Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments – With common discharge outlet
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-24
2003-07-01
Walsh, Donald P (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
With common discharge outlet
C221S124000, C053S154000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585132
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a pharmaceutical automation system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tablet cassette cabinet assembly for an automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system, which substantially increases tablet cassette capacity within a limited space reserved for the system while improving tablet cassette management efficiency.
An automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system is generally provided with a tablet packaging portion and a tablet dropping portion placed above the packaging portion. The tablet dropping portion includes a plurality of tablet cassettes containing different sets of tablets.
In order to increase capacity for housing the tablet cassettes, a flat type cabinet or a cylindrical type cabinet has been widely adopted to stack therein as many tablet cassettes as the system allows. Each tablet in the tablet cassettes comes to fall through a hole into the tablet packaging portion. So each hole inevitably holds on its wall either dusts or debris out of the dropping tablets. A tiny amount of tablet debris may result in medical care for a patient taking tablets packaged through the conventional tablet dispensing and packaging system.
A strong demand in the market is to provide a system that the hole for tablet passage can be easily cleaned or vacuumed while increasing system capacity of housing tablet cassettes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system with slider cabinets, that facilitates cleaning and vacuuming of tablet passages through which tablets are dropped in a tablet packaging unit.
Another object of the present invention is to substantially increase capacity of housing tablet cassettes in the system while facilitating management efficiency of the system.
To achieve the above-described objects, the tablet supplying and packaging system according to the present invention comprises a tablet packaging unit having an upper portion and a first base cabinet mounted on top of the upper portion of the tablet packaging unit. The base cabinet is defined by a front surface, a rear surface and side ends, wherein one of the side ends is swingably engaged to the tablet packaging unit.
The system also includes one or more slider cabinets each defined by longer side surfaces and shorter side surfaces. The slider cabinets are horizontally aligned in rear of the base cabinet such that said each longer side surface of the slider cabinets becomes perpendicular to the rear surface of the base cabinet. The slider cabinets are linearly slidable to move back and forth so that the forward sliding of the slider cabinets can be effected when the base cabinet is swung open, whereby the slider cabinets are selectively pulled out through a space reserved by opening the base cabinet.
In a preferred version, the system includes a plurality of tablet cassettes each containing therein and dropping therefrom a predetermined number of tablets. The tablet cassettes are detachably racked in said each cabinet in columns and rows. The system further includes a guide hopper disposed beneath the cabinets into the tablet packaging unit so as to guide the tablets selectively dropped from the tablet cassettes into the tablet packaging unit, and a controller to administer the tablet dropping from the tablet cassettes and the tablet packaging in the tablet packaging unit.
For a better version, the system may include first and second base cabinets each defined by a front surface, a rear surface, an inner side end and an outer side end, wherein said each base cabinet is mounted on top of the upper portion of the tablet packaging unit and linearly aligned such that the inner side ends of the base cabinets approach each other, wherein one of the side ends of said each base cabinet is swingably engaged to the tablet packaging unit.
Alternately, the system according to the present invention includes at least first to fourth base cabinets each defined by a front surface, a rear surface, and inner side end and an outer side end. The first and second base cabinets are mounted on top of the upper portion of the tablet packaging unit and linearly aligned such that the inner side ends of the first and second base cabinets approach each other. One of the side ends of said each first and second base cabinet is swingably engaged to the tablet packaging unit, wherein one of the side ends of said each third and fourth base cabinet is swingably engaged to said each first and second base cabinet;
The advantages of the automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system according to the present invention are numerous in that: the swingable mechanism of the tablet cassette cabinets enables a simultaneous vacuuming of each tablet passage in each cabinet by simply opening the base cabinets, wherein each tablet is dropped from each tablet cassette through the upright tablet passage into the tablet packaging unit; and the sliding mechanism of the tablet cassettes in combination with the swing mechanism substantially increases tablet cassette capacity as well as improving tablet cassette management efficiency in a limited system installation space.
Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4664289 (1987-05-01), Shimizu et al.
patent: 5348061 (1994-09-01), Riley et al.
patent: 5709063 (1998-01-01), Yuyama et al.
patent: 5852911 (1998-12-01), Yuyama et al.
patent: 5901876 (1999-05-01), Yuyama et al.
patent: 6012602 (2000-01-01), Yuyama et al.
patent: 6050064 (2000-04-01), Yuyama et al.
patent: 6145700 (2000-11-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 6471090 (2002-10-01), Inamura et al.
patent: 6478185 (2002-11-01), Kodama et al.
patent: 6481180 (2002-11-01), Takahashi et al.
Park John K.
Park & Sutton LLP
Schiak Daniel K
Walsh Donald P
LandOfFree
Tablet cassette assembly with slider cabinets for automatic... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tablet cassette assembly with slider cabinets for automatic..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tablet cassette assembly with slider cabinets for automatic... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3050514