JP3200205B2 - Capsule separation mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capsule separation mechanism that is used in a capsule filling machine that fills a granular or liquid medicine, food, or the like, and separates and transfers capsules into a body and a cap.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in order to facilitate swallowing of powdery, granular or liquid pharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals are filled into hard capsules made of gelatin. Such a hard gelatin capsule has a cylindrical body in which an opening is provided at one end and a filler is filled therein, and an opening at one end which is slightly larger in diameter than the body. And a cylindrical cap provided. Before filling pharmaceuticals, etc., the capsule,
It is supplied in a so-called pre-lock state in which the body and the cap are loosely coupled. In order to fill such a capsule with a predetermined filling material, it is necessary to separate the capsule in a pre-locked state into a body and a cap, fill the separated body with the filling material, and then reconnect the body and the cap. There is. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-180265 discloses a capsule filling apparatus in which such a series of operations is automated. This capsule filling apparatus has a capsule separating mechanism that moves a plurality of capsules arranged in a vertical state with the body on the lower side, and separates the respective bodies and caps and moves the capsules in the horizontal direction. The capsule separation mechanism separates a predetermined number of capsules into a cap and a body by vacuum, stores each cap in a pocket provided in a part of an annular cap support table, and separates the caps. Each body is passed through each pocket of the cap support table by the vacuum, and is accommodated in each pocket of the body support base provided below the cap support table. The body supports are formed in an annular shape similar to the cap support table, and are arranged at appropriate intervals in a horizontal state. The body support base is provided with a pocket for accommodating the body, facing each pocket of the cap support table. The cap support table and the body support stand rotate as one body, and during the movement, the filler is filled in the body supported in each pocket of the body support base. Then, after the filling is filled in the body, the caps are respectively coupled to the body.

FIG. 9A shows a main part of the capsule separating mechanism.
And (b). The capsule body 120 separated from the cap is a pocket provided on the body support base 100.
The pocket is inserted into the body 110 from the bottom side of the body 120.
Supported inside 110. A vacuum head 130 connected to a vacuum pump is arranged below the body support base 100, and a suction port 140 provided in the vacuum head 130 communicates with each pocket 110 of the body support base 100. By
The body 120 is separated from the cap by the suction force from the suction port 140 of the vacuum head 130, as shown in FIG. 9B. Then, it is transferred into each pocket 110 of the body support stand 100.

[0004]

In the capsule separating mechanism having such a structure, the cap body is separated from the cap by the suction force from the suction port 140 of the vacuum head 130. If the suction force by the vacuum is small, the capsule body 120 cannot be separated from the cap. Recently, in order to prevent the cap and the body from being separated during the transfer of the empty capsule before filling the filling material, a plurality of pre-lock (concave) structures are adopted at the joint between the body and the cap of the capsule. In some cases, in this case, the suction force due to the vacuum must be increased. Further, even when the cap support table and the body support base are arranged at an appropriate distance from each other as in the capsule filling device described above, it is necessary to increase the suction force of the body by the vacuum.

On the other hand, when the suction force by the vacuum is increased, the body 120 separated from the cap violently collides with the bottom of the pocket 110 in the body support base 100,
The impact at that time may damage the bottom of the body 120.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the bottom of a body separated from a cap by a suction force of a vacuum without damaging the bottom.
An object of the present invention is to provide a capsule separating mechanism that can be securely accommodated in a pocket of a body support base.

[0007]

According to the capsule separating mechanism of the present invention, the body of the capsule separated from the cap by the suction force of the vacuum is inserted from the bottom side of the body to support the inserted body therein. A body support member having a pocket, vacuum means for reducing the pressure inside each pocket of the body support member,
With the body supporting member facing the bottom of the pocket,
Are arranged to be separable from each other, and
A through-hole for reducing the pressure inside is provided in communication with the pocket.
Cushioning plate and, the buffer play as the bottom of the body can contact to be inserted into the pocket of the body support member
And an annular buffer member disposed in the through-hole of the g , thereby achieving the above object.

[0008]

According to the capsule separating mechanism of the present invention, the suction force generated by the vacuum means passes through the inside of the annular buffer member and acts on the capsule in which the body and the cap are connected. Is separated from the cap. The separated body is inserted into the pocket of the body support base by its suction force, and the bottom of the body collides with a cushioning member arranged opposite to the bottom of the body, and is housed in the body. You.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, the capsule separating mechanism of the present invention
Capsule 90 in which 91 and cap 92 are connected to body 91
And the cap 92. The capsule separating mechanism is provided in a capsule filling machine for filling a predetermined filling in the body of the capsule. The capsule filling machine fills a predetermined filling material into the body 91 separated from the cap by the capsule separating mechanism, and then connects the body 91 and the cap 92 again. The capsule filling machine has a capsule moving mechanism 30 arranged on the base 10, as shown in FIG. The capsule moving mechanism 30 has an annular cap support table that intermittently moves in the direction indicated by arrow A.
31 is arranged in a horizontal state. The cap support table 31 is provided with, for example, 12 pocket groups 33 each composed of 40 pockets 32 for accommodating a cap, at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each pocket group 33
Has 40 pockets 32 arranged in, for example, 5 rows × 8 columns.

Below the cap support table 31, an annular body support 35 (FIG. 5) for supporting the separated body is provided.
However, at an appropriate distance from the cap support 35,
It is arranged horizontally. On the body support table 35, 12 corresponding to each pocket group 33 of the cap support table 31,
The pocket groups are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the pocket groups include a cap support table.
Forty pockets 36 of 5 rows × 8 columns corresponding to the pockets 32 of 5 rows × 8 columns in each pocket group 33 of 31 are provided. The body support base 35 is a cap support table.
It moves in the horizontal direction at the same speed as the orbiting speed of 31.

As shown in FIG. 4, a predetermined number of capsules 90 in a state in which a body 91 and a cap 92 are loosely coupled are sequentially placed above one pocket group 33 of the cap support table 31 as shown in FIG. A capsule alignment mechanism 20 for aligning the body 91 in a vertical state with the body 91 on the lower side is arranged. In the capsule alignment mechanism 20, a supply drum 22, a regulating roller 23, and a reversing roller 24 are respectively arranged in a horizontal state in a vertical direction from above. The supply drum 22 includes a capsule 90
A pocket extending in the radial direction can be inserted from both the body 91 side and the cap 92 side. The regulating roller 23 is composed of 40 pockets that can be inserted only from the cap 92 side to support in a radial state and that can accommodate the capsule 90 inserted from the body 91 side along the peripheral surface. The three pocket groups are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In each pocket group, each pocket is arranged in 5 rows × 8 columns. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, each capsule 90 is capped on the peripheral surface of the lowermost reversing roller 24 so as to face each pocket of the regulating roller 23.
Pocket 25 inserted only from the 92 side to support in a radiating state
Is provided. Therefore, the reversing roller 24 has 5 rows ×
Three pocket groups composed of 40 pockets 25 arranged in eight rows are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. This capsule alignment mechanism 20 is, for example, disclosed in
Since the configuration is similar to that of the capsule alignment mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 232962, the details of the configuration are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the forty capsules 90 aligned by the capsule aligning mechanism 20 are transferred below the capsule aligning mechanism 20 in a horizontal direction, so that the body 91 and the cap 92 are transferred. The capsule separation mechanism 40 of the present invention is provided for separating the capsule separation mechanism into the above-described structure. Each cap 92 separated by the capsule separation mechanism 40 is supported in each pocket 32 of one pocket group 33 in the cap support table 31 of the capsule moving mechanism 30, and each body 91 is connected to the cap support table 31. Are supported in the respective pockets 36 of the body support base 35 disposed below the base.

The cap support table 31 in the capsule moving mechanism 30 is adapted to intermittently move in the circumferential direction by the pitch of each pocket group 33, and the body support table 35 is also connected to the cap support table 31. And intermittently move around. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, when the pocket group 33 of the cap support table 31 facing the capsule alignment mechanism 20 moves by two pitches, the body support table 35 located below the orbited pocket group 33 moves. The filling mechanism 61 located outside the cap support table 31 fills the body 91 accommodated in each pocket of the pocket group with, for example, a powdery filling. The filling mechanism 61 supplies a filling material to a region on the body support base 35 where the pocket group is provided in the body support table 35 which has moved to a position corresponding to the filling mechanism 61, and supplies each pocket.
The filling is filled in the body 91 accommodated in the.

Downstream of the cap support table 31 in the revolving direction in the refill mechanism 61, a refill compression mechanism 65 and a replenishment rate mechanism 66 are arranged side by side in the revolving direction. The filling material compression mechanism 65 includes a pressing plate disposed on the body support base 35 so as to cover all the pockets 36 of the pocket group in the body support base 35, and a pressing plate disposed below the body support base 35 and inside each pocket 36. A pusher member that pushes up the body 91 accommodated in the pocket 36, and by pushing up the body 91 in each pocket 36 by the pusher member, the filling material supplied into each pocket 36 is It is compressed in the body 91 and the pocket 36 by the pressing plate. As shown in FIG. 4, the filling quantitative mechanism 66 includes a pusher member 66a that pushes the body 91 accommodated in each pocket 36 upward, and a compression that is pushed upward of each pocket 36 by the pusher member 66a. And a sweeper 66b for scraping the filler. Unnecessary filler is scraped off by the sweeper 66b, so that a predetermined amount of filler is filled in each body 91.

A recombination mechanism 62 for coupling the separated body 91 and the cap 92 is provided at a predetermined pitch away from the position where the filling amount measuring mechanism 66 is disposed in the moving direction of the cap support table 31. And the recombination mechanism 62
A capsule ejecting mechanism 63 is provided which ejects the reassembled capsule from the capsule moving mechanism 30 at a predetermined pitch in the circling direction from the capsule moving mechanism 30. These packing compression mechanisms
65, packing quantitative mechanism 66, recombination mechanism 62 and discharge mechanism 63
Has the same configuration as the packing compression mechanism, the packing quantification mechanism, the recombination mechanism, and the capsule discharging mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-182265, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the capsule separating mechanism 40 of the present invention comprises a reversing roller 24 located outside the annular cap support table 31 of the capsule moving mechanism 30.
, A flat pallet 41 provided in a horizontal state. The pallet 41 holds the cap support table 31
, And is horizontally moved from a position below the reversing roller 24 to a position above the cap support table 31. The pallet 41 holds the capsules 90 inserted into the pockets 25 of the reversing roller 24 from the cap 92 side.
However, there are 40 through holes 41a of 5 rows × 8 columns that are inserted from the body 91 side and accommodated in a vertical state. Each through hole 41a
Is a capsule 90 in which a body 91 and a cap 92 are combined.
Is large enough to pass through.

The pallet 41 is attached to the tip of a support rod 42 which is in a horizontal state.
Are reciprocated in the horizontal direction. The pallet 41 is provided with eight through-holes 41 provided in the pallet 41 by driving the support rods 42 in the horizontal direction.
a is a set of eight pockets 2 in one row provided on the reversing roller 24.
5 is successively opposed, and then moved to a position above the cap support table 31.

Below the pallet 41, a thin plate-like shutter 43 is provided along the bottom surface of the pallet 41.
The shutter 43 is slidable in the horizontal direction with respect to the pallet 41. When the pallet 41 moves horizontally below the reversing roller 24, the shutter 43 moves integrally with the pallet 41. When the pallet 41 reaches the upper area of the cap support table 31, the shutter 43 slides slightly toward the center of the cap support table 31 with respect to the pallet 41.

In the shutter 43, forty through holes 43a corresponding to the respective through holes 41a of the pallet 41 are arranged in 5 rows × 8 columns. Each through-hole 43a is sized to be able to pass through each capsule 90 similarly to the through-hole 41a of the pallet 41.
In a state where it does not slide with respect to each through hole 43a,
The pallet 41 is slightly displaced from each through hole 41a. And the pallet 41 is the cap support table
When the shutter 43 moves to the upper region of the pallet 31 and slides, the through holes 43 a of the shutter 43 are aligned with the through holes 41 a of the pallet 41.

A vacuum passage 44 is provided below the moving range of the shutter 43. At the upper end of the vacuum passage 44, a suction port 44a facing the reversing roller 24 is opened, and the inside of the vacuum passage 44 is depressurized by, for example, a vacuum pump, so that the surroundings from the suction port 44a Air is sucked. Then, each through hole 41a of the pallet 41 is
The capsules 90 accommodated in the pockets 25 are accommodated in the through holes 41a of the pallet 41 from the body 91 side by the suction force from the suction ports 44a. At this time, since each through hole 43a of the shutter 43 is slightly shifted from each through hole 41a of the pallet 41, the inside of each through hole 41a of the pallet 41 is a suction port 44a.
The capsule 90 is surely moved into the through-hole 41a by the pressure of the suction force from the nozzle, but there is no possibility that the capsule 43 will pass through each through-hole 41a by the shutter 43.

The cap support table 31 and the body support 35
Between the body guide 52 and the body guide 52, the body chute 53 is provided so as to be able to move up and down in a horizontal state. The body guide 52 can be slightly moved up and down by a cam mechanism 67 disposed in the base 10 as shown in FIG. Forty body through holes 52a corresponding to each pocket 32 of one pocket group 33 are arranged in 5 rows × 8 columns. Each body through-hole 52a is provided with the body 91 of the capsule 90.
It has a sufficiently larger inner diameter, and the lower end is tapered toward the bottom.

The body chute 53 has a support plate 53a disposed above the body guide 52. The support plate 53a
Extends outside the cap support table 31,
The side edge on the extension side is connected to a cam mechanism 67 (see FIG. 4) for raising and lowering the body guide 52, and the body chute 53 is raised and lowered in synchronization with the body guide 52.

The support plate located above the body guide 52
On the side of 53a, each body through hole 52a of the body guide 52 is provided.
And a chute portion 53b arranged corresponding to. Each chute portion 53b has an internal body 91 of the capsule 90.
Have a cylindrical shape through which they can pass, and their upper ends are supported by a support plate 53a so as to be in a vertical state.
The upper end surface of each chute portion 53b coincides with the upper surface of the support plate 53a. Each chute portion 53b is inserted into each body through hole 52a of the body guide 52 except for the upper end when the body chute 53 is lowered most when the support plate 53a is lowered. I have. When the support plate 53a is raised, the upper end surface of each chute portion 53b is moved to the position of each pocket 32 of one pocket group 33 in the cap support table 31.
And in close contact with the lower surface of the cap support table 31. At this time, the lower end of each chute portion 53b is located in each body through-hole 52a without extending from each body through-hole 52a of the body guide 52 that has been lowered.

As described above, the body support table 35 of the capsule moving mechanism 30 located below the body guide 52 has 40 pockets 36 for accommodating the body 91 of the capsule 90 arranged in 5 rows × 8 columns. ing. Each pocket 36 penetrates through the body support 35, and its bottom has a curvature at the bottom of the body 91 so as to slightly hold the bottom of the body 91 of the capsule 90 as shown in FIG. It is curved by a radius of curvature slightly larger than the radius of curvature of the bottom surface. In addition, a concave portion 35a is provided at the bottom of the body support base 35 so that the region where each pocket 36 is provided is located inside.

A vertical vacuum pipe 55 is disposed below the body support base 35, and a rectangular parallelepiped hollow vacuum block 56 is attached to the upper end of the vacuum pipe 55 so as to be able to move up and down. Have been. Vacuum piping 55 is a vacuum pump
The vacuum pump 59 reduces the pressure in the vacuum block 56. The vacuum block
The upper surface portion 56a of 56 projects upward so as to fit into the concave portion 35a of the body support base 35, and the upper surface portion 56a includes 40 Are arranged in 5 rows × 8 columns. Each suction hole 56b
Penetrates the upper surface portion 56a, and the body 91 of the capsule 90
The inner diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter.

A flat buffer plate 57 is mounted on the upper surface 56a of the vacuum block 56. In the buffer plate 57, 40 through holes 57a are arranged in 5 rows × 8 columns corresponding to the respective suction holes 56b provided in the upper surface portion 56a of the vacuum block 56. As shown in FIG. 1A, each of the through holes 57a has an inner diameter larger than each of the suction holes 56b provided in the upper surface portion 56a of the vacuum block 56.
The upper edge of 7a is slightly warped inward. In each of the through holes 57a, a buffer ring 58 is arranged. Each buffer ring 58 is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber, for example, and each buffer ring 58 projecting slightly upward from the upper surface of the buffer plate 57 projects from the buffer plate 57. In order to prevent this, each of the through-holes 57a is locked to the inwardly curved upper edge. Further, the inside diameter of each buffer ring 58 is smaller than the inside diameter of the bottom edge of each pocket 36 in the body support 35. Therefore, when the buffer plate 57 is raised by raising the vacuum block 56, each buffer ring 58 is pressed against the periphery of the opening at the bottom surface of each pocket 36 of the body support 35.

The operation of the capsule separating mechanism 40 having such a configuration will be described. In each pocket 25 of the reversing roller 24 located at the lowermost part of the capsule alignment mechanism 20, a capsule 90 is accommodated with the body 91 located on the outer peripheral side. Then, in synchronization with the rotation of the reversing roller 24, the capsule separating mechanism
The 40 pallets 41 are intermittently moved in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 5, and the eight through holes 41a arranged in the row direction of the pallets 41 are arranged in the axial direction of the reversing roller 24. Each pocket 25 is sequentially opposed. Each through hole 41a and each pocket 2
When 5 faces each other, the pressure inside the vacuum passage 44 is reduced. Then, by reducing the pressure inside each through hole 41a through each through hole 43a of the shutter 43, the capsule 90 in each pocket 25 of the reversing roller 24 is transferred into each through hole 41a of the pallet 41. .

In this way, as shown in FIG. 6, when the capsule 90 is accommodated in all the through holes 41a of the pallet 41, the support plate 53a of the body chute 53 arranged below the cap support table 31. Rises, and its upper surface is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the cap support table 31. At this time, the body guide 52 is slightly lowered. Thereby, each pocket 32 in the cap support table 31 and the body support
Each pocket 36 in 35 is in communication with the chute portion 53b of the body chute 53 and the through hole 52a of the body guide 52.

Thereafter, the pallet 41 is further horizontally moved in the direction indicated by the arrow B, and the respective through holes 41a of the pallet 41 are moved to the respective pockets of one pocket group 33 in the cap support table 31, as shown in FIG. As opposed to 32,
It is located on the cap support table 31. When the pallet 41 is located in such a state, the shutter 43 is slid with respect to the pallet 41 in the direction of arrow B so that the respective through holes 43a of the shutter 43 are aligned with the respective through holes 41a of the pallet 41. It is said. Further, the vacuum block 56 disposed below the body support 35 is raised. And vacuum block
A buffer plate 57 attached to the upper surface of 56 fits into the recess 35a of the body support 35, and as shown in FIG. 1A, each buffer ring 58 provided on the buffer plate 57
The pockets 36 of the body support 35 are pressed against the peripheral edges of the bottom openings. Thereby, the vacuum pipe 55 is connected to each suction hole 56b in the upper surface portion 56a of the vacuum block 56 and the buffer plate.
The body support base is formed by each buffer ring 58 provided on 57.
Each of the 35 pockets 36 is in communication with each other. At this time, as described above, since each pocket 36 of the body support base 35 and each pocket 32 of the cap support table 31 are in communication with each other, the vacuum pipe 55 is connected to each pocket 32 of the cap support table 31. Communicating.

In this state, when the vacuum pump 59 is driven to reduce the pressure inside the vacuum block 56, the pressure inside each pocket 32 of the cap support table 31 is reduced, and the pressure inside the pocket 32 is increased above the cap support table 31. Each capsule 90 accommodated in each through hole 41 a of the pallet 41 is transferred into each pocket 32 of the cap support table 31.
In each capsule 90 transferred into each pocket 32 of the cap support table 31, only the cap 92 is supported in each pocket 32 of the cap support table 31, and the body 91 has a smaller diameter than each cap 92. Are separated from each cap 92, and in each shoot portion 53b of the body shoot 53,
As shown in FIG. 1B, the body guide 52 is accommodated in each pocket 36 of the body support base 35 through each body through hole 52a of the body guide 52.

At this time, since each buffer ring 58 provided on the buffer plate 57 is pressed against and sealed to the open bottom surface of each pocket 36 in the body support base 35, the pressure in the vacuum block 56 is reduced. The inside of each pocket 36 is reliably depressurized. As a result, the body 91 of the capsule 90
Is securely separated from each cap 92, and the body support 35
Is securely accommodated in each pocket 36. In addition, since the body 92 accommodated in each pocket 36 collides with each of the elastic buffer rings 58, there is no possibility that the bottom of the body 91 is damaged. For this reason, the inside of the vacuum block 56 is, for example,
Even if it is set to 3000 mmAq or more to ensure that the body 91 is separated from the cap 92 of the capsule 90, there is no possibility that the body 91 will be damaged in each pocket 36 of the body support base 35.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG.
56 is lowered. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1C, each buffer ring 58 provided on the buffer plate 57 is separated from the body support 35, and each pocket of the body support 35 is moved.
The bottom of the body 91 housed in 36 is a body support
It is supported in a state of protruding into the recess 35a of the 35.

As described above, each pocket of the body support base 35
When each body 91 of the capsule is housed in the capsule 36, as described above, each body support base 35 rotates and fills each body 91 with a predetermined filling material.

[0034]

According to the capsule separating mechanism of the present invention, when the body separated from the cap is housed in the pocket of the body supporting member due to the suction force by the vacuum, the capsule separating mechanism collides with the annular buffer member. Therefore, a strong suction force can be applied to the body to reliably separate the body from the cap, and even in that case, there is no possibility that the body will be damaged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a capsule separation mechanism of the present invention, and FIGS. 1B and 1C are explanatory views of its operation.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a capsule separated by the capsule separating mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a capsule filling machine equipped with the capsule separating mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the capsule filling machine.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the capsule separating mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view for explaining the operation of the capsule separating mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view for explaining the operation of the capsule separating mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view for explaining the operation of the capsule separating mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a main part of a conventional capsule separation mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Base 20 Capsule alignment mechanism 30 Capsule moving mechanism 31 Cap support table 32 Pocket 35 Body support base 36 Pocket 40 Capsule separation mechanism 41 Pallet 41a Through hole 43 Shutter 52 Body guide 53 Body chute 56 Vacuum block 57 Buffer plate 58 Buffer ring 90 Capsule 91 Body 92 Cap

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A body support member having a pocket inserted into a body of a capsule separated from a cap by a suction force of vacuum from a bottom side of the body and supporting the inserted body therein ; and a body support member. Vacuum means for decompressing the inside of each pocket, and opposed to the bottom of the pocket in the body support member.
In the state, it is arranged to be separable with respect to the body support member.
The through-hole whose inside is depressurized by the vacuum means is
A buffer plate provided in communication with the pocket, an annular buffer member disposed in a through hole of the buffer plate so that a bottom of a body inserted into the pocket of the body support member can abut, A capsule separation mechanism having a.