Centrifugal feeder unit and tablet inspection device comprising the same

Abstract

To provide a centrifugal feeder unit capable of rapidly supplying tablets at constant intervals and / or with a constant posture without damage to the tablets during a supply process, and a tablet inspection device including the same.SOLUTION: The centrifugal feeder unit comprises: an inner disk having tablets supplied thereto and rotating with a rotation axis thereof inclined relative to a vertical direction; an outer disk rotating while surrounding the inner disk and including a tablet-moving area in which the tablets received from the inner disk are moved; a fixed frame surrounding the outer disk; and a guide connected to the fixed frame, and including a guide surface at a position moved by a second angle from a top dead point of the inner disk in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the outer disk when viewed from above, being a portion in which the inner disk and the outer disk come into contact in a radial direction, and protruding from a starting position of a height of the outer disk in the vertical direction to an area of the inner disk in the rotational direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a centrifugal feeding unit that aligns and feeds objects by centrifugal force, and to a tablet inspection device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, tablets taken for medical purposes are mass-produced through an automated process in the medical field, and a process for inspecting defective products generated during the production process is required.

[0003] For example, during the process of producing tablets in an automated process, tablets with external defects such as foreign matter or contamination, cracks or partial damage due to contact or impact between tablets, deformation, or printing defects are removed through a defective product inspection process.

[0004] The process of inspecting the appearance of capsules or tablets having an oval or circular cross section has changed from visual inspection by an operator to automatic inspection using a tablet inspection device. Various types of tablet inspection devices for such automatic inspection have been proposed.

[0005] When automatically inspecting tablets using tablet inspection equipment, a commonly used method is to use a camera to photograph the tablet as it is being transported, to obtain an image of one side of the tablet, and then to photograph the other side of the tablet with the camera as the tablet is inverted and transported, and then to process the images of the front side of one side and the back side of the tablet to inspect for defects.

[0006] As an example of such technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a centrifugal supply device in which tablets are fed from a tablet feed section into a supply unit and a rotating plate, and the tablets supplied to the supply unit and rotating plate are moved in a line by the rotating plate to the upper part of the side of the supply unit while being adhered to the side of the supply unit by centrifugal force, and are then supplied to an appearance inspection device.

[0007] In the meantime, a guide cover for guiding tablets is provided in a conventional centrifugal feeder. However, since the inherent surface frictional force differs according to the manufacturing characteristics of the product, when the frictional force is small, there is no problem in feeding, but when the frictional force is large, there is a problem that the alignment state is poor or the feeding speed is significantly reduced due to the frictional force between the guide and the product. In addition, since tablets are transported at a high speed, they may be caught in the guide cover and broken. When a tablet is broken, not only the broken tablet but also the surrounding tablets are broken into pieces, and many tablets are damaged. In the worst case, the tablet supply is cut off and the user must remove the tablets caught in the guide cover, which reduces the work efficiency.

[0008] On the other hand, in the case of a centrifugal feeder, tablets are fed quickly and at uneven intervals, which places a load on the subsequent inspection equipment, and therefore a high-level processor is required.Therefore, a technology has been developed in which, instead of using a centrifugal feeder, grooves are formed in a conveying device and tablets enter and move in the grooves, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, but this has limitations in that the drum of the feeder must be replaced for each tablet, which requires a huge time / cost for drum replacement and is unsuitable for inspecting various types of tablets. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] KR 10-1689281 B [Patent Document 2] KR 10-2167067 B Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and aims to provide a centrifugal feeding unit and a tablet inspection device including the same that can quickly feed tablets at regular intervals and / or in a regular posture without damaging the tablets during the feeding process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a centrifugal feeding unit and a tablet inspection device as described below.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, a centrifugal supply unit is provided, which includes an inner disk to which tablets are supplied and which rotates with its rotation axis inclined relative to the vertical, an outer disk which rotates around the inner disk and includes a tablet movement area through which tablets transferred from the inner disk move, and a pocket guide connected to the outer disk, covering a portion of the tablet movement surface, and including a plurality of pockets into which the tablets enter.

[0013] In one embodiment, the pocket guide can include a pocket cover portion covering an outer surface of the outer disk, and a protrusion coupled to the pocket cover portion and extending onto the tablet moving surface to form the plurality of pockets.

[0014] In one embodiment, the pocket guide may be configured to be replaceable from the outer disc.

[0015] In one embodiment, the pocket guide includes a protrusion that protrudes from one side connected to the cover portion toward the rotation center of the outer disk and divides adjacent pockets, and the protrusion may have a circumferential width that decreases toward the rotation center.

[0016] In one embodiment, the pitch from apex of one protrusion to an apex of an adjacent protrusion may be less than or equal to twice the maximum width of a tablet fed into the centrifugal feeding unit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the protrusions may include a first curved surface connected to an adjacent protrusion and having a first radius of curvature.

[0018] In one embodiment, the protrusion may include a flat surface extending obliquely from the first curved surface.

[0019] In one embodiment, the apex of the protrusion is formed by a second curved surface having a second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature may be greater than the second radius of curvature.

[0020] In one embodiment, the plane is inclined to have a first angle θ with respect to the radial direction of the pocket guide, the first angle being greater than 0° and less than or equal to 60°, preferably the first angle being between 20° and 40°.

[0021] In one embodiment, the protrusion height of the protrusion may be less than or equal to twice the first radius of curvature, and may be greater than or equal to the first radius of curvature, and preferably, the protrusion height may be between 4 / 3 and 1.5 times the first radius of curvature.

[0022] In one embodiment, the cover portion may be folded to cover a portion of the underside as well as the outer surface of the outer disk.

[0023] In one embodiment, the centrifugal supply unit may further include a fixed frame surrounding the outer disc, and a guide connected to the fixed frame, which is located at a position shifted by a second angle from the top dead center of the inner disc in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the outer disc when viewed from above, which is a portion where the inner disc and the outer disc contact each other in a radial direction, and which includes a guide surface protruding into an area of ​​the inner disc along the rotation direction at a starting position of the height of the outer disc in a vertical direction.

[0024] In one embodiment, at the starting position of the guide surface, the outer disc is higher than the inner disc by a first distance, which may be between 1 / 2 and 9 / 10 of the width of the target tablet.

[0025] In one embodiment, the guide surface may have an angle that gradually decreases with respect to a horizontal plane along the direction of rotation.

[0026] In one embodiment, the guide includes a first portion having a longer radially inward protruding height along the rotational direction, and a second portion having a shorter radially inward protruding height along the rotational direction, the second portion being located rearward of the first portion in the rotational direction.

[0027] In one embodiment, the first portion may include a first vertical surface coupled to the guide surface and extending in a vertical direction.

[0028] In an embodiment, an end position of the guide surface in the rotation direction may be located at a top dead center position of the inner disc or spaced apart from the top dead center position of the inner disc in a direction opposite to the rotation direction.

[0029] In one embodiment, the guide may be located 5-10° ahead of top dead center of the inner disc.

[0030] In one embodiment, the rotor further includes a gate connected to the fixed frame and positioned in a rotational direction of the outer disk starting before a top dead center of the inner disk and passing through the top dead center, and the gate may include a first gate portion extending circumferentially outside an inner surface of the outer disk in the radial direction, and a second gate portion connected to the first portion and protruding inwardly from an inner surface of the outer disk in the radial direction along the rotational direction.

[0031] In one embodiment, the first gate portion is located at the top of the tablet movement area, and the distance from the lower end of the first gate portion to the upper surface of the outer disk may be shorter than the shortest distance among the height, width, and length of the tablet. Effect of the Invention

[0032] With the above-described configuration, the present invention can provide a centrifugal feeding unit and a tablet inspection device including the same that can quickly feed various tablets in a consistent posture and / or position without damaging the tablets. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view of a tablet inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic plan view of a tablet inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a centrifugal feeding unit included in a tablet inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is another schematic perspective view of a centrifugal feeding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is a plan view of a pocket guide of a centrifugal supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pocket guide of a centrifugal feeding unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of a pocket guide of a centrifugal supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of a pocket guide of a centrifugal supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of a pocket guide of a centrifugal supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 13 is a modified example of a pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 13 is a modified example of a pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 13 is a modified example of a pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is a modified example of a pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 13 is a modified example of a pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 13 is a modified example of a pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a centrifugal supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a centrifugal supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tablet for use in the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tablet for use in the present invention. [Figure 20] 18 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' of FIG. 17. [Figure 21] 18 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line BB' of FIG. 17. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of a modified centrifugal supply unit of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of a modified centrifugal supply unit of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a centrifugal supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a front view of the inner plate of the gate of FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line CC' in FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D' of FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of E-E' in FIG. [Figure 29] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vibrating screw feeding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a vibration screw feeding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 31] 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF' in FIG. 30. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a semiconductor device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention are provided in order to more completely explain the present invention to those having average knowledge in the art.

[0036] The shape and size of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0037] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of the known technology according to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. The terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions in the present invention, and may vary depending on the intention or practice of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions should be based on the contents of the entire specification. The terms used in the detailed description are merely for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present invention, and should never be limiting. Unless clearly differently used, singular expressions include plural meanings.

[0038] In this disclosure, expressions such as "comprise" or "comprises" are intended to refer to certain features, numerals, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and should not be interpreted as excluding the presence or possibility of one or more other features, numerals, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof other than those stated.

[0039] In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the unit of % means % by weight.

[0040] In this specification, terms such as "top," "upper," "upper surface," "lower," "lower," "bottom surface," "side," etc. are based on the drawings and may actually vary depending on the direction in which elements or components are arranged.

[0041] In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where the part is "directly connected" to another part, but also the case where the part is "indirectly connected" through another element in between.

[0042] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to each embodiment or example of the present invention. It should be noted that each embodiment or example described in this specification is merely limited to one embodiment or example, and can be combined with other embodiments or examples. Therefore, the reference to a claim in the claims corresponds to an example of an embodiment, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention should not be interpreted only in combination with the cited claim, and the combination with various claims is also included in the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0043] 1 and 2 show a schematic front view and a schematic plan view of a tablet inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tablet inspection device 1 is connected to a hopper provided inside or outside the device, and is supplied with tablets from a hopper connecting pipe 20 that supplies tablets to the inside of the device. The tablet inspection device 1 includes a vibration screw supply unit 100 that supplies the tablets at a predetermined speed, a centrifugal supply unit 200 that aligns the tablets transferred from the vibration screw supply unit 100 via rotating inner disk 220 and outer disk 230 and supplies them to a moving unit 300, a first moving unit 310 that adsorbs and moves the tablets that are aligned and supplied by the centrifugal supply unit 200, and a second moving unit 310 that inverts the tablets from the first moving unit 310. The moving unit 300 includes a second moving unit 320 that transfers the tablet to the moving unit 300, an inspection unit 400 that inspects the tablet while the tablet is moving through the moving unit 300 and includes a first inspection unit 410 that inspects the tablet moving through the first moving unit 310 and a second inspection unit 420 that inspects the tablet moving through the second moving unit, a control unit 600 that is connected to the vibration screw supply unit 100, the centrifugal supply unit 200, the moving unit 300 and the inspection unit 400 and judges the presence or absence of defects or the quality of printing according to the result of the inspection unit 400, and a sorting unit 500 that sorts and discharges the tablets according to the result judged by the control unit 600. Although not shown, the tablet inspection device 1 may include a tablet printing unit that prints on the tablet through a laser while the tablet is moving through the moving unit 300, and may also include a pre-inspection unit that judges the position / posture, etc. of the tablet before printing in the tablet printing unit.

[0045] In the tablet inspection device 1, tablets move around the device frame 10 at the upper part, and various equipment such as a vacuum forming unit, a driving motor, and a control unit can be disposed below the device frame 10.

[0046] Tablets may be broken by impact, and if broken, the broken powder may adhere to other tablets, causing changes in the dosage of the medicine, or may cause printing or inspection failures. In addition, when tablets are fed through the centrifugal feed unit 200, their posture and position may change due to centrifugal force, which may cause difficulties in inspecting / printing / judging the tablets in the subsequent inspection unit 400, printing unit, and control unit 600. It is also possible to take an image and analyze it to print or inspect at a precise position, but the complex process may cause accuracy problems, take time to judge, or require high system requirements.

[0047] Therefore, in addition to a method of supplementing with software, there is a demand for a device that mechanically controls the attitude and position at which tablets are fed and prevents the tablets from being damaged, and the present invention can meet such a demand.

[0048] The vibrating screw supply unit 100 supplies tablets supplied from a hopper to the centrifugal supply unit 200 by vibration, and includes a screw together with a vibrating structure, and not only transports the tablets but also serves to remove fragments and dust generated by broken tablets, preventing them from being supplied to the centrifugal supply unit 200.

[0049] Tablets are made by solidifying powder and are characterized by being vulnerable to impacts regardless of whether they are coated or not. In the process of pouring tablets into the hopper or in the process of transferring them to the vibrating screw feeding unit 100 via the hopper connecting pipe 20, they may break due to collision with the device or with each other, and the vibrating screw feeding unit 100 serves to remove such broken tablets and dust before feeding the tablets to the centrifugal feeding unit 200 while feeding a predetermined amount of tablets to the centrifugal feeding unit 200. The vibrating screw feeding unit 100 will be described later with reference to the drawings.

[0050] The centrifugal supply unit 200 rotates the inner disk 220 and delivers the tablets supplied from the vibration screw supply unit 100 to the outer disk 230 by the centrifugal force of the tablets, and then supplies the tablets to the moving part 300 while the outer disk 230 rotates. In the present invention, the centrifugal supply unit 200 includes at least one of the pocket guide 240, the guide 260, and the gate 270 in addition to the inner disk 220 and the outer disk 230, thereby providing a centrifugal supply unit 200 that supplies tablets supplied from the centrifugal supply unit 200 at a predetermined position and / or posture, prevents damage to the tablets that may occur during the process of rotation or alignment in the centrifugal supply unit 200, and is easy to manage and improves work efficiency. The centrifugal supply unit 200 will also be described later with reference to the drawings.

[0051] The moving part 300 is a rotating disk-shaped structure, the inside of which is connected to the vacuum forming part, and the disk rotates with a groove formed on the attachment surface corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the disk communicating with the vacuum forming part. The moving part 300 has a structure that rotates the disk while adsorbing a tablet close to the attachment surface.

[0052] In the tablet inspection device 1 of the present invention, the centrifugal supply unit 200 is arranged on a plane, and is configured to transfer tablets to the moving part 300 in a state inclined at an inclination angle α outward from the centrifugal supply unit 200 so as to facilitate alignment of the tablets. Therefore, the first moving part 310 of the moving part 300 is configured in a disk shape, and the tablets are arranged inclined by the inclination angle α with respect to the vertical direction so that the tablets are transferred in an inclined state with an attachment surface parallel to the rotation axis.

[0053] The second moving part 320 is configured in a disk shape, has a vertical rotation axis, and is configured so that the attachment surface is inclined at the above-mentioned inclination angle α with respect to the vertical direction, and delivers the tablet moving in a state inclined with respect to the vertical direction from the first moving part 310. The tablet is turned over while moving from the first moving part 310 to the second moving part 320.

[0054] In the present invention, the first moving unit 310 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction, and the second moving unit 320 is arranged horizontally, so that the height of the tablet inspection device 1 does not increase, and it is possible to secure a space in which the inspection unit 400 and the printing unit can be arranged. The tablet inspection device 1 requires continuous management by the user, and if the height of the tablet inspection device 1 increases, it becomes difficult to manage and the time required for management also increases. However, the arrangement of the first and second moving units 310, 320 makes it possible to secure space while still providing convenient management.

[0055] The inspection unit 400 includes a plurality of cameras, and includes a first inspection unit 410 that inspects tablets moving in the first moving unit 310, and a second inspection unit 420 that inspects tablets moving in the second moving unit 320. When the tablet inspection device 1 includes a printing unit, the inspection unit 400 can further include a first pre-inspection unit that inspects tablets upstream of the printing unit in the first moving unit 310, and the first pre-inspection unit photographs the tablets before printing and provides the photographs to the control unit 600, thereby making it possible to correct printing in the printing unit. Similarly, the second moving unit 320 can further include a second pre-inspection unit that inspects tablets upstream of the printing unit. The inspection unit 400 can usually be configured with a combination of a 3D camera and a 2D camera.

[0056] The sorting unit 500 includes first to third sorting units 510, 520, 530 that determine whether the tablets are good or bad using the image captured by the inspection unit 400 and collect the good, bad, and unsorted tablets using the control unit 600. The sorting unit 500 may include air nozzles corresponding to the first to third sorting units 510, 520, 530, and the air nozzles blow air onto the tablets attached to the attachment surface of the second moving unit 320, causing the tablets to drop into one of the first to third sorting units 510, 520, 530.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a centrifugal feeding unit included in a tablet inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows another schematic perspective view of a centrifugal feeding unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the centrifugal supply unit 200 is installed on the device frame 10, and includes a fixed frame 210 that surrounds the inner and outer disks 220 and 230 and is connected to the device frame 10, an inner disk 220 that is arranged inside the fixed frame 210 and rotates around a rotation axis inclined relative to the vertical direction, an outer disk 230 that surrounds the inner disk 220 and rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the vertical direction as a center CoD, a pocket guide 240 that is attached to the outer periphery of the outer disk 230, a cover part 250 that is connected to the fixed frame 210 and covers the upper surface of the rotating outer disk 230, a guide 260 that includes a guide surface 262 that protrudes from the outer disk 230 toward the inner disk 220 and is connected to the cover part 250 or the fixed frame 210, and a gate 270 that is arranged downstream of the guide 260 in the rotation direction of the outer disk and drops the tablets on the outer disk 230 back to the inner disk 220 unless they are in a predetermined position. The centrifugal feeding unit 200 may also include air nozzles downstream of the gate 270 that spray air onto the tablets protruding from the outer disc 230 .

[0059] The fixed frame 210 is connected to the device frame 10 and forms the outer shape of the centrifugal supply unit 200. The fixed frame 210 has a cylindrical shape, and a rotating inner frame 220 and an outer frame 230 are rotatably supported, and other non-rotating components can be fixedly mounted thereon.

[0060] The inner disc 220 has a rotation axis inclined with respect to the vertical direction, is connected to the inner disc drive unit 225, and is connected to the inner disc drive unit 225 via a connection unit 224. The inner disc 220 may be configured to have one upper surface, but may also be configured to have multiple surfaces, and in this embodiment, has first to third surfaces 221, 222, and 223. The third surface 223 can be inclined to correspond to the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disc 230 at the top dead center TDP of the inner disc 220. Preferably, the first to third surfaces 221 to 223 are configured so that the inclination angles with respect to the rotation axis of the inner disc 220 become gradually gentler.

[0061] The outer disk 230 has a rotation axis parallel to the vertical direction and is connected to the outer disk drive unit 235. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer disk drive unit 235 has a structure for rotating the outer disk 230 through a gear at the bottom of the outer disk 230, but is not limited thereto. The outer disk 230 has a ring-shaped upper surface surrounding the inner disk 220, and the upper surface includes a tablet moving surface 231 that is inclined so that the height increases toward the inside of the rotation axis, that is, the height decreases toward the outside from the radial direction. The tablet moving surface 231 is inclined at an inclination angle α with respect to the horizontal plane. The tablet moving surface 231 includes a vertical surface 232 that extends vertically inside the tablet moving surface 231. The vertical surface 232 and the inner disk 220 cooperate to provide a space in which tablets supplied to the centrifugal supply unit 200 stay.

[0062] The pocket guide 240 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 15. Figures 5 to 6 show plan views and perspective views of the pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figures 7 to 9 show partially enlarged views of the pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 10 to 15 show modified examples of the pocket guide of the centrifugal supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] 5 and 6, the pocket guide 240 includes a part of the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230 and a pocket cover part 241 that covers the outer peripheral surface of the outer disk 230, and the pocket guide 240 is configured to be coupled to the outer disk 230 and rotate together. The pocket guide 240 includes a protrusion 242 that protrudes from the pocket cover part 241 so as to form a plurality of pockets 243 that accommodate tablets at predetermined positions when the tablets move from the inner disk 220 to the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230. The pocket guide 240 is configured to have a predetermined thickness, and preferably has a thickness of 1 / 2 or more of the tablet thickness so that the tablets do not pass through the pocket guide 240 and fall out to the outside.

[0064] A plurality of the pockets 243 are formed at regular intervals along the circumferential direction. That is, the protrusions 242 forming the pockets 243 protrude from the pocket cover portion 241 at regular intervals. In the present invention, by forming such pockets 243, the tablets are stored only inside the pockets 243, and the position at which the tablets are placed on the tablet moving surface 231 can be restricted, and the posture of the tablets can also be restricted. Therefore, even in the moving portion 300 that transfers the tablets from the outer disk 230, the tablets are supplied in a predetermined position and posture, and the burden on the inspection portion 400 can be reduced.

[0065] The pocket guide 240 rotates together with the outer disk 230, but is configured to be replaceable from the outer disk 230. For example, after the inner surface of the pocket guide 240 is fitted into the outer disk 230 to rotate together, if a change is required, the pocket guide 240 can be separated from the outer disk 230 and another pocket guide 240 can be fitted and used.

[0066] The pocket cover part 241 includes a first part 241a that covers the outer surface of the outer disc 230 and allows the pocket guide 240 to be fitted to the outer disc 230, and a second part 241b that is bent and extended from the first part 241a, disposed on the tablet moving surface 231, and connected to the protrusion 242. In addition, the pocket guide 240 may include a third part 241c (see FIG. 6) that is bent from the lower part of the first part 241a and folded onto the lower surface of the outer disc 230.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 7, the protrusions 242 form a pocket 243 together with the adjacent protrusions 242. The protrusions 242 are configured such that the width in the circumferential direction decreases toward the center of rotation so that the tablet T can easily flow into the pocket 243. The protrusions 242 include a first curved surface 242a having a first curvature radius R1, and a plane 242b extending from the first curved surface 242a toward the apex of the protrusion in a straight line at a first angle θ with respect to the radial direction RD of the outer disk 230. It is preferable that the first curvature radius R1 has a radius corresponding to the radius of the tablet T, but the pocket guide 240 can be used corresponding to the tablet T having a certain range of radii, and the first curvature radius R1 can have a radius of about the middle value in the radius range of the tablet T used.

[0068] In this manner, the protrusion 242 is formed to have the first curved surface 242a and the flat surface 242b, so that the center TC of the tablet T can be positioned away from the inner surface of the pocket cover portion 241 by a distance corresponding to the radius of the tablet T. That is, since the pocket guide 240 rotates together with the outer disk 230 and the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230 is configured to be inclined outward, the tablet that has risen to the tablet moving surface 231 is pushed outward in the pocket 243 by the flat surface 242b and the first curved surface 242a, so that the position of the tablet T can always be located at a constant position.

[0069] However, both the first curved surface 242a and the flat surface 242b are not essential, and the protrusion 242 may be formed only by the first curved surface 242a, or the protrusion 242 may be formed only by the flat surface 242b without the first curved surface 242a. In other words, the protrusion 242 may have various structures as long as it can form the pocket 243.

[0070] To form a pocket 243 for accommodating a polygonal tablet, the protrusion 242 may protrude along a first curved surface 242a corresponding to a circle or ellipse passing through the vertices of the polygon, or may protrude so as to have a flat surface 242b corresponding to the sides of the polygon rather than a curved surface.

[0071] The protrusion 242 has a pitch P, which is the distance between the apexes, and the pitch P may be constant and is preferably four times the radius of the tablet T, i.e., less than twice the diameter (maximum width) of the tablet T. It must be greater than twice the radius of the tablet T, i.e., the diameter of the tablet T, so that the tablet T can at least be inserted. As described above, when the pocket guide 240 is used for a certain range of radii of the tablet T, the pitch P can be determined based on the maximum radius.

[0072] In addition, the protruding height L of the protruding portion 242 is preferably equal to or greater than the first radius of curvature R1 of the first curved surface 242a corresponding to the radius of the tablet T, and is preferably equal to or greater than twice the first radius of curvature R1, and more preferably equal to or greater than 4 / 3 and equal to or less than 1.5 times the first radius of curvature R1. The protruding height L of the protruding portion 242 is related to the first angle θ and pitch P. If the protruding height L is low, the tablet T can move to the adjacent pocket 243 during the rotation of the outer disk 230, and if the tablet T is attracted to the moving part 300 during the movement, the tablet T may not be supplied to a predetermined position even though there is a pocket 243. Conversely, if the protruding height L exceeds twice the first radius of curvature R1, the pitch P increases and the number of tablets T supplied by the pocket guide 240 decreases at the same rotation speed, but the higher the protruding height L, the more difficult it becomes for tablets to enter the pocket 243, and the number of tablets T supplied decreases, which may reduce the overall supply efficiency.

[0073] As shown in Figure 7, when a circular tablet is placed in the pocket 243 formed by the protrusion 242, the center TC of the tablet T is always located at a constant distance from the center of rotation of the outer disk 230, and therefore the position at which it is handed over from the moving part 300 can also be constant.

[0074] FIG. 8 shows the center position of the triangular tablet TT when it is placed in the pocket 243, and FIG. 9 shows the center position of the triangular tablet TT when the pocket 243 formed by the protrusion 242 is not present.

[0075] In the case of a circular tablet, even if there is no protrusion 242, the center position of the conveying line may be constant due to the pocket cover part 241. However, as shown in FIG. 9, when there is no protrusion 242, when the triangular tablet TT is aligned by the pocket cover part 241, the difference CG2 between the centers TTC1 and TTC2 when the side of the tablet abuts against the pocket cover part 241 (TT1) and when the apex abuts against the pocket cover part 241 (TT2) is formed large, and the difference CG2 is about 1 / 4 of the radius of the circle passing through the apex of the triangular tablet. However, as shown in FIG. 8, when the pocket 243 is formed by the protrusion 242, the apex of the triangular tablet TT can be located further outward than the side, so the difference CG1 between the centers TTC1 and TTC2 when the corner abuts against the pocket cover part 241 (TT2) may be reduced compared to the difference CG2 in FIG. 9 above, and the difference CG1 is about 1 / 60 of the radius of the circle passing through the apex of the triangular tablet. Therefore, by forming the pocket 243 via the protrusion 242, the tablet TT can be provided to the moving part 300 in the centrifugal supply unit 200 with a small center deviation.

[0076] Meanwhile, the apex of the protrusion 242 may be formed sharply by joining the flat surfaces 242b, or may be formed as a second curved surface 242c having a second radius of curvature, or as a top surface 242d (see FIG. 10) parallel to the circumferential direction. In this case, it is preferable that the second radius of curvature is smaller than the first radius of curvature R1.

[0077] 10 to 15 show a modified pocket guide 240 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] 10, a protrusion 242 is formed to form a pocket 243 corresponding to a tablet so that the tablet T can be inserted. The protrusion 242 includes a first curved surface 242a having a first radius of curvature R1 corresponding to the radius of the tablet T, a plane 242b extending parallel to the radial direction RD, and a top surface 242d parallel to the circumferential direction CD between the planes 242b. In the case of this modification, it is difficult to insert the tablet T into the pocket 243, but the tablet T can always be positioned at the center of the pocket 243.

[0079] 11, the pocket guide 240 in the present invention can have a protrusion 242 in which the plane 242b of the protrusion 242 is inclined with respect to the radial direction RD, the protrusion height L of the protrusion 242 is smaller than the diameter of the tablet T, and the pitch P is four times or less than the radius of the tablet T. In this case, two tablets T cannot enter one pocket 243 and are caught on the top of the protrusion 242, and the tablet caught on the protrusion 242 in this way protrudes from the tablet moving surface 231 toward the inner disk 220 and falls. Therefore, by controlling the height of the protrusion 242, it is possible to prevent a plurality of tablets from entering one pocket 243 and being supplied to the moving part 300.

[0080] 12, the pocket guide 240 can have a protrusion 242 in which the flat surface 242b of the protrusion 242 is inclined with respect to the radial direction RD, the protrusion height L of the protrusion 242 is smaller than the diameter of the tablet T, and the pitch P is more than four times the radius of the tablet T. In this case, two tablets T are caught on the flat surface 242b of one pocket 243, and the tablets caught on the flat surface 242b of the protrusion 242 in this manner either protrude a small amount from the tablet moving surface 231 toward the inner disc 220 or do not protrude at all, and therefore can be supplied to the moving part 300 without falling onto the inner disc 220.

[0081] When the tablet is oval, as shown in Fig. 13, the first curved surface 242a can be formed to correspond to the oval tablet T. In this case, the height L of the protrusion 242 can be from 1 / 2 or more of the length of the minor axis of the oval tablet T to the length of the minor axis.

[0082] 14 and 15 show the shape of the protruding portion 242 when the tablet is a quadrangular tablet, for example, a diamond-shaped tablet T. As shown in FIG. 14, in the case of a diamond-shaped tablet T, the protruding portion 242 can be formed of a first curved surface 242a, a flat surface 242b, and a second curved surface 242c so as to correspond to the shape of the tablet T, but as shown in FIG. 15, it can also be formed of a first curved surface 242a and a second curved surface 242c, or a first curved surface 242a and a top surface 242d (see FIG. 10) corresponding to an ellipse surrounding the apex of the diamond-shaped tablet T. In this case, the height of the protruding portion 242 can be determined in proportion to the minor axis length of the ellipse, as in the case of the elliptical tablet in FIG. 13 above.

[0083] Table 1 records the diameter φ of the tablet T to be inspected, the height L of the protruding portion 242 of the pocket guide 240, and the supply state at the pitch P. The pocket cover portion 241 is formed so that the distance from the inside of the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230 to the bottom surface of the protruding portion 242 of the pocket guide 240 is greater than the diameter φ of the tablet. "Good" means that the tablet T was inserted into each pocket and transported to the moving section 300 with the center of the tablet T constant, "insufficient supply" means that the tablet T was not inserted into some pockets, and "poor position" means that the tablet T was transported to the moving section 300 with the center of the tablet T not constant.

[0084] [Table 1]

[0085] Reference Example 1 and Examples 1-4 are the results of tests performed on tablets of the same diameter while changing the height L and pitch P, and Reference Example 2 and Example 5 are the results of tests performed on tablets T of a diameter different from that of Examples 1-4. Reference Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1-3 and 5 are configured without the top surface 242d, with the flat surface 242b inclined at the first angle θ with respect to the radial direction RD, but the pitch P was increased by forming the first angle θ large. In the cases of Reference Examples 1 and 2, there were cases where multiple tablets T were placed in one pocket 243, and in the case of Example 4, as shown in FIG. 10, the flat surface 242b was configured parallel to the radial direction RD, and a protruding portion 242 having a top surface 242d was applied. In this case, tablets T were not inserted into some of the pockets 243, and a supply shortage occurred, but the position was not defective.

[0086] Considering the test results, it was found that a good supply state could be achieved if the plane 242b was inclined, the first angle θ was 0° to 60°, and the protrusion height L was between 2 and 4 times the first radius of curvature R1, and more preferably, the good supply state could be achieved if the first angle θ was 20° to 40°, and the protrusion height L was between 4 / 3 and 1.5 times the first radius of curvature R1.

[0087] 3, the cover part 250 is fixed to the fixed frame 210 with bolts 251, and covers a part of the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230. Specifically, the cover part 250 covers the outer disk 230 except for the guide 260, the gate 270, and the opening part 280 where the moving part 300 adsorbs the tablets on the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230.

[0088] FIG. 16 shows a plan view of a centrifugal supply unit 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 shows a partial perspective view of the centrifugal supply unit 200 with a guide 260 at the center.

[0089] As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, a guide 260 connected to a fixed frame 210 is disposed upstream of the top dead center TDP of an inner disk 220 in a rotation direction RoD, and a gate 270 is disposed on the guide 260 so as to pass through the top dead center TDP and cover a certain area.

[0090] The angle θG at which the guide 260 covers the upper surface of the outer disk 230 when the rotation center CoD of the outer disk 230 is the center, plus the angle θGE between the guide 260 and the top dead center TDP, is called a second angle, and the guide 260 starts from a position in the opposite direction of the rotation direction from the top dead center TDP by the second angle. The guide 260 is fixed to the cover part 250 or the fixed frame 210 by a bolt 261, similar to the cover part 250.

[0091] The guide 260 includes a guide surface 262 protruding from a start position SP that affects the tablet T. The start position SP is a position in the opposite direction of the rotation direction from the top dead center TDP by a second angle in the rotation direction, is at the height of the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disc 230 in the vertical direction, and is at the boundary between the inner disc 220 and the outer disc 230 in the radial direction, and the guide surface 262 is formed by a curved surface that protrudes from the start position SP toward the inner disc 220 along the rotation direction.

[0092] Since the inner disk 220 and the outer disk 230 have the same height at the top dead center TDP, the outer disk 230 at the start position SP of the guide surface 262 is located higher than the inner disk by a first distance L1. The first distance L1 may be smaller than the width W of the tablet T, but is preferably equal to or greater than 1 / 2 of the width W of the tablet T. If it is less than 1 / 2, the lower part of the tablet T contacts the guide surface 262, and the tablet T does not lie inside the inner disk 220 but moves to the opposite side, so that the tablet T may be impacted and broken by the subsequent guide surface 262, which is opposite to the lying direction of the tablet T. In addition, the first distance L1 is preferably equal to or less than the width W of the tablet T, but if it is greater than the width W of the tablet T, the guide surface 262 acts in a manner of pressing on the tablet T while rotating, and when a large number of tablets T move together, the tablet T may be broken by the pressing force. In order to stably lay the tablet T via the guide surface 262, it is preferable that the first distance L1 be 9 / 10 of the width W of the tablet T or less.

[0093] 18 and 19 show a rectangular tablet T and a circular tablet T. The width W of the tablet T means the short side when viewed from the printing surface direction in the case of a rectangular tablet, and means the diameter φ in the case of a circular tablet. In the present invention, the centrifugal supply unit 200 can print on the printing surface while passing through the moving part 300 only when the tablet is transferred to the moving part 300 with the printing surface or the surface opposite to the printing surface facing up. Therefore, when the tablet T is standing up with the printing surface not facing up, it is necessary to lay the tablet T down, and the guide 260 plays a role in increasing the probability that the standing tablet T will lie down via the guide surface 262.

[0094] 17, the guide 260 includes first and second vertical surfaces 265, 266 connected to the guide surface 262 and extending vertically, and the first vertical surface 265 guides the stacked tablets T to be in a single layer. In the upper space of the inner disk 220, the tablets T can rotate in a state where they are stacked in multiple layers rather than in a single layer. When the tablets T are transferred to the outer disk 230 in a stacked state and fall, they may be damaged due to friction between the tablets. Therefore, the first vertical surface 265 of the guide 260 also plays a role in arranging the tablets T moving in a stacked state in multiple layers so that only one layer remains.

[0095] Guide 260 starts from starting position SP and includes a guide surface 262 that forms a curved surface in the rotational direction, a first vertical surface 265 that extends vertically from guide surface 262 at a first portion 263 which is the front portion of the guide, a second vertical surface 266 that extends vertically from guide surface 262 at a second portion 264 which is the rear portion of the guide, and a bolt 261 that fixes the guide.

[0096] In the first portion 263, the guide 260 protrudes in the direction of rotation towards the inner disc 220, in the second portion 264 the protruding length is reduced again and at the end of the guide 260 it no longer protrudes in the direction of the inner disc 220. If necessary, the guide 260 can include a maintaining surface 267 between the first vertical surface 265 and the second vertical surface 266, where the protruding length is maintained.

[0097] 20 and 21 show cross-sectional views taken along lines AA' and BB' in FIG.

[0098] 20 and 21, the guide surface 262 is a curved surface, but when viewed in cross section, it is inclined at inclination angles θGS1 and θGS2 with respect to the horizontal plane. The curved surface of the guide surface 262 has the inclination angles θGS1 and θGS2 gradually decreasing along the rotation direction RoD. That is, the inclination angle θGS1 formed by the horizontal plane and the guide surface 262 at the start position SP is larger than the inclination angle θGS2 formed by the horizontal plane and the guide surface 262 at the intermediate position (θGS1>θGS2).

[0099] In this manner, the inclination angle that the guide surface 262 makes with the horizontal plane along the direction of rotation becomes smaller, so that the guide surface 262 makes the upright tablet T lie down along the direction of rotation.

[0100] The guide surface 262 initially guides the tablet T from the middle of the upright position to fall toward the inside of the inner disk 220, and gradually lays the tablet T down along the rotation direction via the inclination angle of the guide surface 262. Therefore, the tablet T is not damaged no matter what state it passes through the guide 260, and is stably ejected in a lying state by the guide surface 262.

[0101] The starting position of the guide 260 is important depending on the size of the tablet T, and since the size of the tablet T to be inspected may change, the guide 260 is replaceably mounted on the centrifugal supply unit 200 so that the starting position SP of the guide 260 can also be changed. The guide 260 is configured so that the length in the circumferential direction of the outer disk 230 differs so that the starting position SP can be changed according to the size of the tablet, and Figs. 22 and 23 show perspective views of the guide 260 that has been replaced due to a change in the size of the tablet T.

[0102] 22, when the size of the tablet T increases, the circumferential length of the gate 270 is increased, and the angle θGE formed by the end position of the guide 260 at the top dead center TDP increases. Therefore, the length of the guide 260 does not change, and the start position SP of the guide 260 located upstream of the gate 270 in the rotation direction RoD can be moved.

[0103] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 23, the starting position SP of the guide 260 can be moved by increasing the length of the guide 260 while leaving the gate 270 unchanged, thereby increasing the angle θG that the guide 260 occupies at the outer disk 230.

[0104] Even if the tablet T changes, the first distance L1 at the starting position SP of the guide 260 is maintained to be between 1 / 2 and 9 / 10 of the width W of the tablet T, making it possible to guide the tablet T so that it lies flat without being damaged as it passes through the guide 260.

[0105] On the other hand, it is preferable that the guide 260 ends 5 to 10° before the top dead center TDP. This is because after the tablet T is laid down by the guide 260, it moves from the inner disk 220 to the outer disk 230 while passing the top dead center TDP. If the end point is less than 5°, the posture of the tablet T that has passed through the guide 260 is not stable, and there is a high possibility that the posture of the tablet will fluctuate during the movement, and if it exceeds 10°, the posture of the lying tablet may be disturbed again by other tablets.

[0106] Fig. 24 shows a partial perspective view of a centrifugal supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 25 shows a front view of gate 270. Fig. 24 shows a partial perspective view focusing on gate 270. Figs. 26 to 28 show cross-sectional views taken along lines CC', DD', and EE' in Fig. 16.

[0107] The gate 270 is connected to the fixed frame 210 and is positioned downstream of the guide 260 in the rotational direction RoD, and includes a first gate portion 271 extending along the circumferential direction CD from outside the inner surface of the outer disk 230 in the radial direction RD of the outer disk 230, a second gate portion 272 connected to the first gate portion 271 and protruding inward from the inner surface of the outer disk 230 in the radial direction RD along the rotational direction RoD, and a bolt 278 connecting the gate 270 to the cover portion 250 or the fixed frame 210.

[0108] The first gate portion 271 is disposed above the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230 at a position following the guide 260 along the rotation direction RoD. The first gate portion 271 includes an inner plate 271a having a vertical surface and a lower surface 271b that is separated from the tablet moving surface 231 by a distance G1 corresponding to the height H of the tablet T and is parallel to the tablet moving surface 231. The inner plate 271a is formed such that the separation distance Lgate from the lower end to the tablet moving surface 231 is shorter than the shortest distance among the height H, width W, and length Lt of the tablet.

[0109] 26, while the tablet T passes through the top dead center TDP and moves from the inner disk 220 to the outer disk 230, the tablet attempting to enter the pocket 243 is blocked by the inner plate 271a with a short separation distance Lgate, blocking the tablet from entering between the lower surface 271b of the outer first gate portion 271 and the tablet moving surface 231. After passing a certain distance in the rotation direction, the lower end of the inner plate 271a rises to the position of the lower surface 271b, and accordingly, the tablet T that was blocked by the inner plate 271a enters between the lower surface 271b of the first gate portion 271 and the tablet moving surface 231.

[0110] The position where the tablet T blocked by the inner plate 271a enters, that is, the position where the lower end of the inner plate 271a rises to the position of the lower surface 271b, may be a position where the tablet T can protrude from the tablet moving surface 231 of the outer disk 230 and fall if the posture of the tablet T is unfavorable due to the inner plate 271a. That is, when a height difference occurs between the outer disk 230 and the inner disk 220, and the tablet on the outer disk 230 is prevented from falling by the tablet on the inner disk 220, for example, when the height difference between the inner disk 220 and the outer disk 230 is 1 / 2 or more of the height H or width W of the tablet T, the tablet T on the outer disk 230 may not be supported due to the height difference, even if the tablet T is on the outermost side of the inner disk 220.

[0111] Since a large number of tablets T move from the top dead center TDP at once, even if the tablets T are laid down by the guide 260, the posture of the tablets T may change during the transfer process, and if an attempt is made to immediately enter between the lower surface 271b and the tablet transfer surface 231 in that state, there is a possibility that the tablets T will be damaged.

[0112] In the present invention, the first gate portion 271 includes an inner plate 271a, which prevents a tablet moving from the top dead center TDP to the outer disk 230 from immediately entering under the gate lower surface 271b, thereby preventing the tablet T from being pinched between the lower surface 271b and the tablet moving surface 231 and being damaged. After the rapid movement is completed, the lower end of the inner plate 271a rises to a predetermined distance, and the tablet T lying down is naturally brought into the lower surface 271b and the tablet moving surface 231 by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the outer disk 230 and the inclination of the tablet moving surface 231. Also, if the tablet T is not lying down, it is blocked by the inner plate 271a and cannot enter the space between the lower surface 271b and the tablet moving surface 231.

[0113] The position where the inner plate 271a blocks the tablet T at the top dead center TDP, i.e., the distance between the inner plate 271a and the inner surface of the outer disk 230, may be about 1 / 2 of the width W of the tablet T when the tablet T is aligned so that its length L direction coincides with the circumferential direction. The distance between the inner plate 271a and the inner surface of the outer disk 230 varies depending on the size of the tablet, but if the distance exceeds 1 / 2 of the width, there is a possibility that the tablet T will not fall from the outer disk 230 by its own weight even if the length direction of the tablet T coincides with the radial direction.

[0114] The second gate portion 272 also includes an inner plate 272a and a lower surface 272b that is spaced from the tablet moving surface 231 by a distance G1 corresponding to the height H of the tablet T and is parallel to the tablet moving surface 231. The inner plate 272a is configured by extending the inner plate 271a of the first gate portion 271, and the lower surface 272b may also be an extension of the lower surface 271b of the first gate portion 271.

[0115] In the second gate portion 272, the inner plate 272a is formed to have a radius of curvature R2 from a radial center C2 when viewed in a plane (see FIG. 16). At this time, since the radius of curvature R2 is smaller than the distance from the rotation center CoD of the outer disk 230 to the first gate portion 271, the second gate portion 272 is configured to protrude from the outer disk 230 along the rotation direction.

[0116] 25, the lower end of the inner plate 272a rises in accordance with the inclined tablet moving surface 231. It plays a role in pushing out the tablets T that do not enter the space between the lower surface 271b and the tablet moving surface 231 in the second gate portion 272 from the outer disk 230 via the inner plate 272a.

[0117] The gate 270 prevents the moving tablets T from immediately entering the space between the lower surface 271b of the gate 270 and the tablet moving surface 231, preventing them from being damaged by being pinched, and allows only lying tablets T to enter the space between the lower surface 271b of the gate 270 and the tablet moving surface 231, with the rest falling from the outer disk 230 to the top of the inner disk 220, thereby allowing the tablets T to be aligned in a specified position without being damaged.

[0118] In this embodiment, the gate 270 has been described as having a structure to which the inner plates 271a and 272a are attached. However, the inner plates 271a and 272a may be formed as an integral part of the gate 270 rather than as separate components.

[0119] Figures 29 to 31 show the vibrating screw supply unit 100. Specifically, Figure 29 shows a schematic perspective view of the vibrating screw supply unit 100, Figure 30 shows an exploded perspective view of the vibrating screw supply unit 100, and Figure 31 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F' in Figure 30.

[0120] The vibrating screw supply unit 100 includes a vibration section 170 connected to the hopper connecting pipe 20 to move the tablets supplied thereto by vibration, a screw moving section 120 to receive the tablets supplied from the vibration section 170 and move them to the centrifugal supply unit, and a pillar section 110 connected to the device frame 10.

[0121] The vibration unit 170 is disposed at a position higher than the screw moving unit 120 and the pillar unit 110, and includes an inclined surface. The vibration unit 170 is connected to the vibration generating unit 180 via a vibration transmitting pillar 175 connected to the vibration generating unit 180 disposed at the lower part of the device frame 10, and moves the tablet T along the inclined surface to the screw moving unit 120 by the vibration transmitted by the vibration generating unit 180.

[0122] The vibration generating unit 180 is connected to the above-mentioned control unit 600, and the amount of vibration is adjusted according to the amount of tablets T stored on the upper part of the inner disk 220 of the centrifugal supply unit 200, and the amount of tablets T transmitted to the screw moving unit 120 is adjusted.

[0123] The screw moving section 120 includes a plurality of screws 141 extending in the tablet moving direction and having a spiral protrusion 142 formed thereon, a screw gear 144 formed at the end of the screw 141, a connecting bar 143 connecting the screw gear 144 and the screw 141, a drive motor 130 providing power to rotate the screw 141, and gears 131, 145 transmitting power between the drive motor 130 and the screw gear 144.

[0124] The screw 141 includes first to eighth screws (141a to h), and the first to eighth screws (141a to h) are each formed with a spiral protrusion 142. When the screw 141 rotates, the spiral protrusion 142 moves the tablet T placed on the upper part of the screw 141 in the extension direction of the screw, i.e., in the tablet movement direction.

[0125] The screw gears 144 arranged at the ends of the screws 141 mesh with each other, so that the first to eighth screws (141a to h) rotate in opposite directions to the adjacent screws 141, and accordingly, the helical protrusions 142 are also formed to rotate in opposite directions to each other in the adjacent screws 141. Since the protrusions 142 are formed on the screws 141, a gap g corresponding to at least the height of the protrusions 142 is formed between the screws 141.

[0126] A collecting section 150 is disposed below the screw moving section 120, covering the area where the screw 141 is disposed and inclined downward toward the column section 110. The collecting section 150 is connected to the vacuum forming section 190 on the column section 110 side.

[0127] The tablets T supplied through the hopper connecting pipe 20 are supplied to the screw moving section 120 by tilting and vibrating from the vibration section 170. In the screw moving section 120, the tablets T supplied from the vibration section 170 are moved by the rotation of the screw 141, dropped from the end, and dropped onto the top of the inner disk 220 of the centrifugal supply unit 200.

[0128] In the process of being supplied from the hopper connecting pipe 20, a large amount of tablets T are supplied at once, and therefore, the tablets T may be damaged due to collision between the tablets T. In this manner, in the case of the vibration unit 170, since the tablets T are moved by transmitting vibration, even if there are damaged tablets T, it is not easy to remove the tablets T. In one embodiment of the present invention, a screw moving unit 120 is further disposed in the vibration unit 170, and the gap g formed by the screw moving unit 120 allows the broken tablets T to fall into the collection unit 150, so that the broken tablets T can be removed and transmitted to the centrifugal supply unit 200.

[0129] In particular, in the screw moving part 120, since the spiral protrusion 142 rotates, it is easy to move the tablet T, and it is also easy to discharge the debris mixed in the tablet T to the lower part. In addition, the collecting part 150 is connected to the vacuum forming part 190, so that fine powder can also be sucked into the vacuum forming part 190, and the debris and fragments can also be discharged.

[0130] In addition, in the vibration screw supply unit 100, the supply amount is adjusted by the vibration amount of the vibration part 170, and the screw moving part 120 always rotates at a constant speed. The screw moving part 120 plays a role of discharging debris as it moves, and since it is difficult to stably convey debris by the movement caused by the rotation of the screw 141 compared to the movement caused by the vibration amount of the vibration part 170, the supply amount is adjusted via the vibration part 170, and the screw moving part 120 is focused on moving at a constant speed and discharging debris, which has the advantage that debris can be removed while adjusting the supply amount.

[0131] As described above, the present invention has been described mainly with reference to an embodiment thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and it is possible to apply or modify only a part of the configuration of the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1: Tablet inspection equipment 10: Equipment frame 20: Hopper connecting pipe 100: Vibrating screw feeding unit 200: Centrifugal feeding unit 210: Fixed frame 220: Inner disc 221~3: 1st~3rd page 224:Joining part 225: Inner disc drive 230: Outer disc 235: Outer disk drive 232: Vertical plane 231: Tablet moving surface 240:Pocket Guide 241: Pocket cover part 242:Protrusion 242a: 1st curved surface 242b: Plane 242c: 2nd curved surface 242d: Top surface P: Pitch L: Projection height T: Tablet TC: Tablet core TT1, 2: Triangular tablets TTC1, 2: Center of triangular tablet CG1, CG2: Difference in center of gravity RD: Radial direction CD: Circumferential direction 250: Cover part 260: Guide 261: Bolt 262: Guide surface 263, 264: 1st and 2nd parts 265, 266: Vertical plane 267: Maintenance aspect SP:Start position 270: Gate 271: First Gate 272: Second Gate 278: Bolt 300: Mobile unit 310: First moving part 320: Second moving section 400: Inspection Department 410: First Inspection Department 420: 2nd Inspection Department 500: Classification department 510, 520, 530: 1st to 3rd classification section

Claims

1. an inner disk to which tablets are fed and which rotates with its axis of rotation inclined relative to the vertical; an outer disk that rotates around the inner disk and includes a tablet transfer area through which tablets transferred from the inner disk move; a stationary frame surrounding the outer disk; a guide connected to the fixed frame, the guide including a guide surface protruding into an area of ​​the inner disc along the rotation direction at a position shifted by a second angle from a top dead center of the inner disc in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the outer disc when viewed from above, the guide surface being a portion where the inner disc and the outer disc contact in a radial direction, and at a starting position of a height of the outer disc in a vertical direction.

2. At the start position of the guide surface, the outer disc is higher than the inner disc by a first distance; The centrifugal feeding unit of claim 1 , wherein the first distance is less than a width of a target tablet.

3. The centrifugal feeding unit of claim 2, wherein the first distance is between 1 / 2 and 9 / 10 of the width of a target tablet.

4. The centrifugal supply unit according to claim 3 , wherein the guide surface has an angle that gradually decreases with respect to a horizontal plane along the direction of rotation.

5. The centrifugal feed unit according to claim 1 , wherein the guide includes a first portion having an increasing radially inward protruding length along the direction of rotation.

6. The centrifugal supply unit according to claim 5 , wherein the guide includes a second portion having a length that protrudes radially inward along the rotation direction and that is shortened, the second portion being located rearward of the first portion in the rotation direction.

7. The centrifugal feeding unit of claim 6 , wherein the first portion includes a first vertical surface coupled to the guide surface and extending vertically.

8. The second portion includes a second vertical surface extending vertically from the guide surface, The centrifugal supply unit according to claim 7 , further comprising a maintaining surface disposed between the first portion and the second portion, the maintaining surface maintaining the protruding length.

9. 3. The centrifugal supply unit according to claim 2, wherein an end position of the guide surface along the direction of rotation is located at a position of a top dead center of the inner disk or away from the position of the top dead center of the inner disk in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation.

10. 10. The centrifugal feed unit according to claim 9, wherein the end position of the guide surface is 5 to 10 degrees before the top dead center in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation.

11. The centrifugal feeding unit of claim 10, wherein the guide is replaceable in the stationary frame.

12. a gate connected to the fixed frame, disposed downstream of the guide, and disposed downstream of the top dead center in the rotation direction; 4. The centrifugal supply unit of claim 3, wherein the gate includes a first gate portion extending circumferentially outside the inner surface of the outer disk in the radial direction, and a second gate portion connected to the first gate portion and protruding inwardly in the radial direction outside the inner surface of the outer disk along the rotational direction.

13. The centrifugal feeding unit of claim 12, wherein the first gate portion is located at the top of the tablet movement area, and the distance from the lower end of the first gate portion to the upper surface of the outer disk is shorter than the shortest distance among the height, width, and length of the tablet.

14. the outer disk includes a tablet moving surface on an upper surface thereof, the height of which decreases with increasing distance from the center of rotation; 3. The centrifugal feed unit of claim 2, wherein the inner disk includes a plurality of faces that are inclined to different degrees with respect to the axis of rotation, and the outermost surface of the plurality of faces forms the same inclination angle as the tablet movement surface at the top dead center.

15. A centrifugal feed unit according to claim 1; a moving unit that receives and moves the tablets from the centrifugal supply unit; an inspection unit that photographs the tablet while the tablet is being moved by the moving unit; A sorting unit that sorts tablets according to inspection results of the inspection unit.

Images