CAPSULE FILLING APPARATUS

Abstract

Provided is a capsule filling apparatus including: a conveyance body 10 configured to convey a capsule body 30; and a filling unit 20 configured to fill a filling material in the capsule body 30 conveyed to a filling position P, in which the filling unit 20 includes a hopper 21, a holding chamber 22c, an auger 23, and a paddle 24, the auger 23 is rotationally driven around a first rotation shaft 23a extending in a vertical direction in a hopper 21, the paddle 24 is rotationally driven around a second rotation shaft such that a push-in blade 24b slides along an upper surface 11 of the conveyance body 10 in the holding chamber 22c, and the first rotation shaft 23a and the second rotation shaft are arranged such that axes of the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis coincide with each other.

Claims

1. A capsule filling apparatus comprising: a conveyance body configured to convey a capsule body to a filling position, the capsule body being accommodated in an accommodation pocket opening in an upper surface; and a filling unit configured to fill a filling material in the capsule body conveyed to the filling position, wherein the filling unit includes: a hopper configured to store the filling material, the hopper having a discharge port in a lower portion: a holding chamber configured to hold the filling material between the discharge port and the upper surface of the conveyance body: an auger configured to push out the filling material to the holding chamber through the discharge port by the auger being rotationally driven around a first rotation shaft extending in a vertical direction in the hopper; and a paddle having a push-in blade that presses the filling material within the holding chamber into the capsule body, the paddle is rotationally driven around a second rotation shaft such that the push-in blade moves along the upper surface of the conveyance body in the holding chamber, and the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are arranged such that axes of the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis coincide with each other.

2. The capsule filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auger and the paddle are rotationally driven independently of each other.

3. The capsule filling apparatus according to claim 2. wherein the auger and the paddle are rotationally driven in directions opposite to each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a capsule filling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a main part of FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the main part of FIG. 1.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a main part of a conventional capsule filling apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a capsule filling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Similarly to the conventional capsule filling apparatus, the capsule filling apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to separate a supplied empty capsule into a capsule cap and a capsule body, fill the capsule body with the filling material, and then couple the capsule cap and the capsule body again, and FIG. 1 shows a main part of a configuration of the apparatus for filling the separated capsule body with the filling material. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the capsule filling apparatus of the present embodiment includes a conveyance body 10 that conveys a capsule body 30 to a filling position P, and a filling unit 20 that fills the filling material in the capsule body 30 conveyed to the filling position P.

[0015] The conveyance body 10 is a disk-shaped member having a horizontal upper surface 11, and accommodation pockets 12 opening in the upper surface are arranged in two rows along the circumferential direction. The conveyance body 10 is rotationally driven in an arrow direction, and conveys the capsule body 30 accommodated in an accommodation pocket 12 on the upstream side in the conveyance direction (not illustrated) toward the filling position P.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of the filling unit 20, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filling unit 20. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the filling unit 20 includes a hopper 21, a casing 22, an auger 23, and a paddle 24. The hopper 21 has a discharge port 21a in the lower portion, and can store a filling material 31 such as powder, granules, and highly viscous liquid supplied from an upper opening. The casing 22 is disposed immediately below the hopper 21.

[0017] The casing 22 is configured such that a horizontal substrate 22b is covered with a cover member 22a, and a holding chamber 22c is provided therein. The holding chamber 22c communicates with the discharge port 21a via a central opening in the cover member 22a, and is configured to expand downward by a tapered portion provided for an inner surface of the cover member 22a. The substrate 22b is disposed adjacent to the conveyance body 10 such that the upper surface thereof is flush with the conveyance body 10 in the vicinity of the filling position P, and the bottom surface of the holding chamber 22c is formed by the upper surface of the substrate 22b and the upper surface 11 of the conveyance body 10 facing the filling position P.

[0018] The auger 23 includes a hollow cylindrical first rotation shaft 23a rotatably supported in the hopper 21 so as to extend in a vertical direction, and a fin 23b spirally provided on an outer peripheral surface of the first rotation shaft 23a. The fin 23b is provided in the vicinity of the discharge port 21a, and pushes the filling material 31 stored in the hopper 21 out to the holding chamber 22c through the discharge port 21a by rotation of the first rotation shaft 23a. An upper portion of the first rotation shaft 23a is connected to a drive unit 26. The drive unit 26 includes, for example, a servo motor, and can rotationally drive the auger 23 with a desired torque by operation control by the drive unit 26.

[0019] A rod-like agitator 25 bent along an inner surface of the hopper 21 is attached to the auger 23. The agitator 25 moves along the inner surface of the hopper 21 along with rotation of the auger 23, and agitates while scraping off the filling material 31.

[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the paddle 24 includes a second rotation shaft 24a that is disposed in a hollow space of the first rotation shaft 23a via a bearing and extends in the vertical direction, and a push-in blade 24b provided at a lower end of the second rotation shaft 24a. The first rotation shaft 23a and the second rotation shaft 24a are arranged such that axes L coincide with each other, and are rotatably supported independently of each other. An upper portion of the second rotation shaft 24a is connected to a drive unit 27 via a gear unit 28. The drive unit 27 includes, for example, a servo motor, and can rotationally drive the paddle 24 with a desired torque by operation control by the drive unit 27.

[0021] More than one push-in blade 24b is arranged radially around the second rotation shaft 24a so that each of the push-in blades 24b horizontally extends from a portion of the second rotation shaft 24a protruding below the first rotation shaft 23a. Each of the push-in blades 24b moves along the substrate 22b and the upper surface of the conveyance body 10 along with the rotation of the second rotation shaft 24a, and pushes the filling material 31 within the holding chamber 22c into the capsule body 30 conveyed to the filling position P. A slight gap (for example, about several mm) may be provided between the push-in blades 24b and the substrate 22b and the conveyance body 10, or they may be in contact with each other. In order to reliably push the filling material 31 into the capsule body 30, it is preferable that an inclined surface inclined so as to cover the substrate 22b and the upper surface of the conveyance body 10 is provided on a front side in a rotation direction of the push-in blades 24b. The number of the push-in blades 24b is not particularly limited, and may be one.

[0022] Since the filling unit 20 of the capsule filling apparatus of the present embodiment is provided with the auger 23 and the paddle 24 arranged such that the axes L coincide with each other, it is possible to realize downsizing of the configuration, and to push the filling material 31 that has been pushed into the holding chamber 22c by the operation of the auger 23 into the capsule body 30 reliably by the operation of the paddle 24. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the filling amount while increasing the filling amount of the filling material 31 in the capsule body 30, so that the filling of the filling material in the capsule body can be performed with high accuracy.

[0023] The direction of rotation and the speed of rotation of the auger 23 and the paddle 24 may be the same, and in this case, the auger 23 and the paddle 24 may be integrally configured. However, it is preferable that the auger 23 and the paddle 24 are configured to be rotationally driven independently of each other as in the present embodiment. While the rotation speed of the auger 23 greatly affects the filling amount into the capsule body 30, the rotation speed of the paddle 24 greatly affects the variation in the filling amount among the capsule bodies 30, and therefore, by independently controlling the rotation speeds of the auger 23 and the paddle 24, adjustment of the filling amount and adjustment of the variation can be individually optimized, and it is possible to easily perform adjustment regarding the filling.

[0024] Although the rotation directions of the auger 23 and the paddle 24 may be the same direction, it is preferable that the rotation directions are opposite to each other. This allows push-in filling of the filling material 31 by the paddle 24 in a state where the filling material 31 is sufficiently stirred by the auger 23, and therefore, it is possible to more easily perform the desired filling. In the present embodiment, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, the auger 23 is rotated clockwise as viewed from above, and the paddle 24 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from above. However, the auger 23 may be rotated counterclockwise, and the paddle 24 may be rotated clockwise. By combining the control of the rotation directions of the auger 23 and the paddle 24 with the control of the rotation speeds of the auger 23 and the paddle 24 described above, it is possible to perform adjustment regarding the filling more variously.

[0025] The rotations of the auger 23 and the paddle 24 may be controlled based on properties of the filling material 31 and the like, and for example, it is possible to perform torque management for the auger 23 and rotation speed management for the paddle 24. As a specific example, in a case where the filling material 31 has a property of easily flowing, the auger 23 is rotated at low torque, and the paddle 24 is rotated at a high rotation speed. In a case where the filling material 31 has a property of not easily flowing, the auger 23 is rotated at high torque, and the paddle 24 is rotated at a high rotation speed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0026] 10 conveyance body [0027] 11 upper surface [0028] 12 accommodation pocket [0029] 20 filling unit [0030] 21 hopper [0031] 21a discharge port [0032] 22c holding chamber [0033] 23a first rotation shaft [0034] 23 auger [0035] 24a second rotation shaft [0036] 24b push-in blade [0037] 24 paddle [0038] 30 capsule body [0039] 31 filling material [0040] P filling position [0041] L axis