Tablet printing apparatus

• US 10,293,597 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation
• Inventors: Hirano, Azusa, Tsuruoka, Yasutsugu, Umemura, Yuki, Komito, Junsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Huan H
• Application Number:
  US15/897,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20180229493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/50 using icons or symbolic figures, e.g. by a graphical representation symbolising the type of pathology or the organ by an image
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/007 Marking tablets or the like apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/36 for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/007 Conveyor belts or like feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0085 Using suction for maintaining printing material flat on rotatable drums B41J13/226
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/0009 control of the transport of the copy material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/08 Conveyor bands or like feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/145 Arrangement thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/165 Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0088 by ink-jet printing

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes: a conveyor belt that includes a suction hole connected to a suction chamber, and conveys a tablet while sucking the tablet to the suction hole; an ink jet print head that has a nozzle surface where a nozzle is formed, and is located above the conveyor belt such that the nozzle surface faces the conveyor belt, and performs printing on the tablet conveyed by the conveyor belt; and a control plate that is located on the upstream side of the print head in the conveying direction of the tablet between the conveyor belt and the height position of the nozzle surface of the print head, and controls an airflow generated between the conveyor belt and the print head.

Claims

1. A tablet printing apparatus, comprising:

a conveyor belt including a suction hole connected to a suction chamber, and configured to convey a tablet while sucking the tablet to the suction hole;

an ink jet print head including a nozzle surface where a nozzle is formed, located above the conveyor belt such that the nozzle surface faces the conveyor belt, and configured to perform printing on the tablet conveyed by the conveyor belt; and

a control plate located on an upstream side of the print head in a conveying direction of the tablet between the conveyor belt and a height position of the nozzle surface of the print head, and configured to control an airflow generated between the conveyor belt and the print head, wherein

the control plate is arranged such that a longitudinal direction of the control plate is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the tablet in a horizontal plane, and

the control plate includes

a blocking portion configured to block an airflow generated between the conveyor belt and the print head and flowing along the conveying direction of the tablet, and

an opening portion through which the airflow passes.

2. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of comb teeth is formed in an end portion of the control plate on conveyor belt side so as to be aligned along a direction crossing the conveying direction of the tablet in a horizontal plane.

3. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein horizontal distance between two adjacent teeth of the comb teeth, which sandwich the tablet T conveyed by the conveyor belt, is larger than maximum size of the tablet in the horizontal direction.

4. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the comb teeth are located above the tablet passing as being conveyed by the conveyor belt, and are arranged in the control plate so as not to contact the tablet.

5. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the control plate so as to penetrate the control plate in the conveying direction of the tablet.

6. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of lower end of the control plate is located at a position higher than upper surface of the conveyor belt and lower than apex of the tablet on the conveyor belt.

7. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing configured to house the print head; and

a gas blower and a gas suction unit arranged on an upstream side of the print head in the conveying direction of the tablet, wherein

the gas blower is configured to blow a gas to upper surface of the conveyor belt, and

the gas suction unit is configured to suck the gas blown by the gas blower.

8. A tablet printing apparatus, comprising:

a conveyor belt including a suction hole connected to a suction chamber, and configured to convey a tablet while sucking the tablet to the suction hole;

an ink jet print head having a nozzle surface where a nozzle is formed, located above the conveyor belt such that the nozzle surface faces the conveyor belt, and configured to perform printing on the tablet conveyed by the conveyor belt; and

a control plate located on an upstream side of the print head in a conveying direction of the tablet between the conveyor belt and a height position of the nozzle surface of the print head, and configured to control an airflow generated between the conveyor belt and the print head, wherein

the control plate includes

a blocking portion configured to block an airflow generated between the conveyor belt and the print head and flowing along the conveying direction of the tablet, and

an opening portion through which the airflow passes.

9. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of comb teeth is formed in an end portion of the control plate on conveyor belt side so as to be aligned along a direction crossing the conveying direction of the tablet in a horizontal plane.

10. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein horizontal distance between two adjacent teeth of the comb teeth, which sandwich the tablet T conveyed by the conveyor belt, is larger than maximum size of the tablet in the horizontal direction.

11. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the comb teeth are located above the tablet passing as being conveyed by the conveyor belt, and are arranged in the control plate so as not to contact the tablet.

12. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the control plate so as to penetrate the control plate in the conveying direction of the tablet.

13. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a part of lower end of the control plate is located at a position higher than upper surface of the conveyor belt and lower than apex of the tablet on the conveyor belt.

14. The tablet printing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a housing configured to house the print head; and

a gas blower and a gas suction unit arranged on an upstream side of the print head in the conveying direction of the tablet, wherein

the gas blower is configured to blow a gas to upper surface of the conveyor belt, and

the gas suction unit is configured to suck the gas blown by the gas blower.