Granular material moving device and granular material conveying device

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of accurately releasing suction of a granular material in a suction hole.SOLUTION: A tablet printer comprises: an inclined drum 71; a rotary motor 71M; a suction pipe 51; an air cutting member 53; and a pressing member 55. The inclined drum has an outer side surface being a conical surface with a center axis C1 as a center and having a suction hole 711 for suctioning a tablet. The rotary motor rotates the inclined drum with the central axis as a center. The suction pipe connects the suction hole to a negative pressure source. The air cutting member includes a closing part 534 which intermittently closes the suction hole rotated by the rotary motor on the suction pipe side with respect to the suction hole. The pressing member presses the air cutting member against the inclined drum side to bring the closing part into contact with the inner side surface of the inclined drum. When the suction hole is not overlapped with the closing part, the suction hole communicates to the suction pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a granular material moving device and a granular material conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Printing devices that use an inkjet method to print images on the surfaces of granular materials such as pharmaceutical tablets and tablet candies like Ramune soda are known. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose printing devices that use an inkjet method to print on the front and back of tablets.

[0003] The printing device of Patent Document 1 includes an upstream conveying section (3), a downstream conveying section (4), a first printing section (201), and a second printing section (202). A tablet (T) is printed by the first printing section (201) while being conveyed by the conveying section (3). The tablet (T) is then passed from the conveying section (3) to the conveying section (4) in an inverted state. The tablet (T) is then printed by the second printing section (202) while being conveyed by the conveying section (4). As a result, printing is performed on the front and back surfaces of the tablet (T).

[0004] Furthermore, Cited Document 2 discloses a granular material conveying device including a conveying mechanism for conveying granular material and an inverting mechanism for inverting the granular material. The inverting mechanism has a first conical inclined drum and a second inclined drum. The first inclined drum rotates while adsorbing the granular material (9) conveyed at a first position (W1) in the width direction of the conveying mechanism to a first suction hole (711) connected to a negative pressure source, and delivers the granular material (9) to a second inclined drum (72). The second inclined drum (72) rotates while adsorbing the granular material (9) received from the first suction hole (711) to a second suction hole (721), and delivers the granular material (9) to a second position (W2) in the width direction of the conveying mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-223323 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-069084 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To release the suction of particulate matter through the suction holes of the inclined drum, an air breaker may be provided inside the inclined drum to close the suction holes. When the inclined drum is rotated relative to the air breaker, the suction holes intermittently overlap with the closing portion of the air breaker, disconnecting the suction holes from the negative pressure source. This releases the suction of particulate matter through the suction holes.

[0007] However, when such an air breaker is used, a gap (clearance) may occur between the air breaker and the inclined drum due to low machining accuracy of the parts or low assembly accuracy, etc. When such a gap occurs, it becomes difficult to block the suction holes with the air breaker, which makes it difficult to release the suction of the granular material in the suction holes, and there is a risk that the conveyance of the granular material may become unstable.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can accurately release particulate matter from adsorption in adsorption holes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a granular material moving device that moves granular material while adsorbing it, the device comprising: an inclined drum having a conical surface centered on a predetermined central axis and an outer surface with suction holes that adsorb the granular material; a rotary motor that rotates the inclined drum about the central axis; a suction pipe for connecting the suction holes to a negative pressure source; an air breaker having a closing portion that closes the suction holes on the suction pipe side; and a pressing member that presses the air breaker toward the inclined drum, thereby bringing the closing portion into contact with the inner surface of the inclined drum. The aforementionedAs the inclined drum rotates, the suction holes move between a position where they overlap with the closing portion and a position where they do not overlap with the closing portion, and when the suction holes do not overlap with the closing portion, the suction holes communicate with the suction pipe. The air breaker has a communication hole for communicating the suction hole with the suction pipe, and openings of the communication hole are arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction around the central axis with respect to the closing portion. The air breaker has a contact portion that comes into contact with the inner surface of the inclined drum, and the outer surface of the contact portion forms a conical surface shaped to correspond to the inner surface of the inclined drum. The contact portion has the closing portion and an opening, and the opening forms the opening of the communication hole. .

[0011] No. 2 The first mode Dear In the granular material moving device, the air cutting member is made of resin.

[0012] No. 3 The aspect is 2 In the granular material moving device of the embodiment, the air cutting member is formed of polyoxymethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyether ether ketone.

[0013] No. 4 The embodiments are the first to second embodiments. 3 The granular material moving device according to any one of the aspects further comprises a rotation stop pin fixed to the suction pipe, and the air breaker member has an engagement portion that engages with the rotation stop pin.

[0014] No. 5 The embodiments are the first to second embodiments. 4 In the granular material moving device according to any one of the aspects, the pressing member has a leaf spring disposed between the suction pipe and the air breaker member.

[0015] No. 6 The aspect is 5 In the granular material moving device of the embodiment, the pressing member is a wave washer. A seventh aspect is the granular material moving device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the outer surface of the contact portion is inclined at the same angle with respect to the central axis as the inner surface of the inclined drum. The eighth aspect is a granular material moving device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the opening formed by the opening is approximately arc-shaped in the circumferential direction with a central angle of approximately 180°.

[0016] No. 9An aspect is a granular material conveying device comprising: a conveying mechanism that conveys a plurality of granular materials in a predetermined conveying direction while holding them in a state where they are arranged in the width direction; and a reversing mechanism that turns over the granular materials at a reversing position on a conveying path of the conveying mechanism and moves the position of the granular materials in the width direction, the reversing mechanism having a first granular material moving device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects and a second granular material moving device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and the inclined drum of the second granular material moving device is The second granular material moving device is adjacent to the inclined drum of the first granular material moving device in the width direction, and the first granular material moving device rotates the inclined drum while adsorbing the granular material at a first position on the conveying path of the conveying mechanism into the suction holes, thereby moving the granular material to a delivery position, and the second granular material moving device rotates the inclined drum while adsorbing the granular material placed at the delivery position by the first granular material moving device into the suction holes, thereby moving the granular material to a second position on the conveying path of the conveying mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] First to second aspects 8 According to this embodiment of the granular material moving device, the pressing portion presses the closing portion of the air blower against the inclined drum, thereby reducing the gap between the inclined drum and the closing portion of the air blower. This reduces air leakage from the suction hole when the suction hole overlaps the closing portion of the air blower. This allows the suction of granular material at the suction hole to be released with high accuracy.

[0018] Also, During rotation, the suction holes alternately overlap with the open and closed portions of the communication holes, allowing the granular matter to be alternately attracted and released.

[0019] No. 2 According to the granular material moving device of this embodiment, since the air cutting member is made of resin, even if the air cutting member comes into sliding contact with the inclined drum, the generation of dust and the like can be reduced.

[0020] No. 3According to this embodiment of the granular material moving device, the air cutting member is made of polyoxymethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyether ether ketone, so even if the air cutting member comes into sliding contact with the inclined drum, the generation of dust can be reduced.

[0021] No. 4 According to the granular material moving device of this aspect, the air cutter member is engaged with the rotation stop pin, which prevents the air cutter member from rotating together with the inclined drum. Therefore, air cutter can be performed appropriately.

[0022] No. 5 Aspects and 6 According to the granular material moving device of this embodiment, an appropriate pressing force can be applied to the air cutting member.

[0023] No. 9 According to the granular material conveying device of this aspect, the granular material can be turned over with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a tablet printing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the tablet printing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the tablet printing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing a conveying mechanism and a reversing unit as viewed from the direction of an outlined arrow VI in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit and each element in the tablet printing device. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow of a printing process in the tablet printing device. [Figure 10] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a pair of moving units cut along a plane passing through the central axes of the moving units. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram showing a cross section of the air breaker taken along line AA in FIG. 12. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the components described in the embodiment are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary to facilitate understanding.

[0026] <1. Embodiment> <1.1. Overall configuration of tablet printing device> Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a tablet printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view of the tablet printing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the tablet printing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0027] The tablet printing device 1 is a device that conveys a plurality of tablets 9, which are granular materials, and prints images such as a product name, product code, company name, and logo mark on both the front and back of each tablet 9. The tablets 9 may be plain tablets (plain tablets), coated tablets such as sugar-coated tablets and film-coated tablets (FC tablets), or capsules. The tablets 9 may also be pharmaceuticals or health foods. The printing target of the tablet printing device 1 is not limited to tablets 9, but may also be tablet candy such as Ramune soda.

[0028] In the following description, the direction in which the tablets 9 are transported in the tablet printing apparatus 1 is referred to as the "transport direction." Additionally, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction and along the holding surface 220 of the transport belt 22 is referred to as the "width direction."

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the tablet printing apparatus 1 includes an input mechanism 10, a conveying mechanism 20, a printing unit 30, a first camera 40, a second camera 50, a drying mechanism 60, an inverting unit 70, an output mechanism 80, and a control unit 90.

[0030] The carry-in mechanism 10 is a mechanism that transports multiple tablets 9 fed into the tablet printing apparatus 1 to the conveying mechanism 20. The carry-in mechanism 10 has an alignment mechanism (not shown) composed of a vibrating feeder, a rotary feeder, a chute, etc., and a carry-in drum 11. The multiple tablets 9 are aligned in multiple rows (three rows in this embodiment) by the alignment mechanism and supplied to the outer circumferential surface of the carry-in drum 11. The carry-in drum 11 rotates while suction-holding each aligned tablet 9 individually on its outer circumferential surface. This aligns the tablets 9 in each row at equal intervals in the conveying direction. The tablets 9 held in the carry-in drum 11 are transported in an arc by the rotation of the carry-in drum 11 and delivered to the conveying mechanism 20.

[0031] The conveying mechanism 20 holds a plurality of tablets 9 and conveys the tablets 9 along a circular conveying path. The conveying mechanism 20 has a pair of pulleys 21 and a conveying belt 22 stretched around the pair of pulleys 21. One of the pair of pulleys 21 is rotated by power obtained from a conveying motor 23. This causes the conveying belt 22 to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1. At this time, the other of the pair of pulleys 21 is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the conveying belt 22.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the conveying mechanism 20. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of suction holes 221 are provided in a holding surface 220, which is the outer peripheral surface of the conveying belt 22. The plurality of suction holes 221 are arranged at equal intervals in the conveying direction and the width direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the conveying mechanism 20 has a suction mechanism 24 that sucks out gas from the space inside the conveying belt 22. When the suction mechanism 24 is operated, the space inside the conveying belt 22 becomes negative pressure, which is lower than atmospheric pressure. The plurality of tablets 9 are sucked and held by the suction holes 221 due to the negative pressure.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying mechanism 20 has three first blowing mechanisms B1 and one second blowing mechanism B2. The first blowing mechanisms B1 are arranged inside the conveying belt 22. The first blowing mechanisms B1 face the inclined drums 71, 73, and 75, respectively, via the conveying belt 22. The three first blowing mechanisms B1 blow gas only to the suction holes 221 of the conveying belt 22 that face the inclined drums 71, 73, and 75, respectively. This causes the suction holes 221 to be under a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. This gas blowing releases the suction of the tablets 9 in the suction holes 221, and the tablets 9 are transferred from the conveying belt 22 to the inclined drums 71, 73, and 75, respectively.

[0034] The second blow mechanism B2 is disposed inside the conveyor belt 22. The second blow mechanism B2 faces the discharge chute 81, which will be described later, across the conveyor belt 22. The second blow mechanism B2 blows gas only onto the suction holes 221 of the conveyor belt 22 that face the discharge chute 81. This gas blowing causes the suction holes 221 to have a positive pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. This releases the suction of the tablets 9 by the suction holes 221, causing the tablets 9 to fall from the conveyor belt 22 into the discharge chute 81.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the holding surface 220 of the conveyor belt 22 has a first area A1 that holds tablets 9 before they are inverted by the inverting unit 70 described below, and a second area A2 that holds tablets 9 after they are inverted. The first area A1 and the second area A2 are adjacent in the width direction. A plurality of suction holes 221 are provided in three rows in the width direction in the first area A1 and the second area A2. The tablets 9 carried in by the above-mentioned carry-in mechanism 10 are adsorbed and held by the suction holes 221 in the first area A1. Furthermore, a plurality of tablets 9 printed on both sides are delivered to the carry-out mechanism 80 from the suction holes 221 in the second area A2.

[0036] The printing unit 30 is a processing unit that performs inkjet printing on the surfaces of tablets 9 transported by the conveyor belt 22. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printing unit 30 has four heads 31. The four heads 31 are located above the conveyor belt 22 and arranged in a row along the conveying direction of the tablets 9. Each head 31 extends in the width direction, spanning both the first area A1 and the second area A2 of the conveyor belt 22. The four heads 31 eject ink droplets of different colors (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) toward the surfaces of the tablets 9. A multicolor image is then recorded on the surface of the tablets 9 by superimposing the monochromatic images formed by these colors. The ink ejected from each head 31 is edible ink made from ingredients approved by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, the Food Sanitation Act, and other regulations. Below the four heads 31, the tablets 9 are transported horizontally by the conveying mechanism 20.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the head 31. In FIG. 5, the conveyor belt 22 and the plurality of tablets 9 held by the conveyor belt 22 are indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 5, the head 31 has a discharge surface 310, which is its bottom surface. A plurality of nozzles 311 capable of discharging ink droplets are arranged on the discharge surface 310. Specifically, the plurality of nozzles 311 are arranged two-dimensionally in the conveyance direction and the width direction on the discharge surface 310. The nozzles 311 are arranged with their positions shifted in the width direction. By arranging the plurality of nozzles 311 two-dimensionally in this way, the positions of the nozzles 311 in the width direction can be made close to each other. However, the plurality of nozzles 311 may also be arranged in a line along the width direction.

[0038] The method of ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle 311 is, for example, a so-called piezo method, in which a voltage is applied to a piezo element to deform it, thereby pressurizing and ejecting the ink inside the nozzle 311. However, the method of ejecting ink droplets may also be a so-called thermal method, in which electricity is passed through a heater to heat and expand the ink inside the nozzle 311, thereby ejecting the ink.

[0039] The first camera 40 photographs the surfaces of the tablets 9 before printing. The first camera 40 is located downstream of the feed drum 11 and upstream of the conveying path relative to the four heads 31. The first camera 40 extends in the width direction across both the first area A1 and the second area A2. For example, a line sensor with imaging elements such as CCD or CMOS arranged in the width direction is used for the first camera 40. The first camera 40 photographs the multiple tablets 9 transported by the conveyor belt 22. The images acquired by the photograph are transmitted from the first camera 40 to the control unit 90 (described later). Based on the images obtained from the first camera 40, the control unit 90 detects the presence or absence of tablets 9 in each suction hole 221, the position of the tablets 9, and the orientation of the tablets 9. The control unit 90 also inspects each tablet 9 for defects such as chips based on the images obtained from the first camera 40.

[0040] The second camera 50 photographs the surfaces of the tablets 9 after printing. The second camera 50 is located downstream of the four heads 31 on the conveying path and upstream of the conveying path with respect to the drying mechanism 60. The second camera 50 extends in the width direction across both the first area A1 and the second area A2. For example, a line sensor in which imaging elements such as CCD or CMOS are arranged in the width direction is used for the second camera 50. The second camera 50 photographs the plurality of tablets 9 conveyed by the conveyor belt 22. The images acquired by photographing are transmitted from the second camera 50 to the control unit 90, which will be described later. The control unit 90 inspects the quality of the images printed on the surfaces of the tablets 9 based on the images obtained from the second camera 50.

[0041] The drying mechanism 60 is a mechanism for drying ink adhering to the surface of the tablet 9. The drying mechanism 60 is located downstream of the conveying path from the second camera 50, and located upstream of the conveying path from the inverting unit 70 and the discharge chute 81, which will be described later. The drying mechanism 60 extends in the width direction across both the first area A1 and the second area A2. The drying mechanism 60 may be, for example, a hot air supply mechanism that blows heated gas (hot air) toward the tablet 9 being conveyed by the conveyor belt 22. The ink adhering to the surface of the tablet 9 is dried by the hot air and fixed to the surface of the tablet 9.

[0042] The tablet printing device 1 has four processing sections: a printing section 30, a first camera 40, a second camera 50, and a drying mechanism 60. Each processing section performs a predetermined process, i.e., printing, photographing, and drying, on the surface of a tablet 9 at a processing position on the transport path of the transport mechanism 20.

[0043] The inverting unit 70 is a mechanism that inverts the tablets 9 conveyed by the conveyor belt 22 and moves the tablets 9 from the first area A1 to the second area A2. The inverting unit 70 is located downstream of the conveying path with respect to a discharge chute 81 (described later) and is located upstream of the conveying path with respect to the feed drum 11.

[0044] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the conveying mechanism 20 and the reversing section 70 as viewed from the direction of the outlined arrow VI in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6, the reversing section 70 of this embodiment has six moving units M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. The moving units M1 to M6 have inclined drums 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76, respectively.

[0045] In this embodiment, the moving unit M1 corresponds to a “first granular material moving device,” and the moving unit M2 corresponds to a “second granular material moving device.” In addition, the pair of moving units M1 and M2 correspond to an “inversion mechanism” that inverts the front and back of the tablets 9, which are granular materials.

[0046] The inclined drums 71 and 72 are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction. The inclined drums 73 and 74 are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction. The inclined drums 73 and 74 are arranged apart from each other on the downstream side of the inclined drums 71 and 72 in the conveying direction. The inclined drums 75 and 76 are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction. The inclined drums 75 and 76 are arranged apart from each other on the downstream side of the inclined drums 73 and 74 in the conveying direction.

[0047] In the following description, the position on the conveying path of the conveying mechanism 20 where the inclined drums 71 and 72 are provided will be referred to as the "first reversal position," the position where the inclined drums 73 and 74 are provided will be referred to as the "second reversal position," and the position where the inclined drums 75 and 76 are provided will be referred to as the "third reversal position."

[0048] The inclined drum 71 has an outer surface 710, which is a conical surface centered on a central axis C1 inclined with respect to the width direction. A portion of the outer surface 710 faces the first region A1 of the conveyor belt 22 with a small gap therebetween. The inclined drum 71 is fixed to the output shaft of a rotary motor 71M. When the rotary motor 71M is driven, the inclined drum 71 rotates about the central axis C1.

[0049] The inclined drum 72 has an outer surface 720 that is a conical surface centered on a central axis C2 inclined with respect to the width direction. The inclined drums 71 and 72 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction so that their apexes face each other. A portion of the outer surface 720 faces the second region A2 of the conveyor belt 22 via a small gap. Another portion of the outer surface 720 faces the outer surface 710 via a small gap. The inclined drum 72 is fixed to the output shaft of a rotary motor 72M. When the rotary motor 72M is driven, the inclined drum 72 rotates about the central axis C2.

[0050] When viewed in the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 20, the apex angle of the inclined drum 71 and the apex angle of the inclined drum 72 are both 90°. The inclination angle of the central axis C1 relative to the holding surface 220 is 45°. The inclination angle of the central axis C2 relative to the holding surface 220 is also 45°. Therefore, the outer surfaces 710 and 720 face each other at a 90° angle relative to the holding surface 220. The inclined drums 71 and 72 have the same shape, structure, and size. Therefore, the inclined drums 71 and 72 may be made into common components. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the tablet printing apparatus 1.

[0051] Inclined drums 73 and 74 have the same structure as inclined drums 71 and 72, and are arranged adjacent to each other, similar to inclined drums 71 and 72. However, inclined drums 73 and 74 are arranged at a second delivery position that is spaced downstream of the conveying path from the first delivery position where inclined drums 71 and 72 are arranged. In addition, inclined drums 73 and 74 are arranged at positions shifted in the width direction by one widthwise arrangement interval of tablets 9 relative to inclined drums 71 and 72. Inclined drum 73 is fixed to the output shaft of rotary motor 73M, and inclined drum 74 is fixed to the output shaft of rotary motor 74M.

[0052] Inclined drums 75 and 76 have the same structure as inclined drums 71 and 72 and are arranged adjacent to each other, similar to inclined drums 71 and 72. However, inclined drums 75 and 76 are arranged at a third delivery position that is located downstream of the conveying path relative to the second delivery position where inclined drums 73 and 74 are arranged. In addition, inclined drums 75 and 76 are arranged at positions shifted in the width direction by one widthwise arrangement interval of tablets 9 relative to inclined drums 73 and 74. Inclined drum 75 is fixed to the output shaft of rotary motor 75M, and inclined drum 76 is fixed to the output shaft of sixth rotary motor 76M.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a top view of the reversing unit 70. In FIG. 7, the transport trajectory of the tablet 9 is indicated by a dashed arrow. After being held in the suction holes 221 at a first position W1 in the width direction on the conveyor belt 22, the tablet 9 is transported to the first reversing position and then transferred from the conveyor belt 22 to the inclined drum 71. The inclined drum 71 rotates while suction-holding the tablet 9 received from the conveyor belt 22 in the suction holes 711 on its outer surface 710, and transfers the tablet 9 to the inclined drum 72. The inclined drum 72 then rotates while suction-holding the tablet 9 received from the inclined drum 71 in the suction holes 721 on its outer surface 720, and transfers the tablet 9 to the suction holes 221 at a second position W2 in the width direction on the conveyor belt 22. As a result, the tablet 9 moves in the width direction from the first position W1 in the first region A1 to the second position W2 in the second region A2, and the tablet 9 is turned over.

[0054] Similar to the inclined drums 71 and 72, the inclined drums 73 and 74 move the widthwise position of the tablet 9 on the conveying path from a third position W3 in the first region A1 to a fourth position W4 in the second region A2, and turn over the tablet 9. Similar to the inclined drums 71 and 72, the inclined drums 75 and 76 move the widthwise position of the tablet 9 on the conveying path from a fifth position W5 in the first region A1 to a sixth position W6 in the second region A2, and turn over the tablet 9.

[0055] Returning to FIG. 1, the discharge mechanism 80 is a mechanism for discharging a plurality of tablets 9 from the conveying mechanism 20 to the outside of the tablet printing apparatus 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the discharge mechanism 80 has a discharge chute 81 and a discharge conveyor (not shown). The discharge chute 81 is located downstream of the conveying path relative to the drying mechanism 60 and upstream of the conveying path relative to the reversing unit 70. The discharge chute 81 faces the second region A2 of the conveyor belt 22. When the tablet 9 adsorbed to the suction holes 221 in the second region A2 reaches the position of the discharge chute 81, the second blow mechanism B2 releases the tablet 9 from suction. This causes the tablet 9 to fall from the second region A2 of the conveyor belt 22 through the discharge chute 81 onto the upper surface of the discharge conveyor. The fallen tablet 9 is then discharged to the outside of the tablet printing apparatus 1 by the discharge conveyor.

[0056] The control unit 90 controls the operation of each element in the tablet printing apparatus 1. Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit 90 and each element in the tablet printing apparatus 1. The control unit 90 is composed of a computer having a processor 91 such as a CPU, a memory 92 such as RAM, and a storage unit 93 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program CP for executing the transport process and printing process in the tablet printing apparatus 1 is installed in the storage unit 93.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 90 is communicatively connected to the carry-in mechanism 10 (including the alignment mechanism and carry-in drum 11), the conveying mechanism 20 (including the conveying motor 23, the suction mechanism 24, the first blowing mechanism B1, and the second blowing mechanism B2), the printing unit 30 (including four heads 31), the first camera 40, the second camera 50, the drying mechanism 60, the reversing unit 70 (including the rotary motors 71M to 76M and the negative pressure source), and the carry-out mechanism 80. The processor 91 temporarily reads the computer program CP and data stored in the storage unit 93 into the memory 92. The processor 91 then performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program CP. In this way, the control unit 90 controls the operation of each element within the tablet printing apparatus 1. As a result, the conveying process and printing process of multiple tablets 9 proceed in the tablet printing apparatus 1.

[0058] <Processing flow> Next, we will explain the processing performed on one tablet 9 in the tablet printing apparatus 1. The tablet printing apparatus 1 processes multiple tablets 9 while transporting them sequentially. Therefore, within the tablet printing apparatus 1, each processing on multiple tablets 9 is performed in parallel.

[0059] 9 is a diagram showing the flow of printing processing in the tablet printing apparatus 1. When a tablet 9 is input into the tablet printing apparatus 1, first, the carry-in mechanism 10 carries the tablet 9 into the conveying mechanism 20 (step S1). The tablet 9 carried into the conveying mechanism 20 is adsorbed and held by the adsorption holes 221 in the first region A1 of the conveying belt 22. Then, as the conveying belt 22 rotates, the tablet 9 is conveyed along the circular conveying path.

[0060] Hereinafter, when the tablet 9 is held in the suction holes 221 of the first region A1, the surface facing outward of the tablet 9 will be referred to as the "first surface," and the surface of the tablet 9 that is adsorbed by the suction holes 221 will be referred to as the "second surface." Note that the "first surface" and the "second surface" have no relation to the original front and back surfaces of the tablet 9. For example, when the tablet 9 has a score line on only one surface, the tablets 9 held in the first region A1 may include a mixture of tablets 9 whose surface with the score line is the first surface and tablets 9 whose surface without the score line is the first surface.

[0061] When the tablet 9 reaches below the first camera 40, the first camera 40 photographs the first side of the tablet 9. As a result, image data of the first side of the tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the first camera 40 to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 also performs a pre-printing inspection of the first side based on the image data received from the first camera 40 (step S2). Specifically, the presence or absence of the tablet 9 in the suction hole 221, the front and back of the tablet 9, the rotational orientation of the tablet 9 around the vertical axis, the positional deviation of the tablet 9 relative to the suction hole 221, the presence or absence of shape defects of the tablet 9, etc. are inspected.

[0062] Next, when the tablet 9 reaches below the printing unit 30, the four heads 31 eject ink droplets toward the first side of the tablet 9. This causes printing to be performed on the first side of the tablet 9. As a result, an image is printed on the first side of the tablet 9 (step S3). At this time, the control unit 90 adjusts the image to be printed on each tablet 9 based on the inspection results of step S2 described above. For example, from an image for the front side and an image for the back side, it selects an appropriate image depending on the front and back sides of each tablet 9, and rotates the selected image depending on the rotational orientation of each tablet 9. Then, a print signal is input to the head 31 based on the adjusted image. As a result, an image appropriate for the first side of each tablet 9 is printed in an appropriate orientation.

[0063] When the tablet 9 reaches below the second camera 50, the second camera 50 photographs the first side of the tablet 9. As a result, image data of the first side of the tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the second camera 50 to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 also performs a post-printing inspection of the first side based on the image data received from the second camera 50 (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the image printed on the first side of each tablet 9 is normal by, for example, comparing the image data received from the second camera 50 with data of a normal image prepared in advance.

[0064] When the tablet 9 reaches the position of the drying mechanism 60, the drying mechanism 60 blows hot air toward the first surface of the tablet 9. This dries the ink adhering to the first surface of the tablet 9, and the ink is fixed to the first surface (step S5).

[0065] Thereafter, when the tablet 9 reaches the first to third inversion positions, the inversion unit 70 moves the position of the tablet 9 in the width direction and inverts the tablet 9 (step S6). Specifically, the tablet 9 conveyed at the first position W1 in the width direction is moved to the second position W2 in the width direction by the inclined drums 71 and 72. The tablet 9 conveyed at the third position W3 in the width direction is moved to the fourth position W4 in the width direction by the inclined drums 73 and 74. The tablet 9 conveyed at the fifth position W5 in the width direction is moved to the sixth position W6 in the width direction by the inclined drums 75 and 76. As a result, the plurality of tablets 9 move from the suction holes 221 in the first region A1 of the conveying mechanism 20 to the suction holes 221 in the second region A2. At this time, the tablets 9 are suction-held by the suction holes 221 in the second region A2 with their second surfaces facing outward.

[0066] When the tablet 9 reaches below the first camera 40, the first camera 40 photographs the second side of the tablet 9. As a result, image data of the second side of the tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the first camera 40 to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 also performs a pre-printing inspection of the second side based on the image data received from the first camera 40 (step S7). Specifically, the presence or absence of the tablet 9 in the suction hole 221, the front and back of the tablet 9, the rotational orientation of the tablet 9 around the vertical axis, the positional deviation of the tablet 9 relative to the suction hole 221, the presence or absence of shape defects of the tablet 9, etc. are inspected.

[0067] Next, when the tablet 9 reaches below the printing unit 30, the four heads 31 eject ink droplets toward the second side of the tablet 9. This causes printing to be performed on the second side of the tablet 9. As a result, an image is printed on the second side of the tablet 9 (step S8). At this time, the control unit 90 adjusts the image to be printed on each tablet 9 based on the inspection results of step S7 described above. For example, from an image for the front side and an image for the back side, it selects an appropriate image depending on the front and back sides of each tablet 9, and rotates the selected image depending on the rotational orientation of each tablet 9. Then, a print signal is input to the head 31 based on the adjusted image. As a result, an image appropriate for the second side of each tablet 9 is printed in the appropriate orientation.

[0068] When the tablet 9 reaches below the second camera 50, the second camera 50 photographs the second side of the tablet 9. As a result, image data of the second side of the tablet 9 is acquired. The acquired image data is transmitted from the second camera 50 to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 also performs a post-printing inspection of the second side based on the image data received from the second camera 50 (step S9). Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the image printed on the second side of each tablet 9 is normal by, for example, comparing the image data received from the second camera 50 with data of a normal image prepared in advance.

[0069] When the tablet 9 reaches the position of the drying mechanism 60, the drying mechanism 60 blows hot air toward the second surface of the tablet 9. This dries the ink adhering to the second surface of the tablet 9, and the ink is fixed to the second surface (step S10).

[0070] When the tablet 9 reaches the position of the discharge chute 81, the tablet 9 falls from the conveyor belt 22 through the discharge chute 81 onto the discharge conveyor. Then, the tablet 9 is discharged to the outside of the tablet printing apparatus 1 by the discharge conveyor (step S11).

[0071] As described above, the tablet printing apparatus 1 conveys tablets 9 along a circular conveying path. A portion of the conveying path is provided with an inverting unit 70 that inverts the tablet 9 and moves the position of the tablet 9 in the width direction. Therefore, the following processes can be performed on both sides of the tablet 9 at the same position in the conveying direction: photographing by the first camera 40, printing by the printing unit 30, photographing by the second camera 50, and drying by the drying mechanism 60. Therefore, the number of components in the tablet printing apparatus 1 can be reduced compared to when these processes for the first side and the second side are performed at separate positions. Furthermore, the tablet printing apparatus 1 can be made smaller.

[0072] Furthermore, a pair of inclined drums is used to turn the tablet 9 over and move it in the width direction. This mechanism allows the tablet 9 to be turned over and moved in the width direction without changing its position in the conveying direction. Therefore, the length in the conveying direction required for the turnover unit 70 can be reduced. This allows the tablet printing device 1 to be made even more compact.

[0073] <Configuration for realizing tablet adsorption and release> Next, the configuration for realizing the adsorption and release of the tablets 9 onto the inclined drums 71 to 76 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0074] 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a pair of moving units M1 and M2 cut along a plane passing through the respective central axes C1 and C2. Moving unit M2 has substantially the same configuration as moving unit M1. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the configuration of moving unit M1, and will omit a description of the configuration of moving unit M2 as appropriate.

[0075] 10, the moving unit M1 includes an inclined drum 71, a rotary motor 71M, a suction pipe 51, an air cutter 53, and a pressing member 55. The moving unit M1 also includes a housing 57 that houses the rotary motor 71M, the suction pipe 51, etc.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 10 , the rotary motor 71M is a hollow motor having a through hole 61 centered on the central axis C1. The rotary motor 71M has a rotor 63 that rotates about the central axis C1 and a stator 65 fixed to the housing 57. The rotor 63 is positioned closer to the inclined drum 71 than the stator 65. The inclined drum 71 is fixed to the rotor 63. Therefore, the rotor 63 and the inclined drum 71 rotate together about the central axis C1. The rotor 63 also rotates around the suction pipe 51. The suction pipe 51 is disposed within the through hole 61 of the rotary motor 71M. The suction pipe 51 is fixed to the housing 57 and is therefore unable to rotate.

[0077] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the air cutting member 53. Fig. 12 is a top view of the air cutting member 53. Fig. 13 is a bottom view of the air cutting member 53. Fig. 14 is a view showing a cross section of the air cutting member 53 at a position along the line AA shown in Fig. 12.

[0078] The air cutter 53 is a member for switching between a state in which the suction holes 711 suck in air and a state in which the suction holes 711 stop sucking in air. As shown in Fig. 10, the air cutter 53 is disposed on the suction pipe 51 side of the inclined drum 71. The air cutter 53 is also disposed inside the inclined drum 71 (the side closer to the central axis C1).

[0079] As shown in Figures 10 to 14, the air breaker 53 is composed of a base portion 531 and a contact portion 533 that are connected to each other along the central axis C1. The base portion 531 is arranged on the suction pipe 51 side, and the contact portion 533 is arranged on the inclined drum 71 side. The base portion 531 is cylindrical. The contact portion 533 is formed in a generally truncated cone shape with an outer diameter that gradually decreases toward the inclined drum 71 side.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 10, the outer surface of the contact portion 533 forms a conical surface that corresponds to the inner surface of the inclined drum 71 (the surface opposite to the outer surface 710). The outer surface of the contact portion 533 is inclined at the same angle with respect to the central axis C1 as the inner surface of the inclined drum 71. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, the outer surface of the contact portion 533 can come into contact with the inner surface of the inclined drum 71 without any gaps. The contact portion 533 has a closing portion 534. The closing portion 534 is a portion that closes the suction hole 711 of the inclined drum 71.

[0081] The contact portion 533 has an opening 535 on its outer surface. The opening 535 forms one opening of a communication hole 537, which will be described later. As shown in Fig. 12, the opening formed by the opening 535 is substantially arc-shaped with a central angle of approximately 180° in the circumferential direction (the direction of rotation about the central axis C1).

[0082] The air breaker 53 has a communication hole 537. The communication hole 537 is a through-hole that penetrates the base portion 531 and the contact portion 533. One end of the communication hole 537 is connected to an opening 535 on the outer surface of the contact portion 533. The other end of the communication hole 537 opens at the end of the base portion 531 on the suction pipe 51 side. In this way, the air breaker 53 is a hollow member with the communication hole 537, which is a through-hole, formed on the inside. When the suction hole 711 overlaps with the opening of the opening 535 during rotation of the inclined drum 71, the suction hole 711 communicates with the suction pipe 51 via the communication hole 537. In other words, when the suction hole 711 does not overlap with the closing portion 534, the suction hole 711 communicates with the suction pipe 51.

[0083] As shown in Figures 10 and 12, the closing portion 534 and the opening 535 are located on the same circumference about the central axis C1, but are arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction. In other words, the closing portion 534 and the opening of the communication hole 537 are arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction. When the rotation motor 71M rotates the inclined drum 71 about the central axis C1, the suction hole 711 of the inclined drum 71 alternately moves between a position overlapping with the closing portion 534 and a position overlapping with the opening of the opening 535 (the communication hole 537). In other words, the suction hole 711 alternately moves between a position overlapping with the closing portion 534 and a position not overlapping with the closing portion 534.

[0084] As shown in Fig. 10, when the suction holes 711 overlap with the communication holes 537 of the air breaker member 53, the suction holes 711 communicate with the suction piping 51 via the communication holes 537. This enables the suction holes 711 to adsorb the tablets 9. Furthermore, when the suction holes 711 of the inclined drum 71 overlap with the closing portions 534 of the air breaker member 53, the connection between the suction holes 711 and the suction piping 51 is blocked by the closing portions 534. In this way, the closing portions 534 intermittently overlap with the rotating suction holes 711, thereby intermittently closing the suction holes 711. When the suction holes 711 are closed by the closing portions 534, the suction of the tablets 9 at the suction holes 711 is released.

[0085] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, the air breaker 53 has an engagement recess 539. The engagement recess 539 is a hole formed in the end surface of the base portion 531 on the suction pipe 51 side, recessed toward the inclined drum 71 side. The engagement recess 539 is cylindrical and extends along the central axis C1. A rotation stop pin 517, which will be described later, is inserted into the engagement recess 539. The rotation stop pin 517 engages with the engagement recess 539, thereby preventing the air breaker 53 from rotating. The engagement recess 539 is an example of an engagement portion.

[0086] <Suction piping> 10, the suction pipe 51 has a pipe main body 511, a flange portion 513, and a relay member 515. The pipe main body 511 is cylindrical and has a central axis C1 as its center. The end of the pipe main body 511 opposite to the inclined drum 71 side is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown) such as a vacuum pump. Because the pipe main body 511 is connected to the negative pressure source, the pressure inside the pipe main body 511 is maintained at a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0087] The flange portion 513 protrudes radially outward (in a direction away from the central axis C1) around the entire circumference from the peripheral edge of the end portion of the piping main body 511 on the inclined drum 71 side. The flange portion 513 has an annular shape.

[0088] The relay member 515 is attached to the flange portion 513. The relay member 515 has an annular plate portion 521 having a circular plate shape centered on the central axis C1, an annular inner wall portion 522 standing from the inner edge of the annular plate portion 521 toward the inclined drum 71, and an outer wall portion 523 standing from the outer edge of the annular plate portion 521 toward the piping main body 511. The flange portion 513 is press-fitted into the inside of the outer wall portion 523 of the relay member 515. The inner wall portion 522 of the relay member 515 is inserted into the opening (communication hole 537) of the base portion 531 of the air breaker member 53. Therefore, the air breaker member 53 is connected to the tip of the suction piping 51 on the inclined drum 71 side.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 10 , the relay member 515 has a rotation stop pin 517. The rotation stop pin 517 is fixed to the surface of the annular plate portion 521 that faces the inclined drum 71. The rotation stop pin 517 extends linearly toward the inclined drum 71 along the central axis C1. As described above, the rotation stop pin 517 is inserted into the engagement recess 539 of the air breaker member 53, so that the air breaker member 53 is engaged with the suction pipe 51 in an unrotatable manner. This prevents the air breaker member 53 from rotating together with the inclined drum 71. In other words, the rotary motor 71M can rotate the inclined drum 71 relative to the air breaker member 53 about the central axis C1.

[0090] It is not essential that the rotation pin 517 extend parallel to the central axis C1, and the rotation pin 517 may extend in a direction intersecting the central axis C1. It is not essential that the rotation pin 517 be fixed to the relay member 515 of the suction pipe 51, and the rotation pin 517 may be fixed directly to a non-rotatable member other than the suction pipe 51 (for example, the housing 57). It is also possible that the air breaker member 52 has the rotation pin, and the suction pipe has an engaging recess 539 (engaging portion).

[0091] <Pressing member> The pressing member 55 is a member that presses the air breaker 53 toward the inclined drum 71. The pressing member 55 is preferably an elastic member that is elastically deformable in the axial direction of the central axis C1. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the pressing member 55 is a leaf spring having an annular shape centered on the central axis C1, and is a wave washer that forms smooth, wavy concave and convex portions alternately along the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 10, the pressing member 55 is disposed between the suction pipe 51 and the air breaker 53. Specifically, the inner wall portion 522 of the relay member 515 is inserted inside the pressing member 55. The pressing member 55 is disposed between the annular plate portion 521 of the relay member 515 and the base portion 531 of the air breaker 53.

[0092] By configuring the pressing member 55 from an elastic member such as a leaf spring, it is possible to press the air breaker member 53 against the inclined drum 71 with an appropriate pressing force. Note that the pressing member 55 may be a leaf spring having a shape different from that of a wave washer. Furthermore, the pressing member 55 is not limited to a leaf spring, and may be, for example, a helical spring.

[0093] The pressing member 55 presses the air breaker 53 toward the inclined drum 71. As a result, the outer surface of the closing portion 534 of the air breaker 53 is pressed against the inner surface of the inclined drum 71. That is, the outer surface of the air breaker 53 is constantly in contact with the inner surface of the inclined drum 71. This eliminates a gap (clearance) between the inner surface of the inclined drum 71 and the outer surface of the air breaker 53. Therefore, when the suction hole 711 overlaps with the outer surface of the closing portion 534, the suction of air through the suction hole 711 can be almost completely stopped. This allows the suction of the tablet 9 through the suction hole 711 to be appropriately released. In this way, the suction of the tablet 9 through the suction hole 711 can be effectively released, allowing the tablet 9 to be appropriately transferred. That is, the accuracy of conveying the tablet 9 by the moving unit M1 can be improved.

[0094] For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the closing portion 534 of the air breaker 53 in the moving unit M1 faces the opening 535 of the air breaker 53 in the moving unit M2. Therefore, when the tablet 9 moves to the delivery position P1 where it is delivered from the inclined drum 71 of the moving unit M1 to the inclined drum 72 of the moving unit M2, the suction of the tablet 9 in the suction hole 711 of the moving unit M1 is released, and the tablet 9 is adsorbed to the suction hole 721 of the moving unit M2. At this time, the air breaker 53 in the moving unit M1 is pressed against the inclined drum 71, thereby appropriately releasing the suction. Therefore, the tablet 9 can be delivered from the suction hole 711 of the inclined drum 71 to the suction hole 721 of the inclined drum 72 with high accuracy.

[0095] Furthermore, by ensuring that the outer surface of the closing portion 534 of the air breaker 53 is always in contact with the inner surface of the inclined drum 71, it is possible to reduce variations in conveying accuracy among the moving units M1 to M6. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce variations in the position of the air breaker 53 relative to the inclined drum 71 during assembly. Therefore, even when the moving unit M1 is disassembled and then reassembled, it is possible to improve the repeatability of the position of the air breaker 53 relative to the inclined drum 71. Furthermore, because it is possible to omit the need to adjust the position of the air breaker 53 relative to the inclined drum 71, it is possible to improve the work speed when assembling the moving unit M1.

[0096] The air cutter member 53 is preferably made of resin. By making the air cutter member 53 out of resin, dust generation can be suppressed even when the air cutter member 53 slides against the inclined drum 71, thereby reducing the occurrence of printing defects, etc. Furthermore, the air cutter member 53 is more preferably made of polyoxymethylene (POM), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or polyether ether ketone (PEEK). Making the air cutter member 53 out of such a material improves the sliding properties of the air cutter member 53 against the inclined drum 71, thereby significantly reducing the generation of dust.

[0097] It is also possible to use a solid motor instead of a hollow motor as the rotary motor 71M (power source) that rotates the inclined drum 71. When a solid motor is used, a bearing for rotatably connecting the inclined drum 71 to the suction pipe 51 and a gear for transmitting the power of the solid motor to the inclined drum 71 may be provided.

[0098] However, by using a hollow motor for the rotary motor 71M as in this embodiment, the number of parts (bearings, gears, etc.) required to rotate the inclined drum 71 can be reduced compared to when a non-hollow motor is used. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the moving unit M1 due to component precision and assembly precision. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the amount of work required to assemble and adjust the moving unit M1. This makes it possible to improve the speed of assembly and adjustment of the moving unit M1.

[0099] <2. Variations> Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above and various modifications are possible.

[0100] For example, in the above embodiment, the inclined drums 71 to 76 have a conical side surface. However, the shape of the side surface of the inclined drums 71 to 76 may be a polygonal pyramid, such as a square pyramid, a hexagonal pyramid, or an octagonal pyramid.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the case where the tablets 9 are conveyed along a circular conveying path has been described. However, the granular material conveying device of the present invention may also be configured to convey granular material along a non-circular conveying path, while turning over the granular material in a portion of the conveying path and moving the position of the granular material in the width direction.

[0102] Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects and does not limit the present invention. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of the present invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments and variations can be combined or omitted as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1. Tablet printing equipment 20 Transport mechanism 51 Suction piping 517 Rotating pin 53 Air cutter 534 Closing part 535 Opening 537 Communication hole 539 Engagement recess (engagement portion) 55 Pressing member 61 Through hole 70 Reversal section 71,72 Inclined drum 710,720 External surface 711,721 Adsorption hole 71M, 72M Rotary Motor 9 tablets C1,C2 center axis M1, M2 moving unit (granular material moving device)

Claims

1. A granular material moving device that moves granular material while adsorbing it, an inclined drum having a conical surface centered on a predetermined central axis and an outer surface having suction holes for suctioning the particulate matter; a rotation motor that rotates the inclined drum about the central axis; a suction pipe for connecting the suction hole to a negative pressure source; an air breaker having a closing portion that closes the suction hole on the suction pipe side of the suction hole; a pressing member that presses the air breaker member toward the inclined drum, thereby bringing the closing portion into contact with the inner surface of the inclined drum; Equipped with By rotating the inclined drum, the suction holes move to a position where they overlap with the closing portion and a position where they do not overlap with the closing portion, When the suction hole does not overlap with the closing portion, the suction hole communicates with the suction pipe, the air breaker has a communication hole for connecting the suction hole to the suction pipe, With respect to the closing portion, openings of the communication holes are arranged at different positions in a circumferential direction around the central axis, the air cutting member has a contact portion that comes into contact with the inner surface of the inclined drum, an outer surface of the contact portion forms a conical surface shaped to correspond to an inner surface of the inclined drum; the contact portion has the closing portion and an opening, The opening forms the opening of the communication hole.

2. The granular material moving device according to claim 1, The granular material moving device, wherein the air cutting member is made of resin.

3. 3. The granular material moving device according to claim 2, The granular material moving device, wherein the air cutting member is formed of polyoxymethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, or polyether ether ketone.

4. A granular material moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a rotation pin fixed to the suction pipe; Furthermore, The air cutting member has an engaging portion that engages with the rotation stop pin.

5. A granular material moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The granular material moving device, wherein the pressing member has a leaf spring disposed between the suction pipe and the air breaker.

6. 6. The granular material moving device according to claim 5, The granular material moving device, wherein the pressing member is a wave washer.

7. A granular material moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The outer surface of the contact portion is inclined at the same angle with respect to the central axis as the inner surface of the inclined drum.

8. A granular material moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The opening formed by the opening portion is substantially arc-shaped with a central angle of approximately 180° in the circumferential direction.

9. A granular material conveying device, a conveying mechanism that conveys a plurality of granular objects in a predetermined conveying direction while holding the granular objects in a state where they are aligned in the width direction; a reversing mechanism that turns over the granular object at a reversing position on the conveying path of the conveying mechanism and moves the position of the granular object in the width direction; Equipped with The inversion mechanism includes: A first granular material moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A second granular material moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and the inclined drum of the second granular material moving device is adjacent to the inclined drum of the first granular material moving device in the width direction, the first granular object moving device rotates the inclined drum while suctioning the granular object located at a first position on the conveying path of the conveying mechanism to the suction holes, and moves the granular object to a delivery position; The second granular material moving device is a granular material conveying device that rotates the inclined drum while adsorbing the granular material placed at the transfer position by the first granular material moving device into the suction holes, thereby moving the granular material to a second position on the conveying path of the conveying mechanism.

Images