Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation

Ryo Ikuta

Shinichi Ogimoto

Hitoshi Aoyagi

Hikaru Hoshino

Azusa Hirano

Yutaka Okabe

Yasutsugu Tsuruoka

Junsuke Komito

Hironori Haijima

Toru Kuribayashi

Junpei Tanaka

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes: a first rotator having an inner space; a duct configured to communicate with the inner space of the first rotator; a suction pipe configured to suck inside the duct; a second rotator arranged to face the first rotator across the duct; a conveyor belt wrapped around the first rotator and the second rotator; and a print head that performs printing on a tablet held on the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt includes a plurality of suction holes which communicate with the inner space of the first rotator and that of the duct, and are arranged in the rotation direction of the first rotator. The first rotator and the duct constitutes a suction chamber that applies a suction force to those of the suction holes of the conveyor belt located around the outer periphery of the first rotator and the duct.

Tablet printing apparatus

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes: a conveyor configured to convey tablets sequentially supplied thereto while sucking and holding the tablets by a suction chamber; a print head located to face the conveyor and configured to elect ink to the tablet conveyed by the conveyor to perform printing; and partition wallsand suction pathsthat serve as a suction force adjusting device configured to reduce a suction force applied to the tablet at a conveyance position facing the print head to be lower than a suction force applied to the tablet at conveyance positions in front of and behind the conveyance position.

Tablet printing apparatus and tablet printing method

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes a conveyor configured to convey tablets sequentially supplied while sucking and holding the tablets; a print head arranged to face the conveyor to perform printing on each of the tablets being conveyed; a detector arranged upstream of the print head to detect the posture of each of the tablets; and a print condition tester arranged downstream of the print head to check print condition on each of the tablets. Suction force applied to the tablets is reduced at least in an area from a detection position to a print condition check position than in other area.

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes a conveying device, an inkjet printing device, and a control device. The conveying device is configured to convey a tablet. The printing device includes a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a direction crossing a conveying path where the tablet is conveyed by the conveying device, and performs printing by ejecting ink from the nozzles to the tablet being conveyed by the conveying device. The control device increases either one of a resolution in the conveying direction of the tablet at the time of performing the printing and a resolution in the array direction of the nozzles at the time of performing the printing higher than the other according to a print density or a print shape on the tablet, and controls the printing device to perform the printing.

[Problem to be Solved] To provide a tablet printing apparatus that can prevent drying of ink on the tip end of each nozzle of an inkjet printing mechanism, when a tablet does not arrive at a print position. [Solution] A tablet printing apparatus includes: conveyor mechanismthat conveys sequentially fed tablets by moving a conveyor belt; an inkjet printing mechanism that performs printing on a tablet in a print position; a suction mechanismthat holds a tablet on the surface of the conveyor belt in a predetermined area including at least the print position by sucking in air; determination means (S) that determines whether a tablet arrives at the print position; and head retreat means (, S) that retreats an inkjet headsuch that a tip end part of each of the nozzles of the inkjet printing mechanism goes away from the surface of the conveyor belt, when it is determined that a tablet does not arrive at the print position.

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes: a conveying path where a tablet is conveyed; a drying device configured to dry the tablet in the conveying path; and a print head device located on the downstream side of the drying device in the conveying path. The print head device is configured to perform printing on the tablet dried by the drying device.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Ryo Ikuta