JPS63262538A - Apparatus for inspecting liquid leakage of liquid filled hard capsule - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify and certainly detect liquid leakage, by supplying a hard capsule to the forwardly declining guide groove of a vibration base and detecting the lowering in a flow speed or change in hue generated by the adhesion of a leaked liquid to a flow area. CONSTITUTION:When a vibration base 2 is operated by a vibrator 3, the hard capsules (a) in a hopper 4 are successively supplied to guide grooves 21 one at a time through respective supply guides 5 in such a state that the long diameters thereof are turned along the guide grooves 21 and successively flow while tumbling and sliding in the flow direction. Speed detectors or hue detectors are arranged above the guide grooves 21 at proper intervals. The usual flow speed of each of the normal capsules (a) is regarded as a set value and this set value or the hue of the guide grooves 21 when the normal capsules (a) flow is preliminarily stored in a control part and, when a predetermined difference value or more is detected between the flow speed and the set value or change is detected in the surface hue of the guide grooves 21, the control part emits an alarm to stop the vibrator 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a device for inspecting a hard capsule filled with a liquid for liquid leakage after filling the liquid and before sealing the joint between the body and the cap.

This type of hard capsule is manufactured by filling the body with liquid using a filling device and at the same time joining the body and cap. However, if the connection fails, the filling liquid will leak, and if some time passes after joining, the joint will leak. As the filling liquid begins to leak,
A means is required to prevent leakage of this filling liquid.

"Prior Art" Conventionally, no means of inspecting liquid leakage after filling was considered, and the capsule was sealed with a sealing material after filling.

``Problems to be Solved by the Invention'' As mentioned above, the filling liquid leaks from hard capsules after being filled over time, and there may also be bonding failure during filling, so the filling liquid may already start leaking when sealed. However, if the leaked liquid adheres to the surface, pinholes will occur even if the seal is applied, making it impossible to prevent leakage.

"Means for Solving the Problem" In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the inspection device according to the present invention includes a vibrating base having a guide groove that slopes downward in the flow direction, and a vibration plate that vibrates the vibrating base. - and is equipped with.

"Operation" The hard capsule is supplied to the downward-sloping guide groove of the vibration base,
When the vibrating base is vibrated, the hard capsule does not roll due to the vibration, but slides along the guide groove and advances in the flow direction. Due to this rolling, the filling liquid spreads throughout the capsule, and if the body and cap are not joined properly or if there is a gap in the contact area after filling, the filling liquid will leak onto the surface and cause friction due to the leaking liquid. As the flow rate increases, the flow rate slows down, and this change in flow rate allows leakage to be detected before sealing.

In addition, when a hard capsule with leaking filling liquid flows in the flow direction, the leaked liquid adheres to the guide groove, which is the flow area, and the color tone of that area changes. Leakage can be detected.

"Example" Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A continuous vibrating base 2, 2.2 having a plurality of continuous guide grooves formed on the upper surface is installed on the upper part of the machine frame 1, which is provided with telescopic legs 11 and casters 12 at the lower part thereof, and is inclined downward in the flow direction. A vibrator 3 is provided below each vibrating base 2. A hopper 4 for supplying hard capsules is provided above the vibrating base 2 in the flow direction (left end in FIG. 1), and the hopper 4
The discharge port 41 and each guide groove 21 directly below each having a concave arc-shaped cross section are communicated with each other through a supply guide 5 (FIGS. 4 and 5).

Therefore, by vibrating each vibration base 2 with the vibrator 3, the hard capsule a of the hopper 4 is
is sequentially supplied to each guide groove 21 through each supply guide 5 with its long axis along the groove 21, and the hard capsule a is rolled in the guide groove 21 in a direction crossing the flow direction ( It is designed to flow in order by sliding it (rightward in Figure 1).

Since the amplitude of vibration is adjusted depending on the size of the hard capsule a, it is desirable to use a vibrator 3 that can adjust the amplitude.

The bite generator 3 may be installed vertically parallel to the guide groove 21 of the corresponding vibration base 2, but in this embodiment, the capsule a is smoothed by vibration with a smaller amplitude. Therefore, the vibrator 3 (excluding the one on the left side of FIG. 2) and the guide groove 21 are installed so that they form a predetermined angle when viewed from above as shown in FIG. 2 or 3. Fig. 2 shows the vibrator 3 installed with the plane 1 slightly inclined, and Fig. 3 shows the vibrator 3 in which the guide groove 21 is bent at its center to form a < sign shape.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the angle formed by the vibrator 3 and the guide groove 21 is set to about 4 degrees.

In order to improve the rolling and sliding of the capsule a within the guide groove 21, the surface of the guide groove 21 may be coated with a low-friction material such as tetrafluoroethylene polymer (for example, trade name "Teflon"). is desirable.

In addition, in order to smoothly and softly supply the hard capsules a one by one from the discharge port 41 of the hopper 4 to each guide groove 21,
It is preferable to use a coil chute for the supply guide 5 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In order to check for liquid leakage from the hard capsules a rolling in the guide grooves 21, for example, a speed detector (not shown) is placed above each guide groove 21 at an appropriate interval (100 to 200 I).
I1m) to detect changes in flow velocity. Alternatively, a color detector (not shown) is installed at an appropriate interval above the guide groove 21 where the hard capsule a flows, and the color detector detects dirt on the guide groove 21 due to liquid leakage.

For example, the normal flow speed of a normal hard capsule a is set as a set value, and the set value or the color tone of the guide groove 21 when a normal hard capsule a is flowing is stored in a control section (not shown), and the flow When a difference of more than a certain value from the set value is detected in the speed, or when a change in the color tone of the surface of the guide groove 21 is detected, the control section issues an alarm and stops the vibrator 3.

By detecting this liquid leakage, the hard capsule a at the relevant location is removed from the guide groove 21 by an appropriate means, and only normal hard capsules are supplied to the next sealing process.

Hereinafter, the procedure for inspecting liquid-filled hard capsules for liquid leakage using the apparatus of the above-mentioned embodiment will be explained.

Long axis 17.7mm, short axis! i, 3+nm hard capsule a is used, an appropriate number of guide grooves 21 with a length of about 700 mm and a width of about 6.5 mm are arranged in parallel, and the inclination angle of the guide grooves 21 is set to 2.
The vibrating base 2 is vibrated at high speed with an amplitude of, for example, 0.5 mm or less using the high inflator 3, and the hard capsules a filled with the liquid agent are continuously fed into the hopper 4.

The hard capsules a are supplied to the guide groove 21 one by one via the supply guide 5 which vibrates along with the guide groove 21 at the tip.
In the case of a normal hard capsule a with no liquid leakage, it flows while rolling in the guide groove 21 and reaches the end of the guide groove 21 in about 30 seconds.

If there is any liquid leakage in the flowing hard capsule a, the rolling or sliding of the capsule a will be impaired, and the subsequent flow of the hard capsule a in the guide groove 21 will almost disappear or stop.

"Effects of the Invention" The inspection device according to the present invention causes a hard capsule to move in an inclined flow direction along a guide groove while being rolled by vibration, and the rolling causes the filling liquid to reach the entire inner surface of the hard capsule. At the same time, the contact rate between the hard capsule and the guide groove surface increases, and if there is a gap at the joint between the hard capsules, the filling liquid will surely leak out, and the flow rate caused by the adhesion of the leaked liquid to the flow area will increase. Liquid leakage can be easily and reliably detected by a drop in color or a change in color.

Therefore, by inspecting for liquid leakage before sealing, hard capsules without liquid leakage can be manufactured.

In addition, the structure is extremely simple, and liquid leakage can be inspected at a very low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the inspection device according to the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a modification of the arrangement of the guide groove and the vibrator. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged sectional view of the hard capsule supply section between the guide groove and the hopper, and FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged plan view of the hard capsule supply section with a portion cut away. Explanation of the symbols in the main drawings 1 is the machine frame, 2 is the base, 21 is the guide groove, 3 is the vibrator, 14 is the hopper for supplying capsules, 41 is the outlet of the hopper, 5 is the supply guide, and a is the hard capsule. .

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A liquid leakage inspection device for liquid-filled hard capsules, comprising a vibrating base having a guide groove that slopes downward in the flow direction, and a vibrator that vibrates the vibrating base. (2) A patent claim in which a plurality of rows of guide grooves are provided on the vibration base, and a vibrator is provided below the vibration base, and the vibrator and the guide groove are installed at a predetermined angle when viewed from above. A liquid leakage inspection device for a liquid agent-filled hard capsule according to item 1. (3) The liquid leakage inspection device for a liquid-filled hard capsule according to claim 1, wherein at least the surface of the guide groove that contacts the hard capsule is coated with a low-friction material.