KR102600140B1 - Vision-based tablet counter - Google Patents

Abstract

The tablet counter includes a tray for moving tablets, a slide structure connected to an area of the tray to receive tablets from the tray, a slide structure including an inclined surface with a predetermined inclination, and a slide structure that can be moved in a designated direction based on the slide structure. It may include a direction change structure arranged to be flexible and a control unit operatively connected to the direction change structure and controlling the movement of the direction change structure to adjust the falling direction of the tablets falling along the inclined surface.

Description

Vision-based tablet counter}

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vision-based tablet counter.

There are various types of drugs manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, and they can be supplied to users in various formulations depending on the purpose or use of the drug. In particular, considering ease of use and ease of mass production, the majority of medicines are manufactured in tablets (or 'pills') or capsules, and are usually supplied to users in the form of counting in the correct amount and then packaging it in a container. It was.

As tablets or capsules are supplied in the manner described above, the need for technology that can quickly and precisely count the tablets or capsules gradually increases. In addition, if defective tablets or capsules are mixed in the container in which tablets or capsules are packaged, the container is classified as defective and has no choice but to be discarded. Therefore, in order to prevent waste of tablets or capsules, defective tablets or defective capsules are classified as defective tablets or defective capsules. The need for inspection technology that can effectively detect capsules is increasingly emerging.

Previously, a method of manually counting moving tablets and inspecting defective tablets while moving tablets (or 'capsules') through a tray has been proposed. However, in the case of the above-mentioned method, counting tablets takes a lot of time, There was a problem that the precision of testing defective tablets could be reduced.

As a way to solve the above-mentioned problem, a method of dropping tablets at specified intervals, blocking the space between tablets through a shutter, and counting and inspecting the falling tablets through a sensor or camera was proposed. It has been done.

In the case of the above-mentioned method, tablet counting can be performed quickly and precisely, but abnormalities occur in tablet feeding, such as a sudden change in tray movement speed or an increase in speed due to rolling of tablets. In this situation, there was a problem that the tablet was captured by the shutter and part of the tablet could be damaged or broken.

The present disclosure counts and inspects tablets through image information about the tablets, and provides vision-based tablet counting that can prevent breakage or damage to tablets even in situations where an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets through a direction change structure. , we want to solve the above-mentioned problem.

The problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and the problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the attached drawings. It could be.

A tablet counter according to one embodiment includes a tray for moving tablets, a slide structure connected to an area of the tray to receive tablets from the tray, and including an inclined surface having a predetermined slope, and It includes a direction change structure arranged to be movable along a designated direction, and a control unit operatively connected to the direction change structure and controlling the movement of the direction change structure to adjust the falling direction of the tablets falling along the slope. can do.

In one embodiment, the tray may include a vibrating tray that moves the tablets in a direction toward the slide structure through vibration.

In one embodiment, the direction changing structure includes a first hole including an inclined inner wall, a second hole disposed adjacent to the first hole, and an inclined surface having a downward slope, and falling along the inclined surface. It may include a slide portion for sliding the tablets.

A tablet counter according to one embodiment is located at the bottom of the direction change structure, a first buffer in which some of the tablets whose falling direction has been changed by the direction change structure are stored, and located at the bottom of the direction change structure, It may further include a second buffer in which some of the tablets whose falling direction has been changed by the direction change structure are stored and a reject unit disposed adjacent to the direction change structure and storing defective tablets. there is.

For example, the first buffer and the second buffer may be arranged side by side along the designated direction.

The tablet counter according to one embodiment receives tablets from the first buffer and the second buffer, and further includes a third buffer including an outlet for discharging the supplied tablets to the outside of the tablet counter. It can be included.

The tablet counter according to one embodiment further includes a first camera unit for acquiring image information about tablets supplied from the tray to the slide structure and image information about tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure. It can be included.

In one embodiment, the first camera unit includes an inspection camera for acquiring image information about tablets supplied from the tray to the slide structure and image information about tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure. It may include a trigger camera for acquisition.

In one embodiment, the control unit may determine whether the tablets are abnormal based on image information acquired through the first camera unit and detect when the tablets start falling.

In one example, when the control unit determines that there is no problem with the tablets, the control unit moves the direction change structure to the first position or the second position to direct the falling direction of the tablets toward the first buffer or the second buffer. direction can be changed.

In another example, when the control unit determines that there is a problem with the tablets, the control unit may move the direction change structure to a third position to change the falling direction of the tablets toward the reject unit.

The refinement counter according to one embodiment may further include a second camera unit for acquiring image information about an area between the direction change structure and the first buffer and the second buffer.

In one embodiment, the control unit may count the number of tablets moving to the first buffer or the second buffer based on image information acquired through the second camera unit.

In another embodiment, the control unit determines the fall start time for a specified number of tablets based on image information acquired through the first camera unit and the second camera unit in the learning mode, the direction change structure, and the first buffer. and calculate an interval value representing the difference in time passing through the area between the second buffers, and learn a threshold of the interval value based on the interval value for the specified number of tablets. .

In another embodiment, the control unit calculates an interval value for new tablets based on image information acquired through the first camera unit and the second camera unit, and the calculated interval value for the new tablets is If the value is above the above standard, a user notification may be provided that an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets.

The vision-based tablet counter according to the above-described implementations can quickly and precisely count tablets even in situations where an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets.

In addition, the vision-based tablet counter according to the above-described implementations classifies tablets by changing the falling direction of the tablets, thereby preventing damage or breakage of tablets even when an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets.

In addition, the vision-based tablet counter according to the above-described implementations can determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets and provide a user notification regarding this to ensure the accuracy of tablet counting.

The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the attached drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a tablet counter according to one embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing components of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the process in which tablets are supplied to the slide structure from the tablet counter shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the direction change structure of the tablet counter shown in Figure 1.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 1.
Figure 6 is a side view showing one side of the tablet counter shown in Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a block diagram showing components of a first camera unit according to an embodiment.
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of acquiring image information through a first camera unit in a tablet counter according to an embodiment.
Figure 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of the tablet counter shown in Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of acquiring image information through a first camera unit in a tablet counter according to another embodiment.
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of acquiring image information through a second camera unit in a tablet counter according to an embodiment.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 11.
Figure 13 is a flowchart explaining a method of operating a tablet counter according to an embodiment.
Figure 14 is a diagram to explain the process by which tablets are classified into the first buffer as the direction change structure is located in the first position.
Figure 15 is a diagram to explain the process by which tablets are classified into the second buffer as the direction change structure is located in the second position.
Figure 16 is a diagram for explaining the process by which defective tablets are classified into the reject unit as the direction change structure is located in the third position.
Figure 17 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method for determining whether tablet feeding is abnormal in a tablet counter and providing a user notification, according to an embodiment.
Figure 18 is an enlarged view of a portion of a tablet counter according to an embodiment.

The terms used in the embodiments are general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the functions in the present disclosure, but this may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person working in the art, the emergence of new technology, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the relevant invention. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of this disclosure, rather than simply the name of the term.

In the present disclosure, when a part “includes” a certain component, this means that it does not exclude other components but may further include other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary. Additionally, terms such as “-unit” and “-module” described in the present disclosure refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software.

As used in the present disclosure, when an expression such as 'at least any one' is placed in front of arranged elements, it modifies all elements rather than each arranged element. For example, the expression 'at least one of a, b, and c' should be interpreted as including a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c. do.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice them. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are available in various different forms. It may be implemented and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

1 is a perspective view showing a tablet counter according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment is a device that counts and inspects tablets and classifies tablets that are not defective into a designated number of units.

In the present disclosure, 'tablet (or pill)' may refer to a drug manufactured by compressing the drug into an easy-to-take form (e.g., disk), and may be used with the same meaning hereinafter. In addition, in the present disclosure, only an embodiment in which the tablet counter 10 classifies tablets is disclosed. However, depending on the embodiment, tablets and capsules may be classified together or only capsules may be classified through the tablet counter 10. there is.

According to one embodiment, the tablet counter 10 may include a housing 11 and components for counting and sorting tablets.

The housing 11 forms the overall appearance of the tablet counter 10 and may provide a space (or 'placement space') in which components of the tablet counter 10 can be placed. For example, the housing 11 includes a tray for supplying tablets, a slide structure for sliding the tablets, a direction change structure for sorting the tablets by changing the falling direction of the tablets, and/or a camera for acquiring image information. Additional parts may be placed, but are not limited to this.

In the drawing, only an embodiment in which the housing 11 is formed as an overall rectangular parallelepiped is shown, but the shape of the housing 11 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. Depending on the embodiment, the housing 11 may be formed in a polygonal pillar shape other than a rectangular parallelepiped (eg, a pentagonal pillar, a triangular pillar).

According to one embodiment, the housing 11 may include a tablet inlet 11h through which tablets to be classified can be introduced into the interior of the housing 11, and the inside of the housing 11 through the tablet inlet 11h. The tablets introduced can be classified into a designated number of units by the components of the tablet counter 10. Tablets classified into a designated number can be temporarily or temporarily stored in the buffer unit 30 and then discharged to the outside of the tablet counter 10 or housing 11 through the outlet 30e, and the discharged tablets are stored in a container ( Or it can be packaged in a ‘pill bottle’).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2, we will look in detail at the components for counting, inspecting, and/or classifying tablets of the tablet counter 10.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing components of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment includes a tray 100, a slide structure 200, a direction change structure 300, a control unit 400, a first camera unit 500, and a second camera unit 500. It may include a camera unit 600. The components of the tablet counter 10 are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and depending on the embodiment, at least one component among the above-described components may be omitted, or at least one component may be added.

The tray 100 may move the tablets to be sorted and feed the tablets to the slide structure 200.

According to one embodiment, one end of the tray 100 may be connected to a tablet inlet (eg, tablet inlet 11h in FIG. 1), and the other end may be connected to the slide structure 200. At this time, the tray 100 moves the tablets inserted into the housing of the tablet counter 10 (e.g., the housing 11 in FIG. 1) through the tablet inlet in the direction toward the slide structure 200, Tablets can be supplied at (200).

The slide structure 200 may receive tablets from the tray 100 and slide the supplied tablets in a direction toward the direction change structure 300.

According to one embodiment, the slide structure 200 is located between the tray 100 and the direction change structure 300 and may include an inclined surface having a predetermined inclination. For example, tablets supplied from the tray 100 to the slide structure 200 may fall in a direction toward the direction change structure 300 while sliding along an inclined surface with a downward slope of the slide structure 200.

The direction change structure 300 is arranged to be movable in a designated direction with respect to the slide structure 200, and may serve to change the falling direction of tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200.

According to one embodiment, the direction change structure 300 may change the falling direction of tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 while sliding along a designated direction with respect to the slide structure 200. Accordingly, the direction change structure 300 can move tablets falling along the slope of the slide structure 200 to a buffer unit (e.g., the buffer unit 30 in FIG. 1) or a reject unit. , a detailed explanation of this will be provided later.

The control unit 400 is electrically or operationally connected to the tray 100, the direction change structure 300, the first camera unit 500, and/or the second camera unit 600, and is connected to the overall control of the tablet counter 10. Movement can be controlled.

In one example, the control unit 400 may control the operation of the tray 100 to adjust the amount or supply speed of tablets supplied from the tray 100 to the slide structure 200.

In another example, the control unit 400 may control the movement of the direction change structure 300 to adjust the falling direction of the tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200.

In another example, the control unit 400 acquires image information through the first camera unit 500 and/or the second camera unit 600, and controls the tray 100 and/or direction based on the acquired image information. The operation of the switching structure 300 can be controlled, but is not limited to this.

According to one embodiment, the control unit 400 may include at least one processor. For example, the processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. However, the form of the processor is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented with other types of hardware depending on the embodiment.

The first camera unit 500 may acquire image information about tablets moving along the tray 100 and the slide structure 200. For example, the first camera unit 500 provides image information about tablets supplied from the tray 100 to the slide structure 200 and image information about tablets falling along the slope of the slide structure 200. It can be obtained. At this time, the image information acquired through the first camera unit 500 may be transmitted to the control unit 400, and the control unit 400 generates a tablet counter based on the image information acquired through the first camera unit 500. The overall operation of (10) can be controlled.

The second camera unit 600 may acquire image information about tablets whose falling direction has been changed by the direction change structure 300. For example, the second camera unit 600 may acquire image information about the area between the direction change structure 300 and the buffer unit. At this time, the image information acquired through the second camera unit 600 may be transmitted to the control unit 400, and the control unit 400 may send the buffer unit to the buffer unit based on the image information acquired through the second camera unit 600. The number of classified tablets can be verified, and a detailed explanation of this will be provided later.

That is, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment may count and classify tablets based on image information acquired through the first camera unit 500 and/or the second camera unit 600. Additionally, the tablet counter 10 described above counts and classifies tablets using image information, and may be referred to as a 'vision-based tablet counter.'

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the process in which tablets are supplied to the slide structure in the tablet counter shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the direction change structure of the tablet counter shown in Figure 1.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment may include a tray 100, a slide structure 200, and a direction change structure 300. The tray 100, slide structure 200, and direction change structure 300 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are the same as at least one of the components of the tablet counter 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and/or 2. Or it may be similar, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted below.

The tray 100 includes a plurality of arrays through which the tablets 20 and 21 can move, and can serve to supply the tablets 20 and 21 to be sorted to the slide structure 200. . For example, the tray 100 directs the tablets 20 and 21 introduced into the tablet counter 10 through the tablet inlet (e.g., tablet inlet 11h in FIG. 1) toward the slide structure 200. By moving in this direction, the tablets 20 and 21 can be supplied to the slide structure 200.

According to one embodiment, the tray 100 is disposed to be inclined with respect to the slide structure 200 and may include a vibration tray that moves the tablets 20 and 21 through vibration in connection with a vibration generating means. For example, the tablets 20 and 21 placed on the tray 100 may move in a direction toward the slide structure 200 by the inclined arrangement structure and/or vibration of the tray 100, resulting in the tray (100) can supply tablets (20, 21) to the slide structure (200).

The slide structure 200 is located between the tray 100 and the direction change structure 300, and secures the time (e.g., about 15 to 35 ms) required for the direction change structure 300 to move to the designated position. , it can play a role in reducing the change in pose of the tablets 20 and 21 during the falling process.

For example, the slide structure 200 may include an inclined surface with a downward slope so that the tablets 20 and 21 can slide and fall. Accordingly, the tablets 20 and 21 supplied from the tray 100 may move or fall along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 in a direction toward the direction change structure 300.

In the case of a tablet counter in which the slide structure 200 is not disposed between the tray 100 and the direction change structure 300, the tablets have no choice but to freely fall from the tray 100 toward the direction change structure 300. There is no change in the posture of the tablets during the falling process due to their own inertia and gravitational acceleration.

In order to control the movement of the direction change structure 300 in the control unit (e.g., the control unit 400 of FIG. 2), it is important to detect the start time of the tablets falling, and the start time of the tablets fall is determined by the first camera unit (e.g. It can be detected based on image information acquired through the first camera unit 500 of FIG. 2. At this time, if the change in the posture of the tablets is large, it becomes difficult to determine the center position of the tablets, which may reduce the accuracy or reliability of the detected start point of falling.

On the other hand, in the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment, as the tablets 20 and 21 fall while sliding along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200, the posture of the tablets 20 and 21 during the falling process Changes can be minimal.

For example, when the difference between the drop start time for N (N is a natural number) tablets and the classification time (or 'coefficient verification time') classified by the direction change structure is t _N , The variance value or standard deviation value of t _N for N tablets may indicate the safety of tablets supplied from the tray 100.

The tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment minimizes the pose change during the falling process of the tablets 20 and 21 through the slide structure 200 including an inclined surface, thereby determining the variance value of t _N for the tablets or The standard deviation value can be lowered. As a result, the tablet counter 10 can more accurately detect the start point of falling of the tablets 20 and 21, thereby improving the precision and control stability of counting and sorting the tablets 20 and 21.

In addition, when the change in attitude during the falling process of the tablets 20 and 21 is large, the width of the direction change structure 300 increases to contact the falling tablets 20 and 21, and the direction change occurs. The moving distance (or 'stroke') of the structure 300 inevitably becomes longer, and as a result, the overall size of the tablet counter 10 may become larger.

On the other hand, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment minimizes the change in position of the tablets 20 and 21 during the dropping process through the slide structure 200, thereby preventing the size of the tablet counter 10 from increasing. can do.

According to one embodiment, the slide structure 200 has a cross-sectional horizontal length (e.g., x-axis direction length) of about 25 to 40 mm and a cross-sectional vertical length (e.g., z-axis direction length) of about 20 to 30 mm. It may be formed in a triangular shape, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, the slide structure 200 is made of polyoxymethylene (POM, polyoxymethylene) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UMHW-PE, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) to ensure frictional force for the tablets 20 and 21 to slide. However, the material of the slide structure 200 is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

The direction change structure 300 is located at the bottom of the slide structure 200, moves along a specified direction (e.g., x direction in FIG. 3) with respect to the slide structure 200, and moves along the slope of the slide structure 200. It can play a role in controlling the falling direction of the falling tablets (20, 21).

According to one embodiment, the direction change structure 300 may be operatively connected to the driving unit 300m, moves along a specified direction by power supplied from the driving unit 300m, and causes the tablets 20 and 21 to fall. The direction can be adjusted. At this time, the driving unit 300m may include, for example, a linear motor or servo actuator (or 'linear actuator') capable of linearly moving the direction change structure 300 along a specified direction. However, it is not limited to this.

Referring to FIG. 4, the direction change structure 300 according to one embodiment may include a coupling portion 300a, a first hole 301, a second hole 302, and a slide portion 300s. At this time, the shape of the direction change structure 300 shown in the drawing is only an example, and the shape of the direction change structure 300 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

The coupling portion 300a may serve to connect or couple the direction change structure 300 to the driving unit 300m. As the direction change structure 300 and the drive unit 300m are connected or combined through the coupling portion 300a, the direction change structure 300 can move linearly along a specified direction by the power supplied from the drive part 300m. there is.

The first hole 301 may be formed to penetrate an area at the top (e.g., z direction in FIG. 3) and an area at the bottom (e.g., -z direction in FIG. 3) of the direction change structure 300, It may serve to adjust the falling direction of some tablets 20 toward the first buffer of the buffer unit (e.g., buffer unit 30 in FIG. 1).

According to one embodiment, the first hole 301 may include an inclined inner wall 301a, and some of the tablets 20 and 21 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 are formed through the first hole 301. The buffer portion along the inner wall 301a of 301 may be classified as a first buffer.

The second hole 302 is disposed adjacent to the first hole 301, and may serve to adjust the falling direction of some tablets toward the second buffer of the buffer unit. For example, the second hole 302 may be formed to penetrate another area at the top and another area at the bottom of the direction change structure 300, similar to the first hole 301, and some tablets may be formed through the second hole 301. It may pass through 302 and be classified as the second buffer of the buffer unit.

The slide portion 300s includes an inclined surface having a downward slope, and the falling direction of some of the tablets 20 and 21 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 is directed toward the reject unit (not shown). It can play a regulating role.

For example, the slide portion 300s may contact a defective tablet 21 among the tablets 20 and 21 falling along the slope of the slide structure 200, and the defective tablet 21 may contact the slide portion 300s. ) can slide along the slope and move in the direction toward the reject unit.

In the present disclosure, 'defective tablet' may mean a tablet that is different in at least one of color, size, and shape compared to other tablets, and the expression may be used with the same meaning hereinafter.

According to one embodiment, the control unit (e.g., control unit 400 of FIG. 2) of the tablet counter 10 controls the movement of the above-described direction change structure 300 to place the tablets 20 and 21 in the buffer unit or It can be classified as a reject unit, and a detailed explanation of this will be provided later.

Existing tablet counters generally classify tablets through a shutter that blocks the space between tablets and other tablets. However, if an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets through the tray, some areas of the tablets are damaged by the shutter. Alternatively, a situation could occur where the manufactured tablets were damaged and wasted.

For example, in a conventional tablet counter, if an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets, such as a sudden decrease in tablet supply speed due to friction or a sudden increase in tablet supply speed due to rolling, the shutter shutter This could cause damage to the tablet by stamping it.

On the other hand, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment, unlike the tablet counter using a conventional shutter, counts the tablets 20 and 21 through a direction change structure 300 that controls the falling direction of the tablets 20 and 21. By sorting a specified number of tablets, it is possible to prevent tablets from being damaged or broken even in situations where an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial area of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a side view showing one side of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 1. 5 and/or 6 schematically show the surrounding area of the buffer section 30 and the reject section 40 of the tablet counter 10.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment includes a buffer unit 30, a reject unit 40, a tray 100, a slide structure 200, and a direction change structure 300. may include. The tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment may be a tablet counter to which a buffer unit 30 and a reject unit 40 are added to the tablet counter 10 shown in FIG. 3, and overlapping descriptions are omitted below. Let's do it.

The buffer unit 30 is located at the bottom of the direction change structure 300, and can temporarily or temporarily store tablets classified into the buffer unit 30 through the direction change structure 300. Tablets temporarily or temporarily stored in the buffer unit 30 may be discharged to the outside of the tablet counter 10 through the discharge port 30e, and the discharged tablets may be packaged in a specified number of containers.

If the buffer unit 30 is not present, the supply of tablets through the tray 100 must be stopped until a new container is prepared after the specified number of tablets are placed in the container, which may increase the counting and sorting time for tablets.

On the other hand, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment continuously counts tablets without stopping the supply of tablets through the buffer unit 30 that temporarily or temporarily stores the tablets classified by the direction change structure 300. and can be classified.

According to one embodiment, the buffer unit 30 is located at the bottom of the direction change structure 300 (e.g., -z direction in FIG. 3) and includes a first buffer 31 and a second buffer that provide buffering. (32) may be included.

At this time, the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 may be arranged side by side along a direction parallel to the moving direction of the direction change structure 300 (eg, x direction in FIG. 5). In other words, the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 may be arranged side by side in front and back.

Conventionally, the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 are arranged side by side on the left and right (e.g., in the y direction of FIG. 6), and tablets falling through a flip are placed in the first buffer 31 or the second buffer 32. A tablet counter that sorts into two buffers (32) has been proposed.

However, in the existing tablet counter, as tablets are sorted into the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 arranged side by side, the width of the tray 100 increases, and the overall width of the tablet counter also increases. I had no choice but to do it.

On the other hand, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment classifies tablets into the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 arranged side by side back and forth through the direction change structure 300, so that the tablets are stored in the tray 100. Tablets can be sorted without increasing the width, resulting in a reduction in the overall size of the device compared to conventional tablet counters.

In addition, as the tablets that fall through the flip in the existing tablet counter are classified into the first buffer 31 or the second buffer 32, the falling time of the tablets is prolonged due to the contact between the flip and the tablets, so that a specified number of tablets can be counted. There was a problem that the time required to put it in a container (or 'bottling time') became longer.

On the other hand, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment is a conventional tablet that classifies tablets by flipping through the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 and the direction change structure 300 of the above-described batch structure. Compared to a counter, the falling time of tablets can be reduced, and as a result, the time required to place a specified number of tablets into a container can be shortened.

The buffer unit 30 may further include a third buffer 33 located below the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32.

The third buffer 33 is located at the bottom of the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32, and temporarily or temporarily stores tablets discharged from the first buffer 31 and/or the second buffer 32. You can save it.

According to one embodiment, the third buffer 33 may include an outlet 30e for discharging tablets to the outside of the tablet counter 10, and the tablets temporarily or temporarily stored in the third buffer 33 may be After being discharged to the outside of the tablet counter 10 through the discharge port 30e, it can be placed in a container and packaged.

As the tablets discharged from the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 are temporarily stored in the third buffer 33, the tablet counter 10 allows a specified number of tablets to be placed in the container without stopping the supply of tablets. After filling, you can secure the time until a new container is stored.

In addition, as the tablets discharged from the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 through the third buffer 33 are temporarily stored, the tablet counter 10 changes the supply speed of the tablets or changes the container. Even when the speed changes, the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 can be continuously used without stopping the supply of tablets.

The reject unit 40 may be disposed adjacent to the direction change structure 300 to store defective tablets (eg, defective tablet 21 in FIG. 3 ). For example, the reject unit 40 may store defective tablets (eg, defective tablets 21 in FIG. 3 ) classified by the direction change structure 300 .

If defective tablets are packaged together in a container, all tablets in the container must be discarded, which may result in the manufactured tablets being wasted. The tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment classifies defective tablets into the reject unit 40, thereby preventing defective tablets from being placed in the container, and as a result, preventing manufactured tablets from being wasted unnecessarily. You can.

Figure 7 is a block diagram showing components of a first camera unit according to an embodiment.

The first camera unit 500 of FIG. 7 may be an example of the first camera unit 500 of the tablet counter 10 shown in FIG. 2, and redundant description will be omitted below.

Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, the first camera unit 500 moves along a tray (e.g., tray 100 in FIG. 3) and a slide structure (e.g., slide structure 200 in FIG. 3). It may include an inspection camera 510 and a trigger camera 520 for acquiring image information about the tablets.

The inspection camera 510 can acquire image information about tablets supplied from the tray to the slide structure. For example, the inspection camera 510 may acquire image information about an area of the tray connected to the slide structure.

Image information acquired through the inspection camera 510 may be transmitted to a control unit (e.g., control unit 400 in FIG. 2), and the control unit detects abnormalities in tablets supplied from the tray to the slide structure based on the acquired image information. You can judge whether or not.

For example, the control unit may determine whether tablets supplied from the tray to the slide structure are defective tablets based on image information acquired through the inspection camera 510, and a detailed description of this will be provided later.

The trigger camera 520 can acquire image information about tablets falling along the slope of the slide structure. For example, the trigger camera 520 may acquire image information about tablets that begin to fall between the tray and the slide structure.

Image information acquired through the trigger camera 520 may be transmitted to the control unit, and the control unit may detect the start point of falling of the tablets based on the acquired image information.

For example, the control unit can determine the center position of the tablets based on image information acquired through the trigger camera 520, and detect the starting point of the tablets falling based on the center position of the tablets. The explanation will be provided later.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of acquiring image information through a first camera unit in a tablet counter according to an embodiment, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing a partial area of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 8. .

8, components for supporting or fixing the first camera unit 500 to the top of the tray 100 are omitted, but the first camera unit 500 is provided in a housing (e.g., housing 11 in FIG. 1). It can be supported or fixed to the top of the tray 100 by.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment includes a buffer unit 30, a reject unit 40, a tray 100, a slide structure 200, and a direction change structure 300. and a first camera unit 500. The tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment may be a tablet counter with the first camera unit 500 added to the tablet counter 10 shown in FIG. 5, and redundant description will be omitted below.

According to one embodiment, the first camera unit 500 may include an inspection camera 510, a trigger camera 520, and a first prism 530.

The inspection camera 510 is arranged to be spaced apart from the slide structure 200 and can acquire image information about tablets supplied from the tray 100 to the slide structure 200 through the first prism 530. .

In one embodiment, the inspection camera 510 acquires image information about one end area (e.g., area A in FIG. 9) of the tray 100 connected to the slide structure 200 as shown in FIG. 9. You can. At this time, image information acquired through the inspection camera 510 may be transmitted to a control unit (eg, the control unit 400 of FIG. 2) that is electrically or operationally connected to the inspection camera 510.

The control unit moves from the tray 100 to the slide structure 200 based on image information about one end area (area A) of the tray 100 connected to the slide structure 200 obtained through the inspection camera 510. It is possible to determine whether the tablets supplied are abnormal.

For example, the control unit detects defective tablets that are different in at least one of size, color, and shape from tablets supplied from the tray 100 to the slide structure 200 based on image information acquired through the inspection camera 510. It is possible to determine whether exists. That is, the control unit can inspect the presence of defective tablets through image information acquired through the inspection camera 510.

The trigger camera 520 is arranged to be spaced apart from the slide structure 200, and is positioned between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 through the first prism 530 (e.g., area B in FIG. 9) ( Alternatively, image information about the 'fall start area' can be obtained. At this time, image information acquired through the trigger camera 520 may be transmitted to a control unit electrically or operationally connected to the trigger camera 520.

The control unit causes the tablet to fall along the slope of the slide structure 200 based on image information about the area (B area) between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 obtained through the trigger camera 520. The starting point of their fall can be detected.

For example, the control unit may determine the center position of the tablets based on image information acquired through the trigger camera 520 and detect the starting point of the tablets falling based on the determined center position.

The control unit controls the movement of the direction change structure 300 based on the starting point of the detected tablets falling and classifies the falling tablets into one of the first buffer 31, the second buffer 32, and the reject unit 40. This can be done, and a detailed explanation for this will be provided later.

The first prism 530 is a device for refracting or dispersing light, which is reflected at one end of the tray 100 (area A) and the area between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 (area B). It may play a role in changing the movement path of the light so that the light moves in a direction toward the inspection camera 510 and the trigger camera 520, respectively.

When the inspection camera 510 and the trigger camera 520 are located at the top of the tray 100 and/or the slide structure 200, one end area (area A) of the tray 100 and / Or, image information about the area (area B) between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 can be acquired, but in this case, the device is used to arrange the inspection camera 510 and the trigger camera 520. The overall height may increase.

On the other hand, in the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment, the inspection camera 510 and the trigger camera 520 are spaced apart from the slide structure 200 through a first prism 530 that can change the path of light. Even in the deployed state, image information about one end area (area A) of the tray 100 and/or the area between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 (area B) can be obtained. As a result, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment prevents the overall height of the device from increasing, while maintaining the area at one end of the tray 100 (area A) and/or the area between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200. Image information about the area in between (area B) can be obtained.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of acquiring image information through a first camera unit in a tablet counter according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10, the tablet counter 10 according to another embodiment includes a buffer unit 30, a reject unit 40, a tray 100, a slide structure 200, a direction change structure 300, and a first It may include a camera unit 500. The tablet counter 10 according to another embodiment may be a tablet counter in which the first camera unit 500 is changed from the tablet counter 10 of FIG. 8, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted below.

According to another embodiment, the first camera unit 500 may include an inspection camera 510, a trigger camera 520, and a first prism 530, and the inspection camera 510 and the trigger camera (520) may be formed integrally. That is, the first camera unit 500 according to another embodiment can view one end area of the tray 100 (e.g., area A in FIG. 9) and/or the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 through one camera. All image information for the area in between (e.g., area B in FIG. 9) may be obtained.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of acquiring image information through a second camera unit in a tablet counter according to an embodiment, and FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing a partial area of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 11. .

In FIG. 11 , components for supporting or fixing the second camera unit 600 to the bottom of the tray 100 are omitted, but the second camera unit 600 is provided in a housing (e.g., housing 11 in FIG. 1). It may be supported or fixed to the bottom of the tray 100.

11 and 12, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment includes a buffer unit 30, a reject unit 40, a tray 100, a slide structure 200, and a direction change structure 300. and a second camera unit 600. The tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment may be a tablet counter 10 shown in FIG. 5 with the second camera unit 600 added, and redundant description will be omitted below.

According to one embodiment, the second camera unit 600 may include a camera 610 for coefficient verification, a second prism 620, and a lighting unit 630. The components of the second camera unit 600 are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and depending on the embodiment, at least one component (e.g., the second prism 620 or the lighting unit 630) is omitted, or New components may be added.

The coefficient verification camera 610 is disposed at the bottom of the tray 100, and is located in the area between the direction change structure 300 and the buffer unit 30 (e.g., area C in FIGS. 11 and 12) (or ‘coefficient Image information about the ‘verification area’) can be obtained. At this time, image information acquired through the coefficient verification camera 610 may be transmitted to a control unit (eg, the control unit 400 in FIG. 2) that is electrically or operationally connected to the coefficient verification camera 610.

For example, the coefficient verification camera 610 is connected to the direction change structure 300 at the bottom of the tray 100 through a second prism 620 and/or a third prism (not shown) that changes the movement path of light. Image information about the area between the buffer units 30 (area C) can be obtained, but is not limited to this.

The lighting unit 630 can irradiate light in a direction toward the area (C area) between the direction change structure 300 and the buffer unit 30, and the coefficient verification camera 610 is connected to the lighting unit 630. Clear image information can be obtained through the light emitted from.

The control unit operates the buffer through the direction change structure 300 based on image information about the area (C area) between the direction change structure 300 and the buffer unit 30 obtained through the coefficient verification camera 610. By counting the number of tablets classified into division 30, verification of the tablet coefficient can be performed.

For example, the control unit counts the number of tablets classified into the first buffer 31 or the number of tablets classified into the second buffer 32 based on image information acquired through the coefficient verification camera 610. And, based on the count results, it can be determined whether the classification of tablets through the direction change structure 300 has been accurately performed.

In addition, the control unit performs purification based on the image information acquired through the first camera unit (e.g., the first camera unit 500 in FIG. 8 or FIG. 10) and the image information acquired through the coefficient verification camera 610. It is possible to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the supply of and provide user notification regarding this. However, a detailed explanation regarding this will be provided later.

Figure 13 is a flowchart explaining a method of operating a tablet counter according to an embodiment.

In addition, Figure 14 is a diagram to explain the process by which tablets are classified into the first buffer as the direction change structure is located in the first position, and Figure 15 is a diagram for explaining the process in which tablets are classified into the first buffer as the direction change structure is located in the second position. This is a diagram to explain the process of sorting into the second buffer, and Figure 16 is a diagram to explain the process of classifying defective tablets to the reject unit as the direction change structure is located in the third position.

In the following, the operating method of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 13 will be described with reference to the components shown in FIGS. 14 to 16.

In step 1301, the control unit (e.g., the control unit 400 of FIG. 2) of the tablet counter 10 according to an embodiment uses a first camera unit (e.g., the first camera unit 500 of FIGS. 8 and 10). It is possible to obtain image information about tablets supplied from the tray 100 to the slide structure 200.

For example, the control unit provides image information about one end area of the tray 100 (e.g., area A in FIG. 9) connected to the slide structure 200 through the first camera unit and the tray 100 and the slide structure 200. Image information for the area between (e.g., area B in FIG. 9) can be obtained.

In step 1302, the control unit of the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment determines whether there is an abnormality in the tablets supplied to the slide structure 200 based on the image information acquired in step 1301 and determines the starting point of the tablets falling. It can be detected.

In one example, the control unit determines whether the tablets supplied to the slide structure 200 are abnormal based on image information about one end of the tray 100 connected to the slide structure 200 obtained through the first camera unit. can do. For example, the control unit may determine whether there are defective tablets among the tablets supplied to the slide structure 200.

In another example, the control unit starts falling of tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 based on image information about the area between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 obtained through the first camera unit. The point in time can be detected. For example, the control unit may determine the center position of the tablets based on image information acquired through the first camera unit, and may detect the starting point of the tablets falling based on the determined center position of the tablets.

In step 1303, the control unit of the tablet counter according to one embodiment controls the movement or position of the direction change structure 300 based on the result of determining whether the tablets are abnormal obtained in step 1302 and the information about the starting point of the tablets falling. By doing so, the tablets can be classified into the buffer unit 30 or the reject unit 40.

Referring to FIG. 14, in one example, the control unit moves the direction change structure 300 to the first position to change the falling direction of the tablets 20 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 to the first buffer 31. ) can be changed to the direction facing.

For example, if the control unit determines in step 1302 that there is no problem with the tablets 20 (e.g., it is determined to be a normal tablet), the tablets 20 change direction based on the starting point of the tablets 20 falling. Before reaching the structure 300, the direction change structure 300 may be moved to the first position. Accordingly, the falling direction of the tablets 20 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 can be adjusted to the direction toward the first buffer 31 by the direction change structure 300, and as a result, the tablets 20 (20) can be classified as the first buffer (31).

In the present disclosure, the 'first position' refers to a direction change structure in which the tablets 20 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 fall in the direction toward the first hole 301 of the direction change structure 300 ( 300). At this time, the tablets 20 that fell into the first hole 301 of the direction change structure 300 move to the first buffer 31 along the inclined inner wall 301a of the first hole 301, It can be classified as the first buffer 31.

Referring to FIG. 15, in another example, the control unit moves the direction change structure 300 to the second position to change the falling direction of the tablets 20 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 to the second buffer 32. ) can be changed to the direction facing.

For example, if the control unit determines in step 1302 that there is no problem with the tablets 20 and that a predetermined number of tablets have been sorted into the first buffer 31, the time when the tablets 20 start falling Based on this, the direction change structure 300 may be moved to the second position before the tablets 20 reach the direction change structure 300. Accordingly, the falling direction of the tablets 20 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 can be adjusted to the direction toward the second buffer 32 by the direction change structure 300, and as a result, the tablets 20 (20) can be classified as the second buffer 32.

In the present disclosure, the 'second position' refers to a direction change structure in which the tablets 20 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 fall in the direction toward the second hole 302 of the direction change structure 300 ( 300). At this time, the tablets 20 that have fallen into the second hole 302 of the direction change structure 300 may pass through the second hole 302 and be classified into the second buffer 32.

That is, when the control unit determines that there is no problem with the tablets 20 supplied to the slide structure 200, it controls the movement of the direction change structure 300 to move the tablets 20 into the first buffer 31 and/ Alternatively, it can be classified into the second buffer 32. At this time, the control unit first sorts a predetermined number of tablets into one of the first buffer 31 and the second buffer 32 (e.g., the first buffer 31) through the direction change structure 300. And, once the sorting is completed, the tablets can be sorted into another buffer (e.g., the second buffer 32), but the tablets are not limited to this.

Referring to FIG. 16, in another example, the control unit moves the direction change structure 300 to the third position and changes the falling direction of the tablets 20 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 to the reject unit ( It can be changed to the direction facing 40).

For example, if the control unit determines that there is a defective tablet 21 in step 1302, the control unit changes direction before the defective tablet 21 reaches the direction change structure 300 based on the starting point of falling of the defective tablet 21. The structure 300 can be moved to a third position. Accordingly, the falling direction of the defective tablet 21 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 can be adjusted to the direction toward the reject unit 40 by the direction change structure 300, and as a result, the defective tablet 21 falls along the slope of the slide structure 200. (21) can be classified as a reject unit (40).

In the present disclosure, the 'third position' refers to the direction change structure 300 in which the defective tablet 21 falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure 200 falls in the direction toward the slide portion 300s of the direction change structure 300. ) can mean the location of. At this time, the defective tablet 21 that has fallen onto the slide portion 300s of the direction change structure 300 may slide along the slide portion 300s and be classified into the reject portion 40.

If the defective tablets 21 are packaged together with the good tablets 20 in a container, the entire container must be discarded and the manufactured tablets may be wasted. However, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment classifies defective tablets 21 into the reject unit 40 through the direction change structure 300, thereby preventing waste of tablets.

Figure 17 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method for determining whether tablet feeding is abnormal in a tablet counter and providing a user notification, according to an embodiment. Additionally, Figure 18 is an enlarged view of a portion of a tablet counter according to an embodiment.

In the following, the operating method of the tablet counter shown in FIG. 17 will be described with reference to the components shown in FIG. 18.

In step 1701, the control unit (e.g., the control unit 400 of FIG. 2) of the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment performs a learning mode, and the first camera unit (e.g., the first camera of FIGS. 8 and 10) Image information can be acquired through the unit 500) and the second camera unit (e.g., the second camera unit 600 in FIG. 11).

In the present disclosure, 'learning mode' may refer to a mode for learning a threshold that is a standard for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets, and the threshold can be calculated by detecting the falling time of a predetermined number of tablets. You can. However, a detailed explanation of the process of learning the standard value will be provided later.

According to one embodiment, the control unit transmits image information about the area (B area) (hereinafter referred to as 'fall start area') between the tray 100 and the slide structure 200 through the first camera unit in the learning mode. Image information about the area (area C) between the direction change structure 300 and the buffer unit 30 (hereinafter referred to as 'coefficient verification area') can be obtained through the second camera unit.

In step 1702, the control unit of the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment determines the time (t _{N, B} ) and the time (t _{N, C} ) passing through the coefficient verification area (area C) can be detected, and the interval (interval _N ) for each of the N tablets can be detected.

In the present disclosure, 'interval _N ' refers to the difference between the time (t _N,B ) passing the drop start area (area B) of the Nth tablet and the time (t _N,C ) passing the coefficient verification area, The longer the tablet drop time, the longer the interval (interval _N ) can be.

In step 1703, the control unit of the tablet counter 10 according to an embodiment may learn a threshold based on the interval _N value for the N tablets detected in step 1702. As the reference value is learned through step 1703, the learning mode of the tablet counter 10 may be ended.

According to one embodiment, the control unit calculates the average and standard deviation of the interval _N values for the N tablets detected in step 1702, and the average and standard deviation of the interval _N values for the N tablets. The standard value can be learned using the deviation. At this time, the reference value may mean the upper threshold value of the falling time of the tablets in a situation where there is no abnormality in the supply of tablets, and if an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets, the falling time or interval of the tablets may be greater than the reference value.

In step 1704, the control unit of the tablet counter according to one embodiment calculates the interval value for the newly measured tablets after entering the learning mode, and compares the interval value for the newly measured tablets with the reference value learned through step 1703. You can.

If it is determined in step 1704 that the interval value for the newly measured tablets is greater than the reference value, in step 1705 the control unit of the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment determines that an error has occurred in the supply of tablets through the tray 100. It is possible to determine and provide a user notification that an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets.

For example, in a situation where an abnormality occurs in the supply of tablets, such as a sudden slowdown in the supply speed of tablets due to friction, the interval value of the tablets may be greater than the learned standard value, so the control unit determines whether the interval value for the tablets is greater than the standard value. In this case, it may be determined that an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets.

According to one embodiment, when the control unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets, the control unit informs the user through a visual notification (e.g., display), an auditory notification (e.g., sound generation), and a tactile notification (e.g., vibration generation). The user may be notified that an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets, but the user notification is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

According to another embodiment, if the control unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets, the operation of the tray 100 may be stopped until the supply of tablets is normalized, but the present invention is not limited to this.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 1704 that the interval value for the newly measured tablets is smaller than the reference value, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment can continuously check whether there is an abnormality in the supply of tablets by repeatedly performing step 1704. there is.

That is, the tablet counter 10 according to one embodiment determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets through steps 1701 to 1705 described above, and provides a user notification regarding this, thereby preventing the user from having an inaccurate tablet count. By knowing that this can be done, coefficient reliability can be secured.

Meanwhile, the operating methods of FIGS. 13 and 17 described above may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing instructions executable by a computer, such as a program module executed by a computer. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Additionally, computer-readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information delivery medium.

The above description is for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. For example, each component described as unitary may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

10: tablet counter 11: housing
11h: Tablet inlet 20: Tablet
21: defective tablet 30: buffer
30e: outlet 31: first buffer
32: second buffer 33: third buffer
40: Reject reservoir 100: Tray
200: Slide structure 300: Direction change structure
300a: coupling part 300m: driving part
300s: Slide portion 301: First hole
301a: inner wall 302: second hole
400: Control unit 500: First camera unit
510: camera for inspection 520: camera for trigger
530: first prism 600: second camera unit
610: Camera for coefficient verification 620: Second prism
630: lighting unit

Claims (15)

Tray for moving tablets;
a slide structure connected to an area of the tray to receive tablets from the tray and including an inclined surface having a predetermined inclination;
a direction change structure arranged to be movable along a designated direction based on the slide structure; and
It includes a control unit operatively connected to the direction change structure and controlling the movement of the direction change structure to adjust the falling direction of the tablets falling along the inclined plane.
The direction change structure is,
a first hole including an inclined inner wall;
a second hole disposed adjacent to the first hole; and
A tablet counter comprising an inclined surface having a downward slope, and a slide portion for sliding tablets falling along the inclined surface. According to paragraph 1,
The tray includes a vibrating tray that moves tablets through vibration in a direction toward the slide structure. delete Tray for moving tablets;
a slide structure connected to an area of the tray to receive tablets from the tray and including an inclined surface having a predetermined inclination;
a direction change structure arranged to be movable along a designated direction based on the slide structure;
A control unit operatively connected to the direction change structure and controlling the movement of the direction change structure to adjust the falling direction of the tablets falling along the slope;
a first buffer located at the bottom of the direction change structure and storing some of the tablets whose falling direction has been changed by the direction change structure;
a second buffer located at the bottom of the direction change structure and storing another portion of the tablets whose falling direction has been changed by the direction change structure; and
A tablet counter comprising: a reject unit disposed adjacent to the direction change structure and storing defective tablets. According to paragraph 4,
The first buffer and the second buffer are arranged side by side along the designated direction. According to paragraph 4,
A third buffer that receives tablets from the first buffer and the second buffer and includes an outlet for discharging the received tablets to the outside of the tablet counter. According to paragraph 4,
A tablet counter, further comprising a first camera unit for acquiring image information about tablets supplied from the tray to the slide structure and image information about tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure. In clause 7,
The first camera unit,
an inspection camera for acquiring image information about tablets supplied from the tray to the slide structure; and
A trigger camera for acquiring image information about tablets falling along the inclined surface of the slide structure. A tablet counter comprising a. In clause 7,
The control unit determines whether the tablets are abnormal based on image information acquired through the first camera unit, and detects when the tablets start falling. According to clause 9,
When the control unit determines that there is no problem with the tablets, the control unit moves the direction change structure to the first position or the second position to change the falling direction of the tablets toward the first buffer or the second buffer. , tablet counter. According to clause 9,
When the control unit determines that there is a problem with the tablets, the control unit moves the direction change structure to a third position to change the falling direction of the tablets toward the reject unit. In clause 7,
A tablet counter further comprising a second camera unit for acquiring image information about an area between the direction change structure and the first buffer and the second buffer. According to clause 12,
The control unit counts the number of tablets moving to the first buffer or the second buffer based on image information acquired through the second camera unit. According to clause 12,
The control unit,
In the learning mode, the falling start time for a designated number of tablets based on image information acquired through the first camera unit and the second camera unit and the difference between the direction change structure and the first buffer and the second buffer Calculate an interval value representing the difference in time passing through the area,
A tablet counter that learns a threshold of an interval value based on the interval value for the specified number of tablets. According to clause 14,
The control unit
Calculate interval values for new tablets based on image information acquired through the first camera unit and the second camera unit,
A tablet counter that provides a user notification that an abnormality has occurred in the supply of tablets when the calculated interval value for new tablets is greater than or equal to the reference value.