Capsule orientation control mechanism

Abstract

This capsule direction restricting mechanism is provided with a supplying path 10, a restricting device 20, and a discharging path 30. The restricting device 20 is provided with a pressing member 40 that presses a capsule 90 located at a prescribed position P in a width direction and moves the same toward the discharging path 30, and a slit-shaped posture changing part 50 that is provided between the prescribed position P and the discharging path 30 and changes the posture of the capsule 90. The posture changing part 50 is configured so that a body 91 precedes a cap 92 due to a friction force generated by sliding of the cap 92 when the capsule 90 passes through the posture changing part 50. The pressing member 40 is provided with a protruding part 41 that presses an axially central part of the capsule 90, and cap pressing parts 42 and 43 that are provided on both sides of the protruding part 41 and press the cap 92 of the capsule 90 of which the posture has been changed by the posture changing part 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a direction regulating mechanism for capsules.

Background Art

[0002] When continuously supplying capsules provided with caps and bodies to perform filling of contents, measurement of mass and dimensions, etc., it has been conventionally carried out to regulate the direction of the capsules in advance so that the caps of each capsule face the same direction.

[0003] For example, in the dimension measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1, capsules supplied in a row from a hopper through a supply chute are sequentially conveyed by a supply drum toward a direction regulating drum. The direction regulating drum regulates the direction of the capsules received in the pockets, and is configured to be able to measure the dimensions of the caps and bodies by delivering the capsules from the cap side to the subsequent drum regardless of whether the capsules are received from the side of the cap or the body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the regulation of the direction of the capsules by the direction regulating drum has a problem that the mechanism tends to be enlarged because it is necessary to increase the diameter of the direction regulating drum to some extent. As a conventional capsule direction regulating mechanism, there is also known a "raceway method" in which two rods reciprocate in the vertical and horizontal directions respectively, but since it is a complicated mechanism composed of two strokes, simplification of the process and structure has been demanded.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a capsule orientation regulating mechanism that can reliably regulate the orientation of a capsule with a compact configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a supply passage for supplying capsules with caps fitted onto a body to a predetermined position, a restricting device for restricting the direction of the capsules supplied to the predetermined position, and a discharge passage for discharging capsules whose direction is restricted by the restricting device to the outside, wherein the restricting device comprises a pressing member for pressing the capsule at the predetermined position in the width direction to move it toward the discharge passage, and a slit-shaped posture changing section provided between the predetermined position and the discharge passage for changing the posture of the capsule, wherein the posture changing section is configured such that the body precedes the cap due to frictional force generated when the cap slides as the capsule passes through, and the pressing member comprises a protruding portion for pressing the axial center of the capsule, and cap pressing portions provided on both sides of the protruding portion for pressing the cap of the capsule whose posture has been changed by the posture changing section. The pressing member presses the capsule diagonally downward with respect to the horizontal direction. This is achieved by a capsule orientation control mechanism.

[0008] In the directional control mechanism of this capsule ,water It is more preferable that the angle between the horizontal direction and the pressing direction of the pressing member is 30 to 60 degrees.

[0009] The supply passage is preferably formed to introduce the capsule from the upper opening and move it axially, and the discharge passage is preferably formed to move the capsule axially and discharge it from the lower opening. The upper and lower openings are more preferably located on the same vertical line.

[0010] The cap pressing portion preferably includes an air injection portion that sprays air toward the cap when the cap is pressed.

[0011] Preferably, the supply path is formed so that a plurality of capsules can be supplied in alignment to the predetermined position, and preferably, the regulating device regulates the direction of each capsule by simultaneously pressing the plurality of aligned capsules with the pressing member and individually changing the orientation of each capsule in the orientation changing section.

[0012] It is preferable that the supply passage, regulating device, and discharge passage are each arranged in pairs symmetrically on the left and right sides. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the capsule orientation regulating mechanism of the present invention, the orientation of the capsule can be reliably regulated with a compact configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a capsule orientation control mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an enlarged view of the main part in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a key part showing an example of the operation process of the capsule direction regulating mechanism. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a key section showing another example of the operation process of the capsule orientation regulating mechanism. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of a capsule orientation regulating mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged view of the main part of a capsule orientation regulating mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a capsule orientation regulating mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a direction regulating mechanism (hereinafter simply referred to as "direction regulating mechanism") of a capsule according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the direction regulating mechanism 1 includes a supply path 10, a regulating device 20, and a discharge path 30.

[0016] The supply path 10 is formed inside the block-shaped main body 2, and the capsule 90 is introduced vertically downward from the upper opening 11 formed in the upper part of the main body 2. The capsule 90 is, for example, a hard capsule for pharmaceuticals, and a cap 92 is externally fitted to the body 91 in the axial direction. The supply path 10 is formed with a curved central portion in the side view shown in FIG. 1 and has a cross-section through which the capsule 90 can pass only in the axial direction. The capsule 90 introduced vertically into the supply path 10 through the upper opening 11 is conveyed in a state of being lined up in the axial direction, and is supplied to a predetermined position P in an inclined posture. Near the predetermined position P, a stopper 3 for locking the capsule 90 in the supply path 10 by driving the rod 4 is provided, and by controlling the reciprocating movement of the stopper 3, the supply of the capsule 90 to the predetermined position P can be sequentially performed at a predetermined timing.

[0017] The regulating device 20 is a device for regulating the direction of the capsule 90 supplied to the predetermined position P, and includes a pressing member 40 and a posture changing portion 50. The pressing member 40 has an elongated cross-section along the axial direction of the capsule 90 supplied to the predetermined position P, and reciprocates by driving a rod 44 by a driving means (not shown), and presses the capsule 90 at the predetermined position P in the width direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and moves the capsule 90 toward the discharge path 30. The posture changing portion 50 is provided between the predetermined position P and the discharge path 30, and changes the posture of the capsule 90 when the capsule 90 pushed out toward the discharge path 30 by the pressing member 40 passes through.

[0018] The tip side of the pressing member 40 has a shape that is curved and notched in a side view. A protruding portion 41 is formed at the central portion of the tip side, and cap pressing portions 42 and 43 are formed on both the upper and lower sides of the protruding portion 41. The protruding portion 41 presses the central portion in the axial direction of the capsule 90. The cap pressing portions 42 and 43 are portions that press the cap 92 of the capsule 90, and are formed in a curved shape in accordance with the surface shape of the cap 92.

[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the posture changing portion 50 is formed by joining a pair of elongated pieces 51 and 52 having groove-shaped cutouts in the center with rivets 53, 54, etc. such that the cutouts face each other, and is formed in a slit shape composed of the cutouts. The width W of the posture changing portion 50 is set to be substantially the same as the width of the cap 92 of the capsule 90. When the capsule 90 passes through the posture changing portion 50, the cap 92 slides on the inner wall surface of the posture changing portion 50. When the capsule 90 has flexibility, the width W of the posture changing portion 50 may be slightly smaller than the width of the cap 92, and the cap 92 may be configured to pass through the posture changing portion 50 while elastically deforming.

[0020] The discharge path 30 is formed inside the main body 2, and discharges the capsule 90 whose direction is regulated by the regulating device 20 to the outside from a lower opening 31 formed at the lower part of the main body 2. The discharge path 30 is formed with a curved central portion in a side view, and has a cross-section through which the capsule 90 can pass only in the axial direction. The capsule 90 that has passed through the posture changing portion 50 is conveyed in the axial direction and discharged vertically downward from the lower opening 31. The lower opening 31 is arranged on the same vertical line as the upper opening 11 of the supply path 10.

[0021] In the directional control mechanism 1 having the above configuration, capsules 90 stored in a hopper (not shown) or the like are transported axially from the upper opening 11 to the supply passage 10. As shown in Figure 1, the direction of the capsules 90 passing through the supply passage 10 is random, and capsules 90 with the cap 92 facing downwards and capsules 90 with the cap 92 facing upwards are mixed together. The capsules 90 may be empty capsules or they may be filled with contents.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3(a), when the capsule 90 is supplied to a predetermined position P with the cap 92 facing downwards, the capsule 90 is supported in an inclined state along the entrance of the attitude-changing section 50. When the pressing member 40 is driven in the direction of the arrow, the protruding portion 41 presses the axial center of the capsule 90 in the width direction, pushing the capsule 90 into the interior of the attitude-changing section 50.

[0023] When the capsule 90 is pushed into the posture-changing section 50, the cap 92 slides, generating a large frictional force between the cap 92 and the body 91. On the other hand, since the body 91, onto which the cap 92 is fitted, is narrower than the cap 92, the frictional force generated between the body 91 and the posture-changing section 50 is smaller than the frictional force generated between the cap 92 and the posture-changing section 50. Therefore, when the pressing member 40 is further driven in the direction of the arrow, the posture of the capsule 90 changes so that the body 91 leads the cap 92, as shown in Figure 3(b).

[0024] When the pressing member 40 is driven further in the direction of the arrow, the posture of the capsule 90 changes further, as shown in Figure 3(c), and the lower cap pressing portion 43 comes into contact with the cap 92. As a result, the cap 92 moves together with the pressing member 40 against the frictional force with the posture changing portion 50 and passes through the posture changing portion 50. The capsule 90 that has passed through the posture changing portion 50 is transported by its own weight through the discharge passage 30 shown in Figure 1, while maintaining the state in which the body 91 leads the cap 92, and is discharged from the lower opening 31. The capsule 90 discharged from the lower opening 31 is then placed in a pocket of a transport drum (not shown), for example, and transported toward a device for a subsequent process.

[0025] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(a), when the capsule 90 is supplied to a predetermined position P with the cap 92 in the upper position, and the capsule 90 is pushed into the posture-changing section 50 by the pressure of the protruding portion 41, a large frictional force is generated between the cap 92 and the posture-changing section 50, similar to the above, and the posture of the capsule 90 changes so that the body 91 leads the cap 92, as shown in Figure 4(b).

[0026] When the pressing member 40 is driven further, as shown in Figure 4(c), the posture of the capsule 90 changes further, and the upper cap pressing portion 42 comes into contact with the cap 92, forcibly pushing the cap 92 into the posture changing portion 50. As a result, the cap 92 passes through the posture changing portion 50 against the frictional force with it. Having passed through the posture changing portion 50, the capsule 90 is transported through the discharge passage 30 shown in Figure 1, maintaining the state in which the body 91 leads the cap 92, and is discharged from the lower opening 31.

[0027] The pressing member 40 retracts to its original position after the capsule 90 has passed through the posture change section 50. After this, the stopper 3 retracts, and the capsule that was locked by the stopper 3 is supplied to the predetermined position P, thereby sequentially restricting the direction of the capsule 90.

[0028] According to the direction-regulating mechanism 1 of this embodiment, even if the direction of the capsules 90 supplied to the supply path 10 is random, the direction of the capsules 90 can be regulated so that the body 91 precedes the cap 92 by only the pressing action of the pressing member 40 of the regulating device 20 in one direction, thereby enabling reliable direction regulation of the capsules 90 in a compact configuration.

[0029] The pressing direction of the pressing member 40 that presses the capsule 90 at a predetermined position P in the width direction is not necessarily limited, but it is preferably diagonally downward with respect to the horizontal direction in order to ensure that the posture of the capsule 90 is changed as it passes through the posture change section 50 and to ensure that the posture of the capsule 90 after the change is maintained. More preferably, the angle between the horizontal direction and the pressing direction of the pressing member 40 (angle θ shown in Figure 3(a)) is 30 to 60 degrees.

[0030] There are no particular restrictions on the arrangement and shape of the supply passage 10 and the discharge passage 30, but it is preferable that they be formed so that the capsule 90 is smoothly transported by its own weight while maintaining the posture of the capsule 90, as in this embodiment. Specifically, it is preferable that the supply passage 10 is formed to move the capsule 90 introduced from the upper opening 11 in the axial direction, and that the discharge passage 30 is formed to move the capsule 90 in the axial direction and discharge it from the lower opening 31. In this configuration, it is preferable that the upper opening 11 and the lower opening 31 are arranged on the same vertical line, which makes it easier to design the overall layout including the equipment used in the preceding and succeeding processes of the direction regulating mechanism 1, and makes the overall configuration more compact.

[0031] However, the capsule 90 only needs to be supplied to the predetermined position P in an orientation where its axial direction is perpendicular to the pressing direction of the pressing member 40. For example, the supply passage 10 may be configured to supply the capsule 90 in the width direction. In addition, the discharge passage 30 can also be configured to change the transport direction of the capsule 90 after it has passed through the orientation changing section 50, for example, to discharge the capsule 90 in the width direction.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, air injection units 44a and 45a can be provided on the cap pressing portions 42 and 43 of the pressing member 40, respectively. The air injection units 44a and 45a are connected to a compressed air supply source (not shown) via air passages 44 and 45, and by controlling the operation of solenoid valves 46 and 47, air can be injected toward the cap 92 when the cap pressing portions 42 and 43 press the cap 92. With this configuration, the reciprocating stroke of the pressing member 40 is reduced, and the capsule 90 reliably passes through the attitude change portion 50, so that the direction of the capsule 90 can be restricted quickly and reliably.

[0033] In this embodiment, the regulating device 20 is configured to regulate the direction of a capsule 90 by having a pressing member 40 press a single capsule 90 and cause it to pass through a posture-changing section 50. However, as shown in the enlarged view of the main part in Figure 6, the pressing member 40 may be configured to have a plurality of protrusions 41 arranged in parallel, and the plurality of posture-changing sections 50 may be configured to individually change the posture of the capsules pressed by each protrusion 41. In this configuration, a plurality of capsules that are aligned and supplied to a predetermined position by a supply path 10 consisting of multiple rows shown by dashed lines are simultaneously pressed by the pressing member 41 and pushed into each posture-changing section 50. Capsule pressing sections 42 and 43 are formed above and below each pressing member 41, and, as in this embodiment, the capsules after posture change are pressed by the pressing sections 42 and 43 and pass through the posture-changing section 50. In this way, the direction regulation of a large number of capsules can be efficiently performed with a compact configuration.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the directional control mechanism 1 can be configured such that, by arranging multiple such mechanisms symmetrically on either side of a vertical plane V, as shown in Figure 7, the supply passage 10, the control device 20, and the discharge passage 30 are each arranged in pairs symmetrically. The directional control mechanism 1 shown in Figure 7, like the configuration shown in Figure 6, can efficiently control the direction of a large number of capsules with a compact configuration. By combining the directional control mechanism 1 shown in Figure 7 with the configuration shown in Figure 6, the left and right control devices 20, 20 can be configured to simultaneously control the direction of multiple capsules. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 1 direction regulation mechanism 10 Supply route 11 Upper opening 20 Regulatory device 30 Exhaust channel 31 Lower opening 40 Pressing member 41 Protrusion 42, 43 Cap pressing part 44a, 45a Air injection section 50 Posture change section 90 capsules 91 Body 92 Cap P Predetermined position

Claims

1. A supply path that supplies capsules with caps fitted onto the body to a predetermined position, A restricting device for restricting the direction of the capsule supplied to the predetermined position, The system includes an outlet passage for discharging capsules whose direction is restricted by the aforementioned restricting device to the outside, The regulating device comprises a pressing member that presses the capsule at the predetermined position in the width direction to move it toward the discharge passage, and a slit-shaped posture changing section provided between the predetermined position and the discharge passage to change the posture of the capsule, The aforementioned posture-changing section is configured such that the body precedes the cap as the cap slides and friction is generated when the capsule passes through. The pressing member comprises a projection that presses the axial center of the capsule, and cap pressing portions provided on both sides of the projection that press the cap of the capsule whose orientation has been changed by the orientation changing portion. The pressing member is a capsule direction regulating mechanism that presses the capsule diagonally downward with respect to the horizontal direction.

2. The capsule direction regulating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the horizontal direction and the pressing direction of the pressing member is 30 to 60 degrees.

3. The supply passage is formed to introduce the capsule from the upper opening and move it axially, The capsule direction regulating mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the discharge passage is formed to move the capsule axially and discharge it from the lower opening.

4. The capsule orientation regulating mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the upper opening and the lower opening are arranged on the same vertical line.

5. The capsule orientation regulating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cap pressing portion comprises an air injection portion that injects air toward the cap when the cap is pressed.

6. The supply path is formed so that a plurality of capsules can be supplied in an aligned manner to the predetermined positions. The capsule orientation regulating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the regulating device simultaneously presses a plurality of aligned capsules with the pressing member and individually changes the orientation of each capsule in the orientation changing section, thereby regulating the orientation of each capsule.

7. The capsule direction regulating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the supply passage, regulating device, and discharge passage are each arranged in pairs symmetrically on the left and right sides.

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