Medicine dispensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11203454-B2
Application number	US-201716337362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a medicine dispensing device having a container stocking portion) for stocking a plurality of medicine containers, a medicine supplying part for supplying solid medicines, container taking means for taking the container from the container stocking portion, a medicine filling part for filling the medicine container with the solid medicines supplied from the medicine supplying part and container checking means. The medicine checking means has posture keeping means for keeping a constant posture of the medicine container and a measuring member which can approach to and move away from the medicine container. The container checking means can check a type of the medicine container by holding the medicine container with keeping the constant posture by using the posture keeping means and allowing the measuring member to approach to the medicine container from a remote position and make contact with the medicine container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medicine dispensing device for dispensing a medicine container in which medicines are filled, the medicine dispensing device having a container stocking portion for stocking a plurality of medicine containers, a medicine supplying part for supplying solid medicines, and a container taking means for taking the container from the container stocking portion, wherein the medicine supplying part is further configured for filling the medicine container with the solid medicines, the medicine dispensing device comprising:
a container checking means for checking a type of the medicine container, and
an outer periphery holding member for holding an outer peripheral portion of the medicine container,
wherein the container checking means has posture keeping means for keeping a constant posture of the medicine container and a measuring member which can approach to and move away from the medicine container,
wherein the container checking means can check the type of the medicine container by holding the medicine container with keeping the constant posture by using the posture keeping means and allowing the measuring member to approach to the medicine container from a remote position and make contact with the medicine container, wherein the outer periphery holding member has an outer diameter measuring member which can approach to and move away from the outer peripheral portion of the medicine container, and
wherein the medicine dispensing device can check the type of the medicine container by allowing the outer diameter member to approach to the medicine container from the remote position and make contact with the outer peripheral portion of the medicine container.

2. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measuring member is a height measuring member and the height measuring member is approached to the medicine container from the remote position so that the height measuring member makes contact with one end of the medicine container.

3. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 2 , wherein the height measuring member has a protruding portion protruding toward the side of the medicine container, and
wherein the height measuring member can check difference between an opening side and a bottom side of the medicine container depending on whether or not the protruding portion makes contact with the medicine container by holding the medicine container with keeping the constant posture by using the posture keeping means and allowing the height measuring member to approach to the medicine container from the remote position and make contact with the medicine container.

4. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of detection sensors respectively arranged at positions apart from the side of one end of the medicine container toward a height direction of the medicine container,
wherein the medicine dispensing device can check a height of the medicine container from detecting status of the detection sensors.

5. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an installation base on which the medicine container taken by the container taking means and position correcting means for correcting a position of the medicine container placed on the installation base to a normal position,
wherein a bottom portion of the medicine container is placed on the installation base,
wherein the position correcting means has holding means constituted of a plurality of holding pieces,
wherein each of the plurality of holding pieces has a concave portion which can make contact with the outer peripheral portion of the medicine container,
wherein a central portion of an area surrounded by each of the concave portions substantially coincides with a central portion of the medicine container arranged at a normal set position in a state that the holding pieces move or change their postures and each of the holding pieces moves to an approaching and moving away direction and thereby the holding pieces approach to each other,
wherein the holding pieces of the position correcting means move in the approaching direction after the medicine container has been placed on the installation base and thereby the concave portions make contact with the outer peripheral portion of the medicine container to shift the position of the medicine container for correcting the position of the medicine container to the normal position, and
wherein after the position of the medicine container has been corrected, the holding pieces move away from the outer peripheral portion of the medicine container and leave from the outer peripheral portion of the medicine container.

6. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a container inside photographing camera for photographing an inside of the medicine container in a state that the medicines are filled in the medicine container,
wherein the medicine dispensing device has a focus correcting function of correcting focus of the container inside photographing camera based on the amount of the medicines filled in the medicine container.

7. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , wherein the medicine container has an opening portion,
wherein the medicine dispensing device further comprises a sealing device for covering the opening portion with a sheet,
wherein the sealing device has sheet delivering means for delivering the sheet by a required amount from a longitudinal sheet, a plurality of heat-sealing heads and a movable table on which the plurality of heat-sealing heads are placed, and
wherein suitable one of the heat-sealing heads is selected based on an opening diameter of the medicine container, the movable table is driven to move the selected heat-sealing head to the vicinity of the medicine container and then the sheet is put between the selected heat-sealing heat and the opening portion of the medicine container for attaching the sheet to the opening portion of the medicine container.

8. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , wherein the medicine container has an opening portion,
wherein the medicine dispensing device further comprises a sealing device for covering the opening portion with a sheet and sealing checking means, and
wherein the sealing checking means has a temporary pressing member for pressing the opening portion of the medicine container after sealing and determines whether or not the sealing is performed based on behavior of the temporary pressing member.

9. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a labeling device for attaching a label on which predetermined matters are written to the medicine container,
wherein the labeling device has a label printing part and base paper supplying means for supplying label paper to the label printing part,
wherein each piece of the label paper is stripped off from a paper roll constituted of a longitudinal release sheet to which a number of pieces of label paper adhere,
wherein the base paper supplying means has a delivering side attachment shaft to which a paper roll in a state of having the label paper is attached and a rolling side attachment shaft for rolling the release sheet after the label paper has been stripped off, and
wherein a core which can change a diameter of at least one of the delivering side attachment shaft and the rolling side attachment shaft can be attached to the at least one of the delivering side attachment shaft and the rolling side attachment shaft.

10. The medicine dispensing device claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a labeling device for attaching a label on which predetermined matters are written to the medicine container,
wherein the label

Assignees

• Yuyama Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takada Yasuyuki
• Iwatani Takashi
• Imai Takafumi
• Horii Jun

Classifications

• B65C9/0006 Primary

  Removing backing sheets · CPC title

• B65B1/30

  Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled · CPC title

• A61J3/00

  Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms · CPC title

• A61J2205/30

  Printed labels · CPC title

• B65C9/46

  Applying date marks, code marks, or the like, to the label during labelling (manually-controlled or operable apparatus having printing equipment B65C11/02; ticket printing and issuing G07B1/00 {; apparatus for ticket validating or cancelling G07B11/00}) · CPC title