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EP-4740929-A1 - SEPARATION FAILURE CAPSULE REMOVAL MECHANISM

EP4740929A1EP 4740929 A1EP4740929 A1EP 4740929A1EP-4740929-A1

Abstract

A separation failure capsule removal mechanism 1 in which a separation failure capsule 50 is removed from a cap conveyance body 100, including: a push-up unit 10 that is arranged below the conveyance main body 101, and engages a capsule body 51 of a separation failure capsule 50 to push up the separation failure capsule 50; and a pull-up unit 20 that pulls up the separation failure capsule 50 from a pocket 102, the separation failure capsule 50 having been pushed up by the push-up unit 10 and protruding above the conveyance main body 101, wherein the pull-up unit 20 includes a pull-up roller on which a nip groove 21 is formed along a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface, the nip groove 21 being configured to nip a capsule cap 51 of the separation failure capsule 50.

Inventors

  • KIMURA, YU

Assignees

  • Qualicaps Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240606

Claims (8)

  1. A separation failure capsule removal mechanism in which a cap conveyance body has a plurality of pockets vertically penetrating a conveyance main body, each of the pockets being configured to hold a capsule cap separated from a capsule body, and conveys the capsule cap; and when a separation failure capsule, in which a capsule cap and a capsule body are not separated from each other, is held in the pocket, the capsule body protruding below the conveyance main body, the separation failure capsule is removed from the cap conveyance body, the separation failure capsule removal mechanism comprising: a push-up unit that is arranged below the conveyance main body, and engages a capsule body of a separation failure capsule to push up the separation failure capsule; and a pull-up unit that pulls up the separation failure capsule from the pocket, the separation failure capsule having been pushed up by the push-up unit and protruding above the conveyance main body, wherein the pull-up unit includes a pull-up roller on which a nip groove is formed along a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface, the nip groove being configured to nip a capsule cap of the separation failure capsule.
  2. The separation failure capsule removal mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the push-up unit includes an inclined portion that is an inclined surface inclining upward along a conveying direction of the cap conveyance body, and the separation failure capsule is conveyed along the inclined portion and pushed up by sliding a lower end of the capsule body on the inclined portion, and the capsule cap protrudes above the conveyance main body.
  3. The separation failure capsule removal mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the pull-up unit is rotationally driven by friction between the outer peripheral surface of the pull-up unit and an upper surface of the conveyance main body.
  4. The separation failure capsule removal mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the pull-up unit is rotationally driven independently of the cap conveyance body so that a peripheral speed of the outer peripheral surface of the pull-up unit is higher than a conveying speed of the conveyance main body.
  5. The separation failure capsule removal mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a groove width of the nip groove is 90 to 95% of a diameter of the capsule cap of the separation failure capsule.
  6. The separation failure capsule removal mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a recovery unit configured to separate and recover the separation failure capsule from the pull-up unit, the separation failure capsule having been pulled up by the pull-up unit.
  7. The separation failure capsule removal mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the recovery unit includes a raking member that rakes the separation failure capsule from the nip groove, the separation failure capsule having been pulled up from the pocket by the pull-up unit.
  8. The separation failure capsule removal mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing unit that presses the separation failure capsule between the pressing unit and the push-up unit, the separation failure capsule having been pushed up by the push-up unit.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to a separation failure capsule removal mechanism. Background Art A capsule filling machine fills a capsule with a filling material such as powder, granules, or a highly viscous liquid. In the configuration thereof, when an empty capsule into which a cap and a body are temporarily coupled is supplied, separation between the cap and the body, filling the body with a filling material, and coupling between the cap and the body are sequentially performed during the empty capsule being conveyed. The cap and the body are generally separated by vacuum suction. However, due to factors such as weak vacuum suction force or strong coupling force between the cap and the body, the cap is sometimes not appropriately separated from the body so that a separation failure capsule is conveyed. The separation failure capsule cannot be filled with a filling material, and therefore needs to be removed from the conveyance path. As a conventional separation failure capsule removal mechanism, Patent Literature 1 discloses a capsule filling machine having a cap holder to hold a cap separated from the body. In the configuration thereof, when a detector detects that a separation failure capsule is contained among caps being conveyed by the cap holder, the separation failure capsule is pushed up by a push-up plate from below the holder, and removed by vacuum suction from above the holder. Citation List Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP 55-146161 A Summary of Invention Technical Problem The separation failure capsule removal mechanism disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has a problem that: when a separation failure capsule is pushed up by a push-up plate from the holder and subjected to vacuum suction, weak suction force may fail to suction the separation failure capsule, but strong suction force may remove even an appropriately separated cap; and therefore, the settings of vacuum suction force easily become complicated to appropriately remove only separation failure capsules. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a separation failure capsule removal mechanism capable of easily and reliably removing separation failure capsules. Solution to Problem The object of the present invention can be achieved by: a separation failure capsule removal mechanism in which a cap conveyance body has a plurality of pockets vertically penetrating a conveyance main body, each of the pockets being configured to hold a capsule cap separated from a capsule body, and conveys the capsule cap; and when a separation failure capsule, in which a capsule cap and a capsule body are not separated from each other, is held in the pocket, the capsule body protruding below the conveyance main body, the separation failure capsule is removed from the cap conveyance body, the separation failure capsule removal mechanism including: a push-up unit that is arranged below the conveyance main body, and engages a capsule body of a separation failure capsule to push up the separation failure capsule; and a pull-up unit that pulls up the separation failure capsule from the pocket, the separation failure capsule having been pushed up by the push-up unit and protruding above the conveyance main body, wherein the pull-up unit includes a pull-up roller on which a nip groove is formed along a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface, the nip groove being configured to nip a capsule cap of the separation failure capsule. In the separation failure capsule removal mechanism, preferably, the push-up unit includes an inclined portion that is an inclined surface inclining upward along a conveying direction of the cap conveyance body; and preferably, the separation failure capsule is conveyed along the inclined portion and pushed up by sliding a lower end of the capsule body on the inclined portion, and the capsule cap protrudes above the conveyance main body. Optionally, the pull-up unit is rotationally driven by friction between the outer peripheral surface of the pull-up unit and an upper surface of the conveyance main body. Alternatively, optionally, the pull-up unit is rotationally driven independently of the cap conveyance body so that a peripheral speed of the outer peripheral surface of the pull-up unit is higher than a conveying speed of the conveyance main body. Preferably, a groove width of the nip groove is 90 to 95% of a diameter of the capsule cap of the separation failure capsule. Preferably, the separation failure capsule removal mechanism further includes a recovery unit configured to separate and recover the separation failure capsule from the pull-up unit, the separation failure capsule having been pulled up by the pull-up unit. Preferably, the recovery unit includes a raking member that rakes the separation failure capsule from the nip groove, the separation failure capsule having been pulled up from the pocket by the pull-up unit. Preferably, the separation failure capsule removal mecha