Product Inspection Equipment

Abstract

To provide an article inspection device in which there is no variation in the position and posture of articles, which can convey them to an inspection part in a state where the posture and position of the articles are stable, and which can improve accuracy of inspection at the inspection part.SOLUTION: An article inspection device includes: a conveyance part for sucking and holding a tablet W and conveying it to an inspection position; an inspection part 4 for performing an inspection of the tablet W at the inspection position; and a guide part 5 for guiding the tablet W conveyed to the inspection position. The guide part 5 includes: a first guide 11 coming into contact with the tablet W from above; a second guide 12 arranged adjacent to the first guide 11 in a conveyance direction of the tablet W, and coming into contact with the tablet W from below; and a third guide 13 arranged further on the inspection position side than the first guide 11 and the second guide 12. The third guide 13 has a guide surface 13a on the conveyance path side coming into contact with the tablet W from below on a conveyance direction upstream side of the tablet W, and the guide surface 13a is inclined so as to be separated from the tablet W gradually toward a conveyance direction downstream side of the tablet W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article inspection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a tablet measuring device that can continuously measure the accurate physical properties of individual tablets using an optical sensor. This tablet measuring device measures the physical properties of tablets removed from a tablet coating device, and includes a tablet receiving section into which tablets are introduced, a measuring section that measures the physical properties of the tablets while transporting them, a tablet supplying section that supplies the tablets introduced into the tablet receiving section to the measuring section, and a recovery section that returns the tablets whose physical properties have been measured to the tablet coating device, and is characterized in that the measuring section has an optical sensor that can measure the physical properties of the tablets in a non-contact state.

[0003] This type of inspection device can perform inspections by irradiating light onto molded products such as tablets and measuring the reflected light. Because the inspection device performs inspections by irradiating light at high speed, the molded products are transported to the measurement unit while being adsorbed onto a transport disk with a suction mechanism, and then inspection is performed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-95236 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the tablet measuring device described in Patent Document 1, the conveying disk must always hold the tablets in the same orientation during the process of inspecting each tablet conveyed one after another at high speed. Conventional inspection devices simply adsorb molded products onto the conveying disk, so the position of the tablet in the measurement unit is not necessarily held in a consistent orientation, resulting in deviations. For example, in component inspection using transmitted light, the light transmission length differs between when the tablet is held at an angle and when it is held horizontally. Furthermore, when inspecting the entire tablet, depending on the adsorption position of the tablet, it may not be possible to inspect the edge of the tablet. These errors in the orientation and position of the inspection target on the conveying disk can undermine the reliability of the inspection results and, in some cases, can lead to incorrect judgment of good or bad products.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an item inspection device that can transport items to the inspection section without variations in position and posture for each item, and with the posture and position of the items stabilized, thereby improving the accuracy of inspection in the inspection section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The item inspection device of the present invention comprises a conveying section that sucks and holds an item to be inspected and conveys it to an inspection position, an inspection section that inspects the item at the inspection position, and a guide section that is arranged along the conveying path of the item and guides the item being conveyed to the inspection position, the guide section including a first guide that contacts the item from above, a second guide that is arranged adjacent to the first guide in the conveying direction of the item and contacts the item from below, and a third guide that is arranged closer to the inspection position than the first guide and the second guide, the third guide having a guide surface on the conveying path side that contacts the item from below on the upstream side of the conveying direction of the item, and the guide surface is configured to gradually incline so as to move away from the item as it moves downstream in the conveying direction of the item.

[0008] With this configuration, the article inspection device of the present invention guides the article by having the first guide contact the article from above and the second guide contact the article from below, thereby maintaining a consistent position and stabilizing the article's posture after passing through the first and second guides. Furthermore, the third guide contacts the article from below on the upstream side of the article's conveyance direction, and the guide surface of the third guide facing the conveyance path is inclined so as to gradually move away from the article as it moves downstream in the conveyance direction. This prevents the article's posture from changing after passing through the first or second guide located immediately before the third guide. This allows the article inspection device of the present invention to transport the article to the inspection unit without variations in position or posture between individual articles and with the article's posture and position stabilized, thereby improving the accuracy of inspection at the inspection unit.

[0009] In the article inspection device according to the present invention, the guide section is preferably arranged in the order of the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide along the conveying path of the article.

[0010] With this configuration, the article inspection device according to the present invention has the first guide, second guide, and third guide arranged in this order, so that the position of the top end of the article can be made constant by pushing the article down from above with the first guide, and the position of the bottom end of the article can be adjusted to a position where the article can be accurately inspected by the inspection unit by pushing the article up from below with the second guide. Furthermore, the article whose bottom end has been adjusted by the second guide is guided to the inspection unit by the third guide, so that the article can be transported to the inspection unit while being maintained in a position where it can be accurately inspected by the inspection unit.

[0011] In the article inspection device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide are configured as separate bodies.

[0012] With this configuration, the article inspection device according to the present invention has the first guide, second guide, and third guide configured as separate bodies, so that the position of each guide can be adjusted individually.

[0013] In the item inspection device of the present invention, it is preferable that the first guide includes a first upper guide piece that contacts the item from above and a first lower guide piece that is arranged to face the first upper guide piece across the item's transport path, and that the second guide includes a second lower guide piece that contacts the item from below and a second upper guide piece that is arranged to face the second lower guide piece across the item's transport path.

[0014] With this configuration, the object inspection device according to the present invention has a first guide including a first upper guide piece and a first lower guide piece, and a second guide including a second lower guide piece and a second upper guide piece, so that each guide has a pair of guide pieces facing each other across the conveyance path. Therefore, the first guide can regulate the position of the object from below and prevent the object from going too far downward. Furthermore, the second guide can regulate the position of the object from above and prevent the object from going too far upward.

[0015] In the item inspection device of the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of guide surfaces of the first guide are inclined so that the distance between the guide surface of the first upper guide piece on the side of the item's transport path and the guide surface of the first lower guide piece on the side of the item's transport path becomes narrower from the upstream side of the item's transport direction to the downstream side of the item's transport direction.

[0016] With this configuration, in the article inspection device according to the present invention, the guide surfaces of the first upper guide piece and the first lower guide piece are inclined so that the distance between them narrows from the upstream side in the article conveyance direction to the downstream side in the conveyance direction, making it possible to widen the vertical width of the first guide on the entrance side and narrow the vertical width on the exit side. This makes it possible to reliably capture articles with varying postures or positions with the first guide, while controlling the articles to a consistent position and posture as they move toward the exit of the first guide.

[0017] In the item inspection device of the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of guide surfaces of the second guide are inclined so that the distance between the guide surface of the second upper guide piece on the item transport path side and the guide surface of the second lower guide piece on the item transport path side becomes narrower from the upstream side in the item transport direction to the downstream side in the item transport direction.

[0018] With this configuration, in the article inspection device according to the present invention, the guide surfaces of the second upper guide piece and the second lower guide piece are inclined so that the distance between them narrows from the upstream side to the downstream side in the article conveyance direction, making it possible to widen the vertical width of the second guide on the entrance side and narrow the vertical width on the exit side. As a result, even if the position or posture of an article varies after passing through the first guide, the second guide can reliably capture such articles with varying position and posture, and control the article to a constant position and posture as it approaches the exit of the second guide.

[0019] In the article inspection device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of guide surfaces have a shape that curves from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the article toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the article.

[0020] With this configuration, the article inspection device according to the present invention can control articles with varying positions and orientations to a constant position and orientation over a short distance in the article conveyance direction.

[0021] In the article inspection device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the guide surface of the first upper guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-groove shape in cross section perpendicular to the article transport path.

[0022] With this configuration, the cross-sectional shape of the guide surface of the first upper guide piece of the object inspection device of the present invention is formed in a V-groove shape, so that even if the object is, for example, a tablet with a curved shape, the V-groove-shaped guide surface can come into contact with the object at one or more points, and the object can be guided in a stable posture.

[0023] In the article inspection device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the guide surface of the first lower guide piece on the transport path side has a V-groove shape in cross section perpendicular to the article transport path.

[0024] With this configuration, the cross-sectional shape of the guide surface of the first lower guide piece of the object inspection device of the present invention is formed in a V-groove shape, so that even if the object is, for example, a tablet with a curved shape, the V-groove-shaped guide surface can come into contact with the object at one or more points, and the object can be guided in a stable posture.

[0025] In the article inspection device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the guide surface of the second lower guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-groove shape in cross section perpendicular to the article transport path.

[0026] With this configuration, the cross-sectional shape of the guide surface of the second lower guide piece of the object inspection device of the present invention is formed in a V-groove shape, so that even if the object is, for example, a tablet with a curved shape, the V-groove-shaped guide surface can come into contact with the object at one or more points, and the object can be guided in a stable posture.

[0027] In the item inspection device of the present invention, the conveying unit has a drive motor and further includes a control unit that controls the drive motor, and it is preferable that the control unit stops driving the drive motor when the drive torque of the drive motor becomes greater than a predetermined value.

[0028] With this configuration, the article inspection device according to the present invention stops driving the drive motor of the conveying unit when the drive torque of the drive motor exceeds a predetermined value, so that if an article becomes caught in the first guide or the second guide, or between the conveying unit and these guides, for example, the conveying unit can stop conveying the article. This protects the article and prevents excessive load from being placed on the conveying unit.

[0029] It is preferable that the item inspection device of the present invention further comprises an adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the mounting positions of the first upper guide piece, the first lower guide piece, the second upper guide piece, the second lower guide piece and the third guide.

[0030] With this configuration, the article inspection device according to the present invention is equipped with an adjustment mechanism that allows the first upper guide piece, the first lower guide piece, the second upper guide piece, the second lower guide piece, and the third guide to be adjusted in their mounting positions, so that the first upper guide piece, the first lower guide piece, the second upper guide piece, the second lower guide piece, and the third guide can be positioned in optimal positions depending on, for example, the shape and dimensions of the article to be inspected.In addition, the device can accommodate a wide variety of articles to be inspected.

[0031] In the item inspection device of the present invention, it is preferable that the device further includes a control unit that controls the adjustment mechanism, and that the control unit has a memory unit that stores the mounting position for each inspection object, and is configured to be able to control the adjustment operation of the adjustment mechanism so that the mounting position for each inspection object stored in the memory unit is achieved.

[0032] With this configuration, the item inspection device of the present invention is configured so that the control unit can control the adjustment operation of the adjustment mechanism so that the mounting position for each inspection object stored in the memory unit is achieved, and therefore the mounting positions of the first upper guide piece, first lower guide piece, second upper guide piece, second lower guide piece and third guide can be automatically adjusted to suit the inspection object.

[0033] The item inspection device of the present invention further comprises an input unit for inputting at least the shape and dimensions of the item to be inspected, and a display unit for displaying instructions for the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide, as well as recommended values ​​for the installation position, that are suitable for at least the shape and dimensions of the item inputted to the input unit, and it is preferable that the input unit is configured to be able to accept operations for setting the installation position.

[0034] With this configuration, the item inspection device of the present invention is equipped with a display unit that displays instructions for the first guide, second guide, and third guide, as well as recommended installation positions, that are suitable for at least the shape and dimensions of the item input into the input unit, and the input unit is configured to be able to accept operations for setting the installation position, allowing the user to easily make optimal settings based on the information displayed on the display unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0035] According to the present invention, an item inspection device can be provided that can transport items to the inspection section without variations in position or posture for each item, and with the posture and position of the items stabilized, thereby improving the accuracy of inspection in the inspection section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a supply unit and a transport unit of an article inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a supply unit and a transport unit of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing a single-row regulating guide of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the supply unit and the transport unit of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a different direction from that shown in FIG. [Figure 6]6A and 6B are diagrams showing a single-row regulating guide of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a return mechanism of an article inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the return mechanism of the article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a guide unit and an inspection unit of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a guide portion of an object inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow (a)-(a) in Figure 9, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow (b)-(b) in Figure 9, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow (c)-(c) in Figure 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the guide portion of the object inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the guide unit of the object inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example in which a guide portion of an article inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is integrally formed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, an article inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the item inspection device 1 of this embodiment aligns the items to be inspected and transports them individually while irradiating them with light at a predetermined inspection position, and inspects the quality of the items based on the spectral characteristics of the light that passes through the items as this light is irradiated.

[0039] The items to be inspected are small-diameter items in which the light irradiation area is relatively close to the diameter of the irradiation port that irradiates the item to be inspected, and include items with an outer diameter φ of several mm to several tens of mm that can be transported individually without packaging, bite-sized items, as well as items and molded products of a predetermined shape manufactured using existing manufacturing equipment or manufacturing equipment without inspection functions, and especially items whose shape does not change during transportation.

[0040] Examples of such articles include pharmaceutical preparations such as tablets, capsules, lozenges, and drops, as well as candy and chocolate. The following description will be given taking as an example an article to be inspected a tablet W that is circular in plan view, has a height (thickness) smaller than its diameter, is approximately cylindrical in side view, and has curved both end faces in the thickness direction. The tablet W in this embodiment constitutes an article. Note that the article to be inspected is not limited to a circular shape in plan view, and articles of various shapes such as an oval shape or a polygonal shape can also be used.

[0041] The article inspection device 1 includes a supply unit 2, a conveying unit 3, an inspection unit 4, and a guide unit 5.

[0042] (Supply Department) As shown in Figure 2, supply unit 2 is configured as a vibration-free rotary parts feeder having a rotating, deep-dish-shaped supply container 20 and a circular rotating disk 21 that is rotatably provided inside supply container 20 and rotated by a drive source separate from supply container 20. The rotation direction of rotating disk 21 is the same as rotation direction A of supply container 20 (see Figure 1). Supply unit 2 is supported on a main body frame (not shown) via a base (not shown).

[0043] The supply container 20 is formed in a circular shape with an open top and a cross-sectional area that gradually decreases downward from the top, and an annular supply part 22 that serves as a supply path for the tablets W is formed at the open end of the top. The annular supply part 22 conveys the tablets W to the suction position P1 while rotating.

[0044] The rotating disk 21 is configured to rotate about a rotation axis different from the rotation axis of the supply container 20, and is disposed at an incline inside the supply container 20. Specifically, the rotating disk 21 is disposed inside the supply container 20 so that its upper end in the inclined direction faces the upper end of the supply container 20, i.e., the annular supply portion 22, and its lower end in the inclined direction is located below the supply container 20 at a position 180° opposite to the upper end. The rotating disk 21 supplies the tablets W in the supply container 20 to the annular supply portion 22 by rotating.

[0045] 1, tablets W are supplied to the supply container 20 from a tablet input unit 6. The tablet input unit 6 is configured to include a container such as a hopper (not shown) into which tablets W, which are molded products manufactured by existing manufacturing equipment or manufacturing equipment without an inspection function, are input, and a supply chute 61 that supplies the tablets W accumulated in the container to the supply container 20.

[0046] The tablet feeding section 6 may be configured not to have a container such as a hopper, and to feed the tablets W conveyed directly from a process preceding the inspection process from a feed chute 61 to the feed container 20.

[0047] In the supply unit 2, when tablets W are fed from the tablet feed unit 6 into the supply container 20 while the supply container 20 and the rotating disk 21 are rotated in the same direction at the same speed, the tablets W that have fallen to the lowest part of the rotating disk 21 (the lower end side in the inclined direction) move to the highest part of the rotating disk 21 (the upper end side in the inclined direction) as the rotating disk 21 rotates, and are placed on the annular supply unit 22. The rotation speeds of the supply container 20 and the rotating disk 21 do not have to be the same.

[0048] The tablets W placed on the annular supply unit 22 move while being aligned in the circumferential direction as the supply container 20 rotates, and are sent to the suction position P1. The suction position P1 is a position where the tablets W are transferred from the supply unit 2 to the conveying unit 3. The tablets W sent to the suction position P1 are adsorbed by the conveying disk 30 rotating in the conveying unit 3.

[0049] The annular supply section 22 is provided with a return guide 24 and a single-row regulating guide 25. In this embodiment, the return guide 24 and the single-row regulating guide 25 are configured as separate bodies, but they may also be configured as an integrated body.

[0050] The return guide 24 and the one-row regulating guide 25 are fixed to a base (not shown) so as not to rotate, so that the supply container 20 rotates while the return guide 24 and the one-row regulating guide 25 do not rotate.

[0051] 2 and 3, the return guide 24 is provided radially outward from the annular supply unit 22 and is disposed on the side of the annular supply unit 22 opposite the upper end of the rotating disk 21 in the inclined direction in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the return guide 24 is provided continuously for about a quarter of the circumference of the annular supply unit 22 along the circumferential direction of the annular supply unit 22 so as to surround the annular supply unit 22. The circumferential length of the return guide 24 is not limited to the length shown in this embodiment, and is set to an appropriate optimum length depending on the specifications of the supply unit 2, etc.

[0052] The return guide 24 has an inner peripheral wall 24a formed in an arc shape along the annular supply part 22. The return guide 24 is a guide that uses the inner peripheral wall 24a to restrict the tablets W rising on the rotating disk 21 toward the upper end so that they do not fly out of the supply container 20.

[0053] The single row regulating guide 25 guides the tablets W supplied from the supply unit 2 to the suction position P1, and is provided radially outward of the annular supply unit 22 and adjacent to the return guide 24 in the circumferential direction of the annular supply unit 22. Furthermore, the single row regulating guide 25 is provided continuously for about half a circumference from the suction position P1 in the circumferential direction of the annular supply unit 22 so as to surround the annular supply unit 22. The circumferential length of the single row regulating guide 25 is not limited to the length shown in this embodiment, and is set to an optimum length as appropriate depending on the specifications of the supply unit 2, etc.

[0054] The single-row regulating guide 25 has an inner peripheral wall 25a formed in an arc shape along the annular supply unit 22. The single-row regulating guide 25 regulates the radial width (horizontal direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction) of the annular supply unit 22 to a width such that two tablets W are not aligned radially. For example, the single-row regulating guide 25 is provided so that the radial width of the annular supply unit 22 is approximately the same as the radial width of the tablets W. This allows the tablets W placed on the annular supply unit 22 to be aligned in a single row. Furthermore, the inner peripheral wall 25a is provided so that a tip 25c on the suction position P1 side is located just before the suction position P1. In other words, the inner peripheral wall 25a extends to just before the suction position P1. This prevents the tablets W from being adsorbed to the conveying disc 30 when there is still some distance to the suction position P1, thereby preventing a situation in which the posture of the tablets W deteriorates due to early adsorption just before the suction position P1.

[0055] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the single-row regulating guide 25 has a protruding portion 25b formed on the upper part of the inner wall 25a on the side of the adsorption position P1, which gradually protrudes radially inward from the inner wall 25a as it approaches the adsorption position P1, while maintaining a predetermined height H0 (see Figure 6(b)) in the vertical direction between it and the annular supply section 22.

[0056] The protruding portion 25b is formed, for example, in a curved shape so as to gradually approach the center of rotation of the rotary disk 21 as it approaches the suction position P1. Note that the protruding portion 25b may have any shape as long as it gradually protrudes radially inward beyond the inner circumferential wall 25a as it approaches the suction position P1, and may be formed, for example, in a linear shape.

[0057] The height H0 of the protruding portion 25b from the annular supply unit 22 is set to a dimension approximately equal to the thickness of a tablet W whose cylindrical axis is parallel to the vertical direction plus a small margin. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), among the tablets W placed on the annular supply unit 22 from the rotating disk 21, tablets W that are not properly placed on the annular supply unit 22, such as tablets W that stand upright so that their thickness direction is horizontal or tablets W that at least partially overlap tablets W whose thickness direction is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, are removed by the single-row regulating guide 25. In this embodiment, tablets W placed on the annular supply unit 22 with their thickness direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane are defined as tablets W properly placed on the annular supply unit 22. FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams of the arc-shaped single-row regulating guide 25 linearly expanded.

[0058] Specifically, as the tablets W loaded onto the annular supply unit 22 from the rotary disk 21 move along the single-row guide 25 toward the adsorption position P1, the tablets W loaded onto the annular supply unit 22 in the proper state move toward the adsorption position P1 along the inner peripheral wall 25a between the protruding portion 25b and the annular supply unit 22 due to centrifugal force, while the tablets W not loaded onto the annular supply unit 22 in the proper state are pushed radially inward by the protruding portion 25b. The pushed-out tablets W are returned to the supply container 20. The single-row guide 25 functions to push the tablets W radially inward, preventing them from getting stuck or jammed. Since the tablets W move along the inner peripheral wall 25a of the single-row guide 25, it is desirable for friction at the inner peripheral wall 25a to be minimal. Therefore, the single-row guide 25 may be made of, for example, a material with a low coefficient of friction or may be processed to have a low coefficient of friction.

[0059] In this way, the single row regulating guide 25 regulates the tablets W supplied from the supply unit 2 to the suction position P1 in a single row, and regulates the height of the tablets W supplied to the suction position P1 to a predetermined height H0. The single row regulating guide 25 is configured so that its position in the height direction can be adjusted by an adjustment mechanism (not shown) according to the height (thickness) of the inspection object. In other words, the single row regulating guide 25 is configured so that the height H0 of the protruding portion 25b from the annular supply unit 22 can be changed according to the height (thickness) of the inspection object.

[0060] 5, a return mechanism 27 is provided above the suction position P1. The return mechanism 27 is supported on a base (not shown) via a bracket or the like.

[0061] The return mechanism 27 is a mechanism for returning poorly adsorbed tablets W at the adsorption position P1 into the supply container 20, and is configured by an air blow device in this embodiment. Poor adsorption may occur, for example, when multiple tablets W are adsorbed to one adsorption hole 32, when a tablet W is adsorbed with a large gap between it and the adsorption hole 32, or when another tablet W is sandwiched between tablets W adsorbed to the adsorption holes 32.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the return mechanism 27 returns poorly adsorbed tablets W into the supply container 20 by blowing air from a plurality of air blowing holes 27a that open toward the adsorption position P1. The air pressure of the return mechanism 27 is set to a pressure that can blow away poorly adsorbed tablets W and that does not cause properly adsorbed tablets W to fall out of the adsorption holes 32 of the conveying disk 30. More preferably, it is set to a pressure that can blow away poorly adsorbed tablets W and that does not cause properly adsorbed tablets W to fall out of the adsorption holes 32 or lose their posture significantly. "Normally adsorbed" refers to a state in which the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of a tablet W is adsorbed so that the cylindrical axis is parallel to the vertical direction and covers the adsorption holes 32. The return mechanism 27 is also capable of changing the air blowing angle relative to the tablet W and the distance from the tablet W by a variable mechanism (not shown).

[0063] As shown in FIG. 8, the return mechanism 27 may be configured by an air nozzle 28 arranged above the transfer disc 30 in the vicinity of the suction position P1, and an air passage 29 formed inside the transfer disc 30.

[0064] The air nozzle 28 supplies air from above toward the inlet of the air passage 29. The air passage 29 has an inlet provided above the conveying disc 30 and an outlet provided between the suction holes 32 aligned in the circumferential direction of the conveying disc 30. As a result, the return mechanism 27 shown in Fig. 8 can blow away tablets W that have not been properly adsorbed by blowing air from the air nozzle 28 through the air passage 29 toward the outside in the radial direction of the conveying disc 30.

[0065] The base (not shown) on which the supply unit 2 configured as described above is supported is movably supported by a main body frame (not shown). Therefore, the supply unit 2 is configured to be adjustable in position relative to the conveying unit 3. For example, the supply unit 2 is configured to be movable up and down via the base, and to be movable in directions approaching and moving away from the conveying unit 3. As a result, by adjusting the positional relationship between the supply unit 2 and the conveying unit 3, the tablet W can be efficiently adsorbed to the center of the suction hole 32.

[0066] (Transportation section) As shown in Fig. 1, the transport unit 3 includes a circular transport disk 30 that is rotatably and horizontally supported on a main body frame (not shown). The transport disk 30 is driven to rotate by a drive motor 30M (see Fig. 11). The transport disk 30 sucks and holds the tablet W and transports it to the inspection position P2, and has a plurality of suction holes 32 formed at predetermined intervals around the entire outer periphery 30a.

[0067] A suction device such as a vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the suction holes 32 of the conveying disk 30, and the tablets W are adsorbed by the negative pressure generated by the suction device. This allows the conveying disk 30 to rotate and convey the tablets W while adsorbing them to the suction holes 32.

[0068] At the adsorption position P1, the tablet W is adsorbed and held on the conveying disk 30 in a position where its thickness direction is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, i.e., where its cylindrical axis is parallel to the vertical direction, and is transported circumferentially toward the inspection position P2 as the conveying disk 30 rotates while maintaining that position.

[0069] At this time, ideally, the tablet W should be adsorbed and held on the conveying disk 30 in a position where the cylindrical axis is parallel to the vertical direction at the adsorption position P1, but there is a risk that the position will change when the tablet W is adsorbed onto the conveying disk 30, and the cylindrical axis may not be parallel to the vertical direction.

[0070] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the change in the posture of the tablet W when it is adsorbed onto the conveying disk 30, a posture guide 31 is provided which extends a predetermined length from the adsorption position P1 downstream in the conveying direction.

[0071] 5, the posture guide 31 is formed in an arc shape along the outer peripheral edge 30a of the conveying disk 30, and is disposed below the conveying path of the tablet W conveyed by the conveying disk 30. The posture guide 31 contacts the lower surface of the tablet W from the lower side of the conveying disk 30 to reduce changes in the posture of the tablet W.

[0072] In this embodiment, an example in which the posture guide 31 is provided will be described, but the posture guide 31 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0073] Here, the conveying direction in the conveying unit 3 means the direction in which the tablet W adsorbed at the adsorption position P1 moves, i.e., the direction in which the tablet W adsorbed on the conveying disc 30 rotates. Therefore, the downstream side in the conveying direction means the downstream side in the direction in which the tablet W adsorbed on the conveying disc 30 moves, and the upstream side in the conveying direction means the upstream side in the direction in which the tablet W adsorbed on the conveying disc 30 moves.

[0074] In this embodiment, the path along which the tablet W adsorbed at the adsorption position P1 travels is referred to as the conveying path. Note that the conveying unit 3 is not limited to a mechanism that conveys the tablet W using a circular conveying disk 30, and may be a mechanism that conveys the tablet W linearly, for example, a linear conveyor that adsorbs the tablet W laterally.

[0075] As shown in Figure 1, around the conveying disk 30, an adsorption position P1, an inspection position P2, an NG discharge position P3, a full discharge position P4, and an OK discharge position P5 are arranged in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction along the conveying path of the tablet W.

[0076] At the NG discharge position P3, there are arranged an NG collection box 71 for collecting tablets W discharged at the NG discharge position P3, and an NG air nozzle 72 for blowing air to discharge the tablets W into the NG collection box 71 at the NG discharge position P3.

[0077] At the total discharge position P4, there are arranged a total discharge collection box 73 that collects the tablets W discharged at the total discharge position P4, and a total discharge air nozzle 74 that blows air to discharge the tablets W into the total discharge collection box 73 at the total discharge position P4.

[0078] The total discharge collection box 73 is used to collect tablets W that could not be inspected properly or failed to be discharged, such as tablets W that were not properly inspected or failed to be discharged when the item inspection device 1 starts operating, after a recovery operation following an emergency stop, or tablets W that failed to be discharged.

[0079] A total discharge detection sensor 40 is disposed on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the total discharge collection box 73. When a tablet W is detected by the total discharge detection sensor 40, the total discharge air nozzle 74 blows air onto the tablet W at the timing when the detected tablet W reaches the total discharge position P4.

[0080] The timing at which the tablet W reaches the full discharge position P4 can be measured based on the rotation angle of the conveying disk 30 detected by using a rotary encoder, for example, and the detection timing of the full discharge detection sensor 40.

[0081] Further, downstream of the total discharge air nozzle 74 in the conveying direction, a removal failure detection sensor 41 is arranged to monitor whether or not all the tablets W that should be completely discharged have been discharged into the total discharge recovery box 73.

[0082] Furthermore, a NG contamination prevention gate 75 is disposed downstream of the rejection failure detection sensor 41 in the conveying direction. The NG contamination prevention gate 75 is driven by an actuator such as an air cylinder, and is positioned on the conveying path so as to block the conveying path of the tablets W when in the OFF state, constantly blocking the conveying path. The NG contamination prevention gate 75 is controlled to the ON state to open the conveying path only when a tablet W determined to be a OK product by the inspection unit 4 passes through the conveying path. In this way, the NG contamination prevention gate 75 functions to allow only OK tablets W to pass. Therefore, if a tablet W other than an OK product is conveyed to the NG contamination prevention gate 75, the tablet W is forcibly discharged out of the conveying system by the NG contamination prevention gate 75 in the OFF state. The tablets W discharged by the NG contamination prevention gate 75 are collected in the full discharge collection box 73. This prevents NG tablets W from being mistakenly collected in the OK collection box 76 as OK tablets W and proceeding to the next process.

[0083] At the OK discharge position P5, there are arranged an OK collection box 76 that collects the tablets W discharged at the OK discharge position P5, and an OK air nozzle 77 that blows air to discharge the tablets W into the OK collection box 76 at the OK discharge position P5.

[0084] The OK air nozzle 77 is provided downstream of the inspection unit 4 in the conveying direction of the tablets W, more specifically, downstream of the full discharge air nozzle 74 in the conveying direction of the tablets W, and discharges the tablets W into the OK collection box 76 by blowing out air according to the inspection result of the inspection unit 4. Note that the OK air nozzle 77 may be driven continuously to blow out air at all times, rather than being driven intermittently to blow out air at the timing of discharging the tablets W. In this case, early wear of the drive system can be suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example using the OK air nozzle 77 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a gate such as the NG contamination prevention gate 75 may be used instead of the OK air nozzle 77.

[0085] The conveying disk 30 conveys the tablet W to be inspected from the suction position P1 through the inspection position P2 to either the NG discharge position P3, the full discharge position P4 or the OK discharge position P5, and discharges it into the NG collection box 71, the full discharge collection box 73 or the OK collection box 76 at either the NG discharge position P3, the full discharge position P4 or the OK discharge position P5.

[0086] On the downstream side of the OK discharge position P5 in the conveying direction, there is disposed an OK discharge error recovery box 78. The OK discharge error recovery box 78 recovers tablets W that have failed to be discharged to the OK recovery box 76 at the OK discharge position P5.

[0087] (Inspection Department) The inspection unit 4 is attached at an inspection position P2 to a main body frame that supports the conveying disk 30. The inspection unit 4 inspects the tablets W by irradiating light L onto the tablets W at the inspection position P2, and more specifically, determines whether the quality of the tablets W is good or bad.

[0088] A tablet detection sensor 44 is disposed upstream in the conveying direction of the inspection unit 4. When a tablet W is detected by the tablet detection sensor 44, the inspection unit 4 irradiates light L onto the tablet W at the timing when the detected tablet W reaches the inspection position P2. The timing when the tablet W reaches the inspection position P2 can be measured based on the rotation angle of the conveying disk 30 and the detection timing of the tablet detection sensor 44.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 9, the inspection unit 4 is configured to be able to measure the spectral characteristics of the tablets W transported by the transport disk 30 in a non-contact manner using an optical sensor made up of a light irradiation unit 42 and a light detection unit 43. Based on the measured spectral characteristics, the inspection unit 4 judges the quality of the tablets W, whether they are within a standard range, and whether they are good or bad (OK product or NG product). In this embodiment, tablets W within the standard range are considered to be "OK product," and tablets W outside the standard range are considered to be "NG product."

[0090] The tablets W that have been determined to be "OK products" by the pass / fail judgment of the inspection unit 4 are discharged into an OK collection box 76 when they reach an OK discharge position P5. An OK detection sensor 45 that detects the tablets W being transported toward the OK discharge position P5 is disposed upstream of the OK discharge position P5 in the transport direction. The OK air nozzle 77 blows air when the tablets W reach the OK discharge position P5, based on the detection timing of the OK detection sensor 45 and the rotation angle of the transport disk 30.

[0091] A tablet W determined to be an "NG product" by the pass / fail judgment of the inspection unit 4 is discharged into a NG collection box 71 when it reaches a NG discharge position P3. An NG detection sensor 46 is disposed upstream of the NG discharge position P3 in the conveying direction, which detects tablets W conveyed toward the NG discharge position P3. The NG air nozzle 72 blows air when the tablet W reaches the NG discharge position P3, based on the detection timing of the NG detection sensor 46 and the rotation angle of the conveying disk 30.

[0092] Here, for example, if the posture and position of the tablet W being inspected in the inspection unit 4 are not maintained at the optimal posture and position during inspection, or if there is variation between tablets, the accuracy of inspection in the inspection unit 4 will decrease.

[0093] In this embodiment, in order to improve the accuracy of inspection in the inspection unit 4, a guide unit 5 is provided that stabilizes the posture and position of each tablet W transported to the inspection unit 4 and transports each tablet W to the inspection unit 4 always in the same position and posture, preferably in the normal suction position and normal posture described below.

[0094] (Guide part) As shown in FIG. 1, the guide section 5 is provided between the suction position P1 and the inspection position P2 along the conveyance path of the tablet W, and guides the tablet W conveyed to the inspection position P2.

[0095] The guide section 5 is configured to include a first guide 11, a second guide 12, and a third guide 13. The first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 are supported non-rotatably by a main body frame (not shown).

[0096] In this embodiment, a first guide 11, a second guide 12, and a third guide 13 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the conveying direction along the conveying path of the tablets W. The first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 are all formed in an arc shape so as to follow the conveying path of the tablets W in a plan view.

[0097] As shown in Figure 5, the first guide 11 has a first upper guide piece 51 that contacts the tablet W from above, and a first lower guide piece 52 that is arranged opposite the first upper guide piece 51 across the transport path of the tablet W.

[0098] As shown in Fig. 9, a guide surface 51a that comes into contact with the tablet W is formed on the conveying path side of the first upper guide piece 51. A guide surface 52a is formed on the conveying path side of the first lower guide piece 52. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram in which the circular conveying disk 30 and the arc-shaped first guide 11, second guide 12, and third guide 13 are linearly developed.

[0099] In the first guide 11, the upstream end in the conveying direction is the entrance 11A of the first guide 11, and the downstream end in the conveying direction is the exit 11B of the first guide 11. In the second guide 12, the upstream end in the conveying direction is the entrance 12A of the second guide 12, and the downstream end in the conveying direction is the exit 12B of the second guide 12.

[0100] The guide surface 51a and the guide surface 52a are inclined so that the distance between them becomes narrower from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the tablet W to the downstream side in the conveying direction.

[0101] In other words, the guide surfaces 51a and 52a are inclined so as to gradually approach the conveying path from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. Furthermore, the guide surfaces 51a and 52a are gently curved from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. Therefore, the guide surfaces 51a and 52a are formed so that the inclination becomes gentler toward the downstream side in the conveying direction.

[0102] Therefore, the first guide 11 is configured so that the entrance 11A is wide in the vertical direction and the exit 11B is narrower in the vertical direction than the entrance 11A. The second guide 12 is also configured so that the entrance 12A is wide in the vertical direction and the exit 12B is narrower in the vertical direction than the entrance 12A.

[0103] In this embodiment, the width H1 in the vertical direction of the entrance 11A of the first guide 11 and the width H3 in the vertical direction of the entrance 12A of the second guide 12 are set to be the same width.

[0104] Furthermore, the vertical width H2 of the outlet 11B of the first guide 11 and the vertical width H4 of the outlet 12B of the second guide 12 are set to be the same width. The widths H2 and H4 are set to be slightly larger than the thickness of the tablet W, i.e., the length of the tablet W in the axial direction of the cylindrical shape.

[0105] The vertical width of the entrance and exit of each guide can be changed by adjusting the positions of the upper and lower guide pieces, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the type and dimensions of the object to be inspected.

[0106] In this embodiment, the outlet 11B of the first guide 11 is located lower than the outlet 12B of the second guide 12. Specifically, the outlet 11B of the first guide 11 is arranged so that the center of the outlet 11B in the up-down direction is located lower than the center line O connecting the centers of the suction holes 32. In other words, the outlet 11B is arranged at a position biased downward with respect to the center line O.

[0107] Since the outlet 11B of the first guide 11 is positioned in this manner, when the tablet W is guided by the first guide 11, it moves downstream in the conveying direction while coming into contact with the guide surface 51a of the first upper guide piece 51.

[0108] As a result, the tablet W guided by the first guide 11 is gradually pushed down by the first upper guide piece 51 as it moves downstream in the conveying direction, and when it passes through the exit 11B, it is pushed down until its center in the vertical direction is shifted downward from the center line O.

[0109] The first lower guide piece 52 prevents the tablet W pushed down by the first upper guide piece 51 from going too far downward, and also prevents the tablet W from becoming significantly out of position at the outlet 11B, such as being tilted relative to the center line O.

[0110] As shown in Figure 5, the second guide 12 has a second lower guide piece 53 that contacts the tablet W from below, and a second upper guide piece 54 that is arranged opposite the second lower guide piece 53 across the transport path of the tablet W.

[0111] 9, a guide surface 53a that comes into contact with the tablet W is formed on the conveying path side of the second lower guide piece 53. A guide surface 54a is formed on the conveying path side of the second upper guide piece 54.

[0112] The guide surface 53a and the guide surface 54a are inclined so that the distance between them becomes narrower from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the tablet W to the downstream side in the conveying direction.

[0113] In other words, the guide surfaces 53a and 54a are inclined so as to gradually approach the conveying path from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. Furthermore, the guide surfaces 53a and 54a are gently curved from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. Therefore, the guide surfaces 53a and 54a are formed so that the inclination becomes gentler toward the downstream side in the conveying direction.

[0114] In this embodiment, the outlet 12B of the second guide 12 is disposed above the outlet 11B of the first guide 11, and the center of the outlet 12B in the vertical direction is positioned above the center line O. In other words, the outlet 12B is disposed so that the center of the outlet 12B in the vertical direction is positioned above the center line O by half the difference between the thickness of the tablet W and the width H4 of the outlet 12B in the vertical direction.

[0115] Since the outlet 12B of the second guide 12 is positioned in this manner, when the tablet W is guided by the second guide 12, it moves downstream in the conveying direction while coming into contact with the guide surface 53a of the second lower guide piece 53.

[0116] As a result, the tablet W guided by the second guide 12 is gradually pushed up by the second lower guide piece 53 as it moves downstream in the conveying direction, and when it passes through the exit 12B, it is pushed up to the correct adsorption position where the center of the tablet W in the vertical direction coincides with the center line O.

[0117] At the normal suction position, the tablet W is suctioned to the suction hole 32 without any gap between it and the suction hole 32 or without any gap large enough to cause the tablet W to lose its posture. Therefore, when the tablet W is suctioned at the normal suction position, the posture of the tablet W is easily stabilized and the tablet W is easily maintained in that position.

[0118] Furthermore, the tablet W is controlled to a normal posture when it passes through the second guide 12. The normal posture refers to the posture of the tablet W when the cylindrical axis of the tablet W is parallel to the vertical direction. To more reliably achieve the normal posture, for example, the guide surface 53a on the downstream side of the second lower guide piece 53 in the conveying direction may be formed horizontally.

[0119] The second upper guide piece 54 prevents the tablet W pushed up by the second lower guide piece 53 from going too far upward, and prevents the tablet W from becoming significantly out of position at the outlet 12B, such as being tilted with respect to the center line O.

[0120] In this embodiment, the position where the center of the tablet W in the vertical direction coincides with the center line O is defined as the normal suction position, and therefore the arrangement of the outlets 11B and 12B is set as described above, but if the normal suction position differs from that of this embodiment, the arrangement of the outlets 11B and 12B will also be changed accordingly. In this case, the arrangement of the outlets 11B and 12B should be such that the tablet W is pushed down below the normal suction position when passing through the outlet 11B, and the pushed-down tablet W can be pushed up to the normal suction position when passing through the outlet 12B.

[0121] The curves of the guide surfaces 51a, 52a, 53a, and 54a described above are curved shapes whose curvature decreases from the upstream side in the conveying direction to the downstream side in the conveying direction, for example. The guide surfaces 51a, 52a, 53a, and 54a described above do not have to be completely curved surfaces, and may have a shape that is equivalent to a curved surface, formed by continuously forming a plurality of flat surfaces at different angles.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 5, the third guide 13 is composed of a single guide piece that is disposed on the inspection position P2 side of the first guide 11 and the second guide 12 and below the conveying path of the tablets W.

[0123] 9, a guide surface 13a that contacts the tablet W from below on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the tablet W is formed on the conveying path side of the third guide 13. The guide surface 13a is inclined so as to gradually move away from the tablet W toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the tablet W.

[0124] The third guide 13 is arranged so that the height of the upstream end of the guide surface 13a in the conveying direction matches the height of the downstream end of the guide surface 53a of the second lower guide piece 53. This allows the tablet W that has passed through the outlet 12B of the second guide 12 to move to the third guide 13 while maintaining the normal adsorption position and normal posture.

[0125] The tablet W that has moved to the third guide 13 gradually moves away from the guide surface 13a as it moves downstream in the conveying direction, so that the tablet W is likely to maintain the regular suction position and regular posture. The tablet W that has passed through the third guide 13 is conveyed to the inspection unit 4 while maintaining the regular suction position and regular posture.

[0126] If the third guide 13 were not provided, the tablet W would suddenly lose support from below after passing through the exit 12B of the second guide 12. If the tablet W is adsorbed to the suction holes 32 of the conveying disc 30 with a gap biased toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, for example, when the tablet W suddenly loses support from the second guide 12, the tablet W will rotate in the traveling direction in an attempt to eliminate the biased gap.

[0127] In this embodiment, as described above, the tablet W is guided by the third guide 13 without suddenly losing support after passing through the exit 12B of the second guide 12, and therefore the tablet W is prevented from rotating in the traveling direction. Furthermore, even after that, the support of the tablet W is gradually released by the third guide 13, so the support is not suddenly lost.

[0128] The above-mentioned first upper guide piece 51, first lower guide piece 52, second lower guide piece 53, second upper guide piece 54 and third guide 13 are configured so that their respective mounting positions can be adjusted by an adjustment mechanism 50 (see FIG. 11). The adjustment mechanism 50 is configured, for example, by a linear motion mechanism such as a rack and pinion mechanism or a ball screw, driven by a motor or the like. Note that the above-mentioned guide pieces and guides may also be configured so that their mounting positions can be manually adjusted.

[0129] Next, the cross sections of the guide surfaces of the first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10(a) shows the cross section of the first guide 11, Fig. 10(b) shows the cross section of the second guide 12, and Fig. 10(c) shows the cross section of the third guide 13.

[0130] As shown in Fig. 10(a), the guide surface 51a of the first upper guide piece 51 has a cross section perpendicular to the conveyance path of the tablet W formed in a V-groove shape with a V-groove recessed inward into the first upper guide piece 51. Therefore, the guide surface 51a can guide the tablet W while contacting the tablet W at one point or two or more points. Furthermore, when the tablet W has a curved surface as in this embodiment, the V-groove-shaped guide surface 51a contacts the tablet W so as to follow the curved surface.

[0131] In this embodiment, the guide surface 51a is preferably disposed so that the apex of the V-groove, which is the deepest part of the V-groove of the guide surface 51a, coincides with the axis of the cylindrical tablet W.

[0132] The guide surface 52a of the first lower guide piece 52 has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the conveyance path of the tablet W formed in a V-groove recessed inward of the first lower guide piece 52. This allows the guide surface 52a to come into contact with the tablet W at one point or at two or more points. Furthermore, when the tablet W has a curved surface as in this embodiment, the V-groove-shaped guide surface 52a can come into contact with the tablet W so as to follow the curved surface.

[0133] In this embodiment, the guide surface 52a is preferably disposed so that the apex of the V-shaped groove of the guide surface 52a coincides with the axis of the cylindrical tablet W.

[0134] 10(b), the guide surface 53a of the second lower guide piece 53 has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the conveying path of the tablet W formed in a V-groove shape recessed inward of the second lower guide piece 53. Therefore, the guide surface 53a can guide the tablet W while contacting the tablet W at one or more points. Furthermore, when the tablet W has a curved surface as in this embodiment, the V-groove-shaped guide surface 53a contacts the tablet W so as to follow the curved surface.

[0135] In this embodiment, the guide surface 53a is preferably disposed so that the apex of the V-shaped groove of the guide surface 53a coincides with the axis of the cylindrical tablet W.

[0136] The guide surface 54a of the second upper guide piece 54 is formed in a flat shape, and is formed so that its horizontal width is smaller than that of the second lower guide piece 53 in the horizontal direction.

[0137] In this embodiment, the guide surface 54a is disposed radially outward of the conveying disk 30 relative to the cylindrical axis of the tablet W. In this manner, the guide surface 54a is configured to be able to come into contact with the tablet W at a position farther from the suction hole 32 of the conveying disk 30 than the cylindrical axis of the tablet W, and therefore rotation of the tablet W can be minimized.

[0138] For example, when the tablet W adsorbed to the suction hole 32 tries to tilt so that the side of the tablet W farthest from the suction hole 32 (the right side in Figure 10) moves upward, that is, when the tablet W tries to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 10, the rotation is suppressed by the guide surface 54a.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 10(c), the guide surface 13a of the third guide 13 is formed in a flat shape, and is formed so that its horizontal width is smaller than that of the second lower guide piece 53.

[0140] In this embodiment, the guide surface 13a is disposed so that the center of the horizontal width coincides with the cylindrical axis of the tablet W. This allows the guide surface 13a to come into contact with the vicinity of the center of the lower surface of the tablet W on the upstream side of the third guide 13 in the conveying direction.

[0141] In this embodiment, the first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 are each configured as separate bodies.

[0142] (Electrical configuration) Next, the electrical configuration of the article inspection device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 11, the article inspection device 1 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 100 that performs overall control of the article inspection device 1.

[0144] The control unit 100 is configured by a computer unit that includes at least a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an input port, and an output port.

[0145] The control unit 100 is connected to various sensors such as the tablet detection sensor 44, NG detection sensor 46, full discharge detection sensor 40, removal failure detection sensor 41, and OK detection sensor 45 described above.

[0146] In addition to the above-mentioned inspection unit 4, return mechanism 27, NG air nozzle 72, total discharge air nozzle 74, NG contamination prevention gate 75, OK air nozzle 77, drive motor 30M and adjustment mechanism 50, various devices such as a display unit 120 are connected to the control unit 100.

[0147] The control unit 100 has a memory unit 101 that stores the pass / fail judgment results of the inspection unit 4 as measurement data for each tablet W. The control unit 100 assigns identification information that can individually identify the tablets W, for example, a management number, to each of the above-mentioned measurement data in a consecutive manner, and then stores each measurement data in the memory unit 101. When this measurement data is stored, management of each tablet W begins.

[0148] In this embodiment, the control unit 100 manages each tablet W as described above by storing in the memory unit 101, in addition to the judgment results of the inspection unit 4, information such as the discharge results indicating where the tablet W was discharged, linked to each measurement data.

[0149] Furthermore, each measurement data stored in the storage unit 101 can be read out in response to an operation on the display unit 120, which will be described later. This makes it possible to track the measurement data of each tablet W by its management number.

[0150] The memory unit 101 is also configured to store, for each inspection object, the attachment positions of the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, the second upper guide piece 54, and the third guide 13. The control unit 100 stores, for example, the optimal attachment positions of the above-mentioned guide pieces and the third guide 13 designated by the user for each inspection object in the memory unit 101. Note that the memory unit 101 may previously store attachment positions of the above-mentioned guide pieces and the third guide 13 determined as optimal attachment positions for each inspection object.

[0151] The display unit 120 is configured, for example, by a touch panel display. The display unit 120 has a display function for displaying various information in addition to a viewer display screen related to the management of each tablet W, and also has a function as an input unit for accepting operations from the user. Examples of user operations include various setting operations, operating operations, and selection operations.

[0152] Various setting operations on the display unit 120 include, for example, input operations for inputting the shape and dimensions of the object to be inspected, and setting operations for setting the mounting positions of the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, the second upper guide piece 54 and the third guide 13.

[0153] Therefore, the display unit 120 functions as an input unit through which the user inputs the shape, dimensions, etc. of the inspection target. The information on the inspection target that can be input is not limited to the shape and dimensions. Furthermore, the display unit 120 is configured to be able to accept setting operations for setting the mounting positions of the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, the second upper guide piece 54, and the third guide 13.

[0154] Furthermore, the display unit 120 is configured to display instructions of a first guide 11, a second guide 12, and a third guide 13 that are suited to the shape, dimensions, etc. of the inspection object input by the user. This allows the user to be notified of guides for the optimum shape and dimensions according to the inspection object.

[0155] In addition, the display unit 120 is configured to display recommended mounting positions for the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, the second upper guide piece 54 and the third guide 13.

[0156] The control unit 100 is configured to control the timing of discharging the tablet W by the NG air nozzle 72 based on the detection result of the NG detection sensor 46. That is, when the NG detection sensor 46 detects a tablet W determined to be an NG product by the inspection unit 4, the control unit 100 controls the NG air nozzle 72 so that air is blown out at the timing when the tablet W reaches the NG discharge position P3.

[0157] The control unit 100 is configured to control the timing of discharging the tablets W by the total discharge air nozzle 74 based on the detection result of the total discharge detection sensor 40. That is, when the total discharge detection sensor 40 detects a tablet W that should be fully discharged, such as a tablet W that has failed to be NG discharged, the control unit 100 controls the total discharge air nozzle 74 so that air is blown out at the timing when the tablet W reaches the total discharge position P4.

[0158] The control unit 100 controls the timing of opening the conveying path by the NG contamination prevention gate 75 based on the detection result of the removal failure detection sensor 41. That is, when a non-defective tablet W is detected by the removal failure detection sensor 41, the control unit 100 controls the NG contamination prevention gate 75 so that the NG contamination prevention gate 75 moves to a position where the conveying path is opened at the timing when the tablet W passes through the NG contamination prevention gate 75.

[0159] The control unit 100 controls the timing of discharging the tablet W by the OK air nozzle 77 based on the detection result of the OK detection sensor 45. That is, when the tablet W determined to be an OK product by the inspection unit 4 is detected by the OK detection sensor 45, the control unit 100 controls the OK air nozzle 77 so that air is blown out at the timing when the tablet W reaches the OK discharge position P5.

[0160] Furthermore, the control unit 100 controls the drive motor 30M to stop driving the drive motor 30M when the drive torque of the drive motor 30M of the transfer disk 30 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In addition, the control unit 100 may control the drive motor 30M to stop when, for example, an abnormality is detected in the air pressure of each air nozzle or an abnormality is detected in the installation of each discharge device and passing device.

[0161] The above-mentioned predetermined value is the lower limit of the drive torque of the drive motor 30M at which it can be determined that the tablet W is caught in the first guide 11 or the second guide 12, or that the tablet W is caught between the conveying disk 30 and the first guide 11 or the second guide 12, and is, for example, experimentally determined in advance and stored in the ROM of the control unit 100. Note that the above-mentioned predetermined value may be set based on an external signal, for example, based on an input from the user.

[0162] In addition, the control unit 100 is configured to be able to control the adjustment operation of the adjustment mechanism 50 so that the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, the second upper guide piece 54 and the third guide 13 are attached to the mounting positions stored in the memory unit 101 for each inspection object.

[0163] For example, when a user inputs the item to be inspected via the display unit 120, the adjustment mechanism 50 automatically adjusts the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, the second upper guide piece 54 and the third guide 13 to the optimal mounting positions according to the shape and dimensions of the item to be inspected.

[0164] (Action and effect) As described above, in the article inspection device according to this embodiment, the first upper guide piece 51 of the first guide 11 contacts the tablet W from above, and the second lower guide piece 53 of the second guide 12 contacts the tablet W from below, thereby guiding the tablet W, and therefore the position of the tablet W after passing through the first guide 11 and the second guide 12 can be kept constant, and the posture of the tablet W can be stabilized. Therefore, the first guide 11 and the second guide 12 can control the tablet W to a regular suction position and a regular posture.

[0165] Furthermore, the third guide 13 contacts the tablet W from below on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the tablet W, and the guide surface 13a of the third guide 13 on the conveying path side is inclined so as to gradually move away from the tablet W toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, so that it is possible to prevent the posture of the tablet W from changing after passing through the second guide 12 arranged immediately before the third guide 13. This allows the tablet W to be conveyed to the inspection unit 4 while being maintained in the regular suction position and regular posture.

[0166] In this way, the product inspection device of this embodiment can transport the tablets W to the inspection unit 4 without variations in position or posture for each tablet W, and with the posture and position of the tablets W stabilized in the correct suction position and correct posture, thereby improving the accuracy of inspection in the inspection unit 4.

[0167] In the object inspection device of this embodiment, the first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 are arranged in this order, so that the position of the upper end of the tablet W can be kept constant by pushing the tablet W down from above with the first guide 11, and the position of the lower end of the tablet W can be adjusted to the correct suction position that allows the inspection unit 4 to inspect the object with high accuracy by pushing the tablet W up from below with the second guide 12.

[0168] Furthermore, the tablet W, whose lower end has been aligned to the correct adsorption position by the second guide 12, is guided to the inspection section 4 by the third guide 13, so that the tablet W can be transported to the inspection section 4 while being maintained in a position that allows it to be inspected accurately by the inspection section 4.

[0169] In the article inspection device according to this embodiment, the first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 are configured as separate bodies, so that the position of each guide can be adjusted individually.

[0170] In the object inspection device of this embodiment, the first guide 11 includes a first upper guide piece 51 and a first lower guide piece 52, and the second guide 12 includes a second lower guide piece 53 and a second upper guide piece 54, so that each guide has a pair of guide pieces facing each other across the conveying path.

[0171] Therefore, in the first guide 11, the posture of the tablet W is regulated from below and the tablet W can be prevented from going too far downward. Also, in the second guide 12, the posture of the tablet W is regulated from above and the tablet W can be prevented from going too far upward.

[0172] In the article inspection device according to this embodiment, the guide surfaces 51a of the first upper guide piece 51 and the guide surface 52a of the first lower guide piece 52 are inclined so that the distance between these guide surfaces narrows from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the tablets W, and therefore the vertical width of the first guide 11 on the entrance 11A side can be made wider and the vertical width on the exit 11B side can be made narrower. This allows the first guide 11 to reliably capture tablets W with varying postures and positions, and control the tablets W to a constant position and posture as they move toward the exit 11B of the first guide 11.

[0173] In the article inspection device according to this embodiment, the guide surfaces 54a of the second upper guide piece 54 and the guide surface 53a of the second lower guide piece 53 are inclined so that the distance between these guide surfaces narrows from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the tablets W, and therefore the vertical width of the second guide 12 can be made wider on the entrance 12A side and narrower on the exit 12B side. As a result, even if the position or posture of the tablets W that have passed through the first guide 11 varies, the second guide 12 can reliably capture the tablets W with such varied positions and postures, and control the tablets W to the correct suction position and posture as they move toward the exit 12B of the second guide 12.

[0174] In the object inspection device of this embodiment, guide surfaces 51a, 52a, 53a, and 54a have a shape that is gently curved from the upstream side of the conveying direction of the tablet W to the downstream side of the conveying direction, so that tablets W with varying positions and postures can be controlled to a constant position and posture over a short distance in the conveying direction.

[0175] In the object inspection device of this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the guide surface 51a of the first upper guide piece 51 is formed in a V-groove shape, so that even if the object is, for example, a tablet W having a curved shape, the V-groove-shaped guide surface 51a can come into contact with the tablet W at one or more points, and the tablet W can be guided in a stable posture.

[0176] In the object inspection device of this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the guide surface 52a of the first lower guide piece 52 is formed in a V-groove shape, so that even if the object is, for example, a tablet W having a curved shape, the V-groove-shaped guide surface 52a can come into contact with the tablet W at one or more points, and the tablet W can be guided in a stable posture.

[0177] In the object inspection device of this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the guide surface 53a of the second lower guide piece 53 is formed in a V-groove shape, so that even if the object is, for example, a tablet W having a curved shape, the V-groove-shaped guide surface 53a can come into contact with the tablet W at one or more points, and the tablet W can be guided in a stable posture.

[0178] The article inspection device according to this embodiment stops driving the drive motor 30M of the conveying disk 30 when the drive torque of the drive motor 30M exceeds a predetermined value, and therefore, when a situation occurs in which, for example, the tablet W is caught in the first guide 11 or the second guide 12, or the tablet W is caught between the conveying disk 30 and these guides, conveyance of the tablet W by the conveying disk 30 can be stopped. This makes it possible to protect the tablet W and prevent excessive load from being applied to the conveying disk 30.

[0179] The article inspection device according to this embodiment is equipped with an adjustment mechanism 50 that allows the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second upper guide piece 54, the second lower guide piece 53, and the third guide 13 to be adjusted in their mounting positions, so that the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second upper guide piece 54, the second lower guide piece 53, and the third guide 13 can be positioned in optimal positions depending on, for example, the shape and dimensions of the article to be inspected. Furthermore, the device can accommodate a wide variety of articles to be inspected.

[0180] In the object inspection device of this embodiment, the control unit 100 is configured to be able to control the adjustment operation of the adjustment mechanism 50 so that the mounting position for each inspection object stored in the memory unit 101 is achieved, so that the mounting positions of the first upper guide piece 51, the first lower guide piece 52, the second upper guide piece 54, the second lower guide piece 53 and the third guide 13 can be automatically adjusted to suit the inspection object.

[0181] The item inspection device of this embodiment displays on the display unit 120 instructions for the first guide 11, second guide 12, and third guide 13, as well as recommended installation positions, that are suitable for at least the shape and dimensions of the item entered into the display unit 120, and the display unit 120 is configured to be able to accept operations to set the installation positions of each guide, allowing the user to easily make optimal settings based on the information displayed on the display unit 120.

[0182] (Variation) In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the first guide 11 and the second guide 12 are arranged in this order in the conveying direction of the tablet W, but this is not limited to this, and the second guide 12 and the first guide 11 may also be arranged in this order in the conveying direction of the tablet W.

[0183] In this case, it is desirable that the second lower guide piece 53 and the second upper guide piece 54 of the second guide 12 are arranged so as to push the tablet W upward above the normal suction position. Specifically, it is desirable that the second guide 12 is arranged so that the center in the vertical direction of the outlet 12B is located above the center line O.

[0184] Furthermore, it is desirable that the first upper guide piece 51 and the first lower guide piece 52 of the first guide 11 are arranged so as to press down the tablet W to the correct suction position. Specifically, it is preferable that the outlet 11B of the first guide 11 is arranged so that the center in the up-down direction is located below the center line O by half the difference between the thickness of the tablet W and the width H2 in the up-down direction of the outlet 11B.

[0185] In addition, in this embodiment, the guide surface 51a of the first upper guide piece 51, the guide surface 52a of the first lower guide piece 52, and the guide surface 53a of the second lower guide piece 53 are each formed so that the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the conveying path of the tablet W is V-groove-shaped, but this is not limited to this, and any shape that stabilizes the posture of the tablet W, such as a flat, U-shaped, or concave shape, may be used.

[0186] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first guide 11 and the second guide 12 are described as being configured to consist of a pair of upper and lower guide pieces, but this is not limited to this, and each may be configured to consist of a single guide piece, for example, as shown in Figures 12 and 13.

[0187] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the first guide 11 is configured with a first upper guide piece 51, and the second guide 12 is configured with a second lower guide piece 53.

[0188] In the present embodiment, the first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 are configured as separate bodies, but this is not limiting, and the first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 may be integrally formed, or two guides adjacent in the conveying direction may be integrally formed. Also, as shown in Fig. 14, a configuration may be adopted in which the first upper guide piece 51 and the second upper guide piece 54 are integrally formed, and the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, and the third guide 13 are integrally formed.

[0189] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a guide for pushing the conveyed tablet W downward may be provided immediately before the NG discharge position P3. In this case, the suction position of the tablet W is shifted downward from the center of the suction hole 32, so that the suction force of the tablet W to the suction hole 32 is reduced, and the suction of the tablet W can be reliably released without increasing the air pressure of the NG air nozzle 72.

[0190] While an embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention, and it is intended that all such modifications and equivalents be included in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0191] 1. Item inspection equipment 2 Supply section 3. Conveyor 4. Inspection Department 5 Guide section 6 Tablet dispenser 11 First Guide 12 Second Guide 13 Third Guide 13a, 51a, 52a, 53a, 54a Guide surface 30 Transfer disc 30M drive motor 30a outer edge 31 Posture Guide 32 suction holes 50 Adjustment mechanism 51 First upper guide piece 52 First lower guide piece 53 Second lower guide piece 54 Second upper guide piece 100 control section 101 Storage section 120 Display unit (input unit) P1 Adsorption position P2 inspection position P3 NG discharge position P4 All discharge positions P5 OK discharge position W Tablet (item)

Claims

1. a conveying unit (3) that suction-holds an object (W) to be inspected and conveys it to an inspection position (P2); an inspection unit (4) that inspects the item at the inspection position; a guide unit (5) provided along the transport path of the article and configured to guide the article being transported to the inspection position; The guide portion is a first guide (11) that contacts the article from above; a second guide (12) disposed adjacent to the first guide in the conveying direction of the article and in contact with the article from below; a third guide (13) disposed closer to the inspection position than the first guide and the second guide, The third guide has a guide surface (13a) on the conveying path side that contacts the item from below on the upstream side of the conveying direction of the item, and the guide surface is inclined so as to gradually move away from the item as it moves toward the downstream side of the conveying direction of the item.

2. 2. The article inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the guide section is arranged in the order of the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide along the conveying path of the article.

3. 3. An article inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide are configured as separate bodies.

4. The first guide includes a first upper guide piece (51) that contacts the article from above, and a first lower guide piece (52) that is arranged to face the first upper guide piece across the conveyance path of the article, An object inspection device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the second guide includes a second lower guide piece (53) that contacts the object from below, and a second upper guide piece (54) that is arranged opposite the second lower guide piece across the transport path of the object.

5. The first guide includes a first upper guide piece (51) that contacts the article from above, and a first lower guide piece (52) that is arranged to face the first upper guide piece across the conveyance path of the article, The object inspection device described in claim 3, characterized in that the second guide includes a second lower guide piece (53) that contacts the object from below, and a second upper guide piece (54) that is arranged opposite the second lower guide piece across the transport path of the object.

6. The object inspection device described in claim 4, characterized in that the pair of guide surfaces of the first guide are inclined so that the distance between the guide surface (51a) of the first upper guide piece on the side of the object's transport path and the guide surface (52a) of the first lower guide piece on the side of the object's transport path becomes narrower from the upstream side of the object's transport direction to the downstream side of the object's transport direction.

7. The object inspection device described in claim 5, characterized in that the pair of guide surfaces of the first guide are inclined so that the distance between the guide surface (51a) of the first upper guide piece on the side of the object's transport path and the guide surface (52a) of the first lower guide piece on the side of the object's transport path becomes narrower from the upstream side of the object's transport direction to the downstream side of the object's transport direction.

8. The object inspection device described in claim 6, characterized in that the pair of guide surfaces of the second guide are inclined so that the distance between the guide surface (54a) of the second upper guide piece on the side of the object's transport path and the guide surface (53a) of the second lower guide piece on the side of the object's transport path becomes narrower from the upstream side of the object's transport direction to the downstream side of the object's transport direction.

9. The object inspection device described in claim 7, characterized in that the pair of guide surfaces of the second guide are inclined so that the distance between the guide surface (54a) of the second upper guide piece on the side of the object's transport path and the guide surface (53a) of the second lower guide piece on the side of the object's transport path becomes narrower from the upstream side of the object's transport direction to the downstream side of the object's transport direction.

10. 7. An object inspection device according to claim 6, wherein the pair of guide surfaces are curved from an upstream side in the conveying direction of the object toward a downstream side in the conveying direction of the object.

11. 8. An object inspection device according to claim 7, wherein the pair of guide surfaces are curved from an upstream side in the conveying direction of the object toward a downstream side in the conveying direction of the object.

12. 9. An object inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the pair of guide surfaces are curved from an upstream side in the conveying direction of the object toward a downstream side in the conveying direction of the object.

13. 10. An object inspection device according to claim 9, wherein the pair of guide surfaces are curved from an upstream side in the conveying direction of the object toward a downstream side in the conveying direction of the object.

14. 5. An object inspection device according to claim 4, wherein the guide surface of the first upper guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-shaped cross section perpendicular to the transport path of the object.

15. 6. An object inspection device according to claim 5, wherein the guide surface of the first upper guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-groove-shaped cross section perpendicular to the transport path of the object.

16. 15. An object inspection device according to claim 14, wherein the guide surface of the first lower guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-groove-shaped cross section perpendicular to the transport path of the object.

17. 16. An object inspection device according to claim 15, wherein the guide surface of the first lower guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-groove-shaped cross section perpendicular to the transport path of the object.

18. 9. An object inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the guide surface of the second lower guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-groove-shaped cross section perpendicular to the transport path of the object.

19. 10. An object inspection device according to claim 9, wherein the guide surface of the second lower guide piece on the side of the transport path has a V-groove-shaped cross section perpendicular to the transport path of the object.

20. The conveying unit has a drive motor (30M), Further provided is a control unit (100) for controlling the drive motor, 5. The article inspection device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit stops driving the drive motor when the drive torque of the drive motor reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.

21. The conveying unit has a drive motor (30M), Further provided is a control unit (100) for controlling the drive motor, 6. The article inspection device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit stops driving the drive motor when the drive torque of the drive motor reaches a predetermined value or more.

22. The object inspection device described in claim 4, further comprising an adjustment mechanism (50) capable of adjusting the mounting positions of the first upper guide piece, the first lower guide piece, the second upper guide piece, the second lower guide piece, and the third guide.

23. The object inspection device described in claim 5, further comprising an adjustment mechanism (50) capable of adjusting the mounting positions of the first upper guide piece, the first lower guide piece, the second upper guide piece, the second lower guide piece, and the third guide.

24. Further provided is a control unit (100) that controls the adjustment mechanism, The control unit A storage unit (101) for storing the attachment position for each test object, 23. An article inspection device according to claim 22, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to be capable of controlling an adjustment operation so that the mounting position for each of the inspection objects stored in the storage unit is achieved.

25. Further provided is a control unit (100) that controls the adjustment mechanism, The control unit A storage unit (101) for storing the attachment position for each test object, 24. An article inspection device according to claim 23, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to be capable of controlling an adjustment operation so that the mounting position for each of the inspection objects stored in the storage unit is achieved.

26. an input unit (120) for inputting at least the shape and dimensions of the object to be inspected; a display unit (120) that displays instructions for the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide, and a recommended value for the attachment position, that are suitable for at least the shape and size of the article inputted to the input unit; 23. An article inspection device according to claim 22, wherein the input unit is configured to be able to accept an operation to set the mounting position.

27. an input unit (120) for inputting at least the shape and dimensions of the object to be inspected; a display unit (120) that displays instructions for the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide, and a recommended value for the attachment position, that are suitable for at least the shape and size of the article inputted to the input unit; 24. An article inspection device according to claim 23, wherein the input unit is configured to be able to accept an operation to set the mounting position.

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