JPH10129603A - Tablet transporting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transport a tablet between places without elevation difference. SOLUTION: This tablet transporting mechanism 5 which carries a tablet to another place apart in a horizontal direction has a casing having an inside space surrounded by a top wall 22, a bottom wall 21a and a peripheral wall 21b, and further having a tablet inlet opening 5a provided in a top wall and a tablet exit 5b provided in a bottom wall and located apart from the tablet inlet opening 5a in a horizontal direction, a rotating frame 24 which is stored rotatably in a horizontal plane and moves the tablet input from the tablet inlet opening 5a to the tablet exit 5b when the frame 24 is rotated, and a driving mechanism 26 for rotating the rotating frame 24 on the casing is also provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tablet conveying mechanism for moving a tablet from a first position horizontally separated to a second position in a medicine packaging machine, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a medicine packaging machine for packaging tablets in a certain number, it is necessary to move tablets from a first position horizontally separated from a second position in a narrow device space. is there. Usually, in the case of simply moving, the tablet is transported from the first position to the second position using a chute.

[0003]

However, when a chute is used, it cannot be sent unless a certain degree of inclination is provided. Therefore, the chute may not be used depending on the ratio between the horizontal distance and the height difference, and a simple measure in that case has been desired.

[0004] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention is capable of transporting a tablet between two positions with little difference in elevation.
An object is to provide a tablet transport mechanism having a simple structure.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tablet transporting mechanism for transporting a tablet to another position horizontally separated from a tablet, the tablet transporting mechanism having an inner space surrounded by an upper wall, a lower wall, and a peripheral wall. A casing having a tablet inlet on the upper wall and a tablet outlet horizontally spaced from the tablet inlet on the lower wall, and a tablet rotatably accommodated in a horizontal plane in the casing and fed from the tablet inlet by being rotated. A rotary frame for moving the rotary frame to the tablet outlet, and a drive mechanism for rotating the rotary frame with respect to the casing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the bottom wall of the rotary frame is inclined in a radial direction of the rotary frame.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the tablet receiving sections of the rotary frame are equally arranged in a circumferential direction, and the tablet inlet and the tablet outlet correspond to the tablet receiving section. It is characterized by being arranged.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a schematic configuration of a medicine packaging machine equipped with a tablet transport mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the medicine packaging machine M, the powdered medicine dividing device M1, the tablet fixedly dividing device M2, the powdered tablet assembling device M3, and the bagging device M4 are appropriately arranged and incorporated in the device frame 1 covered with the upper cover 20. Things.

The powder dispensing fixed quantity dividing device M1 has an annular groove (powder distribution area) 11 having an arc-shaped cross section on the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion and is rotated in a horizontal plane. Powder supply devices 12A and 12B for dropping powders, and turntable 10
The powder having a predetermined angular width on the turntable 10 that is arranged at a predetermined position on the rotation path of the turntable and is intermittently fed is scraped out of the turntable 10 by a blade moving from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side of the turntable 10. And a scraping device 15 for dividing the powdered medicine by a fixed amount.

Each of the powder supply devices 12A and 12B includes a hopper 13 having a tray shape and a vibrator 14 below the hopper 13, and continuously drops a small amount of powder into the annular groove 11 of the rotating turntable 10. Thus, the powdered medicine is uniformly distributed on the annular groove 11. Further, the scraping device 15 has a powder receiving mechanism 1 for receiving powder that falls off when returning the blade after the scraping operation to the standby position.
7 is attached. Although not shown in the drawings, the entire control device includes a rotation for continuously rotating the turntable 10 in the normal and reverse directions when dispersing the powder on the annular groove 11 of the turntable 10 and a rotation for intermittently feeding when scraping off. A control device (not shown) is included. This rotation control device has a function of rotating the turntable 10 in the same direction as the dropping direction of the hopper when the powder is dropped from the hopper 13 of one of the powder supply devices 12A and 12B. .

The tablet quantity dividing device M2 feeds a plurality of kinds of tablets into the tablet hopper 4 while dividing the tablets by a constant number. The lower end of the tablet hopper 4 is connected to a tablet inlet 5a on the upper surface of the tablet transport mechanism 5 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and a tablet outlet (not shown) on the lower surface of the tablet transport mechanism 5 constitutes a powdered tablet collecting device M3. It is open above the collecting hopper 6. The upper end opening of the collecting hopper 6 is disposed below the scraping position of the scraping device 15 so that the powdered medicine and the tablets can be joined by the collecting hopper 6. The lower end of the collecting hopper 6 is squeezed as a chute 7, and the tablets and powder discharged from the chute 7 are dropped onto the unsealed bag 8 of the bagging device M <b> 4 and pass through the bag binding machine 9 to distribute the medicine. The package is to be completed.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the tablet transport mechanism 5 of the first embodiment. The tablet transport mechanism 5 transports a tablet from a lower end position (first position) of the tablet hopper 4 having a small height difference and horizontally separated from the tablet hopper 4 to an upper position (second position) of the collecting hopper 6. , Casing body 21 and upper lid (upper wall) 2 constituting cylindrical casing
2, a rotating frame 24 rotatably housed in a casing
Having.

The upper lid 22 is provided with a rectangular tablet inlet 5a connected to the lower end of the tablet hopper 4. The casing body 21 includes a bottom wall (lower wall) 21a and a peripheral wall 21b.
, A rectangular tablet outlet 5b is provided near the outer periphery of the bottom wall 21a, and a drive shaft (drive mechanism) 26 of the rotary frame 24 is provided at the center of the bottom wall 21a. A through hole 23 for insertion is provided. Tablet entrance 5a
And the tablet outlet 5b are horizontally separated on the same circumference.

The rotary frame 24 is housed inside the casing main body 21 and has a central portion 25 connected to a drive shaft 26, and is rotated by the drive shaft 26 in contact with the bottom wall 21a in the casing main body 21. Can be The rotating frame 24 is
It is shaped like a girder combining partition walls 24a vertically and horizontally.
The partition wall 24a and the peripheral wall 21 of the casing body 21
b, four tablet receiving sections 27 are enclosed.
The tablet inlet 5a and the tablet outlet 5b are connected to the tablet receiving section 2
7 is formed.

Next, the operation of the tablet transport mechanism 5 will be described with reference to the plan view of FIG. As shown in FIG.
When a tablet is put into the casing from the tablet inlet 5a with one tablet receiving section 27 corresponding to the tablet inlet 5a, the tablet enters the tablet receiving section 27 of the rotary frame 24. In this state, when the rotating frame 24 is rotated to position the tablet receiving section 27 containing the tablet at the tablet outlet 5b as shown in FIG. 3B, the tablet is discharged from the outlet 5b, and the tablet is discharged from the lower portion. Enter the collecting hopper 6.

In this case, since the tablet is sent from the tablet inlet 5a to the tablet outlet 5b by the rotation of the rotary frame 24, even if there is no difference in the horizontal distance between the tablet inlet 5a and the tablet outlet 5b, it is ensured that there is no difference. Tablets can be sent.
Therefore, it is possible to communicate between the tablet hopper 4 and the collecting hopper 6 without using a chute, because of the space, the height difference cannot be obtained. In addition, since a plurality of tablets can be stored in the tablet receiving section 27, a plurality of types of tablets can be temporarily stored in the tablet receiving section 27 and then sent out downstream. In other words, it can perform the function of primary storage that cannot be achieved by shooting.

If the tablet receiving sections 27 of the rotating frame 24 are equally arranged in the circumferential direction, and the tablet inlet 5a and the tablet outlet 5b are arranged so as to simultaneously correspond to different tablet receiving sections 27, respectively, It is possible to continuously input and discharge tablets one after another.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a tablet transport mechanism 30 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The casing main body 31 constituting the cylindrical casing includes a bottom wall (lower wall) 31a having the tablet outlet 5b and a peripheral wall 31b. Casing body 3
The upper lid (upper wall) 32 that closes the upper opening of the tablet 1 has a tablet inlet 5
a is provided. In the tablet transport mechanism 30, the rotating frame 34 rotated by the drive shaft 37 penetrating the bottom wall 31a has three sliding chutes (corresponding to tablet receiving sections) 35 equally arranged in the circumferential direction. doing. 3
The two sliding chutes 35 have an inlet 35a on the inner peripheral end upper surface and an outlet 35b on the outer peripheral end lower surface, and the bottom wall 35c is inclined downward from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side. Further, the tablet inlet 35a on the upper surface of the casing and the tablet outlet 5b on the lower surface are located at a position horizontally separated from each other.
The tablet outlet 5b is located on the circumference corresponding to the inlet 35a at the inner peripheral end of the sliding chute 35.
It is located on the circumference corresponding to 5b.

According to the tablet transport mechanism 30, when a tablet is inserted from the tablet inlet 35a in a state where the inlet 35a of the rotary frame 34 is aligned with the tablet inlet 5a, the tablet moves to the outlet 35b due to the inclination of the sliding chute 35. . Therefore, if the rotary frame 34 is rotated in this state and the outlet 35b of the sliding chute 35 containing the tablet is positioned at the tablet outlet 5b, the tablet can be discharged outside. In this case, tablets can be carried between the tablet inlet 5a and the tablet outlet 5b which are not on the same circumference.

The inclination of the bottom wall 35c of the slide chute 35 is reversed, and an inlet 35a is provided on the upper surface on the outer peripheral end side, and an outlet 35b is provided on the lower surface on the inner peripheral end side. A tablet outlet 5b may be provided.

[0021]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the tablet can be sent from the tablet inlet to the tablet outlet by rotating the rotary frame, the horizontal distance between the tablet inlet and the tablet outlet can be reduced. Even if there is no difference in height, tablets can be reliably sent. Therefore, it is possible to communicate between positions where a difference in height cannot be obtained due to space limitations without using a chute.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the tablets can be transported between the tablet inlet and the tablet outlet that are not on the same circumference. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the rotary frame causes the tablets to successively move. The tablet can be charged and discharged continuously.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall outline of a medicine packaging machine M provided with a tablet transport mechanism 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the tablet transport mechanism 5 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

3A and 3B are explanatory views of the operation of the tablet transport mechanism, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view showing a state at the time of tablet input, and FIG. 3B is a plan view showing a state at the time of tablet discharge.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a tablet conveying mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 5, 30 Tablet transport mechanism 5a Tablet inlet 5b Tablet outlet 21, 31 Casing body 21a, 31a Bottom wall (lower wall) 21b, 31b Peripheral wall 22, 32 Top lid (upper wall) 24, 34 Rotating frame 26, 37 Drive shaft (drive) Mechanism) 27 Tablet receiving section 35 Sliding chute (Tablet receiving section) 35c

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A tablet transport mechanism for transporting a tablet to another position horizontally separated from a tablet, comprising: an inner space surrounded by an upper wall, a lower wall, and a peripheral wall, a tablet inlet on an upper wall, and a tablet inlet on a lower wall. A casing having a tablet outlet horizontally separated from the tablet inlet, a rotatable frame rotatably housed in the casing in a horizontal plane, and rotating the tablet inserted from the tablet inlet to the tablet outlet by being rotated; A tablet transport mechanism comprising: a drive mechanism for rotating a frame with respect to a casing. 2. The tablet conveying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a bottom wall of the rotary frame is inclined in a radial direction of the rotary frame. 3. The tablet receiving section of the rotating frame is equally arranged in a circumferential direction, and the tablet inlet and the tablet outlet are arranged corresponding to the tablet receiving section. 2. The tablet conveying mechanism according to 2.