Bucket device

Abstract

To provide a bucket device capable of performing water washing and downsized as a whole with increased production efficiency.SOLUTION: This bucket device comprises: a bucket (180) that receives and holds a solid object fed from the outside; a waterproof multi-axial robot having a multi-joint structure that supports the bucket (180) so as to be lifted and rotated and that is detachably attached to the bucket (180); and a casing (120) that covers the entire multi-axial robot to form a sealed space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bucket device, and is suitable for application to a bucket lifter that receives solids such as tablets (including capsules) generated by production equipment such as a tableting machine in a bucket at the descending position of the tableting machine, raises the bucket to a predetermined position, and then discharges the tablets in the bucket from the raised position into a container such as a collection container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a bucket lifter for tablets used in the pharmaceutical and food industries (hereinafter simply referred to as "bucket lifter"), one bucket reciprocates between a raised position and a lowered position.

[0003] In this bucket lifter, a plurality of tablets supplied from a tableting machine (hereinafter referred to as production equipment) at the lowered position are held in the bucket, the bucket is raised to the raised position, and then discharged into a collection container through a cylindrical discharge chute (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] In this type of bucket lifter, the components of the tablets are scattered and adhered to the inner wall surface of the casing where the bucket moves up and down or to the bucket itself. Therefore, when changing the type of tablets handled in the bucket lifter, the inner wall surface of the casing and the bucket itself must be cleaned so that the components of the tablets before the change do not affect the tablets after the change.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In such a bucket lifter of Patent Document 1, there is a drive mechanism composed of a ball screw, a chain sprocket, or the like to raise and lower the bucket. In the bucket lifter, the inner space of the casing where the bucket provided at the tip of the arm portion in the drive mechanism moves up and down and the drive mechanism provided in the outer space of the casing are mechanically connected via the arm portion. For this reason, in the bucket lifter, the inner space of the casing cannot be completely sealed, and there is a gap necessary for the arm portion to move up and down between the casing and the drive mechanism.

[0007] Therefore, when the inner space of the casing is washed with water, there is a risk that the oil and wear powder of the drive mechanism will enter the inner space of the casing from the gap, so it has been practically difficult to perform water washing.

[0008] In addition, in the conventional bucket lifter, since the tablets from the bucket are discharged to the collection container while sliding through the discharge chute, the tablets may be damaged due to the friction when sliding, and in that case, there is a problem that the yield deteriorates and the production efficiency decreases.

[0009] Furthermore, in the conventional bucket lifter, if the inclination angle of the discharge chute is made gentle to suppress the breakage of the tablets, the distance between the bucket lifter and the collection container becomes long, and there is a problem that the bucket lifter becomes large as a whole.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of the objects is to provide a bucket device that can be washed with a liquid, has high production efficiency, and is overall miniaturized.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] The above object is achieved by the following present invention. That is, in the bucket device of the present invention, there are provided a bucket for receiving and holding solids supplied from the outside, a waterproof multi-axis robot having a multi-joint structure detachably attached to the bucket and supporting the bucket so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, and a casing for entirely covering the multi-axis robot to form a sealed space.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of windows are provided in the casing.

[0013] In the present invention, it is preferable that the plurality of windows are openable / closable or detachable, and the bucket can be taken out from the inner space of the casing to the outside through the plurality of windows.

[0014] In the present invention, the multi-axis robot preferably has a hand unit that supports the bucket so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, and an injection nozzle for injecting liquid is provided at the tip of the hand unit.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable that the casing has a drain for draining the liquid downward.

[0016] In the present invention, the casing preferably has an input pipe for receiving the solids, a temporary receiving box capable of temporarily receiving the solids received through the input pipe in a predetermined amount, and a rotation mechanism for rotating and tilting the temporary receiving box in response to the bucket descending through the hand unit so as to pour the solids from the temporary receiving box into the bucket.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a bucket device that can be washed with liquid, has high production efficiency, and is overall miniaturized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] (1) Outline of the Embodiment First, an overview of the invention corresponding to a representative embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, as an example, reference numerals on the drawings corresponding to the components of the present invention are described with parentheses.

[0020] (1-1) In the bucket device of the present invention, there are provided a bucket (180) for receiving and holding solids supplied from the outside, a waterproof multi-axis robot (140) having a multi-joint structure that is detachably attached to the bucket (180) and supports the bucket (180) so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, and a casing (120) that entirely covers the multi-axis robot (140) to form a sealed space.

[0021] (1-2) In the present invention, a plurality of windows (121a to 121e) are provided in the casing (120).

[0022] (1-3) In the present invention, the plurality of windows (121c to 121f) are openable / closable or detachable, and the bucket (180) can be taken out from the inner space of the casing (120) through the plurality of windows (121c to 121f).

[0023] (1-4) In the present invention, the multi-axis robot (140) has a hand unit (150) that supports the bucket (180) so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, and an injection nozzle (190) for injecting liquid is provided at the tip of the hand unit (150).

[0024] (1-5) In the present invention, the casing (120) has a drain (122d) for draining water at the bottom.

[0025] (1-6) In the present invention, the casing (120) includes an input pipe (122p) for receiving solids, a temporary storage box (123) capable of temporarily storing the solids received through the input pipe (122p) in a predetermined amount, and a rotation mechanism (124) that tilts the temporary storage box (123) by rotating it in response to the lowering of the bucket (180) via the hand unit (150), thereby pouring the solids from the temporary storage box (123) into the bucket (180).

[0026] (2) Embodiments of the present invention Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiments in the present invention are specific examples, and even when various modifications are made to the components, they are included in the scope of the present invention.

[0027] In the embodiments of the present invention, it will be specifically described with reference to the following FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. 1 is a simple perspective view showing the overall configuration of the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the specific configuration when the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the front. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the specific configuration when the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed obliquely from the rear. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the tablet receiving box portion, which is a part of the casing of the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the state before the tablets are put into the bucket from the temporary tablet receiving box. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the tablet receiving box portion, which is a part of the casing of the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the state when the tablets are being put into the bucket from the temporary tablet receiving box. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the configuration of the tablet discharge box portion, which is a part of the casing of the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the state before the tablets are discharged from the bucket to the recovery container 300. FIG. 7 is a side view showing the configuration of the tablet discharge box portion, which is a part of the casing of the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the state when the tablets are being discharged from the bucket to the recovery container 300. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a perspective view of the multi-axis robot provided in the inner space of the casing of the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the multi-axis robot used in the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is side views (A) to (F) showing step by step the configuration of the rotation support portion in the bucket device according to the embodiment of the present invention and the movement of tilting the temporary storage box by the rotation support portion.

[0028] In the following description, for convenience, the direction of arrow ab is referred to as the vertical direction or the up-and-down direction, the direction of arrow a is referred to as the upward direction or the upper direction, and the direction of arrow b is referred to as the downward direction or the lower direction. Also, in FIG. 9, the horizontal rotation direction is the direction of arrow cd that can rotate in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the up-and-down direction (arrow ab direction), the direction of arrow c is the left rotation direction, and the direction of arrow d is the right rotation direction. Further, the vertical rotation direction is the direction of arrow ef that can rotate about the axis X orthogonal to the up-and-down direction (arrow ab direction), the direction of arrow e is the upward rotation direction, and the direction of arrow f is the downward rotation direction. Note that these directions are used for convenience of explanation and do not necessarily coincide with the directions in actual use.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the bucket lifter 100 is disposed between, for example, a production facility 200 disposed on the upstream side and a recovery container 300 disposed on the downstream side, and is provided as a part of the tablet recovery device 1 as a whole.

[0030] The bucket lifter 100 receives solids such as tablets and tablets used as, for example, medicine supplied from a supply pipe 210 provided at a lower position of the production facility 200 through an input pipe 122p (FIGS. 2 to 5) by a bucket 180, raises the bucket 180 to a predetermined upper position, and then discharges it into the recovery container 300, thereby recovering a large amount of solids in the recovery container 300.

[0031] In other words, the bucket lifter 100 is a lifter that fills the height gap between the supply pipe 210 of the production facility 200 and the receiving port 311 of the recovery container 300 by lifting the tablets supplied from the lower position of the production facility 200 above the upper position of the receiving port 311 of the recovery container 300 by the bucket 180 and then dropping them into the receiving port 311 of the recovery container 300.

[0032] The production equipment 200 is a machine that compression-molds into tablet form by instantaneously applying a strong pressure to the powder that forms the base of the tablets, and is arranged on the upstream side of the bucket lifter 100. The recovery container 300 stores the tablets discharged from the bucket lifter 100 and is used in subsequent processes.

[0033] Note that the machine arranged on the upstream side of the bucket lifter 100 is not limited to the production equipment 200, and may be other various production equipment for forming solid substances, inspection equipment for inspecting good or defective solid substances, etc.

[0034] Incidentally, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the production equipment 200 arranged on the upstream side is not shown, and only the bucket lifter 100 and the recovery container 300 arranged on its downstream side are shown.

[0035] In FIG. 1, only the bucket lifter 100 and the recovery container 300 are schematically shown. Hereinafter, the configuration of the bucket lifter 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. Before describing the configuration of the bucket lifter 100, the recovery container 300 will be briefly described.

[0036] <Recovery Container> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the recovery container 300 has a substantially inverted quadrangular pyramid-shaped tablet receiving portion 310 that receives the tablets from the bucket lifter 100, a cylindrical discharge pipe 318 provided below the tablet receiving portion 310, and a pedestal 320 on which the tablet receiving portion 310 is mounted.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 8, the tablet receiving portion 310 of the recovery container 300 has a cylindrical introduction pipe 312 connected to the receiving port 311, and the inner space of the tablet receiving portion 310 communicates with the inner space of the tablet discharge box portion 125 that forms a part of the casing 120 of the bucket lifter 100 through the introduction pipe 312.

[0038] Inside the inlet pipe 312 of the recovery container 300, a plurality of plate-shaped protruding plates 312a are provided so as to protrude alternately so as to face each other, and the falling speed of the tablets discharged from the bucket lifter 100 is slowed down through the plurality of protruding plates 312a, and the impact of the fall can be mitigated.

[0039] <Bucket lifter> As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the bucket lifter 100 includes a casing 120 erected on the floor surface or the like, a multi-axis robot 140 accommodated in the inner space of the casing 120, and a bucket 180 detachably provided at the tip side of the second arm portion 149 of the multi-axis robot 140.

[0040] The casing 120 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 as the front side and FIG. 3 as the back side. However, the front side and the back side are merely named for convenience of explanation. The casing 120 is a box-shaped body that houses the multi-axis robot 140 in its inner space and has a substantially S-shaped shape when viewed from the front side.

[0041] The casing 120 has a box-shaped main body box portion 121 that extends upward (in the direction of arrow a) by a predetermined height along the vertical direction (in the direction of arrow ab) from the floor surface or the like, a box-shaped tablet receiving box portion 122 that protrudes outward from a part of the lower end portion of the main body box portion 121, and a box-shaped tablet discharge box portion 125 that protrudes outward from a part of the upper end portion of the main body box portion 121 in the opposite direction to the tablet receiving box portion 122.

[0042] The main body box portion 121, the tablet receiving box portion 122, and the tablet discharge box portion 125 in the casing 120 are integrally formed and have an inner space large enough to seal the multi-axis robot 140 as a whole and not to hinder the movement of the multi-axis robot 140.

[0043] The main body box portion 121 of the casing 120 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long along the vertical direction (in the direction of arrow ab), and has a main window portion 121a on the wall surface on the front side and a control panel portion 121b on the side of the tablet receiving box portion 122.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, in the main body box portion 121, it is possible to visually confirm the state of the multi-axis robot 140 housed in the inner space of the main body box portion 121 through the main window portion 121a. However, this main window portion 121a is a viewing window and cannot be opened or closed.

[0045] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, on the wall surface on the back side of the main body box portion 121, there are a first sub-window portion 121c and a second sub-window portion 121d from top to bottom, and a third sub-window portion 121e is provided so as to straddle both the main body box portion 121 and the tablet receiving box portion 122 below the second sub-window portion 121d. Further, a fourth sub-window portion 121f is provided on the wall surface on the back side of the tablet discharge box portion 125.

[0046] The first sub-window portion 121c, the second sub-window portion 121d, the third sub-window portion 121e in the main body box portion 121, and the fourth sub-window portion 121f in the tablet discharge box portion 125 can all visually confirm the inside, and are openable / closable or detachable in consideration of the maintainability of the bucket lifter 100.

[0047] These first sub-window portion 121c, second sub-window portion 121d, third sub-window portion 121e, and fourth sub-window portion 121f are all of the same shape and the same size, and only the third sub-window portion 121e is provided horizontally.

[0048] In particular, the fourth sub-window portion 121f in the tablet discharge box portion 125 has at least a size that allows the bucket 180 attached to the tip side of the second arm portion 149 of the multi-axis robot 140 to be taken out to the outside. In the casing 120, it is possible to take out the bucket 180 from the first sub-window portion 121c, the second sub-window portion 121d, and the third sub-window portion 121e to the outside.

[0049] The tablet receiving box portion 122 is a box-shaped member formed integrally with the main body box portion 121 and having an inner space communicating with the main body box portion 121. It has an input pipe 122p having a cylindrical shape for receiving tablets supplied from the production facility 200, and a drain 122d for discharging the water accumulated at the bottom of the tablet receiving box portion 122.

[0050] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the tablet receiving box portion 122 has an inclined bottom plate 128 that is inclined to efficiently guide the water accumulated at the bottom of the tablet receiving box portion 122 to the drain 122d. The inclined bottom plate 128 is a plate-shaped member that gently inclines upward (in the direction of arrow a) as it moves away from the drain 122d.

[0051] However, since the bucket lifter 100 is of the wet-down type and the bottom surface and inner wall surface of the casing 120 are wet or moist, the components of the tablets do not scatter. Therefore, the inclined bottom plate 128 is not an essential element, and a bottom plate that is flat and not inclined in the horizontal direction may be used.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the input pipe 122p of the tablet receiving box portion 122 has a first input pipe portion 122pa and a second input pipe portion 122pb that branch into two at the upper part for receiving tablets.

[0053] The first input pipe portion 122pa of the input pipe 122p is composed of a cylindrical pipe-shaped member that linearly extends upward (in the direction of arrow a) along the vertical direction (in the direction of arrow ab). The upper part (in the direction of arrow a) thereof is arranged to protrude outside the tablet receiving box portion 122, and the lower part (in the direction of arrow b) thereof is accommodated in the inner space of the tablet receiving box portion 122.

[0054] The second input pipe portion 122pb of the input pipe 122p is composed of a cylindrical pipe-shaped member that branches off from a location where the first input pipe portion 122pa protrudes outside the tablet receiving box portion 122 and extends obliquely upward, and is an inlet for receiving tablets supplied from the production facility 200. Note that the tip portion of the second input pipe portion 122pb slightly enters the supply pipe 210 (FIG. 8) of the production facility 200. The first input pipe portion 122pa of the input pipe 122p is also a cylindrical pipe-shaped member for receiving tablets supplied from the production facility 200, and depending on the shape of the supply pipe of the production facility in the previous process, it is possible to use this instead of the second input pipe portion 122pb.

[0055] The tablet receiving box portion 122 has a rectangular box-shaped temporary tablet receiving box 123 arranged in a plan view such that the end portion on the lower side (in the direction of arrow b) of the first input pipe portion 122pa enters the slit 123s in its inner space.

[0056] The temporary tablet receiving box 123 has an opening on the side closer to the bucket 180 and does not have an opening on the opposite side. That is, the temporary tablet receiving box 123 can supply tablets to the bucket 180 from the opening. The temporary tablet receiving box 123 has an opening lid 123a at the opening on the side closer to the bucket 180.

[0057] This temporary tablet receiving box 123 has a predetermined capacity that is less than the capacity (number) of tablets that can be accommodated in the bucket 180. Specifically, the temporary tablet receiving box 123 has a capacity such that even when all the tablets are supplied from the temporary tablet receiving box 123 to the bucket 180, the bucket 180 will not overflow.

[0058] However, the temporary tablet receiving box 123 has a sufficient capacity to accommodate the tablets without overflow even when the tablets are being discharged from the bucket 180 to the recovery container 300 or when the bucket 180 is being moved by the multi-axis robot 140 and it is not possible to supply tablets from the temporary tablet receiving box 123 to the bucket 180.

[0059] In addition, the temporary tablet receiving box 123 has a slit 123s formed along the longitudinal direction on its upper wall portion, and a portion below the first input pipe portion 122pa (in the direction of arrow b) enters through the slit 123s.

[0060] Also, since the temporary tablet receiving box 123 has an opening lid 123a rotatably provided on the side of the bucket 180, when it is tilted away from the bucket 180, the opening lid 123a does not open, but when it is tilted closer to the bucket 180, the opening lid 123a opens.

[0061] This temporary tablet receiving box 123 is rotatably supported by a rotation support portion 124 as a rotation mechanism. The rotation support portion 124 has a shaft portion 124i, and a box support portion 124a, a force receiving portion 124b, and a weight bar 124c as a weight that respectively extend radially around the shaft portion 124i. These box support portion 124a, force receiving portion 124b, and weight bar 124c are arranged at predetermined angles apart from each other around the shaft portion 124i.

[0062] The box support portion 124a of the rotation support portion 124 is integrally formed with the shaft portion 124i, and is a rod-shaped member that supports the bottom wall portion of the temporary tablet receiving box 123 with the tip of the box support portion 124a fixed thereto. Therefore, the box support portion 124a rotates together with the shaft portion 124i, and it is possible to tilt the temporary tablet receiving box 123 around the shaft portion 124i.

[0063] The force receiving portion 124b is an L-shaped rod-shaped member integrally formed with the shaft portion 124i, and its tip portion can contact the bottom wall portion 181 (FIGS. 6 and 7) of the bucket 180. Therefore, when the bucket 180 is moved downward (in the direction of arrow b) by the multi-axis robot 140, when the tip portion of the force receiving portion 124b contacts the bottom wall portion 181 of the bucket 180, the force receiving portion 124b is pushed downward (in the direction of arrow b) while remaining in contact with the bucket 180.

[0064] Note that a bearing 124bb is attached to the tip of the effort point portion 124b. As a result, the friction when the bottom wall portion 181 of the bucket 180 and the tip of the effort point portion 124b come into contact and slide is reduced by the bearing 124bb, and the movement of the pivot support portion 124 can be smoothed by the rotation of the bearing 124bb.

[0065] However, the bearing 124bb is not essential in the pivot support portion 124. If the frictional resistance when the bottom wall portion 181 of the bucket 180 and the tip of the effort point portion 124b come into contact and slide is sufficiently small, the bearing 124bb may not be provided at the tip of the effort point portion 124b.

[0066] The weight bar 124c is a rod-shaped member formed integrally with the shaft portion 124i, and as a whole, it serves as the weight of the pivot support portion 124. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the pivot support portion 124 is not pushed downward (in the direction of arrow b) even when the bucket 180 is in contact with the force receiving portion 124b, the weight of the weight bar 124c can tilt the tablet temporary receiving box 123 away from the bucket 180.

[0067] In the pivot support portion 124, the shaft portion 124i is the fulcrum, the tip of the effort point portion 124b is the effort point, and the tip of the box support portion 124a is the point of action. According to the vertical movement of the bucket 180, the tablet temporary receiving box 123 can be tilted away from or closer to the bucket 180.

[0068] In this way, the pivot support portion 124 can tilt the tablet temporary receiving box 123 by a mechanical structure that only matches the vertical movement (in the direction of arrow ab) of the bucket 180 without using a driving force such as a motor.

[0069] However, it is not limited to this. In the bucket lifter 100, a proximity sensor (non-contact sensor) may be arranged near the tablet temporary receiving box 123. When it is detected that the bucket 180 has moved to the lowest position (in the direction of arrow b) (FIG. 5), the tablet temporary receiving box 123 may be tilted closer to the bucket 180 by a motor or the like.

[0070] On the one hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the tablet discharge box portion 125 of the casing 120 has a substantially funnel-shaped tray portion 126 connected to the introduction pipe 312 of the above-described tablet receiving portion 310. The tray portion 126 of the tablet discharge box portion 125 is provided at a position corresponding to the receiving port 311 of the tablet receiving portion 310 on the bottom wall portion 125c of the tablet discharge box portion 125.

[0071] Therefore, in the tablet discharge box portion 125 of the casing 120 and the recovery container 300, the inner space of the tablet discharge box portion 125 and the inner space of the tablet receiving portion 310 communicate with each other through the tray portion 126 and the introduction pipe 312.

[0072] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the multi-axis robot 140 is, for example, a multi-axis vertical articulated robot, and the carrying weight by the bucket 180 is, for example, at most 15 kg, and the maximum carrying speed is, for example, 500 mm / s.

[0073] In addition, the multi-axis robot 140 may have any number of axes such as 5 axes, 6 axes, 7 axes, etc. as long as it can realize the movement required by the bucket lifter 100. In FIG. 8, the first sub-window portion 121c, the second sub-window portion 121d, the third sub-window portion 121e, and the fourth sub-window portion 121f of the casing 120 are not shown.

[0074] In addition, the multi-axis robot 140 has a waterproof specification for all axes. In this case, the multi-axis robot 140 is equivalent to, for example, IP67 in the IP standard for waterproof and dustproof. Therefore, the multi-axis robot 140 can be washed with a liquid such as water while its entire body is accommodated in the inner space of the casing 120.

[0075] The multi-axis robot 140 includes a control unit 141 and a hand unit 150. The hand unit 150 of the multi-axis robot 140 has a rotation support portion 142, a holding portion 143, a first arm portion 145, a first turning portion 147, a second arm portion 149, a second turning portion 151, and a bucket 180, etc.

[0076] The control unit 141 of the multi-axis robot 140 houses motors, motor controllers, etc. therein, and can drive and control the holding part 143, the first arm part 145, the first turning part 147, the second arm part 149, and the second turning part 151 of the hand unit 150.

[0077] Thereby, the control unit 141 can realize movements similar to those of a human arm with respect to the hand unit 150, and can move the bucket 180 to an arbitrary position or tilt the bucket 180 at a predetermined angle within the inner space of the casing 120.

[0078] The rotation support part 142 of the multi-axis robot 140 is provided between the control unit 141 and the holding part 143, and is a bearing mechanism composed of a bearing or the like that rotatably supports the holding part 143 in the horizontal rotation direction (arrow cd direction).

[0079] The holding part 143 of the multi-axis robot 140 is rotatably supported in the horizontal rotation direction (arrow cd direction) via the rotation support part 142 disposed between the control unit 141 and the holding part 143, and rotatably supports one end of the first arm part 145 in the vertical rotation direction (arrow ef direction).

[0080] One end of the first arm part 145 of the multi-axis robot 140 is rotatably supported with respect to the holding part 143 in the vertical rotation direction (arrow ef direction), and the first turning part 147 is attached to the other end thereof, and it is an arm part having a predetermined length and formed of a rectangular tube shape as a whole.

[0081] The first turning part 147 of the multi-axis robot 140 is rotatably supported with respect to the other end of the first arm part 145 in the vertical rotation direction (arrow ef direction), and the second arm part 149 is integrally fixed to the end of the first turning part 147 in the X-axis direction.

[0082] The second arm portion 149 of the multi-axis robot 140 is an arm portion having a rectangular tube shape with a predetermined length fixed to the end of the first turning portion 147. Therefore, the first arm portion 145 and the second arm portion 149 together have a length that can reach any location or at least the vicinity of the inner space of the casing 120. The second arm portion 149 has a second turning portion 151 attached to its tip.

[0083] The second turning portion 151 of the multi-axis robot 140 has a base portion 151a fixed to the tip of the second arm portion 149, and a turning shaft portion 151b rotatably attached to the base portion 151a in the vertical rotation direction (arrow ef direction).

[0084] The bucket 180 of the multi-axis robot 140 is fixed to the turning shaft portion 151b of the second turning portion 151. Therefore, when the turning shaft portion 151b rotates in the vertical rotation direction (arrow ef direction) with respect to the base portion 151a of the second turning portion 151, the bucket 180 rotates (swings) in the vertical rotation direction (arrow ef direction) together with the turning shaft portion 151b.

[0085] The bucket 180 has a shape of a frustum of a quadrangular pyramid in plan view and has a simple bucket shape large enough to accommodate a large amount of tablets. The bucket 180 has a flat rectangular bottom wall portion 181, first side wall portions 182 and 183 that are trapezoidal in side view and extend upward in parallel from the bottom wall portion 181, and second side wall portions 184 and 185 that are rectangular and extend obliquely so as to be spaced apart from each other as they extend upward from the bottom wall portion 181.

[0086] The bucket 180 is detachably attached to the turning shaft portion 151b of the second turning portion 151. Therefore, the bucket 180 can be taken out from the first sub-window portion 121c, the second sub-window portion 121d, the third sub-window portion 121e, or the fourth sub-window portion 121f of the casing 120 to the outside.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 8, a nozzle head 190 (shown only in Fig. 8), which is formed in a small spherical shape and can radially eject water in all 360-degree directions as a water-washing injection nozzle, is provided near the second turning part 151.

[0088] That is, the nozzle head 190 is provided near the bucket 180 and can move to any position in the inner space of the casing 120 together with the second arm part 149 of the hand unit 150.

[0089] The nozzle head 190 is connected to a hose 191 having stretchable flexibility. The length and mounting position of the hose 191 are set so that it does not get entangled with the second arm part 149 with respect to the movement of the hand unit 150.

[0090] The hose 191 is drawn out to the outside of the main body box part 121 in the casing 120 and is connected to a water supply pipe 193 via a valve 192. Therefore, in the bucket lifter 100, when water-washing the inside space of the bucket 180 and the casing 120, it is possible to open the valve 192 and eject water from the nozzle head 190.

[0091] <Operation of the bucket lifter> In the bucket lifter 100 with the above configuration, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in the tablet receiving box part 122 provided on the lower side (in the direction of arrow b) of the casing 120, a plurality of tablets supplied from the upstream production facility 200 are received from the tablet temporary receiving box 123 by the bucket 180.

[0092] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10(A), the hand unit 150 of the bucket lifter 100 moves the bucket 180 downward (in the direction of arrow b) and brings the bottom wall part 181 of the bucket 180 into contact with the tip of the force receiving part 124b in the rotation support part 124. At this point, the force receiving part 124b is not rotating, and the tablet temporary receiving box 123 is also in the default inclined state.

[0093] As shown in Fig. 10(B), by further moving the bucket 180 downward (in the direction of arrow b) with the hand unit 150, the force receiving part 124b rotates counterclockwise in the drawing about the shaft part 124i.

[0094] As a result, the rotation support part 124 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing together with the force receiving part 124b with respect to the box support part 124a and the weight bar 124c, and the tablet temporary receiving box 123 starts to rotate counterclockwise in the drawing.

[0095] As shown in Figs. 10(C) to 10(E), by further moving the bucket 180 downward (in the direction of arrow b) with the hand unit 150, the force receiving part 124b rotates counterclockwise in the drawing about the shaft part 124i, and accordingly the tablet temporary receiving box 123 rotates and eventually becomes substantially horizontal.

[0096] As shown in Fig. 10(F), if the bucket 180 is further moved downward (in the direction of arrow b) continuously by the hand unit 150 thereafter, the bucket 180 is positioned below the tablet temporary receiving box 123 (in the direction of arrow b), and the tablet temporary receiving box 123 is in a state of tilting toward the bucket 180. As a result, the opening lid 123a of the tablet temporary receiving box 123 opens, and a large number of tablets flow into the bucket 180.

[0097] In the bucket lifter 100, since the tablets from the production facility 200 are received by the bucket 180 via the tablet temporary receiving box 123, the hand unit 150 is driven and controlled by the multi-axis robot 140, and the bucket 180 is moved upward (in the direction of arrow a) in the main body box part 121 of the casing 120.

[0098] Thereafter, in the bucket lifter 100, as shown in Fig. 6, the holding part 143 is rotated in the horizontal rotation direction (in the direction of arrow cd) via the rotation support part 142, and by driving the first arm part 145 and the second arm part 149, the bucket 180 is moved above the tray part 126 of the tablet discharge box part 125.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 7, in the bucket lifter 100, by rotating the pivot shaft portion 151b of the second turning portion 151 to tilt the bucket 180 by about 90 degrees, a plurality of tablets held in the bucket 180 are discharged from the tray portion 126 through the introduction pipe 312 into the tablet receiving portion 310.

[0100] In this way, in the bucket lifter 100, the hand unit 150 of the multi-axis robot 140 can move like a human arm. After the bucket 180 moves linearly upward from below in the main body box portion 121 of the casing 120, the hand unit 150 can be rotated in the horizontal rotation direction (arrow cd direction) to tilt the bucket 180 by about 90 degrees.

[0101] Therefore, the bucket lifter 100 eliminates the need for a conventional discharge chute, so there is no risk of damage due to friction when the tablets pass through the inside of the discharge chute, not only can the production efficiency be improved, but also the overall size can be reduced.

[0102] By the way, as shown in Figs. 10(A) to (F), for the tablets continuously supplied from the production facility 200 during the time when the bucket 180 is not pressing down on the force receiving portion 124b of the rotation support portion 124, since the tablet temporary receiving box 123 has a capacity sufficient to accommodate them without overflowing, it can wait without overflowing until the bucket 180 returns.

[0103] In the bucket lifter 100, it is necessary to receive all the tablets from the production facility 200 through the bucket 180 into the tablet receiving portion 310 of the recovery container 300 and wash the inner space of the casing 120 and the bucket 180 before handling the next different type of tablets.

[0104] In this case, since the bucket lifter 100 can eject water from the nozzle head 190 provided near the second turning portion 151 of the hand unit 150, the nozzle head 190 is brought close to the vicinity of every part of the inner space of the casing 120 through the hand unit 150.

[0105] As a result, the bucket lifter 100 can wash all of the inner wall surface of the casing 120, the multi-axis robot 140 itself, the bucket 180, and the tablet temporary receiving box 123, etc. with the water sprayed in a 360-degree direction from the nozzle head 190, and can form a wet and damp state.

[0106] At this time, the water sprayed from the nozzle head 190 is also reflected by the inner wall of the casing 120 or drips as water droplets from the ceiling portion of the inner wall, etc. Therefore, the entire inner wall surface forming the inner space of the casing 120, the bucket 180, and the tablet temporary receiving box 123 can be completely wetted.

[0107] The washing water after washing the inner wall surface of the casing 120, the bucket 180, and the tablet temporary receiving box 123 with the water from the nozzle head 190 is guided to the drain 122d by the inclined bottom plate 128 provided in the tablet receiving box portion 122 of the casing 120, and is discharged to the outside from the drain 122d. At this time, the unnecessary washing water is discharged from the drain 122d, but it is not always necessary to completely discharge it. Since it is a wetting-down process, the washing water may remain on the surface of the inclined bottom plate 128.

[0108] Furthermore, the bucket lifter 100 has a plurality of first sub-window portions 121c, second sub-window portions 121d, third sub-window portions 121e, and fourth sub-window portions 121f that can be opened and closed or detached from the casing 120. Therefore, the user can also take out the bucket 180 from these window portions to the outside and directly wash or wipe it.

[0109] <Effect of the bucket lifter> According to the above configuration, the bucket lifter 100 disposed between the production facility 200 and the collection container 300 seals and houses the waterproof multi-axis robot 140 in the inner space of the casing 120, and provides a water washing function by the nozzle head 190 in the vicinity of the bucket 180 of the multi-axis robot 140. Thus, it is possible to wash the casing 120 and the multi-axis robot 140 with water, and the production efficiency is high and the overall size can be reduced.

[0110] (3) Other Embodiments of the Present Invention The bucket lifter 100 in the above-described embodiment has been described for the case where only water is used as the object to be sprayed for cleaning from the nozzle head 190. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various other liquids such as a cleaning liquid containing a neutral, alkaline, or acidic detergent may be used from the nozzle head 190 according to the application and the type of tablets.

[0111] In addition, the bucket lifter 100 in the above-described embodiment has been described for the case where the object is a solid such as a tablet or a pill. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the object may be a solid such as a soft drink, a candy, a supplement, or a food such as a capsule containing powder.

[0112] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can appropriately modify the bucket lifter 100 of the present invention in accordance with conventionally known knowledge. As long as the configuration of the present invention is still provided by such modifications, of course, it is included in the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0113] 100…Bucket lifter, 120…Casing, 121…Main body box part, 121a…First main window part 121a, 121b…Control panel part, 121c…First sub-window part, 121d…Second sub-window part, 121e…Third sub-window part, 121f…Fourth sub-window part, 122…Tablet receiving box part, 125…Tablet discharge box part, 122d…Drain, 122p…Input pipe, 122pa…First input pipe part, 122pb…Second input pipe part, 123…Temporary tablet receiving box, 123a…Opening lid, 123s…Slit, 124…Rotary support part, 124a…Box support part, 124b…Force receiving part, 124c…Weight bar, 124i…Shaft part, 124bb…Bearing, 125…Tablet discharge box part, 125c…Bottom wall part, 126…Receptacle part, 128…Diagonal bottom plate, 140…Multi-axis robot, 141…Control unit, 142…Rotary support part, 143…Holding part, 145…First arm part, 147…First swivel part, 149…Second arm part, 150…Hand unit, 151…Second swivel part, 151a…Base part, 151b…Swivel shaft part, 180…Bucket, 181…Bottom wall part, 182, 183…First side wall parts, 184, 185…Second side wall parts, 190…Nozzle head, 191…Hose, 192…Valve, 193…Water supply pipe, 200…Production equipment, 210…Supply pipe, 300…Recovery container, 310…Tablet receiving part, 311…Receiving port, 312…Introduction pipe, 312a…Protruding plate, 318…Outlet pipe, 320…Mounting stand.

Claims

1. A bucket for receiving and holding solids supplied from the outside, a waterproof multi-axis robot having a multi-joint structure that is detachably attached to the bucket and supports the bucket so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, and a casing that entirely covers the multi-axis robot to form an enclosed space A bucket device comprising.

2. A plurality of windows are provided in the casing The bucket device according to claim 1.

3. The plurality of windows are openable / closable or detachable, and the bucket can be taken out from the inner space of the casing to the outside through the plurality of windows The bucket device according to claim 2.

4. The multi-axis robot has a hand unit that supports the bucket so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, and an injection nozzle for injecting liquid is provided at the tip of the hand unit The bucket device according to claim 1.

5. The casing has a drain for draining the liquid downward The bucket device according to claim 4.

6. The casing includes an input pipe for receiving the solid, a temporary receiving box capable of temporarily receiving a predetermined amount of the solid received through the input pipe, and a rotating mechanism for rotating and tilting the temporary receiving box in response to the bucket descending through the hand unit, so that the solid flows from the temporary receiving box into the bucket The bucket device according to claim 1.

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