Storage container for a storage and delivery station for drugs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10453293-B2
Application number	US-201816042774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2018
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A storage container for a storage and delivery station for drugs is provided. The storage container includes a retainer for preventing a multiple drug portions from being delivered simultaneously. The storage container includes a housing that surrounds a receiving chamber and has a circular cylindrical section and a base surface, and a separating device disposed rotatably in the circular cylindrical section and having multiple projections and channels. Each projection has a surface, the uppermost points of the surface defining an upper receiver boundary plane. The storage container also includes a retainer with a fastening section and a retaining section, the retaining section preventing entry of the drug portions into a channel aligned with a delivery opening, and at least one cam for removing drug portions from the retaining section, the cam being movable above the upper receiver boundary plane over the retaining section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage container for a storage and delivery station for drug portions, comprising:
a housing surrounding a receiving chamber for drug portions and having a circular cylindrical section and a base surface, the base surface having a delivery opening for dispensing the drug portions;
a separating device rotatably disposed in the circular cylindrical section of the housing, the separating device having a plurality of projections disposed on an outer circumference surface of the separating device and spaced apart from one another, wherein the plurality of projections define channels that are configured to receive the drug portions therebetween, and each projection has a surface adjacent to the receiving chamber for drug portions, the uppermost points of the adjacent surfaces of the projections defining an upper receiver boundary plane;
a retainer having a fastening section and a retaining section, wherein the retaining section is disposed above the delivery opening and above the upper receiver boundary plane, the retainer configured to limit entry of the drug portions into a channel aligned with the delivery opening; and
at least one cam disposed on an external circumference of the separating device such that a gap is defined between the cam and the receiver boundary plane, the gap configured to receive the retaining section,
wherein the at least one cam is configured as a rolling element disposed in a coaxial recess of the separating device, the coaxial recess disposed above the channels.

2. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the cam is configured to remove drug portions from the retaining section, and wherein the cam is movable above the upper receiver boundary plane over the retaining section.

3. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the retainer is coupled to the circular cylindrical section of the housing via a projection included in the circular cylindrical section.

4. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the retaining section is introduced into the receiving chamber via a slot in the circular cylindrical section.

5. The storage container of claim 4 , wherein the retaining section covers a channel aligned with the delivery opening to prevent drug portions from entering the channel.

6. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cam is disposed on the external circumference of a central part of the separating device.

7. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cam has a planar surface.

8. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cam has at least one angled end face.

9. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the rolling element is spherical.

10. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the rolling element is barrel-shaped.

11. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the rolling element is roller-shaped.

12. The storage container of claim 1 , wherein the radial end faces of the retaining section of the retainer are flattened.

13. A storage container for drug portions, comprising:
a housing, the housing comprising:
a receiving chamber;
a circular cylindrical section; and
a delivery opening for dispensing the drug portions;

a separating device rotatably disposed in the circular cylindrical section of the housing, the separating device comprising:
a plurality of radially spaced projections disposed on an outer circumference surface of the separating device, uppermost points of the projections defining an upper receiver boundary plane; and
a plurality of radially spaced channels, each channel disposed between two adjacent projections and configured to receive a drug portion;

a retainer comprising:
a fastening section; and
a retaining section, the retaining section configured to restrict entry of the drug portions into any of the plurality of channels that is aligned with the delivery opening; and

at least one cam configured to remove drug portions from the retaining section, the at least one cam disposed on an external circumference of the separating device such that a gap is defined between the at least one cam and the receiver boundary plane, and the gap being configured to receive the retaining section,
wherein the at least one cam is configured as a rolling element comprising one of a spherical shape, a barrel shape and a roller shape.

14. The storage container of claim 13 , the housing further comprising a base surface, wherein the base surface includes the delivery opening.

15. The storage container of claim 13 , wherein each projection has a surface adjacent to the receiving chamber, the uppermost points of the adjacent surfaces of the projections defining the upper receiver boundary plane.

16. The storage container of claim 13 , wherein the at least one cam is configured to be movable above the upper receiver boundary plane over the retaining section.

17. The storage container of claim 13 , wherein the at least one cam is disposed in a coaxial recess of the separating device, the coaxial recess disposed above the channels.

Assignees

• Carefusion Germany 326 Gmbh
• Carefusion Germany 326 Smbh

Inventors

• Schmidt-Ellinger Hardy

Classifications

• G07F11/005

  Special arrangements for insuring that only one single article may be dispensed at a time · CPC title

• G07F11/44

  in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk · CPC title

• B65B35/08

  using pocketed conveyors · CPC title

• G07F17/0092 Primary

  for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00) · CPC title