Abstract:
A medicament dispensing cell ( 12 ) is provided which is used in large, automated dispensing machines ( 10 ) to provide rapid and accurate dispensing of medicament dosage forms such as tablets ( 124 ), capsules, or pills. The cell ( 12 ) includes a housing ( 20 ) for storage of tablets ( 124 ) and includes a rotatable platen conveyor assembly ( 68 ) which moves the tablets ( 124 ) along a passageway ( 96 ) and through an outlet opening ( 36 ). The passageway ( 96 ) includes a restricted throat section ( 98 ) defined by a bushing ( 78 ) and an inclined roller ( 100 ). The roller ( 100 ) is oriented so as to prevent simultaneous passage of two tablets ( 124 ) through the throat section ( 98 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is broadly concerned with dispensing cells useful in automated dispensing equipment and especially medicament dispensing devices. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such dispensing cells which are improved by provision of an adjustable, restricted throat forming a part of the pathway between the storage section and outlet opening of the housing; the throat section is defined by a pair of adjacent components, one of such components being an obliquely oriented roller sized and located to assist in the passage of medicaments or the like through the throat while preventing simultaneous passage of multiple medicaments through the throat. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,919 describes an automatic dispensing machine having a plurality of dispensing cells for storing and dispensing of various types of solid medicament dosage forms. Each cell includes a rotatable platen serving to move the dosage forms through and out of the cell. A manipulator arm forming a part of the dispensing machine retrieves an empty vial and positions the vial adjacent the outlet of a selected cell. The manipulator arm includes a drive gear which engages the platen gear in order to rotate the platen and thereby initiate dispensing of medicaments. The filled vial is then positioned on a discharge conveyor for subsequent handling such as labeling and inspection. 
     In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,024 describes an improved dispensing cell used in such automated equipment. The cells of the &#39;024 patent are a significant advance in the art and have achieved considerable commercial success. However, in certain instances, these cells have experienced problems. For example, medicaments sometimes become lodged between the storage sections and the outlet sections of these cells, requiring an operator to either manually remove the lodged medicaments or to reverse the rotation of the platen in an attempt to clear the obstruction. Another problem is that stacked pairs of medicaments may be simultaneously passed through and out of the cell. This can disrupt the count or lead to breakage of the medicaments. 
     There is accordingly a need in the art for an improved dispensing cell, which more effectively transfers medicaments out of the cell without medicaments becoming lodged or clogged and that substantially eliminates the problem of simultaneous passage of stacked medicaments through the cell. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and provides a dispensing cell for dispensing medicaments (e.g., tablets, capsules, caplets, or pills) or other discrete bodies. The cell includes a housing having a storage section that holds the medicaments, a dispensing outlet, and a passageway between the storage sections and the outlet. Moreover, the cell includes a conveyor assembly that conveys the medicaments from the storage section through the passageway and out the outlet; the conveyor assembly is preferably in the form of a ribbed, rotatable platen. The passageway has a restricted throat section between the storage section of the housing and the housing outlet. This throat section is defined by a pair of spaced apart components, one of which is an inclined roller presenting an upper margin and a lower margin. The roller is oriented so that the upper margin is closer to the other component than the lower margin thereof, thereby preventing simultaneous passage of two of the medicaments through the throat section. 
     In preferred forms, the other components forming the restricted throat section is a rotatable bushing having a resilient outer surface. The bushing is preferably coaxial with the axis of rotation of the platen. Downstream of the throat section a pair of resilient fingers are provided which urge the medicaments against a guide wall, so that the medicaments are properly aligned and separated for single file passage out of the housing outlet. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an automatic medicament dispensing machine including a plurality of individual dispensing cells; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of a dispensing cell in accordance with the invention, with the cover removed; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view with parts broken away illustrating the medicament-dispensing operation of the cell of FIGS. 2-4; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top view depicting the preferred plate-type conveyor assembly together with the inclined roller unit; and 
     FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an automatic dispensing machine  10  designed for the rapid, automatic dispensing of various medicaments into individual vials. The machine  10  is very similar to the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,919 incorporated by reference herein. Briefly, the machine  10  includes a plurality of stacked, individual dispensing cells  12 , and a manipulating mechanism  14  that retrieves an empty vial from one of the vial dispensers  16 , places the empty vial adjacent a selected dispensing cell  10  for receipt of medicaments therefrom, and then places the filled vial on a conveyor for labeling and subsequent inspection at inspection station  18 . 
     Each of the cells  12  is identical and is similar in many respects to the cell described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,024, also incorporated by reference herein. Broadly speaking, each cell  12  includes an oblong housing  20 , a platen conveyor assembly  22 , and an outlet assembly  24 . 
     In more detail, the housing  20  is formed of synthetic resin material and has an upright sidewall  26  together with a bottom wall  28  including a pair of sloped sections  30 ,  32 . The housing also includes a removable top wall (not shown). As illustrated in FIG. 2, a substantially circular opening  34  is formed by the bottom wall  28  which is important for reasons to be described. The sidewall  26  has an outlet opening  36  formed therein which communicates with the assembly  24 . 
     The housing  20  includes an inwardly extending beam-type support arm  38  which is integral with sidewall  26  and has an upstanding innermost circular segment  38   a . The arm  38  also supports a stationary extension  40  having a sloped top wall  42  as well as a depending sidewall  44 . The sidewall  44  is relieved as at  46  to define a medicament entrance opening  48  (see FIG.  4 ). The extension  40  further includes an upright wall  50  extending from the inner end of arm  38  to the opposite side of sidewall  26 , as well as a laterally extending wall  52 . The wall  52  has a pair of slots  54 ,  55  therein with a series of positioned indicia  55   a  on the upper surface of the wall  52  adjacent the slots. The wall  52  also supports an upright, somewhat L-shaped panel  56 . Referring to FIG. 2, it will be observed that a desiccant chamber  58  is bounded by the panel  56 , upright wall  50 , and sidewall  26 . A conventional desiccant may be placed within the chamber  58  in order to prevent the accumulation of moisture in the cell  12 ; to this end, the panel  56  has a series of openings  60  formed therein to establish communication between the chamber  58  and the remainder of the cell  12 . 
     Again referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that a guide wall  62  is integral with the segment  38   a  and includes a first segment  64  extending from the arm  38  to sidewall  26 , as well as a second segment  66  extending from the segment  64  and leading towards outlet opening  36 . 
     The platen conveyor assembly  22  includes an integrally formed, synthetic resin circular platen  68  which is mounted for rotation adjacent the circular opening  34 . The platen includes a series of upstanding, spaced apart ribs  70  on the upper face, as well as a peripheral drive gear  72  on its underside. A series of radial struts  74  are also formed on the underside of the platen and lead to the gear  72  (see FIG.  6 ). The platen  68  is rotatably mounted to the segment  38   a  by means of a screw  76  and shaft  77 . Shaft  77  also supports a bushing  78  presenting a resilient outer periphery  80  having a series of circumferentially spaced projections  82  thereon. The periphery  80  may be formed of a suitable resilient material such as Kraton or Sanoprene elastomers. The shaft  77  is received within the segment  38   a , with a washer  84  interposed between the top of the bushing  78  and the segment  38   a.    
     The outlet assembly  24  is very similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,024 and includes an outlet body  86  mounted on sidewall  26  adjacent opening  36 . The body  86  supports a pivotally openable door  88  which is actuated via a lever  90 . In addition, a somewhat L-shaped reinforcing wall  92  is secured to the inner face of sidewall  26  adjacent opening  36 ; the wall  92  has a lower opening to permit passage of medicament there through. 
     The housing  20  includes a medicament storage section  94  defined by the sidewall  26  and bottom wall  28 . Also, a medicament passageway is defined in part by the segment  38   a , bushing  78 , and guide wall  62 . The passageway  96  thus leads from the storage section  94  to the outlet opening  36 . 
     A particular feature of the invention resides in the provision of a restricted throat section  98  forming a part of passageway  96 . In particular, the throat section  98  is defined between the bushing  78  and an inclined roller  100 , the latter having a conical lower section  101 . In particular, the roller  100  is mounted on a stationary shaft  102  for free rotation and has an upper margin  104  and a lower margin  106 . The roller is housed beneath the top wall  42  of extension  40  by a holder  108  having a cutout  110  permitting the roller to be oriented in an inclined position. 
     The holder  108  and thus the roller  100  is secured to the underside of wall  52  by means of a thumbscrew  112  which extends through slot  55  in wall  52  and is threaded into the upper segment of holder  108 . The holder  108  further includes an upwardly projecting arm  114  which extends through slot  54  in wall  52 . It will thus be appreciated that the holder  108  and roller  100  are selectively movable relative to the bushing  78  so as to adjust the size of the throat section  98 . 
     In order to further guide the movement of medicament along the passageway  96 , a pair of resilient finger elements  116  are secured to the inner surface of sidewall  26  in facing relationship to guide wall segment  64 . The fingers  116  are attached via a web  118  affixed to the sidewall  26 . 
     The operation of cell  12  proceeds as follows. When the operator of machine  10  desires to fill a given vial  120  with medicament, mechanism  14  is actuated to first retrieve the vial  120  and then position it adjacent the particular cell containing the medicament of interest. During this initial positioning, a gear  122  (FIG. 6) forming a part of the mechanism  14  comes into driving engagement with peripheral gear  72  of platen  68 . In addition, the lever  90  is actuated to open door  88 . Next, the gear  122  is rotated so as to correspondingly rotate platen  68 . This causes the medicament within storage section  94  of housing  20  to be moved towards and through the throat section  98 . 
     This action is best depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, where it will be seen that the exemplary medicament tablets  124  proceed through the throat section  98  in a single file manner. In addition, the possibility that two such tablets  124  could pass through the throat section  98  is prevented by the positioning of roller  100  relative to bushing  78 . Referring to FIG. 7, it will be seen that a tablet  124  is shown in phantom stacked atop a tablet passing normally through the throat section  98 . Such passage of the stacked tablet is precluded, however, by the presence of the roller  100 , i.e., the upper margin  104  of the roller is closer to the bushing  78  than is the lower margin  106  thereof, and this spacing is preselected so as to prevent simultaneous passage of two stacked tablets through the throat section. Of course, the roller  100  in each cell  12  is usually individually pre-adjusted by means of the thumbscrew  112  and guide arm  114  using the indicia  55   a  to achieve the proper spacing relative to the bushing  78 . 
     The bushing  78  and roller  100  also cooperatively prevent medicaments from becoming lodged in the throat section  98 . Particularly, because of the construction and orientation of the bushing  78  and the roller  100 , the bushing  78  rotates in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6 and the roller  100  rotates in a clockwise direction. Thus, the bushing  78  and the roller  100  both act to turn medicaments lengthwise as they enter the throat section  98 , thus preventing the medicaments from becoming lodged or clogged therein. 
     Once the tablets  124  pass through the throat section  98 , they move in single file manner along wall segment  62 . At this point the tablets turn the corner defined by the segments  62  and  64 , under the impetus provided by the rotating platen  68 . As the tablets proceed along the length of wall segment  64  they are urged into engagement with the latter by means of the fingers  116 . This ensures that the tablets  124  pass through the opening in wall  92  and out the opening  36  for deposit into the vial  120 . The overall machine  10  is also equipped with sensors which count the number of tablets delivered to the vial  120 . In this fashion, only the desired number of tablets are dispensed into the vial. When the count is reached, the mechanism  14  releases the lever  90  to close door  88  and disengages gear  122 . The vial is then capped and labeled and is directed to inspection station  18 . 
     Dispensing cells in accordance with the invention are capable of efficiently and accurately dispensing discrete bodies while essentially eliminating jamming or breakage of the bodies and ensuring an accurate dispensing count.