Medicine dispensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8991138-B2
Application number	US-200913119933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2009
Priority date	Sep 19, 2008
Publication date	Mar 31, 2015
Grant date	Mar 31, 2015

Abstract

A medicine dispensing device including: a device body 3 ; a medicine containing unit 4 mounted in the device body 3 and including a plurality of medicine containers 9 configured to dispense medicines contained therein through a medicine ejecting portion; a medicine receiving unit 5 movably provided in the device body 3 and having at least two medicine receiving sections 26 that are moved to each of the medicine containers 9 of the medicine containing unit 4 to receive the medicine dispensed from the medicine ejecting portion and are moved to a discharging position to discharge the received medicines; a medicine collecting unit 6 having a plurality of medicine collecting sections 44 each collecting the medicines discharged from each of the medicine receiving sections 26 in the discharging position; and a control unit 7 configured to move each of the medicine receiving sections 26 to allow the medicine receiving section to receive the medicines dispensed from a corresponding medicine containing section and to discharge the medicines to a corresponding medicine collecting section 44 of the medicine collecting unit 6.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medicine dispensing device, comprising:
a device body;
a medicine containing unit mounted in the device body, the medicine containing unit including a plurality of medicine containers each configured to dispense medicines contained therein through a corresponding medicine ejecting portion;
a medicine receiving unit movably provided in the device body, the medicine receiving unit having at least two medicine receiving sections that are movable to each of the medicine containers of the medicine containing unit to receive the medicines dispensed from the medicine ejecting portion and are movable to a discharging position to discharge the received medicines;
a medicine collecting unit having a plurality of medicine collecting sections, each of the medicine collecting sections configured to collect the medicines discharged from each of the medicine receiving sections in the discharging position;
a control unit configured to move each of the medicine receiving sections based on a prescription data such that the medicine receiving sections receive the medicines dispensed from the medicine container and discharge the medicines to the corresponding medicine collecting section of the medicine collecting unit; and
a medicine storing member having a plurality of medicine storing sections, each of the medicine storing sections temporarily storing the medicine received in each of the medicine receiving sections of the medicine receiving unit before the medicine received in each of the medicine receiving sections is discharged to each of the medicine collecting sections.

2. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine containing unit is configured to arrange the medicine ejecting portions along any reference plane in the device body, and
wherein the medicine receiving unit includes a supporting member supporting the medicine receiving sections such that each of the medicine receiving sections is movable upward, downward, leftward, and rightward along the reference plane.

3. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine receiving unit includes a medicine receiving container comprising two medicine receiving sections arranged horizontally side by side, and
wherein the medicine receiving container is reciprocably movable such that each of the medicine receiving sections are movable to receive medicines dispensed from the medicine ejecting portions.

4. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine receiving unit includes four medicine receiving sections arranged horizontally side by side, and
wherein the medicine receiving sections located at either end are upwardly or downwardly movable with respect to the centrally located medicine receiving sections and further are movable toward one another after being moved upwardly or downwardly to align with respect thereto.

5. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine receiving unit includes two medicine receiving containers each comprising two medicine receiving sections arranged horizontally side by side, and
wherein each of the medicine receiving sections of each of the medicine receiving containers is movable in upward, downward, leftward, and rightward relative directions.

6. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine is longitudinally elongated,
wherein the medicine collecting unit is configured such that the medicine collecting sections are longitudinally elongated and are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction thereof, and
wherein the medicine dispensing device further comprises at least one orientation changer located between the medicine receiving unit and the medicine collecting unit, the orientation changer being pivotable between a receipt position at which the changer receives the medicine from the medicine receiving section of the medicine receiving unit and a delivery position at which a longitudinal direction of the medicine is in accord with the longitudinal direction of the medicine collecting section.

7. The medicine dispensing device of claim 6 , wherein a first orientation changer begins to pivot from the receipt position to the delivery position and thereafter a second orientation changer begins to pivot from the receipt position to the delivery position.

8. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the medicine storing sections of the medicine storing member are configured to be lifted and lowered integrally and each of the medicine storing sections is supported so as to be lifted and lowered independently.

9. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine comprises a plurality of ampoules each having a longitudinal direction,
wherein the medicine containing unit includes a dispensing member dispensing the ampoules one at a time in the longitudinal direction, and
wherein the medicine receiving unit includes:
a receiving rotator supporting the dispensed ampoules and transferring the supported ampoules downwardly through rotation; and
a bottom plate supporting the transferred ampoules downwardly through the rotation of the receiving rotator and pivoting to discharge the ampoules downwardly.

10. The medicine dispensing device of claim 9 , wherein the receiving rotator includes a receiving groove portion having a U-shaped cross section,
wherein the receiving groove portion is formed to be gradually downwardly inclined toward a direction in which the ampoules are ejected from the medicine container when the receiving rotator is in a normal position, and
wherein the receiving groove portion includes a buffer means buffering an impact exerted to the transferred ampoules.

11. The medicine dispensing device of claim 10 , wherein the receiving rotator is rotatably supported on one side opposite the medicine container and the receiving groove portion opens toward an end surface of the medicine container in the normal position.

12. The medicine dispensing device of claim 10 , wherein the medicine receiving unit includes a partition plate disposed along a rotation direction of the receiving rotator and configured to guide the ampoule supported by the receiving groove portion until the ampoule is discharged to the bottom plate.

13. The medicine dispensing device of claim 9 , wherein the medicine receiving unit includes a plurality of receiving sections arranged horizontally side by side, and
wherein the medicine receiving unit is configured to be movable within a range wherein the medicine receiving unit does not protrude leftward and rightward with respect to the medicine containers arranged upwardly, downwardly, leftward, and rightward.

14. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine receiving unit includes a plurality of receiving sections arranged horizontally side by side, and
wherein the medicine receiving unit is configured to be movable within a range wherein the medicine receiving unit does not protrude leftward and rightward with respect to the medicine containers arranged upwardly, downwardly, leftward, and rightward.

Assignees

• Yuyama Shoji
• Iwaya Jyunichi
• Tanaka Akifumi
• Yuyama Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yuyama Shoji
• Iwaya Jyunichi
• Tanaka Akifumi

Classifications

• G07F11/165

  using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements · CPC title

• G07F11/62

  in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles · CPC title

• G07F11/16 Primary

  Delivery means · CPC title

• G07F17/0092 Primary

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

• G07F11/1653

  the picking arrangements being collecting buckets · CPC title