KR20200145690A - Inspection apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to lay out a display device at a position easily seen by an operator without sacrificing the ease of access into an opening. A tablet printing apparatus (inspection apparatus) (1) inspects granular tablets (inspection target) (9) while transporting the tablets (9) by a transport apparatus, and comprises a case (100), an opening (105), and a display device (70). The case (100) accommodates the transport apparatus. The opening (105) is positioned on a side of the case (100). The display device (70) is positioned on the outside of the side and displays at least one between information on the operation of the tablet printing apparatus (1) and information on inspection results. The display device (70) can rotate between a use position and a nonuse position around a rotational axis perpendicular to the side. The opening (105) and the display device (70) are overlapped when viewed from the side when the display device (70) is at the use position. The opening (105) and the display device (70) are not overlapped when viewed from the side when the display device (70) is at the nonuse position.

Description

Inspection device {INSPECTION APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an inspection device.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] Conventionally, an inspection apparatus for inspecting while conveying an inspection object to a conveying apparatus is known. Such an inspection apparatus is disclosed in patent document 1, for example.

The tablet printing apparatus (inspection apparatus) described in Patent Document 1 is a first and second conveying conveyor (conveying apparatus) that conveys tablets, and a first that prints tablets during conveyance by the first and second conveying conveyors. , A second inkjet printer unit, and disposed under the first and second conveying conveyors, and performing drying processing of the printing surface of the tablet while conveying the tablets that have completed the printing process and transferred from the second conveying conveyor. A drying conveyor and a dispersing bar for dispersing a plurality of tablets exchanged from the second conveying conveyor in the width direction on the conveying surface of the drying conveyor are provided. In the tablet printing apparatus described in Patent Literature 1, it is said that tablets after printing processing are imaged with a line sensor camera for inspection, and defective products such as poor printing are discarded based on the inspection result.

By the way, in the tablet printing apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, for example, in the case of switching the type of tablet to be printed, it is necessary to separate each part for cleaning. Therefore, a large opening is formed in the side surface of the case body for accommodating the respective portions of the tablet printing apparatus so that the respective portions can be taken out. The opening is generally provided with a door that can be opened and closed, and the operator can open the door to perform maintenance such as cleaning when switching tablets.

In addition, in the tablet printing apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, there is a case where a display device for displaying information on the operation status of the apparatus, information on the printing result (inspection result), and the like is sometimes provided.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-5411

However, the opening needs to be of sufficient size in order to make it possible to take out each part. In addition, it is common that the opening is disposed at a position where it is easy to perform an operation for removing each part. Therefore, if the display device is disposed on the side surface of the case body at a position not overlapping with the opening, there may be cases where sufficient space for disposing the display device cannot be secured. In addition, even if a space for arranging the display device could be secured on the side of the case body, there were many cases in which the operator had no choice but to lay it out at a position difficult to operate.

Therefore, a countermeasure of mounting the display device on the outside of a door that opens and closes the opening can also be considered. However, in that case, there arises a problem that the weight of the door increases, and that it becomes difficult to process cables of the display device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to lay out a display device in a position that is easy to see for the operator without sacrificing the ease of access to the interior of the opening.

The problem to be solved of the present invention is as described above, and a means for solving this problem is described next.

In the first aspect of the present application, there is provided an inspection apparatus for inspecting a granular inspection object while conveying it to a conveying apparatus. This inspection device includes a case body, an opening, and a display device. The case body houses the conveying device. The opening is located on the side surface of the case body. The display device is located outside the side surface and displays at least any of information on operation of the inspection device and information on an inspection result. The display device can be rotated between a use position and a non-use position, centering on a rotation axis perpendicular to the side surface. When the display device is in the use position, the opening and the display device overlap when viewed from the side. When the display device is in the non-use position, the opening and the display device do not overlap when viewed from the side.

In the second aspect of the present application, in the inspection apparatus according to the first aspect, a door for opening and closing the opening is further provided. When the display device is in the non-use position, the display device does not interfere with the opening and closing trajectory of the door.

In the third aspect of the present application, in the inspection device according to the second aspect, it is possible to rotate the display device from the non-use position to the use position with the door open.

In the fourth viewpoint of the present application, in the inspection apparatus according to any one of the first viewpoint to the third viewpoint, the display apparatus has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side. When the display device is in the use position, the longitudinal direction of the display device faces a vertical direction. When the display device is in the unused position, the longitudinal direction of the display device faces a horizontal direction.

In the fifth aspect of the present application, in the inspection device according to the fourth aspect, the display device has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side. The rotation shaft is located at an end of the display device on one side in the longitudinal direction. At the end of the display device on the other side in the longitudinal direction, a handle capable of being gripped by an operator is provided.

In the sixth aspect of the present application, in the inspection device according to the fifth aspect, the handle has a shape along the rectangular outline of the display device.

In the seventh aspect of the present application, in the inspection apparatus according to the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, the rotation shaft is positioned above the opening in a vertical direction.

In an eighth aspect of the present application, in the inspection apparatus according to the seventh aspect, a lamp is provided at an end portion of the display apparatus on one side in the longitudinal direction.

In the ninth aspect of the present application, in the inspection apparatus according to the eighth aspect, the display apparatus is provided at a position sandwiched between the handle and the lamp in the longitudinal direction, information about the operation of the inspection apparatus, and the inspection result. And a display that displays at least any of the related information.

In the tenth aspect of the present application, in the inspection apparatus according to the ninth aspect, the display has a touch panel on its surface.

In the eleventh viewpoint of the present application, in the inspection device according to any one of the first to tenth viewpoints, the display device is a gas that provides an assisting force when rotating between the use position and the non-use position. It has a spring.

According to the first to eleventh viewpoints of the present application, the display device can be laid out in a position that is easy to see for the operator without sacrificing the ease of access to the inside of the opening.

In particular, according to the first aspect of the present application, when the display device is not used, the position of the display device is set to a non-use position, so that access to the conveying device from the opening can be facilitated.

In particular, according to the second aspect of the present application, when the display device is not used, the door can be easily opened and closed by setting the position of the display device to the non-use position.

Here, for example, in order to check the operation of the conveying device, there is a case where it is desired to check the display of the display device with the door open. On the other hand, according to the third aspect of the present application, the display device can be disposed at a position where the operator can easily visually recognize the display device while opening the door, thereby improving operability.

In particular, according to the fifth aspect of the present application, the display device can be rotated between the use position and the non-use position by the operator grasping the handle and applying an external force.

In particular, according to the sixth aspect of the present application, a handle having a simple and easy-to-grip shape is realized.

In particular, according to the eighth aspect of the present application, the lamp is always positioned above the opening in the vertical direction, and when it is lit, it is conspicuous even from a distance. Therefore, for example, by turning on the lamp when the inspection result is abnormal, it becomes easier for the operator to notice the abnormality.

In particular, according to the ninth aspect of the present application, the handle, the lamp, and the display can be arranged reasonably.

In particular, according to the eleventh aspect of the present application, simply by applying a small external force to the display device by the operator, the auxiliary force acts on the display device in addition to the external force, so that the display device rotates easily.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a tablet printing apparatus.
2 is a perspective view of a tablet printing apparatus near a conveying drum.
3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a tablet printing apparatus in the vicinity of a second conveying conveyor.
4 is a bottom view of the head of the tablet printing apparatus.
5 is a block diagram showing the connection between each unit and a control unit in the tablet printing apparatus.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a side surface of a tablet printing device on one side in the width direction, and shows a state when the display device is in a non-use position.
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a side surface of the tablet printing apparatus on one side in the conveyance direction, and shows a state when the display apparatus is in a non-use position.
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a side surface of a tablet printing device on one side in the width direction, and shows a state when the display device is in a use position.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a side surface of a tablet printing device on one side in a conveyance direction, and shows a state when the display device is in a use position.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a direction in which a plurality of tablets are conveyed is referred to as a "transport direction", and a direction perpendicular and horizontal to the conveying direction is referred to as a "width direction".

<1. Overall configuration of tablet printing device>

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a tablet printing apparatus 1 as an embodiment of an inspection apparatus according to the present invention. This tablet printing device 1 conveys a plurality of tablets 9, which are an embodiment of the granular inspection object according to the present invention, while conveying the product name, product code, company name, and logo mark on the surface of each tablet 9 It is a device that prints an image of a back.

The tablet printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a supply mechanism 20, a conveyance mechanism 30, a printing unit 40, an inspection mechanism 50, a collection unit 60, and a display device 70 (FIG. 1 (Not shown in the figure), and a control unit 10.

The supply mechanism 20 has a hopper 21, a straight feeder 22, a rotary feeder 23, and an inclined feeder 24. The supply mechanism 20 is a mechanism for transferring the tablets 9 put in the apparatus to and from the conveying mechanism 30.

The hopper 21 is an input section for collectively receiving a large number of tablets 9 into the apparatus. The hopper 21 is disposed at the top of the case body 100 of the tablet printing device 1. The hopper 21 has an opening 211 positioned on the upper surface of the case body 100 and a funnel-shaped inclined surface 212 that is gradually converged toward the lower side. The plurality of tablets 9 injected into the opening 211 flow into the feeder 22 straight along the inclined surface 212.

The straight feeder 22, the rotary feeder 23, and the inclined feeder 24 are mechanisms for conveying the plurality of tablets 9 put in the hopper 21 to the conveying mechanism 30. The straight feeder 22 has a flat vibration trough 221. The plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the hopper 21 to the vibration trough 221 are conveyed to the rotary feeder 23 side by the vibration of the vibration trough 221.

The rotary feeder 23 has a disk-shaped rotary table 231. The plurality of tablets 9 dropped from the vibration trough 221 to the upper surface of the rotating table 231 are collected near the outer peripheral portion of the rotating table 231 by centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the rotating table 231.

The inclined feeder 24 has a plate-shaped slope 241 extending obliquely downward from the outer periphery of the rotating table 231 to a conveying drum 31 to be described later of the conveying mechanism 30. 2 is a perspective view including a part of the inclined feeder 24, the conveying drum 31, and a part of the first conveying conveyor 32. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, on the upper surface of the slope 241, a plurality of conveyance grooves 242 (8 in the example of FIG. 2) are formed. The plurality of tablets 9 conveyed to the outer periphery of the rotating table 231 are supplied to any one of the plurality of conveying grooves 242, respectively, and flow obliquely downward along the conveying grooves 242. In this way, the plurality of tablets 9 are arranged in a plurality of conveying rows by being distributed and supplied to the plurality of conveying grooves 242. And the plurality of tablets 9 of each conveyance row are supplied to the conveyance drum 31 in order from the top.

The conveying mechanism 30 has a conveying drum 31 as a conveying device, a 1st conveying conveyor 32, a 2nd conveying conveyer 33, and the carrying out conveyor 34.

The conveying drum 31 is a mechanism that sends and receives a plurality of tablets 9 from the inclined feeder 24 to the first conveying conveyor 32. The conveyance drum 31 has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface. The conveyance drum 31 rotates in the direction of an arrow in Figs. 1 and 2, centering on a rotation shaft extending in the width direction by power obtained from a motor (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, on the outer peripheral surface of the conveyance drum 31, a plurality of adsorption parts 310 are formed which are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the conveyance direction and the width direction. The plurality of adsorption portions 310 are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the conveying drum 31 at positions in the width direction corresponding to each of the conveying grooves 242 of the inclined feeder 24.

Each of the adsorption portions 310 is a through hole formed on the surface of the conveying drum 31. 3 is a partial schematic diagram showing the configuration of the conveying drum 31, a part of the first conveying conveyor 32, and the second conveying conveyor 33. As shown in FIG. 3, a suction mechanism 311 is formed inside the conveyance drum 31. When the suction mechanism 311 is operated, a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure is generated in each of the plurality of adsorption units 310. The adsorption unit 310 adsorbs and holds the tablets 9 supplied from the inclined feeder 24 one by one by the negative pressure.

Moreover, inside the conveyance drum 31, the blowing mechanism 312 for release is formed. The blowing mechanism 312 for release injects locally pressurized gas from the inside of the transfer drum 31 toward the first transfer conveyor 32 side. The blowing mechanism 312 for release makes a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure act on the adsorption part 310 arranged at a position opposite to the first conveying conveyor 32, and the tablet 9 in the adsorption part 310 Release of adsorption.

Thereby, in the adsorption unit 310 disposed at a position not facing the first transfer conveyor 32, the adsorption unit 310 facing the first transfer conveyor 32 while maintaining the adsorption state of the tablet 9 ) Only, adsorption of the tablet 9 is released. In this way, the conveying drum 31 rotates while adsorbing and holding the plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the inclined feeder 24, and transfers the tablets 9 to the first conveying conveyor 32.

Here, among the front and back surfaces of the tablet 9, the surface adsorbed by the adsorption unit 310 while the tablet 9 is adsorbed and held by the conveying drum 31 is referred to as a first surface. On the other hand, among the front and back surfaces of the tablet 9, the surface opposite to the first surface is referred to as a second surface. That is, of the front and back surfaces of the tablet 9, the surface exposed to the outside while the tablet 9 is adsorbed and held by the conveying drum 31 is referred to as a second surface. When the tablet 9 is handed over from the conveying drum 31 to the first conveying conveyor 32, the second surface of the tablet 9 faces the first conveying conveyor 32. For this reason, the second surface of the tablet 9 is adsorbed on the first conveying conveyor 32. Therefore, while being adsorbed and held by the first conveying conveyor 32, the first surface of the tablet 9 is exposed to the outside. In this way, the front and back of the tablet 9 are reversed while being adsorbed and held by the transfer drum 31 and while adsorbed and held by the first transfer conveyor 32.

The first conveying conveyor 32 has a pair of pulleys 321, a conveying belt 322, and a suction mechanism 323. The conveyance belt 322 is placed annularly between a pair of pulleys 321. A part of the conveying belt 322 is disposed so as to be close to and opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the conveying drum 31. One of the pair of pulleys 321 rotates with power obtained from a motor (not shown). Thereby, the conveyance belt 322 rotates in the direction of an arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2. At this time, the other of the pair of pulleys 321 rotates driven by the rotation of the conveyance belt 322.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance belt 322 is provided with a plurality of adsorption portions 320. The plurality of adsorption units 320 are through holes formed on the surface of the transfer belt 322, similarly to the adsorption unit 310 of the transfer drum 31. The plurality of adsorption units 320 are arranged in the conveying direction at positions in the width direction corresponding to each of the plurality of conveying rows. The spacing in the conveying direction and the width direction of the plurality of adsorption units 320 in the conveying belt 322 is equal to the spacing in the conveying direction and the width direction of the plurality of adsorption units 310 in the conveying drum 31 Do.

As shown in FIG. 3, the 1st conveyer 32 has a suction mechanism 323. The suction mechanism 323 generates negative pressure in the space inside the pulley 321 and the conveyance belt 322. When the suction mechanism 323 is operated, a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure is generated in each of the plurality of adsorption units 320. The adsorption unit 320 adsorbs and holds the tablets 9 transferred from the transfer drum 31 by the negative pressure, one by one. Thereby, the 1st conveyer 32 conveys the plurality of tablets 9 in a state arranged in the conveyance direction and the width direction.

Moreover, the blowing mechanism 324 for release shown in FIG. 3 is formed in the 1st conveyer 32. The blowing mechanism for release 324 injects locally pressurized gas from the inside of the conveying belt 322 toward the second conveying conveyor 33 side. The blowing mechanism 324 for release causes a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure to act on the adsorption unit 320 arranged at a position opposite to the second transfer conveyor 33, and the purification (9) in the adsorption unit 320 Release of adsorption. Thereby, the adsorption of the tablets 9 in the adsorption unit 320 is released, and the tablets 9 are transferred from the first transfer conveyor 32 to the second transfer conveyor 33.

Here, while the tablet 9 is adsorbed and held by the first conveying conveyor 32, the second side of the tablet 9 is adsorbed by the adsorption unit 320, and the first side of the tablet 9 is externally held. It is exposed. When the tablet 9 is handed over from the first conveying conveyor 32 to the second conveying conveyor 33, the first surface of the tablet 9 faces the second conveying conveyor 33. For this reason, the first surface of the tablet 9 is adsorbed on the second conveying conveyor 33. Accordingly, while being adsorbed and held by the second conveying conveyor 33, the second surface of the tablet 9 is exposed to the outside. In this way, the front and back of the tablet 9 are reversed while being adsorbed and held by the first transfer conveyor 32 and while being adsorbed and held by the second transfer conveyor 33.

The second conveying conveyor 33 has a pair of pulleys 331, a conveying belt 332 having a plurality of adsorption portions 330, and a suction mechanism 333. A pair of pulleys 331, a conveying belt 332, and a suction mechanism 333 of the second conveying conveyor 33 are a pair of pulleys 321 and a conveying belt 322 of the first conveying conveyor 32. And the suction mechanism 323, the description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the 2nd conveyer 33, the blow mechanism 334 for discharge is formed. A chute 341 connecting the second conveying conveyor 33 and the carrying out conveyor 34 is disposed below the discharge blowing mechanism 334. The discharge blowing mechanism 334 injects locally pressurized gas from the inside of the conveyance belt 332 toward the chute 341 side. The discharge blowing mechanism 334 applies a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure to all of the adsorption units 330 arranged at a predetermined position opposite to the chute 341, so that the tablet 9 in the adsorption unit 330 ) To release the adsorption. Thereby, adsorption of the tablets 9 in the adsorption unit 330 is released, and the tablets 9 are transferred from the second conveying conveyor 33 to the take-out conveyor 34.

The carry-out conveyor 34 is a mechanism for carrying out a plurality of tablets 9 after printing to the outside of the case body 100 of the tablet printing apparatus 1. The upstream end of the carry-out conveyor 34 is located under the chute 341. The downstream end of the carry-out conveyor 34 is located outside the case body 100. The downstream end of the carry-out conveyor 34 is connected to, for example, a packaging device for packaging the tablets 9 after printing. For the carry-out conveyor 34, a belt conveyance mechanism is used, for example. The plurality of tablets 9 transferred from the second conveying conveyor 33 to the carry-out conveyor 34 are carried out to the outside of the case body 100 by the carry-out conveyor 34.

The printing unit 40 has a first printing unit 41 and a second printing unit 42.

The first printing unit 41 is a processing unit for printing an image on the first surface of the tablet 9. The 1st printing part 41 is arrange|positioned at the position opposite to the outer surface of the conveyance belt 322 of the 1st conveyer 32. As shown in FIG. 1, the 1st printing part 41 is an inkjet type head unit which has four heads 411. Each of the four heads 411 discharges ink droplets toward the first surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the first conveying conveyor 32. In addition, the four heads 411 eject ink droplets of different colors (for example, each color of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). A multicolor image is recorded on the surface of the tablet 9 by superimposing monochromatic images formed by these respective colors. In addition, as the ink discharged from each of the heads 411, edible ink manufactured from a raw material approved by the Japanese pharmacy office or the Food Sanitation Act is used.

4 is a bottom view of one head 411. In FIG. 4, a conveyance belt 322 and a plurality of tablets 9 held by the conveyance belt 322 are shown by a double-dashed line. 4, a plurality of nozzles 410 capable of discharging ink droplets are formed on the lower surface of the head 411. In this embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 410 are arranged two-dimensionally in the conveying direction and in the width direction on the lower surface of the head 411. Each nozzle 410 is arranged so as to shift its position in the width direction. In this way, when the plurality of nozzles 410 are arranged two-dimensionally, the positions of the nozzles 410 in the width direction can be brought close to each other. However, the plurality of nozzles 410 may be arranged in a row along the width direction.

As a method of discharging ink droplets from the nozzle 410, a so-called piezo method is used in which, for example, a piezo element, which is a piezoelectric element, is deformed by applying a voltage to pressurize and discharge ink in the nozzle 410. The head 411 of the present embodiment can change the size of the ink droplet discharged from the nozzle 410 according to the magnitude of the voltage applied to the piezo element. Specifically, an arbitrary ink drop can be ejected from among four types of ink drops ranging from "size 1" which is the finest ink drop to "size 4" which is the largest ink drop. However, the size of ejectable ink droplets may be 2 to 3 types, or 5 or more types. Further, the ink droplet discharge method may be a so-called thermal method in which the ink in the nozzle 410 is heated and expanded by energizing the heater to discharge it.

The second printing unit 42 is a processing unit for printing an image on the second surface of the tablet 9. The 2nd printing part 42 is arrange|positioned at the position opposite to the outer surface of the conveyance belt 332 of the 2nd conveyer 33. The second printing unit 42 is an inkjet type head unit having four heads 421. Since the configuration of the second printing unit 42 is the same as that of the first printing unit 41, explanation is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection mechanism 50 includes a first appearance inspection camera 51, a second appearance inspection camera 52, a first printing inspection camera 53, and a third appearance inspection camera ( 54) and a second printing inspection camera 55.

The first appearance inspection camera 51 is a camera that photographs the second surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the conveying drum 31.

The 2nd visual inspection camera 52 is a camera which photographs the 1st surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the 1st conveyer 32 on the upstream side of the 1st printing part 41. The 1st printing inspection camera 53 is a camera which photographs the 1st surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the 1st conveyer 32 on the downstream side of the 1st printing part 41.

The 3rd visual inspection camera 54 is a camera which photographs the 2nd surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the 2nd conveyer 33 on the upstream side of the 2nd printing part 42. The 2nd printing inspection camera 55 is a camera which photographs the 2nd surface of the tablet 9 conveyed by the 2nd conveyer 33 on the downstream side of the 2nd printing part 42.

The collection unit 60 includes a print defective article collection unit 61, an appearance defective article collection unit 62, a discharge sensor 63, and a post recovery unit 64.

The printing defective article collecting unit 61 includes a blowing mechanism 611 for collecting printing defective articles and a printing defective article collecting box 612. The blowing mechanism 611 for collecting defective products is disposed on the downstream side of the second printing inspection camera 55. A printing defective article collection box 612 is disposed below the blowing mechanism 611 for collecting printing defective articles. The blowing mechanism 611 for collecting defective printing products injects a locally pressurized gas from the inside of the conveying belt 332 toward the printing defective article collecting box 612 side. The blowing mechanism 611 for collecting defective printing products is for only a part of the adsorption unit 330 that holds the target tablet determined by the control unit 10 as printing defective articles based on the photographed images of the printing inspection cameras 53 and 55, A positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure is applied to release the adsorption of the target tablet held in the adsorption unit 330. Thereby, the target tablet is recovered in the printing defective product collection box 612.

The external defective product collection unit 62 includes a blowing mechanism 621 for collecting external defective products and a box 622 for collecting external defective products. The blowing mechanism 621 for collecting appearance defective products is disposed on the downstream side of the printing defective article collecting unit 61. An external defective product collection box 622 is disposed below the blowing mechanism 621 for collecting externally defective products. The blowing mechanism 621 for recovering defective appearance products injects a locally pressurized gas from the inside of the conveying belt 332 toward the defective appearance recovery box 622. The blowing mechanism 621 for recovering defective appearances is provided to a part of the adsorption unit 330 that holds the target tablet determined by the control unit 10 as the defective appearance based on the photographed image of the exterior inspection cameras 51, 52, 54. Only for this, a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure is applied to release the adsorption of the target tablet held in the adsorption unit 330. Thereby, the target tablet is recovered in the appearance defective product collection box 622.

The discharge sensor 63 is disposed on the downstream side of the printed defective article collecting unit 61 and the externally defective article collecting unit 62. The discharge sensor 63 is a sensor that irradiates a laser to the adsorption unit 330 and detects the reflected light to detect a distance to an object. The discharge sensor 63 can detect whether or not the tablet 9 is held in each adsorption unit 330 by detecting the reflection distance.

The rear collection unit 64 includes a blow mechanism 641 for rear collection and a rear collection box 642. The blow mechanism 641 for recuperation is disposed on the downstream side of the discharge sensor 63. A rear collection box 642 is disposed under the blow mechanism 641 for rear collection. The blow mechanism 641 for retrieval recovery is directed toward the retrieval box 642 from the inside of the conveyance belt 332, and injects a locally pressurized gas. The blow mechanism for the post-recovery applies a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure only to the predetermined adsorption unit 330 that holds the residual tablets designated by the control unit 10 based on the detection result of the discharge sensor 63, and the adsorption unit ( Adsorption of the tablet 9 held in 330) is released. Thereby, the said tablet 9 is recovered in the recollection box 642.

The display device 70 (not shown in Fig. 1) includes information on the operation of the tablet printing device 1, and a first appearance inspection camera 51, a second appearance inspection camera 52, and a first printing inspection. It is an apparatus which visually displays information about the inspection result by the camera 53, the 3rd visual inspection camera 54, and the 2nd printing inspection camera 55 to an operator. The display device 70 is located on one side of the case body 100 in the width direction (the front side in this embodiment) that comprehensively accommodates each portion of the tablet printing device 1. The display device 70 will be described in detail later.

The control unit 10 is a means for controlling the operation of each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1. 5 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit 10 and each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 10 is constituted by a computer having an arithmetic processing unit 101 such as a CPU, a memory 102 such as RAM, and a storage unit 103 such as a hard disk drive. do. In the storage unit 103, a computer program P for executing a print process is installed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 10 includes a straight feeder 22, a rotary feeder 23, and a conveying drum 31 (including a motor, a suction mechanism 311, and a blow mechanism 312 for release), The first conveying conveyor 32 (including the motor, the suction mechanism 323, and the blowing mechanism 324 for release), the second conveying conveyor 33 (the motor, the suction mechanism 333, the blowing mechanism 334 for discharge) )), the carry-out conveyor 34, the four heads 411 of the first printing unit 41, the four heads 421 of the second printing unit 42, the first appearance inspection camera 51 , The second appearance inspection camera 52, the first printing inspection camera 53, the third appearance inspection camera 54, the second printing inspection camera 55, a blowing mechanism for collecting defective products 611, the appearance defective product circuit The receiving blow mechanism 621, the discharge sensor 63, the blow mechanism 641 for rear recovery, and the display control unit (not shown) of the display device 70 are each connected so as to be capable of communication.

The control unit 10 temporarily reads and outputs the computer program P or data stored in the storage unit 103 to the memory 102, and the arithmetic processing unit 101 performs calculation based on the computer program P. By performing the processing, each unit is controlled to operate. Thereby, printing processing and inspection processing for the plurality of tablets 9 proceed.

6 is a side view of the tablet printing apparatus 1 as viewed from one side in the width direction. In the tablet printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the opening 105 is formed in the side surface of the case body 100 on one side in the width direction. The opening 105 is used for separating each part for cleaning or replacement, for example, when switching the type of tablet to be printed in the tablet printing apparatus 1. Specifically, each portion of the tablet printing apparatus 1 passes through the opening 105 and is taken out to the outside of the apparatus. Therefore, the opening 105 is formed over a large area of the side surface of the case body 100 and at a position where the operator can easily access.

In the opening 105, a door 106 that is opened and closed by an operator is formed. The door 106 of this embodiment is a double-sided knowledge. That is, the door 106 of this embodiment has a pair of plate-shaped door members 106a which can rotate around an axis extending in the vertical direction. Each door member 106a is formed of a transparent acrylic plate or glass. Thereby, the operator can easily check the inside of the device even outside the door 106.

Here, without sacrificing the ease of access to the inside of the device through the opening 105, and without sacrificing visibility inside the device from outside the door 106, the display device 70 is easy to see and manipulate for the operator. There was a need to lay out in a location that is easy to do. On the other hand, the tablet printing device 1 according to the present embodiment has a unique configuration, thereby realizing that the display device 70 is laid out in accordance with the above needs.

<2. Detailed configuration of the display device>

Hereinafter, a configuration peculiar to the tablet printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. 6 and 8 are views when the tablet printing apparatus 1 is viewed from one side in the width direction. 7 and 9 are views when the tablet printing apparatus 1 is viewed from one side in the conveyance direction.

6 and 8, the display device 70 includes a display control unit (not shown), a rotating mechanism (not shown), a handle 71, a display 72, a lamp 73, and , With a hardware key 74.

The display device 70 has a substantially rectangular plate shape when viewed from the side. The display device 70 has a constant thickness in the width direction.

The display control unit of the display device 70 communicates with the control unit 10 to generate display data for display on the display 72 to be described later. The display control unit appropriately switches the display contents of the display 72 to be described later in accordance with the signal received from the control unit 10.

The rotation mechanism of the display device 70 is a mechanism that supports the display device 70 so as to be rotatable around an end portion on one side in the longitudinal direction. The rotation axis of the display device 70 is positioned above the opening 105 in the vertical direction. The rotation axis of the display device 70 extends vertically with respect to the side surface of one side in the width direction of the case body 100. That is, the rotation axis of the display device 70 extends in the width direction. The rotation mechanism of the display device 70 includes a gas spring (not shown).

The handle 71 is formed at the other end of the display device 70 in the longitudinal direction. The handle 71 has a shape along the rectangular outline of the display device 70. In other words, the handle 71 has a square shape with a hollow inside.

The display 72 has a touch panel on its surface. The operator can confirm by referring to information displayed on the display 72. In addition, the operator operates the touch panel of the display 72 or the hardware keys 74 arranged in the vicinity of the display 72, and the like, to the control unit 10 of the tablet printing apparatus 1, the tablet printing apparatus 1 ) Can be transmitted. The control signal is, for example, an emergency stop signal or a command signal for switching various settings.

The lamp 73 is formed at one end of the display device 70 in the longitudinal direction. The lamp 73 is, for example, an LED lamp. The lamp 73 of the present embodiment can change the color of the emitted light. The lamp 73 emits light based on a control signal from the control unit 10. Specifically, when the ratio of defective products exceeds a predetermined value, the lamp 73 emits light in a conspicuous color different from a normal color (for example, red).

The display device 70 having the above configuration rotates between the non-use position and the use position by applying an external force to the handle 71 by the operator holding the handle 71. 6 and 7 show a state when the display device 70 is in a non-use position. 8 and 9 show a state when the display device 70 is in a use position.

In detail, when an external force is applied to the handle 71 of the display device 70 in the use position, the display device 70 is proportional to the ratio shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 by the external force and the auxiliary force by the gas spring. Rotate to the use position. Specifically, the display device 70 rotates by 90° clockwise from the use position when viewed from one side in the width direction. That is, when a small external force is applied to the display device 70 in the use position, the auxiliary force by the gas spring acts thereafter, so that the display device 70 naturally bounces up to the non-use position. When in the non-use position, the longitudinal direction of the display device 70 extends in the horizontal direction. In this state, the opening 105 and the display device 70 do not overlap when viewed from the side. Further, in this state, even if the operator opens and closes the door 106, the display device 70 does not interfere with the opening and closing trajectory of the door 106.

Next, when an external force is applied to the handle 71 of the display device 70 in the non-use position with the door 106 closed, the display device 70 is caused by the external force and the auxiliary force by the gas spring. Is rotated to the use position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Specifically, the display device 70 rotates by 90° counterclockwise from the non-use position when viewed from one side in the width direction. That is, when a small external force is applied to the display device 70 in the non-use position, the auxiliary force by the gas spring acts thereafter, so that the display device 70 naturally bounces down to the use position. When in the use position, the longitudinal direction of the display device 70 extends in the vertical direction. In this state, the opening 105 and the display device 70 overlap when viewed from the side. Thereby, the height of the display 72 is lowered to a height close to the operator's line of sight.

Further, even in the state where the door 106 is open, it is possible to rotate the display device 70 from the non-use position to the use position. In this way, the operator can confirm the display of the display 72 of the display device 70 while confirming the operation of the conveyance conveyors 32, 33 and the like in a state where the door 106 is opened.

<3. Summary＞

As shown above, the tablet printing apparatus (inspection apparatus) 1 according to the present embodiment includes a case body 100, an opening 105, and a display device 70. The display device 70 is located at a position avoiding the opening 105 of the side surface of the case body 100 and can be rotated between a use position and a non-use position, centering on a rotation axis perpendicular to the side surface. When the display device 70 is in the use position, the opening 105 and the display device 70 overlap when viewed from the side. When the display device 70 is in the non-use position, the opening 105 and the display device 70 do not overlap when viewed from the side. Thereby, when the display device 70 is not used, by making the position of the display device 70 an unused position, it is possible to facilitate access to the conveying conveyors 32, 33, etc. from the opening 105. . Further, when the display device 70 is in the use position, the display device 70 can be brought closer to the operator's field of view, while when the display device 70 is in the non-use position, the display device 70 is operated by the operator. You can keep it away from your vision.

Further, the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a door 106. When the display device 70 is in the non-use position, the display device 70 does not interfere with the opening and closing trajectory of the door 106. Thereby, when the display device 70 is not used, the door 106 can be opened and closed easily by making the position of the display device 70 into a non-use position. That is, when the door 106 is opened and maintenance or the like is performed, the display device 70 does not interfere.

Further, in the tablet printing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the display device 70 can be rotated from the non-use position to the use position with the door 106 open. Here, for example, in order to confirm the operation of the transport conveyors 32 and 33, there is a case where it is desired to check the display of the display device 70 with the door 106 open. In contrast to this, according to the present embodiment, the display device 70 can be disposed at a position where the operator can easily visually recognize the display device 70 while opening the door 106, thereby improving operability.

In addition, in the tablet printing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the rotation axis of the display device 70 is located at one end of the display device 70 in the longitudinal direction. At the end of the display device 70 on the other side in the longitudinal direction, a handle 71 that can be gripped by an operator is provided. Thereby, when the operator grasps the handle 71 and applies an external force, the display device 70 can be rotated between the use position and the non-use position.

In addition, in the tablet printing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the handle 71 has a shape along the rectangular outline of the display device 70. Thereby, the handle 71 of a shape that is simple and easy to be gripped by an operator is realized.

In addition, in the tablet printing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the rotation axis of the display device 70 is positioned above the opening 105 in the vertical direction. The rotation shaft of the display device 70 is located on one side of the display device 70 in the longitudinal direction. Further, a lamp 73 is provided at an end portion of the display device 70 on one side in the longitudinal direction. Thereby, the lamp 73 is always positioned above the opening 105 in the vertical direction, and when it is lit, it becomes conspicuous even from a distance. Therefore, for example, by turning on the lamp 73 when the inspection result is abnormal, it becomes easy for the operator to notice the abnormality.

In addition, in the tablet printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the display device 70 includes a display 72 at a position sandwiched between the handle 71 and the lamp 73 in the longitudinal direction. Thereby, the handle 71, the lamp 73, and the display 72 can be arranged reasonably.

In addition, in the tablet printing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the display device 70 includes a gas spring that provides an assisting force when rotating between the use position and the non-use position. Thereby, just by applying a small external force to the display device 70 by the operator, the auxiliary force acts on the display device 70 in addition to the external force, and the display device 70 rotates easily.

<4. About modified example>

As described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made to the above-described ones without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, the rotation axis of the display device 70 is positioned above the opening 105 in the vertical direction, but is not limited thereto. Instead of the above, the rotation axis of the display device may be positioned below the opening in the vertical direction.

In the above embodiment, the lamp 73 enables the color of the emitted light to be changed, but is not limited thereto. Instead of the above, the lamp may be configured to be able to change the interval of flashing according to a control signal from the control unit.

In the above embodiment, the handle 71 has a shape along the rectangular outline of the display device 70, but is not necessarily limited to this. Instead of the above, the handle may have a column shape or the like extending in the width direction from the other end of the display device in the longitudinal direction.

The tablet printing apparatus 1 described above was to print on both sides of the tablet 9 by the first printing unit 41 and the second printing unit 42. However, the inspection device may be a device that prints only on one side of the inspection object.

The "inspection object" in the present invention may be a thin disk-shaped tablet having a surface and a back surface as shown in the above-described embodiment, or may be a capsule tablet or an oval tablet. In addition, the "test object" is not limited to tablets as pharmaceuticals, and may be tablets as health foods such as supplements, or tablets such as ramune. In addition, the "inspection object" in the present invention is not limited to tablets, and can be applied to various known granular products.

Moreover, you may suitably combine each element which appeared in the said embodiment and a modified example within the range where contradiction does not arise.

1: tablet printing device (inspection device)
9: tablet
10: control unit
20: supply mechanism
30: conveyance mechanism
31: conveying drum (transport device)
32: first conveying conveyor (transport device)
33: second conveyer (transport device)
34: take-out conveyor
40: printing unit
41: first printing unit
42: second printing unit
50: inspection apparatus
51: first appearance inspection camera
52: second appearance inspection camera
53: first print inspection camera
54: third appearance inspection camera
55: second print inspection camera
60: recovery unit
61: Print defective product collection unit
62: Appearance defective product collection unit
70: display device
71: handle
72: display
73: lamp
100: case body
105: opening
107: door
310: adsorption unit
330: adsorption unit
611: Blowing mechanism for collecting defective products
612: Print defect collection box
613: information
614: opening and closing member
621: Blowing mechanism for recovering defective products
622: exterior defect collection box

Claims (11)

As an inspection device for inspecting while conveying a granular inspection object to a conveying device,
A case body housing the transfer device,
An opening located on the side of the case body,
A display device positioned outside the side surface and displaying at least any of information on operation of the inspection device and information on an inspection result,
The display device can be rotated between a use position and a non-use position, centering on a rotation axis perpendicular to the side surface,
When the display device is in the use position, the opening and the display device overlap when viewed from the side,
When the display device is in the non-use position, the opening and the display device do not overlap when viewed from the side. The method of claim 1,
Further provided with a door for opening and closing the opening,
When the display device is in the non-use position, the display device does not interfere with an opening/closing trajectory of the door. The method of claim 2,
In a state where the door is opened, the display device can be rotated from the non-use position to the use position. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The display device has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side,
When the display device is in the use position, the longitudinal direction of the display device faces a vertical direction,
When the display device is in the unused position, the longitudinal direction of the display device faces a horizontal direction. The method of claim 4,
The rotation shaft is located at one end of the display device in the longitudinal direction,
The inspection device, wherein a handle capable of being gripped by an operator is provided at the other end of the display device in the longitudinal direction. The method of claim 5,
The inspection device, wherein the handle has a shape along the rectangular outline of the display device. The method of claim 5,
The inspection device, wherein the rotation shaft is positioned above the opening in a vertical direction. The method of claim 7,
The inspection device, wherein a lamp is provided at an end portion of the display device on the one side in the longitudinal direction. The method of claim 8,
The display device includes a display for displaying at least any of information on operation of the testing device and information on a test result at a position sandwiched between the handle and the lamp in the longitudinal direction. The method of claim 9,
The display has a touch panel on its surface, the inspection device. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The inspection device, wherein the display device includes a gas spring that provides an assisting force when rotating between the use position and the non-use position.

Images