JP3664555B2 - Capsule supply device for packaging materials - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a supply device that supplies a substantially cylindrical capsule encapsulating a drug, food, or the like inside to a container containing capsules that are formed in parallel upward and parallel to a packaging material. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional capsule feeder for packaging material.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a packaging material for a press-through pack formed of, for example, polyvinyl chloride. In the packaging material 1, capsule accommodating portions 10 are formed in parallel and at a constant interval along the width direction.
The capsule a is composed of a main body a1 and a cap a2, and a drug is enclosed inside.
The packaging material 1 is continuously transferred at a constant speed in the direction of the arrow (right direction) in the figure with the capsule housing 10 facing upward.
Above the transfer portion of the packaging material 1, a supply rotor 2 is installed in a substantially horizontal state, and an elongated hole-like accommodation pocket 20 for accommodating the capsule a is equiangularly spaced on the outer periphery thereof. And it is formed along the axis. In the supply rotor 2 of this example, the storage pockets 20 as described above are formed in multiple rows.
The supply rotor 2 is continuously rotated counterclockwise in the drawing along the transfer direction of the packaging material 1 so that the movement pitch of each storage pocket 20 is synchronized with the movement pitch of the capsule storage portion 10. Yes.
Above the supply rotor 2, the chute 3 having the capsule supply holes 30 is installed substantially vertically so that the lower end faces the upper part of the movement locus of the storage pocket 20 of each row. The chute 3 is fixed to another member (not shown), but a minute vibration may be applied.
A wall-like rotor guide 4a is installed in a state in which the supply rotor 2 rotates slightly less than a half turn from the vicinity of the lower end position of the chute 3 so as to close the accommodation pockets 20 of each row.
[0003]
When the capsules a that are dropped and supplied in the capsule supply holes 30 of the chute 3 reach the peripheral surface of the supply rotor 2, the end portions thereof are sequentially placed in the accommodation pockets 20 as the rotor 2 rotates. While being guided, the posture is gradually changed to a horizontal state, and one is accommodated in the accommodation pocket 20.
The capsules a stored in the storage pocket 20 are sequentially transferred downward as the supply rotor 2 rotates in a state in which the capsule a is prevented from escaping by the wall-shaped rotor guide 4a.
When the capsule a transferred downward reaches the terminal end of the rotor guide 4a, it sequentially falls from the storage pocket 20 and is sequentially stored in the capsule storage 10 of the packaging material 1 moving downward.
The packaging material 1 in which the capsule a is accommodated in each capsule accommodating portion 10 is sealed by a sealing material such as an aluminum foil (not shown) while being transferred in the right direction in the figure, and then the capsule a in which the capsule a is enclosed. The storage unit 10 is sequentially cut in a state where a certain number of the storage units 10 are connected.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the supply device as described above, each capsule a falling through the capsule supply hole 30 of the chute 3 comes into contact with the outer periphery of the supply rotor 2 and then rotates along with the rotation of the supply rotor 2. As the posture gradually changes to the horizontal state in the storage pocket 20, the storage pocket 20 is sequentially stored in an appropriate state in each storage pocket 20 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5.
However, depending on the timing of the drop of the capsule a, the posture of the drop, and other conditions, a part of the capsule a protrudes from the accommodation pocket 20 of the supply rotor 2 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. , It may be transferred in this state.
In the above-described conventional supply device, the rotor guide 4a has a structure that covers the movement trajectory of the storage pockets 20 of each row in the supply rotor 2 in a substantially half-circular wall shape, so as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. When the capsule a protrudes from the accommodation pocket 20, the capsule a is sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 2 and the rotor guide 4 a as the rotor 2 rotates.
In this way, when the capsule a is crushed, the content filled inside leaks and contaminates the peripheral surface of the rotor 2 and the surface of the rotor guide 4a, so it is necessary to stop and clean the device. However, there is a problem that the production efficiency is remarkably lowered for stopping and cleaning the apparatus.
[0005]
As described above, the object of the present invention is to prevent the capsule a from being broken when the supply of the capsule a to the accommodation pocket 20 in the supply rotor 2 is insufficient. It is an object of the present invention to provide a capsule supply device for a packaging material that does not need to be stopped or cleaned .
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the capsule supply device to the packaging material according to claim 1 according to the present invention,
A packaging material 1 that is continuously transferred in one direction and has an upward capsule accommodating portion 10 that accommodates one capsule a in parallel and at regular intervals;
There are accommodation pockets 20 for capsules a at equal angular intervals along the axial direction to the outer periphery, and at the upper part of the transfer position of the packaging material 1, the movement pitch of the capsule accommodation part 10 and the movement pitch of the accommodation pocket 20 A supply rotor 2 that is rotated along the transfer direction of the packaging material 1 so that
In the upper part of the supply rotor 2, the chute 3 having the capsule supply hole 30 in a state where the lower end faces the upper part of the movement locus of the storage pocket 20,
A rotor installed in a state that covers the storage pocket 20 and prevents the capsule a stored in the storage pocket 20 from escaping in the range where the supply rotor 2 rotates slightly less than a half turn from the vicinity of the lower end position of the chute 3. A guide 4 and
The rotor guide 4 is constituted by a pair of rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 in the range where the supply rotor 2 rotates at least 1/4 turn from the vicinity of the lower end position of the chute 3.
[0007]
The capsule supply device according to claim 2 is the capsule supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the supply rotor 2 is arranged on the outer periphery of the supply rotor 2 from the position of the chute 3 to a quarter to half turn. The collection device (5) is installed at the position of .
[0008]
A capsule supply device according to a third aspect is the capsule supply device according to the first or second aspect , wherein the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 are formed of round bars.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The embodiment of the capsule supply device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a first embodiment of a capsule supply device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the capsule supply device.
In the following description, the same components as those of the conventional apparatus described with reference to FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
[0010]
In the first embodiment, at a position close to the bottom of the chute 3 having a plurality of capsule supply holes 30 along the vertical direction, the capsule supply rotor 2 that rotates continuously at a constant speed counterclockwise is in a substantially horizontal position. is set up.
The lower end of each capsule supply hole 30 of the chute 3 faces the upper side of the movement trajectory of the row of the accommodation pocket 20 of each row of the supply rotor 2.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 2, a tape-like packaging material 1 (packaging for a press-through pack) in which capsule accommodating portions 10 for accommodating capsules a are formed in parallel and at regular intervals as shown in FIG. Material) is continuously transferred to the right.
The rotation speed of the supply rotor 2 is synchronized with the transfer speed of the packaging material 1 so that the movement pitch of the storage pockets 20 in the row and the movement pitch of the capsule storage portion 10 are synchronized. Further, the rotation direction of the rotor 2 is along the transfer direction of the packaging material 1.
[0012]
From the vicinity of the lower end position of the chute 3, the supply rotor 2 covers the storage pockets 20 in each row and prevents the capsules a stored in the storage pockets 20 from escaping in a range where the supply rotor 2 rotates slightly less than a half turn. The rotor guide 4 is installed in the state.
Each rotor guide 4 in this embodiment is composed of a pair of rod-shaped guides 40, 40 each formed of a round bar arranged so as to be located slightly closer to the center than both ends of the storage pockets 20 in each row. The distance between the rod-shaped guides 40 is preferably slightly narrower than the length of the capsule a.
[0013]
On the outer periphery of the supply rotor 2, a tray-like collecting device 5 is installed at a position from the position of the chute 3 until the supply rotor 2 rotates from ¼ to half .
The collecting device 5 is attached to a plate-like stay 41 provided in the vicinity thereof, and the pair of rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 are attached to the stay 41 via a bifurcated arm 42.
[0014]
In the supply device of the first embodiment, for example, one capsule a that is continuously supplied to each capsule supply hole 30 of the chute 3 from a hopper (not shown) falls in the capsule supply hole 30 and rotates the supply rotor 2. Thus, the sheets are sequentially stored in the horizontal positions in the storage pockets 20 of the corresponding row.
The capsules a stored in the storage pocket 20 are sequentially transferred downward in a state in which the rod-shaped guides 40, 40 constituting the rotor guide 4 are prevented from escaping from the storage pocket 20.
The capsules a that are sequentially transferred downward are sequentially stored in the capsule storage portions 10 of the corresponding packaging material 1 by dropping sequentially at the end portions of the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40.
[0015]
When the capsules a supplied from the capsule supply holes 30 to the storage pockets 20 in the corresponding row are transferred without being completely stored in the storage pocket 20 due to the rotation of the rotor 2, the capsules a a is excluded so as to come into contact with either of the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 and to be ejected from the housing portion 20 while the housing pocket 20 makes a quarter turn.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the capsule a excluded from the storage pocket 20 rolls around the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 2 between the pair of rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 or falls into the lower collector 5. And collected.
[0016]
According to the capsule supply device to the packaging material of this embodiment, the capsule a that has not been supplied from the chute 3 to the accommodation pocket of the supply rotor 2 is removed from the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 as the rotor 2 rotates. The rotor guide 4 is removed from the housing pocket 20 so as to be ejected.
Therefore, since the capsule a is not destroyed, it is not necessary to stop or clean the supply device, and the production efficiency can be improved.
Further, the capsule a excluded from the storage pocket 20 can be recovered to the tray-shaped recovery device 5 and supplied again from the chute 3 to the storage pocket 20 of the supply rotor 2, which is not wasted.
In the apparatus of this embodiment, since the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 are round bars, the contact between the capsule a and the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 supplied in the state of being accommodated in the accommodation pocket 20 is linear contact or close thereto. It becomes a state, friction with the capsule a is small, and there is no possibility of damaging the capsule a.
[0017]
Second Embodiment As described above, when the capsule a protrudes from the storage pocket 20 and is in a supply failure, the supply pocket 2 is rotated by 1/4 of the supply pocket 2 from the lower side of the chute 3 in the storage pocket 20. While moving, it is removed from the receiving pocket 20 so as to be ejected in contact with the rod-shaped guides 40, 40.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 are necessary if they are installed in a range where the supply rotor 2 rotates slightly less than ¼ turn from the vicinity of the lower end position of the chute 3. And enough.
In this embodiment, the rotor guide 4 is accommodated in a pair of rod-shaped guides 40 installed in a range in which the supply rotor 2 rotates approximately ¼ from the vicinity of the lower end position of the fixed chute 3, and the lower part thereof. The plate-shaped guide 43 covers the movement trajectory of the pocket 20.
The plate-shaped guides 43 may be installed so as to be common to the storage pockets 20 in each row when the storage pockets 20 are formed in a plurality of rows on the outer periphery of the rotor 2.
The guide 43 need not be plate-shaped as long as it has an arcuate surface facing the rotor 2.
Other configurations, operations, and effects of the apparatus of this embodiment are substantially the same as those of the apparatus of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.
[0018]
Others As described above, the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 are necessary and sufficient as long as the supply rotor 2 is installed in the range where the supply rotor 2 rotates slightly less than ¼ rotation from the vicinity of the lower end position of the fixed chute 3. Even if the recovery device 5 is installed at an arbitrary position within the range from the position of the arm 42 in FIG. 2 or 3 to the installation of the recovery device 5 in FIG.
The rod-shaped guides 40, 40 need only be formed in a rod shape on the side facing the supply rotor 2. For example, the rod-shaped guides 40, 40 are curved so that one side of a plate having a predetermined thickness corresponds to the rotor 2. What was formed in can also be used.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
According to the capsule supply device for a packaging material according to claim 1, the capsule a supplied from the chute 3 to the accommodation pocket 20 is not completely accommodated in the accommodation pocket 20 due to the rotation of the rotor 2, and partially protrudes. If the capsule a is transported as it is, the capsule a breaks so that it comes out of the housing portion 20 by contacting either of the rod-shaped guides 40, 40 while the housing pocket 20 makes a quarter turn. It is excluded without being done.
Therefore, there is no need to stop or clean the line, and the production efficiency can be improved.
Further, by replacing the rotor guide of the existing apparatus, the existing equipment can be implemented without wasting it.
[0020]
According to the supply device of the second aspect, the capsule removed from the storage pocket 20 can be collected by the collection device 5, and the capsule is not wasted.
According to the supply device of the third aspect, since the rod-shaped guides 40 and 40 are round bars, friction with the capsule a is small, and the capsule a can be prevented from being damaged.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a first embodiment of a capsule supply device according to the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the capsule supply device.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional capsule supply device.
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the capsule protrudes from the accommodation pocket of the supply rotor in the apparatus of FIG. 4;
[Explanation of symbols]
a capsule 1 packaging material 10 capsule housing part 2 feeding rotor 20 housing pocket 3 chute 30 capsule feeding hole 4, 4a rotor guide 40 rod-shaped guide 41 stay 42 arm 43 guide 5 collector

Claims (3)

A packaging material (1) continuously transferred in one direction and having an upward capsule housing part (10) for accommodating one capsule (a) in parallel and at a constant interval;
It has accommodation pockets (20) of capsules (a) at equiangular intervals along the axial direction to the outer peripheral part, and at the upper part of the transfer position of the packaging material (1), the movement pitch of the capsule accommodation part (10) A supply rotor (2) that is rotated along the transfer direction of the packaging material (1) so that the movement pitch of the accommodation pocket (20) is synchronized;
A chute (3) having a capsule supply hole (30) in a state where the lower end faces the upper part of the movement locus of the accommodation pocket (20) at the upper part of the supply rotor (2);
Escape of the capsule (a) that covers the accommodation pocket (20) and is accommodated in the accommodation pocket (20) in a range in which the supply rotor (2) rotates slightly less than half from the vicinity of the lower end of the chute (3) A rotor guide (4) installed in a state to prevent
The rotor guide (4) is constituted by a pair of rod-shaped guides (40, 40) in the range where the supply rotor (2) rotates at least 1/4 turn from the vicinity of the lower end position of the chute (3). It is characterized by
Capsule supply device for packaging materials. On the outer periphery of the supply rotor (2) , a collector (5) is installed at a position from the position of the chute (3) until the supply rotor (2) rotates from a quarter to a half . The capsule supply apparatus to the packaging material of Claim 1 . The capsule supply device for a packaging material according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the rod-shaped guide (40, 40) is a round bar.

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