JP6567346B2 - Method and apparatus for manufacturing capsule with electronic tag - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag.

  The electronic tag includes an IC chip and an antenna, and can transmit and receive information stored in the IC chip in a contactless manner. Electronic tags are used in various industries, and recently, administration of medication using a capsule with an electronic tag has been studied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing an electronic pill in which a flexible substrate on which an antenna is printed is wound around the outer surface of a capsule and then filled with a medicine.

JP 2009-513183 A

  However, the conventional manufacturing method in which the electronic tag is wound around the outer surface of the capsule as described above has a problem in that the work is likely to be complicated because reliable bonding is required so that the electronic tag does not peel from the capsule. On the other hand, if the electronic tag is simply accommodated in the capsule, there is a possibility that reliable filling of the medicine or the like may be hindered depending on the position and posture of the electronic tag.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of a capsule with an electronic tag which can manufacture a capsule with an electronic tag easily and reliably.

The object of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag by attaching an electronic tag including a flexible substrate to a capsule body, and an adsorption portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of a distal end portion of a cylindrical holder Inserting into the through hole formed in the guide member, and supplying the end of the electronic tag into the through hole through the notch-shaped introduction portion guided to the through hole, The end of the electronic tag supplied into the through hole is adsorbed to the adsorption part inserted into the through hole, and the electronic tag is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the holding body by rotation of the holding body, An accommodation step of disposing the electronic tag in the capsule body by advancement of the holding body; and a retreating step of releasing the adsorption of the electronic tag by the adsorption portion and retracting the adsorption portion from the capsule body. Is achieved by the method of the child tagged capsules.

  In this method of manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag, it is preferable that, in the accommodating step, after the electronic tag is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the holding body, the holding body is advanced while maintaining the rotation of the holding body.

  In the retracting step, it is preferable that the adsorbing portion is retracted while rotating the holding body in a direction to unwind the electronic tag.

  In the housing step, the electronic tag is vacuum-sucked by sucking air through a suction hole formed in the suction part, and the holding is performed after detecting that the pressure in the suction path becomes a predetermined value or less. It is preferable to start a body advance.

Another object of the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag by attaching an electronic tag having a flexible substrate to a capsule body, and a cylindrical holding body having a suction portion on the outer peripheral surface of a tip portion And a guide member having a through hole into which the suction part is inserted, and capable of supplying an electronic tag to the through hole through a notch-like introduction part guided to the through hole, and through the introduction part A supply means for supplying an electronic tag to the through hole; and a support member for supporting the capsule body so that the inside of the capsule body faces the through hole. The holding body is capable of rotating and advancing and retreating . the electrons wound around the outer peripheral surface of the holding member by the suction portion adsorbed on the adsorbing portion of the end portion is inserted into the through hole of the electronic tag supplied to rotate in the through holes The tag It is achieved by the manufacturing apparatus of an electronic tagged capsule placed in the capsule body a.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of a capsule with an electronic tag which can manufacture a capsule with an electronic tag easily and reliably can be provided.

It is a schematic block diagram of the capsule manufacturing apparatus with an electronic tag which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the capsule manufacturing apparatus with an electronic tag shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the action | operation of the structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which expands and shows a part of AA cross section of FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing for demonstrating the action | operation of the capsule manufacturing apparatus with an electronic tag shown in FIG. It is a principal part top view for demonstrating the action | operation of the capsule manufacturing apparatus with an electronic tag shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic tag-equipped capsule manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 with an electronic tag includes a transport apparatus 2 that transports a capsule body 51, an electronic tag mounting apparatus 3 that mounts an electronic tag 52 on the capsule body 51, and a powder on the capsule body 51. A filler supply device 4 that supplies a filler 53 such as granules, liquid, and tablets, and a cap coupling device 5 that couples a cap 54 to the capsule body 51 are provided. The electronic tag mounting device 3, the filling material supply device 4, and the cap coupling device 5 are arranged in this order from the upstream side along the transport direction of the transport device 2.

  The transport device 2 includes a large number of bowl-shaped support members 8 on the conveyor 7, and the capsule body 51 is supported in an upright state by accommodating the lower part of the capsule body 51 in the support member 8. The transport device 2 is intermittently driven so as to stop the capsule body 51 at a position corresponding to each of the electronic tag mounting device 3, the filling material supply device 4, and the cap coupling device 5, whereby the capsule body 51, the cap 54, Thus, the capsule 50 in which the electronic tag 52 and the filler 53 are enclosed is manufactured.

  Although the transport device 2 of the present embodiment is configured to transport the capsule body 51 in one direction, it is also possible to use a turntable, and corresponding to the index position of the table, the electronic tag mounting device 3, A filler supply device 4 and a cap coupling device 5 may be arranged. Moreover, the electronic tag-equipped capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 may be configured not to include the filling material supply apparatus 4, and manufactures a capsule with an electronic tag in which only the electronic tag 52 is attached to the capsule body 51 and the cap 54 is temporarily coupled. However, the supply of the filler 53 can also be performed by another apparatus in a later process.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic tag mounting apparatus 3 which is a main part of the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 with an electronic tag shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic tag mounting device 3 includes an air cylinder 11 attached to the top plate of the base 10 that stands up from the vicinity of the transport device 2. The air cylinder 11 supports a support plate 12 attached to the tip (lower end) so as to be movable up and down. A through hole is formed in the center of the support plate 12, and a holding body 14 is inserted through the through hole through a bearing 13.

  The holding body 14 is a cylindrical member having an enlarged diameter on the base side, and an adsorption portion 15 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion. The suction part 15 includes two main suction holes 15a formed in the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface, and one sub suction hole 15b formed at a position 90 degrees away from the main suction hole 15a along the outer peripheral surface. ing.

  A base end portion of the holding body 14 is connected to a suction pipe 17 via a rotary joint 16 attached to the support plate 12. The suction pipe 17 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown), and can suck air from the suction portion 15 through a suction path 14 a formed inside the holding body 14. The internal pressure of the suction path 14 a is detected by the pressure sensor 18.

  A drive motor 19 is attached to the support plate 12. The drive motor 19 is supported such that the output shaft faces vertically downward, and a drive gear 20 is provided on the output shaft 19. The drive gear 20 meshes with a driven gear 21 that is externally fitted to the holding body 14, and the operation of the drive motor 19 causes the holding body 14 to rotate in both directions around the axis as indicated by arrows.

  A guide member 22 supported by the base 10 is provided below the support plate 12. The guide member 22 has a through hole 23 into which the suction portion 15 is inserted, and a slight gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the suction portion 15 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 23. Below the through hole 23, the capsule body 51 supported by the support member 8 is transported by the operation of the transport device 2. The support member 8 supports the capsule body 51 so that the inside faces the through hole 23 at the stop position. As shown in FIG. 2, the suction portion 15 is inserted into the capsule body 51 as shown in FIG. 3 when the air cylinder 11 moves downward from the position where the suction portion 15 is inserted into the through hole 23.

  4 is an enlarged view of a part of the AA cross section of FIG. A through hole 23 of the guide member 22 is formed with a notch-shaped introduction portion 24 that extends in the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface and communicates with the outside. The flexible thin plate-like electronic tag 52 is connected to the introduction portion 24 from the introduction portion 24. It can be supplied to the gap between the suction portion 15 and the through hole 23. The electronic tag mounting device 3 according to the present embodiment includes a supply device 26 composed of a multi-axis robot, and a plurality of electronic tags 52 mounted on a pallet (not shown) are provided at the distal end of the arm of the supply device 26. The end of the electronic tag 52 can be supplied into the through hole 23 by being sucked by the suction portion 26a and pressed against the guide member 22 in the direction indicated by the arrow B and then slid in the direction indicated by the arrow C. A guide surface 25 is continuous with the outer end of the introduction portion 24 so as to encourage insertion of the electronic tag 52. Instead of forming the guide surface 25, the electronic tag 52 can be guided to the through hole 23 by a guide roller or the like.

  Next, the operation of the electronic tag-equipped capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are a sectional view and a plan view of relevant parts of the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 with an electronic tag, respectively. As described above, the capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 with an electronic tag according to the present embodiment is configured such that the holding body 14 can be rotated and moved forward and backward, and the following drive control is performed by a control device (not shown).

  First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the suction portion 15 of the holding body 14 is inserted into the through hole 23 of the guide member 22 (insertion step). Next, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6A, the electronic tag 52 is supplied into the through hole 23 via the introduction part 24 (supplying step). The main suction hole 15 a of the suction portion 15 is stopped at a position separated from the introduction portion 24 by about 90 degrees in the insertion direction of the electronic tag 52, and faces the end portion of the inserted electronic tag 52.

  From the state shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 6A, a vacuum pump (not shown) is operated to adsorb the end of the electronic tag 52 to the main adsorption hole 15a and the sub adsorption hole 15b of the adsorption unit 15. Thereafter, when the holder 14 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the electronic tag 52 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the holder 14 while being guided by the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 23 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6B, the electronic tag 52 is preferably wound so as to cover the entire circumferential direction of the suction portion 15, and may be wound so that a part of the electronic tag 52 overlaps.

  When the electronic tag 52 is wound around the holding body 14, the main suction hole 15 a and the sub suction hole 15 b are sealed by the electronic tag 52, so that the pressure in the suction path inside the holding body 14 decreases. The pressure in the suction path is constantly detected by the pressure sensor 18, and when the detected value of the pressure sensor 18 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control device advances the holding body 14 downward, as shown in FIG. Thus, the electronic tag 52 is arranged in the capsule body 51 (accommodating step). The advancement of the holding body 14 is preferably performed while maintaining the rotation of the holding body 14, whereby the winding state of the electronic tag 52 can be ensured and the holding body 14 can be advanced.

  On the other hand, when the detected value of the pressure sensor 18 is larger than the predetermined value, the electronic tag 52 may not be in close contact with at least a part of the main suction holes 15a and 15a and the sub suction hole 15b. The operation is interrupted by generating an alarm sound or the like without advancement of the holding body 14. In this way, only the electronic tag 52 correctly wound around the holding body 14 can be disposed in the capsule body 51.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, after the electronic tag 52 is disposed in the capsule body 51, when the suction in the suction portion 15 is released, the electronic tag 52 wound around the holding body 14 is moved outward by the bending force. And is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the capsule body 51. The electronic tag 52 preferably has a length that covers at least the entire circumferential direction of the capsule body 51 so that the electronic tag 52 is in close contact with the capsule body 51, and a part of the electronic tag 52 may overlap.

  Next, when the suction portion 15 is retracted upward, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), the suction portion 15 is disposed again in the through hole 23 leaving the electronic tag 52 in the capsule body 51 (retraction step). . When the suction part 15 is retracted, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 5C, it is preferable to rotate the holder 14 in the direction to unwind the electronic tag 52, and the electronic tag 52 is attached to the capsule body 51. The close contact with the inner peripheral surface can be urged to reliably prevent the electronic tag 52 from being pulled up together with the holding body 14. Thereafter, a new capsule body 51 is transported below the through hole 23, and a new electronic tag 52 is supplied to the through hole 23 as shown in FIG. Can be manufactured.

  Since the electronic tag-equipped capsule manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can securely attach the electronic tag 52 along the inner peripheral surface of the capsule body 51, the electronic tag-equipped capsule that can be easily filled with the filling can be efficiently produced. Can be manufactured.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Capsule manufacturing apparatus with an electronic tag 3 Electronic tag mounting apparatus 8 Support member 11 Air cylinder 14 Holding body 15 Adsorption part 22 Guide member 23 Through-hole 24 Introduction part 26 Supply apparatus 51 Capsule body 52 Electronic tag

Claims (5)

A method of manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag by attaching an electronic tag including a flexible substrate to a capsule body,
An insertion step of inserting the suction portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the cylindrical holder into a through hole formed in the guide member;
A supply step of supplying an end portion of the electronic tag into the through-hole through a notch-shaped introduction portion guided to the through-hole;
The end of the electronic tag supplied into the through hole is adsorbed to the adsorption part inserted into the through hole, and the electronic tag is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the holding body by rotation of the holding body, An accommodating step of arranging the electronic tag in the capsule body by advancement of the holding body,
A method of manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag, comprising: a retraction step of releasing the adsorption of the electronic tag by the adsorption unit and retracting the adsorption unit from the capsule body.   2. The method of manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag according to claim 1, wherein, in the accommodating step, after the electronic tag is wound around an outer peripheral surface of the holding body, the holding body is advanced while maintaining the rotation of the holding body.   3. The method of manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag according to claim 1, wherein the retracting step retracts the suction portion while rotating the holding body in a direction to unwind the electronic tag.   In the housing step, the electronic tag is vacuum-sucked by sucking air through a suction hole formed in the suction part, and the holding is performed after detecting that the pressure in the suction path becomes a predetermined value or less. The manufacturing method of the capsule with an electronic tag in any one of Claim 1 to 3 which starts advance of a body. An apparatus for manufacturing a capsule with an electronic tag by attaching an electronic tag including a flexible substrate to a capsule body,
A cylindrical holder having a suction portion on the outer peripheral surface of the tip,
A guide member having a through-hole into which the suction part is inserted, and capable of supplying an electronic tag to the through-hole through a notch-shaped introduction part guided to the through-hole;
Supply means for supplying an electronic tag to the through-hole through the introduction part;
A support member for supporting the capsule body so that the inside faces the through hole,
The holding body is capable of rotating and advancing and retreating, and adsorbs an end portion of the electronic tag supplied into the through hole to the adsorbing portion inserted into the through hole so that the adsorbing portion is moved to the through hole. the electronic tag wound around the outer peripheral surface of the holding member by rotating the inner, electronic tagged capsule manufacturing apparatus for placement within the capsule body by advancement of the retaining member.

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