Automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system

• US 20040182044A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jun H.O. Kim
• Original Assignee: Jun H.O. Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Ho
• Granted Patent: US 6,898,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/131.4
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/02 Supply magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/10 two or more magazines having a common delivery chute
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

An automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system, comprising a tablet packaging unit, a tablet dropping unit having door cabinets and slider cabinets, a front hopper for the door cabinets, and rear hoppers detachably mounted in the base plate to minimize rebounding of the released tablets and kinetic force of the tablets being dropped via the corresponding channel.

Claims

1. An automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system, comprising:

a) a prescription tablet packaging unit;

b) a frame having a front top surface and a rear top surface, wherein the packaging unit is incorporated within the frame, wherein a base plate is formed on the frame rear top surface to form slide rails on top of the base plate;

c) a tablet dropping unit having door cabinets and slider cabinets, wherein the door cabinets are disposed on the frame front top surface and linearly aligned to become swiveled to each side portion of the tablet dropping unit to serve as a front double door of the table dropping unit, wherein the slider cabinets are slidably mounted on the base plate and horizontally aligned in rear of the door cabinets such that each longer side surface of the slider cabinets becomes perpendicular to each rear surface of the door cabinets, wherein the slider cabinets are linearly slidable on the slide rails to move back and forth so that the forward sliding (toward the door cabinet) of the slider cabinets can be effected when the door cabinets are swung open, whereby the slider cabinets are selectively pulled out through a space reserved by opening the door cabinets;

d) a plurality of tablet cassettes each containing therein and selectively releasing therefrom a predetermined type of tablets, wherein the tablet cassettes are detachably racked in said each cabinet in columns and rows;

e) a front hopper formed into the tablet packaging unit to communicate through the frame front top surface so as to guide the tablets released from the front cabinets to the packaging unit; and

f) rear hoppers formed in rear of the front hopper and into the tablet packaging unit to communicate through the frame rear top surface and the base plate so as to guide the tablets released from the slider cabinets to the packaging unit, wherein the rear hoppers correspond to the slider cabinets in number, wherein said each rear hopper is detachably mounted in the base plate and the frame rear top surface, wherein a bottom line of said each rear hopper is substantially unleveled to minimize rebounding of the released tablets.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a main hopper below the front and rear hoppers to collectively guide the tablets to the tablet packaging unit.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the installed rear hoppers are each substantially rectangular when viewed atop.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the installed front and rear hoppers are each substantially rectangular when viewed atop.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the tablet packaging unit comprises:

a) a printer to print respective information on a packaging paper; and

b) a heater assembly to package the tablets released through the hoppers into one or more partitioned paper bags using the packaging paper.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the heating assembly includes heating rollers to consecutively seal the packaging paper to the tablet containing paper bags.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the slider cabinets are partitioned in at least three pairs to enable a pair-by-pair sliding.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said each cabinet comprises a plurality of tablet passage channels to enable communication from the tablet cassettes to the hoppers, wherein the tablet passage channels are correspondingly aligned with the tablet cassette columns to facilitate guiding the tablets from the tablet cassettes to the hoppers.

9. An automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system, comprising:

a) a prescription tablet packaging unit;

b) a frame having a front top surface and a rear top surface, wherein the packaging unit is incorporated within the frame, wherein a base plate is formed on the frame rear top surface to form slide rails on top of the base plate;

c) a tablet dropping unit having door cabinets and slider cabinets, wherein the door cabinets are disposed on the frame front top surface and linearly aligned to become swiveled to each side portion of the tablet dropping unit to serve as a front double door of the table dropping unit, wherein the slider cabinets are slidably mounted on the base plate and horizontally aligned in rear of the door cabinets such that each longer side surface of the slider cabinets becomes perpendicular to each rear surface of the door cabinets, wherein the slider cabinets are linearly slidable on the slide rails to move back and forth so that the forward sliding (toward the door cabinet) of the slider cabinets can be effected when the door cabinets are swung open, whereby the slider cabinets are selectively pulled out through a space reserved by opening the door cabinets;

d) a plurality of tablet cassettes each containing therein and selectively releasing therefrom a predetermined type of tablets, wherein the tablet cassettes are detachably racked in said each cabinet in columns and rows, wherein the selectively released tablets are to pass through tablet passage channels correspondingly aligned with the tablet cassette columns;

e) a front hopper formed into the tablet packaging unit to communicate through the frame front top surface so as to guide the tablets released from the front cabinets to the packaging unit;

f) rear hoppers formed in rear of the front hopper and into the tablet packaging unit to communicate through the frame rear top surface and the base plate so as to guide the tablets released from the slider cabinets to the packaging unit, wherein the rear hoppers correspond to the slider cabinets in number, wherein said each rear hopper is detachably mounted in the base plate and the frame rear top surface, wherein a bottom line of said each rear hopper is substantially unleveled to minimize rebounding of the released tablets; and

g) one or more buffer sheets partially inserted in and along a lower and inner periphery of said each tablet passage channel communicating with the corresponding hopper so as to minimize kinetic force of the tablets being dropped via the corresponding channel.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the buffer sheets are substantially elastic against the periphery of said each tablet passage channel.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the buffer sheets are substantially unleveled.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the buffer sheets are substantially unleveled and elastic against the periphery of said each tablet passage channel.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the buffer sheets are downwardly unleveled.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the buffer sheets are downwardly unleveled and substantially elastic against the periphery of said each tablet passage channel.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprising a main hopper below the front and rear hoppers to collectively guide the tablets to the tablet packaging unit.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the installed rear hoppers are each substantially rectangular when viewed atop.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the installed front and rear hoppers are each substantially rectangular when viewed atop.

18. The system of claim 9 wherein the tablet packaging unit comprises:

a) a printer to print respective information on a packaging paper; and

b) a heater assembly to package the tablets released through the hoppers into one or more partitioned paper bags using the packaging paper.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the heating assembly includes heating rollers to consecutively seal the packaging paper to the tablet containing paper bags.

20. The system of claim 9 wherein the slider cabinets are partitioned in at least three pairs to enable a pair-by-pair sliding.