Automatic medicine packing machine with detachable shutter assembly

• US 20080163588A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVM Company Limited
• Original Assignee: JVM Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Joon Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,690,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/131.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines dose by dose continuously. According to one embodiment, there is provided an automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines dose by dose continuously, including: a plurality of cassette units in which the variety of medicines are accommodated; a hopper for collecting the medicines discharged from the cassette units; a packing unit for packing the medicines collected by the hopper; and a shutter assembly mounted on the hopper to temporarily suspend the medicines discharged from the cassette units, wherein the shutter assembly includes a frame detachably mounted to an upper end of the hopper; an openable/closable shutter unit arranged and mounted on the frame; a driving means for driving the shutter unit to be opened and closed; and an interlocking unit for transferring a driving force of the driving means to the shutter unit to interlock the shutter unit.

Claims

1. An automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines dose by dose continuously, comprising:

a plurality of cassette units in which the variety of medicines are accommodated;

a hopper for collecting the medicines discharged from the cassette units;

a packing unit for packing the medicines collected by the hopper; and

a shutter assembly mounted on the hopper to temporarily suspend the medicines discharged from the cassette units,

wherein the shutter assembly includes a frame detachably mounted to an upper end of the hopper;

an openable and closable shutter unit arranged and mounted on the frame;

a driving means for driving the shutter unit to be opened and closed; and

an interlocking unit for transferring a driving force of the driving means to the shutter unit to interlock the shutter unit.

2. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame is detachably installed to the upper end of the hopper by a fastening means with the shutter unit mounted to the frame, and the shutter unit and the interlocking unit are detachably connected to each other.

3. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the shutter unit is detachably mounted to the frame by a fastening means.

4. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shutter unit includes a shutter member pivotably mounted to open and close a passage between the cassette unit and the hopper, and a connection member detachably coupled to the interlocking unit and allowing the shutter member to be rotated by the driving force transferred through the interlocking unit.

5. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the interlocking unit includes an interlocking member installed to be pivotable on a pivot shaft by the driving means within a predetermined angle range, the pivot shaft is integrally formed in a lower end of the interlocking member, a fitting groove into which the connection member is detachably coupled is formed in an upper end of the interlocking member, and the connection member includes a cylindrical end portion to be detachably coupled to the fitting groove.

6. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the interlocking unit further includes a rotational circular plate rotating together with a rotation shaft of the driving means, and a link member for connecting the rotational circular plate and the interlocking member to each other.

7. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the interlocking unit further includes a plurality of interlocking members and a link member for connecting the interlocking members to each other.

8. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the shortest, distance between inner peripheral surfaces of upper end portions of the fitting groove is smaller than a diameter of the cylindrical end portion, whereby the cylindrical end portion is elastically coupled into the fitting groove.

9. An automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines accommodated in a plurality of cassette units dose by dose continuously, comprising:

a shutter assembly for temporarily suspending the medicines discharged from the cassette units,

wherein the shutter assembly includes a shutter unit detachably mounted to the automatic medicine packing machine to open and close a passage through which the medicines are discharged from the cassette units;

a driving means for driving the shutter unit to be opened and closed; and

an interlocking unit for transferring the driving force of the driving means to the shutter unit to interlock the shutter unit.

10. An automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines accommodated in a plurality of cassette units dose by dose continuously, comprising:

a shutter assembly detachably mounted to the automatic medicine packing machine to temporarily suspend the medicines discharged from the cassette units,

wherein the shutter assembly includes a shutter unit for opening and closing a passage through which the medicines are discharged from the cassette units;

a driving means for driving the shutter unit to be opened and closed; and

an interlocking unit for transferring a driving force of the driving means to the shutter unit to interlock the shutter unit.