Packaging device and medicine portion-packaging machine

Abstract

Provided are: a packaging device which enables an operator to safely perform a replacement operation of portion-packaging paper; and a medicine portion-packaging machine provided with the same. A packaging device 8 has: a packaging device body 43 for holding a portion-packaging paper roll 29A; a tension application part 47 for applying tension to portion-packaging paper 29 having been drawn out from the portion-packaging paper roll 29A; a printing part 32 for performing printing on the portion-packaging paper 29; a hopper 22 for supplying a medicine to the inside of the portion-packaging paper 29; a heater unit part 33 for thermally welding the portion-packaging paper 29; a conveyance part 34 for conveying the portion-packaging paper 29; a cutting part 35 for cutting the portion-packaging paper 29; and a discharging port 36 for discharging the portion-packaging paper 29. A paper-feeding operation, in which the portion-packaging paper 29 is fed to the inside of the packaging device body 43 while the end of the portion-packaging paper 29 is gripped during replacement of the portion-packaging paper roll 29A, can be completed without folding back, in a direction not directed to the discharging port 36, the portion-packaging paper 29 at a position between the tension application part 47 and the conveyance part 34, and with tension continuously applied to the portion-packaging paper 29.

Description

Packaging equipment and drug packaging machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging device for packaging medicines and a medicine dispensing and packaging machine equipped with the packaging device.

[0002] A known packaging device encloses powder or solid packaged items in long wrapping paper divided into predetermined lengths and seals the wrapping paper with heat after the packaged items are enclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also known is a configuration in which the above-mentioned packaging device is combined with a tablet discharging device or powder medicine dispensing device that discharges predetermined amounts of medicine as packaged items, thereby operating as a medicine packaging machine (see, for example, Patent Documents 2, 3, and 4).

[0003] The packaging device of such a medicine packaging machine uses long paper packets as packaging paper for packaging medicines. The paper packets, made of a thin resin sheet, are folded in half along their short edges and wound into a roll. When in use, the paper is pulled out of the roll as needed by the conveyor. The paper packets pulled out of the roll are heated along their short edges by a heater unit in the packaging machine to form individual packets separated in the conveying direction. A single dose of medicine is enclosed in each of the formed individual packets, which are then heated and sealed by the heater unit. Once the paper packets containing all the medicines to be packaged based on the prescription information have been packaged, they are cut and ejected from the machine, and the remaining paper packets are used for packaging medicines based on new prescription information.

[0004] As the above-mentioned roll of packaging paper is consumed, it enters an empty state when a preset amount is reached, and a message to that effect is displayed on the medicine packaging machine, prohibiting any further packaging operations. When the roll of packaging paper is empty, the operator of the medicine packaging machine responds to this message and loads a new roll of packaging paper into the packaging device. The procedure for loading a new roll of packaging paper into the medicine packaging machine is described below. First, the main body cover of the medicine packaging machine is opened to expose the packaging device. Next, the transport section and the transport path of the heater unit that transports the packaging paper are opened, and the remaining amount of packaging paper and the core supporting the roll of packaging paper are removed.

[0005] Next, the core of a new roll of packaging paper is loaded into the packaging device, and the leading edge of the paper is fed into the packaging device. During this feeding, the leading edge of the paper passes through a tension bar that applies tension to the paper as it is pulled from the roll, and through the open conveying section and heater unit conveying paths. After being clamped in the conveying section, the leading edge of the paper is inserted into the hopper, where it is clamped in the heater unit and tensioned after the heater unit's safety cover is closed. The conveying section and heater unit are then operated in increments to convey a predetermined amount of paper, which is then cut at a predetermined position, completing the installation of the new roll of packaging paper.

[0006] JP 2014-051305 A JP 2014-188101 A JP 2004-168427 A Japanese Patent No. 3524680 A

[0007] When passing the leading edge of a new packet paper into the packaging device, it must pass through various parts inside the packaging device, including the transport path of the conveying section and heater unit. However, the path along which the packet paper is transported inside the packaging device is not linear, making it difficult to understand. Furthermore, the paper is passed through while the operator holds the leading edge of the packet paper. Conventionally, however, the operator must release the grip on the leading edge of the packet paper to open and close various parts of the packaging device or operate buttons, making the operation cumbersome. The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provide a packaging device and a medicine packaging machine equipped with the same that allow the operator to easily and clearly change packet paper.

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 comprises a packaging device main body that holds a roll of sachet paper, a tension applying unit that applies tension to sachet paper pulled out from the sachet paper roll, a printing unit that prints on the sachet paper, a hopper that supplies medicine to the inside of the sachet paper, a heater unit that heat-welds the sachet paper, a conveying unit that transports the sachet paper, a cutting unit that cuts the sachet paper, and an outlet that discharges the sachet paper, and is characterized in that when replacing the sachet paper roll, the paper passing operation of grasping the end of the sachet paper and passing it through the inside of the packaging device main body can be completed without folding the sachet paper back in a direction that is not toward the outlet between the tension applying unit and the conveying unit, and with tension constantly applied to the sachet paper.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a packaging device and a medicine packaging machine equipped with the same that can facilitate paper passing operations by increasing the number of straight sections and simplifying operations, thereby significantly improving the workability of replacing packaging paper rolls.

[0010] 1 is a schematic front view of the internal configuration of a medicine packaging machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a medicine packaging machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a powder medicine processing section of a medicine packaging machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of a hopper and its surroundings used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of a hopper and a vibrating feeder used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a trough used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating the positional relationship between a distribution disk and a trough used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the internal configuration of a medicine packaging machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a packaging device used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a packaging device used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating a configuration of a sealing section and its surroundings in a packaging device used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a sealing section and its surroundings in a packaging device used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which a detachable portion of a pressing member used in one embodiment of the present invention is not displaced. FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which a pressing member used in one embodiment of the present invention is attached to a packaging device main body. FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which a detachable portion of a pressing member used in one embodiment of the present invention is displaced. FIG. 16 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which a pressing member used in one embodiment of the present invention is detached from a packaging device main body. FIG. 17 is a schematic view illustrating an open and closed state of a conveying roller pair used in one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the open and closed states of a transport roller pair used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the open and closed states of a transport roller pair used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the open and closed states of a transport roller pair used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which a printer equipped with a cover used in one embodiment of the present invention is in the printing position. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which a printer with a cover used in one embodiment of the present invention is in the printing position with the cover removed. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which a printer with a cover used in one embodiment of the present invention is in the paper passing position. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which a printer with a cover used in one embodiment of the present invention is in the paper passing position with the cover removed. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a packaging paper feed unit used in one embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of a packaging paper feed unit used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operating state of the packaging paper feed unit used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the packaging paper transport path of the packaging paper feed unit used in one embodiment of the present invention is shortened. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the packaging paper transport path of the packaging paper feed unit used in one embodiment of the present invention is shortened to its shortest. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the difference between the packaging paper feed unit used in one embodiment of the present invention and a conventional packaging paper feed unit. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a heater unit unit when replacing a packaging paper roll in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a heater unit unit when replacing a packaging paper roll in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a heater unit unit when replacing a packaging paper roll in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a heater unit unit when replacing a packaging paper roll in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a heater unit unit when replacing a packaging paper roll in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the heater unit section when replacing the packaging paper roll in a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Fig. 1 shows a schematic front view of the internal structure of a medicine packaging machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the same. In each figure, when the medicine packaging machine is viewed from the front side where an operator stands, the direction from left to right is the X direction, the direction from the front to the back is the Y direction, and the direction from bottom to top is the Z direction.

[0012] The medicine packaging machine 1 is equipped with a manual dispensing unit 3 located on the top surface of the device main body 2, through which an operator manually inserts medicines such as tablets, and a tablet processing unit 5 located at the top of the device main body 2, which includes a transport unit 4 that transports the medicines inserted into the manual dispensing unit 3 to a packaging device 8 located below, which will be described later. The medicine packaging machine 1 also has a powder medicine processing unit 7 located below the tablet processing unit 5, which includes a distribution disk 6 that allows the operator to insert a weighed amount of medicine, such as powder medicine, into the prescribed amount specified in the prescription and distribute it. The medicine packaging machine 1 also has a packaging device 8 located below the device main body 2, which individually packages medicines, including tablets and powder medicines, sent from the tablet processing unit 5 and the powder medicine processing unit 7 in packaging paper. The medicine packaging machine 1 functions as a medicine packaging machine that packages medicines containing tablets and powder medicines, a powder medicine packaging machine that packages powder medicines, and a tablet packaging machine that packages tablets.

[0013] In this embodiment, the medicine packaging machine 1 is shown as being configured to integrally include the tablet processing unit 5, powder medicine processing unit 7, and packaging device 8, but it may also be configured to include a tablet cassette that stores tablets and sends them one by one to a tablet drop path, or a powder medicine cassette and storage shelf for storing powder medicine. The medicine packaging machine 1 shown in this embodiment is equipped with a control unit 9 on the top of the device main body 2, in which applications and the like for controlling the operation of each component that makes up the device are installed.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the tablet processing unit 5 is located at the top of the device main body 2 and has a manual distribution unit 3 covered by an openable lid, and a transport unit 4 located below the manual distribution unit 3 and transporting tablets fed into the manual distribution unit 3 downward. The manual distribution unit 3 has multiple divided compartments 3a, and tablets are manually distributed into each compartment 3a. The transport unit 4 is movable left and right in Figure 1 and has multiple compartments 4a corresponding to each compartment 3a. When the transport unit 4 occupies an initial position in which each compartment 4a is located below each compartment 3a, the bottom of each compartment 3a is opened and the tablets fed into each compartment 4a are transported to each compartment 4a. Thereafter, as the conveying unit 4 moves to the right in the +X direction from the initial position, the tablets transferred into each compartment 4a are released into the tablet hopper 10 each time the conveying unit 4 moves one square of the compartment 4a and the compartment 4a reaches the tablet hopper 10 provided below, as the bottom of the compartment 4a opens. The tablet hopper 10 is located at the rear of the device in the +Y direction from the powdered medicine processing unit 7.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, the powdered medicine processing unit 7 has a circular distribution disk 6, two troughs 11 arranged facing each other on the front side of the distribution disk 6, below an input hopper 15 (described later) for transporting the powdered medicine input into the input hopper 15 toward the distribution disk 6, and a feeder drive unit 12 arranged adjacent to the input hopper 15 and the trough 11 for vibrating the input hopper 15 and the trough 11. As shown in Figure 1, an annular groove 6a is formed on the upper surface of the distribution disk 6 to uniformly distribute the powdered medicine.

[0016] The powdered medicine processing unit 7 has a cutting and cleaning device 13 downstream of the trough 11 in the rotation direction of the distribution disk 6. In this embodiment, the rotation direction of the distribution disk 6 is described as counterclockwise, but the rotation direction of the distribution disk 6 may also be clockwise. In this embodiment, the input hopper 15 and the trough 11 are arranged as a pair facing each other, and the cutting and cleaning device 13 is arranged on the most downstream side of the pair of input hopper 15 and trough 11. The cutting and cleaning device 13 scrapes the powdered medicine scattered on the distribution disk 6 toward the tablet junction 14 and cleans the annular groove 6a after the powdered medicine has been scraped out. In FIG. 2, the upper part of the device main body 2, including the manual distribution unit 3, is configured to be openable upward with the +Y direction end as a fulcrum, and each part of the powdered medicine processing unit 7 can be cleaned with the upper part of the device main body 2 open.

[0017] As shown in Figure 4, the feeding hopper 15 is detachably supported by a hopper holding frame 16 provided on the feeder drive unit 12. The feeding hopper 15 has a funnel shape that narrows downward, and the powdered medicine inside falls into the trough 11 through an opening 20 (see Figure 5) provided at the bottom. The outer surface of the feeding hopper 15 is provided with four triangular protrusions 15a that protrude outward, two on each side. These protrusions 15a engage with the hopper holding frame 16, thereby supporting the feeding hopper 15 on the hopper holding frame 16.

[0018] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the trough 11 is supported by a vibrating unit 17 extending from the feeder drive unit 12 and is arranged to slope gently downward from the rear end to the front end. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the trough 11 has a powdered medicine dispensing unit 18 at its front end, which is formed to center the powdered medicine so that it falls into the center of the annular groove 6a, and a sloped unit 19 formed to taper and increase in slope toward the powdered medicine dispensing unit 18. The vibrating unit 17 is a vibrating plate that is vibrated by the feeder drive unit 12 and vibrates finely based on a signal from the feeder drive unit 12, causing the trough 11 placed above to vibrate finely. By applying vibrations from the vibrating unit 17, the powdered medicine placed on the trough 11 is transported in the X direction.

[0019] The hopper holding frame 16, formed from a pipe-shaped member, is a rectangular frame body with an open tip end in the X direction of the input hopper 15, and supports each protrusion 15a from below. As shown in FIG. 5, the hopper holding frame 16 is rotatably supported at its rear end by a support shaft 21, and rotation of the hopper holding frame 16 allows the input hopper 15 to move up and down about the support shaft 21. As shown in FIG. 5, rotating the input hopper 15 upward increases the gap between the opening 20 and the trough 11, increasing the amount of powdered medicine falling from the input hopper 15. The powdered medicine that falls from the input hopper 15 onto the trough 11 is transported along the bottom surface of the trough 11, which is vibrated by the vibrating unit 17, and falls via the sloped portion 19 and the powdered medicine dispensing unit 18 into the annular groove 6a of the distribution disk 6.

[0020] The powdered medicine dispensing section 18 is a recess formed in the widthwise center of the trough 11. As shown in FIG. 6, both sides narrow in the direction of travel so that the powdered medicine gathers toward the end of the dispensing direction. The powdered medicine dispensing section 18 is positioned in a recessed portion in the annular center of the distribution disk 6, most preferably directly above the center of the annular groove 6a. The powdered medicine transported through the trough 11 falls into the center of the annular groove 6a of the distribution disk 6. The amount of powdered medicine falling from the powdered medicine dispensing section 18 can be adjusted by vibration control of the vibration section 17. Typically, as shown in FIG. 7, the powdered medicine is adjusted to fall in predetermined amounts from the powdered medicine dispensing section 18. With this configuration, by rotating the distribution disk 6 at a predetermined rotational speed for one or more revolutions, a pile of powdered medicine is uniformly distributed on the annular groove 6a.

[0021] Once the powdered medicine is evenly dispersed in the annular groove 6a, the control unit 9 rotates the distribution disk 6 by a predetermined angle. Specifically, if one prescription is divided into ten packets, the distribution disk 6 is rotated 36 degrees at a time. The appropriate amount for one packet is collected near the extrusion / cleaning device 13, which then deposits the appropriate amount into the hopper 22 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the extrusion / cleaning device 13 has, at one end, a circular disk 23 whose periphery abuts the annular groove 6a, and a scraper 24 rotatably attached to the disk 23 for scraping and scraping out the powdered medicine trapped in the annular groove 6a. A cleaner unit 25 is provided at the other end of the extrusion / cleaning device 13 to clean the distribution disk 6 after the prescription has been packaged.

[0022] FIG. 8 shows a schematic side view of the internal configuration of a medicine packaging machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, the tablet confluence section 14 guides tablets dropped from the tablet processor 5 and powder medicine dispensed into individual packets in the powder medicine processor 7 to the hopper 22 via separate paths. The tablet confluence section 14 includes a push-pull member 26 located below the tablet hopper 10, which collects tablets dropped from the tablet hopper 10, and a moving member 27 that moves the push-pull member 26 from the position shown in FIG. 8 toward the front of the device in the -Y direction. In FIG. 8, a suction device 42 is located in the middle of the device body 2. The suction device 42 is equipped with multiple suction ports 42a that open to the outside and fins located inside the device, and exhausts air drawn in from various locations on the front side of the device from the rear side of the device. The suction device 42 is connected to a cleaning device for cleaning the outside and inside of the device, as well as a cutting and cleaning device 13.

[0023] In its initial standby state, the tablet junction 14 is in the initial position shown in Figure 8 in which the push-pull member 26 is located below the tablet hopper 10, and when tablets are discharged from the tablet processing unit 5, the push-pull member 26 receives the discharged tablets. When the tablet junction 14 discharges tablets from the push-pull member 26, it operates the moving member 27 to move the push-pull member 26 to the left in Figure 8, causing the tablets in the push-pull member 26 to fall into a receiving hopper 28 provided above the hopper 22. The receiving hopper 28 has a bottom plate that can be opened and closed, and when this bottom plate is opened, the medicine inside falls into the hopper 22.

[0024] The tablets and / or powder medicines dropped into hopper 22 are packaged in packaging paper 29 by packaging device 8 shown in Figures 1, 9, and 10. The thick arrows in Figures 9 and 10 indicate the front of pharmaceutical packaging machine 1. Packaging device 8 includes a packaging paper feed unit 30 that holds packaging paper roll 29A and applies appropriate tension to packaging paper 29 to feed it out from the leading edge along the conveyance path of packaging paper 29, a marker unit 31 that draws lines on packaging paper 29, a printer 32 that prints on packaging paper 29, and a heater unit 33 that heats and fuses packaging paper 29. Packaging device 8 also includes a hopper 22 that moves up and down to insert and remove the leading edge of packaging paper 29 folded in half, a pair of conveying rollers 34 that constitutes a conveyance unit that conveys packaging paper 29, and a cutter 35 (see Figure 11) that cuts packaging paper 29. A pair of diagonal rollers 51 are provided between the printer 32 and the heater unit 33 to guide the packaging paper 29 conveyed upward by changing its direction to the lower left.

[0025] After tablets, powdered medicine, or other medications are sealed in compartments of a predetermined length in packaging paper 29, one end of the paper is heat-fused and the paper is discharged from downstream outlet 36 to the outside of the packaging device at the length set in the prescription information. With one side open, packaging paper 29 is folded in half along its short edge and drawn out from packaging paper feeder 30, which is provided in packaging device main body 43 and rotatably holds packaging paper roll 29A. Packaging paper 29 drawn from packaging paper feeder 30 is marked with a line by marker unit 31 if necessary, printed by printer 32, and then moves below hopper 22. The front end of the paper in the conveying direction is sealed by heater unit 33, and the medication is poured into the paper by hopper 22. The top end is sealed and either cut by cutter 35 or perforated before being discharged.

[0026] The heater unit section 33 has a pressing member 37 that is detachable from the packaging device main body 43. Fig. 11 shows the heater unit section 33 with the pressing member 37 removed, and Fig. 12 shows the heater unit section 33 with the pressing member 37 attached. Fig. 13 shows the pressing member 37 attached to the packaging device main body 43, Fig. 14 shows the heater unit section 33 with the pressing member 37 attached, Fig. 15 shows the pressing member 37 removed from the packaging device main body 43, and Fig. 16 shows the heater unit section 33 with the pressing member 37 removed.

[0027] The heater unit 33 includes a pressing member 37 and a pressing member receiving portion 37A on the packaging device main body 43 side to which the pressing member 37 is attached and detached. The pressing member receiving portion 37A is provided with a heater 38 that heats the packaging paper 29 to simultaneously perform conventional vertical and horizontal sealing on the packaging paper 29, and a perforation blade receiving portion 40 that receives a perforation blade 39. The pressing member 37 is provided with a heater receiving portion 38A that receives the heater 38 and the perforation blade 39. Generally, the heater 38 is in a heated state in preparation for the packaging operation when the packaging device 8 is in operation. When attached to the packaging device main body 43, the pressing member 37 is configured to be able to move toward and away from the packaging paper 29. During the packaging operation, a displacement mechanism (not shown) is activated to bring the pressing member 37 into contact with the pressing member receiving portion 37A via the packaging paper 29. This contact causes the heater 38 to seal the packaging paper 29 and form perforations in the packaging paper 29.

[0028] Pressing member 37 is spaced apart from packaging paper 29 during non-packaging operations, and comes into contact with packaging paper 29 only during packaging operations due to the operation of a displacement mechanism (not shown). Pressing member 37 selectively occupies a contact position where it contacts packaging paper 29 and a spaced position where it is spaced apart from packaging paper 29. The contact position functions as a welding position where it welds packaging paper 29, and the spaced position functions as a paper passing position where packaging paper 29 can be passed through. A pair of transport rollers 34 and a cutter 35 are provided downstream of heater unit 33 in the packaging paper transport direction. Packaging paper 29 discharged from discharge port 36 is stored in packaging paper container 41, which is detachably mounted on device main body 2, as shown in FIG. 1 etc.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 13 to 16 , a detachable portion 37 a is provided on the upper portion of the pressing member 37. The detachable portion 37 a is rotatably supported by a support shaft 37 b, and a grip portion 37 c that can be gripped by an operator is provided on the upper portion of the detachable portion 37 a. Both side ends of the detachable portion 37 a extend downward, and hook-shaped engaging portions 37 d are formed at the end of each extension. The detachable portion 37 a is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIGS. 15 and 16 from the state shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 by gripping the grip portions 37 c. A torsion spring (not shown) is provided between the detachable portion 37 a and the support shaft 37 b. When the external force acting on the detachable portion 37 a is released, the detachable portion 37 a returns to the initial position shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 by the biasing force of the torsion spring.

[0030] On both sides of the detachable portion 37a, protruding pieces 37e are provided integrally with the pressing member main body 37h and support the support shaft 37b, protruding from both side surfaces of the detachable portion 37a in a direction toward the pressing member receiving portion 37A. A groove-shaped engaging portion 37f is provided at the tip of each protruding piece 37e, and a relief portion 37g is provided at the bottom of the base end. The pressing member main body 37h is sized to completely cover the heater 38 so that the heater 38 is not exposed to the outside. At the portion of the packaging device main body 43 where the pressing member 37 is attached and detached, there are engaged portions 43a made of round bars with which the engaging portions 37d can be engaged, and engaged portions 43b made of round bars with which the engaging portions 37f can be engaged.

[0031] 12 and 14, when the pressing member 37 is attached to the packaging device main body 43, the engaging portion 37f engages with the engaged portion 43b, and the engaging portion 37d engages with the engaged portion 43a, as shown by reference symbol B in Fig. 14. When the gripping portion 37c is grasped and the detachable portion 37a is rotated in the direction of arrow A from the state shown in Figs. 13 and 14 as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, the engaging portion 37d and the engaged portion 43a are disengaged, as shown by reference symbol C in Fig. 16. At this time, the engaging portion 37f and the engaged portion 43b remain engaged, as shown by reference symbol D in Figs. 16. However, by displacing the pressing member 37 in the direction shown by reference symbol E from the state shown in Fig. 16, the engaging portion 37f and the engaged portion 43b are disengaged, and the pressing member 37 can be removed from the packaging device main body 43. When the pressing member 37 is to be attached to the packaging device main body 43, the above-described operations are carried out in reverse order.

[0032] Next, the transport roller pair 34 will be described with reference to FIG. 17 . FIG. 17 is a view of the transport roller pair 34 as viewed from the direction indicated by arrow F in FIG. 12 . In FIG. 17 , the transport roller pair 34 is composed of a fixed roller 34a, which serves as a drive roller, and a movable roller 34b, which serves as a driven roller. The fixed roller 34a is rotatably supported by the packaging device main body 43 and is driven to rotate by a drive motor (not shown) provided in the packaging device main body 43. The movable roller 34b is rotatably supported by a slider 34c, which is supported by the packaging device main body 43 so as to be slidable left and right in FIG. 17 . The slider 34c has a rightward movement limit at the position where the movable roller 34b contacts the fixed roller 34a, as shown in FIG. 17 , and can slide leftward a predetermined distance from this position. The position where the rollers 34a and 34b contact each other, indicated by the symbol G in FIG. 17 , functions as a clamping position where the transport roller pair 34 clamps and conveys the packaging paper 29.

[0033] A gripping portion 34d is provided at the left end of the top surface of the slider 34c, and is gripped by an operator when moving the slider 34c. A posture control device 34e is provided at the lower right side of the slider 34c, controlling the posture of the conveying roller pair 34. The posture control device 34e, indicated by the symbol H in FIG. 17, includes a compression coil spring 34f, a spring seat 34g, and a control piece 34h. The spring seat 34g supporting the compression coil spring 34f is disposed at the lower right side of the slider 34c, and the compression coil spring 34f contacts the packaging device main body 43. The control piece 34h is rotatably attached to the packaging device main body 43 near the position where the compression coil spring 34f contacts. The control piece 34h is substantially rectangular, and a notch is provided in the center of each of the opposing short sides. A window portion 34i is provided at the lower right side of the slider 34c to expose the control piece 34h within the range of movement of the slider 34c, and the window portion 34i is formed with a first protrusion portion 34j and a second protrusion portion 34k that can engage with each notch portion of the control piece 34h.

[0034] The following describes how the position of the transport roller pair 34 is changed based on the above-described configuration. From the state shown in FIG. 17 in which the transport roller pair 34 is in the clamping position, the operator grasps the grip portion 34d and moves the slider 34c toward the left, as indicated by arrow I in FIG. 18. When the slider 34c reaches its leftward movement limit shown in FIG. 18, the rollers 34a, 34b open to their maximum extent, as indicated by symbol J in FIG. 18, and one notch of the control piece 34h comes into contact with the second protrusion 34k. When the operator releases his / her grip of the grip portion 34d from the state shown in FIG. 18, the slider 34c moves to the right from the state shown in FIG. 18 due to the biasing force of the compression coil spring 34f. During this movement, the control piece 34h is pushed by the second protrusion 34k and rotates counterclockwise, but as the slider 34c moves, the other notch of the control piece 34h comes into contact with the first protrusion 34j, resulting in the state shown in Figure 19.

[0035] In the state shown in Figure 19, the other notch of control piece 34h comes into contact with first protrusion 34j, as indicated by the symbol K. As a result, the biasing force of compression coil spring 34f that biases slider 34c to the right is canceled out by restricting counterclockwise rotation of control piece 34h, and rollers 34a, 34b remain open at a predetermined distance, as indicated by the symbol L. The position of rollers 34a, 34b indicated by the symbol L in Figure 19 functions as a paper-passing position where packet paper 29 can be passed between the pair of transport rollers 34. When the operator grips the grip portion 34d from the state shown in Fig. 19 and moves the slider 34c leftward as indicated by the arrow M in Fig. 20, the rollers 34a, 34b open to their maximum extent as indicated by the symbol N in Fig. 20, the engagement between the other notch of the control piece 34h and the first protrusion 34j is released, and the portion of the control piece 34h that is not the notch comes into contact with the second protrusion 34k. When the biasing force on the slider 34c in the direction of the arrow M is released from the state shown in Fig. 20, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 34f moves the slider 34c to the right from the state shown in Fig. 20, and the rollers 34a, 34b return to the clamping position as shown in Fig. 17.

[0036] Next, the printer 32 will be described using Figures 21 to 24. Figures 21 to 24 are views of the printer 32 as seen from the side of the packaging device 8, and the printer 32 comprises a printer main body 32a and a cover 32b. Figures 21 and 23 show the printer main body 32a with the cover 32b attached, while Figures 22 and 24 show the printer main body 32a with the cover 32b removed. As shown in Figures 22 and 24, a printer head 32c that prints on the packaging paper 29 is movably provided on the printer main body 32a, and as shown in Figures 21 and 23, the cover 32b is provided with a knob 32d for moving the printer head 32c.

[0037] The knob 32d is rotatably supported on the cover 32b by a support shaft 32e, and a shaft 32f that rotates integrally with the knob 32d is rotatably supported on the support shaft 32e. An arm 32g extends from the shaft 32f, and a cam follower 32h is rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 32g. A stopper 32i that restricts counterclockwise movement of the cam follower 32h is provided on the movement trajectory of the cam follower 32h, and a counterclockwise biasing force is applied to the shaft 32f by a biasing member (not shown). The printer head 32c has a head unit 32j near one end that prints on the sachet paper 29, and the printer head 32c is supported on the printer body 32a so that it can swing around a support shaft 32k provided near the other end. A stopper is provided on the swing trajectory of the printer head 32c to restrict the clockwise swing of the printer head 32c, and a clockwise biasing force is applied to the printer head 32c around the support shaft 32k by a biasing member (not shown).

[0038] With the above-described configuration, the cam follower 32h can selectively occupy either a first position where it contacts the printer head 32c and moves it, as shown in FIG. 22, or a second position where it is separated from the printer head 32c and contacts the stopper 32i, as shown in FIG. 24. When the knob 32d is rotated clockwise, as indicated by arrow O, as shown in FIG. 21, the cam follower 32h is positioned at the first position. When the cam follower 32h is in the first position, the printer head 32c, as shown in FIG. 22, brings the head portion 32j through the packaging paper 29 into contact with the feed roller 32m rotatably supported on the printer body 32a, and occupies a printing position where printing is performed on the packaging paper 29, as indicated by symbol Q in FIGS. 21 and 22. When the knob 32d is rotated counterclockwise, as indicated by arrow P, as shown in FIG. 23, from the state where the cam follower 32h is in the first position, the cam follower 32h is positioned at the second position. When cam follower 32h is in the second position, printer head 32c, as shown in Figure 24, moves head portion 32j away from packaging paper 29 and assumes a paper passing position where packaging paper 29 can be passed through printer 32, as indicated by the symbol R in Figures 23 and 24. Note that knob portion 32d is provided with a holding member (not shown) that holds cam follower 32h in the first position, and printer 32 is configured to be able to maintain either state in either the printing position or the paper passing position.

[0039] Next, the packaging paper feed unit 30 will be described. As shown in Figures 9, 10, and 25, near the outlet of the packaging paper feed unit 30 for the packaging paper 29, there are provided a movable roller 44 whose rotation axis is supported so as to be movable on the YZ plane, a tension spring 45 connecting the movable roller 44 to the packaging device main body 43, a sensor 46 that detects the position of the movable roller 44, and a roller 50 around which the packaging paper 29 is wound. The movable roller 44 and tension spring 45 function as a tension applying unit 47 that applies tension to the packaging paper 29 pulled out from the packaging paper roll 29A. The packaging paper feed unit 30 has a rotation mechanism 48 equipped with a driving motor (not shown) at the center of the packaging paper roll 29A, and the rotation mechanism 48 rotates the motor (not shown) when the signal from the sensor 46 turns off. Operation of rotation mechanism 48 causes packaging paper roll 29A held in packaging paper feed unit 30 to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 25, feeding packaging paper 29. Sensor 46 turns off its signal when movable roller 44 moves on the YZ plane, and turns on its signal when movable roller 44 is at the reference position.

[0040] In this embodiment, the sensor 46 is switched on and off as follows. When a microswitch 46a provided in the sensor 46 abuts against a bent portion 49a formed around the rotation axis S of the movable roller support portion 49 shown in FIG. 26 , the sensor 46 is turned on. Then, when the movable roller support portion 49 rotates and the bent portion 49a passes the microswitch 46a, the microswitch 46a moves away from the bent portion 49a, and the sensor 46 is turned off. As described above, this embodiment uses a contact-type sensor 46 that switches on and off when the bent portion 49a and the microswitch 46a come into contact with or separate from each other, and the range in which the sensor 46 is turned on can be controlled by, for example, changing the curvature of the bent portion 49a or the position where it is formed.

[0041] In other words, the range where the bent portion 49a and the microswitch 46a contact is defined as the reference position of the movable roller 44. When the movable roller 44 moves on the YZ plane to such an extent that the bent portion 49a and the microswitch 46a separate, the control unit 9 determines that the movable roller 44 has moved. Note that, in addition to such a contact-type sensor, an optical sensor, for example, can be used as the sensor 46. When an optical sensor is used, it may be positioned opposite the movable roller 44 and configured to switch off when the movable roller 44 moves a predetermined distance or more. The above-described on / off determination may be reversed, as long as the configuration can detect whether the movable roller 44 is in the reference position. However, if a failure occurs in the sensor 46 and the rotation mechanism 48 is configured to turn on when the sensor 46 is on, the rotation mechanism 48 will continue to rotate in the event of an electrical failure. On the other hand, if the rotation mechanism 48 is configured to be turned on when the sensor 46 is off, the rotation mechanism 48 will not operate in the event of a power outage, and will not operate in the event of a current-carrying failure of the sensor 46, so this is preferable to a configuration in which the rotation mechanism 48 is turned on when the sensor 46 is on.

[0042] As shown in Figure 26, movable roller 44 is a movable roller rotatably supported around packaging paper feed unit 30 by movable roller support member 49, which has rotation axis T on the X axis and is provided on the YZ plane. Movable roller 44 is biased in the direction indicated by arrow U by tension spring 45 so as to remain in the reference position shown in Figure 25, where sensor 46 is turned on. Packaging paper 29 is wrapped around movable roller 44, and when packaging paper 29 is pulled by transport roller pair 34, it receives a force in the pulling direction indicated by arrow V in Figure 25 as the tension increases. At this time, when tension FA, which is the force in the pulling direction, reaches a predetermined value or greater as shown in Figure 27, movable roller 44 rotates together with movable roller support member 49 in the direction of arrow W about rotation axis S, as shown in Figure 28. The threshold value of the tension FA for performing such an operation can be freely changed by setting it to an appropriate value, for example, by tightening the movable roller support part 49 or the spring force of the tension spring 45, but it is desirable to set it to a value smaller than the tension that the packaging paper 29 can withstand without breaking, based on the purpose of preventing excessive tension load on the packaging paper 29.

[0043] As described above, by allowing the movable roller 44, located near the exit of the packaging paper feed unit 30, to move in the YZ plane, the transport path of the packaging paper 29 is shortened when the movable roller 44 rotates in the direction of arrow W, as shown in FIG. 28 . The tension applied to the packaging paper 29 is strong when the length of the packaging paper 29 is short relative to the length of the transport path, and conversely, slack occurs when the length of the packaging paper 29 is long. Thus, as the transport path shortens, the tension is relaxed and temporarily weakened. In extreme cases, as shown in FIG. 29 , this shortening of the transport path is set with the upper limit set to the movable range of the movable roller support unit 49. In this embodiment, the length of the packaging paper 29 pulled by the transport roller pair 34 can be changed (maximum length: 80 mm in this embodiment), and the movable roller support unit 49 moves by the amount of tension relaxed in accordance with the amount of pulling.

[0044] The distance that movable roller 44 moves is not necessarily the set length for reasons such as the fact that it moves on an arc, that it changes depending on how the packaging paper 29 is wrapped, and that it changes depending on the tightening torque of movable roller support part 49 and the tension of packaging paper 29. As described above, the conveyance path of packaging paper 29 is shortened by changing the position of movable roller 44 due to the rotation and movement of movable roller support part 49, and therefore the tension applied to packaging paper 29 decreases, and when the tension falls below a force sufficient to move movable roller 44, the movement of movable roller 44 is stopped.

[0045] In a conventional configuration that does not have a movable roller 44 and instead uses a fixed roller 50, the roll diameter of the packaging paper roll 29A changes depending on the amount of packaging paper remaining in the roll 29A, as shown in Figure 30. Therefore, when the roll is new and immediately after replacement, the conveyance path is as shown by the dashed line. However, once a certain amount of packaging paper 29 is consumed, the conveyance path becomes longer than when the roll is new, as shown by the solid line. It has been known that the tension of the packaging paper 29 changes even when the pair of conveying rollers 34 conveys packaging paper 29 of the same length, because the length of the conveyance path varies depending on the roll diameter, i.e., the amount of packaging paper remaining in the roll. To suppress such fluctuations in the tension of the packaging paper during use, for example, technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-343699 employs a configuration in which a means for detecting the amount of paper taken up on the core of the sheet roll is provided, and the amount of rotation is converted into the amount of paper taken up and the tension is adjusted accordingly.

[0046] In the above-described configuration in which tension is varied based on the remaining amount of paper on the roll, it is necessary to understand the relationship between the amount of paper wound and the tension. Furthermore, because the amount of paper wound varies depending on the thickness of the paper, when multiple types of paper are used, the amount of rotation must be adjusted differently for each type of paper, complicating control. Furthermore, because the tension is increased or decreased by controlling the amount of rotation of the paper feed unit 30, there is a concern that the motor and control unit required for rotation control may become complicated. Therefore, in this embodiment, a movable roller 44 movable in the YZ plane is provided as a configuration that reduces load by maintaining a constant tension on the paper 29 without requiring knowledge of the amount of paper wound. The movable roller 44 moves in the YZ plane due to the rotation of the movable roller support unit 49 and the tension of the paper 29 wound around it.

[0047] Specifically, when the packing paper 29 is transported by the transport roller pair 34 and the tension of the packing paper 29 wrapped around the movable roller 44 exceeds a predetermined value, the movable roller 44 moves in the YZ plane in the direction of the tension, thereby relieving the tension and shortening the transport path. This shortening of the transport path causes the movable roller 44 to create slack in the packing paper 29 that counteracts the increased tension. This slack created by the movement of the movable roller 44 is only temporary, and the tension will increase again when the movable roller 44 returns to its reference position. This condition is caused by the increased tension in the packing paper 29 as a result of the packing paper 29 being pulled out a predetermined amount by the transport roller pair 34.

[0048] In this embodiment, when movable roller 44 moves from the reference position, packaging paper feed unit 30 is activated, causing packaging paper roll 29A to rotate in the direction of arrow W1 shown in FIG. 28 , unwinding packaging paper 29 from packaging paper roll 29A, thereby counteracting the increase in tension on packaging paper 29. That is, in this embodiment, sensor 46 is provided as a means for detecting that movable roller 44 has moved from the reference position. While sensor 46 is on, rotation mechanism 48 is activated to rotate packaging paper roll 29A in the direction that unwinds packaging paper 29. When movable roller 44 is in the reference position, unwinding of packaging paper 29 is stopped. Because packaging paper 29 is temporarily slackened by the movement of movable roller 44, the rotation speed of packaging paper feed unit 30 can be constant. With this configuration, control unit 9 can control the operation of rotation mechanism 48 based on the detection results of sensor 46 without complex rotation control, contributing to cost reduction and simplifying the drive unit, thereby reducing the risk of malfunction.

[0049] After movable roller 44 moves from the reference position as transport roller pair 34 transports packaging paper 29, the movable roller 44 is subjected to the tension of packaging paper 29 and the biasing force of tension spring 45, causing the positions of movable roller 44 and movable roller support member 49 to change depending on the balance of these forces. As described above, when packaging paper 29 is being unwound from packaging paper roll 29A by operation of rotation mechanism 48, the tension of packaging paper 29 decreases. In other words, if transport roller pair 34 initially transports packaging paper 29 a set length, the tension acting on movable roller 44 when packaging paper 29 is subsequently transported the set length will be the same as when movable roller 44 is in the reference position, as shown in FIG. 27 .

[0050] After transporting a predetermined amount of packing paper 29, the pair of transport rollers 34 temporarily stops rotating until the next compartment receives medication from the hopper 22. As a result, as the rotation mechanism 48 operates to unwind packing paper 29 at a predetermined speed, the balance position of the tension of the movable roller 44 gradually changes. As a result, the movable roller 44 is moved toward the reference position from a position where it has moved away from the reference position, as shown in FIG. 28 , by the biasing force of the tension spring 45, and maintained there. That is, the movable roller 44 is returned to the reference position by the biasing force of the tension spring 45 before the pair of transport rollers 34 transports the packing paper 29. By repeating this series of operations—transport by the pair of transport rollers 34, movement of the movable roller 44 from the reference position, activation of the rotation mechanism 48, and movement of the movable roller 44 to the reference position by the biasing force of the tension spring 45—as a packaging operation for each package, the packaging device 8 can seal and transport medication packets one by one in packing paper 29.

[0051] During the above-described operation, the movement position of the movable roller 44 is automatically determined by the length of transport of the packaging paper 29 by the transport roller pair 34 and the corresponding increase in tension of the packaging paper 29, and the return of the movable roller 44 to the reference position is also determined by the biasing force of the tension spring 45. Therefore, the rotation mechanism 48 does not need to manage the tension of the packaging paper 29 during operation, and the control configuration can be simplified by activating when the movable roller 44 moves from the reference position and stopping when it is located at the reference position. In the above-described configuration, the movable roller 44, movable roller support portion 49, and tension spring 45 act as a tension adjustment mechanism to prevent excessive tension when the packaging paper 29 is transported by the transport roller pair 34. With this configuration, the operation of the movable roller 44, movable roller support portion 49, and tension spring 45 can prevent excessive load from acting on the packaging paper 29, thereby suppressing the occurrence of problems that could cause damage, transportation failure, etc.

[0052] In the medication packaging machine 1, a packaging operation is performed based on prescription data for each patient. During the packaging operation, medications based on the prescription data are enclosed in packaging paper 29 and discharged from the machine. As the packaging operation progresses, when the remaining amount of packaging paper roll 29A reaches a predetermined amount, the machine enters an empty state, prompting the operator to load a new packaging paper roll 29A, and prohibiting any further packaging operations. The following describes the paper-passing procedure for loading a new packaging paper roll 29A into the packaging device 8 based on the above-described configuration. When the display of the control unit 9 indicates that packaging paper roll 29A is empty and the operation of the medication packaging machine 1 stops, the operator first rotates knob 32d in the direction of arrow P shown in FIG. 23 to move printer head 32c, which is in the printing position as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, to the paper-passing position as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. Once printer head 32c is in the paper-passing position, it is held in the paper-passing position by the operation of a holding unit (not shown).

[0053] Next, the operator grasps gripper 34d and slides slider 34c in the direction of arrow I shown in Figure 18, displacing movable roller 34b, which is in the clamping position shown in Figure 17, to the release position shown in Figure 19. Movable roller 34b, which is in the release position, is held in the release position by activation of attitude control device 34e. Next, the operator removes the core of the consumed packaging paper roll 29A from packaging paper feed unit 30 and pulls out the remaining packaging paper 29 from packaging device main body 43. At this time, because printer head 32c of printer 32 is in the paper passing position and movable roller 34b of transport roller pair 34 is in the release position, the remaining packaging paper 29 can be easily pulled out by moving it so that it is removed from the tip of hopper 22.

[0054] Next, the operator grasps gripping portion 37c and rotates detachable portion 37a in the direction of arrow A in Figure 16, displacing detachable portion 37a from the position shown in Figure 14 to the position shown in Figure 16. The operator then displaces pressing member 37 from the state shown in Figure 16 in the direction indicated by symbol E, disengaging engaging portion 37f from engaged portion 43b and removing pressing member 37 from packaging device main body 43. After removing pressing member 37 from packaging device main body 43, the operator loads a new packaging paper roll 29A into packaging paper feed unit 30. The operator then grasps the end of packaging paper 29 pulled out from packaging paper roll 29A and guides it counterclockwise around movable roller 44 from the lower left to the upper left in Figure 9, and then further counterclockwise around roller 50 from the lower right to the upper left.

[0055] The packaging paper 29 is then passed through the printer 32 located above. Because the printer head 32c is in the paper-passing position at this time, the packaging paper 29 can be easily passed through from the right side of the printer 32 in FIG. 9 . After passing through the printer 32, the packaging paper 29 is passed over an oblique roller 51 located above it, changing its conveying direction downward and left, and then passed through the heater unit 33. As shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, which are views of the heater unit 33 from below, the conveying path for the packaging paper 29 is relatively wide and open, as indicated by reference symbol A1 in FIG. 32, allowing the packaging paper 29 to pass easily. The tip of the hopper 22 is also clamped by the packaging paper 29 at this time. This clamping operation can be easily performed because the conveying path is secured. FIGS. 33 and 34 show the state in which the tip of the hopper 22 is clamped by the packaging paper 29. Thereafter, the packaging paper 29 is passed through the pair of transport rollers 34, but here too, the movable roller 34b is held in the release position, so that the packaging paper 29 can be easily passed through.

[0056] Once the wrapping paper 29 has been threaded up to the pair of transport rollers 34 and the leading edge of the wrapping paper 29 has passed the cutter 35 and reached the vicinity of the discharge port 36, the operator rotates the knob 32d in the direction of arrow O in FIG. 21 to move the printer head 32c, which is in the paper-threading position shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, to the printing position shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. The printer head 32c, now in the printing position, is held in the printing position by the operation of a holding unit (not shown), thereby clamping the wrapping paper 29. Until the wrapping paper 29 is held by the printer head 32c, the operator can continue threading the wrapping paper 29 without releasing the grip on the end of the wrapping paper 29. This ensures that the wrapping paper 29 remains under constant tension from the beginning of the threading process. Next, while still gripping the gripper 34d, the operator slides the slider 34c in the direction of arrow M in FIG. 20 to move the movable roller 34b, which is in the release position shown in FIG. 19, to the clamping position shown in FIG. 17. The movable roller 34b, which has taken up the clamping position, is held in the clamping position by the operation of the attitude control device 34e, thereby clamping the packaging paper 29. Even in this state, the packaging paper 29 remains under tension at all times.

[0057] Once the packaging paper 29 is clamped between the printer 32 and the pair of transport rollers 34, the operator then attaches the pressing member 37 to the packaging device main body 43. The operator grasps the pressing member main body 37h, engages the engaging portion 37f with the engaged portion 43b, and passes the engaged portion 43a through the relief hole 37g. From this position, the operator rotates the detachable portion 37a in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A shown in Figures 15 and 16, engaging the engaging portion 37d with the engaged portion 43a and attaching the pressing member 37 to the packaging device main body 43. Even in this state, the packaging paper 29 remains constantly tensioned. The above-described series of actions completes the replacement of the packaging paper roll 29A in the packaging device 8.

[0058] In the present invention, when replacing packaging paper roll 29A, the paper passing operation of passing packaging paper 29 through packaging device main body 43 can be completed without folding packaging paper 29 back in a direction away from discharge outlet 36 between tensioning unit 47 and conveying roller pair 34, and with tension constantly being applied to packaging paper 29. This facilitates the paper passing operation by increasing the number of linear sections and simplifying the operation, and significantly improves the workability of replacing packaging paper roll 29A.

[0059] In this embodiment, since the pressing member 37 constituting the heater unit 33 is detachable from the packaging device main body 43, the pressing member 37 having the heater receiving portion 38A that receives the heated heater 38 during the replacement of the packaging paper roll 29A can be removed. This prevents the operator from coming into contact with the heater receiving portion 38A, which becomes hot due to contact with the high-temperature heater 38, during the replacement operation, thereby providing a packaging device 8 and a medicine packaging machine 1 equipped with the same that allow the operator to safely replace the packaging paper roll 29A. Furthermore, since the fixed roller 34a and the movable roller 34b constituting the transport roller pair 34 are configured to be held in a clamping position and a release position, a wide transport path for the packaging paper 29 can be secured during replacement of the packaging paper roll 29A, improving work efficiency during the replacement of the packaging paper roll 29A. In addition, since the printer head 32c that constitutes the printer 32 is configured to be able to be held at both the printing position and the paper passing position, a transport path for the packaging paper 29 can be secured when replacing the packaging paper roll 29A, thereby improving work efficiency when replacing the packaging paper roll 29A.

[0060] In this embodiment, the pressing member main body 37h is sized to completely cover the heater 38 so that the heater 38 is not exposed to the outside, and the pressing member 37 occupies a paper-passing position away from the packaging paper 29 during non-packaging operations and a welding position in contact with the packaging paper 29 only during packaging operations. With this configuration, as shown in Figures 35 to 38, which correspond to Figures 31 to 34, it is possible to replace the packaging paper roll 29A even when the pressing member 37 is attached to the packaging device main body 43. In this case, because the heater 38 is not exposed to the outside, the operator does not come into contact with the heater 38, thereby avoiding danger.

[0061] The present invention provides, for example, the following aspects: [1] A packaging device comprising: a packaging device main body that holds a roll of packaging paper; a tension applying unit that applies tension to packaging paper pulled from the packaging paper roll; a printing unit that prints on the packaging paper; a hopper that supplies medicine to the interior of the packaging paper; a heater unit that heat-welds the packaging paper; a conveying unit that conveys the packaging paper; a cutting unit that cuts the packaging paper; and an outlet through which the packaging paper is discharged, wherein when replacing the packaging paper roll, a paper-passing operation of gripping an end of the packaging paper and passing the packaging paper through the packaging device main body can be completed without folding the packaging paper between the tension applying unit and the conveying unit in a direction that does not face the outlet, and with the packaging paper always kept under tension. [2] The packaging device described in [1], wherein the heater unit is detachable from the packaging device main body. [3] The packaging device according to [1] or [2], characterized in that the conveying unit has a pair of rollers that sandwich and convey the packaging paper, each roller of the roller pair selectively occupying a sandwich position where it sandwiches the packaging paper and a release position where it releases the sandwiched paper, and each of the rollers is capable of maintaining the sandwich position and the release position. [4] The packaging device according to any one of [1] to [3], characterized in that the printing unit selectively occupies a printing position where it contacts the packaging paper to print and a paper passing position where it is spaced apart from the packaging paper to allow the packaging paper to pass, and each of the printing position and the paper passing position is capable of being maintained. [5] The packaging device according to any one of [1] to [4], characterized in that the heater unit selectively occupies a welding position where it contacts the packaging paper to weld the packaging paper and a paper passing position where it is spaced apart from the packaging paper to allow the packaging paper to pass, and is in the welding position only during packaging operation. [6] The packaging device according to [2], characterized in that the heater unit has a gripping portion that is gripped when attaching or detaching, and the heater unit is attached or detached from the packaging device main body while the gripping portion is being gripped. [7] A medicine dispensing and packaging machine characterized in that it is equipped with the packaging device according to any one of [1] to [6].

[0062] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely examples of the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0063] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Medicine packaging machine 8 Packaging device 22 Hopper 29 Packaging paper 29A Packaging paper roll 32 Printing section (printer) 33 Heater unit section 34 Conveying section (pair of conveying rollers) 35 Cutting section (cutter) 36 Discharge outlet 43 Packaging device main body 47 Tensioning section

Claims

1. A packaging device comprising: a packaging device main body that holds a roll of sachet paper; a tension applying unit that applies tension to sachet paper pulled out from the sachet paper roll; a printing unit that prints on the sachet paper; a hopper that supplies medicine to the inside of the sachet paper; a heater unit that heat-welds the sachet paper; a conveying unit that conveys the sachet paper; a cutting unit that cuts the sachet paper; and a discharge outlet that discharges the sachet paper, wherein when replacing the sachet paper roll, the paper passing operation of gripping the end of the sachet paper and passing the sachet paper through the interior of the packaging device main body can be completed without folding the sachet paper back in a direction that is not towards the discharge outlet between the tension applying unit and the conveying unit, and with the sachet paper always kept under tension.

2. A packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the heater unit is detachable from the packaging device body.

3. A packaging device as described in claim 1, wherein the conveying section has a pair of rollers that clamp and convey the packaging paper, and each roller constituting the roller pair is capable of selectively occupying a clamping position in which the packaging paper is clamped and a release position in which the clamped packaging paper is released, and is capable of maintaining both the clamping position and the release position.

4. A packaging device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the printing unit is capable of selectively occupying a printing position where it contacts the packaging paper to print and a paper passing position where it is spaced apart from the packaging paper and can pass the packaging paper through, and is capable of maintaining both the printing position and the paper passing position.

5. A packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the heater unit selectively occupies a welding position where it contacts the packaging paper and welds it, and a paper passing position where it is spaced apart from the packaging paper and can pass the packaging paper through, and the heating unit occupies the welding position only during packaging operations.

6. A packaging device according to claim 2, wherein the heater unit has a gripping portion that is gripped when attaching or detaching, and the heater unit is attached or detached from the packaging device main body while the gripping portion is being gripped.

7. A medicine dispensing and packaging machine comprising the packaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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