JPS63294307A - Automatic tablet pouching apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occurrence of improper packaging of tablets by providing a tablet detection sensor for each passage of an inspection hopper and by connecting the sensor and an intermediate shutter to a control unit which controls the action of the intermediate shutter and the feed of packaging bags based on the detection signal from the sensor. CONSTITUTION:When a plurality of tablets to be packaged together are inputted in a prescription data device 18, an instruction from a control unit 16 actuates a shutter controller 3 to open the bottom of a tablet case 2, thereby dropping the prescribed tablets a into an inspection hopper 4. The tablet (a) is delivered through a passage 5 to an inspection portion 6 for detection by a sensor 7. The detection signal is sent to an inspection unit 15 for comparison thereof with the image information of the tablet designated and preregistered by the prescription. The tablets are gathered together in a gathering hopper 8 and, if the detection signal and the image information are in coincidence with each other, an action signal is supplied from the control unit 16 to an intermediate shutter 9, whereby the intermediate shutter 9 is opened and the tablets (a) are received in a pace 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an automatic tablet packaging device for automatically detecting and packaging a plurality of different types of tablets that differ from patient to patient in hospitals and the like.

(b) Prior Art Medications administered in hospitals differ from patient to patient depending on the patient's medical condition. A conventional device for selectively packaging several types of drugs, which differ for each patient, according to a prescription is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10074/1983, for example.

The tablet packaging machine related to this patent application divides and seals multiple different types of tablets, vibrates the sealed package during intermittent transfer stops, eliminates overlapping of tablets in the package, and intermittently stops the package. Sometimes, an industrial television camera is used to perform pattern recognition to check whether a predetermined tablet is packaged within the package.

However, with the method used in the packaging machine of this patent application, which inspects the quality and number of tablets in the package after packaging and sealing many types of tablets, the tablets may contain tablets of the same shape and color but of different types. Therefore, it is impossible to distinguish the type of tablet from its appearance alone, and the test results cannot be said to be accurate. Furthermore, if a defective product is produced, the package must be torn open to take out the tablets inside, which poses a problem of poor work efficiency.

(c) Problem to be solved by the invention The problem to be solved by the invention is that in an automatic tablet packaging device, each tablet sent from a tablet case that stores tablets by type is detected during transportation and registered in advance. By checking whether the type and number of tablets match those of the tested tablets and then packaging them, the test results will be accurate and the occurrence of packaging defects can be prevented.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a plurality of tablet cases that separately store tablets by type, a collection hopper that collects the tablets sent out from the tablet cases, and a collection hopper that collects the tablets sent out from the tablet cases. Equipped with an intermediate shutter provided at the exit of the collection hopper,
- An automatic tablet packaging device for packaging tablets sent in bulk from the intermediate Nyatta in a packaging bag, which has a passage between the tablet case and the collection hopper for passing the tablets separately for each tablet case. An inspection hopper is provided, a sensor is provided for each passage of the inspection hopper to detect tablets sent through the inspection hopper, the sensor and the intermediate shutter are connected to a control unit, and based on the detection signal from the sensor, The control unit is configured to control the operation of the intermediate printer and the feeding of the packaging bag.

(E) Function When prescription data for multiple tablets to be packaged together is entered into a prescription data device such as a personal computer and sent to the control unit, the control unit operates the shutter of the corresponding tablet case based on the data. open.

Then, a predetermined amount of tablets are dropped from the tablet case into the inspection hopper, and each type of tablet is moved within the inspection hopper. Then, the moving tablet is detected by a sensor and the result is inputted to the inspection unit as a detection signal. The control unit controls the operation of the intermediate shutter based on the detection signal and packages the tablets.

(F) Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an automatic tablet packaging device 1 of this embodiment. In the same figure, 2 (2a, 2b to 2
n) is a plurality of tablet cases accommodating tablets by type, and 3 is a shutter controller provided at the bottom of the tablet case 2 to selectively open the bottom of each tablet case. An inspection hopper 4 is provided below the shutter controller 3 in which passages 5 (5a, 5b to 5n) are partitioned for different types of tablets according to each tablet case. A transparent inspection portion 6 (6a, 6b to 6n) is formed at the bottom of the passage 5 of the inspection hopper 4 and is narrow enough to allow the tablet to pass through without resistance. Sensors 7 (7a, 7b to 7n) are provided respectively. Below the inspection part 6 are the tablets that have passed through the inspection part.
A collecting hopper 8 is provided for collecting the materials, and an intermediate shutter 9 is provided at the outlet section below the collecting hopper 8.

This sensor may be of a known structure capable of recognizing the pattern of the tablet.

In addition, 11 is a printing machine that prints on continuous packaging bags 10;
2 is a bag controller for opening the packaging bag, and 13 is a sealing device for closing the packaging bag, all of which have known structures.

Further, 15 is an inspection unit 16 connected to each sensor 7 and capable of comparing the pattern of each tablet detected by the sensor with pre-registered image information of the corresponding tablet.
is connected to the inspection unit 15, shutter controller 3, intermediate shutter 9, and bag controller 12, and sends operation signals to the shutter controller 3, intermediate shutter 9, and bag controller 12 using the comparison results in the inspection unit 15. It is a unit. Furthermore, 17 is a monitor television connected to the inspection unit 15, and 18 is a prescription data device.

In the above configuration, when a plurality of tablets to be packed together are entered into the prescription data device based on the prescription data, the shutter controller 3 is operated under the command of the control unit 16, and the tablets specified in the prescription are inserted into the prescription data device. Open the bottom of the multiple tablet cases 2,
A predetermined tablet a is dropped into the inspection hopper 4. The tablets a that have fallen into the inspection hopper 4 pass through the respective passages 5 to the inspection section 6 where they are detected by the sensor 7.

A detection signal obtained by pattern recognition detected by the sensor 7 is sent to the inspection unit 15, where it is compared with image information of the tablet designated by the prescription and registered in advance.

The tablets detected by the sensor 7 are collected together by a collection hopper 8. If the detection signal from the inspection unit matches the registered video information, an operation signal is sent to the control unit 16 or the intermediate shutter 9, and the intermediate shutter 9 is opened. For this purpose, a plurality of specified types of tablets a are placed in a waiting packaging bag 10 with its top open just below the intermediate shutter. Then, the packaging bag 10 is fed one pinch, and the opening is sealed by the sealing device to complete the packaging.

On the other hand, if an abnormality is detected in the inspection by the sensor, that is, if the detection signal does not match the video information registered in advance in the prescription data device, the intermediate shutter will not open and the tablets in the collection hopper will be removed from the take-out gate (not shown). ) is opened and taken out of the collecting hopper, and the packaging bag is also not sent.

(g) Effects According to the present invention, before packaging several types of tablets together, each tablet to be packaged is inspected and packaged in advance, so even if there are different types of tablets with the same shape and color, they can be reliably distinguished. , the packaging result is more accurate than the conventional one. Additionally, defects can be detected after packaging and the packaging bag can be torn, reducing waste compared to conventional products.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1: Automatic tablet packaging device 2: Tablet case 3: Shutter controller

Claims (1)

[Claims] It is equipped with a plurality of tablet cases that separately store tablets by type, a collection hopper that collects the tablets sent out from the tablet cases, and an intermediate shutter provided at the exit of the collection hopper, and In an automatic tablet packaging device that packages tablets sent from a shutter in a packaging bag, an inspection hopper is provided between the tablet case and the collection hopper and has a passage through which tablets are passed through separately for each tablet case, and the inspection A sensor is provided for each passage of the hopper to detect the tablets sent through the inspection hopper, and the sensor and the intermediate shutter are connected to a control unit, and the intermediate shutter is controlled by the control unit based on the detection signal from the sensor. An automatic tablet packaging device characterized by controlling the operation and feeding of packaging bags.