Material or article handling – Plural – static structures for supporting discrete loads and... – Load-underlying members
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-27
2004-02-17
Hess, Douglas (Department: 3651)
Material or article handling
Plural, static structures for supporting discrete loads and...
Load-underlying members
C414S281000, C414S268000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06692211
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transfusion bottle feed apparatus.
Conventionally, there have been proposed various kinds of transfusion bottle apparatuses in which a plurality of transfusion bottles are grouped by their kinds and stored in the apparatus body by putting the plurality of transfusion bottles on storage shelves so that the transfusion bottles can be collected in accordance with a prescription data and fed to a patient.
In the conventional transfusion bottle apparatuses, the transfusion bottles having a capacity of 100 ml more or less to be frequently used occupy the most part of storage shelves. Thus, many kind of the transfusion bottles can not be stored and therefore a plurality of same apparatuses must be installed. Further, since many kinds of transfusion bottles exist in admixture, a mechanism for conveying each transfusion bottle to a collection container is complicated, whereby it takes long time to collect the transfusion bottles.
Moreover, in the conventional transfusion bottle apparatuses, since the transfusion bottle is gripped and dropped into the collection container from a fixed height, when a small transfusion bottle having a capacity of 100 ml more or less is dropped, it damages the transfusion bottles previously collected in the collection container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfusion bottle feed apparatus which can rapidly collect transfusion bottles with a simple conveying mechanism.
It is an another object of the present invention to provide a transfusion bottle feed apparatus which never damage the transfusion bottles.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a transfusion bottle feed apparatuses in which a plurality of transfusion bottles are grouped by their kinds and stored in an apparatus body so that the transfusion bottles can be fed to a patient in accordance with a prescription data, comprising:
a plural stages of storage shelves on which packaging boxes with the upper surface opened are put and stored, each of the packaging boxes contains same kind of the transfusion bottles, the packaging boxes in which same kind of the transfusion bottles are contained being put on the storage shelves in an up-and-down direction;
a first conveyor mechanism provided on each of the storage shelves for conveying the packaging box of the transfusion bottle stored on the storage shelves;
a lifter which can move upward and downward and can stop at the same levels as that of the storage shelves;
a second conveyor mechanism provided on the lifter for receiving and conveying the packaging box of the transfusion bottle conveyed from the storage shelves by the first conveyor mechanism;
a receiving table positioned at the same level of that of the lifter which moved downward to the lowermost position;
a third conveyor mechanism provided on the receiving table for receiving and conveying the packaging box of the transfusion bottle conveyed from the lifter by the second conveyor mechanism; and
a grip mechanism for gripping the transfusion bottle in the packaging box positioned on the receiving table, conveying to a collection container, releasing the transfusion bottle above the collection container to contain it therein.
In the present invention having above construction, the lifter is moved upward until the storage shelf on which the packaging box that contains the transfusion bottles corresponding to the prescription is stored. Then, the first conveyor mechanism of the storage shelf and the second conveyor mechanism of the lifter are driven to convey the packaging box of the transfusion bottle from the storage shelf to the lifter. When the lifter is moved downward to the lowermost position, the second conveyor mechanism of the lifter and the third conveyor mechanism of the receiving table are driven to convey the packaging box of the transfusion bottle from the lifter to the receiving table. Subsequently, the grip mechanism is driven to grip the transfusion bottle in the packaging box on the receiving table and convey it to the collection container. Then, the transfusion bottle is released above the collection container and contained therein. Thus, the transfusion bottle is collected with the simple mechanism operation and rapidly fed to a patient.
Preferably, the grip mechanism is provided with a tilting mechanism for tilting the transfusion bottle gripped by the grip mechanism; and the gripping mechanism moves downward until the transfusion bottle tilted by the tilting mechanism comes into contact with the bottom of the collection container and releases the transfusion bottle to move in the horizontal direction. Thus, the transfusion bottle falls down with the inclined state, reducing the impact and preventing the transfusion bottles below from being damaged.
Preferably, the receiving table is slidable toward an opening of the apparatus body; and at the position where the receiving table is slid to the opening of the body apparatus, the third conveyor mechanism discharges the empty packaging box on the receiving table through the opening of the apparatus body. Thus, the packaging box with no transfusion bottle can be easily taken out. In this case, providing a lever for kicking the rear portion of the empty packaging box upward allows the packaging box to be easily discharged through the opening of the apparatus body.
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Kitagawa Reiji
Kodama Tsuyoshi
Yuyama Shoji
Hess Douglas
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Yuyama Mfg. Co. Ltd.
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