Tablet printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10864717-B2
Application number	US-201816204229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes: a first rotator having an inner space; a duct configured to communicate with the inner space of the first rotator; a suction pipe configured to suck inside the duct; a second rotator arranged to face the first rotator across the duct; a conveyor belt wrapped around the first rotator and the second rotator; and a print head that performs printing on a tablet held on the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt includes a plurality of suction holes which communicate with the inner space of the first rotator and that of the duct, and are arranged in the rotation direction of the first rotator. The first rotator and the duct constitutes a suction chamber that applies a suction force to those of the suction holes of the conveyor belt located around the outer periphery of the first rotator and the duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tablet printing apparatus, comprising:
a first rotator having an inner space;
a chamber configured to communicate with the inner space of the first rotator;
a suction pipe configured to suck inside the chamber;
a second rotator arranged to face the first rotator across the chamber;
a conveyor belt wrapped around the first rotator and the second rotator; and
a print head configured to perform printing on a tablet that is held on the conveyor belt, wherein
the first rotator is provided with a through hole extending in a rotation direction of the first rotator,
the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space of the first rotator through the through hole,
the conveyor belt includes a plurality of suction holes which communicate with the inner space of the first rotator and an inner space of the chamber, and are arranged in the rotation direction of the first rotator, and
the first rotator and the chamber constitutes a suction chamber that applies a suction force to those of the suction holes of the conveyor belt that are located around an outer periphery of the first rotator and an outer periphery of the chamber.

2. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space of the first rotator from a surface of the first rotator that extends in the rotation direction of the first rotator.

3. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a suction force adjuster configured to reduce the suction force in a first area of the conveyor belt including at least an area under the print head compared to a second area of the conveyor belt other than the first area.

4. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft; and
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys, and

wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space between the conveyor pulleys of the first rotator.

5. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft;
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys; and
a pair of guide pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the guide pulleys configured to rotate together with the conveyor pulleys in contact with the conveyor belt, and

wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space between the guide pulleys of the first rotator.

6. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft;
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys; and
a guide pulley having a plurality of through holes and provided to the rotating shaft, the guide pulley configured to rotate together with the conveyor pulleys in contact with the conveyor belt, and

wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space of the first rotator through the through holes.

7. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein distance between the first rotator and the chamber is smaller than a thickness of the tablet.

8. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a suction force adjuster configured to reduce the suction force in a first area of the conveyor belt including at least an area under the print head compared to a second area of the conveyor belt other than the first area.

9. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft; and
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys, and

wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space between the conveyor pulleys of the first rotator.

10. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft;
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys; and
a pair of guide pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the guide pulleys configured to rotate together with the conveyor pulleys in contact with the conveyor belt, and

wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space between the guide pulleys of the first rotator.

11. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft;
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys; and
a guide pulley having a plurality of through holes and provided to the rotating shaft, the guide pulley configured to rotate together with the conveyor pulleys in contact with the conveyor belt, and

wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space of the first rotator through the through holes.

12. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the suction force adjuster is a suction force lowering member located in the suction chamber at a position corresponding to the first area.

13. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
a plurality of through holes, which communicate with the inner space of the chamber, are formed on the chamber to be arranged in conveying direction of the tablet, and
the suction force adjuster is configured to adjust the suction force by reducing size of the through holes in a position corresponding to the first area smaller than in other positions.

14. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft; and
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys, and

wherein the chamber is configured to communicate with the inner space between the conveyor pulleys of the first rotator.

15. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first rotator includes:
a rotating shaft;
a pair of conveyor pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the conveyor belt being wrapped around the conveyor pulleys; and
a pair of guide pulleys that are provided to the rotating shaft so as to face each other while being spaced apart in a direction in which the rotating shaft extends, the guide pulleys configured to rotate together with the conveyor pul

Assignees

• Shibaura Mechatronics Corp

Inventors

• Ogimoto Shinichi
• Ikuta Ryo
• Okabe Yutaka
• Aoyagi Hitoshi
• Hoshino Hikaru
• Hirano Azusa
• Kuribayashi Toru
• Tsuruoka Yasutsugu
• Tanaka Junpei

Classifications

• A61J3/06

  into the form of pills, lozenges or dragees · CPC title

• B65G21/2036

  for retaining the load on the load-carrying surface (individual suction grippers B65G17/323) · CPC title

• B41P2235/27

  Suction devices · CPC title

• B65G47/1471

  Movement in one direction, substantially outwards · CPC title

• B65G2201/027

  Tablets, capsules, pills or the like · CPC title