Patent Description:
Known as a conventional edible-body marking device is a configuration disclosed in Patent Document <NUM> for example. This marking device is provided with a carrying means to carry edible bodies, a detection means to detect edible bodies, and a marking means to form a marking pattern on edible bodies by laser light scanning, and configured so that edible bodies carried by the carrying means are imaged by the detection means to acquire orientation data of the edible bodies, and the marking means forms a preset marking pattern according to the orientations of the edible bodies according to the orientation data. Patent Literature <NUM> provides an edible object marking apparatus and method for forming a marking pattern on edible objects such as pharmaceutical products and food products.

In general, in forming a marking pattern such as a character or logo by laser light scanning on carried works, marking start and end points are preset so as to allow an efficient formation within a short time.

For example, in marking with characters "XYZ" in the order of "Z", "Y", and "X" in a one-stroke drawing manner along a dividing line of tablets by the marking device of Patent Document <NUM> mentioned above, as shown in <FIG>, if a tablet E moves in the same direction as the order of "XYZ" formed on the opposite side of engraved marks S across the dividing line C, because the moving distance La of the tablet E while a laser-irradiated point moves from the start point SP to the end point EP is short, the formation of the marking pattern M can be completed within a short time.

However, because the orientation of the carried tablet E is random, as shown in <FIG>, if the orientation of the tablet E is vertically reversed, thereby the tablet E moves in the opposite direction of the order of "XYZ", the moving distance Lb of the tablet E while scanning is performed from the start point SP to the end point EP becomes longer, therefore the formation of the marking pattern M could take a longer time. On the other hand, if the moving speed of the tablet E is increased for reducing the formation time of the marking pattern M, the scanning speed of laser light needs to be increased accordingly, causing a problem that marking quality declines.

Then, the objective of this invention is to offer an edible-body marking device and a method that can perform laser marking swiftly and precisely regardless of the orientations of edible bodies.

According to the present invention, an edible-body marking device is provided, as defined by independent claim <NUM>. The edible-body marking device comprises a carrier device that carries an edible body, a detection part that detects the edible body, and a laser processing part that forms a marking pattern on the edible body by using laser light, wherein the carrier device sequentially carries the edible body to the detection part and the laser processing part. Wherein, the detection part images the edible body to acquire orientation information regarding an orientation of the edible body, and the laser processing part has a memory part that stores in advance multiple pieces of marking procedure information regarding formation procedures of the marking pattern in association with their respectively different pieces of the orientation information, and forms the marking pattern on the edible body according to the marking procedure information extracted from the memory part based on the orientation information acquired by the detection part.

In the edible-body marking device, the multiple pieces of the marking procedure information preferably have mutually different marking start points in the marking patterns.

The multiple pieces of marking procedure information each preferably have the marking start points set on a downstream side of a center of the edible body in a carrying direction.

The detection part preferably further acquires position information regarding a position of the edible body, and the laser processing part is able to form the marking pattern on the edible body based on the orientation information and the position information.

The laser processing part is able to form the marking pattern on the edible body that is packaged in a transparent packaging material through which the laser light is transmitted.

According to the present invention, an edible-body marking method is provided, as defined by independent claim <NUM>. The method comprises a detection step that detects an edible body carried by a carrier device, and a marking step that form a marking pattern on the edible body. The detection step images the edible body to acquire orientation information regarding an orientation of the edible body, and the marking step forms the marking pattern on the edible body according to marking procedure information extracted based on the orientation information acquired in the detection step from a memory part that memorizes multiple pieces of marking procedure information in association with respectively different pieces of the orientation information.

The marking step is able to form the marking pattern on the edible body that is packaged in a transparent packaging material through which the laser light is transmitted.

The edible-body marking device and method of this invention allow swift and precise laser marking regardless of the orientations of edible bodies.

Below, an embodiment of this invention is explained referring to attached drawings. <FIG> is an outline configuration diagram of an edible-body marking device of an embodiment of this invention. As shown in <FIG>, the edible-body marking device <NUM> is provided with a supply device <NUM> that supplies edible bodies, a first carrier device <NUM> that receives edible bodies supplied from the supply device <NUM> and carries them, a second carrier device <NUM> that receives edible bodies from the first carrier device <NUM> and carries them, and a discharge device <NUM> that receives edible bodies from the second carrier device <NUM> and discharges them to the outside.

The supply device <NUM> is provided with a hopper <NUM> into which thrown are edible bodies having a regular shape such as tablet, capsule, or empty capsule, a feeder <NUM> that aligns edible bodies inside the hopper <NUM>, and a supply drum <NUM> that carries edible bodies guided by the feeder <NUM>, and edible bodies are supplied from the supply drum <NUM> to the first carrier device <NUM> via an intermediate drum <NUM>. The supply drum <NUM> and the intermediate drum <NUM> are provided with many holding parts 13a or 14a made of recesses aligned along the axial direction and the circumferential direction of their cylindrical outer circumferential faces, allowing them to suction-hold and carry edible bodies accommodated in their holding parts 13a or 14a, respectively.

The first carrier device <NUM> is formed in a drum shape in the same manner as the supply drum <NUM> and the intermediate drum <NUM>, and as shown partially cut out in <FIG>, many holding parts <NUM> that hold edible bodies E are installed with equal intervals along both the circumferential direction and the axial direction. Each holding part <NUM> has a suction hole <NUM> formed on its bottom, and can suction-hold an edible body E accommodated in the holding part <NUM> through the suction hole <NUM> by depressurizing the interior of the first carrier device <NUM> and carry the edible body E along the rotational direction of the first carrier device <NUM> while preventing the orientation of the edible body E from changing while carrying it.

The second carrier device <NUM> is configured in the same manner as the first carrier device <NUM>, having holding parts <NUM> formed on its drum-shaped outer circumferential face. Edible bodies carried by the first carrier device <NUM> are front-back reversed when they are handed over to the second carrier device <NUM>, and are carried to the discharge device <NUM>.

In the edible-body marking device <NUM> provided with the above-mentioned configuration, a first detection part <NUM>, a first laser processing part <NUM>, and a first marking inspection part <NUM> are installed in the vicinity of the first carrier device <NUM> sequentially along the carrying direction of the first carrier device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram of the first detection part <NUM> and the first laser processing part <NUM>. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first detection part <NUM> is provided with an irradiation part <NUM> that irradiates edible bodies carried to a detection area A1 with illumination light, an imaging part <NUM> such as a CCD area camera or CCD line camera that images edible bodies from a different direction from the irradiation direction of the irradiation part <NUM>, and an image processing part <NUM> that processes image information of edible bodies imaged by the imaging part <NUM> to acquire orientation information of the edible bodies.

The irradiation part <NUM> is a ring lighting for example, and can irradiate each edible body uniformly from its whole circumference. If the edible body is a tablet having a groove-shaped dividing line, orientation information of the edible body can be acquired in the image processing part <NUM> based on an image of the dividing line of the edible body acquired by the imaging part <NUM>. Although orientation information is not particularly limited as far as it can identify the orientation of each edible body, in this embodiment it is an angle indicating the orientation of a dividing line relative to the carrying direction and set within a range of <NUM>-<NUM> degrees. Distinguishing the upper and lower parts of each edible body across its dividing line (e. , judging whether orientation information is <NUM> degree or <NUM> degrees) can utilize its characteristic such as engraving or a mark formed on the edible body, or its outer shape if the edible body has a heteromorphic outer shape (such as a tear shape).

Note that detecting the orientation of each edible body is not limited to the method that detects its divining line. For example, if multiple recesses are formed on the edible body, these recesses can be utilized as alignment marks to detect its orientation. Also, if the form of each edible body is non-circular such as polygonal or elliptical, the orientation of the edible body can be detected from part or the whole of its outline. Position information and orientation information regarding the position and orientation of edible bodies detected in the first detection part <NUM> are individually associated with the arrangement of edible bodies on the first carrier device <NUM> and output to the first laser processing part <NUM> and the first marking inspection part <NUM> by Ethernet communication, serial communication, or the like.

The first laser processing part <NUM> is provided with a light source part <NUM> that emits laser light, a scanning part <NUM> that scans laser light emitted from the light source part <NUM> by a Galvano scanner, a memory part <NUM> that memorizes information on a marking pattern, and a control part <NUM> that controls the output of the light source part <NUM> and the scanning by the scanning part <NUM>, and can perform marking by laser-spot scanning of edible bodies carried to a marking area A2. Note that although the memory part <NUM> is built in the first laser processing part <NUM>, a memory device separate from the first laser processing part <NUM> can be utilized. Laser light emitted from the light source part <NUM> should preferably enter the surface of each edible body approximately vertically, thereby variation in laser-irradiated area on the surface of the edible body is minimized, suppressing variation in marking density, etc..

Listed as examples of laser light emitted from the light source part <NUM> are solid laser light such as YVO<NUM> laser light, YLF laser light, or YAG laser light, gas laser light such as excimer laser light or carbon dioxide laser light, and liquid laser light such as dye laser light. Although listed as a preferable example of edible-body marking method is coloring the surface of each edible body by having it contain discoloration-inducing oxide such as titanium oxide, yellow iron sesquioxide, or iron sesquioxide, marking can also be performed by shaving part of its surface, and is not particularly limited.

The marking pattern memorized in the memory part <NUM> is, for example, a character, symbol, shape, or their combination, and stored in advance as coordinate information in a reference coordinate system. The control part <NUM> converts the coordinate information in the reference coordinate system into coordinate information in a processing coordinate system based on position and orientation information of each edible body input from the first detection part <NUM>, and controls driving the scanning part <NUM> in this processing coordinate system, thereby forming the marking pattern according to the orientation of the edible body.

Also, the memory part <NUM> memorizes marking procedure information in association with orientation information. The marking procedure information is information on the forming procedure of a marking pattern, and if the marking pattern is formed in a one-stroke drawing manner for example, it contains coordinate information in the reference coordinate system of the marking start and end points, on/off information of the light source part <NUM> for forming blanks between characters, etc. Multiple pieces of marking procedure information having different marking start points are memorized in association with orientation information so as to efficiently form the marking(s) according to the orientation of each edible body.

<FIG> is a diagram showing an example of marking procedure information table memorized in the memory part <NUM>. In the marking procedure information table shown in <FIG>, two marking procedures (procedures A and B) having different start points are associated with angle ranges of orientation information.

The first marking inspection part <NUM> is provided with an irradiation part <NUM> that irradiates edible bodies carried to an inspection area A3 with illumination light, and an imaging part <NUM> such as a CCD area camera or CCD line camera that images edible bodies. The irradiation part <NUM> should preferably irradiate them so as to clarify a marking pattern formed on the surface of each edible body, and for example, diffuses irradiation light from a light source such as LEDs by a diffusing light-guiding plate to induce surface emission.

The first marking inspection part <NUM> has reference pattern information corresponding to the marking pattern stored in advance in the memory part, extracts marking pattern information from information acquired by the imaging part <NUM> imaging edible bodies, and compares it with the reference pattern information based on orientation information input from the first detection part <NUM>, thereby inspecting marking accuracy of edible bodies. Because the preset reference pattern information is set in the reference coordinate system, after correcting the marking pattern information (or correcting the reference pattern information) based on position information and orientation information of edible bodies input from the first detection part <NUM>, the marking pattern information is compared with the reference pattern information to perform pattern matching etc..

Also, installed in the vicinity of the second carrier device <NUM> are a second detection part <NUM>, a second laser processing part <NUM>, and a second marking inspection part <NUM> sequentially along the carrying direction of the second carrier device <NUM>. The configurations of the second detection part <NUM>, the second laser processing part <NUM>, and the second marking inspection part <NUM> are the same as the configurations of the first detection part <NUM>, the first laser processing part <NUM>, and the first marking inspection part <NUM>, where the second detection part <NUM> is provided with an irradiation part <NUM> and an imaging part <NUM>, and the second marking inspection part <NUM> is provided with an irradiation part <NUM> and an imaging part <NUM>. The second carrier device <NUM> receives edible bodies from the first carrier device <NUM> and carries them, and the second laser processing part <NUM> performs marking on the opposite face from the face where a marking pattern was formed while being carried by the first carrier device <NUM>.

The discharge device <NUM> is provided with a sorting part <NUM> that sorts edible bodies based on the results of marking inspections in the first marking inspection part <NUM> and the second marking inspection part <NUM>, and only good products are guided to a discharge conveyer <NUM> to be discharged.

Next, explained is a method to perform marking on edible bodies using the edible-body marking device <NUM> provided with the above-mentioned configuration. Edible bodies E supplied from the supply device <NUM> to the first carrier device <NUM> shown in <FIG> are individually accommodated in the holding parts <NUM> so as to be aligned in the axial direction of the first carrier device <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. At this time, the orientations of a dividing line C and engraved marks S formed on each edible body E are random.

Once the edible bodies E are carried to the detection area A1 of the first detection part <NUM>, the imaging part <NUM> images the edible bodies E in each row for their image information, and the image processing part <NUM> acquires orientation information of the edible bodies E based on the image information containing the dividing line C and the engraved marks S. The acquired orientation information is sent to the first laser processing part <NUM>. Note that for any edible body E whose acquired image information has no dividing line C, such fact is output instead of orientation information.

Subsequently, once the edible bodies E are carried to the marking area A2 of the first laser processing part <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, marking is performed according to the orientation of each edible body E, forming a marking pattern M1 along the dividing line C. The formation procedure of the marking pattern M1 is determined based on orientation information of the edible body E according to the marking procedure information table shown in <FIG>.

For example, if orientation information (an angle of the dividing line C relative to the moving direction) is <NUM> degree, the procedure A is selected from the marking procedure information table, and as shown in <FIG>, the laser irradiation point moves from its origin O that is the center of the edible body E to the start point SP as indicated with a broken arrow to start marking, and marking is performed until the end point EP intervened with marking-off periods indicated with broken arrows, thereby marking with "Z", "Y", and "X" in that order. By marking an edible body E carried as shown in <FIG> according to this marking procedure information, forming the marking pattern M1 can be completed with a short moving distance L1.

On the other hand, if orientation information is <NUM> degrees, the procedure B is selected from the marking procedure information table shown in <FIG>, and as shown in <FIG>, the start point SP and the end point EP are set so that marking is performed in the order of "X", "Y", and "Z". By marking an edible body E carried as shown in <FIG> according to this marking procedure information, forming the marking pattern M1 can be completed with a short moving distance L2 in this case as well.

In this manner, by forming the marking pattern M1 on an edible body E according to the marking procedure information extracted from the memory part <NUM> based on the orientation information acquired by the first detection part <NUM>, regardless of the orientation of the edible body E, swift and precise marking can be performed on the edible body E with a short carrying distance.

The marking pattern M1 only needs to be formed considering the orientation of the dividing line C and need not necessarily be formed along the dividing line C as far as it does not overlap with the dividing line for example. For an edible body E having no dividing line C, as shown in <FIG>, a marking pattern M2 that is different from the above-mentioned marking pattern M1 may be formed, or no marking pattern may be formed.

If there is no need to distinguish the upper and lower parts of an edible body as in the case of a circular edible body having no engraved mark S, orientation information can be set to a range of <NUM>-<NUM> degrees. In this case, as the marking procedure information table shown in <FIG>, for example, two kinds of procedures can be set for the case of <NUM> degree or greater and smaller than <NUM> degrees or <NUM> degrees or greater and smaller than <NUM> degrees, and the case of <NUM> degrees or greater and smaller than <NUM> degrees.

Next, once edible bodies E are carried to the inspection area A3 of the first inspection part <NUM>, the imaging part <NUM> acquires image information of the edible bodies E in each row Afterwards, inclination of marking pattern information is corrected based on the orientation information acquired by the first detection part <NUM>, the corrected marking pattern information is compared with the preset reference pattern information, and marking precision is inspected by a publicly-known inspection method such as pattern matching.

After marking and inspection are performed on one face of the edible bodies E in this manner, the edible bodies E are handed from the first carrier device <NUM> over to the second carrier device <NUM>, and sequentially carried to the second detection part <NUM>, the second laser processing part <NUM>, and the second marking inspection part <NUM>, thereby marking and marking inspection are performed on the other face of the edible bodies E in the same manner as mentioned above. In other words, in the second laser processing part <NUM> marking on edible bodies is performed according to the marking procedure information extracted based on the orientation information acquired by the second detection part <NUM>, and in the second marking inspection part <NUM> a marking precision inspection is performed based on the orientation information acquired by the second detection part <NUM>. In the second laser processing part <NUM> and the second marking inspection part <NUM>, instead of the orientation information acquired by the second detection part <NUM>, marking and marking inspection can be performed based on the orientation information acquired by the first detection part <NUM>, thereby marking directions on the front and back of edible bodies can be matched.

Afterwards, the edible bodies E are carried from the second carrier device <NUM> to the discharge device <NUM>. Ib the discharge device <NUM>, marking quality judgement information of each edible body E is input from the first marking inspection part <NUM> and the second marking inspection part <NUM>, and edible bodies E judged as good are guided to the discharge conveyer <NUM> via the sorting part <NUM> while edible bodies E judged as bad are blown out by air in a bad product discharge part <NUM> and guided to a bad product discharge chute <NUM>. A bad product discharge checking sensor <NUM> checks whether any edible body E judged as bad remains in the second carrier device <NUM>, and if a bad edible body E remains, it is guided to a waste chute <NUM> in the sorting part <NUM>.

Although the marking procedure information memorized in the memory part <NUM> has two procedures A and B, it is not particularly limited as far as there are multiple procedures. For example, if characters "XYZ" and "ABC" are printed on both sides across the dividing line of each edible body, as in a marking procedure information table shown in <FIG>, four pieces of marking procedure information (procedures C-F) can be associated with orientation information at every <NUM> degrees. 1a-d correspond to the procedures C-F in <FIG>, having mutually different start points SP in their marking patterns. <FIG> show edible bodies marked according to the marking procedures C-F when orientation information is <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> degrees, respectively. Carrying distances L11, L12, L13, and L14 until completing the marking pattern formation are all suppressed to short distances, and swift and precise marking is possible regardless of the orientations of edible bodies E. Note that engraved marks S are omitted in <FIG>.

Each marking procedure information should preferably have the marking start point set on the downstream side of the center of each edible body (origin) in the carrying direction (e. , the right side of the origin O in <FIG>), thereby swift marking can be securely performed.

Although both the first carrier device <NUM> and the second carrier device <NUM> are made carrier drums in this embodiment, another configuration can be adopted as far as the posture of each edible body held does not change while being carried. For example, as shown in <FIG>, both the first carrier device <NUM> and the second carrier device <NUM> can be made conveyer devices such as slat conveyers or belt conveyers, and edible bodies carried horizontally by the first carrier device <NUM> can be front-back reversed by a reversing mechanism <NUM> and mounted and carried horizontally on the second carrier device <NUM>, thereby marking can be performed on both the front and back faces of the edible bodies in the same manner as in this embodiment. Also, as shown in <FIG>, the second carrier device <NUM> can be configured of a suction belt having suction holes that allow vacuum suction of edible bodies from above, the edible bodies carried horizontally from the first carrier device <NUM> can be suction-held by the second carrier device <NUM>, and marking can be performed from below, thereby marking can be performed on both the front and back faces of the edible bodies. In <FIG> the same codes are given to the same components as in <FIG>. Also, the first detection part <NUM>, the first laser processing part <NUM>, and the first marking inspection part <NUM> need not be arranged along the same carrier drum (or conveyer device). For example, in the edible-body marking device <NUM> shown in <FIG>, a new carrier drum or the like can be placed between the supply device <NUM> and the first carrier device <NUM>, and a new detection device can be installed so as to detect one face of edible bodies carried by this carrier drum to acquire orientation information of the edible bodies. According to this configuration, marking and marking inspection can be performed on the other face of the edible bodies based on the orientation information acquired from the one face of the edible bodies, thereby even if the marking target face has nothing to indicate its orientation such as a dividing line, marking can be performed according to the orientations of the edible bodies.

Forming a marking pattern on edible bodies by the first laser processing part <NUM> (or the second laser processing part <NUM>) can also be performed to edible bodies such as PTP packaged in a transparent packaging material (such as transparent plastic) that transmits laser light, where marking procedure information can be extracted based on orientation information acquired by the first detection part <NUM> (or the second detection part <NUM>) through the packaging material, and a marking pattern can be formed on the edible bodies through the packaging material. The kind of laser light in this case can also be selected as appropriate according to the packaging material etc. from those mentioned above.

Also, although making on the front and back faces of edible bodies is made possible by marking while the edible bodies are being carried by the first carrier device <NUM> and the second carrier device <NUM> in this embodiment, for example, if marking is performed only on one face of edible bodies having a dividing line formed on both faces, the edible body marking device <NUM> can be configured so as to perform marking only while the edible bodies are being carried by the first carrier device <NUM> without being provided with the second carrier device <NUM>, the second detection part <NUM>, the second laser processing part <NUM>, or the second marking inspection part <NUM> placed in its vicinity.

Although the edible body marking device <NUM> in this embodiment has a multiple-row system where the first carrier device <NUM> and the second carrier device <NUM> are provided with multiple holding parts <NUM> in the rotation axis direction, it can have a configuration where edible bodies are carried one by one. <FIG> is an outline configuration diagram showing an example such single-row system marking device, and the same codes are given to the components having the same functions as those in <FIG>.

Claim 1:
An edible-body marking device (<NUM>) comprising:
a carrier device (<NUM>) configured to carry an edible body,
a detection part (<NUM>) configured to detect the edible body, and
a laser processing part (<NUM>) configured to form a marking pattern on the edible body by using laser light, wherein the carrier device (<NUM>) is configured to sequentially carry the edible body to the detection part (<NUM>) and the laser processing part (<NUM>), wherein
the detection part (<NUM>) images the edible body to acquire orientation information regarding an orientation of the edible body, and characterized in that
the laser processing part (<NUM>)
has a memory part (<NUM>) that stores in advance multiple pieces of marking procedure information regarding formation procedures of the marking pattern in association with their respectively different pieces of the orientation information, and
forms the marking pattern on the edible body according to the marking procedure information extracted from the memory part (<NUM>) based on the orientation information acquired by the detection part (<NUM>).