Conveyance device, and tablet printer

Abstract

To provide a technique for preventing dust of granules from being attached to a guide part via rubbing of the granules abutting on the guide part when conveying a plurality of granules while aligning them, thereby suppressing the occurrence of printing failure caused by re-attachment of the dust attached to the guide part to successive granules.SOLUTION: The conveyance device comprises a guide part 14 for forming a conveyance passage through which granules are conveyed in a line in a conveyance direction. The guide part 14 comprises a bottom face part 141 for supporting the granules conveyed on the conveyance passage 140 from below, and a top face part 142 for covering the conveyance passage 140 from above. The bottom face part 141 comprises a first groove part 70 that extends along the conveyance direction and is recessed downward at a portion including a center position in a width direction or vertically penetrates the bottom face part 141. Further, the top face part 142 comprises a second groove part 80 that extends along the conveyance direction and is recessed upward at a portion including the center position in the width direction or vertically penetrates the top face part 142.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device for conveying granular material and a tablet printing device having the conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Pharmaceutical tablets are printed with letters and codes to identify the product. Also, tablets such as Ramune candy may have marks and illustrations printed on them. Conventionally, printing devices that print images on granular materials such as tablets and candies using inkjet printing have been known. In particular, in recent years, the spread of generic drugs has led to a diversification of tablet types. For this reason, technology that prints clear images on tablets using inkjet printing has been attracting attention in order to make tablets easier to identify.

[0003] In this type of printing device, a large number of tablets are fed into an input hopper. The printing device aligns the fed tablets in a predetermined row in the conveying direction. Then, printing is performed on the aligned tablets that are conveyed. In addition to printing devices, inspection devices that inspect tablets and packaging devices that package tablets also need to convey the tablets while aligning them in the conveying direction.

[0004] A mechanism for conveying a plurality of tablets while aligning them in the conveying direction is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-004107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The tablet printing device (1) of Patent Document 1 has a first drum (20) that holds and conveys a plurality of tablets (9) at regular intervals in the conveying direction, and a supply mechanism (10) that supplies the plurality of tablets (9) fed into the tablet printing device (1) to the first drum (20) (see paragraphs 0039, 0040, 0044, Figure 1, etc.). A second chute (14) of the supply mechanism (10) is provided with a conveying path for the tablets (9). The tablets (9) in the second chute (14) are pushed by subsequent tablets (9) conveyed by a supply conveyor (13) provided upstream of the second chute (14) in the conveying direction, and thus proceed downstream in the conveying direction (see paragraph 0043).

[0007] A guide rail (15) is provided above the second chute (14). The guide rail (15) covers the upper surface of the conveying path for the tablets (9) in the second chute (14). The tablets (9) in the second chute (14) proceed downstream along the conveying path while being covered from above by the guide rail (15) (see paragraph 0087, Figure 1, etc.). As a result, as the tablets (9) proceed along the conveying path, they may come into contact with and rub against the upper guide rail (15), etc., and dust from the tablets (9) may adhere to them. In this case, the dust may re-adhere to subsequent tablets (9), potentially resulting in printing defects.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that can prevent dust from the granular objects from adhering to the guide rails, etc., when a plurality of granular objects such as tablets are conveyed while being aligned, due to the granular objects coming into contact with and rubbing against the guide rails, etc., thereby preventing dust that has adhered to the guide rails, etc. from adhering again to subsequent granular objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first invention of the present application is a conveying device for conveying granular materials, comprising an upstream mechanism and a guide unit. The upstream mechanism supplies a plurality of granular materials along a horizontal conveying direction. The guide unit forms a conveying path along which the granular materials supplied from the upstream mechanism are conveyed in a single file in the conveying direction. The guide unit has a bottom surface, a top surface, and a pair of side surfaces. The bottom surface supports the granular materials conveyed in the conveying path from below. The top surface covers the conveying path from above. The pair of side surfaces are each located between the bottom surface and the top surface in the vertical direction and face each other in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The bottom surface extends along the conveying direction and has a first groove portion that is recessed downward or that vertically penetrates the bottom surface portion in a portion including a central position in the width direction. The top surface portion extends along the conveying direction, and has a second groove portion that is recessed upward or penetrates the top surface portion in the up-down direction in a part including a central position in the width direction.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is the transfer device of the first aspect, wherein the first groove portion includes a through-hole that passes through the bottom surface portion in the vertical direction.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention is the conveying device of the first or second aspect, wherein the width of the first groove portion is 30% or more and 80% or less of the width of the conveying path.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the conveying device of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the width of the second groove portion is 30% or more and 80% or less of the width of the conveying path.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the conveying device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the upstream mechanism further includes a conveyor located upstream of the bottom surface portion in the conveying direction and configured to convey granular material toward the bottom surface portion, and the top surface portion and the second groove portion extend in the conveying direction from above the conveyor to above the bottom surface portion.

[0014] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the conveying device of any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the granular material is a tablet.

[0015] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a tablet printing device comprising the conveying device of the sixth aspect and a printing unit that prints an image on the surface of a tablet by inkjet printing. The tablet has a first surface facing the first groove and a second surface facing the second groove. The printing unit prints an image on the first and second surfaces of the tablet.

[0016] An eighth invention of the present application is the tablet printing device of the seventh invention, wherein the printing unit prints an image on the tablet in a range in the width direction narrower than the first groove portion and the second groove portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, while the granular objects are being conveyed along the conveying path, the granular objects come into contact with and rub against the bottom and top surfaces of the guide section, which prevents dust from adhering to these areas, thereby preventing the dust from adhering again to subsequent granular objects.

[0018] In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the dust can be dropped downward through the first groove portion, which further prevents the dust from adhering again to the following granular material.

[0019] In particular, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further prevent the granular material from coming into contact with and rubbing against the bottom surface while being conveyed along the conveying path, thereby preventing dust from adhering to the bottom surface. Furthermore, it is possible to move more dust downward while the bottom surface sufficiently supports the granular material.

[0020] In particular, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further prevent the granular material from coming into contact with and rubbing against the top surface portion while being conveyed along the conveying path, thereby preventing dust from adhering to the top surface portion.

[0021] In particular, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent dust and the like from adhering to the granular material being transferred from the conveyor to the upper surface of the bottom portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are side and top views of a tablet. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a tablet printing device. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the tablet printing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the guide portion cut in the vertical and width directions. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bottom surface of the guide portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the top surface of the guide portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the components described in these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, in the drawings, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary to facilitate understanding.

[0024] <1. About granular materials> First, we will explain the "granular material" to be transported. Figure 1 shows side views and plan views of four types of tablets 9, which are examples of "granular material." As shown in Figure 1, the tablet 9 has a first surface 9a and a second surface 9b that are circular or non-circular, and an annular side surface 9c that follows the periphery of the first surface 9a and the second surface 9b. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the tablet 9 may be a flat tablet, an oblong tablet, or an oval tablet. Furthermore, as shown in the tablet 9 in the lower right of Figure 1, a groove such as a score line 9d may be formed on both or one of the first surface 9a and the second surface 9b.

[0025] The tablet 9 may be an uncoated tablet (plain tablet), or may be a coated tablet such as a sugar-coated tablet or a film-coated tablet (FC tablet). The tablet 9 may also be a capsule, including a hard capsule and a soft capsule. The "granular material" in the present invention is not limited to pharmaceutical tablets, but may also be health food tablets or tablet candies such as Ramune soda.

[0026] <2. Overall configuration of tablet printing device> Next, a tablet printing apparatus 1 including a conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a tablet printing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This tablet printing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that prints images such as a product name, product code, company name, and logo mark on a first surface 9a and a second surface 9b of each tablet 9 while conveying a plurality of tablets 9, which are granular materials. Note that, hereinafter, the configuration of each part will be described assuming that the downward-facing surface of a tablet 9 conveyed along a conveying path 140 inside a guide unit 14 (described later) is the first surface 9a and the upward-facing surface is the second surface 9b.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the tablet printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a supply mechanism 10, a first drum 15, a second drum 20, a transport conveyor 25, a pre-printing imaging unit 30, a printing unit 35, a post-printing imaging unit 40, a drying mechanism 45, an inversion mechanism 50, a discharge mechanism 55, and a control unit 100. In this embodiment, a "conveying device" that conveys tablets 9 of the present invention is configured by a chute 12, a supply conveyor 13, and a guide unit 14 of the supply mechanism 10, which will be described later. In addition, a "upstream mechanism" that supplies a plurality of tablets 9 of the present invention along a horizontal conveyance direction is configured by the chute 12 and supply conveyor 13 of the supply mechanism 10, which will be described later.

[0028] The supply mechanism 10 is a mechanism that supplies a plurality of tablets 9 fed into the tablet printing apparatus 1 to the first drum 15. The supply mechanism 10 of this embodiment has a bowl feeder 11, a chute 12, a supply conveyor 13, and a guide unit 14. In FIG. 2, the tablets 9 traveling along a conveying path 140 (see FIG. 6 described later) inside the guide unit 14 are shown by dashed lines.

[0029] The bowl feeder 11 has a disk-shaped trough 110 that receives a plurality of tablets 9. The bowl feeder 11 vibrates the trough 110 to move the plurality of tablets 9 and supply them to the chute 12. The chute 12 extends in an arc between the trough 110 and the supply conveyor 13. The chute 12 has a plurality of supply paths. The bowl feeder 11 supplies the tablets 9 to each supply path of the chute 12. As a result, a large number of tablets 9 are aligned in a plurality of rows. That is, a plurality of rows of tablets 9 aligned in the conveying direction are formed in the width direction (a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction). The aligned tablets 9 are then supplied from the chute 12 to the supply conveyor 13. Note that only one row of tablets 9 is shown in FIG. 2.

[0030] The supply conveyor 13 is a mechanism that transports the tablets 9 from the chute 12 to the guide unit 14. The supply conveyor 13 corresponds to the "conveyor" of the present invention. The supply conveyor 13 has two pulleys 131 and a circular supply belt 132 stretched over the two pulleys 131. One of the two pulleys 131 rotates by power obtained from a motor (not shown). This causes the supply belt 132 to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2. The other pulley 131 is rotated in response to the rotation of the supply belt 132. In addition, a partition plate extending along the boundaries of the rows of tablets 9 is provided above the supply belt 132. The tablets 9 supplied from the chute 12 are transported downstream in the conveying direction by the rotation of the supply belt 132 while being maintained aligned in multiple rows by the partition plate. That is, the supply conveyor 13 is located upstream of the bottom surface 141 of the guide section 14, which will be described later, in the conveying direction, and conveys the tablets 9 toward the bottom surface 141. In this embodiment, as described above, the chute 12 and the supply conveyor 13 constitute an "upstream mechanism" that supplies a plurality of tablets 9 of the present invention along the horizontal conveying direction.

[0031] The guide section 14 is rectangular tubular and extends linearly between the supply conveyor 13 and the first drum 15. A plurality of guide sections 14 are provided in the width direction corresponding to the plurality of rows of tablets 9 conveyed by the supply conveyor 13. Each guide section 14 has a size sufficient to allow the tablets 9 supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to pass in a single row in the inner space thereof, while slightly contacting and pinching the tablets 9 from above and below. In other words, each guide section 14 forms a conveying path 140 (see FIG. 6 described later) along which the tablets 9 supplied from the supply conveyor 13 are conveyed in a single row in the conveying direction.

[0032] More specifically, a plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the supply conveyor 13 are supplied to the conveying path 140 of the guide unit 14 located downstream in the conveying direction. The tablets 9 in the guide unit 14 are pushed by the subsequent tablets 9 supplied by the supply conveyor 13, and are thereby conveyed further downstream in the conveying direction. The tablets 9 are then supplied to the first drum 15 from the downstream end of the guide unit 14 in the conveying direction. The configuration of the guide unit 14 will be described in more detail later. In this embodiment, as described above, the "upstream mechanism" and the guide unit 14 constitute a "conveying device" that conveys the tablets 9 of the present invention.

[0033] The first drum 15 is a mechanism that holds and conveys a plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the guide unit 14 at regular intervals in the conveying direction. The first drum 15 has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on a first axis O1 parallel to the width direction. A motor (not shown) is connected to the first drum 15. When the motor is driven, the first drum 15 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 around the first axis O1. The first drum 15 conveys the tablets 9 from a first transfer position P1 near its upper end to a second transfer position P2 close to the second drum 20.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the first drum 15 has a drum body 16 and a retaining ring 17. The drum body 16 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on a first axis O1. The drum body 16 is formed of a metal such as stainless steel. The retaining ring 17 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 16. Specifically, a plurality of retaining rings 17 are arranged at widthwise positions corresponding to the respective rows of tablets 9. The retaining ring 17 is formed of a resin such as polyacetal.

[0035] The outer peripheral surface of each retaining ring 17 has a plurality of recessed pockets 18. The plurality of pockets 18 are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction centered on the first axis O1. The retaining ring 17 also has suction holes 19 at the bottom of each pocket 18 for suctioning the tablets 9. The suction holes 19 are through-holes that pass through the retaining ring 17.

[0036] The first drum 15 is connected to a suction mechanism (not shown). When the suction mechanism is operated, gas is sucked out from the internal space of the first drum 15 located in the angular range between the first delivery position P1 and the second delivery position P2. This causes the internal space to have a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Negative pressure is also generated in the suction holes 19 communicating with the internal space. The multiple tablets 9 supplied from the guide portion 14 are sucked and held in the suction holes 19 of the retaining ring 17 by this negative pressure.

[0037] The tablets 9 supplied from the guide unit 14 are accommodated one by one in the pockets 18 and adsorbed and held in the suction holes 19. As a result, the spacing between the tablets 9 in the conveying direction becomes a predetermined interval corresponding to the spacing between the pockets 18. Each tablet 9 is adsorbed and held in the suction holes 19 in the pocket 18, and is conveyed from the first delivery position P1 to the second delivery position P2 by the rotation of the first drum 15. Then, when the tablet 9 passes the second delivery position P2, it moves out of the angle range of the internal space maintained at the above-mentioned negative pressure, and the adsorption of the tablet 9 is released. As a result, the tablet 9 is transferred from the first drum 15 to the second drum 20.

[0038] The second drum 20 is a mechanism that transports the tablets 9 transferred from the first drum 15 to the transport conveyor 25. The second drum 20 has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on a second axis O2 parallel to the width direction. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the first drum 15 and the outer diameter of the second drum 20 are substantially the same. However, the outer diameter of the first drum 15 and the outer diameter of the second drum 20 may be different. A motor (not shown) is connected to the second drum 20. When the motor is driven, the second drum 20 rotates around the second axis O2 in the opposite direction to the first drum 15. The second drum 20 transports the tablets 9 from a second transfer position P2 adjacent to the first drum 15 to a third transfer position P3 adjacent to the transport conveyor 25. The height of the third transfer position P3 is higher than the heights of the first transfer position P1 and the second transfer position P2.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the second drum 20 has a drum body 21 and a retaining ring 22. The drum body 21 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface centered on the second axis O2. The drum body 21 is formed of a metal such as stainless steel. The retaining ring 22 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 21. Specifically, a plurality of retaining rings 22 are arranged at widthwise positions corresponding to the respective rows of tablets 9. The retaining ring 22 is formed of a resin such as silicone.

[0040] Each retaining ring 22 has a plurality of suction holes 24. The suction holes 24 are through holes that penetrate the retaining ring 22. The second drum 20 is also connected to a suction mechanism (not shown). When the suction mechanism is operated, gas is sucked out from the internal space of the second drum 20 located in the angular range between the second delivery position P2 and the third delivery position P3. This causes the internal space to have a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Negative pressure is also generated in the suction holes 24 that communicate with the internal space. The plurality of tablets 9 delivered from the first drum 15 are sucked and held in the suction holes 24 of the retaining ring 22 by this negative pressure.

[0041] The tablet 9 held by suction in the suction holes 24 is transported from the second delivery position P2 to the third delivery position P3 by the rotation of the second drum 20. When the tablet 9 passes the third delivery position P3, it moves out of the angle range of the internal space maintained at the negative pressure, and the suction of the tablet 9 is released. As a result, the tablet 9 is delivered from the second drum 20 to the transport conveyor 25.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of tablets 9 supplied from the supply mechanism 10 are transported to the transport conveyor 25 via two drums, the first drum 15 and the second drum 20. The first drum 15 holds the plurality of tablets 9 spaced apart in the transport direction. The second drum 20 transports the tablets 9 to the transport conveyor 25 while maintaining the spacing in the transport direction. At this time, the transport direction (direction of rotation) of the tablets 9 is reversed between the first drum 15 and the second drum 20. This allows the tablets 9 to be sent from the second drum 20 to the transport conveyor 25 in accordance with the direction of operation of the transport conveyor 25.

[0043] The transport conveyor 25 is a mechanism that adsorbs and holds the tablets 9 delivered from the second drum 20 while transporting them. The transport conveyor 25 has a pair of pulleys 26 and a circular transport belt 27 stretched across the pair of pulleys 26. One of the pair of pulleys 26 is rotated by power obtained from a motor M. This causes the transport belt 27 to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2. The other of the pair of pulleys 26 is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the transport belt 27.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the transport conveyor 25. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of suction holes 270 are formed in the transport belt 27. The plurality of suction holes 270 are arranged at intervals in the transport direction and the width direction. Each suction hole 270 is a through-hole that penetrates the transport belt 27. The transport conveyor 25 also has a suction mechanism 28 that sucks out gas from the space inside the transport belt 27. When the suction mechanism 28 (see FIG. 2) is operated, the space inside the transport belt 27 becomes negative pressure, which is lower than atmospheric pressure. The plurality of tablets 9 are sucked and held one by one in the suction holes 270 by the negative pressure.

[0045] In this way, the plurality of tablets 9 are held on the outer surface of the conveyor belt 27 in a state aligned in the conveying direction and width direction. The transport conveyor 25 then transports the plurality of tablets 9 along the circular transport path by rotating the conveyor belt 27. Below the pre-printing imaging unit 30, printing unit 35, and post-printing imaging unit 40, which will be described later, the plurality of tablets 9 are held on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 27 and transported in the horizontal direction.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the surface of the conveyor belt 27 in this embodiment has a first region A1 that holds tablets 9 before they are inverted by the inversion mechanism 50, and a second region A2 that holds tablets 9 after they are inverted. The first region A1 and the second region A2 are adjacent to each other in the width direction. In this embodiment, a plurality of suction holes 270 are provided in three rows in the width direction in the first region A1 and the second region A2. Tablets 9 transferred from the second drum 20 to the transport conveyor 25 are suction-held by the suction holes 270 in the first region A1. Furthermore, a plurality of tablets 9 printed on both sides are discharged to the discharge mechanism 55 through the suction holes 270 in the second region A2.

[0047] The pre-printing imaging unit 30 is a unit for photographing tablets 9 before printing. The pre-printing imaging unit 30 is located downstream of the third delivery position P3 on the conveying path and upstream of the printing unit 35 on the conveying path. The pre-printing imaging unit 30 extends in the width direction across both the first area A1 and the second area A2. The pre-printing imaging unit 30 photographs a plurality of tablets 9 transported by the conveyor belt 27. The images acquired by photographing are transmitted from the pre-printing imaging unit 30 to the control unit 100, which will be described later. The control unit 100 performs an appearance inspection of the tablets 9 based on the images obtained from the pre-printing imaging unit 30.

[0048] The printing unit 35 is a processing unit that prints images on the surfaces of the tablets 9 transported by the conveyor belt 27 using an inkjet method. The printing unit 35 prints images on the first and second surfaces 9a and 9b of the tablets 9, one by one. As shown in FIG. 2, the printing unit 35 of this embodiment has four heads 36. The four heads 36 are located above the conveyor belt 27 and arranged in a row along the transport direction of the tablets 9. Each head 36 extends in the width direction, spanning both the first region A1 and the second region A2. The four heads 36 eject ink droplets of different colors (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) toward the tablets 9. Then, a multicolor image is recorded on the surface of the tablets 9 by superimposing the monochromatic images formed by these colors. The ink ejected from each head 36 is edible ink made from ingredients approved by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, the Food Sanitation Act, etc.

[0049] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one head 36. In FIG. 4, the conveyor belt 27 and the plurality of tablets 9 held on the conveyor belt 27 are indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown enlarged in FIG. 4, the bottom surface of the head 36 is provided with a plurality of nozzles 37 capable of ejecting ink droplets. In this embodiment, the plurality of nozzles 37 are two-dimensionally arranged in the conveyance direction and width direction on the bottom surface of the head 36. The nozzles 37 are arranged with their positions shifted in the width direction. By arranging the plurality of nozzles 37 two-dimensionally in this way, the positions of the nozzles 37 in the width direction can be made close to each other. However, the plurality of nozzles 37 may also be arranged in a line along the width direction.

[0050] The ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle 37 by a so-called piezo method, in which a voltage is applied to a piezo element to deform it, thereby pressurizing and ejecting the ink inside the nozzle 37. However, the ink droplets may also be ejected by a so-called thermal method, in which electricity is applied to a heater to heat and expand the ink inside the nozzle 37, thereby ejecting the ink.

[0051] The post-printing imaging unit 40 is a unit for photographing the tablets 9 after printing. The post-printing imaging unit 40 is located downstream of the printing unit 35 on the conveying path and upstream of the drying mechanism 45 on the conveying path. The post-printing imaging unit 40 extends in the width direction across both the first area A1 and the second area A2. The post-printing imaging unit 40 photographs the plurality of tablets 9 being transported by the conveyor belt 27. The images acquired by photographing are transmitted from the post-printing imaging unit 40 to the control unit 100, which will be described later. The control unit 100 inspects the quality of the images printed on the tablets 9 based on the images obtained from the post-printing imaging unit 40.

[0052] The drying mechanism 45 is a mechanism for drying ink adhering to the tablets 9. The drying mechanism 45 is located downstream of the post-printing imaging unit 40 on the conveying path and upstream of the inversion mechanism 50 and discharge mechanism 55 (described later) on the conveying path. The drying mechanism 45 extends in the width direction across both the first area A1 and the second area A2. The drying mechanism 45 may be, for example, a hot air supply mechanism that blows heated gas (hot air) toward the tablets 9 being conveyed by the conveyor belt 27. The ink adhering to the tablets 9 is dried by the hot air and fixed to the front or back surface of the tablets 9.

[0053] The inversion mechanism 50 inverts the tablets 9 conveyed by the conveyor belt 27 and moves the tablets 9 from the first region A1 to the second region A2. The inversion mechanism 50 is located downstream of the drying mechanism 45 on the conveying path. The inversion mechanism 50 has multiple pairs of inclined drums 51 lined up in the width direction. Each inclined drum 51 has a conical holding surface. One of the pair of inclined drums 51 rotates while adsorbing the tablets 9 conveyed in the first region A1 to the holding surface, and transfers the tablets 9 to the other inclined drum 51. The other inclined drum 51 rotates while adsorbing the tablets 9 received from the one inclined drum 51 to the holding surface, and transfers the tablets 9 to the second region A2. As a result, the tablets 9 are inverted and moved from the first region A1 to the second region A2.

[0054] The tablet 9 transported from the supply mechanism 10 to the transport conveyor 25 via the first drum 15 and the second drum 20 is first held in the first area A1 of the transport belt 27. The tablet printing apparatus 1 then transports the tablet 9 while holding it in the first area A1, and performs the following processes on one side of the tablet 9 (in this embodiment, the second side 9b of the tablet 9): photographing by the pre-printing imaging unit 30, printing by the printing unit 35, photographing by the post-printing imaging unit 40, and drying by the drying mechanism 45. Next, the inversion mechanism 50 inverts the tablet 9 and moves the tablet 9 from the first area A1 to the second area A2. The tablet printing apparatus 1 then transports the tablet 9 while holding it in the second area A2, and performs the following processes on the other side of the tablet 9 (in this embodiment, the first side 9a of the tablet 9): photographing by the pre-printing imaging unit 30, printing by the printing unit 35, photographing by the post-printing imaging unit 40, and drying by the drying mechanism 45.

[0055] The discharge mechanism 55 is a mechanism for discharging a plurality of tablets 9 printed on both sides from the transport conveyor 25. The discharge mechanism 55 is located downstream of the transport path from the drying mechanism 45. The discharge mechanism 55 discharges the tablets 9 held in the second area A2 of the transport belt 27 downward from the transport conveyor 25 while separating the tablets 9 into defective and non-defective tablets.

[0056] The control unit 100 is a unit for controlling the operation of each unit in the tablet printing apparatus 1. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of the tablet printing apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 100 is composed of a computer having a processor 101 such as a CPU, a memory 102 such as RAM, and a storage unit 103 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program CP for carrying out conveyance, printing, and inspection of the tablets 9 is stored in the storage unit 103.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 100 is electrically connected to the bowl feeder 11, the supply conveyor 13, the first drum 15, the second drum 20, the transport conveyor 25, the pre-printing imaging unit 30, the printing unit 35, the post-printing imaging unit 40, the drying mechanism 45, the inversion mechanism 50, and the discharge mechanism 55.

[0058] The control unit 100 temporarily reads the computer program CP and data stored in the storage unit 103 into the memory 102, and the processor 101 performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program CP, thereby controlling the operation of each of the above-mentioned units. This allows the conveyance and printing of multiple tablets 9 to proceed. The control unit 100 also inspects the tablets 9 by processing images obtained from the pre-printing imaging unit 30 and the post-printing imaging unit 40 in accordance with the computer program CP.

[0059] <3. Guide section> Next, the configuration of the guide part 14 will be described in more detail. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of each guide part 14 cut in the vertical and width directions. As described above, each guide part 14 is rectangular tubular and has a size sufficient to allow tablets 9 to pass in a single file through its inner space while slightly contacting and sandwiching the tablets 9 from above and below. As shown in Fig. 6, each guide part 14 has a bottom surface part 141, a top surface part 142, and a pair of side surfaces 143, 144.

[0060] The bottom surface portion 141 is a member that constitutes the bottom portion of the guide portion 14. The bottom surface portion 141 supports the tablet 9 conveyed in the conveying path 140 from below. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the bottom surface portion 141 as seen from above. In Fig. 7, the tablet 9 conveyed in the conveying path 140 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the bottom surface portion 141 has a pair of contact portions 71 that contact the tablet 9, and a non-contact portion 72 located between the pair of contact portions 71 in the width direction.

[0061] The pair of contact portions 71 are located on both sides of the bottom surface portion 141 in the width direction. The upper surfaces of the pair of contact portions 71 are at the same position in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the widths of the pair of contact portions 71 are approximately equal. The non-contact portion 72 is located in the center of the bottom surface portion 141 in the width direction. The upper surface of the non-contact portion 72 is located at a lower position than the upper surfaces of the pair of contact portions 71. As a result, the bottom surface portion 141 is formed with a recess 715 that extends along the conveyance direction and is recessed downward in a portion including the center position in the width direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the non-contact portion 72 is provided with a through hole 720 in a portion in the conveyance direction. The through hole 720 passes through the non-contact portion 72 in the up-down direction.

[0062] However, the non-contact portion 72 itself may be a through-hole that passes through the bottom surface portion 141 in the vertical direction. That is, the bottom surface portion 141 may have a first groove portion 70 that extends along the conveyance direction and is recessed downward in a portion including the central position in the width direction, or that passes through the bottom surface portion 141 in the vertical direction. The first groove portion 70 may have a through-hole 720 that passes through the bottom surface portion 141 in the vertical direction.

[0063] As described above, the downward-facing surface of the tablet 9 being conveyed along the conveying path 140 is the first surface 9a. That is, the first surface 9a faces the first groove portion 70. In this embodiment, the formation of the first groove portion 70 reduces the area of ​​the first surface 9a of the tablet 9 that contacts the bottom surface portion 141 while the tablet 9 is being conveyed along the conveying path 140. This reduces the adhesion of dust from the tablet 9 to the bottom surface portion 141 due to contact and rubbing of the tablet 9. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of printing defects caused by the adhered dust re-adhering to a subsequent tablet 9. Furthermore, when the first groove portion 70 has a through-hole 720, the dust can be dropped further downward through the first groove portion 70. As a result, it is possible to further reduce the adhesion of dust to a subsequent tablet 9.

[0064] Furthermore, the width of the first groove portion 70 in this embodiment is, for example, 30% or more and 80% or less of the width of the conveying path 140. By making the width of the first groove portion 70 such a size, it is possible to further prevent the tablet 9 from coming into contact with and rubbing against the bottom surface portion 141 while the tablet 9 is being conveyed along the conveying path 140, thereby preventing dust from adhering to the bottom surface portion 141. Furthermore, the bottom surface portion 141 can sufficiently support the tablet 9 while allowing more dust to be moved downward.

[0065] Furthermore, a tapered surface 711 is formed at the corner of each of the pair of contact portions 71 adjacent to the non-contact portion 72. Here, as shown in Fig. 6, most of the tablets 9 being conveyed along the conveying path 140 mainly come into contact with the corner of the bottom surface portion 141. However, in this embodiment, by forming the tapered surface 711 at the corner, even when the tablet 9 moves forward while contacting the corner, it is possible to further prevent the tablet 9 from rubbing against the corner and causing dust to adhere to the bottom surface portion 141.

[0066] The top surface 142 is a member that constitutes the lid of the guide unit 14. The top surface 142 covers the conveying path 140 from above. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the top surface 142 as viewed from below. In FIG. 8, the tablet 9 conveyed along the conveying path 140 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the top surface 142 has a second groove 80 formed therein that extends along the conveying direction and is recessed upward in a portion including the central position in the width direction. However, the second groove 80 may be a through-hole that penetrates the top surface 142 in the vertical direction, similar to the through-hole 720 provided in the bottom surface 141 described above. In other words, the top surface 142 only needs to have the second groove 80 that extends along the conveying direction and is recessed upward in a portion including the central position in the width direction or that penetrates the top surface 142 in the vertical direction.

[0067] As described above, the surface of the tablet 9 conveyed along the conveying path 140 facing upward is the second surface 9b. That is, the second surface 9b faces the second groove portion 80. In this embodiment, the formation of the second groove portion 80 reduces the area of ​​the second surface 9b of the tablet 9 that contacts the top surface portion 142 while the tablet 9 is conveyed along the conveying path 140. This reduces the adhesion of dust to the top surface portion 142 due to contact and rubbing of the tablet 9 with the top surface portion 142. As a result, it is possible to prevent printing defects caused by the adhered dust re-adhering to subsequent tablets 9. In the structure of this embodiment, the adhesion of dust and the like from above to the conveyed tablet 9 can be more effectively prevented when the second groove portion 80 is recessed upward at a portion including the central position in the width direction of the top surface portion 142 than when the second groove portion 80 is a through-hole penetrating the top surface portion 142.

[0068] Furthermore, the width of the second groove portion 80 in this embodiment is, for example, 30% or more and 80% or less of the width of the conveying path 140. By setting the width of the second groove portion 80 to such a size, it is possible to further prevent the tablet 9 from coming into contact with and rubbing against the top surface portion 142 while the tablet 9 is being conveyed along the conveying path 140, thereby preventing dust from adhering to the top surface portion 142.

[0069] 6 and 8, a tapered surface 811 is formed at the corner of the lower end of the top surface 142 adjacent to the second groove 80. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, most of the tablets 9 being conveyed along the conveying path 140 mainly come into contact with the corner of the top surface 142. However, in this embodiment, by forming the tapered surface 811 at the corner, even when the tablet 9 moves forward while contacting the corner, it is possible to further prevent the tablet 9 from rubbing against the corner and causing dust to adhere to the top surface 142.

[0070] 2, the top surface portion 142 and the second groove portion 80 in this embodiment protrude further upstream in the conveying direction than the bottom surface portion 141 and extend to above the supply conveyor 13. That is, the top surface portion 142 and the second groove portion 80 extend in the conveying direction from above the supply conveyor 13 to above the bottom surface portion 141. This makes it possible to prevent dust and the like from adhering to the tablets 9 being transferred from the supply conveyor 13 to the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 141.

[0071] The pair of side portions 143, 144 are members that form the widthwise side walls of the guide portion 14. Each of the pair of side portions 143, 144 is located between the bottom surface portion 141 and the top surface portion 142 in the vertical direction. Each of the pair of side portions 143, 144 extends in the vertical direction and the conveying direction. In addition, in this embodiment, each of the pair of side portions 143, 144 extends downward from both ends in the widthwise direction of the top surface portion 142 and is connected to the bottom surface portion 141. The pair of side portions 143, 144 face each other in the widthwise direction. The widthwise distance between the pair of side portions 143, 144 is set to be slightly larger than the width of the tablet 9. This prevents the widthwise position of the tablet 9 from shifting excessively while the tablet 9 is being conveyed along the conveying path 140.

[0072] As described above, the tablet 9 is transported through the conveying path 140 inside the guide unit 14, then transported to the transport conveyor 25 via the first drum 15 and the second drum 20, and an image is printed on the first surface 9a and the second surface 9b by the printing unit 35. In this embodiment, the printing unit 35 prints an image on the tablet 9 in a widthwise range narrower than the first groove portion 70 and the second groove portion 80. As described above, while the tablet 9 is being transported through the conveying path 140, the first surface 9a and the second surface 9b of the tablet 9 face the first groove portion 70 and the second groove portion 80. Therefore, a portion of the tablet 9 near the center position in the widthwise direction is less likely to come into contact with the bottom surface portion 141 or the top surface portion 142 of the guide unit 14, and dust is less likely to adhere to the portion. Therefore, in this embodiment, the printing unit 35 prints an image only on the portion of the tablet 9 near the center position in the widthwise direction, thereby further suppressing the occurrence of printing defects.

[0073] <4. Modifications> Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the printing unit 35 is provided with four heads 36. However, the number of heads 36 included in the printing unit 35 may be one to three, or may be five or more.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the tablet printing apparatus 1 has an inversion mechanism 50, and the printing unit 35 is configured to print on both the first surface 9a and the second surface 9b of the tablet 9. However, the tablet printing apparatus 1 may also be configured to print on only one of the first surface 9a and the second surface 9b of the tablet 9.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the tablet printing device 1 is described as printing an image on the tablets 9. However, the conveying device of the present invention may also be used in an inspection device that inspects the tablets 9 or a packaging device that packages the tablets 9.

[0077] Furthermore, the detailed configuration of the device may differ from that shown in the drawings of the present application. Furthermore, the elements appearing in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradiction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1. Tablet printing equipment 9 tablets 9a (tablet) side 1 9b (tablet) second side 10 Supply mechanism 13 Supply conveyor 14 Guide section 35 Printing Department 70 First groove 80 Second groove 140 (Guide section) conveying path 141 (guide part) bottom part 142 (guide part) top surface 143 (Guide part) side part 144 (guide part) side part

Claims

1. A conveying device for conveying granular material, an upstream mechanism that supplies a plurality of granular objects along a horizontal conveying direction; a guide section that forms a conveying path along which the granular materials supplied from the upstream mechanism are conveyed in a single file in the conveying direction; and The guide portion is a bottom surface portion that supports the granular material conveyed in the conveying path from below; a top surface portion that covers the transport path from above; a pair of side surfaces, each of which is located between the bottom surface and the top surface in the vertical direction and faces each other in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and the bottom surface portion extends along the conveying direction, and has a first groove portion that is recessed downward or penetrates the bottom surface portion in the up-down direction in a part including a central position in the width direction, The top surface portion extends along the conveying direction and has a second groove portion that is recessed upward or penetrates the top surface portion in the vertical direction in a portion including a central position in the width direction.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1 , The first groove portion has a through-hole that passes through the bottom surface portion in the vertical direction.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, A conveying device, wherein the width of the first groove portion is 30% or more and 80% or less of the width of the conveying path.

4. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, A conveying device, wherein the width of the second groove portion is 30% or more and 80% or less of the width of the conveying path.

5. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, The upstream mechanism includes: a conveyor positioned upstream of the bottom surface portion in the conveying direction, the conveyor conveying granular material toward the bottom surface portion; and The top surface portion and the second groove portion extend in the conveying direction from above the conveyor to above the bottom surface portion.

6. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, A conveying device, wherein the granules are tablets.

7. The conveying device according to claim 6 ; a printing unit that prints an image on the surface of the tablet using an inkjet method; and The tablets are a first surface facing the first groove portion; a second surface facing the second groove portion; and The printing unit prints an image on the first surface and the second surface of the tablet.

8. The tablet printing device according to claim 7, A tablet printing device, wherein the printing unit prints an image on the tablet in a widthwise range narrower than the first groove portion and the second groove portion.

Images