Medicine packaging machine

In a medicine packaging machine including a medicine accommodating mechanism for accommodating plural medicines, a chute for guiding medicines arbitrarily taken out from the medicine accommodating mechanism to a medicine packaging sheet, and a medicine packaging mechanism having a heater for thermally welding the medicine packaging sheet, the heater is provided with an incision tooth for forming an incision at an edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet at the same time when the medicine packaging sheet filled with the medicines. Furthermore, a cutting mechanism for cutting at a predetermined position a separate package bag formed by thermally welding the medicine packaging sheet is provided.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-254615 filed on Sep. 30, 2008 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-254562 filed on Sep. 30, 2008. The content of the applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a medicine packaging machine for packaging medicines (medicines dispensed on the basis of a doctor's prescription) with a medicine packaging sheet every given dose in a hospital, a pharmacy or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

When a patient is given a dose of medicines dispensed according to a prescription, medicines required for a dose are packaged into the same separate package (packaged bag) and dosed to the patient by an automatic medicine packaging machine or the like so that the patient can be avoided from mixing different medicines and taking these medicines (tablets or the like) by himself or herself. The medicine packaging sheet used for these separate packages (packaged bags) is sealed by thermal adhesion (welding) after medicines are put into the medicine packaging sheet, whereby many separate packages are formed as a train of linked medicine packages (see JP-A-2004-189315). This train of medicine packages are cut at predetermined positions by a cutting mechanism, and each of the separate medicine packages thus cut is supplied to each patient (see JP-A-05-132007).

However, the thermally welded medicine packaging sheet has the following problems. That is, it is difficult for a patient to cut out the welded portion when the patient unseals (breaks the seal of) the medicine packaging sheet, and also the patient may drop the medicines from the medicine packaging sheet when breaking the seal.

Furthermore, there is a method of forming a packaging sheet by using an element which is subjected to cut processing so that the side edge portion thereof is corrugated. In this case, however, the corrugated portion of the packaging sheet is also hard to be cut out for aged persons who cannot strongly pinch the packaging sheet, and also the corrugation cut processing increases the manufacturing cost.

In the conventional cutting mechanism described above, a cutter blade for cutting a medicine packaging sheet operates like sawing. Therefore, the conventional cutting mechanism has a problem that the cutting mechanism portion must be designed in a large scale and thus the installation space thereof is large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been implemented to solve the foregoing problems, and has an object to provide a medicine packaging machine for processing a medicine packaging sheet whose sealing can be easily unsealed and whose sealing position can be easily found.

Furthermore, the present invention has another object to provide a medicine packaging machine that can miniaturize a cutting mechanism portion and thus can be saved in space.

In order to attain the above objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a medicine packaging machine comprises: a medicine accommodating mechanism for accommodating plural medicines; a chute for guiding medicines arbitrarily taken out from the medicine accommodating mechanism to a medicine packaging sheet; and a medicine packaging mechanism having a heater for thermally welding the medicine packaging sheet, wherein the heater is provided with an incision tooth for forming an incision at an edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet at the same time when the medicine packaging sheet filled with the medicines.

According to the above construction, when the medicine packaging sheet is thermally welded, an incision can be formed at an edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet.

In the above medicine packaging machine, the heater may have a vertical portion extending in the width direction of the medicine packaging sheet, and a horizontal portion extending from the tip of the vertical portion in a feed direction of the medicine packaging sheet, and the incision tooth may be disposed in the horizontal portion so as to be located in the neighborhood of the tip of the vertical portion.

According to the above construction, the incision can be formed at a place near to the edge of each separate package bag.

Furthermore, in the above medicine packaging machine, the heater may be provided with a void portion around the incision tooth.

According to the above construction, the surrounding of the incision is not thermally welded by the heater.

In order to attain the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a medicine packaging machine comprises: a medicine accommodating mechanism for accommodating plural medicines; a chute for guiding medicines arbitrarily taken out from the medicine accommodating mechanism to a medicine packaging sheet; a medicine packaging mechanism having a heater for thermally welding the medicine packaging sheet; and a cutting mechanism for cutting at a predetermined position a separate package bag formed by thermally welding the medicine packaging sheet, wherein the cutting mechanism has a fixed member for receiving the medicine packaging sheet and a movable member for pinching the medicine packaging sheet in cooperation with the fixed member, the movable member has a cutting blade which freely protrudes to the fixed member, and the cutting blade protrudes to push and cut the medicine packaging sheet while the medicine packaging sheet is pinched by the fixed member and the movable member.

According to the above construction, the cutting mechanism protrudes the cutting blade is protruded to push and cut the medicine packaging sheet under the state that the medicine packaging sheet is pinched by the fixed member and the movable member. Therefore, after the movable member is moved to the fixed member in a horizontal direction, the cutting blade is merely slightly pushed forwardly. Accordingly, it is unnecessary that the cutting blade is operated as if a saw is operated as in the case of a prior art, so that miniaturization of the mechanism portion can be performed and space saving can be performed.

The above medicine packaging machine may be further provided with a pair of medicine packaging sheet feeding rollers at each of the upstream side and the downstream side of the cutting mechanism so as to rotate around shafts perpendicular to a feeding direction of the medicine packaging sheet and, and a guide member which is provided between the fixed member and one of the medicine packaging sheet feeding rollers at the upstream side of the cutting mechanism and guides the front edge of the medicine packaging sheet to the cutting mechanism.

According to the above construction, after the medicine packaging sheet is cut by the cutting mechanism, the guide member guides the front edge of the subsequent medicine packaging sheet to the cutting mechanism. Therefore, the subsequent medicine packaging sheet can be stably fed into the cutting mechanism even when the front edge of the subsequent medicine packaging sheet is warped.

In the above medicine packaging machine, the movable member may be provided with a vertically long opening in which the cutting blade is retracted, and the fixed member may be provided with a recessed groove for receiving the cutting blade.

According to the above construction, the cutting blade is located within the area of the movable member, and thus the cutting blade does not overhang from the movable member, so that miniaturization can be performed.

In the above medicine packaging machine, the movable member and the cutting blade may be driven by a common driving motor. According to this construction, the actuator can be commonly used, and thus the mechanism can be simplified.

According to the present invention, the heater is provided with the incision tooth which can form an incision at an edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet at the same time when the medicine packaging sheet filled with the medicines is thermally welded. Therefore, when the medicine packaging sheet is thermally welded, the incision can be formed at the edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet. Therefore, the medicine packaging sheet can be easily unsealed (opened). Furthermore, an incision can be formed at a place near to the end (edge) of each separate package bag, and thus there is no risk that medicines are dropped when the separate package bag is opened. Furthermore, the surrounding of the incision is not thermally welded, and thus the incision can be easily found out.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the cutting mechanism protrudes the cutting blade to push and out the medicine packaging sheet under the state that the medicine packaging sheet is pinched by the fixed member and the movable member, and then the cutting blade is lightly pushed forwardly. Accordingly, it is unnecessary that the cutter blade is operated as if sawing is executed as in the case of the prior art, so that the mechanism portion can be miniaturized and the space can be saved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a perspective view showing the outlook of a medicine packaging machine1for putting solid drug products as medicines into a medicine packaging sheet20to package the medicines in the form of a separate package (bag), andFIG. 2is a side view of the inside of the medicine packaging machine1ofFIG. 1. Here, in the following description, the term “medicine” is used as a target to be packaged. However, this term is broadly interpreted so as to cover general medicines such as not only tablets (small round solid pieces of medicine), but also encapsulated or wrapped powder or liquid medicine, pills, trochiscus, etc. in the following description.

The medicine packaging machine1is installed in a hospital, a dispensing pharmacy or the like, and it is constructed by a medicine accommodating mechanism3provided in a rectangular housing case2, a medicine packaging mechanism14provided at the lower portion of the housing case2, etc. A tablet case accommodating unit5of the medicine accommodating mechanism3is provided at the upper portion of the inside of the housing case2. The opening of the upper surface of the tablet case accommodating unit5is closed by a top table4so as to be freely openable and closable.

Plural tablet cases6are accommodated in the tablet case accommodating unit5, and a sub accommodating unit7is installed at the upper portion of the front side of the tablet case accommodating unit5. This sub accommodating unit7is used to accommodate medicines which cannot be accommodated in the tablet cases6(for example, tables which are cut out in halves, etc.). A belt conveyor (not shown) is driven by a belt9wound around a pulley of a rotational shaft (not shown) of a motor8(the motor8and the belt conveyor may be connected to each other through a chain, a gear or the like). The belt conveyor is provided with a plurality of sequential accommodating compartments7A (a train of accommodating compartments7A).

A discharge count device such as a photosensor (not shown) or the like is provided at the lower side of each tablet case6. The discharge count device intercommunicates with each tablet case6at the upper side thereof, and a motor-operated type discharge drum is contained in each discharge count device. The discharge drum is configured so that medicines as solidified drug products such as tablets, capsules, pills, trochiscus or the like creep into plural grooves formed in the side surface of the discharge drum so as to be on a line in the vertical direction. By rotation of the discharge drum, the medicines drop one by one, and the number of the dropping medicines is detected by the photosensor and counted.

A drop passage is formed at one end of the sub accommodating unit7, and this drop passage intercommunicates with the surface of a turn table10described later. The medicines as described above are accommodated in the accommodating compartments7A of the sub accommodating unit7, and when a user operates a switch to rotate the motor8, whereby medicines in each accommodating compartment7A drop onto the turn table10through the drop passage one by one.

The disc-shaped turn table10for collecting medicines is disposed at the lower side of each tablet case6and the drop passage, and this turn table10has an area corresponding to the lower portions of all the tablet cases6and the drop passage. An upheaval portion10A which upheaves conically is formed at the center portion of the turn table10, and the turn table10is rotated at a predetermined speed by a turn table motor (not shown) provided at the lower side of the upheaval portion10A.

An annular guide11is provided around the turn table10so as to erect, and a discharge port D is formed at a proper place of the guide11by notching the guide11.

A chute13described later is provided at the lower side of the discharge port D, and medicines at the guide11side by the rotation of the turn table10drop into the chute13. The chute13is designed in an inversed quadrangular pyramid shape so that the opened upper end thereof is opposed to the discharge port D of the turn table10and the opened lower end (tip) thereof is opposed to the unfolded upper surface of a two-fold packaging sheet20.

FIG. 3shows the medicine packaging mechanism14provided at the lower side of the turn table10.

The medicine packaging mechanism14comprises a medicine packaging sheet mount unit in which a medicine packaging sheet roll19described later is mounted, a guide unit for guiding a drawn-out medicine packaging sheet20to a predetermined position, and a pull-in unit for pulling the tip of the medicine packaging sheet20which are arranged on the bases15. The medicine package sheet mount unit comprises a rotational shaft16which is erectly provided on the base15so as to be freely rotatable, a disc-shaped mount plate17which is located at the bottom portion of the rotational shaft16so as to extend outwardly, a solenoid driving type brake (not shown) disposed at the lower side of the mount plate17(between the mount plate17and the base15), etc.

The rotational shaft16is designed in a cylindrical shape and has an outer diameter which is substantially equal to (or slightly smaller than) the inner diameter of a shaft member21of the medicine packaging sheet roll19described later, and this rotational shaft16is detachably inserted in the shaft member21formed in the medicine packaging sheet roll19.

Here, the medicine packaging sheet roll19comprises a hollow tubular type shaft member formed of rigid synthetic resin (may be formed of thick paper) (normally called as paper tube)21, and the medicine packaging sheet20around the hollow tubular type shaft member. The medicine packaging sheet20is designed in a longitudinal strip-shape having a predetermined width, and it is wound around the shaft member21in a roll shape.

The medicine packaging sheet20is formed as follows. A PET sheet is joined to a low-density polyethylene sheet so as to be superposed on one surface of the low-density polyethylene sheet, and two-folded at the center portion thereof so that the low-density polyethylene sheet side serves as the inner surface and both the ends are completely overlapped with each other. The medicine packaging sheet20is set so that the folded portion20A of the two-folded medicine packaging sheet20is placed face down and the opening portion20B (the opposite side to the folded portion20A) of the two-folded medicine packaging sheet20is placed face up. The medicine packaging sheet20is wound around the shaft member21so that the folded portion20A thereof is located at the lower end edge side of the shaft member21under the state that the medicine packaging sheet20is two-folded. The medicine packaging sheet20is drawn out from the terminal edge of the rolled medicine packaging sheet20.

A tension lever23as the guide unit is provided to the medicine packaging mechanism14so as to be located at a side of the rotational shaft16. The tension lever23is bridged between two rollers24and25. At this time, the roller24is fixed to the base15, and the roller25is freely swingable around the roller24. The roller25is urged so as to be far away from the rotational shaft16by a spring member (not shown). The position of the roller25is detected by a switch (not shown). Reference numeral26represents a guide roller, and it is erectly provided at the side of the roller24on the base15.

A draw-in roller30as a draw-in unit is provided on the base15so as to be located at the opposite side to the tension lever23with respect to the rotational shaft16. The draw-in roller30comprises a pair of narrow-width rubber rollers33(rollers of natural rubber, synthetic rubber or the like), and they are freely rotatably secured to the upper ends of the rotational shafts32and34.

Specifically, the rotational shaft34of the other rubber roller33A located at the downstream side of the heat seal mechanism27described later is urged by a coil spring (not shown) or the like, one rubber roller33A is brought into contact with the rubber roller33under a predetermined pressure, and the draw-in motor31rotates, whereby both the rubber rollers33,33A are rotated. Accordingly, the medicine packaging sheet20is drawn out from the medicine packaging sheet roll19by pinching the medicine package sheet20(the opening portion20B side) between both the rubber rollers33and33A.

FIG. 4is a perspective view showing the heat seal mechanism27. InFIG. 4, the medicine packaging sheet20is fed from the right side to the left side.

The heat seal mechanism27is provided between the guide roller26and the draw-in roller30, and has a function of sealing the opening portion20B of the medicine packaging sheet20by clasping thermal welding and compartmenting the medicine packaging sheet20every package. The heat seal mechanism27comprises a pair of heaters29and39which are disposed so as to face each other through a predetermined interval. Furthermore, one of the heaters29is provided with an actuating device28. The actuating device28is configured so that the heater29is freely brought into contact with or separated from the other heater39. By supplying current to each of the heaters29and39, these heaters are heated to a predetermined temperature.

The heater29(39) comprises a vertical portion29A (39A) extending in the vertical direction inFIG. 4(the short-length direction of the medicine packaging sheet20, which is also called as “the width direction of the medicine packaging sheet20), and a horizontal (parallel) portion29B (39) extending from the upper end portion of the vertical portion29A (39A) to the downstream side with respect to the feeding direction of the medicine packaging sheet20(the longitudinal direction of the medicine packaging sheet20). That is, the heater29(39) is designed in an inverse L-shape. The vertical portions29A and39A of the heaters29and39thermally welds the medicine packaging sheet20from the folded portion20A side to the opening portion20B while pinching the medicine packaging sheet20from both the sides, thereby forming and fixing a vertical welded portion38. Accordingly, a substantially triangular small bag36A which is surrounded by the vertical welded portion38and the folded portion20A is formed at the upstream side of the heat seal mechanism27under the state that the opening portion20B has not yet been thermally welded. The chute13described above is located above the small bag36A, and medicines dropping from the tablet cases6are put into the small bag36A. Furthermore, the horizontal portions29B and39B are configured to thermally weld the opening portion20B at the downstream side of the vertical portions29A and39A.

After the medicine packaging sheet20is thermally welded by the heat seal mechanism27, the medicine packaging sheet20is moved to the draw-in roller30side (in the direction of T inFIG. 4) by rotation of the draw-in roller30by a predetermined distance. The medicine packaging sheet20is thermally welded by the heaters29and39, whereby a separate package bag36which is thermally welded except for the folded portion20A and filled with medicines is formed at the downstream side of the vertical portions29A,39A of the heaters29,39(the draw-in roller30side), and also a small bag30A is formed at the upstream side of the vertical portions29A and39A. Furthermore, a vertical teeth41extending in the vertical direction is provided to the vertical portion29A of the heater29. The vertical portion39A of the heater39is provided with a vertical teeth receiving portion51for receiving the vertical teeth41so that the vertical teeth41and the vertical teeth receiving portion51are opposed to each other through the medicine packaging sheet20.

The vertical teeth41and the vertical teeth receiving portion51are formed so as to be longer than the length in the vertical direction (the width direction) of the medicine packaging sheet20, and a perforated line37(perforations) is formed substantially at the center of the width of the thermally welded portion (from the folded portion20A to the opening portion20B) while the medicine packaging sheet20is thermally welded from the folded portion20A to the opening portion20B. Accordingly, the three sides of the medicine packaging sheet20are thermally welded (the remaining one side corresponds to the folded portion20A), and thus separate package bags36which are closed on the whole peripheries thereof are formed so that the separate package bags36can be separated from one another by cutting the perforated lines37.

Furthermore, an incision tooth43extending in the vertical direction is provided to the horizontal portion29B of the heater29so as to be located in the neighborhood of the vertical portion29A and at the downstream side of the vertical portion29A.

Furthermore, a incision tooth receiving portion53for receiving the incision tooth43is provided the horizontal portion39B of the heater39so as to be opposed to the incision tooth43. The incision tooth43and the incision tooth receiving portion53are formed to be shorter than the height of the horizontal portions29B and39B, and the upper end portions thereof are located to be higher than the opening portion20B of the medicine packaging sheet20. Accordingly, incisions45are formed at the welded portion at the upper portion of the medicine packaging sheet20. The incisions45make it easy for a patient to open each separate package bag36.

Furthermore, a void portion46is provided around the incision tooth43. At this void portion46, the medicine packaging sheet20is not thermally welded. Therefore, a non-welded portion47is formed around each incision45.

The cutting mechanism60is disposed at the downstream side of the pair of narrow-width rubber rollers (the medicine packaging sheet feeding rollers)33and33A. The cutting mechanism60has a fixed member61for receiving the medicine package sheet20and a movable member63for pinching the medicine package sheet20in cooperation with the fixed member61, and the fixed member61and the movable member63are disposed on a stool.

The movable member63has a base member63A and a surface member63B, and two joint rods66and67are fixed to the base member63A so that the joint rods66and67are spaced from each other in the vertical direction. The two joint rods66and67are fixed to a support member68. A vertically long opening70is formed in the base member63A and the surface member63B so as to penetrate through the base member63A and the surface member63B, and a saw-tooth type cutting blade71is mounted in the opening70so as to freely penetrate through the opening70. The cutting blade71is formed at the tip edge of a flat-plate type cutting blade main body73, the cutting lade main body73is fixed to a holder74, and the holder74is juxtaposed with the support member68.

Reference numeral73represents a rack in which a cam mechanism (not shown) is mounted. A driving motor77is fixed to the rack75. The output shaft (not shown) of the driving motor77is located inside the rack75, and the cam mechanism is joined to the output shaft. When the driving motor77is driven, the cam mechanism is operated to first push out the support member68and the holder74integrally and then push out the movable member63and the cutting blade71integrally.

Subsequently, when the movable member63abuts against the fixed member61while the medicine packaging sheet20is sandwiched therebetween, the cam mechanism pushes out only the holder74slightly, and thus only the cutting blade71is pushed out, so that the cutting blade71is fitted in a vertically long recessed groove61A formed in the fixed member61. The length of the vertically long recessed groove61A is set to be longer than at least the width dimension of the medicine packaging sheet20. According to this construction, only the cutting blade71is protruded until the cutting blade71is fitted in the recessed groove61A of the fixed member61under the state that the medicine packaging sheet20is pinched by the fixed member61and the movable63, whereby the medicine packaging sheet20is cut. The cutting blade71is a saw-tooth type blade. Therefore, when the cutting blade71is pushed out, plural sharp tip portions of the cutting blade71first stick into the medicine packaging sheet20. Then, when the cutting blade71is further pushed out and thus fitted into the recessed groove61A of the fixed member61, the medicine packaging sheet20is pushed and cut out. When this push-and-cut operation is finished, the cutting blade71retreats through the operation of the cam mechanism. When the cutting blade71is retracted into the opening70of the movable member63, the cutting blade71and the movable member63integrally retreat to the position shown inFIG. 5and stick around. The movable member63and the cutting blade71are driven by a common driving motor77, so that the driving mechanism can be simplified by using a common actuator.

The width-narrow rubber roller (the medicine packaging sheet feeding roller)33has a rotational shaft32. A timing belt is hung around the rotational shaft32, and the timing belt81is hung around the output shaft of the draw-in motor31.

A synchronizing timing belt (not shown) is hung around the rotational shaft32of the rubber roller33, and the synchronizing timing belt is hung around the narrow-width rubber roller (medicine packaging sheet feeding roller)83which is located at the downstream side of the cutting mechanism60. Reference numeral86represents a narrow-width rubber roller paired with the rubber roller83. According to this construction, when the draw-in motor31is driven, the rubber rollers (medicine packaging sheet feeding rollers)33and33A are rotated through the timing belt81, and the rubber rollers83and86are rotated through the synchronizing timing belt.

As described above, the rubber rollers33and33A and the rubber rollers83and86are disposed at the upstream side and downstream side of the cutting mechanism60, and these rollers are driven by the draw-in motor31to rotate around the shafts perpendicular to the medicine packaging sheet feeding direction.

A guide member87which is designed like a folded plate is disposed to guide the front edge of the medicine packaging sheet20into the gap between the fixed member61and the movable member63(the cutting mechanism60). The guide member87is disposed so that the face of the guide member87at the movable member63side is located on the same plane as the face of the fixed member61at the movable member63side.

Next, the operation procedure and the operation of the medicine packaging machine1will be described.

First, as shown inFIG. 3, the medicine packaging sheet roll19is mounted on the mount plate17while the rotational shaft16is inserted into the shaft member21of the medicine packaging sheet roll19. At this time, the medicine packaging sheet roll19is secured with the opening portion20B of the medicine packaging sheet20placed face up. After the medicine packaging sheet roll19is mounted around the rotational shaft16as described above, the medicine packaging sheet20of the medicine packaging sheet roll19is drawn out from the tip thereof, successively passed over the outer portions of the rollers25,24of the tension lever23, passed over the inner portion of the guide roller26, passed through the gap between the heaters29and39and then led to the draw-in roller30. Then, the tip of the medicine packaging sheet20is inserted into the gap between the rubber rollers33and33A of the draw-in roller30, and the draw-in motor31is driven, so that the rubber rollers33and33A pull the medicine sheet20from the heat seal mechanism27side to the opposite side (in the sheet feeding direction) while coming into contact with each other under pressure. Therefore, the medicine packaging sheet20is drawn into the draw-in roller30.

According to this embodiment, in the medicine packaging machine having the medicine accommodating mechanism3for accommodating plural medicines (tablets, etc.), the chute13for guiding medicines arbitrarily taken out from the medicine accommodating mechanism3to the medicine packaging sheet20and the medicine packaging mechanism14having the heaters29and39for thermally welding (adhering) the medicine packaging sheet20, the heater29is provided with the incision blade43which can incise the edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet20at the same time when the medicine packaging sheet20filled with the medicines are thermally welded. Therefore, when the medicine packaging sheet20is thermally welded, the incision45can be formed at the edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet20, and thus the medicine packaging sheet20can be easily opened (unsealed).

Furthermore, the heater29(39) has the vertical portion29A (39A) extending in the width direction of the medicine packaging sheet20, and the horizontal portion29B (39B) extending from the tip of the vertical portion29A (39A) in the feeding direction of the medicine packaging sheet20, and also the incision tooth43is provided to the horizontal portion29B so as to be located in the neighborhood of the vertical portion29A. Therefore, the incision45can be formed at a place near to the edge of each separate package bag36. Accordingly, the position of the incision45is not displaced with respect to the thermally welded portion of the medicine packaging sheet20, and thus there is no risk that medicines drop from a separate package bag36when the separate package bag36is opened.

When separate package bags36formed in the medicine packaging sheet20are different in length in the sheet feeding direction, the medicine packaging sheet20is thermally welded while the horizontal portions29B and39B are overlapped with each other in the feeding direction. Even in this case, the incision45is formed at a fixed position of each separate packaging bag36because the incision tooth43is located in the neighborhood of the tip of the vertical portion29A. The heater29is provided with the void portion46formed around the incision tooth43. Therefore, the non-welded portion47which is not thermally welded by the heater29is formed around the incision45. Therefore, the medicine packaging sheet20(separate package bag36) can be more easily unsealed (opened) from the incision45. Furthermore, the non-welded portion47is provided around the incision45, and thus the incision45can be easily found.

As shown inFIG. 5, when the medicine packaging sheet20enters the cutting mechanism60, it is cut at a predetermined position by the cutting blade71.

The cutting position is arbitrarily controlled, and for example, it corresponds to a position A shown inFIG. 4. In the medicine packaging sheet20, separate package bags36are continuously formed, however, no medicine is put into several separate package bags located at anterior and posterior positions to the cutting position A.

In this embodiment, with respect to the separate package bag36filled with no medicine at the position A, the medicine packaging sheet20is sandwiched (pinched) by the fixed member61and the movable member63, and under this state only the cutting blade71is protruded until it is fitted in the recessed groove61A of the fixed member61, whereby the medicine packaging sheet20can be easily cut out at the position A thereof. The width dimensions of the fixed member61and the movable member63are desired to be smaller than the width dimension of the separate package bag36.

In this construction, the cutting mechanism60protrudes the cutting blade71to push and cut the medicine packaging sheet under the state that the medicine packaging sheet20is pinched by the fixed member61and the movable member63. Therefore, the movable member63is horizontally moved to the fixed member61and then the cutting blade71is slightly pushed forwardly. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to operate the cutter blade as if the medicine packaging sheet20is sawed. Therefore, the mechanism portion can be miniaturized, and the space can be saved. Furthermore, the cutting blade71is pushed out (protruded) under the state that the medicine package sheet20is pinched by the fixed member61and the movable member63under tension, so that the medicine packaging sheet20can be surely and finely cut out.

The guide member87for guiding the front edge of the medicine packaging sheet20to the cutting mechanism60is provided between the rubber roller33and the fixed frame61at the upstream side of the cutting mechanism60. Therefore, after the medicine packaging sheet20is cut in the cutting mechanism60, the guide member87guides the front edge of the subsequent medicine packaging sheet20to the cutting mechanism60. Accordingly, even when curved warpage occurs at the front edge portion of the subsequent medicine packaging sheet20, the front edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet20can be stably fed into the cutting mechanism60.

The vertically long opening70in which the cutting blade71is retracted is formed in the movable member63. Therefore, the cutting blade71is located within the area of the movable member63, and thus the cutting blade71do not overhang from the movable member63, so that miniaturization can be performed.

The present invention has bee described above, however, it is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the movable member63and the cutting blade71are driven by the cam mechanism joined to one driving motor77. However, the power transmission mechanism is not limited to the cam mechanism, and any member such as a crank mechanism or the like may be used insofar as it can drive the movable member63and the cutting blade71and finally protrude the cutting blade.