JPH0597101A - Powdery medicine distributing/feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To distribute and feed a powdery medicine from one main hopper to a plurality of quantity regulating hoppers neither more nor less in feeding for a device which fills the powdery medicine in hard capsules. CONSTITUTION:A medicine which is held in the lump by a main hopper 60 is once dropped on a rotary disk 2, and at a location which is different from opening 1a, 1b of a fixed disk 1. By the rotation of a medicine carrying blade 3, the medicine is dropped to one of quantity regulating hoppers 4 through an opening 2a of the rotary disk 2, either one of the openings 1a, 1b of the fixed disk, and a feeding guide 30. Since the medicine carrying blade 3 does not rotate other than when it is required, the powdery medicine is hard to become a lump, and is not stuck in the feeding guide 30. Moreover, the medicine is fed only in the quantity regulating hopper 40 the medicine in which has become less than a specified quantity, excessive feeding of the medicine does not take place.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for filling a hard capsule with a powdered drug, and to a device for dispensing and supplying the powdered drug from a single main hopper to a plurality of compression stations (metering hoppers).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The applicant of the present invention has previously mentioned that Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-176.
Japanese Patent No. 452 discloses a method for filling a hard capsule with powder and a device therefor. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of an apparatus (powder medicine distribution / supply apparatus) for distributing and supplying the powder medicine from one main hopper to the plurality of compression stations in the apparatus. Note that, for ease of understanding, the illustration of the configuration of the portion not directly related to the present invention is omitted.

In FIG. 3, a frame 80 having a gear mechanism (not shown) inside is provided with a motor 81 for driving the gear mechanism and a central shaft 100 connected to the gear mechanism and rotated by the motor 81. ing. Central axis 1
A metering disk 50 is fixed at 00. Metering disk 50
Is provided with a group of metering cavities 51 at constant angles around the central axis 100. Above the metering disk 50, a plurality of metering hoppers 40 (only one is shown in the figure) are provided on the same circumference with the central axis 100 as the center. The metering hopper 40 is independent of the metering disc 50 and is fixed relative to the frame 80. The metering hopper 40 has a screw 65 installed vertically.
Further, a level sensor 41 for detecting the amount of the drug inside the dose adjusting hopper 40 is provided. Further, inside the metering hopper 40, a stirring blade 52 for supplying a medicine to the metering cavities 51 is provided. The screw 65 is connected to the gear mechanism (not shown) and is driven in synchronization with the rotation of the metering disk 50. Frame 80
In addition, the central shaft 10 corresponds to the metering hopper 40.
The same number of supply pipes 61 are provided on the same circumference centered on 0. The screw 65 and the supply pipe 61 are for distributing and supplying the powdered medicine inside the main hopper 60 to the metering hopper 40, and the supply pipe 61 has a portion inclined with respect to the screw 65. At the bottom of the main hopper 60, a shutter plate 66 for adjusting the opening amount of the supply pipe 61, a shutter lever 68 for operating the shutter plate 66, a conical cap 78, and a stirring blade 74 are provided. ing. The shutter plate 66 has the same number of openings 70 at the position corresponding to the supply pipe 61.
Is provided. The stirring blade 74 is also rotated by the motor 81 in synchronization with the rotation of the metering disk 50 (substantially continuously).

The metering disk 50 is intermittently rotated at a predetermined angle in synchronization with the operation of a capsule filling device (not shown). Along with this, the stirring blade 74 and the screw 65 are rotated. The powdered medicine in the main hopper 60 is uniformly dispersed in each direction by the conical cap 78, and falls from the opening 70 of the shutter plate 66 into the supply pipe 61 by the action of gravity due to the rotation of the stirring blade 74. To do. The powdered medicine inside the supply pipe 61 slides on the inclined portion 61a and reaches the screw 65 by the action of gravity or the like. The powdered medicine that has reached the screw 65 descends along the groove 65 a of the screw 65 by the rotation of the screw 65 and is supplied to the metering hopper 40.

[0005]

Generally, it is known that the fluidity and the viscosity of a powdered medicine greatly change depending on its components. For example, in the case of a viscous material, lumps are generated by the rotation of the stirring blade 74 and the screw 65. Particularly, in the inclined portion 61a inside the supply pipe 61,
When the lumps are overlapped with each other to prevent the powder medicine from naturally falling due to gravity (hereinafter, referred to as bridging phenomenon), or when the lump adheres to the groove 65a of the screw 65, the powder medicine is dispensed to the hopper 40. Supply shortages may occur. Further, when the metering hopper 40, the supply pipe 61, and the like are not provided at equal intervals, if the viscosity of the powdered medicine is small and the fluidity is good, the amount of the powdered medicine scraped off by the stirring blade 74 on the supply pipe 61 will not be sufficient. Uniformity may occur, and the powdered medicine may be over-supplied to the metering hopper 40 provided with an interval in the rotation direction of the stirring blade 74.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the powder medicine distribution and supply is made so as to uniformly distribute the powder medicine to each metering hopper without causing insufficient supply or excessive supply. The purpose is to get the device.

[0007]

A powdered medicine distribution / feeding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a fixed disk having a plurality of openings arranged on the same circumference, and a disk which rotates about the center of the fixed disk as an axis. A drug-carrying blade having a rotating disk having one opening on its circumference and a plurality of blades radial with respect to the shaft, and rotating on the surface of the rotating disk around the shaft separately from the rotating disk. And a main hopper provided above the rotating disc and the drug-conveying vane for collectively holding the drug to be distributed and fed, and an opening on the fixed disc and on the rotating disc are different from each other. At a position, a supply pipe for supplying a drug from the main hopper, and a sensor provided to each of the lower portions of the respective openings of the fixed disk and having a sensor for detecting the amount of the drug introduced therein, a plurality of metering devices. Hopper and the front The drug is dropped in the metering Hotsupa from each opening, for preventing spilled to the outside of the metering Hotsupa, substantially perpendicular, a plurality of feed guides,
In any of the metering hoppers, when the sensor detects that the amount of the medicine inside is less than a predetermined amount, the opening of the rotating disk has the medicine less than the predetermined amount. Rotating disk control means for rotating the rotating disk so as to overlap with the opening just above, and the medicine conveying blade until the medicine inside the metering hopper with the medicine smaller than the predetermined quantity reaches a predetermined quantity. And a drug-conveying blade control means for conveying the drug supplied onto the rotating disk by the supply pipe to an opening just above a metering hopper in which the drug is less than a predetermined amount. ing.

[0008]

The medicine supplied from the main hopper does not exist on the entire circumference of the rotating disk, but only on a part from directly below the supply tube to the opening of the fixed disk. Also, the drug delivery blade does not rotate except when necessary. Therefore, the medicine is not unnecessarily agitated by the medicine conveying blades, and even the medicine, especially the powder medicine, does not agglomerate on the rotating disk. Furthermore, the drug will naturally drop by gravity directly from the opening on the rotating disc into the metering hopper beneath it, so that it will not clog in the feed guide. As a result, there will be no shortage of supply. Also, the rotating disk has one opening.
Since only one is provided and the drug is supplied only to the metering hopper in which the amount of the drug inside is less than the predetermined amount, the drug is not over-supplied.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A powder medicine dispensing and supplying apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 showing a preferred embodiment thereof. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a powder medicine dispensing / supplying device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which some of the constituent elements are removed. In each figure, the fixed disk 1 is supported in the air by a pillar or the like (not shown). The fixed disk 1 has a plurality of (eg, three) openings 1 arranged on the same circumference.
a, 1b, 1c (only two are shown in FIG. 1) are provided. A rotary disk 2 having a solid shaft 4 passing through the center of the fixed disk 1 as a rotary shaft is provided at an upper portion of the fixed disk 1 with a predetermined clearance. Rotating disk 2
Has one opening 2a provided on the circumference in which the openings 1a, 1b, 1c of the fixed disk 1 are arranged. Further, on the upper part of the rotary disk 2, a drug delivery blade 3 having a hollow shaft 5 inserted into the outer side of the solid shaft 4 as a rotary shaft is provided. The medicine carrier blade 3 has a plurality of blades 3a radially.
Is provided. The blade 3a of the medicine conveying blade 3 is preferably in contact with the rotating disk 2 like a wiper of an automobile in consideration of efficiently conveying the powder medicine. On the other hand, considering that the abrasion powder of the blades 3a and the rotating disk 2 is not mixed in the medicine, it is desirable to provide a slight gap. The blade 3a of the medicine carrying blade 3
A supply pipe 31 is provided on the upper part of the
Are connected to the main hopper 60 as shown in FIG.
The main hopper 60 collectively holds the medicines to be distributed and supplied. As shown in FIG. 2, the supply pipe 31 is provided on the same circumference where the openings 1a, 1b, 1c of the fixed disk 1 are provided and at a position where it does not overlap any of these. In order to prevent the medicine from being agitated by the rotation of the blade 3a, it is desirable that the gap between the supply tube 31 and the blade 3a be sufficiently narrow so as not to contact the blade 3a. It should be noted that the shafts 4 and 5 are independent of the motor 91.
Etc. are driven to rotate. Also, each of the openings 1a, 1
As is clear from the figure, b, 1c and 2a are, for example, circular openings having a diameter substantially equal to the length of the blade 3a of the drug delivery blade 3, but at least one side in the radial direction is substantially equal to the blade 3a. It may be a rectangular opening having.

A metering hopper 40 is provided below each opening 1a, 1b, 1c of the fixed disk 1. A supply guide 30 is provided between each opening 1a, 1b, 1c and each metering hopper 40. Supply guide 3
0 has a funnel-shaped upper part, and the other part has a vertical tubular shape. Due to the presence of the supply guide 30, all the medicines falling from the openings 1a, 1b, 1c enter the metering hopper 40 and do not spill outside. Each metering hopper 40 is provided with a level sensor 41. The level sensor 41 is for detecting the amount or height of the drug inside the metering hopper 40, and a known optical type or electrostatic capacitance type is used.
Each level sensor 41 is connected to a control device 92, which controls a motor 91 for rotationally driving the shafts 4 and 5. A metering disk 50 is provided below the metering hopper 40. The metering disk 50 is driven to rotate intermittently, and a group of metering cavities 51 is provided at fixed angles about the central axis 100. The metering hopper 40 is independent of the metering disc 50 and is fixed to a frame (not shown). A stirring blade 52 for supplying a medicine to the metering cavity group 51 is provided inside the metering hopper 40, and the stirring blade 52 rotates in synchronization with the intermittent rotation of the metering disk 50.

Next, the operation of the powder medicine dispensing / supplying apparatus according to the present invention constructed as described above will be explained. In FIG. 2, for example, it is assumed that the amount of the medicine inside the metering hopper 40 in the middle is less than a predetermined amount. Level sensor 4
1 detects the decrease of the medicine and outputs a predetermined signal. The control device 92 controls the motor 91 so that the opening 1b of the fixed disk 1 and the opening 2a of the rotating disk 2 located right above the metering hopper 40 with the reduced amount of the medicine match the shaft 4 and the rotating disk. Rotate 2. After that, the control device 92 further controls the motor 91 to rotate the medicine carrying blade 3. As shown by the diagonal lines in FIG. 2, the medicine is transported on the rotating disk 2 with the volume surrounded by the two adjacent blades 3a and the side wall as one unit. Then, it falls through the supply guide 30 through the openings 2a and 1b into the metering hopper 40. When the amount of medicine inside the metering hopper 40 reaches a predetermined amount, the level sensor 41 detects it and outputs a predetermined signal. The control device 92 controls the motor 91 to rotate the rotating disc 2 so as to close the opening 1b of the fixed disc 1.
Alternatively, the rotation of the drug delivery blade 3 is stopped. As a result, an excessive supply of the medicine to the metering hopper 40 in the middle is prevented. The procedure similar to the above procedure is repeated when the amount of the drug in the other metering hopper 40 decreases. As a result, the amount of the drug inside the plurality of metering hoppers 40 is kept within a certain range.

In the above embodiment, the shaft 4 is used for convenience.
Although only one motor 91 is shown to drive and rotate 5 and 5, the number of motors is not limited to this, and separate motors and gear mechanisms may be used for the respective shafts 4 and 5. When the shafts 4 and 5 are independently rotated by one motor, they may be rotated in different directions by using one-way clutches such as a ratchet mechanism, or may be rotated in the same direction by electromagnetic clutches. You may let me. The type of motor may be either a servo motor or a stepping motor.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, the medicines are supplied one by one to the plurality of metering hoppers 40, and the supplied quantity is detected by the level sensor 41 and rotated by the controller 92. Since the rotations of the disk 2 and the drug delivery blade 3 are controlled, an excessive supply does not occur. Further, when the medicine is conveyed, the medicine conveying blade 3 does not rotate unless necessary, and the stirring blade 74 (FIG. 3) is substantially continuously rotated as compared with the conventional example in which excessive stirring is performed. Therefore, the medicine does not agglomerate, and further, the medicine is opened substantially directly above the metering hopper 40, the opening 2a of the rotating disk 2 and the fixed disk 1.
Since it vertically falls directly to the metering hopper 40 through any of the openings 1a, 1b or 1c and the supply guide 30, the inside of the supply guide 30 is not clogged and the supply shortage does not occur.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a powder drug distribution and supply device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which some of the components are removed in the same manner.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional powder drug distribution and supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fixed Disc 2 Rotating Disc 3 Drug Conveying Blade 30 Supply Guide 31 Supply Pipe 40 Metering Hopper 41 Level Sensor 50 Metering Disc 60 Main Hopper 92 Controller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fixed disk having a plurality of openings arranged on the same circumference, and rotating around the center of the fixed disk as an axis,
A rotary disk having two openings, a plurality of blades radial with respect to the axis, and a drug-conveying blade that rotates around the axis on the surface of the rotary disk separately from the rotary disk; In order to hold the medicine to be collectively, a main hopper provided above the rotating disk and the medicine conveying blade, and on the rotating disk and at a position different from the opening of the fixed disk, A supply pipe for supplying a medicine from a main hopper, each of which is provided at a lower portion of each opening of the fixed disk and has a sensor for detecting the amount of the medicine put therein, a plurality of metering hoppers, In order to prevent the medicine from falling into the metering hopper from each opening so as not to spill outside the metering hopper,
Substantially vertical, a plurality of supply guides, in any of the metering hopper, when the sensor detects that the amount of drug inside is less than a predetermined amount, the opening of the rotating disk is concerned. A rotating disk control means for rotating the rotating disk so that the medicine overlaps the opening just above the metering hopper with a medicine smaller than a predetermined amount, and the medicine inside the metering hopper with the medicine less than a predetermined quantity. Until the amount reaches a predetermined amount, the drug conveying blade is rotated to convey the drug supplied on the rotating disk by the supply pipe to an opening just above the metering hopper in which the drug is less than the predetermined amount. A powder medicine dispensing / supplying device, comprising: