JP7461316B2 - Tablet splitting machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tablet splitting device.

A tablet dividing device for dividing tablets is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP2020-62400A

The tablet splitting device in Patent Document 1 has the function of splitting tablets using a splitting blade. However, because the tablets are moved by sliding them down an inclined surface, there is a risk that the tablets will scatter or get stuck in the path.

In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a tablet dividing device that can smoothly divide tablets.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a tablet dividing device that includes a placement section on which tablets discharged from a feeder can be placed, a cutting blade that cuts the tablets placed on the placement section, and a control section, and the control section executes a vibration process that vibrates the placement section on which the tablets are placed, and a cutting process that cuts the tablets placed on the placement section with the cutting blade after the vibration process.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a tablet dividing device that can smoothly divide tablets.

1 is a perspective view of a medicine packaging system 10 and a tablet dividing device 100 in the present embodiment. 1 is a front view of a drug packaging system 10 and a tablet dividing device 100. FIG. It is a perspective view of a shelf. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shelf with the cutting unit removed; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shelf viewed from above, showing a state with the cutting unit removed. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the shelf from below with the cutting unit removed. It is a perspective view of a striking unit, and a part of the housing is omitted to illustrate the inside. 2 is an oblique view showing the inside of the housing of the striking unit. FIG. 2 is an oblique view showing the inside of the housing of the striking unit. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rod portion and the end portion, with the coil spring omitted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cutting unit, showing the inside with a part of the housing omitted. It is a perspective view showing a feeder, a guide part, and a cutting part among cutting units. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a feeder, a guide portion, and a cutting portion of the cutting unit. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a feeder, a guide section, and a cutting section, with the housing of the feeder omitted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feeder and the guide, with the feeder housing omitted. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mounting portion with the shutter in the mounting position. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mounting section with the shutter at the ejection position. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a portion of the placement section where a tablet is placed. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a portion of the placement section where a tablet is placed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cutting section, the inside of a housing of a cutting unit to which the cutting section is attached, and a state in which some members are omitted. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cut portion viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cut portion viewed from below. It is a perspective view of a cutting blade unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a tablet splitting device. It is a flowchart which shows the dispensing process which a control part performs in this embodiment. It is a sectional view of a placement part, and shows a state where a tablet rides on an edge and is not placed appropriately.

Below, a medicine packaging system 10 and a tablet dividing device 100, which are one embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

In the following description, the X, Y, and Z direction axes in the drug packaging system 10 and the tablet splitting device 100 are defined as shown in FIG. 1. Further, on the X-axis, the direction indicated by the arrow is a positive direction and is indicated as a "+X direction", and the opposite direction is indicated as a "-X direction". Similarly, for the Y-axis and Z-axis, +Y, -Y, +Z, and -Z directions are defined. Regarding removable members, parts, etc., the directions will be defined and explained based on the state in which they are attached to the drug packaging system 10.

The X-axis and Z-axis are axes that extend horizontally. The X-axis extends from front to back of the tablet splitting device 100, and the +X direction is sometimes referred to as the forward direction and the -X direction is sometimes referred to as the rear direction. The Z-axis extends from left to right of the tablet splitting device 100, and the direction in which the Z axis extends is sometimes referred to as the left-right direction. The Y-axis extends from top to bottom, and the +Y direction is sometimes referred to as the upward direction and the -Y direction is sometimes referred to as the downward direction.

＜Overview＞
The medicine packaging system 10 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the medicine packaging system 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view of the medicine packaging system 10 according to this embodiment with the door panel 23 of each shelf 25 removed and the lower panel 22A open.

The drug packaging system 10 is a device that packages desired tablets 1 dispensed from the tablet splitting device 100 into wrapping paper 36. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drug packaging system 10 includes a main body 20, and the rectangular main body 20 includes an upper structure 21 and a lower structure 22. In this embodiment, the main body 20 has a structure in which an upper structure 21 is stacked on a lower structure 22 and connected to each other.

Tablet 1 is, for example, a tablet made by molding a powder or crystalline pharmaceutical into a roughly cylindrical shape. Tablet 1 may also be a pill, suppository, lozenge, etc.

The upper structure 21 includes a case storage section 21A for storing a tablet splitting device 100, which will be described later, and the top surface of the case storage section 21A is closed by a removable top plate 21B.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, within the case storage section 21A of the upper structure 21, for example, a total of 20 shelves 25 are arranged in four rows in the left-right direction and five rows in the up-down direction. A door panel 23 is attached to the front end of each shelf 25, and when all shelves 25 are stored within the case storage section 21A, each door panel 23 closes the front opening of the upper structure 21.

The lower structure 22 communicates with the upper structure 21 on the upper surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the packaging mechanism 30, which will be described later, is housed and installed within the lower structure 22. The front opening is closed by a lower panel 22A that opens like a double door and can be opened and closed freely.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shelf 25 has a passage 24 in the center that is open in the vertical direction (height direction) and extends from front to back. For example, tablet splitting devices 100 are attached side by side in the front to back direction on both the left and right sides of the passage 24. The tablet splitting device 100 will be described in detail later.

A lower wall 25A is provided at the lower part of the shelf 25, and a communication hole 24A communicating with the passage 24 is formed in the lower wall 25A. The communication hole 24A has a function of passing the tablet 1 discharged from the tablet splitting device 100 and guiding it to the passage 24 (FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 2, the packaging mechanism 30 has the function of packaging the tablets 1, and includes a printer 31, a hopper 32, a nozzle 33 attached to the lower end of the hopper 32, a roll 35, packaging paper 36, and a conveyor 39 that transports the packaged tablets to an outlet 22C provided in the lower panel 22A.

The wrapping paper 36 is wound around the roll 35 in a state where the wrapping paper 36 is formed in a strip shape and folded in half along the stretching direction of the strip, and is attached to the packaging mechanism 30 so that the two opposing surfaces formed by the strip folded wrapping paper 36 sandwich the nozzle 33 from both sides. The wrapping paper 36 is then pulled out from the roll 35 by a roller (not shown), and the printer 31 prints on the surface.

Then, the tablets 1 dispensed from the nozzle 33 are placed into the wrapping paper 36, which is divided into individual packets. The divided and individually packaged wrapping paper 36 is cut by a cutter (not shown) and transported by the conveyor 39 to the outlet 22C provided at the front of the main body 20.

The tablet splitting device 100 has two units, a punching unit 200 and a cutting unit 300, and the cutting unit 300 is removably installed on the shelf 25 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The tablet splitting device 100 includes a control section 110 and controls operations of the punching unit 200 and the cutting unit 300.

<Drive base>
The driving base 50 is a mechanism, most of which is disposed below the lower wall 25A, that supplies driving force to the cutting unit 300. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the driving base 50 includes a shaft 511, a bevel gear 512, a bevel gear 513, a shaft 514, a gear 515, a motor 521, a shaft 522, bevel gears 523 and 524, and a gear 525.

Note that FIG. 5 is a drawing of the shelf 25 viewed diagonally from above, and by drawing with the lower wall of the shelf 25 seen through, the arrangement of the drive base 50 can be visually recognized. Further, FIG. 6 is a drawing of the shelf 25 viewed from below, and is drawn with the lower wall of the shelf 25 seen through, so that the gear 515 and the like provided above the lower wall 25A can also be visually recognized.

The shaft 511 is supported so as to extend in the X-axis direction and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). A bevel gear 512 is fixed to the end of the shaft 511 in the +X direction.

The shaft 514 is a generally cylindrical member extending in the Y-axis direction and is provided so as to penetrate the bottom wall 25A from top to bottom. The upper end of the shaft 514 protrudes upward from the bottom wall 25A, and the bevel gear 513 is fixed to the lower end. The bevel gear 513 meshes with the bevel gear 512 (hereinafter also referred to as meshing), and these two gears change the direction of the rotation of the shaft 511 by 90 degrees and transmit it to the shaft 514.

The gear 515 is a gear fixed to the upper end of the shaft 514, and is arranged above the lower wall 25A. The gear 515 has a function of transmitting the rotational drive of the shaft 514 to the cutting unit 300.

The shaft 522 is a substantially cylindrical member extending in the Y-axis direction, and is installed so as to vertically penetrate the lower wall 25A. A bevel gear 524 is fixed to the lower end of the shaft 522. Bevel gear 524 meshes with bevel gear 523 rotated by motor 521. In this way, the rotational drive from the motor 521 is transmitted to the shaft 522 via the two bevel gears 523 and 524.

A gear 525 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft 522. The gear 525 has the function of transmitting rotation to the cutting unit 300.

As described above, the drive base 50 supplies driving force to the cutting unit 300 using two systems, the shaft 514 and the shaft 522.

＜Striking unit＞
The striking unit 200 is a device unit formed in a substantially cubic shape, and has a function of applying power to the cutting unit 300 (FIG. 4).

As shown in Figures 7 to 10, the striking unit 200 includes a motor 201, a gear 202, a gear 203, a shaft portion 204 extending along the Y axis (up and down), a cam 205, and a striking portion 210.

The motor 201 has a function of transmitting driving force to the striking portion 210 via a gear 202 or the like. A gear 202 is fixed to the end of the output shaft of the motor 201 .

Gear 203 is a gear that engages with gear 202 and is fixed to the upper end of shaft portion 204. Gear 203 has a greater number of teeth than gear 202, and has the function of decelerating the rotation transmitted from gear 202 and transmitting it to shaft portion 204.

The cam 205 is a cylindrical member whose shaft extends in the Y-axis direction. Further, the cam 205 is an eccentric cam fixed at a lower end portion of the shaft portion 204 at a position away from the axis of the shaft portion 204 . The cam 205 has a function of transmitting the driving force transmitted from the shaft portion 204 to the striking portion 210.

As shown in FIG. 7, the striking portion 210 includes a plate portion 211, a rod portion 212, an end portion 213, a coil spring 214, a coil spring 215, and a support plate 216.

The plate portion 211 is a flat member extending in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, and fixes the rod portion 212 at the center (Figures 8 and 9). The plate portion 211 forms an engagement portion 211A at the upper end. The engagement portion 211A is a portion that can engage with the cam 205, and has the function of converting the rotational motion of the cam 205 into reciprocating motion in the X-axis direction by repeatedly engaging and disengaging with the cam 205.

The rod portion 212 is a substantially cylindrical member extending in the X-axis direction, and is provided with an abutment portion 212A at an end in the +X direction. The contact portion 212A is a portion that can come into contact with the end portion 213, but is apart from the end portion 213 in the X-axis direction except during impact (described later) (FIG. 10). An end portion of the rod portion 212 in the −X direction is slidably supported by a support plate 216. Further, the center portion of the rod portion 212 is fixed to the plate portion 211 and is driven by the plate portion 211 in the −X direction.

The end 213 is a roughly cylindrical member and is connected to the rod portion 212 via a coil spring 215.

The -X end of the coil spring 215 is fixed to the rod portion 212. The +X end of the coil spring 215 fixes the end portion 213. The coil spring 215 supports the end portion 213 so that the end portion 213 remains separated from the contact portion 212A except when striking (described later) (Figure 10).

The lower end of the support plate 216 is fixed to the casing of the striking unit 200. A circular opening is formed in the center of the support plate 216, through which the rod 212 is inserted. The support plate 216 slidably supports the rod portion 212 through this opening.

The coil spring 214 is arranged around the rod portion 212 and is held between the plate portion 211 and the support plate 216. The coil spring 214 has a function of biasing the plate portion 211 in the +X direction. The biasing force generated by the coil spring 214 is set to be greater than the biasing force of the coil spring 215. The coil spring 214 has a function of applying a large biasing force to the plate portion 211 and the rod portion 212 supported by the plate portion 211 to drive the plate portion 211 and the rod portion 212 supported thereby.

<Cutting unit>
The cutting unit 300 has a feeder 310, a guide section 320, a placement section 330, and a cutting section 350 (FIGS. 11 and 12). The cutting unit has a substantially cubic housing 301. The feeder 310, the guide section 320, the placement section 330, and the cutting section 350 are attached to and supported by the housing 301.

The cutting unit 300 is placed on the shelf 25 of the drug packaging system 10. The cutting unit 300 is a storage box that accommodates the tablet 1, and has a function of cutting the tablet 1 and dispensing it in the form of a half tablet.

(feeder)
The feeder 310 includes a housing 311, a rotating portion 312, and a brush 313 (FIGS. 12 to 15).

The housing 311 is a member that forms the outer shell of the feeder 310, and has a side plate 311B and a bottom plate 311C. Inside the housing 311, a storage chamber 311A for storing tablets 1 is formed (Figures 12 and 13).

The bottom plate 311C is a substantially circular plate member when viewed from above, and is fixed to the lower end of the side plate 311B (FIGS. 14 and 15). A rotating part 312 is rotatably supported above the bottom plate 311C. A notch 311D is formed at the end of the bottom plate 311C in the -X direction.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the rotating portion 312 is a substantially cylindrical member and has a central axis 312A that extends vertically. The rotating portion 312 has a plurality of groove portions 312B formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof and extending vertically. The rotating part 312 can receive driving force from the gear 525 via a gear (not shown) and can rotate around the central axis 312A. Each groove 312B is cut from the upper end to the lower end of the rotating part 312, and has the function of guiding the tablet 1 accommodated in the storage chamber 311A downward.

Brush 313 is a bristles fixed to the inner surface of housing 311, extending in the X-axis direction (Figures 14 and 15). Multiple brushes 313 are arranged in the Z-axis direction and can block groove 312B. By blocking groove 312B, brush 313 prevents tablets 1 above brush 313 from falling downward. In this way, brush 313 can be controlled so that tablets 1 are guided downward one by one from groove 312B.

(Guide Department)
The guide section 320 is provided below the feeder 310 ( FIG. 15 ). The guide section 320 is a mechanism having a function of guiding the tablets 1 dispensed from the feeder 310 downward, and includes a sensor 321 and a guide wall 322.

The guide wall 322 is a wall that extends vertically and in the Z-axis direction, and is provided below the notch 311D. A substantially rectangular opening 320A is formed between the guide wall 322 and the sensor 321. The opening 320A is an opening that communicates vertically, and has the function of guiding the tablet 1 dispensed from the feeder 310 to the placement section 330 below.

The sensor 321 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and has a rectangular through-hole extending vertically through the center thereof. The sensor 321 is attached so as to surround the guide wall 322, and has a function of detecting the tablet 1 passing through the opening 320A.

(Placement part)
The placing section 330 is provided below the guide section 320, as shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, and has the function of receiving and placing the tablet 1 that has passed through the guide section 320. The mounting section 330 includes a shutter 331, a torsion coil spring 332, a front wall 333, a shaft 334, a spring 335, a gear 336, a semiscrew 337, a set screw 338, and a screw 339.

The shutter 331 is a member extending in the horizontal direction, and has a central portion 331A, one end portion 331C, and the other end portion 331B formed in a groove shape. The one end portion 331C is formed so as to bend upward, and can receive a horizontal driving force by engaging with the shaft 334. The central portion 331A is supported by the shaft 334 and the spring 335, and has a through hole through which the shaft 334 is inserted vertically. The shutter 331 rotates horizontally around the shaft 334, and can reciprocate between the loading position (FIG. 16) and the ejection position (FIG. 17). The other end portion 331B has an upper portion formed in a groove shape, and a tablet 1 can be placed on it when the shutter 331 is in the loading position. The central portion 331A of the shutter 331 is provided with a female screw, and the screw 339 is connected by a screw action (FIG. 18). The end of the screw 339 abuts against the shaft 334, thereby fixing the shutter 331 to the shaft 334. Therefore, the shaft 334 can rotate the shutter 331 by rotating itself.

A torsion coil spring 332 is fixed above the shutter 331. The lower end of the torsion coil spring 332 faces diagonally downward, and can press the tablet 1 placed on the shutter 331 in the −X direction (FIGS. 19 and 20).

The front wall 333 is disposed above the shutter 331 and below the guide wall 322 (FIGS. 16 and 17). The front wall 333 is a plate-shaped member that extends vertically and in the Z-axis direction, and has the function of guiding the tablet 1 that falls downward from the guide wall 322 toward the other end 331B of the shutter 331.

The shaft 334 is a generally cylindrical member that extends vertically and supports the shutter 331 so that it cannot move horizontally. The shaft 334 has an upper end 334A that is bent downward, and a lower end 334C (Figure 18).

The upper end portion 334A engages with the upper portion of the shutter 331 to synchronize the movement with the shutter 331 in the rotational direction.

The lower end 334C is female-threaded and is screwed together with the sems screw 337 (hereinafter referred to as screw-in).

The spring 335 is a coil spring arranged around the shaft 334 and between the housing 301 and the shutter 331. The lower end of the spring 335 contacts the housing 301. The upper end portion of the spring 335 is in contact with the center portion 331A of the shutter 331, and urges and supports the shutter 331 upward.

The gear 336 is a gear fixed to the lower end of the shaft 334 below the housing 301. Gear 336 can engage gear 515 and receive rotational drive from drive base 50. The gear 336 can rotate the shutter 331 via the shaft 334 by receiving the driving force from the gear 515 and rotating itself. A female thread is cut in the vertical center of the gear 336, and is screwed together with a set screw 338 by screw action.

The set screw 338 is a screw that screws into the gear 336. The end of the set screw 338 can be brought into contact with and pressed against the shaft 334 to fix the gear 336 to the shaft 334. Therefore, an operator can fix the gear 336 to the shaft 334 by tightening the set screw 338, and can release the state in which the gear 336 and the shaft 334 are fixed to each other by loosening the set screw 338.

The Semscrew 337 is a screw that is screwed into the lower end of the shaft 334. The head of the semi-screw 337 engages with the lower end of the gear 336 and is maintained in contact. The operator can adjust the vertical relative position of the shaft 334 with respect to the gear 336 by rotating the semiscrew 337 and adjusting the degree of screw engagement with the shaft 334. Note that the rotation of the sems screw 337 and the moving distance of the shaft 334 with respect to the gear 336 can be known in advance from the pitch of the screws of the sems screw 337 and the shaft 334. For example, the shaft 334 may be set to move up or down by 1 mm with respect to the gear 336 each time the semi-screw 337 rotates once, thereby simplifying the position adjustment.

(Cutting part)
As shown in Figures 21 to 24, the cutting unit 350 includes a housing 351, a moving unit 352, shafts 353A and 353B, springs 354A and 354B, a contact unit 355, a cutting blade unit 356, mounting screws 357 and 360, a pressing member 358, and a fixed blade 359. The cutting unit 350 is removably attached to the housing 301 by screws (not shown) or the like (Figure 11). In the attached state, the cutting unit 350 is disposed below the guide unit 320 and above the shutter 331 of the placement unit 330. In the following, the positions and directions of the members will be described based on the state in which the cutting unit 350 is attached to the housing 301.

The housing 351 is formed into a substantially cubic shape and includes side walls 351A, 351B, a rear wall 351C, and a front portion 351E (see FIG. 21, etc.).

The side walls 351A and 351B are plate-shaped members each extending in the X-axis direction, and the ends in the -X direction are fixed to the rear wall 351C, and the ends in the +X direction are fixed to the front part 351E.

The rear wall 351C is a plate-like member extending in the Z-axis direction and constitutes the -X-direction end of the housing 351. An opening 351D is formed in the rear wall 351C, and the end 213, the coil spring 215, and the rod portion 212 can be inserted through this opening 351D in the X-axis direction. The rear wall 351C fixes and supports the -X-direction ends of the shafts 353A and 353B (Figure 22).

The front portion 351E is a substantially rectangular member provided at the +X direction end of the housing 351, and supports the +X direction ends of the shafts 353A, 353B and the fixed blade 359.

A rectangular opening 351F is formed in the center of the front portion 351E (FIGS. 21 and 22). The opening 351F is disposed below the opening 320A, and the tablet 1 that has passed through the guide portion 320 is held in the opening 351F when it is placed on the shutter 331 at the placement position. At this time, since the front portion 351E is located around the tablet 1, movement of the tablet 1 in the horizontal direction is restricted.

A slit 351G extending in the Z-axis direction is formed at the end of the front portion 351E in the −X direction (FIG. 22). The slit 351G is a thin through hole that passes through a portion of the front portion 351E in the X-axis direction, into which the cutting blade unit 356 is movably inserted.

The moving part 352 is a substantially cubic member disposed between the rear wall 351C and the front part 351E (FIGS. 21 to 23). The moving part 352 is supported by shafts 353A and 353B so as to be slidable in the X-axis direction. In the moving part 352, a contact part 355 is fixed at the end in the -X direction, and a cutting blade unit 356 is fixed at the end in the +X direction. The moving part 352 can receive driving force from the punching unit 200 via the contact part 355 and can move the cutting blade unit 356 toward the tablet 1 placed on the shutter 331.

The shafts 353A and 353B are rod-shaped members that extend in the X-axis direction and have their ends supported by the front part 351E and the rear wall 351C. The shafts 353A and 353B support the moving part 352 so that it can slide in the X-axis direction.

Springs 354A and 354B are coil springs arranged to surround the outer circumference of shafts 353A and 353B, respectively. The +X end of springs 354A and 354B is fixed to front portion 351E. The -X end of springs 354A and 354B abuts against moving portion 352, biasing moving portion 352 in the -X direction. The spring constant of springs 354A and 354B is designed to be considerably smaller than the spring constant of coil springs 214 and 215. Therefore, even when the biasing forces of both components are added, springs 354A and 354B only generate a biasing force that is significantly weaker than that of coil springs 214 and 215.

The contact part 355 is a rod-shaped member extending in the X-axis direction, and the end in the +X direction is fixed to the moving part 352 (FIGS. 21 and 23). The −X direction end of the contact portion 355 can contact the end 213 of the striking unit 200, and has a function of receiving driving force by contacting the end 213. The contact portion 355 can further transmit driving force to the moving portion 352 and move the moving portion 352 in the +X direction.

The cutting blade unit 356 has a cutting blade 356A for cutting the tablet 1, a support part 356B that supports the cutting blade 356A, and a screw 356C, and is removably fixed to the moving part (Figure 24).

Cutting blade 356A is a member that extends in the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction (i.e., horizontally) and has a blade thickness in the up-down direction, and the end in the +X direction is formed linearly in the Z-axis direction to form a blade. Cutting blade 356A can be used to cut tablet 1. Cutting blade 356A is clamped and fixed between the head of screw 356C and support part 356B. Cutting blade 356A is inserted into slit 351G and can move in the X-axis direction together with moving part 352 until it is very close to fixed blade 359.

The mounting screw 357 is screwed into the moving part 352, and the supporting part 356B is held and fixed between the moving part 352 and the moving part 352 (FIG. 23). The operator can attach and detach the cutting blade unit 356 to and from the movable part 352 by screwing the mounting screw 357 into the movable part 352 or removing it.

The pressing member 358 is a rod-shaped member, and its end in the -X direction is fixed to the upper part of the moving part 352 and to the end in the +X direction (Figures 21 and 22). The pressing member 358 has an end that protrudes in the +X direction from the moving part 352. The end of the pressing member 358 moves above the tablet 1 when the cutting blade 356A cuts the tablet 1, preventing the cut tablet 1 from flying out upward.

The fixed blade 359 is a member that is removably fixed to the front portion 351E and extends in the horizontal direction, and has a blade thickness in the vertical direction (FIG. 22). The fixed blade 359 is provided on the +X direction side with respect to the opening 351F, and is fixed at the same vertical position as the cutting blade 356A. The end of the fixed blade 359 in the −X direction extends in the Z-axis direction to form a blade. The fixed blade 359 can cut the tablet 1 by sandwiching the tablet 1 between it and the blade of the cutting blade 356A.

The fixed blade 359 is fixed to the front part 351E by a mounting screw 360 that threads into the front part 351E. Specifically, the fixed blade 359 is held and fixed between the head of the mounting screw 360 and the front portion 351E. The operator can attach and detach the fixed blade 359 to the front part 351E by screwing the mounting screw 360 into or removing the mounting screw 360 from the front part 351E.

(Control Unit)
As shown in the block diagram of Fig. 25, the control unit 110 is electrically connected to the striking unit 200 and the cutting unit 300 and controls their operations. The control unit 110 particularly controls the dispensing and placing of tablets from the feeder 310, the reception of tablet detection signals from the guiding unit 320, and the cutting and ejection of tablets 1 by the striking unit 200, the placing unit 330, and the cutting unit 350, and manages the entire operation.

<Operation>
The operation of the tablet dividing device 100 configured as described above when cutting the tablet 1 and dividing it into two half tablets will be described below with reference to Fig. 26. The following operation is executed by the control unit 110 controlling each unit.

(Dispensing and placing tablets)
The control unit 110 first executes a dispensing process of the tablet 1 (S1). The tablet 1 is dispensed by rotating the rotating unit 312. As described above, the rotation of the rotating unit 312 is executed by receiving the driving force of the gear 525 via a gear (not shown). At this time, a part of the tablet 1 stored in the storage chamber 311A enters the groove portion 312B, and is arranged so that multiple tablets are stacked vertically.

The lower end of groove 312B, which is blocked by bottom plate 311C, reaches notch 311D (Figure 15) as rotating part 312 rotates. This causes the lower end of groove 312B to be open downward.

By opening the lower end of groove 312B, tablet 1 placed in groove 312B falls downward. At this time, brush 313 is blocking groove 312B, so only one tablet 1 below brush 313 passes through notch 311D and falls. In this way, each time the lower end of groove 312B passes through notch 311D, only one tablet 1 placed below brush 313 is guided downward. When sensor 321 detects the fall of tablet 1, rotation of rotating part 312 is stopped, preventing multiple tablets 1 from falling.

The fallen tablet 1 is guided downward by the guide section 320 and reaches the shutter 331 of the mounting section 330.

The tablet 1 is placed on the other end 331B of the shutter 331 located at the placement position (Figure 16). When placed on the shutter 331, the tablet 1 is controlled by the opening 320A, the front portion 351E, etc. so that its thickness direction faces the X-axis direction.

(vibration)
Next, the control unit 110 performs vibration processing to vibrate the shutter 331 (S2). The shutter 331 vibrates little by little about the shaft 334, and then returns to the mounting position. The shutter 331 is vibrated by reciprocating and vibrating about 10 degrees in the vibration direction centering on the mounting position, as shown by the white dashed arrow in FIG. 16 .

Specifically, the control unit 110 causes the shutter 331 to swing horizontally about the shaft 334 about 300 milliseconds after the sensor 321 detects that the tablet 1 has fallen. At this time, the shutter 331 first swings about 10 degrees in the −Z direction from the mounting position, and then returns to the mounting position again. Furthermore, the shutter 331 swings approximately 10 degrees in the +Z direction, and then returns to the mounting position again. The time required for these swings is approximately 64 milliseconds for both the swings in the +Z direction and the -Z direction. Therefore, the vibration process takes about 128 milliseconds and is preferably completed within about 130 milliseconds.

Note that the order of the vibration directions of the shutter 331 may be reversed to the above, or the number of vibrations may be two or more times.

By performing this vibration action of the shutter 331, the tablet 1 is reliably placed on the shutter 331. For example, as shown in FIG. 25, the tablet 1 may not be properly held by the other end 331B of the shutter 331 and may ride up at an angle. Even if this occurs, the vibration action of step S2 moves the tablet 1 so that it is held by the other end 331B (as shown in FIG. 18), and the tablet is properly placed on the shutter 331.

The swing angle of the shutter 331 from the placement position needs only to be greater than 5 degrees. By using such a swing angle, the time required for the vibration process can be shortened while the tablet 1 can be securely placed on the shutter 331.

(Disconnect)
Next, the control unit 110 controls the striking unit 200 to cut the tablet 1 (S3). The control unit 110 drives the striking unit 200 (FIG. 7) about 200 milliseconds after the vibration process (S2) of the shutter 331 is completed.

When the motor 201 is driven, a driving force is transmitted to the cam 205 via the gears 202, 203, the shaft portion 204, etc. The cam 205 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above around the axis of the shaft portion 204. The cam 205 abuts or engages with the engagement portion 211A of the plate portion 211, and drives the plate portion 211. The plate portion 211 and the rod portion 212 fixed thereto move in the -X direction against the biasing force of the coil spring 214.

When the cam 205 rotates further, the engagement between the engagement portion 211A and the cam 205 is released. The coil spring 214 uses its own restoring force to urge the plate portion 211 and the rod portion 212 in the +X direction, causing them to move quickly. As the rod portion 212 moves, the end portion 213 passes through the opening 351D and enters the inside of the cutting unit 300, and comes into contact with the abutment portion 355.

The contact portion 355 receives the driving force from the end portion 213 and moves in the +X direction together with the moving portion 352. The biasing forces generated by the springs 354A and 354B are sufficiently weaker than the biasing forces of the coil springs 214 and 215. Therefore, the rod portion 212, the end portion 213, and the moving portion 352 move in the +X direction against the urging force of the springs 354A and 354B.

As the moving part 352 moves, the cutting blade 356A reaches the tablet 1 and cuts the tablet 1 by pinching it between the fixed blade 359 and the cutting blade 356A. The cutting of the tablet 1 is performed in two stages as follows.

When the cutting blade 356A comes into contact with the tablet 1, the coil spring 215 contracts in the X-axis direction as the reaction force from the tablet 1 increases. The biasing force of the coil spring 215 (referred to as the first biasing force) is transmitted to the cutting blade 356A via the end portion 213, the moving portion 352, and the like. In the first stage, the cutting blade 356A uses this first biasing force to bite into the tablet 1.

When the coil spring 215 further contracts, the end portion 213 and the contact portion 212A (FIG. 10) come into contact with each other. As a result, the biasing force of the coil spring 214 (referred to as a second biasing force) is transmitted to the cutting blade 356A via the rod portion 212, the end portion 213, the moving portion 352, and the like. As described above, the biasing force of the coil spring 214 is greater than the biasing force of the coil spring 215. The cutting blade 356A further moves to penetrate the tablet 1 in the +X direction and comes close to the fixed blade 359. In this way, in the second step, the cutting blade 356A cuts the tablet 1 using the second biasing force that is larger than the first biasing force.

As described above, since the tablet 1 is cut using two stages of urging force, sudden application of a high load to the tablet 1 is prevented. Therefore, breakage of the tablet 1 is prevented, and movement of the tablet 1 in unexpected directions is also prevented, allowing accurate cutting.

The tablet 1 is cut into two parts, an upper half tablet and a lower half tablet. The upper half lock is pressed by the cutting blade 356A during cutting, moves in the +X direction, and comes into contact with the lower end of the torsion coil spring 332.

During cutting, the lower half of the tablet 1 can be moved downward depending on the blade thickness of the cutting blade 356A or the fixed blade 359. Specifically, during cutting, as the cutting blade 356A and the fixed blade 359 penetrate the tablet 1, the lower half of the tablet 1 is pressed downward by the blade thickness of the cutting blade 356A or the fixed blade 359. Therefore, the lower half of the tablet 1 presses the other end 331B downward. At this time, the shutter 331 (and the shaft 334 and gear 336) moves downward against the biasing force of the spring 335 (see the white arrow in FIG. 18). Since the shutter 331 on which the tablet 1 is placed moves downward according to the thickness of the cutting blade 356A or the fixed blade 359, excessive reaction force is prevented from being applied to the tablet 1 from the shutter 331 during cutting, and the tablet 1 is quality accidents such as damage to the product are prevented.

At the time of cutting, a pressing member 358 (FIGS. 21 and 22) is placed above the tablet 1. The pressing member 358 can come into contact with the upper part of the tablet 1 even if the tablet 1 moves upward during cutting. In this way, the pressing member 358 prevents the tablet 1 from popping out and prevents the tablet 1 from moving to an unexpected location during cutting. This prevents the tablet 1 from being ejected from the cutting unit 300, and allows the cutting operation and the ejection of the tablet 1 to be smoothly performed.

(emission)
The control unit 110 discharges the tablet 1 in step S4. The shutter 331 rotates and moves to the ejection position, causing the lower half of the tablet 1 to fall downward (see the white arrow in FIG. 17). Although all of the tablets 1 are shown in FIG. 17, it is the lower half tablet that is ejected by moving the shutter 331 to the ejection position after cutting is performed, as described above. When the shutter 331 rotates, the tablet 1 does not move in the horizontal direction because the tablet 1 is restrained from moving by the front portion 351E. As the shutter 331 rotates, the member supporting the lower part of the tablet 1 disappears, and the lower half of the tablet 1 falls downward. The lower half lock is guided to the passage 24 through the communication hole 24A.

The cutting blade 356A moves in the -X direction and separates from the fixed blade 359 and the upper half of the tablet 1. The movement of the cutting blade 356A is performed by the cam 205 rotating and engaging with the engagement portion 211A again, driving the rod portion 212 in the -X direction. The moving portion 352 and the cutting blade 356A move in the -X direction due to the biasing force of the springs 354A and 354B. The rod portion 212 and the end portion 213 continue to move even after the cutting blade 356A separates from the fixed blade 359, and separates from the abutment portion 355.

The cut upper half of the tablet 1 is smoothly discharged from the placement section 330 by the torsion coil spring 332. When the tablet 1 is cut, it is pressed by the cutting blade 356A and moves in the +X direction, and abuts against the lower end of the torsion coil spring 332. When the cutting blade 356A moves away after cutting, the upper half of the tablet 1 is pressed or urged in the -X direction by the lower end of the torsion coil spring 332 (Figures 19 and 20), and moves in the -X direction and moves away from the fixed blade 359. The upper half of the tablet 1 then falls downward. The fallen upper half is guided to the passage 24 through the communication hole 24A. The torsion coil spring 332 urges and presses the upper half to move it away from the fixed blade 359, preventing the upper half from remaining on top of the fixed blade 359.

After finishing discharging the upper half tablet, the shutter 331 rotates and returns to the loading position (FIG. 16), and if dispensing for all the tablets 1 is not completed (S5: NO), the control unit 110 executes the process. The process returns to step S1 and the operation for the next tablet 1 is executed. In this way, the dispensing operation continues until processing for all designated tablets 1 is completed.

<Effect>
The shutter 331 (corresponding to the placing section of the present invention) of the tablet splitting device 100 can place the tablet 1 taken out from the feeder 310. Further, the tablet dividing device 100 includes a cutting blade 356A or a fixed blade 359 (corresponding to a cutting blade) that cuts the tablet 1 placed on the shutter 331. The control unit 110 executes a vibration process (S2) in which the shutter 331 on which the tablet 1 is placed vibrates, and a cutting process (S3) in which the tablet 1 placed on the shutter 331 is cut by a cutting blade.

With the above configuration, the tablet splitting device 100 can place the tablet 1 in an appropriate position by vibrating the shutter 331, and can realize smooth splitting of the tablet 1.

In the vibration process, the shutter 331 vibrates horizontally. The shutter 331 also oscillates around the axis 334. The oscillation angle of the shutter 331 at this time is greater than 5 degrees, and the time required for the vibration process is within 130 milliseconds.

By configuring in this way, the shutter 1 can place the tablet 1 that has landed on the other end 331B in an appropriate position. In addition, quality problems such as clogging, breakage, and deformation of the tablet 1 are prevented.

<Modified example>
In the embodiment described above, the swinging direction of the shutter 331 is horizontal, but the shutter 331 may be configured to vibrate or swing in the Y direction or the X direction by, for example, providing a new member that gives vibration to the shutter 331.

Tablet splitting device 100
Striking unit 200
Cutting unit 300
Feeder 310
Guide unit 320
Placement section 330
Cutting section 350

Claims (4)

a support part that is rotatably supported around an axis; and a placing part that swings around the support part and has an end part on which a tablet discharged from a feeder can be placed ;
a cutting blade that cuts the tablet placed on the end ;
comprising a control unit;
The control unit includes:
Vibration treatment of vibrating the end portion by shaking the placement portion on which the tablet is placed;
A tablet dividing device that performs, after the vibration treatment, a cutting treatment of cutting the tablet placed on the placement section with the cutting blade. The tablet splitting device according to claim 1, wherein in the vibration treatment, the end portion is vibrated horizontally. 3. The tablet dividing device according to claim 1 , wherein the placement portion is configured to swing between a placement position for placing the tablet and a discharge position for discharging the tablet . 4. The tablet dividing device according to claim 3, wherein in the vibration treatment, the swing angle of the placing section is greater than 5 degrees.

Images