Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/7549266
Timestamp: 2019-10-22 15:10:34
Document Index: 91640792

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 40', 'art 50', 'arts 40', 'art 50', 'art 100', 'art 200', 'art 300', 'art 400', 'art 500', 'art 600', 'art 700', 'art 100', 'art 200', 'art 100', 'art 300', 'art 400', 'art 500', 'art 100', 'art 600', 'art 500', 'art 700', 'art 344', 'art 344', 'art 300', 'art 40', 'art 40', 'art 300', 'art 40', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 300']

US Patent for Device for containing and dispensing tablets Patent (Patent # 7,549,266 issued June 23, 2009) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents With Separate ClosureUS Patent for Device for containing and dispensing tablets Patent (Patent # 7,549,266)
Jan 17, 2005 - Yuyama Mfg. Co., Ltd.
First, a description will be given on the overall arrangement and construction of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, at the upper center of a main body 10 as viewed from the front, an operation display panel 20 is provided which provides displays-required for operating the tablet storage and take-out apparatus 1. To the lower right of the operation display panel 20, three vial take-out ports 30a, 30b, and 30c are provided. To the lower left thereof are provided auxiliary tablet supply parts 40 (40a, 40b), under which an auxiliary cap storage part 50 is provided. The auxiliary tablet supply parts 40 store two different kinds of pyrazolone tablets respectively, and supply tablets in accordance with prescription data. The auxiliary cap storage part 50 randomly stores a large number of caps 2 and permits them to be manually taken out when necessary. At the upper right side of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus 1 as viewed from the front is provided a door 60a for replacing a vial 3. At the left side thereof is provided a door 60b for replacing and refilling tablets. At the bottom thereof are also provided doors 60c, 60d, and 60e for maintenance.
Inside the tablet storage and take-out apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, there are provided: a vial supply part 100, a labeling part 200, a tablet supply part 300, a photographing part 400, a cap supply part 500, a capping part 600, and a storage part 700. The vial supply part 100 is provided on the right side of the main body 10 as viewed from the front, as shown in FIG. 2, and stores a large number of vials 3 by size and supplies, one by one, vials 3 of a size suitable for filling tablets in accordance with prescription data. The labeling part 200 is provided at the lower center of the main body 10 as viewed from the front, and puts a label with printed prescription information on a vial 3 supplied from the vial supply part 100. The tablet supply part 300 is provided on the left side of the main body 10, and stores a large number of tablets (non-pyrazolone) by type and supplies tablets in accordance with prescription data. The photographing part 400 is provided, as shown in FIG. 4, on the center back side of the main body 10, and photographs a vial 3 from above for the purpose of auditing the tablets delivered to the vial 3. The cap supply part 500 is provided, as shown in FIG. 3, on the right side of the main body 10 and behind the vial supply part 100, and stores caps 2 for plugging the vials 3, and supplies the caps one by one. The capping part 600 is provided on the center back side of the main body 10, and plugs a vial 3, which is filled with tablets, with a cap 2 supplied from the cap supply part 500. The storage part 700, as shown in FIG. 5, stores vials 3 filled with tablets and plugged with a cap 2 so that they can be taken out by an operator through take-out ports 30a, 30b, and 30c.
FIGS. 7 to 10 show the structure of the drum 301. The drum 301 is composed of a fixed half drum 301a and a movable half drum 301b. The fixed half drum 301a and the movable half drum 301b are each formed by bending a metal plate material, such as stainless steel, into a polyhedral half-cylinder (half-cylindrical polyhedron). The fixed half drum 301a and the movable half drum 301b are combined together into a cylinder which is then arranged with its axis oriented vertically.
To the upper end of the movable half drum 301b, a half top panel 302b is provided which has a substantially fan-like shape as shown in FIG. 9, and to the lower end thereof, a half ring 308b is fixed as shown in FIG. 10. Spindles 314 provided at the top and bottom ends of one circumferential end portion of the movable half drum 301b are, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, rotatably fitted to one ends of links 316 whose the other ends are rotatably fitted with spindles 315 in between to the upper ring 304 and the lower ring 309, respectively. This permits the movable half drum 301b to be rotatable between a working position, where the movable half drum 301b faces the fixed half drum 301a so as to be formed together into a cylinder, and an open position as shown in FIG. 9, where the movable half drum 301b separates from the fixed half drum 301a thereby opening the inside of the drum 301. The other circumferential end of the movable half drum 301b is disengageably coupled to a circumferential end portion of the fixed half drum 301a. The link 316 moves when the fixed half drum 301a is opened from the working position to the open position, thus permitting this opening operation at a wide angle while preventing the tablet feeders 340 of the movable half drum 301b from interfering with the tablet feeders 340 of the fixed half drum 301a.
FIGS. 11A to 11C show a driving unit 317 for driving the drum 301 into rotation and a manual operation unit 318. These units 317 and 318 are provided on the bottom surface of a base 10a in the main body 10. The driving unit 317 is formed by fitting a drum rotation driving motor 320 to the bottom surface of a slide plate 319 and fitting a driving gear 321 to a driving shaft projecting therefrom. A slide plate 319 is so fitted as to be slidable by a pair of guides 322 so that the driving gear 321 is disengaged from the gear 310 of the drum 301. From the bottom surface of the slide plate 319, a driving pin 323 is projected. To the top surface of the slide plate 319, a detected piece 325 is fitted which is to be detected by a sensor 324 provided on the base 10a. The manual operation unit 318 is built by fitting a control lever 327, a link 328, and a slide shaft 329 to a support plate 326 fitted to the lower support member 311 of the main body 10. The control lever 327 is fitted so as to be rotatable about a spindle 327a. The link 328 is fitted near the spindle 327a of the control lever 327 so as to be rotatable by a pin 328a. The slide shaft 328 is inserted in a guide member 330 so as to be slidable in the same direction as the slide plate 319. The slide shaft 329 has one end thereof rotatably fitted to the link 328 with a pin 328b in between and has the other end thereof fitted to the driving pin 323 of the slide plate 319.
As shown in FIG. 10, the lower ring 309 of the drum 301 is provided with a contact piece 332 which is brought into contact with an origin detection sensor (limit switch) 331a fitted on the base 10a of the main body 10. The contact piece 332 is fitted with a detected piece 333, which is detected by first and second rotation limit detection sensors (optical sensors) 331b and 331c fitted to both sides of the origin detection sensor (limit switch) 331a. When the first rotation limit detection sensor 331b first detects an origin, the position thereof is defined as a left rotation limit. When the second rotation limit detection sensor 331c first detects the origin, the position thereof is defined as a right rotation limit. When the origin detection sensor 331a detects the origin after these rotation limits have been detected, the drum 301 stops. The rotation position of the drum 301 from the origin is configured to be detected by a rotary encoder 335, which rotates through a gear 334 engaging with the gear 310 of the lower ring 309 of the drum 301. Upon detection of an origin of the drum 301 by the origin detection sensor 331a, the rotation position detected by the rotary encoder 335 is reset. Note that, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper ring 304 of the drum 301 is fitted with a projecting piece 337, which comes into contact with a stopper 336 provided on the upper support member 306. This can prevent the drum 301 from rotating through 360 degrees or more when the drum 301 is rotated manually.
FIG. 12 shows a tablet feeder 340. The tablet feeder 340 is composed of a motor base 341 and a tablet cassette 342. The motor bases 341 are circumferentially arranged along the outer surface of the drum 301 and vertically provided in multi-stages. Each motor base 341 has a built-in motor 341b fitted with a driving gear 341a, as also shown in FIG. 13. In the motor base 341, a guide passage 341c is also formed which guides tablets discharged from the tablet cassette 342 into the drum 301. The tablet cassette 342 is a box with a cover 342a which stores multiple tablets and which is attachable to and detachable from the motor base 341. The tablet cassette 342 has therein a rotor 342c provided with a driving gear 342b that engages with the driving gear 341a of the motor base 341. When the driving motor 341b of the motor base 341 is driven, the rotor 342c of the tablet cassette 342 rotates through the driving gear 341a and the driving gear 342b, and thereby tablets inside are discharged one by one and then led through the guide passage 341c to the inside of the drum 301.
The tablet storage case 343 is fitted inside the drum 301, as shown in FIG. 13. The tablet storage case 343 has an upper end opening 343a facing the guide passage 341c of the motor base 341 and a lower end opening 343b. Below the lower end outlet 343b of the tablet storage case 343, a shutter 344 is provided as shown in FIG. 14. The shutter 344 is slidably fitted to a pair of guide bars 345 projecting from the inner surface of the drum 301 so that the shutter 344 is movable between a closed position where the lower end opening 343b of the tablet storage case 343 is closed and an open position where this lower end opening 343b is open. On the bottom surface of the shutter 344, a projecting part 344a is formed which is pressed by a guide member 292 of the second transfer robot 250. Below the shutter 344, a return lever 346 is provided, which is fitted to a projecting piece 347 fitted to the inner surface of the drum 301 so as to be rotatable through a pin 348, with one end in contact with the projecting part 344a of the shutter 344 and with the other end connected through a spring 349 to the projecting piece 347. This permits the shutter 344 to be opened with its projecting piece 347 being pressed by the guide member 292 of the second transfer robot 250 and to be closed by the return lever 346. The return lever 346 is fitted with: a detected piece 346a to be detected by a sensor 293a that detects the start position of shutter opening operation performed by the second transfer robot 250; and a detected piece 346b to be detected by a sensor 293b that detects the end position of shutter opening operation performed by the second transfer robot 250.
FIG. 15 shows an example of this mechanism, in which a deceleration point detection sensor 1001 is arranged on the upper support member 306, and, on both sides of the deceleration point detection sensor 1001, rotation limit detection sensors 1002a, 1002b, and overrun detection sensors 1003a, 1003b are arranged in such a manner that they are separated from one another by predetermined angles. On the upper support member 306, a guide plate 1005 is also fitted in which two guide grooves 1004 are formed in the shape of a circular arc having the same center as that of the drum 301. To this guide plate 1005, as shown in FIG. 16, a slide member 1008 composed of two slide plates 1006 sandwiching the guide plate 1005 and four guide pins 1007 placed between the slide plates 1006 and inserted in the guide groove 1004 is slidably fitted along the guide groove 1004. The slide member 1008 is provided with: a projecting piece 1010 with which a projection 1009 fitted to the upper ring 304 of the drum 301 makes contact; and a detected piece 1011 to be detected by the five sensors 1001, 1002a, 1002b, 1003a, and 1003b described above. In this embodiment, when the drum 301 rotates counterclockwise and thereby the projection 1009 thereof presses the slide member 1008 located at the position defined by a chain double-dashed line of FIG. 15A, it is assumed that the drum 301 has rotated through 360 degrees. When the drum 301 rotates further counterclockwise to thereby slide the slide member 1008 and then the deceleration point detection sensor 1001 detects the detected piece 1011 of the slide member 1008, the drum 301 starts to decelerate. Then, when the rotation limit detection sensor 1002a detects the detected piece 1011 of the slide member 1008, this position is defined as the rotation limit in the counterclockwise direction. When the overrun detection sensor 1003a detects the detected piece 1011, the drum 301 stops. The same applies to clockwise rotation of the drum 301 from the state as shown FIG. 15B to the state as shown in FIG. 15C. As a result, the drum 301 can rotate through 360 degrees or more.
FIG. 17 shows still another embodiment, in which a deceleration point detection sensor 1001 is arranged on the upper support member 306, and on both sides of the deceleration point detection sensor 1001, rotation limit detection sensors 1002a, 1002b and overrun detection sensors 1003a, 1003b are arranged in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIG. 16. To the main body 10, a guide arm 1012 is provided in such a manner as to be rotatable, between two stoppers 1013, about an axis 1012a located on the axis of the drum 301. The tip of the guide arm 1012 is configured to be detected by the sensors 1001, 1002a, 1002b, 1003a, and 1003b. The guide arm 1012 is configured to be contacted by the projection 1009 fitted to the upper ring 304 of the drum 301. In this embodiment, when the drum 301 rotates counterclockwise and thereby the projection 1009 thereof presses the guide arm 1012 located at the position defined by a chain double-dashed line of FIG. 17, it is assumed that the drum 301 has rotated through 360 degrees. When the drum 301 rotates further counterclockwise to thereby turn the slide member 1008 and then the deceleration point detection sensor 1001 detects the guide arm 1012, the drum 301 starts to decelerate. Then, when the rotation limit detection sensor 1002a detects the guide arm 1012, this position is defined as the rotation limit in the counterclockwise direction. When the overrun detection sensor 1003a detects the detected piece 1011, the drum 301 stops. The same applies to clockwise rotation, i.e., in the direction opposite to the direction in FIG. 17. As a result, the drum 301 can rotate through 360 degrees or more.
The rotary block 251 is composed of a frame 253 extending along the axis of the drum 301. An upper end shaft 254 of the frame 253 is rotatably supported through a bearing 255 by the upper ring 304 of the drum 301, and a lower end shaft 256 thereof is supported through 258 by a support base 257 provided in the main body 10. The lower end shaft 256 of the frame 253 is coupled through a gear 260 to a rotation driving motor 259 fitted to the main body 10. This permits the frame 253 to rotate around the axis of the drum 301. The frame 253 has two guide rods 261 arranged in parallel to the line connecting the upper and lower end shafts 254 and 256 with a gear belt 262 arranged between the guide rods 261. The gear belt 262 is stretched over an upper gear 263 provided at the upper end portion of the frame 253 and a lower gear 264 provided at the lower end portion thereof. The upper gear 263 is coupled to a lifting driving motor 265 fitted to the frame 253. This permits the gear belt 262 to run vertically. To the upper and lower ends of the frame 253, an origin position detection sensor 266a and an end point position detection sensor 266b are fitted respectively. To the lower end of the frame 253, a detected piece 268 is fitted which is detected by a delivery position sensor 267a for detecting delivery from the first transfer robot 150 and a delivery position detection sensor 267b for detecting delivery from the third transfer robot 350, both provided in the main body 10.
The lifting block 252 is, as shown in FIGS. 20A to 20B through 23, composed of a lifting base 269, a lifting table 270, a boom 271, an arm base 271, and two pairs of arms 273a and 273b. The lifting base 269 is slidably fitted to the guide rod 261 of the rotary block 251 and firmly fixed to part of the gear belt 262 described above so that the lifting base 269 can be lifted by running of the gear belt 262. The gear belt 262 is fitted with a balance weight 274 so as to be balanced with the lifting block 252. The lifting table 270 is fitted to the side surface of the lifting base 269. The boom 271 is fitted below the lifting table 270 with guides 275a and 275b in between so as to be slidable horizontally. To the top surface of the boom 271, a rack 276 is fitted which engages with a pinion 278 of an extension-contraction driving motor 277 fitted to the lifting table 270. This permits the boom 271 to extend and contract horizontally. From the boom 271, a detected piece 280 is projected which is detected by three position detection sensors 279a, 279b, and 279c provided on the lifting table 270.
The arm base 271 as shown in FIG. 22, an inverted-V shape as viewed horizontally and is swingably fitted to the lower ends of the boom 271 with a swing shaft 281 in between. To the middle of the swing shaft 281, a bevel gear 282 is fitted which engages with a gear 284 of an oscillation driving motor 283 fitted to the boom 271. This permits the arm base 272 to swing between a horizontal position and a tilt position. The arm base 272 is fitted with a detected piece 286 which is detected by two position detection sensors 285a and 285b provided on the boom 271. To the ends of the arm base 272, guide bars 287 are fitted in pairs at the upper and the lower positions, respectively, with a ball screw 288 stretched in between.
The arm base 272 is fitted with a funnel-shaped guide member 292 above the two pairs of the arms 273a to 273b. The guide member 292 has an outlet thereof facing the opening of a vial 3 held by one pair of the arm members 273a-273d and has an inlet thereof so shaped as to be tilted through substantially 45 degrees when the arm base 272 is at the horizontal position and to be oriented horizontally when the arm base 272 is at a tilt position. To both sides of the guide member 292, sensors 293a and 293b are fitted which detect the detected pieces 343a and 346b, respectively, of the return lever 346 of the shutter 344 provided in the tablet supply part 300.
FIG. 29 shows a second modified embodiment in which the inner drum 1021 of the first modified embodiment includes openings 1023a, 1023b, and 1023c that are formed circumferentially at regular intervals. In this modified embodiment, to receive the supply of tablets from the tablet feeder 340 of the outer drum 1022, the arm base 272 of the second transfer robot 250 may be brought into agreement with the closest of the openings 1023a, 1023b, and 1023c, thus permitting a reduction in the rotation amount of the second transfer robot 250 or the inner drum 1021.
FIG. 41A shows the external tablet supply part 40. When tablets corresponding to prescription data are of a special type, such as pyrazolone, the external tablet supply part 40 instead of the tablet supply part 300 is used. The external tablet supply part 40 is composed of: a tablet feeder 43 that is composed of a motor base 41 and a tablet cassette 42; and a tablet storage case 44. The motor base 41 is identical to the motor base 341 of the tablet supply part 300, except in that the outlet of the guide passage 341c of the motor base 341 included in the tablet supply part 300 is formed in the back surface of the motor base 341 while the outlet of a guide passage 45 is formed in the bottom surface of the motor base 41. The tablet cassette 42 is identical to the tablet cassette 342 of the tablet supply part 300. The tablet storage case 44 is different from that of the tablet supply part 300 in that it is provided below the motor base 41. The tablet storage case 44 has, at its upper end an inlet 44a, connecting to the guide passage 45 and, at its lower end, an outlet 44b. The outlet 44b is provided with a shutter 46 which is arranged so as to be rotatable about a pin 47. The shutter 46 is, as shown in FIG. 41B, provided with a projected piece 46a which is detected by sensors 48a and 48b at the closing position and the open position. The shutter 46 is forced by a spring 49 in the closing direction. When tablets are discharged from the tablet cassette 42 to the tablet storage case 44 through the guide passage 45 of the motor base 41, the operator can manually fill the tablets into a vial 3 by holding the vial 3 and pressing it against the shutter 46.
On the New drug registration screen 1.2.1a of FIG. 49, the tablets to be registered for the specified tablet cassette and master-slave cassette information are set. Tablets that are frequently dispensed in a large amount are filled using not one tablet cassette but a plurality of tablet cassettes. Here, it is defined that a tablet cassette serving as a main cassette is a master cassette while a tablet cassette serving as a subordinate cassette is a slave cassette. Pressing the “ENTER” button registers the tablets for the specified tablet cassette and opens the NDC code check screen 1.2.1b of FIG. 52. Pressing the “DATA BASE” button opens the Drug list display screen 1.2.1a.1 of FIG. 50 whereby a list of the contents of NDC masters is displayed. Selecting the drug to be deleted and pressing the “DELETE” button on this Drug list display screen 1.2.1a.1 opens the NDC master drug delete screen 1.2.1a.1.1 of FIG. 51, confirming if the drug selected on the list may be deleted from the NDC masters. Thus, the selected drug is deleted if it is accepted.
301a. Fixed half drum
301b. Movable half drum
331a. Origin detection sensor
331a, 331b. Rotation limit detection sensor
341c. Guide passage
344a. Projecting portion
5891371 April 6, 1999 Lepper et al.
20060006190 January 12, 2006 Janet et al.
10-033636 February 1998 JP
2001-294305 October 2001 JP
Patent Publication Number: 20070157551
Inventors: Shoji Yuyama (Osaka), Katsunori Yoshina (Osaka), Takafumi Imai (Osaka), Yoshinori Kumano (Osaka), Masahito Miyashita (Osaka)
Application Number: 10/586,945
Current U.S. Class: With Separate Closure (53/281); Selective Or Alternate Supply Of Plural Covers And/or Plural Contents (53/168); Plural Filling Stations And/or Contents Sources For Single Receptacle (53/237); Concurrent Control Of Contents And Receptacle Feeds (53/55)
International Classification: B65B 5/08 (20060101);