Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from Korean Patent Application No. 2005-71533, filed on Aug. 5, 2005, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an ampule cutting apparatus, and more particularly, to an ampule cutting apparatus using a cyclone object collecting device.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In general, after a neck of an ampule is cut, an injection of the ampule is inserted through a needle of a syringe. When the neck of the ampule is cut, minute glass flakes (or glass powder) generated in the neck are partially dropped outside the ampule and partially inserted into the ampule. Especially, since the inside pressure of the airtight ampule is maintained lower than the atmospheric pressure, the glass flakes generated in the ampule neck cutting operation are possibly inserted into the ampule.  
         [0006]     In the case that the injection containing the minute glass flakes is injected into a patient, the glass flakes may be left in the body or blood of the patient. The glass flakes accumulated in the body have potential possibility of danger in the tissue or organ, thereby occluding veins and causing chronic tissue necrosis.  
         [0007]     In order to solve the above problems, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,679 (the &#39;679 patent) was proposed. In the &#39;679 patent, an ampule cutting apparatus, as shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a vacuum motor M for sucking flakes in an ampule A cutting operation, a tank T for collecting the sucked flakes, a suction path L for inducing the flakes to the tank T, a flexible jacket  2  into which a shoulder of an ampule body B is inserted, a head holder  1  into which an ampule head H is inserted, and a plurality of apertures  4  formed on the outer circumference of the jacket  2 , for providing the outdoor air into the jacket  2  to transfer the flakes to the tank T through the suction path L.  
         [0008]     In the ampule cutting apparatus of the &#39;679 patent, in a state where the ampule head H is inserted into the ampule holder  1 , the ampule body B and the flexible jacket  2  are pushed to one direction to cut the ampule head H. Minute glass flakes generated around the cutting surface are collected in the tank T with the air sucked into the jacket  2  from the plurality of apertures  4  through the inside path of the head holder  1  and the suction path L.  
         [0009]     In a state where the cut ampule head H is inserted into the head holder  1 , the flakes generated in the cutting part by the ampule cutting operation are discharged to the suction path L through a plurality of grooves  1 A as shown in  FIG. 1B . However, the flakes that have not been discharged through the narrow grooves  1 A are inserted into the ampule A.  
         [0010]     In addition, the cut ampule head H is dropped into a collecting box disposed at the lower portion of the jacket  2 . The head H having the sharp cutting part is externally exposed, so that the user may be hurt through carelessness.  
         [0011]     In order to solve the foregoing problems, the ampule cutting apparatus as disclosed in Korea Utility Model Registration No. 371200 was proposed. Here, the ampule cutting apparatus, as shown in  FIG. 2 , collects an ampule head H and flakes generated in a cutting part by a collecting unit  7  through a tube  6 , by using a cylindrical cutting mechanism  5  having a larger diameter than an outer diameter of an ampule A.  
         [0012]     In this ampule cutting apparatus, a negative pressure generating device  9  for sucking the cut head H and the flakes through the tube  6  is installed at the rear end of the collecting unit  7 , and a filtering net  8  is installed between the collecting unit  7  and the negative pressure generating device  9 , for preventing inflow of the flakes into the negative pressure generating device  9 .  
         [0013]     Referring to  FIG. 2B , in the cutting mechanism  5 , a circular conical positioning unit  5 A is formed to correspond to the outer circumference of the ampule head H, and a plurality of suction holes  5 B are formed in the parts corresponding to the periphery of the ampule neck N, for sucking the flakes generated in the ampule head cutting operation.  
         [0014]     Accordingly, in the conventional arts, the direction of collecting the flakes and the head is identical to the direction of sucking the air. After the flakes and the head are collected by the collecting unit  7 , the air is sucked into the negative pressure generating device  9  through the filtering net  8  installed at the rear end of the collecting unit  7 .  
         [0015]     When the cut heads or flakes collected by the collecting unit  7  increase, the flakes adsorbed to the filtering net  8  increase. Therefore, the filtering net  8  loses its filtering function and restricts air transmission, thereby reducing suction efficiency of the negative pressure generating device  9 .  
         [0016]     Accordingly, the ampule cutting apparatus cannot attain the original object of sucking the glass flakes generated in the ampule cutting operation not to be inserted into the ampule.  
         [0017]     To solve the above problems, the user must frequently empty the collecting unit  7  and clean or replace the filtering net  8 .  
         [0018]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2A , when the ampule head H is inserted into the cylindrical cutting mechanism to be cut, the ampule head H is not stably positioned. If the user is not careful in the cutting operation, he/she may be hurt by the sharp cutting part of the ampule.  
         [0019]     The circular conical cutting mechanism of  FIG. 2B  can more stably position the ampule head H than the cylindrical cutting mechanism in the ampule cutting operation. However, the suction path is restricted to the plurality of suction holes  5 B. Accordingly, the glass flakes are sucked, but the cut head H is not sucked.  
         [0020]     As a result, as mentioned above, the head H having the sharp cutting part is not collected by the collecting unit  7  but externally exposed. Thus, the user may be hurt by the cut head H through carelessness.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ampule cutting apparatus that can optimize an ampule cutting environment by easily housing an ampule at a comfortable angle regardless of an ampule size and stably supporting the ampule.  
         [0022]     Another object of the present invention is to provide an ampule cutting apparatus that can smoothly suck a cut ampule head and flakes and that can maximize suction efficiency by preventing overheating of a vacuum motor in a suction operation.  
         [0023]     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ampule cutting apparatus that can improve suction efficiency by using a cyclone object collecting unit, and that can provide a pleasant operational environment by reducing noises generated by the cyclone object collecting unit in a suction operation.  
         [0024]     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ampule cutting apparatus that can sterilize a nozzle or a suction tube contaminated by an injection contained in an ampule in an ampule cutting operation.  
         [0025]     In order to achieve the above objects of the invention, there is provided an ampule cutting apparatus, including: an ampule cutting unit for housing and cutting an ampule head; a object collecting unit for sucking the cut ampule head and minute flakes generated in the ampule cutting operation with the air, and separating the objects from the air; a negative pressure generating device for applying a negative pressure to the object collecting unit; and a collecting unit for collecting the objects sucked by the object collecting unit.  
         [0026]     Preferably, the object collecting unit has a cyclone object collecting structure, and the negative pressure generating device is a vacuum motor or a vacuum pump.  
         [0027]     Preferably, the ampule cutting unit includes: a suction tube having its one side detachably coupled to an intake port of the object collecting unit; a nozzle inserted into the suction tube; and a fixing unit for fixing the front end of the nozzle to be aligned with the front end of the other side of the suction tube.  
         [0028]     The nozzle includes a main suction hole having a diameter larger than the ampule head and smaller than an ampule body, for preventing the ampule body from being sucked into the suction tube during the ampule cutting operation.  
         [0029]     The inner circumference of the main suction hole has a streamline shape corresponding to the shape of the ampule head, for stably supporting the ampule and minimizing the ampule cutting force in the ampule cutting operation.  
         [0030]     Preferably, a plurality of auxiliary suction holes are formed around the front end of the nozzle on which an inserted ampule neck is positioned, for sucking the flakes.  
         [0031]     The front end of the nozzle is detachably coupled to the fixing unit. The nozzle is selectively used according to the capacity or shape of the ampule.  
         [0032]     The ampule cutting apparatus further includes a first coupling ring coupled to the other end of the suction tube, and a second coupling ring coupled to the intake port of the object collecting unit. The first and second coupling rings are detachably coupled to each other, so that the suction tube can be easily connected or disconnected to/from the intake port of the object collecting unit and that alien substances of the suction tube can be easily removed.  
         [0033]     The collecting unit includes: a first collecting vessel disposed at the bottom end of the object collecting unit, for primarily collecting the objects sucked into the object collecting unit, and discharging a predetermined amount of objects to the lower direction when the negative pressure generating device stops the operation; and a second collecting vessel for finally collecting the objects discharged from the first collecting vessel.  
         [0034]     The first collecting vessel includes: a body having its top and bottom ends opened and its top end detachably coupled to be linked to the cyclone object collecting unit; a discharge plate hinge-coupled to one side of the bottom end of the body, for opening or closing the bottom end of the body; and at least one elastic member installed at the hinge-coupling part of the discharge plate and the body, for elastically coupling the discharge plate to the body. Preferably, the elastic members are torsion springs.  
         [0035]     The ampule cutting apparatus further includes a housing for housing the ampule cutting unit, the object collecting unit, the collecting unit and the vacuum motor.  
         [0036]     A protruding unit is extended from one surface of the housing, for housing the ampule cutting unit. The bottom surface of the protruding unit formed on the same plane surface as the bottom surface of the ampule cutting unit has an inclination angle of 5 to 85°, preferably, 30 to 60°. The inclination angle helps the user to set the hand moving range, so that the user cannot be hurt by the ampule cutting part in the ampule cutting operation.  
         [0037]     The ampule cutting apparatus further includes a sterilizing unit installed around the suction tube, for sterilizing the suction tube and the nozzle contaminated by the injection contained in the ampule.  
         [0038]     The sterilizing unit includes: an ultraviolet lamp disposed adjacently to the suction tube; a grill unit formed at the part of the suction tube adjacent to the ultraviolet lamp, for sterilizing the nozzle inserted into the suction tube by the ultraviolet rays emitted by the ultraviolet lamp; and a plurality of ultraviolet transmission members inserted into the grill unit, for sealing up the grill unit.  
         [0039]     Preferably, the ultraviolet transmission members are made of transparent fluorine-containing polymers such as TEFLON, which is commercially available from E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0040]     The above aspects and features of the present invention will be more apparent by describing certain embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0041]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are a schematic perspective view and a cross-sectional view illustrating one example of a conventional ampule cutting apparatus.  
         [0042]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are a schematic view and a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the conventional ampule cutting apparatus.  
         [0043]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view illustrating an ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0044]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic side-sectional view illustrating the inside structure of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0045]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view illustrating a protruding unit for housing a suction tube in a housing of  FIG. 3A .  
         [0046]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an inclination angle of the bottom surface of the protruding unit of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 6  is a disassembly cross-sectional view illustrating an ampule cutting unit of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0048]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a nozzle of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view illustrating the ampule inserted into the nozzle of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 9  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the front end of the nozzle of  FIG. 8 .  
         [0051]      FIGS. 10A and 10B  are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a state where the ampule is inserted into the ampule cutting unit and a state where the ampule is cut by the ampule cutting unit, respectively.  
         [0052]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are cross-sectional views illustrating states before and after the suction tube is coupled to an intake port of a cyclone object collecting unit through a pair of coupling rings, respectively.  
         [0053]      FIG. 12  is a schematic perspective view illustrating an ultraviolet sterilizing unit of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0054]      FIG. 13A  is a side view illustrating the ultraviolet sterilizing unit of  FIG. 12 .  
         [0055]      FIG. 13B  is a rear view, seen from direction I of  FIG. 13A .  
         [0056]      FIG. 14  is a schematic disassembly perspective view illustrating a first collecting vessel of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0057]      FIGS. 15A and 15B  are side views illustrating open and close states of a discharge plate of the first collecting vessel of  FIG. 14 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0058]     An ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0059]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view illustrating the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention, and  FIG. 3B  is a schematic side-sectional view illustrating the inside structure of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0060]     Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the ampule cutting apparatus includes a box-shaped housing  10 , a cyclone object collecting unit  20  disposed at the top inside portion of the housing  10 , and an ampule cutting unit  30 . The cyclone object collecting unit  20  is configured to suck and collect a cut ampule head H and flakes (hereinafter referred to individually and collectively as ‘objects’). The ampule cutting unit  30 , for housing and cutting the ampule head H, is linked and coupled to an intake port  21  of the cyclone object collecting unit  20 .  
         [0061]     In addition, the ampule cutting apparatus includes collecting units  40  and  60  for collecting the objects sucked by the cyclone object collecting unit  20  and a vacuum motor  50  for supplying a negative pressure to the cyclone object collecting unit  20 . The collecting units  40  and  60  and the vacuum motor  50  are installed inside the housing  10 .  
         [0062]     The constitutional elements of the ampule cutting apparatus will now be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0063]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view illustrating a protruding unit for housing a suction tube in the housing of  FIG. 3A , and  FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an inclination angle of the bottom surface of the protruding unit of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0064]     The ampule cutting unit  30  is installed at the top inside portion of the housing  10 . In this case, the protruding unit  11  is formed on the top front surface of the housing  10 , for covering the ampule cutting unit  30  protruded from the upper portion in the forward direction.  
         [0065]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the bottom surface  12  of the protruding unit  11  has an angle θ of substantially 5 to 85°, preferably, 30 to 60° to the horizontal plane. The angle θ of protruding unit  11  helps the user to set the appropriate hand moving range in the ampule cutting operation.  
         [0066]     That is, the ampule A cutting direction is the direction towards the front surface of the housing  10  as shown in  FIG. 5 . When the user cuts the ampule A by pushing an ampule body B in the cutting direction, his/her hand is inwardly bent and fixed to the front surface of the housing  10 . Therefore, the user can safely and easily cut the ampule A.  
         [0067]     Preferably, the angle θ of the bottom surface  12  can be appropriately adjusted among the suggested angles in consideration of the size of the ampule A or other factors.  
         [0068]      FIG. 6  is a disassembled cross-sectional view illustrating the ampule cutting unit of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a nozzle of  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 8  is a perspective view illustrating the ampule inserted into the nozzle of  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 9  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the front end of the nozzle of  FIG. 8 .  FIGS. 10A and 10B  are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a state where the ampule is inserted into the ampule cutting unit and a state where the ampule is cut by the ampule cutting unit, respectively.  
         [0069]     As shown in  FIGS. 3B and 6 , the ampule cutting unit  30  includes a suction tube  31 , a fixing unit  330 , and a nozzle  310 . The suction tube  31  has one end detachably coupled to the intake port  21  of the cyclone object collecting unit  20  and another end detachably coupled the nozzle  310  via the fixing unit  330 .  
         [0070]     As depicted in  FIG. 10A , the nozzle  310  is inserted into the suction tube  31  through a through hole  331  of the fixing unit  330 . An outer circumference of a front end  321  of the nozzle  310  and an outer circumference of a protruding jaw  323  are pressed in a first inner circumference  333  and a second inner circumference  335  of the fixing unit  330 , respectively.  
         [0071]     Here, the nozzle  310  pressed in the fixing unit  330  is not any more inserted by the fixing jaw  337 .  
         [0072]     In the ampule cutting unit  30 , the nozzle  310  and the fixing unit  330  for fixing the nozzle  310  can be easily replaced according to the capacity or shape of the ampule A.  
         [0073]     A main suction hole  311  is formed in the nozzle  310  in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of auxiliary suction holes  313  for linking the main suction hole  311  to the outside space of the nozzle  310  are inclinedly formed around the front end  321  of the nozzle  310 .  
         [0074]     The main suction hole  311  has a diameter larger than the ampule head H and smaller than the ampule body B, thereby preventing the ampule body B from being sucked into the cyclone object collecting unit  20  by the negative pressure generated in the nozzle  310  by the vacuum motor  50  in the ampule cutting operation.  
         [0075]     The inner circumference of the main suction hole  311  has a streamline shape corresponding to the shape of the ampule head H, for stably supporting the ampule A and minimizing the cutting force in the ampule cutting operation.  
         [0076]     That is, as shown in  FIGS. 9, 10A  and  10 B, the front end of the main suction hole  311 , namely, a shoulder positioning surface  316 A is formed to correspond to the shoulder S of the ampule A, thereby stably supporting the ampule A inserted into the main suction hole  311 .  
         [0077]     In addition, the rear end of the main suction hole  311 , namely, a head positioning surface  316 B is formed to correspond to the head H of the ampule A. In a state where the ampule head H is inserted into the main suction hole  311  to cut the ampule A (refer to  FIG. 10A ), if the ampule body B is pushed to the front surface of the housing  10  (refer to  FIGS. 10B and 5 ), one side of the shoulder S of the ampule A is supported by the shoulder positioning surface  316 A, and the other side of the head H of the ampule A is supported by the head positioning surface  316 B.  
         [0078]     The ampule A having its two points supported can be easily cut by a small force.  
         [0079]     On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the plurality of auxiliary suction holes  313  are inclinedly formed around the front end  321  of the nozzle  310  on which the inserted ample neck N is positioned, for sucking minute flakes generated at the cutting part in the ample head H cutting operation.  
         [0080]     Preferably, the inclination angle of the plurality of auxiliary suction holes  313  ranges from about 15 to 75° to the longitudinal direction of the nozzle  310  according to the shape and size of the ampule A.  
         [0081]     In the case that the cut ampule head H does not pass through the main suction hole  311  but blocks the main suction hole  311 , the plurality of auxiliary suction holes  313  serve to prevent overheating of the vacuum motor  50 .  
         [0082]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are cross-sectional views illustrating states before and after the suction tube is coupled to the intake port of the cyclone object collecting unit through a pair of coupling rings, respectively.  
         [0083]     Referring to  FIG. 11A , the ampule cutting unit  30  is detachably coupled to the intake port  21  of the cyclone object collecting unit  20  through the first and second coupling rings  341  and  343 .  
         [0084]     The first coupling ring  341  is fixedly coupled to one end of the intake port  21 , and the second coupling ring  343  is coupled to the suction tube  31 . The first and second coupling rings  341  and  343  have a protruding unit  341 A and a groove  343 A, and are detachably coupled to each other as shown in  FIG. 11B .  
         [0085]     Preferably, the first and second coupling rings  341  and  343  are made of a sealing material, for example, a rubber material.  
         [0086]     The ampule cutting unit  30  can be disconnected from the intake port  21  of the cyclone object collecting unit  20  through the first and second coupling rings  341  and  343 , and thus easily cleaned and repaired. It is thus easy to remove alien substances from the suction tube  31 .  
         [0087]      FIG. 12  is a schematic perspective view illustrating an ultraviolet sterilizing unit of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention,  FIG. 13A  is a side view illustrating the ultraviolet sterilizing unit of  FIG. 12 , and  FIG. 13B  is a rear view, seen from I direction of  FIG. 13A .  
         [0088]     As illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the ampule cutting apparatus includes the ultraviolet sterilizing unit  70  installed adjacently to the suction tube  31 , for sterilizing the suction tube  31  and the nozzle  310  contaminated by the injection contained in the ampule A.  
         [0089]     The ultraviolet sterilizing unit  70  includes an ultraviolet lamp  73  (consumed power: 3 to 4 Watts) disposed adjacently to the suction tube  31 , a pair of supporting members  71  coupled to the inside portion of the housing  10 , for supporting the ultraviolet lamp  73 , and a grill unit  75  formed at the part of the suction tube  31  adjacent to the ultraviolet lamp  73 .  
         [0090]     As shown in  FIGS. 13A and 13B , the grill unit  75  is preferably formed to correspond to the ultraviolet lamp  73 , for sterilizing the suction tube  31  and the nozzle  310  by the ultraviolet rays emitted from the ultraviolet lamp  73 .  
         [0091]     Preferably, suction tube  31  includes transparent ultraviolet transmission members  77  sealed therein. The transparent ultraviolet transmission members  77  allow the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet lamp  73  into the suction tube. For example, transparent ultraviolet transmission members  77  can be made of transparent fluorine-containing polymers such as TEFLON.  
         [0092]     Preferably, the positions of the grill unit  75  and the ultraviolet lamp  73  are appropriately varied by the position of the nozzle  310  varied by the cutting position of the ampule A.  
         [0093]      FIG. 14  is a schematic disassembly perspective view illustrating a first collecting vessel of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention, and  FIGS. 15A and 15B  are side views illustrating open and close states of a discharge plate of the first collecting vessel of  FIG. 14 .  
         [0094]     The collecting units  40  and  60  include the first collecting vessel  40  and the second collecting vessel  60 . The first collecting vessel  40  is detachably coupled to the bottom end of the cyclone object collecting unit  20 . The second collecting vessel  60  collects the objects collected in the first collecting vessel  40  for final disposal.  
         [0095]     The first collecting vessel  40  primarily collects the objects sucked into the cyclone object collecting unit  20 , and discharges a predetermined amount of objects to the lower direction when the vacuum motor  50  stops the operation.  
         [0096]     The second collecting vessel  60  finally collects the objects discharged from the first collecting vessel  40 . A door  15  formed on the housing  10  as shown in  FIG. 3A  is opened to empty the second collecting vessel  60 .  
         [0097]     The structure of the first collecting vessel  40  will now be explained in detail.  
         [0098]     As illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the first collecting vessel  40  includes a body  41  and a discharge plate  45 . The body  41  has its top end detachably coupled to the bottom end of the cyclone object collecting unit  20 . The discharge plate  45  is elastically hinge-coupled to one side of the bottom end of the body  41  and, thus, is configured for opening or closing the bottom end of the body  41 .  
         [0099]     First and second protrusions  42 A and  42 B are formed on the bottom end of one surface of the body  41  at predetermined intervals. Third and fourth protrusions  47 A and  47 B corresponding to the first and second protrusions  42 A and  42 B are formed on one side of the discharge plate  45 .  
         [0100]     As depicted in  FIGS. 14 and 15   a , the first to fourth protrusions  42 A,  42 B,  47 A and  47 B are hinge-coupled to each other by a hinge rod  49  passing through coupling holes  43 A,  43 B,  48 A and  48 B formed on the first to fourth protrusions  42 A,  42 B,  47 A and  47 B, respectively.  
         [0101]     The discharge plate  45  is elastically hinge-coupled to the body  41  by first and second torsion springs  46 A and  46 B coupled to the hinge rod  49 .  
         [0102]     The first torsion spring  46 A is positioned between the first protrusion  42 A and the third protrusion  47 A, and the second torsion spring  46 B is positioned between the second protrusion  42 B and the fourth protrusion  47 B.  
         [0103]     As shown in  FIG. 15A , the first and second torsion springs  46 A and  46 B include a first fetch line  461  fixed to fixing protrusions  471  and  472 , and a second fetch line  463  elastically supported on one surface  41 A of the body  41 .  
         [0104]     Still referring to  FIG. 15A , the first collecting vessel  40  normally closes the bottom end of the body  41  by the elastic force of the first and second torsion springs  46 A and  46 B.  
         [0105]     When the suction force is generated by the operation of the vacuum motor  50 , the first collecting vessel  40  prevents reduction of the suction force by closing the bottom end of the body  41  by the discharge plate  45 .  
         [0106]     In addition, in a state where the vacuum motor  50  stops the operation, when the amount of the objects is over a reference amount, namely, when the weight of the objects is over the elastic force of the first and second torsion springs  46 A and  46 B, the first collecting vessel  40  freely drops the objects by opening the bottom end of the body  41  by rotating one side of the discharge plate  45  around the hinge rod  49  as shown in  FIG. 15B .  
         [0107]     After all the objects collected in the first collecting vessel  40  are freely dropped, the discharge plate  45  returns to the original position of  FIG. 15A  by the first and second torsion springs  46 A and  46 B.  
         [0108]     Here, the reference amount for discharging the objects can be adjusted by varying the specifications of the torsion springs, namely, elastic coefficients or winding numbers.  
         [0109]     The objects freely dropped from the first collecting vessel  40  are collected in the second collecting vessel  60 . Preferably, the vacuum motor  50  disposed between the first and second collecting vessels  40  and  60  is appropriately covered not to interfere with the objects dropped from the first collecting vessel  40 .  
         [0110]     The operation of the ampule cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described in detail.  
         [0111]     In a state where the vacuum motor  50  is operated, the ampule head H is inserted into the main suction hole  311  of the nozzle  310  as shown in  FIG. 10A .  
         [0112]     When the ampule body B is pushed to the front surface of the housing  10  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 10 B, one side of the shoulder S of the ampule A is supported in the two points of the shoulder positioning surface  316 A, so that the ampule head H can be cut around the ampule neck N.  
         [0113]     The cut ampule head H is sucked into the cyclone object collecting unit  20  through the main suction hole  311  along the suction tube  31 . The minute flakes generated at the cutting part in the ampule head H cutting operation are sucked into the cyclone object collecting unit  20  through the plurality of auxiliary suction holes  313  and the main suction hole  311  along the suction tube  31 .  
         [0114]     The objects sucked into the cyclone object collecting unit  20  with the air are collected in the first collecting vessel  40  as shown in  FIG. 3B , and the air contaminated by object is filtered by a general filter (not shown) installed in the cyclone object collecting unit  20 , sucked into the vacuum motor  50  through an exhaust port  23  and an exhaust path P, and externally discharged.  
         [0115]     On the other hand, while the suction operation is carried out by the vacuum motor  50 , if the amount of the objects collected in the first collecting vessel  40  exceeds the reference amount, the discharge plate  45  of the first collecting vessel  40  is rotated to the lower direction to open the bottom end of the first collecting vessel  40 . Therefore, the objects accumulated on the discharge plate  45  are freely dropped to the second collecting vessel  60 .  
         [0116]     After most of the objects collected in the first collecting vessel  40  are dropped to the second collecting vessel  60 , the discharge plate  45  returns to the state of  FIG. 15A  by the first and second torsion springs  46 A and  46 B, thereby closing the bottom end of the first collecting vessel  40 .  
         [0117]     In this embodiment, two torsion springs are used, but one or more than two torsion springs can be used according to the needed elastic force.  
         [0118]     As discussed earlier, in accordance with the present invention, the ampule cutting apparatus can optimize suction of the ampule head and the flakes, by obtaining the smooth suction path by forming the main suction hole and the plurality of auxiliary suction holes on the nozzle into which the ampule head is inserted.  
         [0119]     In addition, the ampule cutting apparatus can easily cut the ampule with the minimum force, by forming the main suction hole of the nozzle in the streamline shape to correspond to the ampule head, and appropriately setting the installation angle of the ampule cutting unit in consideration of the ampule cutting angle.  
         [0120]     Furthermore, the ampule cutting apparatus can maintain the wide suction path, optimize suction efficiency and prevent overheating of the vacuum motor, by easily cleaning the suction tube and removing alien substances from the suction tube by freely connecting or disconnecting the suction tube.  
         [0121]     Finally, the ampule cutting apparatus can improve suction efficiency of the vacuum motor by setting the two steps of collecting vessels, reduce noises generated in the collecting operation of the cyclone object collecting unit, and sterilize the nozzle or suction tube contaminated by the injection by using the ultraviolet sterilizing unit.  
         [0122]     The foregoing embodiment and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Technology Category: 7