Medication cassette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9877897-B2
Application number	US-201715601875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2017
Priority date	Feb 10, 2012
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

The invention addresses the problem of providing a medication cassette, which in addition to being capable of smooth automated dispensing despite being capable of storing large amounts of medication, allows accurate ascertainment of whether the medication has run out or is jammed. This medication cassette is provided with: a cylindrical body in which the medication is stored; a first rotating body capable of reciprocating movement inside the cylindrical body in the direction of the shaft center thereof; a second rotating body disposed on the outer circumference of the cylindrical body; a conveyed medication-detecting element for detecting medication that has been conveyed by the second rotating body; and a control for moving the first rotating body upward when a medication detection signal is not output from the conveyed medication-detecting element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medication cassette comprising:
a cylindrical body for storing medications;
a first rotating body located in the cylindrical body and is adapted to configure a medication storing portion, said first rotating body can be reciprocated in the cylindrical body in a direction of a shaft center thereof and can be rotated about a first rotational shaft;
a second rotating body arranged on an outer circumference of the cylindrical body and can be rotated about a second rotational shaft;
a discharging portion configured to lead the medications on the second rotating body outward by a rotation of the second rotating body;
a raising/lowering mechanism reciprocating the first rotating body in the direction of the shaft center of the cylindrical body.

2. The medication cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical body is configured to reciprocate the first rotating body in the direction of the shaft center thereof and to unrotatably guide the first rotating body in a circumferential direction.

3. The medication cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical body comprises:
a first cylindrical portion rotatable about the shaft center of the cylindrical body,
a second cylindrical portion unrotatable about the shaft center of the cylindrical body, and
a rotation driving mechanism to rotate the first cylindrical portion together with the first rotating body.

4. The medication cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the raising/lowering mechanism comprises a bearing member disposed between the first rotating body and a dimension variable member capable of changing the dimension in the shaft direction of the cylindrical body, said bearing member having a bearing rotatably supporting the first rotating body.

5. The medication cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising a regulation piece limiting a height of the medications conveyed in a circumferential direction by the second rotating body, said regulation piece having an auxiliary piece which can be raised and lowered and is projected into a space formed on an upper side of the medication cassette at the time of lowering.

6. The medication cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the direction of the shaft center of the cylindrical body is tilted with respect to a vertical direction.

7. The medication cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the direction of the shaft center of the cylindrical body coincides with a direction of rotation shaft center of the first rotating body.

8. A medication filling apparatus comprising:
a medication cassette according to claim 1 ;
a conveyed medication detecting means detecting the medications conveyed by the second rotating body;
a controlling means moving up the first rotating body when a medication detection signal is not outputted from the conveyed medication detecting means, or when the time during which the medication detection signal is not outputted from the conveyed medication detecting means exceeds a predetermined time.

9. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a discharged medication detecting means detecting the medications discharged to an outside of the second rotating body by the rotation thereof, wherein when the time during which the medication detection signal is not outputted from the discharged medication detecting means exceeds a predetermined time and when the medications are not detected by the conveyed medication detecting means, the controlling means determines that medication running-out occurs.

10. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a discharged medication detecting means detecting the medications discharged to an outside of the second rotating body by the rotation thereof, wherein when the time during which the medication detection signal is not outputted from the discharged medication detecting means exceeds the predetermined time and when the medications are detected by the conveyed medication detecting means, the controlling means determines that an error occurs.

11. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a clutch capable of blocking power transmitted to the raising/lowering mechanism.

Assignees

• Yuyama Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koike Naoki

Classifications

• B65B37/12

  of centrifugal type · CPC title

• A61J7/0076 Primary

  Medicament distribution means (with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00) · CPC title

• G07F11/52

  about horizontal axes · CPC title

• B65B57/00

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title

• G07F9/026

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title