KR102760910B1 - Apparatus for counting of tablet - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pill-counting device. A pill-counting device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pill supply unit for supplying pills, a weight measuring unit for measuring a weight, a transport unit positioned below the pill supply unit and spaced apart from the weight measuring unit and guiding the pill to move above the weight measuring unit, and a control unit for comparing the weight measurement information of the pill with preset weight setting information and controlling the transport unit to move to a discharge port if the weight measurement information is within a preset normal range.

Description

{APPARATUS FOR COUNTING OF TABLET}

The present invention relates to a pill counting device, and more specifically, a technology for precisely measuring the weight of a pill to determine whether it is defective is disclosed.

In the case of a pill counter, the pills are aligned by a vibrator and supplied and dropped into the inlet, and the number and shape are selected and counted by a vision camera. In this case, the existing method is difficult to distinguish one pill from another with the vision camera when the pills are stuck and moving, making it difficult to count accurately. In addition, since the pills change into various shapes as they fall, it is difficult to distinguish the exact size, and there is an error in counting when the pills are stuck together, so many shapes must be acquired when setting the camera, so there was a problem that the camera had to be set every time, which was inconvenient.

Among the conventional technologies, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0056370 relates to a pill counting device using vision images, and discloses a technology for counting the number of pills by performing vision inspection while moving the pills. In particular, by moving the pills while spacing them apart, the counting error of the pills during the vision inspection can be minimized. In addition, by maintaining a certain shape when the pills fall along the inclined surface of the slide, the accuracy of pill identification can be improved.

However, the above conventional technology measures the weight of a pill contained in a pill container, but has a limitation in that errors in weight measurement occur as the weight value fluctuates due to the container being placed on and moved in a weight checking device.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pill counting device that minimizes errors by preventing contact with the measuring plate when measuring the weight of a pill.

In addition, the purpose is to provide a pill counting device that can measure the weight of a pill to determine whether it is defective and process it so that it is not contained in a container if it is defective.

In addition, the purpose is to provide a pill counting device capable of precise weight measurement by removing foreign substances from the measuring plate when measuring the weight of a pill.

A pill counting device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pill supply unit for supplying pills, a weight measuring unit for measuring a weight, a transport unit positioned below the pill supply unit and spaced apart from the weight measuring unit and guiding the pill to move above the weight measuring unit, and a control unit for comparing the weight measurement information of the pill with preset weight setting information and controlling the transport unit to move to a discharge port if the weight measurement information is within a preset normal range.

In addition, the control unit may determine that the weight measurement information is defective if it exceeds a preset normal range compared to the weight setting information, and move the transport unit to a preset third location other than the discharge port.

In addition, the transport unit may include a receiving unit formed in a cup shape with upper and lower portions open and positioned at a distance smaller than the thickness of the tablet from the measuring plate of the weight measuring unit, and a driving unit that moves the receiving unit in a preset direction and length.

In addition, the weight measuring unit may further include a guide unit spaced apart at a preset interval below the weight measuring unit to guide the tablets discharged from the discharge port into a container.

In addition, the present invention further includes an air injection unit that removes foreign substances from the tablet by injecting air at a preset pressure onto the surface of the weight measurement unit, and the control unit can determine whether or not the tablet is defective by injecting air onto the tablet and then re-measuring the weight if the weight measurement information exceeds a preset normal range.

Accordingly, errors can be minimized by preventing the tablet from coming into contact with the measuring plate when measuring its weight.

Additionally, the weight of the pill can be measured to determine whether it is defective and if so, it can be processed so that it is not placed in the container.

In addition, precise weight measurement is possible by removing foreign substances from the measuring plate when measuring the weight of the pill.

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a pill counting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the pill supply unit of the pill counting device according to Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are exemplary diagrams for explaining the state before movement of the transport section of the pill counting device according to Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 are exemplary diagrams for explaining the state after movement of the transport section of the pill counting device according to Figure 1.
FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are exemplary drawings for explaining that the moving direction of the transfer unit of the pill counting device according to FIG. 1 changes depending on whether or not the weight information of the pill is defective.
FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the addition of an air injection unit to the pill counting device according to FIG. 1.
FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the addition of a vision inspection section to the pill counting device according to FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the addition of a sorting unit to the pill counting device according to FIG. 1.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The terms used are terms selected in consideration of their functions in the embodiments, and the meanings of the terms may vary depending on the intentions of the user or operator, precedents, etc. Therefore, the meanings of the terms used in the embodiments described below shall follow the definitions in this specification, and in the absence of a specific definition, they shall be interpreted as meanings generally recognized by those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a pill counting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a pill supply unit in the pill counting device according to FIG. 1, FIGS. 3 and 4 are exemplary diagrams for explaining a state before movement of a transport unit in the pill counting device according to FIG. 1, FIGS. 5 and 6 are exemplary diagrams for explaining a state after movement of a transport unit in the pill counting device according to FIG. 1, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are exemplary diagrams for explaining that the direction of movement of the transport unit in the pill counting device according to FIG. 1 changes depending on whether or not weight information of the pills is defective.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a pill counting device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on the upper side of a conveyor (101). The pill counting device (100) counts and supplies a fixed amount of pills (10) to a plurality of containers (20) moving along the conveyor (101). In this case, the conveyor (101) may be configured with two or four lines to transport the containers (20). In this case, two or four pill counting devices (100) may be installed in a state in which they are connected to each other. More specifically, the pill counting device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pill supply unit (110), a weight measuring unit (120), a transport unit (130), and a control unit (140).

The pill supply unit (110) supplies pills (10). The pill supply unit (110) supplies the pills (10) supplied to the hopper (111) to the vibrating unit (112). The vibrating unit (112) transports the pills (10) by one or more vibrating members. The vibrating unit (112) can use vibration to move the pills (10) along the line of a preset V-groove. This is to allow the pills (10) to be separated from each other. A first sliding unit (112-1) is formed on one side of the vibrating unit (112) to cause the pills (10) to fall in a state of being separated from each other toward the rotating unit (113).

In addition, the rotating part (113) of the pill supply part (110) supplies a plurality of pills (10) downwards using a plurality of drums. The rotating part (113) is formed in multiples and automatically rotates to transport the pills (10) downwards. In this case, a weight measuring part (120) and a transport part (130) are positioned at the bottom of the rotating part (113). When the rotating part (113) supplies the pills (10) downwards, it is preferable that the transport part (130) be aligned and positioned.

The weight measuring unit (120) measures the weight of the pill (10). For example, the weight measuring unit (120) can be implemented using a load cell. The weight measuring unit (120) can be set to enable precise measurement. A measuring plate (121) is formed on the upper portion of the weight measuring unit (120), and an outlet (122) is perforated on one side of the measuring plate (121). The outlet (122) is a hole for moving the pill (10) to the lower portion of the measuring plate (121) in the weight measuring unit (120). It is preferable that a container (20) for receiving the pill (10) is positioned below the outlet (122). This is to ensure that a pill (10) within a normal range is received in the container (20).

The transfer unit (130) is positioned at the bottom of the pill supply unit (110) and is spaced apart from the weight measuring unit (120). The transfer unit (130) causes the pill (10) to move to the top of the weight measuring unit (120). More specifically, the transfer unit (130) includes a receiving unit (131) and a driving unit (132). For example, the receiving unit (131) may be formed in a cylindrical shape with the top and bottom open, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The receiving unit (131) may be positioned so as not to come into contact with the weight measuring unit (120). This is to prevent errors due to contact with the weight measuring unit (120). The gap between the receiving unit (131) and the measuring plate (121) may be adjusted and may be set smaller than the thickness of the pill (10). This is to prevent the pill (10) from being separated from the receiving unit (131).

In addition, the driving unit (132) of the transport unit (130) can be implemented using a cylinder. One side of the driving unit (132) is connected to the receiving unit (131) and can move the receiving unit (131) to a certain length and direction. In this case, the driving unit (132) is connected to the receiving unit (131) and moves it horizontally. The moving direction of the driving unit (132) is controlled by the control unit (140). While the driving unit (132) moves the receiving unit (131) horizontally, the weight of the pill (10) is measured on the measuring plate (121). After the measurement is completed, the driving unit (132) moves the receiving unit (131) to the discharge port (122) of the measuring plate (121) so that the pills (10) are introduced into the container (20).

The control unit (140) compares the weight measurement information of the pill (10) with the preset weight setting information to determine whether it is normal. In this case, the weight of one pill (10) can be set as the weight setting information, and the number and weight to be supplied to one container (20) can be included as the weight setting information. The control unit (140) can determine the total number of pills (10) with the weight measurement information. If it is within the preset normal range, the control unit (140) controls the transport unit (130) to move to the discharge port (122). This is to transport the pill (10) having the normal weight measurement range to the container (20).

In addition, the control unit (140) determines that the weight measurement information is defective if it exceeds the preset normal range by comparing it with the weight setting information. This is to determine that the tablets (10) are defective if some of the tablets (10) are broken or damaged and the total weight changes. The control unit (140) moves the transfer unit (130) to a preset third position other than the discharge port (122). Here, the third position may be in the opposite direction to the discharge port (122) or may be variable according to the user's setting, such as in the left and right direction. The third position is to separate the defective tablets (10) from the normal tablets (10).

Meanwhile, the pill counting device (100) according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a guide part (150).

The guide part (150) is installed at a preset interval at the bottom of the weight measuring part (120). In this case, the guide part (150) is fixed to the body of the pill counting device (100). The guide part (150) is formed as a tube having an open upper and lower portions and an empty interior. For example, it may be formed in a shape that tapers from the upper portion to the lower portion. The guide part (150) serves to guide the pill (10) discharged from the discharge port (122) to the container (20).

One side of the guide part (150) is formed at a position spaced apart from the weight measuring part (120) at a preset interval at the bottom of the discharge port (122). This is to prevent the pill (10) that has exited the discharge port (122) from being separated between the weight measuring part (120) and the guide part (150). The other side of the guide part (150) is positioned above the injection port of the container (20). In this case, the gap between the guide part (150) and the container (20) is spaced apart at a preset interval, but may be positioned smaller than the thickness of the pill (10). Therefore, the pill (10) that has been discharged through the discharge port (122) can be accommodated in the container (20) without being separated through the guide part (150).

FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the addition of an air injection unit to the pill counting device according to FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 9, the pill counting device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an air injection unit (160).

The air injection unit (160) is formed on one side of the body of the pill counter (100) and injects air of a preset intensity. The air injection unit (160) can inject air onto the surface of the weight measuring unit (120) through a nozzle. This is to prevent weight errors from occurring due to pill powder on the surface of the weight measuring unit (120). After the pill (10) is discharged through the discharge port (122) on the weight measuring unit (120), the air injection unit (160) injects air to remove foreign substances on the surface of the weight measuring unit (120).

In this case, the control unit (140) can control the operation timing of the air injection unit (160), the air pressure, etc. The control unit (140) can drive the air injection unit (160) when the pill (10) is discharged through the discharge port (122) via the transport unit (130). The control unit (140) can also drive air toward the receiving unit (131) even when the pill (10) is received in the receiving unit (131). This is to remove dust or powder from the pill (10) received in the receiving unit (131) to measure the weight of the pill (10) more precisely. The control unit (140) can also drive the air injection unit (160) and then re-measure the weight when the weight measurement information exceeds a preset value. This is to prevent errors in the weight measurement information from occurring due to powder or foreign substances being attached to the pill (10) during the transport process.

FIG. 11 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the addition of a sorting unit to the pill counting device according to FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 11, the pill counting device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a vision inspection unit (170).

The vision inspection unit (170) performs vision inspection on the tablets (10) moving in the tablet supply unit (110). For example, the vision inspection unit (170) captures a vision image while the tablets (10) move in the tablet supply unit (110) and counts the tablets (10). In this case, the vision inspection unit (170) can obtain the shape of the tablets (10) as image information while counting the tablets (10). For example, the vision inspection unit (170) is formed on one side of the tablet supply unit (110). The vision inspection unit (170) can be implemented using a camera, an infrared sensor, etc., but is not necessarily limited thereto.

In this case, the control unit (140) controls the vision inspection unit (170) and acquires image information from the vision inspection unit (170). The control unit (140) compares the first counting information obtained by counting the pills (10) supplied from the pill supply unit (110) using the image information with the second counting information counted based on the weight information of the pills (10) measured by the weight measurement unit (120) to determine whether they match. If the first counting information and the second counting information match, the control unit (140) determines that they are normal, and if they do not match, the control unit determines that they are defective. Accordingly, more accurate counting is possible by securing the counting information of the pills (10) twice.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the addition of a vision inspection section to the pill counting device according to FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 10, the pill counting device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a selection unit (180).

The sorting unit (180) sorts out the pills (10) determined to be defective by the conveying unit (130) and distinguishes between normal and abnormal pills (10). In this case, the sorting unit (180) receives the pills (10) determined to be defective through the second sliding unit (123). The sorting unit (180) analyzes the image information of the falling pills (10) and distinguishes between normal and defective pills (10). The sorting unit (180) can strike and separate defective pills (10) from among the falling pills (10) using a striking rod (180-1) drawn out from the body. This is to separate only the defective pills (10) from among the group of pills (10) selected as defective and then re-sort them. The pills (10) determined to be normal through the selection unit (180) can be supplied to the weight measurement unit (120) through the supply unit again.

In this case, the control unit (140) can obtain image information of the pill (10) falling through the sliding unit through the vision inspection unit (170). If the control unit (140) determines that the pill (10) is defective, it can drive the sorting unit (180) to strike and separate the defective pill (10). If the control unit (140) is normal, it can store the pill (10) in a designated storage box (181) through the vision inspection unit (170). In this case, an auxiliary scale (182) can be formed at the bottom of the storage box (181). The control unit (140) measures the weight information of the pills (10) stored in the storage box (181) through the auxiliary scale (182) and counts the pills (10). The control unit (140) analyzes the third coefficient information obtained through the storage unit (181) and, if defective, supplies the pills (10) in the storage unit (181) to be selected again through the selection unit (180). Accordingly, only the defective pills (10) are selected from a group of multiple pills (10) determined to be defective by the weight measurement unit (120), thereby minimizing wasted pills (10).

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments described with reference to the drawings, it is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the present invention should be interpreted by the description of the claims intended to encompass obvious modifications that can be derived from the described embodiments.

100 : Pill counter
101 : Conveyor
110 : Pill Supply Department
111 : Hopper
112 : Vibration section
112-1: 1st sliding section
113 : Rotating part
120 : Weight measuring section
121 : Measuring plate
122 : exhaust port
123: 2nd sliding section
130 : Transport section
131 : Reception area
132 : Drive Unit
140 : Control Unit
150 : Guide Department
160 : Air injection part
170 : Vision Inspection Department
180 : Selection Department
180-1 : Striking Rod
181 : Storage
182 : Auxiliary scale
10 : Pill
20 : Courage

Claims (5)

A pill dispensing unit that supplies pills;
A weighing unit for measuring weight;
A transfer unit positioned at the bottom of the tablet supply unit and spaced apart from the weight measuring unit, and guiding the tablet to move to the top of the weight measuring unit; and
Including a control unit that compares the weight measurement information of the above tablet with the preset weight setting information and controls the transport unit to move to the discharge port if it is within the preset normal range.
The above transfer part,
A receiving portion formed in a cup shape with open upper and lower parts and positioned at a distance smaller than the thickness of the tablet and the measuring plate of the weight measuring portion; and
A pill counting device including a driving unit that moves the receiving unit in a preset direction and length. In the first paragraph,
The above control unit,
A pill counting device that determines that the weight measurement information is defective if it exceeds a preset normal range compared to the weight setting information and moves the transport unit to a preset third location other than the discharge port. delete In paragraph 1 or 2,
A pill counting device further comprising a guide section spaced apart at a preset interval below the weight measuring section to guide pills discharged from the discharge port into a container. In paragraph 1 or 2,
It further includes an air injection unit that removes foreign substances from the tablet by injecting air at a preset pressure onto the surface of the weight measuring unit.
The above control unit,
A pill counting device that determines whether a pill is defective by spraying air into the pill and re-measuring the weight when the above weight measurement information exceeds the preset normal range.