Drug feeder

A double rotation type drug feeder having an easily cleanable, simple structure is provided. The drug feeder includes a rotatable annular first rotator 20 that has a mount surface 23 on which drugs are placed and that is rotatable about a first rotation axis, a second rotator 30 that is disposed at a fixed position on an inner side of the first rotator 20 while being rotatable about a second rotation axis, inclined with respect to the first rotation axis, the second rotator 30 transporting the drugs onto the mount surface 23, restricting members 71 and 72 that align the drugs disposed on the mount surface 23, and multiple support members 40 that support the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30 mounted thereon from below the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30. The multiple support members 40 include a driving member 55 that drives the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30 to rotate.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a drug feeder that automatically supplies solid drugs, such as tablets or ampoules, for automatic medicine dispensation at hospitals, pharmacies, or other facilities. Specifically, the present invention relates to a drug feeder that randomly stores a large number of drugs having the same shape and that successively and sequentially discharges these drugs one after another by aligning these drugs using a rotator.

BACKGROUND ART

Examples known as an arranging and feeding device, or drug feeders, that transports drugs, such as tablets having the same shape, while arranging the drugs in a line include a device that includes a turn table, which rotates at a constant speed, and a fixed external wall disposed along the outer periphery of the turn table. This device also includes a fixed flow-directing guide and a dispensing portion. The flow-directing guide guides, radially outward, objects that have been carried on the upper surface of the turn table and that have come into contact with the flow-directing guide. The dispensing portion extends through the external wall and guides the objects that have been transported thereon on the upper surface of the turn table along the external wall outward from the surface of the turn table. This device also includes width restricting means and a height restricting member. The width restricting means restricts the width of the dispensed products using a gap between opposing inner and outer members included in the dispensing portion. The height restricting member is disposed in front of the dispensing portion to restrict the height of the dispensed products (refer to, for example, PTL 1). The turn table has a flat disc shape.

In order to be capable of holding more objects than in the case of using this flat disc-shaped turn table, a device including a so-called flanged rotational container has been developed. The flanged rotational container includes a rotator having a central portion recessed downward into a bowl shape or inverted conical shape and an upper peripheral portion formed into a flange shape (refer to, for example, PTL 2). The following two types of device are known as rotary parts feeders including this flanged rotational container:a device including a fixed flow-directing guide whose shape has been changed from a shape corresponding to the flat upper surface of the turn table into a shape adapted to the curved inner surface of the recessed portion of the flanged rotational container; anda device including another rotator instead of the fixed flow-directing guide, the rotator being held in a horizontal flanged rotational container in an inclined manner.

Known is a drug feeder that includes a driving unit, disposed so as to be fixed to a drawer rack of a drug packaging machine or other places for power supply or control, and a drug cassette, attachable to and detachable from the driving unit for easy drug replenishment or for other purposes. This drug feeder randomly stores a large number of drugs in the drug cassette and discharges the drugs one by one from the drug cassette by intermittently or continuously operating the driving unit as appropriate (refer to, for example, PTL 3). This drug cassette includes a container unit, which can hold a large number of solid drugs, and an arrangement disc disposed in the container unit so as to be rotatable about its axis. This drug cassette also includes a large number of vane-shaped partition walls, which are disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the arrangement disk to partition an annular gap between the container unit and the arrangement disk into a large number of compartments at a regular pitch, and a partition board, which is disposed so as to face an outlet port formed at a portion of the bottom portion of the container unit to partition part of the annular gap, the portion of the bottom portion functioning as an undersurface of the annular gap. This drug cassette causes the drugs in the compartments to fall one by one from the outlet port as a result of axial rotation of the arrangement disk caused by rotation driving of the driving unit.

Such existing drug feeders are categorized into the following types:a so-called disc rotation type including a turn table having a flat upper surface employed as a rotator (refer to, for example, PTL 1);a so-called flange rotation type including a flanged rotational container employed as a rotator (refer to, for example, PTL 2); anda so-called arrangement disk rotation type including an arrangement disk having partition walls disposed at the outer periphery, the disk being employed as a rotator (refer to, for example, PTL 3).

Specifically, among the drug feeders in the respective categories having the same size, the disk rotation type drug feeder has the smallest drug capacity, the arrangement disk rotation type drug feeder has the largest drug capacity, and the flange rotation type drug feeder has an intermediate drug capacity. A drug feeder having a large capacity is preferably usable in such an operation as to be replenished with drugs while being inactive and not replenished with drugs during successive discharge. A drug feeder having a small capacity, on the other hand, is preferably usable in such an operation as to be fed drugs as needed.

In view of the above-described difference in capacity or other properties, the arrangement disk rotation type drug feeders have been frequently used for drug packaging machines or other machines that are unsuitable for individual feeding of drugs to each feeder as needed. The reason why feeding of drugs to each feeder as needed is difficult in these machines is because a drug packaging machine or another machine includes a large number of drug feeders in its storage for handling many types of drugs.

After an arrangement disk rotation type drug feeder is produced, changing or adjusting the shape or pitch of the partition walls on the outer periphery of the arrangement disk is difficult. Moreover, the arrangement disk rotation type drug feeder is required to be adapted to the profiles of drugs as much as possible. Thus, an arrangement disk rotation type drug feeder tends to be designed for a specific drug, allows drug feeders of the same type to handle drugs with only a narrow range of shapes, and frequently takes time prior to use for design or produce.

Thus, to address the increasing variation of solid tablet drugs due to the recent increase of the types of drugs by expanding the range of shapes of drugs handleable by drug feeders of the same type, a small-sized drug feeder that can handle a wide range of drugs having different shapes and sizes has been developed (refer to, for example, PTL 4). This drug feeder is a modification of a flange rotation type drug feeder that can hold a large number of drugs among the drug feeders that can restrict the width or height of drugs.

This drug feeder includes as a rotator a so-called flanged rotational container whose central portion is recessed downward into a bowl shape or inverted conical shape and whose upper peripheral portion is formed into a flange shape. This feeder has a schematic structure similar to that of one of the flange rotation type drug feeders that includes a fixed flow-directing guide whose shape has been changed from a shape corresponding to the flat upper surface of the turn table into a shape adapted to the curved inner surface of the recessed portion of the flanged rotational container.

Specifically, this drug feeder includes a rotational container, which is rotatable about its axis, whose central portion is recessed to randomly store solid drugs, and whose peripheral portion is formed into a flange shape to allow the drugs to be arranged in an arc. This drug feeder also includes a fixed outer wall disposed along the outer periphery of the rotational container, and a flow guiding member that guides the drugs in the rotational container from the center portion to the peripheral portion. This drug feeder also includes a discharging portion, which is formed so as to extend through the external wall and guides the drugs that have been transported thereto on the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the rotational container along the external wall outward from the surface of the peripheral portion as dispensed products, and a height restricting member that restricts a height of the dispensed products before the dispensed products arrive at the discharging portion. This drug feeder also includes a width restricting member that is formed from a swing member disposed on the outer periphery of the opposing inner and outer members included in the discharging portion, the width restricting member restricting, by swinging, a width of the dispensed products by increasing or decreasing the width of the gap on the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the rotational container. This drug feeder also includes a holding-transporting mechanism formed from a belt transporting mechanism disposed on the inner periphery of the opposing inner and outer members, the holding-transporting mechanism extending to the inner side of the peripheral portion of the rotational container to transport the dispensed products at the speed higher than the speed of the peripheral portion during rotation of the rotational container, while holding the dispensed products together with the width restricting member.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

PTL 2: Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 06-061832

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Such a drug feeder, or a so-called a modified flange rotation type drug feeder, is preferably provided for practical use by being replaced with some of a large number of arrangement disk rotation type drug feeders mounted on a tablet packaging machine or mounted on, for example, a tablet splitter that can receive only one or few drug feeders.

A modified flange rotation type drug feeder mounted, in place of an arrangement disk rotation type drug feeder, on a tablet counter or a drug counter for counting the number of successively transported drugs, in a device that fills a medicine bottle with drugs such as tablets can also handle drugs with various different shapes or sizes.

However, when a modified flange rotation type drug feeder is placed in front of a drug counter, a single drug feeder frequently handles an extremely large number of drugs in a short time. Thus, some of components of such a drug feeder, particularly, components facing a drug transport path require frequent cleaning. In the modified flange rotation type drug feeder, particularly, a delicate flow guiding member is disposed on the inner side of a rotational container. The inner side of the rotational container is not cleanable immediately after simply removing components such as a restricting member on the rotational container. In addition, removal of the delicate flow guiding member, among removal of the flow guiding member and the rotational container for washing the whole component, requires utmost caution and effort, and puts an enormous load on an operator.

An example method conceivable to address this is to use a so-called double rotation type drug feeder that includes inner and outer rotators to eliminate the need for a fixed flow guide in the rotators. As in the case of the modified flange rotation type drug feeder, such a double rotation type drug feeder has a larger drug capacity among the drug feeders that can restrict the drug width or the like, and can handle a wide range of drugs with various different shapes or sizes.

However, only the reduction of a delicate member merely temporarily eases mind of an operator. The drug feeder includes two relatively large rotational containers, increased from one, which increases the load on attachment or removal and avoids significant improvement of cleaning workability. Besides, the driving source for rotating a container or a detachable transmission mechanism has a double system, which involves an increase of the number of components and structure complication, and may cause undesired cost increase or degradation of maintainability.

The technical object is thus to provide a drug feeder that has a simple structure and is easily cleanable and that is based on a double rotation type drug feeder.

Solution to Problem

A drug feeder of the present invention (solution1) has been made to address the above problem, and includes an annular first rotator that includes a mount surface on which drugs are placed, and that is rotatable about a first rotation axis; a second rotator that is disposed at a fixed position on an inner side of the first rotator while being rotatable about a second rotation axis, inclined with respect to the first rotation axis, the second rotator transporting the drugs onto the mount surface; a restricting member that aligns the drugs disposed on the mount surface; and a plurality of support members that support the first rotator and the second rotator mounted thereon from below the first rotator and the second rotator. The plurality of support members include a driving member that drives the first rotator and the second rotator to rotate.

In a drug feeder of the present invention (solution2) according to the drug feeder of the solution1, the driving member includes a large-diameter portion, which comes into contact with the first rotator, and a small-diameter portion, which comes into contact with the second rotator.

In a drug feeder of the present invention (solution3) according to the drug feeder of the solution1or2, an upper surface of the second rotator includes a recess at a center portion, and an inclined portion, located closer to an outer periphery of the second rotator than the recess and having a side away from the recess inclined downward. The inclined portion has a side away from the recess inclined downward at an uppermost portion of the second rotator occupying the fixed position.

A drug feeder of the present invention (solution4) according to the drug feeder of the solution3, further includes a sorting member located above the inclined portion, the sorting member pushing, back toward the recess at the uppermost portion, the drugs transported upward thereto by the inclined portion in accordance with rotation of the second rotator.

In a drug feeder of the present invention (solution5) according to the drug feeder of the solution4, the restricting member occupies a position above the mount surface to gradually reduce a width, in a radial direction of the first rotator, of the mount surface on which the drugs are mountable from an upstream side to a downstream side in a rotation direction of the first rotator.

In a drug feeder of the present invention (solution6) according to the drug feeder of the solution5, the restricting member includes a plurality of restricting members arranged in the rotation direction, and the drug feeder further includes a link mechanism that drives the plurality of restricting members in synchronization with each other to adjust amounts by which the restricting members gradually reduce the width.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

A drug feeder of the present invention (solution1) is based on a double rotation type drug feeder. Specifically, in a drug feeder of the present invention, two rotational containers disposed on inner and outer sides transport solid drugs onto the mount surface of the outer first rotator from the inner second rotator with rotation of the rotational containers, and then the solid drugs are aligned by the restricting member. Thus, among types of drug feeder capable of restricting properties such as a drug width, the above drug feeder has a large drug capacity and handles a wide range of drugs with various different shapes or sizes, and has no need of including a fixed flow guide in the rotators.

In addition, both rotators, that is, the first rotator and the second rotator are mounted on the multiple support members to be held at fixed positions, and are rotated about their axes by any of the multiple support members with friction transmission. Thus, the driving member is allowed to have a simple structure. Moreover, both rotators mounted on the support members are prepared for friction transmission with the weight of both rotators. This structure thus eliminates the need for troublesome adjustments, such as gear engagement for coupling both rotators and the driving member together. Moreover, picking up both rotators mounted on the support member detaches both rotators from the support members to allow free movement of both rotators. Thus, this structure allows easy cleaning such as washing of the whole component or easy maintenance such as repair or replacement.

Thus, the present invention embodies a drug feeder that has an easily-cleanable simple structure based on a double rotation type drug feeder.

A drug feeder of the present invention (solution2) includes a driving member coupled to both rotators, and includes rotation drive sources, such as electric motors, fewer than the rotators, enabling a cost reduction. In addition, to rotate the first rotator faster than the second rotator, the large-diameter portion of the driving member is brought into contact with the first rotator, and the small-diameter portion of the driving member is brought into contact with the second rotator. The driving member is thus constituted of a round columnar member including the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion. Thus, the driving member can be formed from a simple and reasonable member.

A drug feeder of the present invention (solution3) in which the upper surface of the second rotator has a recess at the center portion has a larger drug capacity. The upper surface of the second rotator also has an inclined portion located closer to an outer periphery of the second rotator than the recess and having a side away from the recess inclined. Thus, while solid drugs are transferred from the second rotator onto the mount surface of the first rotator, each of the drugs is moved promptly and smoothly with the inclination of the inclined portion, and the number of moving drugs arranged side by side is restricted based on, for example, the width of the inclined portion.

Thus, even when the drug capacity is increased by the recess at the center portion of the upper surface of the second rotator, the amount of drugs transferred from the second rotator to the first rotator is prevented from exceeding with a simple structure.

A drug feeder of the present invention (solution4) includes, besides a restricting member that operates on drugs on the mount surface of the first rotator, a sorting member that operates on drugs on the inclined portion of the upper surface of the second rotator. The sorting member pushes, back toward the recess, the drugs remaining on the inclined portion without being transferred from the second rotator to the first rotator due to the reasons such as the mount surface being filled with drugs. Thus, the amount of solid drugs transferred from the inclined portion onto the mount surface is adjusted to the amount appropriate for the width of the mount surface. Thus, the subsequent drug alignment is performed by the restricting member with light burden. The drugs can thus be neatly aligned on the first rotator even with the simple restricting member that only restricts, for example, the width and the lateral direction without restricting the height.

In a drug feeder of the present invention (solution5), the restricting member occupies the position above the mount surface to gradually reduce the width, in the radial direction of the first rotator, of the mount surface on which the drugs are mountable, from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the first rotator. This structure includes the restricting member with a simple structure without a function of restricting the height. This structure thus enables a cost reduction and facilitates attachment or removal of the restricting member performed before or after attachment or removal of both rotators.

A drug feeder of the present invention (solution6) includes multiple restricting members in the rotation direction of the first rotator, which intensifies an alignment function of the restricting member. The drug feeder also includes a link mechanism to drive the multiple restricting members in synchronization with each other to adjust the amounts by which the restricting members gradually narrow the width of the mount surface. The drug feeder is thus highly suitable or usable for drugs with a variety of shapes or sizes, and can collectively adjust the width restriction on the multiple restricting members. Thus, the adjustment can be easily and promptly performed.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, an example of a drug feeder to which the present invention is applied is described.

Here, for simplicity or other purposes, the drawings omit illustrations of components including a housing panel, fastening devices such as bolts, connecting devices such as hinges, electric circuits such as motor drivers, and electronic circuits such as controllers. The drawings mainly illustrate components required or related to the description of the invention.

FIG. 1is a plan view of almost the entirety of a drug feeder10, andFIG. 2is a vertically sectioned front view of the drug feeder10.FIG. 3is a plan view of the drug feeder10from which a link mechanism73, disposed at an uppermost portion, and an upper layer portion of a peripheral wall11are removed.FIG. 4is a plan view of the drug feeder10from which the peripheral wall11, a sorting member60attached to the peripheral wall11, and restricting members71and72are removed, besides the link mechanism73and the upper layer portion of the peripheral wall11.

FIG. 5is a front view of the sorting member60, andFIG. 6andFIG. 7are right side views of the sorting member60in a swinging state.FIG. 8is an exploded view of a main portion of the feeder, where components such as the peripheral wall11and a rotational container80are illustrated in a vertical sectional view, and a driving mechanism50in an outside view.

FIG. 9is an exploded view of the rotational container80, where a first rotator20and a second rotator30are illustrated in a vertical sectional view.FIG. 10is an exploded view of a driving member body51and two transmission members42and43, which are respectively large and small and attached on the outer side of the driving member body51.

As illustrated inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, the drug feeder10is of a double rotation type. The drug feeder10includes a housing, a first rotator20, which is an annular rotator disposed in the housing, and a second rotator30, which is a tilting rotator disposed at a fixed position on the inner side of the first rotator20. The drug feeder10also includes support members40, which are supporting members that support the first rotator20and the second rotator30mounted thereon from below the first rotator20and the second rotator30. The drug feeder10also includes a driving mechanism50, which drives the first rotator20and the second rotator30to rotate, and a restricting mechanism70, which is disposed on the upper side of the housing. A peripheral wall11, which has a circularly hollowed center portion, is disposed at the uppermost portion of the housing. The first rotator20is disposed to have its upper end portion loosely fitted in the hollow of the peripheral wall11, or disposed immediately below the hollow of the peripheral wall11.

The first rotator20is held by the support members40to be rotatable about a first rotation axis. The second rotator30is held by the support members40to be rotatable about a second rotation axis, which is a line inclined with respect to the first rotation axis. The first rotator20is desirably held to be rotatable about a vertical line. The second rotator30is filled in the hollow of the first rotator20while being kept apart from the first rotator20with such a slight gap therebetween as to allow their rotations without allowing drugs to pass therethrough so that the first rotator20and the second rotator30constitute the rotational container80of a double rotation type drug feeder. In the drug feeder10, the second rotator30rotates to transport drugs on the second rotator30onto a mount surface23, which is a peripheral edge portion at the upper end of the first rotator20, and the first rotator20rotates to transport drugs on the mount surface23to the restricting mechanism70, and then to a fall outlet port14. The restricting mechanism70aligns the drugs on the mount surface23sequentially transported by the rotation of the first rotator20.

The drug feeder10also includes the sorting member60besides the above-described basic components.

As illustrated inFIG. 9, the first rotator20roughly includes a lower portion21, having a diameter increasing toward the upper side, and an upper portion22, having a diameter decreasing toward the upper side. The upper end of the upper portion22serves as the mount surface23on which drugs are placed. As illustrated inFIG. 8, the second rotator30is placed in the lower portion21, the upper portion22is mounted on the lower portion21, and the lower portion21and the upper portion22are coupled together with, for example, bolts to be integrated into the first rotator20. Concurrently, the first rotator20and the second rotator30become inseparable, so that the first rotator20and the second rotator30move together like a single rotational container80when either the first rotator20or the second rotator30is raised, while the second rotator30is being allowed to rotate about its axis.

As illustrated inFIG. 1orFIG. 2, the upper surface of the second rotator30serves as the inner bottom of the rotational container80. At the center of the upper surface of the second rotator30, a center projection31is disposed to allow the entirety of the rotational container80to be held when the center projection31is picked up. The upper surface of the second rotator30has a recess32at the center portion excluding the center projection31to increase the internal space of the rotational container80. The upper surface of the second rotator30also includes an inclined portion33, which is located closer to the outer peripheral side of the second rotator30than is the recess32and inclined downward as it extends further from the recess32. The inclined portion33has a gentle sawtooth waveform throughout the periphery, for easy pickup of drugs, and extends further downward toward an outer side, that is, further from the center, in other words, the inclined portion33flares.

In the state where the second rotator30is disposed at the fixed position on the inner side of the first rotator20, that is, in the state where the second rotator30is in the fixed position, the uppermost portion of the second rotator30is located above the mount surface23. Even at the uppermost portion of the second rotator30, at which the inclined portion33has smallest inclination, the inclined portion33has its portion away from the recess32inclined downward, and is useful to allow the picked-up drugs to roll along the inclination to be smoothly transported to the mount surface23.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, the support members40include multiple bearing members41, which are disposed separately at different positions, and a driving member55, which drives the first rotator20and the second rotator30to rotate. The bearing members41mainly include, for example, radial bearings. Each bearing member41is a dedicated bearing that allows the outer peripheral surface of the rotator to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface or the undersurface of the first rotator20or the undersurface of the second rotator30to rotatably hold the first rotator20or the second rotator30in the fixed position.

The driving member55supports the first rotator20and the second rotator30together with the bearing members41to exert a function of rotatably holding the first rotator20and the second rotator30in the fixed positions. The driving member55, which also exerts a rotation driving function, also serves as part of the driving mechanism50.

All the components of the support members40are disposed at positions at which they come into contact with the undersurface or the outer peripheral surface of the first rotator20and the second rotator30. Thus, when the rotational container80is to be installed in the housing, the rotational container80can be appropriately installed in the housing by being placed on the support members40. When the rotational container80is to be removed from the housing, the rotational container80can be easily removed from the housing by being picked up.

The driving mechanism50includes the driving member55, disposed below the rotational container80, and a driving motor54, which rotates the driving member55about its axis. As described above, the driving member55constitutes one or more of the support members40. The driving member55includes a driving member body51and transmission members42and43, attached to the driving member body51. The transmission members42and43are ring-shaped or annular members, such as hard-rubber-made O rings. As illustrated inFIG. 10, of the transmission members42and43, the first transmission member42is fitted, from the outside, to an annular groove in a large-diameter portion52of the driving member body51while having its inner side received in the groove. When the rotational container80is installed in the housing, the first transmission member42is in contact with the first rotator20to transmit rotation by friction transmission to the first rotator20, while supporting the first rotator20. Of the transmission members42and43, the second transmission member43is fitted, from the outside, to an annular groove in a small-diameter portion53of the driving member body51while having its inner side received in the groove. When the rotational container80is installed in the housing, the second transmission member43is in contact with the second rotator30to transmit rotation by friction transmission to the second rotator30, while supporting the second rotator30. Thus, with the rotation of the driving member55about its axis, the first rotator20rotates about its axis at a relatively high speed, and concurrently, the second rotator30rotates about its axis at a relatively low speed.

As illustrated inFIG. 5toFIG. 7, a sorting member60is mainly formed from a thin stick extending from a base end portion61, serving as a fulcrum for swing, to a far end portion62, serving as a swing end. The base end portion61is supported by a support portion63on or above the peripheral wall11or the first rotator20, to allow the far end portion62to swing vertically about the base end portion61. The sorting member60has a slightly curved portion near the far end portion62. In the normal state, the far end portion62faces obliquely downward to slightly touch the inclined portion33due to its weight.

Most of drugs transported upward by the inclined portion33in accordance with the rotation of the second rotator30slip down from the inclined portion33to the mount surface23, but some of the drugs may be transported to the uppermost portion of the second rotator30while being on the inclined portion33without slipping down from the inclined portion33to the mount surface23. These drugs transported to the uppermost portion of the second rotator30come into contact with the far end portion62, and are pushed back to the recess32with the urging force of the reaction. When this operation fails to be performed smoothly, the far end portion62swings upward for escape to prevent, for example, drugs from being broken.

As illustrated inFIGS. 1 to 3, the restricting mechanism70includes a first restricting member71, disposed downstream of the sorting member60in the rotation direction of the first rotator20, and a second restricting member72, disposed downstream of the first restricting member71in the rotation direction of the first rotator20. The restricting mechanism70also includes the link mechanism73, which is coupled to the first restricting member71and the second restricting member72with pin-shaped shaft components or the like for allowing the restricting members to rotate, and a model receiver74, which can receive a sample drug.

The first restricting member71and the second restricting member72occupy the upper portion of the mount surface23, to gradually reduce the width, in the radial direction of the first rotator20, of the mount surface23on which the drugs are mountable, from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the first rotator20. Specifically, the first restricting member71and the second restricting member72each have its swing axis located closer to the peripheral wall11, and its swing end located above the mount surface23. Thus, the path along which the drugs on the mount surface23are transported has its width reduced from the outer periphery.

The link mechanism73drives both restricting members71and72in synchronization with each other to adjust the amounts by which both restricting members71and72gradually reduce the width of the mount surface23. Specifically, both restricting members71and72swing concurrently and similarly in accordance with the movement of the link mechanism73in the longitudinal direction, so that the amounts by which both restricting members71and72narrow the width of the path along which the drugs are transported are adjusted in an interlocking manner.

When the link mechanism73is moved toward the sample drug stored in the model receiver74, the link mechanism73moves in the longitudinal direction, and is then stopped at the position at which the far end of the link mechanism73comes into contact with the sample drug. Here, the swing end portion of the first restricting member71and the swing end portion of the second restricting member72narrow the width of the path along which the drugs on the mount surface23are transported into the width corresponding to one drug to follow the shape of the sample drug.

Downstream of the restricting mechanism70, the peripheral wall11has a fall outlet port14, which vertically extends through the peripheral wall11. The peripheral wall11also has a discharge guide13, which allows drugs on the mount surface23to be transported to the fall outlet port14with rotation of the first rotator20. The discharge guide13extends from a portion of the peripheral wall11downstream of the fall outlet port14to the upper side of the mount surface23, and has its far end portion protruding upward beyond the inclined portion33. Thus, the drugs transported thereto on the mount surface23come into contact with the side wall of the discharge guide13and move along the side wall to the fall outlet port14.

A transport surface guide12, which extends from the lower side of the discharge guide13beyond the far end portion of the discharge guide13, is disposed at the far end portion of the discharge guide13. The transport surface guide12is located on the inner peripheral side of the mount surface23, and has its upper surface located at the same level as the mount surface23. This transport surface guide12can easily prevent undesired troubles from happening, such as drugs transported thereto on the mount surface23from falling toward the second rotator30in reaction to coming in contact with the discharge guide13, or from becoming stuck between the first rotator20and the discharge guide13.

Although not illustrated in detail, the upper surface of the mount surface23has a slightly swelling outer peripheral portion to easily prevent drugs from rolling down into the fall outlet port14due to, for example, an inertial force before the drugs are pushed to the fall outlet port14by the discharge guide13.

Although not illustrated, a controller that controls the operation of the driving motor54and a power source that feeds operation power to the driving motor54and the controller are incorporated in the housing of the drug feeder10or disposed out of the housing. The drug feeder10may include, for example, a photosensor that detects drugs falling through the fall outlet port14. In this case, the photosensor transmits a detection signal to the controller or a tablet counter.

The controller starts rotation control from a low-speed rotation. After a discharge of a first drug is detected and a discharge of a predetermined number of drugs are then detected, the controller switches the rotation control to a high-speed rotation. The controller also calculates the remaining quantity from the predetermined total number of drugs to be discharged and the number of drugs already discharged, and, in response to an arrival of the remaining quantity at a predetermined number, decreases the rotation speed or performs reverse rotation to prevent an undesired excessive fall after the completion of drug discharge.

The use and operation of the drug feeder10according to the present invention are described.FIG. 11andFIG. 12illustrate the start of an operation of aligning the drugs5stored in the rotational container80on the mount surface23.FIG. 13andFIG. 14illustrate an operation of transporting the aligned drugs5from the mount surface23to the fall outlet port14.FIG. 15is a vertically sectioned front view, illustrating the rotational container80being removed from the housing. Each drug5may be also referred to as a model drug5a, a randomly stored drug5b, or an aligned drug5c, depending on the situation.

As illustrated inFIG. 11orFIG. 12, to be ready for successively feeding a large number of drugs5with the drug feeder10, the width of the path along which the drugs are transported is narrowed and the drugs are randomly inserted prior to the feeding.

The width of the path along which drugs are transported is narrowed by an operator by selecting an appropriate one of a large number of drugs5as a model drug5a, placing the model drug5ain the model receiver74, and adjusting the position of the link mechanism73to bring one end of the link mechanism73into contact with the model drug5a.

After this operation, the first restricting member71and the second restricting member72are moved to swing in an interlocking manner by the link mechanism73, and the width of the path along which drugs on the mount surface23are transported is narrowed by the first restricting member71and the second restricting member72to correspond to the diameter of the model drug5a.

Random drug insertion is performed by the operator literally randomly inserting a large number of drugs5into the rotational container80through the opening in the upper portion of the first rotator20.

The randomly stored drugs5bthus inserted naturally gather on the inner bottom of the rotational container80.

Thus, the drug feeder10is ready for operation. When the drug feeder10is operated at, for example, a simple continuous feed mode, the driving motor54then rotates at an appropriate speed in accordance with the control of the controller. In accordance with the rotation of the driving motor54, the driving member55rotates about its axis, and the rotation of the driving member55is transmitted to the first rotator20with frictional transmission via the first transmission member42, and also to the second rotator30with frictional transmission via the second transmission member43. The first transmission member42and the second transmission member43rotate about their axes in the same direction, but the first transmission member42rotates faster than the second transmission member43.

When the second rotator30rotates about its axis, of the randomly stored drugs5baccumulated on the inner bottom of the rotational container80, the drugs5on the inclined portion33are raised from the lower position to the upper position with the circulation of the saw-toothed inclined portion33.

Most of the drugs5transported to a portion of the inclined portion33higher than the mount surface23are transferred to the mount surface23as a result of slipping down or rolling down due to the inclination of the inclined portion33.

Some of the drugs5transported upward thereto by the inclined portion33may be left on the inclined portion33due to the reasons such as being blocked by preceding drugs5on the mount surface23or incidentally failing to slip down or roll down. Such drugs5are transported to the uppermost portion of the second rotator30with the further rotation of the second rotator30about its axis, come into contact with the far end portion62of the sorting member60at the uppermost portion of the second rotator30, and, in reaction to the contact, move in the direction away from the mount surface23to slip down along the inclined surface of the recess32.

In this manner, the excessive drugs5and the like are returned into the randomly stored drugs5b. Thus, drugs5, reduced to a fairly appropriate number, are fed to the path along which drugs on the mount surface23are transported.

The first rotator20rotates about its axis faster than the second rotator30. Thus, when transferred from the inclined portion33, the drugs5on the mount surface23spread to some extent in accordance with the difference in rotation speed to be aligned in a single vertical line. However, small drugs5may be arranged side by side. When the drugs5are transported to the first restricting member71by the rotation of the first rotator20about its axis, the drugs5aligned in a single vertical line pass the first restricting member71as they are. In the case of the drugs5arranged side by side, the drugs5on the inner peripheral side are pushed out from the surface of the mount surface23by interring with the first restricting member71, and fall on the second rotator30to be returned into the randomly stored drugs5bto cancel the side-by-side arrangement.

When, for example, a large number of drugs5are arranged side by side, some drugs5may slip by around the far end of the first restricting member71as a result of, for example, pushing each other. In such a case, some of the drugs5that have slipped by the first restricting member71may remain being arranged side by side. The drugs5that have slipped by the first restricting member71are transported to the second restricting member72by the rotation of the first rotator20about its axis, and are aligned in the similar manner as in the case of the first restricting member71. Even when the drugs5that have slipped by the first restricting member71remain being arranged side by side, the number of such drugs5is small, and the drugs arranged side by side are usually disposed slightly adjacent to each other, or oblique to each other. Thus, side-by-side arrangement of the drugs5are promptly and fully canceled by the subsequent restriction of the second restricting member72.

As illustrated inFIG. 13orFIG. 14, the aligned drugs5cthat have been arranged in a line after passing through the restrictions of the first restricting member71and the second restricting member72are sequentially transported to the discharge guide13by the circulation of the mount surface23in accordance with the rotation of the first rotator20about its axis. The aligned drugs5ccome into contact with the discharge guide13that obliquely crosses the path along which drugs on the mount surface23are transported.

Most of the aligned drugs5care immediately transported along the discharge guide13and fed to the fall outlet port14in a line.

Depending on the way how the aligned drugs5ccome into contact with the discharge guide13, some of the aligned drugs5cmay be slightly pushed toward the inner peripheral side of the mount surface23. Even in such circumstances, the aligned drugs5care prevented from falling onto the first rotator20or being stuck between the mount surface23and the discharge guide13by the transport surface guide12.

In this manner, all the aligned drugs5care transported in a line to the fall outlet port14without waste. The drugs5transported to the fall outlet port14are accelerated with the gravity to fall with a higher speed, so that the distance by which the preceding and subsequent drugs5are apart from each other is widened. At the position at which the preceding and subsequent drugs5are fully spaced apart from each other, a device such as a photosensor is disposed to detect the falling drugs5and to accurately count the drugs5.

In some cases, such as after the completion of handling of a large number of drugs5with repeated arrangement and discharge of the drugs5or when the type of drug5is changed to another, the rotational container80frequently requires cleaning in addition to stopping of the operation of the drug feeder10. In this case, as illustrated inFIG. 15, a component such as the peripheral wall11at the uppermost portion is firstly removed, and then, for example, the second rotator30is raised with the center projection31of the second rotator30being picked up, so that the entirety of the rotational container80is removed from the housing. The rotational container80, which is merely supported by the support members40, is easily removable and thus easily cleanable by, for example, washing of the whole component.

In this manner, the rotational container80can be easily and promptly cleaned after use. After being cleaned, the rotational container80is returned in the opposite order to be prepared for the next use.

In the present embodiment, the situation where the drugs5are aligned without fail has been described. Assume when the first rotator20and the second rotator30are undesirably hindered from rotating about their axes by, for example, a broken piece of the drug5stuck between components. Even in this case, since the first rotator20and the second rotator30and the transmission members42and43are engaged with each other with a contact for friction transmission, they slip without acting against a reaction force exceeding a necessary force for the normal operation. Thus, the load exerted on the components20,30, and50is not prevented from being excessively increased.

In the present embodiment, the length of the first restricting member71or the second restricting member72is not described. However, preferably, the restricting members71and72have a large length within an allowable range. This is because, as the axial rotation speed of the first rotator20, the transport speed at which the drugs5are transported along the path along which drugs on the mount surface23are transported, and the angle of the restricting members71and72with respect to the path along which drugs are transported increase, the drugs5are more likely to undesirably curve further laterally when coming into contact with the restricting members71and72. The multiple restricting members71and72and the sorting member60in cooperation with each other exert significant alignment workability. Thus, the restricting mechanism70does not restrict the height on the path along which drugs are transported.

The drug feeder of the present invention has been developed to be disposed in front of a drug counter. However, the drug feeder is not necessarily combined with a drug counter. The drug feeder may be combined with or installed in another device, such as a tablet splitter or a drug packaging device, or may be used alone.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST