Tablet-inspecting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387155-B2
Application number	US-201313919330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2013
Priority date	Dec 17, 2010
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides a tablet-inspecting device in which the control unit gives, to the continuous drug packet-driving unit, operation instructions to move the continuous drug packet from an upstream side to a downstream side of the conveyor path, and reciprocating operation instructions to alternately move the continuous drug packet to the upstream side and the downstream side of the conveyor path, the control unit gives, to the rod control unit, rod unit pressing operation instructions to press the rod unit against the side portion of the drug packet, and when the control unit gives the reciprocating operation instructions, the rod unit pressing operation instructions has been given, it is possible to enhance determining precision of the number of tablets or the kinds of tablet, and to stably inspect drugs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tablet-inspecting device comprising:
a conveyor path on which a continuous drug packet composed of a plurality of drug packets arranged in a row moves,
a continuous drug packet-driving unit for moving the continuous drug packet from an upstream side to a downstream side of the conveyor path,
an imaging unit for taking an image of tablets included in the drug packet, and
a tablet determining unit for inspecting the tablets based on the image of the tablets taken by the imaging unit, wherein
the continuous drug packet-driving unit is disposed more upstream of the conveyor path than the imaging unit, the tablet-inspecting device further comprises:
a rod unit which is pressed against a side portion of the drug packet is disposed between the continuous drug packet-driving unit and the imaging unit,
a rod control unit for operating the rod unit, and
a control unit for giving operation instructions to the continuous drug packet-driving unit and the rod control unit,
wherein the control unit gives, to the continuous drug packet-driving unit,
operation instructions to move the continuous drug packet from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveyor path, and
reciprocating operation instructions to alternately move the continuous drug packet to the upstream side and the downstream side of the conveyor path, and wherein;
the control unit gives, to the rod control unit, rod unit-pressing operation instructions to press the rod unit against the side portion of the drug packet, and
when the control unit gives the reciprocating operation instructions to the continuous drug packet-driving unit, the control unit has given the rod unit-pressing operation instructions to the rod control unit.

2. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 1 , wherein an introduction path is provided upstream of the conveyor path,
tablet separating means is disposed on the introduction path,
the tablet separating means includes:
a rod crossing the introduction path, and
a driving unit for alternately moving the rod to an upstream side and a downstream side of the introduction path,
a portion of the introduction path located more upstream than a moving range of the rod is set lower than a portion of the introduction path located in the moving range of the rod, and
the rod abuts against a lower surface of the continuous drug packet.

3. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 1 , wherein tablet separating means is disposed more upstream than an upstream end of the conveyor path,
the tablet separating means includes:
vibrating means disposed above the conveyor path, and
a vibration space provided between the vibrating means and the upstream end of the conveyor path, and
a length of the vibration space from the vibrating means to the conveyor path is set longer than a length of the drug packet in a conveying direction.

4. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 1 , wherein a clamped portion formed by superposing powder wrapping paper sheets on each other and clamping the powder wrapping paper sheets is formed on one of sides of the continuous drug packet in its longitudinal direction,
a folded back portion formed by folding back the powder wrapping paper sheets is formed on an other side of the continuous drug packet in the longitudinal direction,
the continuous drug packet is composed of:
a first rotating body disposed on a lower portion of the conveyor path,
a second rotating body disposed on an upper portion of the conveyor path, and
a motor unit connected to the first rotating body, and
the first rotating body and the second rotating body are in contact with the clamped portion.

5. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 4 , wherein a guide is provided on at least one side surface of the conveyor path, and
a rotation shaft of at least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is oriented to such a direction that discharging directions of the first rotating body and the second rotating body approach the guide.

6. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the rod unit includes a columnar first rotating unit, and
the first rotating unit comes into contact with a side surface of the drug packet, thereby rotating the first rotating unit in tandem with a reciprocating operation of the continuous drug packet.

7. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 6 , wherein the rod unit includes a truncated conical second rotating unit at a location higher than the first rotating unit, and
the second rotating unit rotates in tandem with the reciprocating operation of the continuous drug packet.

8. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 3 , wherein a guide path extending from an upstream side of the tablet separating means toward the tablet separating means is upwardly tilted.

9. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 8 , wherein the upstream end of the conveyor path is downwardly tilted.

10. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 3 , wherein the vibrating means includes:
a roller which rotates in a travelling direction of the continuous drug packet, and
a vibrating motor for vibrating the roller, wherein
the continuous drug packet is placed on an outer surface of the roller.

11. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 10 , wherein the continuous drug packet is supplied toward the roller from a location on an upstream side of the roller and lower than the roller.

12. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 4 , wherein the first rotating body is made of rubber, and the second rotating body is made of plastic.

13. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 1 , wherein a continuous drug packet detecting unit for detecting the continuous drug packet is disposed more upstream of the conveyor path than the imaging unit,
the control unit gives, to the continuous drug packet-driving unit,
forward operation instructions to move the continuous drug packet from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveyor path, and
backward operation instructions to move the continuous drug packet from the downstream side to the upstream side of the conveyor path,
wherein if the continuous drug packet detecting unit detects the continuous drug packet after the continuous drug packet is thrown, the control unit gives the backward operation instructions,
wherein while the continuous drug packet detecting unit is detecting the continuous drug packet after the backward operation instructions, the control unit keeps giving the backward operation instructions,
wherein when the continuous drug packet detecting unit does not detect the continuous drug packet, the control unit stops giving the backward operation instructions, thereby disposing the continuous drug packet at a first initial position,
wherein after the continuous drug packet is disposed at the first initial position, the control unit gives the forward operation instructions , thereby moving the continuous drug packet to a second initial position, and
after the continuous drug packet is disposed at the second initial position, the control unit makes the imaging unit take an image.

14. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 1 , wherein a drug packet detecting unit for detecting a symbol or a character printed on each of the drug packets is disposed on the conveyor path.

15. The tablet-inspecting device according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit carries out a first conveying operation for moving the continuous drug packet by a first moving distance after the imaging unit takes an image, and
if the

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp
• Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morioka Junichiro
• Ehara Hiroshi
• Ueta Toshiaki
• Oki Yoichi
• Tanaka Akiji
• Yasui Shinichi

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G01N21/9508 Primary

  Capsules; Tablets · CPC title

• A61J7/02 Primary

  Pill counting devices · CPC title