaning member, the transfer roller can be cleaned more completely.
Furthermore, by using the clean solvent supplied to the cleaning container for cleaning the cleaning member after the cleaning of the next transfer roller is completed, the solvent can be effectively used without waste.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a retracted state in which a transfer roller of a solid formulation printing apparatus according to a first embodiment is not cleaned and a transfer roller is not cleaned.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the transfer roller is being cleaned in the first embodiment of the transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cleaning operation of the cleaning member in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a cleaning operation of the cleaning member in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a second embodiment of the transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the cleaning operation of the cleaning member in the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a transfer roller cleaning device of a conventional solid preparation printing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Transport slat 11: Pocket 20: Transfer roller 30: Cleaning device 31: Housing 32: Opening 33: Shutter 34: (Ball / spline) shaft 35: Cleaning member 36: Squeezing member 37: Cleaning container part 38: Solvent supply Port 39: Solvent outlet 40: Motor 41: Gear unit 42: Ball / Spline bearing 43: Sensor 50: Motor 51: Gear unit 52: Feed screw 53: Moving frame 54: Bearing 60: Waste liquid container 61: Solvent container 62: Air cylinder

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning member which is provided on an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the transfer roller and is capable of contacting the surface of the transfer roller with a predetermined pressure; and in one cleaning operation, the cleaning member is moved in the axial direction. A reciprocating mechanism that reciprocates one time from an evacuation position that is not in contact with the transfer roller to an end of the transfer roller that is different from a side facing the evacuation position; A transfer roller cleaning device of a solid preparation printing apparatus, comprising: a rotating mechanism that rotates the cleaning member once around the shaft at the same time as the reciprocating motion; and a solvent supply mechanism that supplies a solvent to the cleaning member. 2. The transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning mechanism for the cleaning member. 3. The cleaning mechanism is provided in the vicinity of the retreat position, and in a state where the cleaning member is retracted to the retreat position, a cleaning container filled with a solvent so that a part of the cleaning member is immersed in the solvent, The solid preparation printing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a squeezing member for squeezing out the solvent that has permeated the cleaning member, and a housing for protecting the solvent from adhering to the transfer roller or the like. Transfer roller cleaning device. 4. The cleaning device also serves as the solvent supply device, and after cleaning of the cleaning member is completed, the cleaning member is rotated at high speed around the shaft to remove excess solvent that has permeated the cleaning member. The transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing device according to claim 3, wherein 5. The cleaning container is vertically movable with respect to a rotation axis of the cleaning member, and is lowered so that the cleaning member is not immersed in a solvent except when the cleaning member is being cleaned. The transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing device according to claim 3, wherein 6. The housing includes an opening for allowing the cleaning member to reciprocate in the axial direction, and a shutter for preventing solvent from leaking to the outside during cleaning of the cleaning member. The transfer roller cleaning device of the solid preparation printing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: 7. The cleaning device includes a mechanism for supplying a clean solvent to the cleaning container, a mechanism for discharging the contaminated solvent from the cleaning container, and a sensor for detecting the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container. The transfer roller cleaning device of the solid formulation printing device according to claim 3, wherein the transfer roller cleaning device is provided. 8. The solid preparation printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during the cleaning of the transfer roller, the transfer roller is rotated at a higher speed than the rotation speed of the solid preparation during printing. Transfer roller cleaning device. 9. The transfer roller of the solid formulation printing apparatus is rotated at a predetermined speed, and the cleaning member containing a predetermined amount of a solvent is pressed against the surface of the transfer roller at a predetermined pressure while the cleaning member is moved to the transfer roller. A transfer roller cleaning method for a solid preparation printing apparatus, which performs one reciprocation in a direction parallel to an axis while rotating once during that time so that the clean surface of the cleaning member is always in contact with the surface of the transfer roller for cleaning. 10. The method for cleaning a transfer roller of a solid formulation printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning member is washed after the cleaning is completed. 11. A step of supplying a clean solvent to a cleaning container, raising the cleaning container in a vertical direction to allow the cleaning member rotating at a first predetermined speed to permeate the solvent, and
The process of pressing the squeezing member against the cleaning member to squeeze out the solvent that has penetrated into the cleaning member, and detecting the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container, and when the predetermined degree of contamination is reached, lower the cleaning container to perform the cleaning. A step of relatively pulling up the member from the cleaning container, discharging the contaminated solvent in the cleaning container, and rotating the cleaning member at a second predetermined speed higher than the first predetermined speed, The excess solvent that had permeated the cleaning member is shaken off and a predetermined amount of solvent is included in the cleaning member, and the transfer roller of the solid formulation printing device is rotated at a predetermined speed, and the predetermined amount of the solvent is removed. A step of reciprocating a cleaning member containing a solvent in a direction parallel to the axis of the transfer roller; A solid formulation printing apparatus comprising a step of rotating the cleaning member once around the axis of the cleaning member parallel to the axis of the transfer roller in a state in which the cleaning member is pressed against the surface of the transfer roller with a predetermined pressure. Transfer roller cleaning method. 12. A process of supplying a clean solvent to a cleaning container, and raising the cleaning container in a vertical direction to allow the solvent to permeate into a cleaning member rotating at a first predetermined speed, and at the same time, to squeeze the cleaning member. A step of pressing the member to squeeze out the solvent that has permeated the cleaning member, and detecting the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container, and when the predetermined degree of contamination is reached, lower the cleaning container to remove the cleaning member from the cleaning container. The process of relatively raising and discharging the contaminated solvent in the cleaning container, and rotating the cleaning member at a second predetermined speed higher than the first predetermined speed to penetrate the cleaning member. The process of shaking off the contaminated solvent that had been used, and supplying the clean solvent again to the cleaning container, so that the clean solvent permeates the cleaning member. Then, the cleaning member is rotated at the second predetermined speed, the excess solvent that has permeated the cleaning member is shaken off, and a predetermined amount of clean solvent is contained in the cleaning member. While the transfer roller of the device is rotated at a predetermined speed, a step of reciprocating the cleaning member containing the predetermined amount of solvent in a direction parallel to the axis of the transfer roller, and during the one reciprocating motion, A solid formulation printing apparatus comprising a step of rotating the cleaning member once around the axis of the cleaning member parallel to the axis of the transfer roller while the cleaning member is pressed against the surface of the transfer roller with a predetermined pressure. Transfer roller cleaning method. 13. The solid preparation printing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the clean solvent first supplied to the cleaning container is the clean solvent supplied second time in the previous cleaning of the transfer roller. Transfer roller cleaning method. 14. If the degree of contamination of the solvent in the cleaning container exceeds a prescribed concentration within a prescribed time, the contaminated solvent in the washing container is discharged to clean the solvent in the washing container. The method of cleaning a transfer roller of a solid preparation printing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the transfer roller cleaning is performed.