Patent Publication Number: US-10327995-B2

Title: Automatic medicine retrieving device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 105133658, filed on Oct. 19, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to medication dispensers, and particularly to automated medication dispensers. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Generally, medication dispensing devices include an arm to grab medication. Many types of medication (e.g. pills) are stored together in a box. Medications stored in this way are prone to damage, because the medication tends to easily biodegrade or stick to other medication in the same storage compartment. Thus, the medication dispensing arm may grab more than one pill, or may not grab any pills at all. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an automatic medication dispenser. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  with the door open. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a medicine tray of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  with a part of the shell opened. 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1  with the shell omitted. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a driving mechanism of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of the driving mechanism of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is similar to  FIG. 7 , shown from another viewpoint. 
         FIG. 9  is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an accepting mechanism of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein. 
     The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series, and the like. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an automatic medicine retrieving device  100  comprising a shell  20 , a number of medicine trays  40 , an accepting mechanism  50 , and a driving mechanism  60 . The medicine tray  40 , the accepting mechanism  50 , and the driving mechanism  60  are received in the shell  20 . The medicine tray  40  stores pills. The driving mechanism  60  moves the medicine tray  40  making a pill fall into the accepting mechanism  50 . 
     The shell  20  includes two lateral sidewalls  21 , a door  22 , and a top sidewall  23  positioned between the two lateral sidewalls  21 . An opening  24  is defined between the two lateral sidewalls  21 . The door  22  opens or closes the opening  24 . The door  22  is rotatably attached to one of the lateral sidewalls  21 . An interactive operating panel  25  is fixed on the door  22 . A user may select the pill to be dispensed using the interactive operating panel  25 . The two lateral sidewalls  21  include a number of pairs of opposite sliding rails  26 . Restockable medicine trays  40  can be slidably received in or removed from each of the number of pairs of opposite sliding rails  26  in the shell  20  for a manager to put the pills. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary embodiment showing each medicine tray  40  includes a bearing plate  41  and an annular medicine separating member  42  positioned on the bearing plate  41 . The medicine separating member  42  defines a number of medicine separating areas  43  and a positioning area  44 . Each medicine separating area  43  receives a pill. The medicine separating member  42  is rotatable on the bearing plate  41 . The bearing plate  41  defines a medicine port  45 . The positioning area  44  is a through hole. Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , as an exemplary embodiment, in an initial position, all of the positioning areas  44  are opposite to the medicine port  45  and form a channel  46 . The accepting mechanism  50  is positioned under the last medicine tray  40  and in line with the channel  46 . When a medicine separating area  43  of a medicine tray  40  rotates to be opposite to the medicine port  45 , the pill in the medicine separating area  43  passes through the channel  46  to fall into the accepting mechanism  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 6 , showing an exemplary embodiment of the driving mechanism  60  includes a first motor  63 , a second motor  61 , a first transferring device  80 , a second transferring device  70 , a bearing device  62 , a swinging device  90 , a first driving gear  64 , and a second driving gear  65 . The second transferring device  70  is attached to the second motor  61  and the bearing device  62 . The second motor  61  drives the second transferring device  70  to move horizontally and the second transferring device  70  drives the bearing device  62  to move up and down. The first motor  63  is attached to the bearing device  62 . The first transferring device  80  is positioned on the bearing device  62 . The first transferring device  80  is attached to the first motor  63  and the swinging device  90 . The first driving gear  64  and the second driving gear  65  are positioned on the swinging device  90 . The medicine separating member  42  includes a number of teeth  47  on an external side of the medicine separating member  42 . 
     When the first motor  63  rotates in a forward direction, the first transferring device  80  drives the swinging device  90  to swing in a first swinging direction making the first driving gear  64  engage in the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 . The first driving gear  64  rotates the medicine separating member  42  in a first direction. The medicine separating member  42  thereby moves from a first position where the positioning area  44  is opposite to the medicine port  45  to a second position where the medicine separating area  43  is opposite to the medicine port  45 . The pill in the medicine separating area  43  can thus pass through the medicine port  45  and the channel  46  to fall into the accepting mechanism  50 . When the first motor  63  rotates in a reverse direction, the first transferring device  80  drives the swinging device  90  to swing in a second swinging direction opposite to the first swinging direction thereby making the second driving gear  65  engage in the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 . The second driving gear  65  rotates the medicine separating member  42  in a second direction and the medicine separating member  42  moves back to the first position where the positioning area  44  is opposite to the medicine port  45 . 
       FIGS. 4, 7, and 8  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the automatic medicine retrieving device  100  which further includes a controller  99 . The controller  99  electrically connects to the first motor  63  and the second motor  61 . The controller  99  rotates the second motor  61  through different angles, and the second motor  61  drives the second transferring device  70  to move the bearing device  62  to different heights. Therefore, the first driving gear  64  can be opposite to different heights of the medicine trays  40 . When the first driving gear  64  is at a certain position, the controller  99  rotates the first motor  63 . The first transferring device  80  then swings the swinging device  90  making the first driving gear  64  engage in the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 . The first driving gear  64  rotates the medicine separating member  42 . When the medicine separating area  43  rotates to a position which is opposite to the medicine port  45 , the pill in the medicine separating area  43  passes through the medicine port  45  and the channel  46  to fall into the accepting mechanism  50 . 
     The second transferring device  70  includes a first gear  71  sleeved on an output shaft of the second motor  61 , a second gear  72  engaging with the first gear  71 , a threaded rod  73  attached to the second gear  72 , and a connecting member  74 . The connecting member  74  is sleeved on the threaded rod  73  and is attached to the bearing device  62 . The threaded rod  73  defines an external thread. The connecting member  74  defines a threaded hole. The connecting member  74  is screwed in the threaded hole of the connecting member  74 . The first gear  71  rotates with the output shaft of the second motor  61 . The second gear  72  and the threaded rod  73  rotate with the first gear  71 . When the threaded rod  73  rotates, the connecting member  74  moves up and down along the threaded rod  73  making the bearing device  62  move up and down. In this exemplary embodiment, the connecting member  74  defines a number of threaded through holes  75 . The bearing device  62  defines a number of threaded fixing holes  66 . Bolts (not shown) are screwed into the threaded through holes  75  and the threaded fixing holes  66  to connect the connecting member  74  to the bearing device  62 . 
     The second transferring device  70  further includes a frame  76  and two guiding poles  77 . The two guiding poles  77  are fixed to the frame  76  and symmetrically positioned at each of the two sides of the threaded rod  73 . The bearing device  62  defines two guiding holes  67 . The bearing device  62  is sleeved on the two guiding poles  77  through the two guiding holes  67 . The bearing device  62  can move along the two guiding poles  77 . 
     The first transferring device  80  includes a third gear  81  sleeved on an output shaft (not labeled) of the first motor  63 , a number of transferring gears  82 , an output gear  83 , and a rotation angle sensor  84 . The transferring gears  82  are engaged between the third gear  81  and the output gear  83 . 
     A first positioning shaft  68  is attached to the bearing device  62 . The swinging device  90  includes a swinging plate  91 , a damping member  92 , and a swinging gear  93 . The swinging plate  91  is sleeved on the first positioning shaft  68 . A second positioning shaft  94  and a third positioning shaft  95  are attached to the swinging plate  91 . The swinging gear  93  is sleeved on the first positioning shaft  68 , the first driving gear  64  is sleeved on the second positioning shaft  94 , and the second driving gear  65  is sleeved on the third positioning shaft  95 . The first driving gear  64  and the second driving gear  65  align symmetrically and engage at the two sides of the swinging gear  93 . The swinging gear  93  further engages with the output gear  83 . The damping member  92  is sleeved on the first positioning shaft  68  between the swinging plate  91  and the swinging gear  93 . In the exemplary embodiment, the damping member  92  is a spring acting as a damper. 
     Friction between the damping member  92  and the swinging gear  93  prevents the swinging gear  93  from rotating around its center axis toward a first direction while the swinging plate  91  rotates around the first positioning shaft  68  toward the first direction. Thus, the first driving gear  64  and the second driving gear  65  engage with the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42  before the output gear  83  rotates. When the output gear  83  rotates but before the first driving gear  64  and the second driving gear  65  engaging with the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 , the swinging gear  93  cannot rotate around its center axis toward a first direction, and the swinging plate  91  rotates around the first positioning shaft  68  toward the first direction. The swing of the first driving gear  64  and the second gear  72  follows the swinging plate  91 . Since the swinging gear  93  is sleeved on the first positioning shaft  68 , the swinging gear  93  revolves around the first positioning shaft  68  toward the first direction. The first driving gear  64  swings toward the medicine separating member  42 , and the second driving gear  65  swings away from the medicine separating member  42 . When the first driving gear  64  engages with the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 , the medicine separating member  42  prevents any further swinging by the swinging plate  91 . Thus, the swinging plate  93  rotates around its center axis to drive the first driving gear  64  to rotate around the second positioning shaft  94 , and the second gear  65  to rotate around the third positioning shaft  95 . Then the first driving gear  64  can rotate the medicine separating member  42  in the first direction. When the medicine separating member  42  rotates to locate different medicine separating areas  43  at a position opposite to the medicine port  45 , the pill in the medicine separating area  43  falls from the medicine tray  40 . 
     The swinging device  90  further includes a pushing member  96  and a movement sensor (not shown). The pushing member  96  is rotatably sleeved on the second positioning shaft  94  and is positioned between the first gear  71  and the swinging plate  91 . The pushing member  96  includes a pushing piece  97  and a shielding piece  98 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , a blocking piece  48  protrudes externally from a side of the medicine separating member  42 . When the first driving gear  64  engages with the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 , the pushing piece  97  touches the blocking piece  48 . When the medicine separating member  42  rotates with the first driving gear  64 , the medicine separating member  42  pushes the pushing piece to rotate the pushing member  96  around the second positioning shaft  94 , and the shielding piece  98  thus moves. The movement sensor is positioned on the bearing device  62  and under the pushing member  96 . The movement sensor senses movement by the shielding piece  98  and can determine whether the pushing piece  97  is pushed by the medicine separating member  42 . In another exemplary embodiment, a sensor to read a pressing force is fixed to a distal end of the pushing member  96 . When the pushing piece  97  touches the blocking piece  48 , such sensor senses a pressing force to determine that the pushing piece  97  touches the blocking piece  48 . Thus, the pushing piece  97  being pushed by medicine separating member  42  can be determined. 
     When the pushing piece  97  is pushed by medicine separating member  42 , the angle sensor  84  senses an angle of rotation of the medicine separating member  42 . In the exemplary embodiment, the rotation angle sensor  84  is a rotary encoder fixed on one of the transferring gear  82 . The rotary encoder senses the angle of rotation of the fixed transferring gear  82  and transmits the rotation information to the controller  99 . The controller  99  determines the angle of rotation of the medicine separating member  42  according to the rotation information of the fixed transferring gear  82  and a transferring relationship between the fixed transferring gear  82  and the medicine separating member  42 . When the angle of rotation of the medicine separating member  42  reaches a preset angle, the controller  99  stops the rotation of the first motor  63 . At the preset angle, the medicine separating area  43  which receives a pill is opposite to the medicine port. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 9 , the accepting mechanism  50  includes a pill sensor  51  and a medicine box  52 . The pill sensor  51  senses the dropping and delivery of a pill. The medicine box  52  is positioned under the medicine port  45  and faces the medicine port  45 . The medicine box  52  accepts the pill. The pill sensor  51  senses a fall of the pill. In an exemplary embodiment, the pill sensor  51  includes a light source and a light sensor opposite to the light source. The pill passes between the light source and the light sensor to fall into the medicine box  52 . When the pill passes between the light source and the light sensor, the pill blocks the light from the light source, and the light sensor is triggered. The pill sensor  51  determines that a pill falls down. The accepting mechanism  50  is slidably received in the shell. When the pill is gathered, the accepting mechanism  50  can slide out of the shell  22 . 
     When the pill falls down, the controller  99  rotates the first motor  63  in the back-forward direction. In another exemplary embodiment, when a time from the first motor  63  stopping rotation reaches a first preset period, the controller  99  rotates the first motor  63  in reverse. The first preset time allows the pill time to fall out of the medicine separating area  43 , for example, this can be two seconds. Friction between the damping member  92  and the swinging gear  93  means that the swinging gear  93  cannot rotate around its center axis toward a second direction, the reverse of the first direction. Therefore, the swinging plate  91  rotates around the first positioning shaft  68  toward the second direction. The first driving gear  64  and the second gear  72  swing to follow the swinging plate  91 . Since the swinging gear  93  is sleeved on the first positioning shaft  68 , the swinging gear  93  revolves around the first positioning shaft  68  toward the second direction. The first driving gear  64  swings away from the medicine separating member  42  and the second driving gear  65  swings toward the medicine separating member  42 . When the second driving gear  65  engages with the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 , the medicine separating member  42  prevents the swinging plate  91  from further swinging. The swinging plate  93  thus rotates around its center axis to drive the first driving gear  64  and the second gear  65  to respectively rotate around the second positioning shaft  94  and the third positioning shaft  95 . Then the second driving gear  65  rotates the medicine separating member  42  in the second direction which is the reverse of the first direction of rotation. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , a positioning piece  49  protrudes internally from a side of the medicine separating member  42 . A stopping piece  58  protrudes from the bearing plate  41 . When the positioning area  44  is opposite to the medicine port  45 , the positioning piece  49  touches the stopping piece  58 . The stopping piece  58  prevents the medicine separating member  42  from further rotation in the second direction. When the angle sensor  84  senses that the medicine separating member  42  has stopped rotating, the angle sensor  84  sends a stop rotating signal to the controller  99 . In one exemplary embodiment, when the rotary encoder senses that the fixing transferring gear  82  has stopped rotating, the rotary encoder sends the stop rotating signal to the controller  99 . In another exemplary embodiment, after the first motor  63  rotates in the reverse direction for a second preset period, the first motor  63  sends the stop rotating signal to the controller  99 . According to the stop rotating signal, the controller  99  determines that the medicine separating member  42  is in a position where the positioning area  44  is opposite to the medicine port  45 . The first motor  63  then rotates in the forward direction to drive the second driving gear  65  away from the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 , to move to the initial position. In this time, a pill delivery operation is complete, and the controller  99  controls the automatic medicine retrieving device  100  to take next selected pill. In the initial position, neither of the first driving gear  64  and the second driving gear  65  engage in the teeth  47  of the medicine separating member  42 , and they can move up and down with the bearing device  62 . 
     The exemplary embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous descriptions and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.