Vial Supply Device

• US 20090101474A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yuyama, Shoji
• Granted Patent: US 8,047,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/605
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/52 using roller-ways or endless conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0235 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/57 for articles

Abstract

A vial supply device 11 having a receiving section with a large capacity and capable of reliably discharging the vials includes: a receiving section 101 for receiving many empty vials 4; a conveyance unit 105 having a horizontal endless member 104 located at a bottom wall of the receiving section 101 and being configured to be driven in a horizontal direction, the conveyance unit being further configured to convey the vials 4 in a horizontal direction by using the horizontal endless member 104; and a discharge unit 111 having a vertical endless member 109 located at a wall of the receiving section 101 and being configured to be driven in a vertical direction, the discharge unit being further configured to lift the vials 4 upward and discharge the same while allowing the vials 4 to be horizontally supported at support members 110 located at the vertical endless member 109 at predetermined intervals.

Claims

1. A vial supply device for receiving empty vials and supplying the vials to a tablet filling section one at a time, the vial supply device comprising:

a receiving section for receiving the empty vials;

a conveyance unit having a horizontal endless member located at a bottom wall of the receiving section and being configured to be driven in a horizontal direction, the conveyance unit being further configured to convey the empty vials in the horizontal direction by using the horizontal endless member; and

a discharge unit having a vertical endless member located about the receiving section and being configured to be driven in a vertical direction, the discharge unit being further configured to lift the empty vials upward and discharge the same while allowing the empty vials to be supported on support members located at the vertical endless member at predetermined intervals,

wherein a conveyance end section of the conveyance unit and a conveyance start section of the discharge unit are adjacent to each other.