Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-23
2001-03-27
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S236000, C700S240000, C700S216000, C700S244000, C221S002000, C221S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208911
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a solid drug filling apparatus for filling a solid drug (all of solidified drugs such as tablets, capsules, pills, and troches will be referred to as solid drugs, hereinbelow) designated by a prescription into a vessel in a hospital or the like.
Hitherto, in the hospital or the like, by using a tablet packing machine as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication Laid-Open No. 3-59 (1991) (A61J3/00), a plurality of kinds of tablets prescribed by a doctor are divided and packed every dose and are then presented to a client. According to the dividing and packing method, however, since tablets as much as dose are discharged, collected, and packed by a hopper, a conveyor, or the like, when a waiting time for collecting tablets is included, a long time is required until the packing is completed. Since the collecting operation of tablets entirely depends on a gravity by the hopper or conveyor, a size of the apparatus is large as a whole.
On the other hand, there is also a tablet filling apparatus for filling prescribed tablets into a vessel such as a phial (or a bag) every kind, thereby presenting to a client. In case of the tablet filling apparatus, the conventional apparatus is constructed in such a manner that a plurality of tablet cases each receiving tablets every kind are arranged so as to be inclined forwardly and lowly in a locker arrangement manner, a discharging mechanism for discharging a tablet in the tablet case is provided for each tablet case, and designated tablets in the tablet cases are discharged from the discharging mechanisms on the basis of a prescription, respectively.
In the tablet filling apparatus, since tablets are not divided and packed every dose, the filling operation of tablets can be performed for a short time as compared with the foregoing tablet packing machine. However, an operation such that an operator carries a vessel to the tablet cases and fills tablets from the discharging mechanisms into the vessel is necessary. Particularly, in case of many kinds of tablets, the operation to fill each kind of tablets into the vessel is very complicated, so that a long time is required.
Since the apparatus is constructed in such a manner that a plurality of tablet cases are arranged in a locker arrangement manner at a surface of a wall, a reduction in size of the whole apparatus which has been desired in the conventional tablet packing machine cannot be accomplished.
The applicant has developed a structure such that a turntable is provided under the plurality of arranged tablet cases, a holder device is further provided under the turntable, tablets discharged from the tablet cases are collected to a guide on the outer rim while being received on the turntable, the tablets are discharged from a discharge orifice formed through the guide into a holder of the holder device and is held.
According to the construction, the operation to fill tablets can be executed at one portion and a size of the whole apparatus in the vertical direction can be decreased as compared with the conventional apparatus of a conveyor type or a locker arrangement type. However, there is a limitation in decrease of size due to the relation that the rotating turntable and holder device have to be arranged in the vertical direction.
On the other hand, a further compaction of the apparatus has been desired and a development of a construction which can satisfy such a desire has been required. In the conventional structure, since motors are necessary to rotate the turntable and holder device, an electric power consumption increases and the structure is complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made in order to solve the conventional technical problems and intends that a structure of a solid drug filling apparatus for filling solid drugs such as tablets into a predetermined vessel is simplified and a size of the solid drug filling apparatus is remarkably decreased.
A solid drug filling apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of tablet cases for receiving solid drugs every kind, a rotary plate which is rotatably disposed under these tablet cases and which captures the solid drugs discharged from these tablet cases, a plurality of receiving sections formed on the upper surface of this rotary plate, discharge orifices formed through bottom portions of the respective receiving sections, a guide portion for guiding the solid drugs to a predetermined vessel, a shutter for opening or closing this guide portion or the discharge orifice, and a control device for discharging the solid drugs from the tablet cases receiving the predetermined kinds of solid drugs on the basis of predetermined prescription data, when the solid drug is discharged from the tablet case, the rotary plate being rotated by this control device to adjust the position of the receiving section, whereby the solid drug falling from the tablet case is dropped in the predetermined receiving section, in filling the solid drug into the vessel, the rotary plate being rotated by the control device so that the discharge orifice of the receiving section may coincide with the guide portion, the shutter being then opened.
According to the invention, solid drugs are discharged from the tablet cases for receiving solid drugs every kind by the control device. The solid drugs discharged from the tablet case are dropped in the predetermined receiving section whose position is adjusted by the rotation of the rotary plate and are temporarily received. The discharge orifice of the receiving section is made coincide with the guide portion by the rotation of the rotary plate and the shutter is then opened, so that the solid drugs in the receiving section are supplied to the guide portion from the discharge orifice and are guided into a vessel, and the vessel is filled.
Therefore, solid drugs designated among a plurality of kinds can be filled into a vessel at one guide portion, respectively, so that an operation efficiency is remarkably improved. In particular, since the operation such that the solid drug is dropped in the predetermined receiving section by only the rotation of the rotary plate and the discharge orifice of the receiving section may coincide with the guide portion is realized, a time required to fill can be remarkably reduced, so that a waiting time until drugs are presented to a client is further shortened and services can be improved.
For example, in case of successively filling a plurality of kinds of solid drugs, or the like, the solid drugs can be received and held in a plurality of receiving sections, respectively. Consequently, the processes can be smoothly executed in parallel. The number of machine parts is also reduced as compared with that of the conventional apparatus, so that the structure can be simplified and a further compaction of the apparatus can be realized. Accordingly, it is possible to further contribute to the effective use of spaces in facilities such as hospitals or pharmacies.
In the above-mentioned apparatus, the receiving sections are defined among a plurality of partitions formed on the upper surface of the rotary plate and the partitions are disposed so as to radially extend from the rotational center of the rotary plate.
According to the above construction, in addition to the foregoing, the receiving sections are constructed among a plurality of partitions formed on the upper surface of the rotary plate and the partitions are provided so as to radially extend from the rotational center of the rotary plate, so that a position adjusting control of the receiving section by a rotation angle of the rotary plate can be easily executed, an accurate and rapid operation is realized, and a reduction in costs for development of a control program or the like can be also realized.
Further, in the above respective inventions, the shutter opens or closes an inlet of the guide portion.
In addition to the above respective inventions, since the apparatus has a structure such that the inlet of the guide por
Haraguchi Manabu
Takahashi Hideyuki
Tobe Ryuzo
Yamaoka Kazushi
Butler Michael E.
Darby & Darby
Ellis Christopher P.
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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