WO2013031972A1 - Pump unit of capsule manufacturing apparatus for supplying capsule liquid, capsule manufacturing apparatus applying the pump unit, method for capsule manufacturing applying same, capsule manufactured by same - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention relates to a new pump unit which is capable of preventing an impact and vibration which are generated when a pump for discharging (filling) a capsule liquid is in operation at a high speed while manufacturing a capsule by coating the capsule liquid with an outer coating part, expanding a length of time of capsule liquid discharge and an actual fillable area, and controlling a discharge pressure which may increase during a high-speed rotation. [Solution] According to the pump unit of the present invention, an end of a plunger pin is extended to protrude out of a pump chamber, and receives driving by a shifter at the protruding portion for a reciprocating movement in the pump chamber. The shifter comprises a rotating pendulum lever, and the plunger pin reciprocates in the pump chamber due to a reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever.

Description

Pump unit for supplying inclusion liquid in capsule manufacturing apparatus, capsule manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method to which this pump unit is applied, and capsule manufactured thereby

The present invention relates to a capsule formed by coating a material liquid (encapsulation liquid) such as a pharmaceutical ingredient or a health ingredient in an encapsulated state with an outer skin portion such as gelatin, and a method for producing the same, and in particular, delivers the inclusion liquid. Prevents shocks and vibrations that occur when the pump is operated at high speeds, expands the discharge time of the contained liquid and the actual filling range, and suppresses the discharge pressure, which tends to be excessive during high-speed operation. The present invention relates to a novel pump unit that has been made possible, a method for producing a capsule to which the pump unit is applied, and a capsule produced thereby.

In order to make it easier to take pharmaceutical ingredients, health food extracts, etc., capsules made by coating and protecting such material liquids (encapsulated liquids) with soft outer skin materials such as gelatin have been provided to the market. . In producing such soft capsules, for example, after forming the outer skin portion into a sheet having a substantially constant thickness with gelatin or the like, the outer skin sheet is fed between a pair of die rolls and encapsulated in the outer skin sheet. A manufacturing method is generally used in which a fixed amount of liquid is supplied and sutured (joined) so that the encapsulated liquid is wrapped by an outer sheet.

In such a manufacturing process, when the inclusion liquid is transferred (supplied) toward the skin sheet, conventionally, power transmission by a crank (crankshaft) method has been performed exclusively (for example, a patent document by the present applicant). 1 and 2).
In Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 17, a so-called plunger pump structure is adopted. First, a pump chamber 61 'provided with a plunger pin 62' is provided in a body block 60 '. The same number is formed, and a slide shutter 91 '(shutter mechanism 90') is provided above the same number. The left and right pump chambers 61 'have the same depth dimension as the introduction path I (the path for taking the inclusion liquid N into the pump chamber 61') and the discharge path D (the path for sending the inclusion liquid N from the pump chamber 61 '). The inlet path I and the discharge path D are formed in a slide shutter 91 ′ (shutter mechanism 90 ′) which is formed in series at the position but reciprocates above the pump chamber 61 ′ (this is referred to as a reciprocating motion in the front-rear direction). Are formed alternately in the depth direction (front-rear direction).

The operating state of the shutter mechanism 90 'will be described. The left and right plunger pins 62' are connected by a connecting body 74 'as shown in FIGS. It moves alternately (acts). Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 17A, when the slide shutter 91 ′ is slid forward in the front-rear direction, only the introduction path I is connected to the right pump chamber 61R ′. In the left pump chamber 61L ', only the discharge path D is connected.
At this time, for the plunger pin 62 ', for example, as shown in FIGS. 17 (b) and 18 (a), the plunger pin 62R' on the right side is actuated in the direction of pulling out from the pump chamber 61R 'and the left side The plunger pin 62L 'is actuated in the pushing direction with respect to the pump chamber 61L' (this is referred to as a reciprocating motion in the left-right direction). By such an operation, in the right pump chamber 61R ′, a certain amount of the inclusion liquid N is introduced (sucked) into the pump chamber 61R ′ from the raw solution hopper 40 ′ through the introduction path I, and the left pump In the chamber 61L ′, the inclusion liquid N introduced into the pump chamber 61L ′ is discharged (delivered) through the discharge path D. Note that “● (black circle)” in FIG. 18 indicates a state where the introduction path I or the discharge path D is in communication connection, and “◯ (white circle)” indicates a blocked state (non-communication state) in which this communication is released. (This also applies to FIG. 6 described later).

Thereafter, when the slide shutter 91 ′ is slid in the reverse direction (reverse direction) (for example, the front side in FIG. 17A), this time, as shown in FIGS. 17C and 18B, the right side In the pump chamber 61R ′, only the discharge path D is connected, while in the left pump chamber 61L ′, only the introduction path I is connected. Thereby, in the right pump chamber 61R ′, the inclusion liquid N introduced into the chamber is discharged through the discharge passage D, and in the left pump chamber 61L ′, a fixed amount of inclusion liquid N is passed through the introduction passage I from the raw solution hopper 40 ′. Is introduced indoors.
In this way, when the inclusion liquid N is sent out toward the skin sheet S (skin part G), the slide shutter 91 ′ is reciprocated in the front-rear direction while the plunger pin 62 ′ is reciprocated in the left-right direction. The inclusion liquid N is alternately discharged (delivered) alternately from the left and right pump chambers 61 '. As a result, the inclusion liquid N is continuously discharged from either the left or right pump chamber 61'.

Further, when the plunger pin 62 'integrated with the connecting body 74' is reciprocated (driven), the rotation is performed by the crankshaft CS as described above (crank system). That is, as an example, as shown in FIG. 19 (a), the mechanism includes an eccentric shaft portion of a rotating crankshaft CS (hereinafter, the eccentric shaft is also given the same reference numeral as the crankshaft CS) at an appropriate interval (clearance). ), The plunger pin 62 ′ (connecting body 74 ′) is moved when the eccentric shaft CS comes into contact with the clamping portion HB as the shaft rotates. It moves to the left or right.
Here, in the crank system, the clamping size of the clamping part HB is made variable by appropriately changing the movement amount (stroke amount) to the plunger pin 62 ′ by the contact of the eccentric shaft CS and discharging the inclusion liquid N. This is to adjust the amount.

In addition, the left and right plunger pins 62 'are connected by a connecting body 74', and the inclusion liquid N is alternately discharged from the left and right pump chambers 61 'because of molding protrusions 32p' (outer skin) formed on the die roll 32 '. This is because the projections for stitching the sheets S are in a staggered arrangement. Here, the staggered arrangement is a staggered arrangement in which the molding protrusions 32 ′ in the adjacent row are located between the molding protrusions located on the same row (on the same circumferential surface) of the die roll 32 ′. As a result, it is possible to obtain as many capsules A as possible from the outer sheet S having the same surface area.

Hereinafter, problems of such a crank system will be described.
First, the crank system has a structure in which the plunger shaft 62 'is moved by bringing the rotating eccentric shaft CS into contact with the connecting body 74' (pinching portion HB) and moving the plunger pin 62 '. The impact and vibration generated when hitting the installation part HB may be large, which is a problem. In particular, during high-speed operation, the crankshaft (eccentric shaft) CS rotates at a high speed, and the impact and vibration when coming into contact with the sandwiched portion HB are extremely large.

In the crank system, as shown in FIG. 19 (a), the plunger pin 62 'is moved only when the crankshaft (eccentric shaft) CS is in contact with the left and right clamping portions HB. During the non-contact rotation, the plunger pin 62 ′ is not moved, so-called “play”, and this “play” occupies most of the rotation of the eccentric shaft CS. For this reason, while the eccentric shaft CS makes one rotation, the actual effective motion region in which the plunger pin 62 'is actually moved becomes an extremely small section (angle), and as a result, the die roll 32' rotating synchronously. The actual filling area with respect to the molding protrusion 32p '(pocket P) has also become extremely short. For this reason, in the crank system, a specified amount of inclusion liquid N must be discharged (filled) into the rotating die roll 32 'in an extremely short time, and in order to instantaneously discharge a predetermined amount of inclusion liquid N. The discharge pressure of the inclusion liquid N also increases, and this discharge pressure further increases during high-speed operation (high-speed rotation), which is a factor that increases the bonding failure of the skin sheet S.
The rotational speed of the die roll 32 'is generally 1.5 to 2.5 rpm, and is classified as high speed operation (high speed rotation) at 3.0 rpm or more.

Incidentally, FIG. 19 (b) shows that the molding protrusions 32p 'formed on the same row (on the same circumferential surface) of the die roll 32' are 29 equally spaced 8 rows, the die roll diameter is 103 mm, and the plunger pin 62 ' The actual effective movement region of the eccentric shaft CS when the stroke is 3 mm (the stroke length is 1.5 mm on one side because of the total left and right stroke dimensions), and the actual filling region at the molding protrusion 32p ′ on the die roll 32 ′. It is specifically shown.
That is, in this case, the pitch of the molding protrusions 32p ′ on the die roll 32 ′ is
103 × 3.14 / 29 = 11.16 mm.
Since the discharge (filling) is performed in accordance with the pitch of the molding protrusion 32p ′ during one rotation of the crankshaft CS (pump shaft), this numerical value (11.16 mm) is the length of one rotation of the pump shaft. It is also equivalent.
Further, the actual effective motion region of the eccentric shaft CS is 36.87 °, and it is seen how long (actual filling region) the molding protrusion 32p ′ on the die roll 32 ′ has.
11.16 mm × (36.87 / 360) = 1.14 mm
Similarly, when the portion required for switching the slide shutter 91 ′ is indicated by the angle of the eccentric shaft CS, it is 37 °, and this is 11.16 mm × (37.0 / 360) = in the molding protrusion 32p ′ on the die roll 32 ′. 1.15 mm.
FIG. 19 (b) shows a case where such an actual filling region and a switching portion are seen by the molding protrusion 32p ′ on the die roll 32 ′. In the conventional crank system, the actual projection area 32p ′ is actually measured. It can be seen that the filling area is very short (narrow).

JP 2006-246919 A JP 2010-268910 A

The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and prevents the problems of shock and vibration that frequently occur in the conventional crank system when dispensing the contained liquid during capsule production. At the same time, we have attempted to develop a new pump unit that can suppress the discharge pressure during high-speed operation and a new capsule manufacturing method that uses this by expanding the discharge time of the inclusion liquid and the actual filling range. It is a thing.

That is, the pump unit for supplying the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 is:
The main body block is provided with one or a plurality of pump chambers. The pump chamber is formed with an introduction path and a discharge path that are controlled to be opened and closed at appropriate timings. Further, the pump chamber reciprocates inside. A plunger pin is incorporated, and by reciprocating the plunger pin, the contained liquid is taken into the pump chamber from the introduction path, and then sent out from the discharge path, and the contained liquid is covered by the outer skin portion in an enclosed state. A device for supplying a predetermined amount of inclusion liquid to a capsule comprising:
The plunger pin is formed so that one end thereof protrudes to the outside of the pump chamber, is driven by a shifter outside the extension, and is formed so as to reciprocate in the pump chamber.
The shifter includes a rotating pendulum lever, and the plunger pin is reciprocated in the pump chamber by the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever.

In addition, the pump unit for supplying the encapsulated liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, in addition to the requirements of claim 1,
The pendulum lever is provided with an adjustment body formed so as to be slidable from a rotation fulcrum to a rotation free end which is a longitudinal direction thereof,
The extended outside of the plunger pin is directly or indirectly connected to the adjusting body,
The reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever is transmitted to the plunger pin through the adjusting body, and the plunger pin is reciprocated in the pump chamber.

Furthermore, the pump unit for supplying the encapsulated liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 is in addition to the requirements of claim 1 or 2,
The pump unit is provided with a non-contact type linear gauge that reads the stroke amount of the plunger pin, whereby the movement amount of the plunger pin is converted from the pulse and displayed on the operation screen. It consists of.

Moreover, in addition to the requirements of the said Claim 1, 2, or 3, the pump unit for supply of the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus of Claim 4,
In addition to the pendulum lever, the shifter comprises a groove cam,
The pendulum lever is provided with a cam follower that fits into the profile groove of the groove cam.
When the pendulum lever is reciprocally rotated, the cam follower is caused to move according to the profile groove by the rotation of the groove cam.

Moreover, the pump unit for supply of the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 is in addition to the requirements of claim 2, 3 or 4,
The pendulum lever is rotatably provided on the base,
This base is formed so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the pendulum lever, and the distance from the rotation fulcrum of the adjusting body can be changed by this sliding.

Moreover, in addition to the requirement of the said Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, the pump unit for supply of the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus of Claim 6,
The pump chamber and the plunger pin are provided on the left and right of the main body block,
In addition, shifters that reciprocate the plunger pins are also provided separately for the left and right plunger pins,
In delivering the inclusion liquid from the left and right pump chambers, the discharge timing and the discharge amount of the quantitative delivery of the inclusion liquid can be controlled independently on the left and right sides.

Moreover, in addition to the requirement of the said Claim 6, the pump unit for supply of the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus of Claim 7,
The pump unit includes a slide shutter that blocks the other path when either one of the introduction path and the discharge path of the pump chamber is connected in communication.
This slide shutter is also provided separately corresponding to the left and right pump chambers, and the communication connection or blocking control is also performed independently on the left and right.

Moreover, in addition to the requirement of the said Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, the pump unit for supply of the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus of Claim 8,
In forming the outer skin portion of the capsule, the starting material is a pair of facing outer skin sheets, which are integrated in a state of being joined together by a pair of die rolls,
This die roll is equipped with a rotary encoder that detects the rotational position information of this one,
The shifter includes a servo motor that drives a plunger pin by an output signal of the rotary encoder.

Moreover, the pump unit for supplying the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 is in addition to the requirements of claim 6, 7 or 8,
The shifter is characterized in that the discharge time and the actual filling area are independently controlled in the left and right pump chambers irrespective of the discharge amount of the inclusion liquid.

Further, the pump unit for supplying the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10 is in addition to the requirement according to claim 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9,
In the reciprocating motion of the plunger pin, the introduction time for the plunger pin to take the inclusion liquid into the pump chamber and the discharge time for the plunger pin to discharge the inclusion liquid from the pump chamber are adjusted by the profile groove of the groove cam. This is what makes it a feature.

Moreover, the pump unit for supplying the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 11 is in addition to the requirements of claim 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10,
The profile groove of the groove cam is provided with a return portion for returning the plunger pin immediately after discharging the inclusion liquid from the pump chamber in the reverse direction.

Further, the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12,
A sheet molding section for forming a substantially constant thickness of the outer shell sheet from the molten outer shell raw material;
Capsule molding part responsible for joining the outer sheet supplied between the die rolls by the butt action of the pair of die rolls;
An inner liquid supply part for supplying the inner liquid to the outer sheet as the outer sheet is joined,
In an apparatus for producing a capsule in which an encapsulated liquid is coated with an outer skin portion made of an outer skin sheet,
The supply pump unit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 is applied to the inclusion liquid supply unit. .

Moreover, the manufacturing method of the capsule of Claim 13 is as follows.
The outer skin sheet is supplied to the outer skin sheet by facing the pair of die rolls, and the outer shell sheet is joined by the butting action of the die roll, and the inner liquid is supplied to the outer skin sheet in accordance with the joining. In a method for producing a capsule containing an encapsulated liquid inside,
The supply of the inclusion liquid to the skin sheet is performed by applying the supply pump unit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11. It consists of features.

Moreover, the capsule according to claim 14,
In a capsule comprising an outer skin portion formed by integrating a pair of facing outer skin sheets as a starting material and integrated with a pair of die rolls, and an inner liquid encapsulated by the outer skin portion,
In supplying the inclusion liquid to be stored in the capsule, it is supplied by the supply pump unit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11. It consists of features.

The above-described problems can be solved by using the configuration of the invention described in each of the claims.
First, according to the inventions of claims 1, 12, 13, and 14, the structure is such that the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever is transmitted to the plunger pin, and the plunger pin is reciprocated in the pump chamber. It is possible to solve the problem of shock and vibration that has occurred in a simple drive structure (crank system). That is, in the conventional crank system, the left and right plunger pins are connected, and the crankshaft is sandwiched by a part of the connecting member (this is used as the sandwiched portion), and the crankshaft is rotated. Since the left and right plunger pins are reciprocated all at once by applying the eccentric shaft of this to the sandwiched portion, there is a problem that the shock and vibration when the eccentric shaft hits the sandwiched portion is large. there were. On the other hand, the invention of the present application can obtain an extremely quiet operation state because it does not particularly contact anything when the plunger pin is operated.
Further, since the present invention has a structure in which the plunger pin is moved by reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever, if the pendulum lever is provided separately from the left and right plunger pins, the left and right plunger pins can be operated independently. It is possible to enlarge the actual filling region with respect to the molding protrusions that are generally arranged in a staggered manner on the die roll. In this respect, the conventional crank system is such that the left and right plunger pins are connected as described above, and these are moved one at a time and alternately, so that the actual filling region is also extremely limited. In other words, the conventional crank system is based on the existing concept that the contained liquid is alternately discharged from the left and right pump chambers. The pendulum lever type of the present invention can be said to be a completely new operating mechanism that fundamentally overturns such a technical idea.

According to the invention described in claims 2, 12, 13, and 14, the pendulum lever is provided with a slidable adjusting body, and the adjusting body and the plunger pin are directly or indirectly connected. By sliding the body (sliding relative to the pendulum lever), the distance from the rotation fulcrum can be changed, and the stroke adjustment (change) of the plunger pin can be performed steplessly. Of course, when the adjustment body is moved away from the rotation fulcrum, the swinging width (rotation width) at that position increases, so the plunger pin stroke also increases, and the amount of inclusion liquid to be filled in the capsule increases. It will be.

According to the inventions of claims 3, 12, 13, and 14, the stroke amount of the plunger pin is read by a non-contact type linear gauge. The stroke amount can be read accurately. In the past, it was common to read the stroke amount of the plunger pin with a contact type dial gauge. However, with this method, when the high-speed operation is performed, the plunger pin moves too fast and dials. The gauge needle could not be read, or the dial gauge itself could not follow the movement of the plunger pin, and could not be applied to the pump unit of the present invention assumed to be operated at high speed.

Further, according to the inventions of claims 4, 12, 13, and 14, the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever is caused by the combination (configuration) of the groove cam and the cam follower. As a result, the entire pump unit can be realized compactly.

According to the invention described in claims 5, 12, 13, and 14, the pendulum lever is provided on the base and the base is provided to be slidable in the front-rear direction so that the adjusting body is slidable (relative to the pendulum lever). Therefore, even if the adjustment body is connected to the plunger pin and cannot move in the front-rear direction with respect to the plunger pin, the adjustment body is formed by the base sliding in the front-rear direction. And the rotation fulcrum can be changed (the plunger pin stroke can be adjusted).

According to the invention described in claims 6, 12, 13, and 14, the shifters are separately provided corresponding to the left and right plunger pins, and the discharge timing and the discharge amount from the left and right pump chambers are independent of each other. Since it can be controlled, it is possible to secure a wide actual filling region that makes full use of the area for one molding projection without being restricted by the staggered arrangement of molding projections formed on the die roll.

Further, according to the inventions of claims 7, 12, 13, and 14, the slide shutter for controlling the opening and closing (communication connection / cutoff) of the introduction passage and the discharge passage is also provided separately corresponding to the left and right pump chambers, and on the left and right sides. Since independent control is performed, various controls can be performed such as sending the contained liquid from the left and right pump chambers at completely different timings or at completely different amounts.

According to the invention described in claims 8, 12, 13, and 14, the die roll is provided with a rotary encoder for detecting the rotational position information of the die roll, and the shifter is configured to move the plunger pin by the output signal of the rotary encoder. A servo motor that drives the actuator allows the position of the molding protrusions formed on the die roll to be accurately detected by the rotary encoder, and the servo motor can accurately fill (discharge) the contained liquid in accordance with this position information. It is. That is, by providing a rotary encoder and a servo motor, it is possible to perform accurate filling according to the position information of the molding protrusions, and to effectively use the actual filling region that can be widely acquired.

According to the inventions of claims 9, 12, 13, and 14, the discharge time and the actual filling area are independently controlled in the left and right pump chambers irrespective of the discharge amount of the inclusion liquid. Various filling forms (discharge forms) can be adopted.

According to the invention described in claims 10, 12, 13, and 14, the introduction time for the plunger pin to introduce the inclusion liquid and the discharge time (filling time) for discharging the inclusion liquid are determined by the profile groove of the groove cam. Since it is set according to the formation status, it can be realized with an extremely simple structure without requiring any special member or control mechanism for controlling this.

According to the invention described in claims 11, 12, 13, and 14, in the profile groove of the groove cam for driving the plunger pin, the plunger pin immediately after the inclusion liquid is discharged is placed in the reverse direction (introduction direction). Since the return portion to be returned is provided, it is possible to prevent liquid dripping at the time of completion of discharge by the profile groove of the groove cam, that is, without requiring a special control mechanism.

It is the perspective view (a) which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the capsule to which this invention is applied, and explanatory drawing (b) which expands and shows schematic structure of the pump unit (pendulum lever type) of this invention together. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the pendulum lever periphery in the pump unit of this invention. It is explanatory drawing (a) which shows roughly one Example (one structural example) of the pump unit of this invention, and explanatory drawing (b) which shows the actual filling area | region with respect to one shaping | molding protrusion in this Example. It is a skeleton top view which shows the pendulum lever type pump unit of the present invention together with a shutter mechanism. It is a three-plane figure which shows a mode that the pendulum lever type pump unit of this invention is slidably formed in the front-back direction with a base. It is a skeleton top view which shows one operating condition of the shutter mechanism in the pendulum lever type pump unit of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the stroke adjustment of a plunger pin is performed by sliding (relative sliding with respect to a pendulum lever) of an adjustment body in the pendulum lever type pump unit of this invention. It is explanatory drawing (a) which shows schematically another Example (structure example) of the pump unit of this invention, and explanatory drawing (b) which shows the actual filling area | region with respect to one shaping | molding protrusion in this Example. An explanatory diagram showing a general (normal) profile groove in a groove cam for driving a plunger pin (an explanatory diagram showing a profile groove developed for one rotation (360 degrees)) (a), and the contained liquid It is explanatory drawing (b) which shows the formation condition of the profile groove | channel which returned the plunger pin immediately after finishing discharging in the reverse direction, and prevented the dripping phenomenon. It is explanatory drawing which shows two types of Examples which produce a reciprocating rotation to a pendulum lever by structures other than the combination of a groove cam and a cam follower. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other Example of the adjustment body made to perform the stroke adjustment of a plunger pin in steps. It is a side view which shows the manufacturing apparatus of a capsule. It is a front view same as the above. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view (partially broken plan view) showing the periphery of a die head. It is a perspective view which expands and shows a die head periphery. It is front sectional drawing which shows a mode that it encapsulates with a pair of die roll. It is the exploded perspective view (a) which shows the conventional crank type pump unit roughly, and explanatory drawing (b) * (c) which shows the said pump unit together with a shutter mechanism. It is a skeleton top view which shows the operating condition (operation | movement of a slide shutter and a plunger pin) of the shutter mechanism in the conventional crank type pump unit. It is explanatory drawing (a) which shows the structure of the conventional crank type pump unit roughly, and explanatory drawing (b) which shows the problem of this pump unit, ie, the actual filling area | region with respect to one shaping | molding protrusion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Capsule manufacturing apparatus 2 Sheet | seat shaping | molding part 3 Capsule shaping | molding part 4 Encapsulated liquid supply part 5 Capsule extraction part

2 Sheet forming part 20 Supply hose 21 Spreader box 22 Casting drum 23 Feed roll

3 Capsule molding part 30 Die head 31 Die roll frame 32 Die roll 32F Fixed side die roll 32M Adjustable side die roll 32p Molding projection 32h Suction hole 33 Bearing part 34D Leaf spring (die roll side)
34P leaf spring (push rod side)
35 Center contact part 36P Adjustment push rod 36D Adjustment dial

4 Contained liquid supply part 40 Stock solution hopper 41 Pump unit 42 Delivery pipe 42R Delivery pipe (right)
42L delivery pipe (left)
43 Inclusion fluid nozzle 44 Timing mark

5 Capsule removal part 50 Scraping brush 51 Forward conveyor 52 Free roller 53 Conveyor

41 Pump unit 60 Body block 61 Pump chamber 61R Pump chamber (right)
61L Pump room (Left)
62 Plunger pin 62R Plunger pin (right)
62L Plunger pin (left)
64 Magnetic scale 65 Magnetic detection head

70 Shifter 71 Pendulum lever 71c Rotation fulcrum 71f Rotation free end 72 Lever receiver 73 Adjustment body 73A Positioning projection 73B Rotation allowance hole 73C Removal prevention body 74 Connection body 75 Groove cam 75g Profile groove 75r Return part 76 Cam follower 77 Base 77D Dovetail groove 77L Fixed lever 78 Spline shaft 79 Bevel gear 79D Drive input side bevel gear 79V Output side bevel gear

81 cam (general cam)
82 Abutting spring

84 Spur gear 85 Elliptical gear 86 Engagement spring

90 Shutter mechanism 91 Slide shutter 91R Slide shutter (right)
91L slide shutter (left)
92 groove cam 92g profile groove 93 cam follower 94 spur gear 94A spur gear 94B spur gear 94C spur gear 94D spur gear

A Capsule N Encapsulated liquid G Outer part S Outer sheet S 'Blank sheet M Servo motor P Pocket part F Frame I Introduction path D Discharge path

CS crankshaft (eccentric shaft)
DG Dial gauge HB clamping part

The mode for carrying out the present invention includes one described in the following embodiments, and further includes various methods that can be improved within the technical idea.
In the description, the general configuration of the capsule A will be described, and then the pump unit will be described while explaining such a capsule A manufacturing apparatus.
Further, in the present invention, when the plunger pin 62 is reciprocated, the pendulum lever 71 described later is reciprocally rotated instead of the conventional crank system, and the plunger pin 62 is reciprocated by this revolving operation. It is. Also, since driving is obtained from the pendulum lever 71, for example, if the pendulum lever 71 is provided separately for the left and right plunger pins 62, the left and right plunger pins 62 can be separated and independently driven. The point is also one of the major features of the present invention.

First, capsule A will be described. As shown in FIG. 16 as an example, the capsule A includes an outer skin G mainly composed of gelatin or the like in a completed state, and a material liquid (hereinafter referred to as an inner liquid N) encapsulated thereby. Is.
The outer skin portion G is formed by, for example, fusing a pair of outer skin sheets S that are supplied facing each other in a middle state. As the skin portion G, a vegetable raw material such as starch can be used as a main material in addition to the gelatin described above.
Moreover, as the inclusion liquid N, a pharmaceutical, a nutrient, a health food extract, a seasoning, etc. can be used similarly to the past. In addition, as the containing state (situation) of the inclusion liquid N, in addition to being completely liquid as shown in the figure, application of so-called powder-containing suspension or the like in which another granular material is appropriately mixed in the solution is also possible. Is possible. In addition, the "inclusion liquid" in this specification includes the thing of such a state.

Next, an apparatus for manufacturing such capsule A (hereinafter referred to as capsule manufacturing apparatus 1) will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1, 12, and 13, as an example, the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 cools a molten shell material (for example, gelatin as a main component), and uses it as a sheet having an appropriate thickness and viscosity. The sheet forming part 2 formed into a shape and the encapsulated liquid sheet N are encased in the formed outer sheet S, and the capsule forming part 3 formed into a capsule shape and the outer sheet S are formed into a capsule shape with respect to the outer sheet S The inner package liquid supply section 4 for feeding the inner package liquid N and the capsule take-out section 5 for taking out the capsule A as a finished product are assembled to the frame F. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

First, the sheet forming part 2 will be described. This is a part for obtaining the skin sheet S from the skin raw material, and a pair of left and right sheet forming machines is provided so as to sandwich the capsule forming part 3 as an example. As described above, in this embodiment, the two outer sheet sheets S formed by these two sheet forming machines are supplied to the capsule forming unit 3 in an intertwined state. Of course, the sheet forming unit 2 is not necessarily limited to such a form. For example, the sheet forming unit 2 can be configured by a single sheet forming machine. In this case, the sheet forming unit 2 is formed by a single sheet forming machine. It is possible to adopt a form in which the single outer sheet S is cut into two sheets while reaching the capsule forming part 3 and is supplied oppositely from both sides of the capsule forming part 3.

Further, a raw material tank (not shown) for storing the melted outer raw material is provided above the sheet forming portion 2 and the supply hose 20 is drawn from the raw material tank (see FIG. 1). The raw material tank is provided with a heater for ensuring the molten state of the outer shell raw material, and the outer raw material in the molten state in the tank is supplied to the spreader box 21 via the supply hose 20. . After that, the outer skin raw material is sent onto a casting drum 22 provided below the spreader box 21 and is formed into a sheet having an appropriate thickness and viscosity while being cooled to an appropriate temperature.

The part described above is the sheet forming part 2, and thereafter, the capsule forming part 3 is provided on the side to which the outer sheet S is supplied, and the feed roll 23 is provided so as to relay both the forming parts. It is done. That is, the outer sheet S cooled around the casting drum 22 is introduced into the capsule forming unit 3 while passing between the plurality of feed rolls 23 in a zigzag manner. At this time, it is possible to provide a thickness sensor in the vicinity of the feed roll 23 for measuring the thickness of the outer sheet S to be fed into the capsule forming unit 3.

Next, the capsule molding part 3 will be described. This is a part to be encapsulated from the skin sheet S, and as an example, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a die head 30 comprising a pair of die rolls 32 with respect to a die roll frame 31 is configured as a main member. The One of the pair of die rolls 32 is fixed, and the other is configured so as to be able to approach / separate from the fixed die roll 32 and is fixed when it is necessary to distinguish between the two. One side is distinguished as the fixed die roll 32F, and the one that can be approached and separated is designated as the adjustable die roll 32M.
Each die roll 32 is formed with a molding protrusion 32p having an appropriate shape on the surface thereof. For example, in the case of forming a capsule A having a substantially spindle shape, an oval with a recessed central portion. A shaped projection 32p is formed. The pair of die rolls 32 rotate in a joined state in which the molding protrusions 32p substantially coincide with each other, thereby matching the outer sheet S in a timely manner and performing stitching (joining) around the capsule.

In this embodiment, since the material (medicine) contained in the outer skin G is in a liquid form (inner fluid N), the injection pressure when the inner fluid N is fed toward the outer skin S is secondary to the outer skin S. Can be inflated. For this reason, the pocket part P which receives the inclusion liquid N is formed by ejecting the inclusion liquid N at an appropriate timing in accordance with the stitching of the outer skin sheet S. Of course, when it is desired to form the pocket portion P in the outer skin sheet S before the inclusion liquid N is ejected (filled), for example, as shown in FIG. 16, the inner peripheral portion (bottom portion) of each molding protrusion 32p. It is also possible to form the suction hole 32h. That is, in that case, the supplied outer skin sheet S is positively sucked by suction from the suction hole 32h, and the pocket portion P for receiving the inclusion liquid N is curvedly formed. As another form of positively forming the pocket portion P, for example, the pocket portion P can be formed by embossing the outer sheet S at a stage before supplying the inclusion liquid N. is there.

Here, a mechanism for adjusting the contact pressure between the left and right die rolls 32F and 32M will be described. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 as an example, the bearing portion 33 of the adjustable die roll 32M is formed to be slidable on the other fixed die roll 32F side with respect to the die roll frame 31. A pair of front and rear leaf springs 34D and 34P for pressing acts on the bearing portion 33. That is, the pair of leaf springs 34D and 34P come into contact with each other by the center contact portion 35 projecting from the center, and the leaf spring 34D on the side close to the bearing portion 33 brings both ends into contact with the bearing portion 33, thereby causing the bearing portion 33 to contact each other. Is pushed into the fixed die roll 32F side.

An adjustment push rod 36P is in contact with both ends of the other leaf spring 34P. The adjustment push rod 36P is configured to be screwed to the die roll frame 31, and an adjustment dial is provided at the operation end thereof. 36D, and is configured to obtain a stronger contact pressure when the adjustment push rod 36P is tightly screwed.
The capsule molding unit 3 including the pair of die rolls 32 can be provided with a position deviation detection mechanism that detects the occurrence of a position deviation in the circumferential direction of the die roll 32.

Next, the inclusion liquid supply unit 4 will be described. This is for discharging (filling) an appropriate amount of the inclusion liquid N to the outer sheet S being encapsulated (in the middle of joining), and the discharge timing is determined by the butt action of the pair of die rolls 32. This is performed from the start of the sewing until the completion of the sewing. In addition, when discharging the inclusion liquid N, as described above, the outer cover sheet S can be expanded by the injection pressure so as to be adapted to the inner peripheral surface of the molding protrusion 32p.

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 12, FIG. 13 and FIG. 17 (a) as an example, the inclusion liquid supply unit 4 is provided with a stock solution hopper 40 above the capsule forming unit 3, and the inclusion liquid N is contained therein. Stored. A pump unit 41, which is a main part of the present invention, is provided immediately below the stock solution hopper 40. The pump unit 41 has a plunger pump (piston pump) structure in which a large number of plunger pins 62 and the like are combined. The pump unit 41 discharges the inclusion liquid N from a plurality of paths at a predetermined timing and pressure. This is sprayed from the inclusion liquid nozzle 43 onto the outer sheet S via the delivery pipe 42. The inclusion liquid nozzle 43 is formed in a tapered shape so that the tip thereof is sufficiently inserted between the die rolls 32, and is formed so that the inclusion liquid N can be supplied in a timely manner in accordance with the stitching of the outer sheet S. ing.
Incidentally, the reference numeral 42R in the figure is a convenient reference numeral attached to the delivery pipe 42 on the right side in the figure, and the reference numeral 42L in the figure is a convenient reference numeral attached to the delivery pipe 42 on the left side in the figure.

In addition, in order to sew the outer periphery of the capsule A accurately and efficiently, as described above, the positioning of the die head 30 is set so that the left and right molding protrusions 32p of the die roll 32 are substantially matched. is there. For this reason, the inclusion liquid nozzle 43 and the die roll 32 are provided with timing marks 44 for alignment. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, in the inclusion liquid nozzle 43, a linear timing mark 44 is formed in the vicinity of the narrowed tip portion, and in the die roll 32, a radial shape is formed at the peripheral portion. A plurality of timing marks 44 are formed. Then, when aligning the die roll 32, both the die rolls 32 are inched so as to substantially match the timing marks 44, and the alignment is performed.

Next, the capsule taking-out unit 5 will be described. The capsule take-out part 5 is a part for taking out the capsule A as a finished product below the die roll 32.
Since the capsule A after molding is often fitted into the molding protrusion 32p of the die roll 32 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 16, for example, such capsule A is brought into contact with the die roll 32. The capsule A is scraped off by a scraping brush 50 provided on the front side of the apparatus, and is transported to the front of the apparatus by a pair of forward conveyors 51 provided along the rotational axis direction of the die roll 32. (Refer FIG. 1, FIG. 13). In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 as an example, a blank sheet S ′ after the capsule A is punched is sandwiched between both sides and sent downward as it is between the pair of forward conveyors 51. Width is adjustable). The free roller 52 discharges the capsule A remaining on the blank sheet S ′ onto one of the forward conveyors 51 in consideration that the capsule A may remain on the blank sheet S ′. It is preferable that it is the structure obtained. Further, after the capsule A is conveyed to the front of the apparatus by the advance conveyor 51, it is transferred to another conveyor 53 and sent to the next drying step.
As described above, in this embodiment, the capsule A is taken out by conveyor conveyance. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this form. For example, a trough provided in an inclined state on the front of the apparatus from below the die roll 32. It is also possible to slide off the capsule A by (shoot).

Next, the pump unit 41 will be described. The pump unit 41 discharges (fills) an appropriate amount of the inclusion liquid N taken out from the stock solution hopper 40 as described above from the inclusion liquid nozzle 43 to the outer sheet S (molding protrusion 32p). As an example, FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the main body block 60 is a main member. The main body block 60 has, for example, symmetrical pump chambers 61 formed therein, and reciprocating plunger pins 62 provided in the pump chambers 61 (this is referred to as reciprocating motion in the left-right direction). The fixed amount introduction (measurement) of the inclusion liquid N into the pump chamber 61 and the constant discharge (filling) of the inclusion liquid N from the pump chamber 61 can be performed. That is, in the forward stroke in which the plunger pin 62 is operated in the pulling direction in the pump chamber 61, the inclusion liquid N is introduced (sucked) into the pump chamber 61 from the stock solution hopper 40, and then the plunger pin In the backward stroke in which 62 is operated in the pushing direction in the pump chamber 61, the inclusion liquid N (introduced in the pump chamber 61) is discharged (sent out) toward the inclusion liquid nozzle 43.
In addition, when it is necessary to distinguish the pump chambers 61 formed opposite to the left and right of the main body block 60, the right chamber in the figure is the pump chamber 61R and the left chamber is the pump chamber 61L for convenience. . Further, the distinction with the suffixes “R” and “L” is made in various members other than the pump chamber 61, such as the plunger pin 62 and the delivery pipe 42, or the slide shutter 91 described later. Is the same.
In this embodiment, it is assumed that the pump chambers 61 provided symmetrically are basically five sets, that is, a total of ten pump chambers 61 are formed.

Hereinafter, the pump chamber 61 will be further described. In each of the left and right pump chambers 61, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, an introduction path I for taking the inclusion liquid N from the stock solution hopper 40 is formed at a position near the center of the main body block 60. A discharge path D is formed outside each introduction path I (on the left and right side sides), and this discharge path D sends the inclusion liquid N introduced into the pump chamber 61 toward the inclusion liquid nozzle 43. (Finally transferred to the inclusion liquid nozzle 43 by the delivery pipe 42).
Note that the discharge (filling) of the inclusion liquid N from the left and right pump chambers 61 can be performed alternately from the left and right pump chambers 61 as in the conventional crank system. Independently performing, for example, introducing the inclusion liquid N into the left and right pump chambers 61 almost simultaneously, and discharging the inclusion liquid N from the left and right pump chambers 61 almost simultaneously, and different discharge amounts from the left and right pump chambers 61 One feature of the present invention is that such a variety of mechanisms are possible.

The plunger pin 62 is driven by the shifter 70 on the end side formed so as to protrude to the outside of the pump chamber 61, whereby the left and right plunger pins 62 are pump chamber at an appropriate timing. This shifter 70 will be described below.
As an example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shifter 70 includes a pendulum lever 71 that is rotatably provided as a main member. By reciprocatingly rotating the pendulum lever 71, the plunger pin 62 is moved into the pump chamber. It is reciprocated within 61.
Here, the rotation center of the pendulum lever 71 is defined as a rotation fulcrum 71c. In this embodiment, the rotation fulcrum 71c is formed near one end of the pendulum lever 71, while the other end draws an arc-shaped locus. It becomes the rotation free end 71f which rotates. As an example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pendulum lever 71 has a rotation free end 71 f accommodated in an inner space of a lever receiver 72 having a U-shaped cross section, for example.

Further, in this embodiment, the pendulum lever 71 is provided with an adjusting body 73 slidable in the longitudinal direction of the pendulum lever 71, and the adjusting body 73 and the plunger pin 62 are indirectly connected via the connecting body 74. It is connected. Here, the longitudinal direction of the pendulum lever 71 is the direction from the rotation fulcrum 71c to the rotation free end 71f, and corresponds to the front-rear direction in the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1. That is, by changing the installation position of the adjusting body 73 on the pendulum lever 71, the relative distance from the rotation fulcrum 71c of the adjusting body 73 changes, and the reciprocating distance (stroke) of the plunger pin 62 can be adjusted. It is. Of course, the connecting body 74 also has an action of reciprocating (right-and-left) the plunger pins 62 (left or right plunger pins 62) at once.
In the present embodiment, as described above, the adjusting body 73 and the plunger pin 62 are indirectly connected by the connecting body 74. However, the adjusting body 73 and the plunger pin 62 may be directly connected. Is possible.

The reason why the adjustment body 73 is slid (relatively slid) to adjust the stroke of the plunger pin 62 is to vary the filling amount of the encapsulated liquid N depending on the size of the capsule A, for example. . Specifically, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7B, when the adjustment body 73 is relatively close to the rotation free end side 71f, the adjustment body 73 is a rotation center. Since it moves away from the moving fulcrum 71c, the swing width (rotation width) at the position increases, the stroke of the plunger pin 62 also increases, and the filling amount discharged from the pump chamber 61 to the outer sheet S also increases. On the other hand, when the adjustment body 73 is relatively close to the rotation fulcrum 71c side (in FIG. 7, the movement is from (b) to (a)), the adjustment body 73 is at the rotation center (the rotation fulcrum 71c). ), The swing width (rotation width) at the position becomes smaller, the stroke of the plunger pin 62 becomes smaller, and the filling amount discharged from the pump chamber 61 to the outer sheet S also becomes smaller.
Here, the reason that the sliding (movement) of the adjusting body 73 is “relative” is that the adjusting body 73, that is, the plunger pin 62 does not move in the front-rear direction, and the pendulum lever 71 is moved to the adjusting body 73. For this purpose, this will be described later.

Incidentally, conventionally, the stroke amount of the plunger pin 62 is detected by, for example, a dial gauge DG as indicated by a virtual line in FIG. 7, and this is read by an operator. In this respect, the pump unit 41 of the present invention is also assumed to operate at high speed. In such a high rotation range, the plunger pin 62 moves too fast to read the needle of the dial gauge DG, or the dial gauge. In some cases, the DG itself could not follow the movement of the plunger pin 62.
For this reason, in this embodiment, a magnetic detection type non-contact linear gauge is provided, and the amount of movement thereof is converted from a pulse and displayed numerically on an operation screen. Here, the magnetic scale 64 and the magnetic detection head 65 in FIG. 7 are members constituting the non-contact linear gauge.
As the magnetic scale 64, for example, the model “SL110” manufactured by Magnescale Co., Ltd. is applied, and as the magnetic detection head 65, the model “PL82” manufactured by the same company is applied as an example. Is a pulse oscillator that only outputs the pulses for the amount of movement to the outside, so it is captured in its own program, changes in the amount of movement (pulses) are sampled, converted to mm units, and displayed on the operation screen It is.

Next, a configuration for reciprocating the pendulum lever 71 in the left-right direction will be described.
The configuration in the present embodiment is realized by a combination of a groove cam 75 and a cam follower 76 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as an example. In other words, the pendulum lever 71 is provided with a cam follower 76 that is always accommodated in the profile groove 75g of the groove cam 75, whereby the cam follower 76 (that is, the pendulum lever 71) is moved along with the rotational movement of the groove cam 75. According to the profile groove 75g (along), it reciprocates in the left-right direction. In this configuration, the pivot angle of the pendulum lever 71 (the swing width of the pivot free end 71f) is always constant.

Next, the structure which makes the pendulum lever 71 slide to the adjustment body 73 in the front-back direction is demonstrated. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, as an example, a member other than the adjustment body 73, such as a pendulum lever 71, a lever receiver 72, a groove cam 75, etc. This is realized by forming the base 77 so as to be slidable with respect to a non-moving part (surface plate) such as the apparatus base or the frame F.
Reference numeral 77D in FIG. 5 is a dovetail groove for sliding the base 77 provided with the pendulum lever 71 (backed) in the front-rear direction, and reference numeral 77L in the figure indicates the base 77 after sliding. It is a fixing lever that is fastened to a non-moving part (surface plate) to fix its position.

Further, when the base 77 is slid in the front-rear direction, a servo motor M is applied as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 as an example, and a pair of bevel gears 79 meshing with the spline shaft 78 is driven. Are transmitted to the groove cam 75 via the.
Here, of the pair of bevel gears 79, one that is provided so as to rotate together with the spline shaft 78 while sliding on the spline shaft 78 is referred to as a drive input side bevel gear 79D, and is fixed to the groove cam 75 side. The output side bevel gear 79V (which naturally rotates together with the groove cam 75) is used as the output side bevel gear 79V, and the pair of bevel gears 79D and 79V are also provided on the base 77 as shown in FIG.
The drive input side bevel gear 79D is slidable (relatively slidable) with respect to the spline shaft 78 as described above. Even if the base 77 slides in the front-rear direction, the drive side bevel gear 79D The meshing state is always maintained. In other words, the spline shaft 78 and the bevel gear 79 (drive input side bevel gear 79D) are applied to allow rotation to be transmitted while allowing such sliding.

The die roll 32 is preferably provided with a rotary encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotational position information of the die roll 32, and the servo motor M of the shifter 70 receives a plunger pin by an output signal of the rotary encoder. It is preferable to drive 62. This is because the position of the molding protrusion 32p formed on the die roll 32 can be accurately detected by the rotary encoder, and the servo motor M can more accurately fill (discharge) the inclusion liquid N in accordance with this position information. is there. That is, by providing the rotary encoder and the servo motor M, it is possible to accurately discharge (fill) the inclusion liquid N in accordance with the position information of the molding protrusion 32p, and to more effectively utilize the actual filling region that can be widely acquired. It can be done. Of course, by providing a rotary encoder on the die roll 32, the timing marks 44 on the left and right die rolls 32 can be matched in a shorter time and more accurately.

Next, an actual operation state in adjusting the stroke of the plunger pin 62 will be described in detail. For this purpose, the base 77, that is, the pendulum lever 71 is slid with respect to the adjustment body 73 rather than the adjustment body 73 with respect to the pendulum lever 71 as described above. Specifically, for example, when it is desired to increase the stroke amount of the plunger pin 62, the base 77 is moved to the rotation fulcrum 71c side (lower side in FIG. 7) as shown in FIGS. Slide. By this operation, the pendulum lever 71, the lever receiver 72, the groove cam 75, the output side bevel gear 79V, and the like installed on the base 77 also move in the same direction. On the other hand, since the adjusting body 73 is directly or indirectly connected to the plunger pin 62, it does not actually move in the front-rear direction (only reciprocation in the left-right direction is allowed), but the pendulum lever 71 is As a result, the adjusting body 73 slides away from the rotation fulcrum 71c (also referred to as a slide approaching the rotation free end 71f). In the position, the rotation width, that is, the stroke amount of the plunger pin 62 increases.
Of course, when it is desired to reduce the stroke amount of the plunger pin 62, the base 77, that is, the pendulum lever 71, is slid in the opposite rotation free end 71f side (the direction (b) → (a) in FIG. 7). It is something to be made.

Further, the reciprocating motion (left-right direction) of the plunger pin 62 opens and closes the introduction path I and the discharge path D of the pump chamber 61 at an appropriate timing, and a mechanism for controlling this opens and closes the main body block 60. The shutter mechanism 90 is provided above. As shown in FIG. 6 as an example, the shutter mechanism 90 includes an elongated slide shutter 91 as a main member. Here, in this embodiment, as the left and right plunger pins 62 are driven separately, the slide shutter 91 is also provided separately for the left and right pump chambers 61, and these are as described above. For convenience, the right slide shutter 91R and the left slide shutter 91L are used.
In each slide shutter 91, the introduction path I and the discharge path D are formed in a staggered manner, the introduction path I is formed on the center side of the apparatus, and the discharge path D is on the outer side (side where the pendulum lever 71 is provided). It is formed. Of course, the introduction path I and the discharge path D in the slide shutter 91 also have the same action as the introduction path I and the discharge path D of the pump chamber 61, and the introduction path I introduces the inclusion liquid N from the stock solution hopper 40 into the pump chamber 61. The discharge path D is a path for discharging the inclusion liquid N from the pump chamber 61 to the inclusion liquid nozzle 43 via the delivery pipe 42.

Next, a configuration for reciprocating the slide shutter 91 in the front-rear direction will be described. The reciprocating movement of the slide shutter 91 in the front-rear direction needs to be performed in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the plunger pin 62 in the left-right direction, and is realized by the groove cam 92 and the cam follower 93 in this embodiment. That is, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 as an example, a cam follower 93 is provided at one end of the slide shutter 91, and this is always accommodated in the profile groove 92g of the groove cam 92. As a result, the cam follower 93 (that is, the slide shutter 91) reciprocates in the front-rear direction in accordance with (along) the profile groove 92g as the groove cam 92 rotates.
Further, when the groove cam 92 is rotated, as shown in FIG. 4 as an example, driving is obtained from the servo motor M that drives the plunger pin 62. This is the operation of the slide shutter 91 (groove cam 92). This is because it is easy to synchronize with the operation of the plunger pin 62. In this embodiment, a plurality of spur gears 94 are provided between the servo motor M and the groove cam 92 for the slide shutter 91, and the drive is transmitted by the gears. Incidentally, reference numerals 94A, 94B, 94C, and 94D in the figure are reference numerals that are individually attached to these spur gears, and the number of spur gears 94 may be more or less than this, or other belts and the like. A transmission mechanism may be used.

Next, the effect of the present invention (pendulum lever type) in which the plunger pin 62 is reciprocated by the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever 71 will be described.
First, in the present invention, since the crankshaft (eccentric shaft) CS is not brought into contact with the connecting body 74 (clamping portion HB) of the plunger pin 62 to operate the plunger pin 62, impact and vibration during operation are not included. The capsule A can be produced very quietly, and this is particularly noticeable in the case of high speed operation (3.0 to 5.5 rpm at the rotational speed of the die roll 32).
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the pendulum lever 71 is provided separately for the left and right plunger pins 62 and is driven independently, the staggered forming protrusions 32 p formed on the die roll 32. Without being restricted by the arrangement (without being restricted), the actual filling region for one molding protrusion 32p can be enlarged, and the inclusion liquid N can be filled slowly. In particular, when the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 is operated at a high speed, a specified amount of the inclusion liquid N must be discharged (filled) in a shorter time, and the discharge pressure tends to increase further in the conventional crank system. However, in this embodiment, such an increase in discharge pressure can be suppressed.
In this embodiment, since the cam follower 76 moves in accordance with the profile groove 75g and reciprocates the pendulum lever 71 in the left-right direction, the discharge time / discharge timing (filling time / filling time) of the inclusion liquid N depends on the formation state of the profile groove 75g. Timing) or introduction time / introduction timing can be adjusted.

Here, the operation of the plunger pin 62 with respect to one molding protrusion 32p is “introduction” in which a prescribed amount of inclusion liquid N is taken into the pump chamber 61, and the introduced inclusion liquid N is discharged from the pump chamber 61 to the molding protrusion 32p. “Discharge (filling)”, but during that time, a “switching” operation of the slide shutter 91 is performed, and “discharge (filling)”, “introduction”, and “switching” in FIG. These operations are shown. In other words, since the operations of “introduction” and “switching” must be performed in addition to “discharge (filling)”, the entire inside of the molding protrusion 32p cannot be used for the “discharge (fill)” operation. At least as compared with the conventional crank system, since there is no restriction on the staggered arrangement of the forming protrusions 32p, a significantly larger actual filling region can be obtained as shown in FIG. For this reason, the discharge (filling) of the inclusion liquid N can be performed slowly at a relatively low speed, and the discharge pressure can also be suppressed. Of course, the time required for “introduction” (introduction time) can be made as short as possible depending on the formation state of the profile groove 75g of the groove cam 75 (the “introduction” operation can be completed in a short time without any trouble). In addition, the time required for “switching” can be shortened as much as possible depending on the formation state of the profile groove 92g of the groove cam 92 (the “switching” operation can be completed in a short time without any trouble). These also contribute to increasing the discharge time and the actual filling area.

3B, the left and right plunger pins 62 are driven independently, and the inclusion liquid N is discharged from the left plunger pin 62L only to the molding protrusions 32p on the same row in the die roll 32. In this case, an actual filling region (discharge region) for one molding protrusion 32p at this time is shown.
Here, FIG. 3A differs from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in that the groove cam 75 and profile groove 75g for the plunger pin 62 appear differently (although at first glance, they appear to be out of alignment) This is because FIG. 3A schematically shows the overall configuration of the pump unit 41 and the shifter 70, and this point is the same as in FIG.

Further, when the left and right plunger pins 62 are driven independently on the left and right sides, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, both the left and right pump chambers 61 (plunger pins 62) are referred to as introduction or discharge (filling). Thus, it becomes possible to perform operation control that could not be performed with the conventional crank system. Incidentally, in the conventional crank system, the inclusion liquid N is only discharged (filled) alternately from the left and right pump chambers 61. Of course, even in the case of the present embodiment in which the left and right plunger pins 62 are driven independently, it is naturally possible to discharge (fill) the inclusion liquid N from the left and right pump chambers 61 alternately.

[Other Examples]
The present invention has the above-described embodiment as one basic technical idea, but the following modifications can be considered.
First, in the above-described embodiment, basically, the left and right plunger pins 62 are independently driven by separate pendulum levers 71 as shown in FIG. However, two pendulum levers 71 are not necessarily required. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, one unit, that is, the left and right plunger pins 62 can be driven by a common pendulum lever 71. Of course, in this case, the left and right plunger pins 62 are connected and integrally formed as shown in FIG. In other words, in this case, the connecting body 74 that connects the plunger pin 62 and the adjusting body 73 also has the function of connecting the left and right plunger pins 62 (in this connection, the conventional example is thus obtained). In FIG. 17 and FIG. 19 shown, the reference numeral “74 ′” is attached to the connecting body for connecting the left and right plunger pins 62).

In the case of FIG. 8, when the left pump chamber 61L is discharging, the right pump chamber 61R is introduced, and discharge is alternately performed from the left and right pump chambers 61 (limited to this discharge mode). This is the same as the conventional crank system.
For this reason, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, there is a restriction (regulation) on the staggered arrangement of the forming protrusions 32p formed on the die roll 32, but there is no “play” compared to the conventional crank system. Since it is a mechanism, the actual filling region can be widely obtained. Incidentally, here, as an example, as shown in FIG. 8B, a case where a filling region is secured in an angle range of 90 degrees in the groove cam 75 (profile groove 75g) is shown, and other conditions are all described above. This is a comparison with the same setting as in FIG. That is, the filling area in the case of the crank system is 1.14 mm (see FIG. 19), but the pendulum lever system can secure a filling area of about 2.4 times (2.79 mm as an example). Of course, in the case of FIG. 8, since it is a pendulum lever system, the impact and vibration generated by the crank system do not occur.

In addition, the pump chamber 61 to the inclusion liquid nozzle 43 are usually separated (there is a certain distance), and in this embodiment, they are connected by the delivery pipe 42 during this time. For this reason, even if the inclusion liquid N is completely discharged (sent out) from the pump chamber 61 and the slide shutter 91 is in the state of closing the discharge passage D, the inclusion liquid N discharged (filled) from the inclusion liquid nozzle 43 is immediately (It is a so-called sag phenomenon and often leads to molding failure of capsule A). This tendency tends to appear particularly when the inclusion liquid N is discharged (filled) in a short time. This is because when the discharge (filling) is performed in a short time, the injection pressure is high, and this high pressure is high. It is considered that even if the slide shutter 91 is closed, it remains in the path from the pump chamber 61 to the inclusion liquid nozzle 43.
In order to prevent such a liquid dripping phenomenon, as shown in FIG. 9B, for example, depending on the formation state of the profile groove 75g, the plunger pin 62 immediately after the completion of the discharge (filling) is placed on the reverse side (introduction). It is effective to suck the inclusion liquid N at the tip of the nozzle a little by returning slightly to the side) and applying a negative pressure to the tip of the inclusion liquid nozzle 43. FIG. 9A shows a normal profile groove 75g in the groove cam 75 for driving the plunger pin 62 (a general groove that does not particularly prevent the liquid dripping phenomenon). Compared to this, FIG. It can be seen that a return portion 75r is formed in the profile groove 75g shown in (b), thereby preventing the liquid dripping phenomenon (returning the plunger pin 62 immediately after the discharge is finished to the introduction side). 9 (a) and 9 (b) show the profile groove 75g in an unfolded state over one rotation (360 degrees), and the groove cam 75 is simply shown on the side surface (side circumferential surface). Projected from is not a figure.

In the basic embodiment described above, the pendulum lever 71 is reciprocally rotated by the combination of the groove cam 75 and the cam follower 76. However, the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever 71 is not necessarily limited to this method ( It is not limited to (structure).
That is, when the pendulum lever 71 is reciprocally rotated, a general cam 81 (not a groove cam) and a contact urging spring 82 are used as shown in FIG. Is possible. Here, the contact urging spring 82 is a member for keeping the rotating cam 81 in contact (contact) with the pendulum lever 71 at all times.

Further, as another method of reciprocatingly rotating the pendulum lever 71, for example, as shown in FIG. 10B, in addition to a combination of a general spur gear 84 and an elliptical gear 85, a meshing biasing spring 86 is used. Is possible. Here, the elliptical gear 85 shown in FIG. 10B is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the pendulum lever 71 (so-called free rotation state), and since the pendulum lever 71 is rotatable, the elliptical gear 85 is The meshing portion rotates while the rotation center position of the gear rotates (moves). On the other hand, the spur gear 84 rotates with the rotation center position of the gear set to a predetermined position.
The meshing biasing spring 86 is for maintaining the meshing state of the elliptical gear 85 with respect to the spur gear 84 rotating at a fixed position. That is, the meshing biasing spring 86 of FIG. 10B is a member for preventing the elliptical gear 85 from separating from the spur gear 84.

The history of the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever 71 with such a configuration will be described. The spur gear 84 rotates at a fixed position, and the elliptical gear 85 is always engaged with the spur gear 84 by the meshing biasing spring 86. Since the rotating portion engages with the spur gear 84, the plunger pin 62 moves toward the pump chamber 61 when the engagement portion of the elliptical gear 85 with the spur gear 84 changes from the short shaft portion to the long shaft portion of the elliptic gear 85. This is an operation to be pushed in, that is, a filling (discharge) operation. On the other hand, when the meshing part of the elliptical gear 85 is changed from the long axis part of the elliptical gear 85 to the short axis part, the plunger pin 62 is pulled out from the pump chamber 61, that is, the introduction (suction / metering) operation is performed. It will be.
As described above, the pendulum lever 71 can be reciprocally rotated by a method other than the combination of the groove cam 75 and the cam follower 76.

Further, in the basic embodiment described above, the adjustment body 73 is configured to be slidable (relatively slidable) with respect to the pendulum lever 71 so that the stroke adjustment of the plunger pin 62 can be performed steplessly. It is a thing. That is, in the basic embodiment, the adjustment body 73 is slid with respect to the pendulum lever 71 to change the separation distance from the rotation fulcrum 71c and to adjust the stroke amount of the plunger pin 62 steplessly. there were. This is extremely effective in that the stroke adjustment (setting) of the plunger pin 62 can be performed at an arbitrary position. However, when the stroke adjustment may be stepwise adjustment (setting), for example, FIG. As shown in the drawing, several positioning protrusions 73A having different distances from the rotation fulcrum 71c are formed on the pendulum lever 71, and the connecting body 74 has a rotation allowable hole 73B that fits into the positioning protrusion 73A. The adjustment body 73 (adjustment body 73 as a stroke changing mechanism) can also be realized by forming. Further, in this case, the member indicated by reference numeral 73C in the figure is a drop prevention body for preventing the connecting body 74 (rotation allowable hole 73B) fitted in the positioning protrusion 73A from being carelessly removed. Screws or the like can be applied.
Thus, the adjustment body 73 is not necessarily provided so as to be slidable with respect to the pendulum lever 71.

The present invention can be used in the fields of “pharmaceuticals”, “special health foods”, “so-called health foods” and foods, as well as in industrial fields such as those containing industrial preparations depending on the selection of contents. it can.

Claims (14)

1. The main body block is provided with one or a plurality of pump chambers. The pump chamber is formed with an introduction path and a discharge path that are controlled to be opened and closed at appropriate timings. Further, the pump chamber reciprocates inside. A plunger pin is incorporated, and by reciprocating the plunger pin, the contained liquid is taken into the pump chamber from the introduction path, and then sent out from the discharge path, and the contained liquid is covered by the outer skin portion in an enclosed state. A device for supplying a predetermined amount of inclusion liquid to a capsule comprising:
   The plunger pin is formed so that one end thereof protrudes to the outside of the pump chamber, is driven by a shifter outside the extension, and is formed so as to reciprocate in the pump chamber.
   The shifter includes a pivoting pendulum lever, and the plunger pin is reciprocated in the pump chamber by the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever. Pumping unit.
   
2. The pendulum lever is provided with an adjustment body formed so as to be slidable from a rotation fulcrum to a rotation free end which is a longitudinal direction thereof,
   The extended outside of the plunger pin is directly or indirectly connected to the adjusting body,
   2. The inclusion in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating rotation of the pendulum lever is transmitted to the plunger pin via the adjusting body, and the plunger pin is reciprocated in the pump chamber. Pump unit for liquid supply.
   
3. The pump unit is provided with a non-contact linear gauge for reading the stroke amount of the plunger pin, whereby the movement amount of the plunger pin is converted from the pulse and displayed on the operation screen. The pump unit for supplying the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
   
4. In addition to the pendulum lever, the shifter comprises a groove cam,
   The pendulum lever is provided with a cam follower that fits into the profile groove of the groove cam.
   4. The supply of inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pendulum lever is reciprocally rotated by moving the cam follower according to the profile groove by rotation of the groove cam. Pumping unit.
   
5. The pendulum lever is rotatably provided on the base,
   5. The base according to claim 2, wherein the base is formed to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the pendulum lever, and the distance from the rotation fulcrum of the adjusting body can be changed by the sliding. A pump unit for supplying the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus.
   
6. The pump chamber and the plunger pin are provided on the left and right of the main body block,
   In addition, shifters that reciprocate the plunger pins are also provided separately for the left and right plunger pins,
   6. The delivery timing and the delivery amount for the quantitative delivery of inclusion fluid can be controlled independently on the left and right sides when delivering the inclusion fluid from the left and right pump chambers. The pump unit for supply of the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus as described.
   
7. The pump unit includes a slide shutter that blocks the other path when either one of the introduction path and the discharge path of the pump chamber is connected in communication.
   The slide shutter is also provided separately corresponding to the left and right pump chambers, and communication connection or blocking control is also performed independently on the left and right sides. Supply pump unit.
   
8. In forming the outer skin portion of the capsule, the starting material is a pair of facing outer skin sheets, which are integrated in a state of being joined together by a pair of die rolls,
   This die roll is equipped with a rotary encoder that detects the rotational position information of this one,
   8. The capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shifter includes a servo motor that drives a plunger pin by an output signal of the rotary encoder. Pump unit for supply of inclusion liquid.
   
9. 9. The capsule according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein the shifter controls the discharge time and the actual filling region independently in the left and right pump chambers regardless of the discharge amount of the inclusion liquid. Pump unit for supply of inclusion fluid in manufacturing equipment.
   
10. In the reciprocating motion of the plunger pin, the introduction time for the plunger pin to take the inclusion liquid into the pump chamber and the discharge time for the plunger pin to discharge the inclusion liquid from the pump chamber are adjusted by the profile groove of the groove cam. 10. A pump unit for supplying inclusion liquid in a capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.
    
11. The profile groove of the groove cam is provided with a return portion for returning the plunger pin immediately after discharging the inclusion liquid from the pump chamber in the reverse direction. The pump unit for supply of the inclusion liquid in the capsule manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10.
    
12. A sheet molding section for forming a substantially constant thickness of the outer shell sheet from the molten outer shell raw material;
    Capsule molding part responsible for joining the outer sheet supplied between the die rolls by the butt action of the pair of die rolls;
    An inner liquid supply part for supplying the inner liquid to the outer sheet as the outer sheet is joined,
    In an apparatus for producing a capsule in which an encapsulated liquid is coated with an outer skin portion made of an outer skin sheet,
    Capsule, characterized in that the supply pump unit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 is applied to the internal liquid supply unit. Manufacturing equipment.
    
13. The outer skin sheet is supplied to the outer skin sheet by facing the pair of die rolls, and the outer shell sheet is joined by the butting action of the die roll, and the inner liquid is supplied to the outer skin sheet in accordance with the joining. In a method for producing a capsule containing an encapsulated liquid inside,
    The supply of the inclusion liquid to the skin sheet is performed by applying the supply pump unit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11. A method for producing a capsule.
    
14. In a capsule comprising an outer skin portion formed by integrating a pair of facing outer skin sheets as a starting material and integrated with a pair of die rolls, and an inner liquid encapsulated by the outer skin portion,
    In supplying the inclusion liquid to be stored in the capsule, it is supplied by the supply pump unit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11. Capsule characterized.

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