Patent Publication Number: US-8966794-B2

Title: Tray unit and card holder

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a tray unit for holding and conveying pharmaceuticals and other such objects, for example, and to a card holder that is used in this tray unit and in which a card denoting patient information or the like is inserted. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventional tray units have been used, for example, in the drug dispensing devices, and were configured as follows. 
     Specifically, a conventional tray unit comprised a tray that was open at the top, and a card holder that was mounted to the outer peripheral face of the tray. 
     This tray is in the form of a container having a bottom face and an outer peripheral wall that rises upward from the outer peripheral part of the bottom face. The interior of the tray is divided into a plurality of spaces as necessary by dividers (see Patent Document 1, for example). 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H5-168650 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     When the above-mentioned conventional tray held pharmaceuticals or other such objects, for example, it was preferable if a card denoting information about the objects (such as a drug name) was inserted, so that the worker handling the tray (such as a nurse) could easily confirm the information about the objects, etc. 
     One way to deal with this is to provide the tray with a card insertion portion that allows a card to be inserted, for example. 
     However, if a card insertion portion is merely mounted to the tray, there is the risk that the card insertion portion or the card will be damaged when the tray is actually used. 
     More specifically, when the top tray is pulled out from a stack of trays provided with card insertion portions, there is the risk that part of the top tray being pulled out will interfere with the card insertion portion mounted on the lower side, or with a card inserted therein. 
     In view of this, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tray unit and a card holder with which damage to the card insertion portion or to the card inserted therein can be prevented. 
     To achieve the stated object, the tray unit of the present invention comprises a tray that is open at the top, and a card holder mounted to the outer peripheral face of the tray. The tray has a bottom face, an outer peripheral wall that rises from the outer peripheral part of the bottom face in a direction intersecting the bottom face, and a flange that extends from the side of the outer peripheral wall that is away from the bottom face, toward the outside of the tray. The card holder has a card insertion portion and a guide portion. The card insertion portion is provided along the outer peripheral wall of the tray and to the outside of the outer peripheral wall, and a card is removably inserted into this card insertion portion. The guide portion is provided at the upper part of the card insertion portion and includes a sloped face that increases in height from the outer peripheral wall side of the tray toward the outside of the tray, and the upper end of the sloped face is disposed at a position higher than the upper end part of the card inserted in the card insertion portion. 
     Effects 
     With the tray unit of the present invention, when the top tray is pulled out of a stack of trays, the tray will be taken out while the bottom face of the top tray slides on the sloped face provided to the upper part of the card insertion portion of the lower tray. This prevents the bottom portion, etc., of the upper tray from coming into contact with the card insertion portion of the lower tray or with the card inserted therein. As a result, damage to the card insertion portion or the card during use of the tray can be prevented. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded oblique view of the tray unit in an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2   a  is an oblique view of the tray unit in  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 2   b  is an enlarged rear view of the engaged portion between the card holder and the tray; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial detail cross section of the tray unit in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an oblique view of a usage state of the tray unit in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial detail cross section of a usage state of the tray unit in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a partial detail cross section of another usage state of the tray unit in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The tray unit pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described through reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded oblique view of the tray unit in an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2   a  is an oblique view of the tray unit in an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 2   a , a tray unit  4  comprises a tray  1  for conveying pharmaceuticals that is open at the top, a card  5 , and a card holder  6  into which the card  5  is removably inserted. Tray  1   
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a , the tray  1  is shaped like a container. The tray  1  also has an outer peripheral wall  3  and a flange  15 . 
     The outer peripheral wall  3  is made up of four faces that constitute an approximate rectangle in plan view, which rise up from the outer peripheral part of a substantially rectangular bottom face  2 . 
     The flange  15  is formed so as to extend in the outer peripheral direction from the upper end part of the outer peripheral wall  3 . 
     Furthermore, the tray  1  has first convex portions  15   a  on the upper faces of the flange  15  disposed at the upper parts of the outer peripheral walls  3  that form faces on the short sides, out of the four faces that make up an approximate rectangle in plan view. 
     The first convex portions  15   a  are provided so as to protrude upward at two places each on the upper faces of the flange  15  on the short sides of the approximate rectangle in plan view. The first convex portions  15   a  mesh with four second convex portions  6   a  formed on the inner faces of engagement portions  9  of a card holder  6  (discussed below), as shown in  FIG. 2   b , when the card holder  6  has been mounted to the flange  15 . This allows the card holder  6  to be positioned when the card holder  6  is attached to the tray  1 . 
     Card  5   
     The card  5  is an information display on which information about a pharmaceutical contained in the tray  1  (such as the pharmaceutical name, the name of the patient to be given that pharmaceutical, and so forth) is written. In this embodiment, what is known as a rewritable card (which can be rewritten a number of times) is used as the card  5 . 
     Card Holder  6   
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a , the card holder  6  has a card insertion portion  7  for removably holding the card  5  as mentioned above, and guide portions  8  provided to the upper part of the card insertion portion  7 . 
       FIG. 3  is a partial detail cross section of the tray unit  4  in this embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , in the card holder  6 , the engagement portions  9 , which detachably engage with the flange  15  of the tray  1 , are provided to the upper part of the card insertion portion  7 . The card holder  6  and the tray  1  can be attached to and removed from the flange  15  via the engagement portions  9 . 
     In this embodiment, the engagement portions  9  are provided to the upper part of the card insertion portion  7 . Furthermore, the guide portions  8  are provided to the upper part of the engagement portions  9 . 
     The engagement portions  9  hold the flange  15  of the tray  1  so that the flange  15  is sandwiched within a substantially U-shaped gap in cross sectional view. Protruding portions are formed at the substantially U-shaped distal end portions in the engagement portions  9 . Consequently, the protruding portions of the engagement portions  9  engage with convex portions formed at the outer peripheral part of the flange  15  of the tray  1 , and the card holder  6  is mounted to the tray  1 . 
     The engagement portions  9  also have four second convex portions  6   a  that protrude toward the upper face of the flange  15 , at the portion opposite the upper face of the flange  15  of the tray  1  on the substantially U-shaped inner face in cross sectional view. 
     The second convex portions  6   a  are provided two each at positions slightly to the inside from both the left and the right ends in the width direction of the card holder  6 . Consequently, when the first convex portions  15   a  on the tray  1  side engage with the second convex portions  6   a  on the card holder  6  side, the card holder  6  is positioned with respect to the tray  1 , and the card holder  6  is prevented from sliding sideways after being mounted to the tray  1 . 
     The card insertion portion  7  is provided along the outer peripheral wall  3  and to the outside of the outer peripheral wall  3  of the tray  1 , when the card holder  6  has been mounted to the tray  1 . The card insertion portion  7  is disposed so as to be substantially parallel to the outer peripheral wall  3 . 
     Consequently, since the card  5  is mounted to the card holder  6  in a state in which the display face is tilted slightly down, the user of the tray unit  4  (such as a nurse) can easily check what is written on the card  5 . 
     Also, in the card holder  6 , the guide portions  8  are provided to the upper part of the engagement portions  9  and the card insertion portion  7 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the guide portions  8  have a sloped face  10  that increases in height from the outer peripheral wall  3  side of the tray  1  toward the outside of the tray  1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the sloped faces  10  are formed such that the highest position is higher than the upper end portion of the card  5  inserted into the card holder  6 . 
     The function of the sloped faces  10  will be discussed in detail at a later point. 
     Usage State of Tray Unit  4   
     The state in which the tray unit  4  is used will now be described through reference to  FIGS. 3 to 6 . 
       FIG. 4  is an oblique view of a usage state of the tray unit  4  in this embodiment.  FIG. 5  is a partial detail cross section of the tray unit in this embodiment.  FIG. 6  is a partial detail cross section of the tray unit  4  in another usage state in this embodiment. 
     First, the terms used herein will be defined. 
     The phrase “the height of the card  5  in the tray unit  4 ” means the height corresponding to A in  FIG. 3 , which is the height from the bottom face  2  of the tray  1  to the upper end portion of the card  5  in a state in which the card  5  has been inserted into the card insertion portion  7  of the card holder  6  mounted to the tray  1 . 
     The phrase “the height of the end of the tray unit  4 ” means the height from the bottom face  2  of the tray  1  to the upper end portion of the tray unit  4  in a state in which the card holder  6  has been mounted to the tray  1 . More precisely, this substantially means the height corresponding to B in  FIG. 3 , which is the height from the bottom face  2  of the tray  1  to the upper end portion of the guide portions  8  of the card holder  6 . 
     In this embodiment, the guide portions  8  are provided so that the height B of the end of the tray unit  4  will be higher than the height A of the card  5  in the tray unit  4 . Specifically, the guide portions  8  are disposed so that A&lt;B in  FIG. 3 . 
     Next, the usage state of the tray unit  4  will be described in more detail. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in a hospital or the like, the tray unit  4  is generally used in a state in which a plurality of (two in  FIG. 4 ) tray units  4  are stacked. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , when the top tray unit  4  is taken out from a state in which two tray units  4  are stacked (in  FIG. 6 , when the top tray unit  4  is pulled out to the left), the tray unit  4  is taken out in the following state. 
     Specifically, when the top tray unit  4  is pulled out from a state in which the two tray units  4  are stacked up and down, the bottom face  2  of the top tray unit  4  slides over the sloped faces  10  of the guide portions  8  on the lower tray unit  4  until it is over the upper end faces of the guide portions  8  on the lower tray unit  4  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
     The sloped faces  10  here are formed so that their height increases from the outer peripheral wall  3  of the tray  1  toward the outside of the tray  1 . The sloped faces  10  increase in height from a position that is lower than the upper end portion of the card  5  toward the outside of the tray  1 , and are ultimately formed at a position that is higher than the upper end portion of the card  5 . 
     Consequently, when the top tray unit  4  is pulled out of the stacked tray units  4 , the sloped faces  10  guide the bottom face  2  of the top tray unit  4  up above the upper end portion of the card  5 . This prevents the bottom face  2  of the tray unit  4  that is pulled out from coming into contact with the card  5  or the card insertion portion  7  of the lower tray unit  4 . As a result, damage to the card insertion portion  7  or to the card  5  inserted therein can be effectively prevented during use of the trays. 
     Furthermore, the guide portions  8  are not in the form of simple protrusions, but instead are provided with sloped faces  10  so that the height increases from the outer peripheral wall  3  of the tray  1  toward the outside of the tray  1 . Accordingly, the tray unit  4  stacked on top can be pulled out easily and smoothly toward the user. As a result, the job of checking pharmaceuticals and so forth contained in the tray units  4 , for example, can be performed more easily. 
     Also, in this embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a , the guide portions  8  are disposed at the upper part of the card insertion portion  7 , at the left and the right ends to the outside of the card insertion portion  7 . 
     Consequently, as shown in  FIG. 2   a , the upper end portion of the card  5  can stick up to a position higher than the flange  15  of the tray  1 . As a result, the work is facilitates when inserting and removing the card  5  into and from the card insertion portion  7 . Specifically, when the user of the tray unit  4  is putting in the card  5 , the upper end of the card  5  inserted into the card insertion portion  7  of the card holder  6  can be easily grasped and inserted or removed. 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 2   b , with the tray unit  4  in this embodiment, the first and the second convex portions  15   a  and  6   a  are formed on the tray  1  side and the card holder  6  side, respectively. Consequently, in a state in which the card holder  6  is mounted to the tray  1 , the first and the second convex portions  15   a  and  6   a  are engaged with each other, which positions the card holder  6  with respect to the flange  15  of the tray  1 , and also prevents the card holder  6  from shifting to the left or the right after being mounted to the tray  1 . 
     As a result, for example, even if a card  5  that has been rewritten is inserted back into the card insertion portion  7  by a robot arm or the like, since the position of the card holder  6  with respect to the tray  1  is accurately established, the card  5  can be accurately inserted into the card insertion portion  7 . 
     Other Embodiments 
     (A) 
     In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the guide portions  8  were provided to the upper part of the card holder  6 , and the card holder  6  could be mounted to the tray  1 , but the present invention is not limited to this. 
     For example, the guide portions  8  may be formed directly on the flange  15  of the tray  1 . 
     However, if the configuration is such that the guide portions  8  are provided to the upper part of the card holder  6  and the card holder  6  can be mounted, as in this embodiment, there is no need to provide the guide portions  8  on the tray  1  side. This makes the tray  1  more universal (for example, the type and size of the tray  1  and the tray unit  4 , and whether or not a card is used, can be selected according to the user&#39;s wishes), and the tray  1  can also have a simpler configuration. 
     This also makes the tray  1  easier to wash, so it is preferable for the guide portions  8  provided to the upper part of the card holder  6 , and for the card holder  6  to be mountable to the tray, as in this embodiment. 
     (B) 
     In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the guide portions  8  were provided near both ends in the width direction at the upper part of the card insertion portion  7 , but the present invention is not limited to this. 
     For example, a card holder  6  may be used that is provided with guide portions that have an overall block form in the width direction. 
     Alternatively, a card holder may be used that is provided with a guide portion only at either the left or right end in the width direction. 
     (C) 
     In the above embodiment, an example was given in which two first convex portions  15   a  and four second convex portions  6   a  for preventing lateral sliding and for positioning the card holder  6  with respect to the flange  15  of the tray  1  were provided on the flange  15  side of the tray  1  and the card holder  6  side, respectively, but the present invention is not limited to this. 
     For example, the number and shape of the first and second convex portions can be modified as needed, and are not limited to what is given in the above embodiment. 
     Industrial Applicability 
     The tray unit of the present invention has the effect of preventing damage to the card insertion portion and the card inserted therein during tray use, so the present invention is expected to find application to trays and so forth that can hold pharmaceuticals and other such objects. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
     
         
           1  tray 
           2  bottom face 
           3  outer peripheral wall 
           4  tray unit 
           5  card 
           6  card holder 
           6   a  second convex portion 
           7  card insertion portion 
           8  guide portion 
           9  engagement portion 
           10  sloped face 
           15  flange 
           15   a  first convex portion