Product Inspection Equipment

Abstract

To provide an article inspection device capable of improving delivery efficiency of articles efficiency to a conveyance part, and capable of achieving stable conveyance of the articles in the conveyance part.SOLUTION: An article inspection device includes: a conveyance part 3 for sucking and holding a tablet W in a suction hole 32 at a suction position P1 and conveying it to an inspection position; a supply part 2 for supplying the plurality of inputted tablets W one by one to the suction position P1; a one-row regulation guide 25 for regulating the tablets W supplied to the suction position P1 from the supply part 2 into one row; and an inspection part for performing an inspection of the tablets W at the inspection position. The supply part 2 includes: an annular supply part 22 for conveying the tablets W to the suction position P1 while rotating; and a rotary circular plate 21 provided rotatably inside of the annular supply part 22, and for supplying the inputted tablets W to the annular supply part 22. The one-row regulation guide 25 regulates a height of each of the tablets W supplied to the suction position P1 to a predetermined height.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

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, the tablet measuring device described in Patent Document 1 does not have a mechanism for guiding tablets sent from the rotary feeder of the tablet supply unit to the tablet acquisition unit. As a result, for example, tablets may be sent to the tablet acquisition unit in a stacked or vertical state. In such cases, the efficiency of tablet adsorption to the conveying disk may decrease, resulting in a decrease in conveying efficiency on the conveying disk. Furthermore, multiple tablets may be adsorbed to one adsorption hole, which may cause conveying problems on the conveying disk.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an item inspection device that can improve the efficiency of transferring items to a conveying section and achieve stable transportation of items in the conveying section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object inspection device according to the present invention includes a conveying unit that holds objects to be inspected at a predetermined interval at a transfer position and conveys them to an inspection position, a supplying unit that supplies a plurality of inserted objects to the transfer position one by one, and a regulating guide unit that aligns the objects supplied from the supplying unit to the transfer position in a single line. a posture guide provided below a conveyance path of the article in the conveying section, the posture guide guiding the article from below so as to reduce a posture change of the article transferred at the transfer position; and an inspection unit that inspects the items at the inspection position, the supply unit having an annular supply unit that rotates to transport the items to the transfer position, and a rotary supply unit that is rotatably arranged inside the annular supply unit and supplies the inserted items to the annular supply unit, and the regulating guide unit is configured to regulate the height of the items supplied to the transfer position to a predetermined height.

[0008] This configuration allows: The object inspection device according to the present invention includes a restriction guide unit that restricts objects supplied from the supply unit to the transfer position in a single line and restricts the height of the objects supplied to the transfer position to a predetermined height, so that the objects can be supplied to the transfer position one by one and all objects other than those lower than the predetermined height can be rejected before they reach the transfer position, thereby improving the efficiency of transferring objects to the conveying unit. In addition, the item inspection device of the invention further includes a posture guide that guides the item from below to reduce changes in the posture of the item handed over at the transfer position, thereby preventing the posture of the item from changing significantly when handed over to the conveying section.

[0009] In the object inspection device of the present invention, it is preferable that the regulating guide portion has a first inner wall formed in an arc shape so as to extend along the annular supply portion until just before the transfer position, and that a protruding portion is formed at the upper part of the first inner wall which gradually protrudes radially inward beyond the first inner wall as it approaches the transfer position, while maintaining the specified height between it and the annular supply portion.

[0010] With this configuration, the article inspection device according to the present invention has an arc-shaped first inner peripheral wall of the regulating guide that extends along the annular supply section until just before the transfer position. This prevents the article from being transferred to the conveying section prematurely when the transfer position is still some distance away, allowing the article to be transferred to the conveying section in a stable position. Furthermore, the article inspection device according to this embodiment has a protruding portion formed on the upper part of the first inner peripheral wall of the regulating guide that gradually protrudes radially inward toward the transfer position while maintaining a predetermined height between the regulating guide and the annular supply section. This allows articles other than those in positions lower than the predetermined height to be returned to the rotary supply section. This prevents articles from getting stuck or jamming.

[0013] It is preferable that the item inspection device of the present invention further comprises a return guide having a second inner circumferential wall formed in an arc shape along the annular supply section and arranged radially outward of the annular supply section.

[0014] With this configuration, the item inspection device of the present invention has a return guide having a second inner wall formed in an arc shape along the annular supply section, which is provided radially outside the annular supply section, so that the second inner wall can prevent items supplied from the rotary supply section to the annular supply section from flying outward from the annular supply section.

[0015] The item inspection device of the present invention preferably further includes a return section that returns items that are not properly delivered at the delivery position to the supply section, and the return section is preferably configured as an air blowing device that blows air toward the delivery position.

[0016] With this configuration, the object inspection device according to the present invention is provided with a return section that returns improperly delivered objects to the supply section at the delivery position, thereby making it possible to eliminate improperly delivered objects and to achieve stable transport of objects in the transport section.

[0017] Furthermore, in the article inspection device according to the present invention, the return section is configured with an air blowing device that blows air toward the transfer position, so that improperly transferred articles can be reliably removed with a simple mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an article inspection device that can improve the efficiency of transferring articles to a conveying section and achieve stable conveyance of articles in the conveying section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [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. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an article inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] The article inspection device 1 includes a supply unit 2, a conveying unit 3, an inspection unit 4, and a guide unit 5.

[0025] (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 rotating disk 21 serving as a circular rotary supply unit 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).

[0026] 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 rotates to transport the tablets W to an adsorption position P1 that serves as a delivery position.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] The annular supply section 22 is provided with a return guide 24 and a single-row regulating guide 25 as a regulating guide section. 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] The return guide 24 has an inner peripheral wall 24a as a second inner peripheral wall 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 toward the upper end on the rotating disk 21 so that they do not fly out of the supply container 20.

[0036] 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.

[0037] The single-row regulating guide 25 has an inner peripheral wall 25a as a first inner peripheral wall 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 in the radial direction. 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 5, a return mechanism 27 serving as a return section is provided above the suction position P1. The return mechanism 27 is supported on a base (not shown) via a bracket or the like.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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).

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] (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.

[0050] 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 attracted by the negative pressure generated by the suction device. This allows the conveying disk 30 to rotate and convey the tablets W while attracting them to the suction holes 32.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] (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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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."

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] (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.

[0078] 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).

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] 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.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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.

[0122] 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.

[0123] 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.

[0124] In this embodiment, the first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 are each configured as separate bodies. The first guide 11, the second guide 12, and the third guide 13 may be integrally formed, or two guides adjacent to each other in the conveying direction may be integrally formed. Alternatively, the first upper guide piece 51 and the second upper guide piece 54 may be integrally formed, and the first lower guide piece 52, the second lower guide piece 53, and the third guide 13 may be integrally formed.

[0125] (Electrical configuration) Next, the electrical configuration of the article inspection device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0126] 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.

[0127] 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.

[0128] 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.

[0129] 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.

[0130] 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.

[0131] 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.

[0132] 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.

[0133] 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.

[0134] 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.

[0135] 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.

[0136] 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.

[0137] 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.

[0138] In addition, the display unit 120 is configured to display recommended values ​​for the installation 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.

[0139] 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.

[0140] 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.

[0141] 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.

[0142] 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.

[0143] 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.

[0144] 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.

[0145] 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.

[0146] 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.

[0147] (Action and effect) As described above, the article inspection device according to this embodiment includes the single-line restriction guide 25 that restricts the tablets W supplied from the supply unit 2 to the suction position P1 in a single line and restricts the height of the tablets W supplied to the suction position P1 to a predetermined height H0, so that the tablets W can be supplied one by one to the suction position P1 and tablets W other than those in a position lower than the predetermined height H0 can be eliminated before they reach the suction position P1. As a result, the efficiency with which the tablets W are adsorbed onto the conveying disc 30 can be improved.

[0148] Furthermore, in the article inspection device according to this embodiment, the inner peripheral wall 25a of the single row regulating guide 25 is formed in an arc shape so as to extend along the annular supply unit 22 to just before the suction position P1. This prevents the tablets W from being prematurely suctioned to the conveying disk 30 when there is still some distance to the suction position P1, and allows the tablets W to be suctioned to the conveying disk 30 in a stable position. Furthermore, in the article inspection device according to this embodiment, a protrusion 25b is formed on the upper part of the inner peripheral wall 25a of the single row regulating guide 25. The protrusion 25b protrudes gradually radially inward toward the suction position P1 while maintaining a predetermined height H0 between the inner peripheral wall 25a and the annular supply unit 22. This allows tablets W other than those in a position lower than the predetermined height H0 to be returned to the rotating disk 21. This prevents the tablets W from getting stuck or jamming.

[0149] In addition, the item inspection device of this embodiment further includes a posture guide 31 that guides the tablet W from below to reduce changes in the posture of the tablet W adsorbed at the adsorption position P1, thereby preventing the posture of the tablet W from changing significantly when adsorbed to the adsorption hole 32.

[0150] In addition, in the item inspection device of this embodiment, a return guide 24 having an inner wall 24a formed in an arc shape along the annular supply section 22 is provided radially outward of the annular supply section 22, so that the inner wall 24a can prevent tablets W supplied from the rotating disc 21 to the annular supply section 22 from flying outward from the annular supply section 22.

[0151] In addition, the object inspection device according to this embodiment is equipped with a return mechanism 27 that returns poorly adsorbed tablets W at the adsorption position P1 to the supply section, thereby enabling poorly adsorbed tablets W to be eliminated and enabling stable transport of tablets W in the transport section 3.

[0152] Furthermore, in the article inspection device according to this embodiment, the return mechanism 27 is configured as an air blowing device that blows air toward the suction position P1, so that poorly adsorbed tablets W can be reliably removed with a simple mechanism.

[0153] 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.

[0154] 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]

[0155] 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 20 supply container 21 Rotating disc (rotating supply part) 22 Circular supply section 24 Return guide 24a Inner wall (second inner wall) 25 1st row regulation guide (regulation guide part) 25a Inner wall (first inner wall) 25b Protruding part 27 Return mechanism (return section) 30 Transfer disc 30a outer edge 31 Posture Guide 32 suction holes 51 First upper guide piece 52 First lower guide piece 53 Second lower guide piece 54 Second upper guide piece P1 Pickup position (handover 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 holds the items (W) to be inspected at a predetermined interval at a transfer position (P1) and conveys them to an inspection position (P2); a supply unit (2) that supplies the plurality of input articles one by one to the transfer position; a regulation guide section (25) for regulating the articles supplied from the supply section to the transfer position in a single line; a posture guide (31) provided below the conveying path of the article in the conveying section, which guides the article from below so as to reduce a change in posture of the article transferred at the transfer position; an inspection unit (4) that inspects the item at the inspection position; The supply unit includes: a circular supply unit (22) that rotates to transport the article to the transfer position; a rotary supply unit (21) rotatably provided inside the annular supply unit and supplying the inserted articles to the annular supply unit; The regulating guide unit regulates the height of the article supplied to the transfer position to a predetermined height (H0).

2. the restricting guide portion has a first inner peripheral wall (25a) formed in an arc shape so as to extend along the annular supply portion to just before the transfer position, The object inspection device described in claim 1, characterized in that a protruding portion (25b) is formed on the upper part of the first inner wall, which gradually protrudes radially inward beyond the first inner wall as it approaches the transfer position, while maintaining the specified height between it and the annular supply portion.

3. The object inspection device according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a return guide (24) having a second inner peripheral wall (24a) formed in an arc shape along the annular supply portion and arranged radially outward of the annular supply portion.

4. The object inspection device according to claim 3, further comprising a return section (27) that returns objects that are not properly delivered at the delivery position to the supply section, the return section being configured with an air blowing device that blows air toward the delivery position.

5. 3. The object inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising a return section (27) that returns an object that has been improperly delivered at the delivery position to the supply section, the return section being configured with an air blowing device that blows air toward the delivery position.

6. A conveying unit (3) that holds the object (W) to be inspected at a predetermined interval at a transfer position (P1) and conveys it to an inspection position (P2); a supply unit (2) that supplies the plurality of input articles one by one to the transfer position; a regulation guide section (25) for regulating the articles supplied from the supply section to the transfer position in a single line; a return section (27) that returns an article that has been improperly delivered at the delivery position to the supply section; an inspection unit (4) that inspects the item at the inspection position; The supply unit includes: a circular supply unit (22) that rotates to transport the article to the transfer position; a rotary supply unit (21) rotatably provided inside the annular supply unit and supplying the inserted articles to the annular supply unit; The regulating guide portion regulates the height of the article supplied to the transfer position to a predetermined height (H0), The return section of the object inspection device is configured as an air blowing device that blows air toward the transfer position.

7. the restricting guide portion has a first inner peripheral wall (25a) formed in an arc shape so as to extend along the annular supply portion to just before the transfer position, The object inspection device described in claim 6, characterized in that a protruding portion (25b) is formed on the upper part of the first inner wall, which gradually protrudes radially inward beyond the first inner wall as it approaches the transfer position, while maintaining the specified height between it and the annular supply portion.

8. The object inspection device according to claim 6 or claim 7, further comprising a return guide (24) having a second inner peripheral wall (24a) formed in an arc shape along the annular supply portion and arranged radially outward of the annular supply portion.

Images