Tablet Printing Apparatus Inclined Posture Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tablet printing apparatuses face challenges in maintaining the posture of tablets on a conveyor belt, leading to misalignment during printing, especially when using an inkjet printer, resulting in displaced printed characters or marks.
Innovation Solution
A tablet printing apparatus equipped with an inclined posture detector and a printer that adjusts printing data based on the detected posture, ensuring accurate ink droplet ejection from multiple nozzles to maintain high-quality printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tablets are fed onto the conveyor belt by dropping from above, then the feeding process is simple and efficient, but the posture of the tablet becomes difficult to control and may become inclined
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of tablet posture using a laser displacement sensor before the printing process. By detecting the inclined posture in advance and adjusting the printing data accordingly, the system prepares compensation measures beforehand to ensure accurate printing despite the uncontrolled tablet posture from dropping feeding
2Ease of manufacture
If an inkjet printer is used for non-contact printing, then hygiene is improved and character changing is easier, but printing accuracy deteriorates when tablets have inclined posture
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the printing parameters (nozzle selection, ejection timing, ink amount) based on the detected tablet posture. By adjusting these parameters according to the actual inclined state of each tablet, the system maintains printing accuracy while using the flexible inkjet printing method
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the laser displacement sensor continuously detects tablet posture and provides real-time information to the control unit. The control unit then adjusts the printing data based on this feedback, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains printing accuracy despite variations in tablet posture
3Productivity
If printing is performed on tablets with inclined posture without adjustment, then the printing process is simple and fast, but printed characters and marks are displaced from desired positions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of tablet posture using a laser displacement sensor before the printing process. By detecting the inclined posture in advance and adjusting the printing data accordingly, the system prepares compensation measures beforehand to ensure accurate printing despite the uncontrolled tablet posture from dropping feeding
Data Source
AI summary
[Problem to be Solved] To provide a tablet printing apparatus and a tablet printing method that can perform printing with high quality by ejecting ink droplets to a tablet with a various posture from a plurality of nozzles.[Solution] A tablet printing apparatus includes: inclined posture detector (23, 100) that detects an inclined posture of a conveyed tablet with respect to a conveying surface; a printer including an inkjet head 21 equipped with a plurality of nozzles for ejecting an ink droplet, the printer performing printing on the conveyed tablet by ejecting ink to the conveyed tablet from the plurality of nozzles; and a controller 100 for adjusting preset printing data corresponding to an inclined posture of the tablet detected by the inclined posture detector such that predetermined printing is performed on the tablet, wherein the printer performs printing on the tablet based on printing data adjusted by the printing data adjuster.