Tablet feeder

• US 6,394,308 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho
• Inventors: Honda, Shinichi, Yuyama, Shoji, Hamada, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US09/481,491
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 221/269,263,264,119,122,121
• US Class Current: 221/265
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/08 using pocketed conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1457 Rotating movement in the plane of the rotating part
• 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

A tablet feeder of the type in which tablets in a storage case are discharged by rotating a rotor. The tablet feeder can prevent tablets, which are about to be discharged by slight rotation of the rotor, from being inadvertently discharged when the storage case is mounted on or dismounted from a support base. The storage case is detachably mounted on the support base. The rotor is mounted in a bottom portion of the storage case so as to be rotatable about a rotary shaft, and is coupled to a motor through rotary gears at its bottom end. A plurality of small magnets are provided on the outer circumference of the bottom portion, and small magnets are provided at a plurality of locations on the outer circumference of the rotor at predetermined intervals.

Claims

1. A tablet feeder comprising:

a tablet storage case having a bottom portion;

a rotor rotatably mounted in said bottom portion of said tablet storage case, said rotor being formed with a plurality of pockets for receiving tablets therein;

a motor for driving said rotor, wherein tablets, received in said pockets, are discharged when each of said pockets comes into alignment with a discharge path provided below said rotor; and

a predetermined position stop means for stopping said rotor at a predetermined position, wherein said stop means comprises;

at least one first magnet or magnetizable member fixed to one of said rotor and a stationary portion of said tablet storage case,

a plurality of second magnets or magnetizable members fixed to the other of said rotor and said stationary portion, wherein said second members are arranged circumferentially with respect to an axis of rotation of said rotor, and

wherein upon rotation of said rotor relative to said stationary portion, said first member opposes each of said second members in succession without contacting said second members.

2. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an opening formed in said bottom portion and being located so as to aligned with said discharge path, wherein said predetermined position stop means is operable to stop said rotor at a predetermined position at which the outer peripheral surface of said rotor between two of said pockets disposed adjacent to each other faces said opening in said bottom portion.

3. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a partitioning member comprising whisker-like resilient member fixed to said bottom portion at a position adjacent said discharge path, wherein said whisker-like resilient members are mounted so as to be inclined in the rotation direction of said rotor.

4. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a reverse turn preventing means mounted on a rotary shaft of said rotor in order to prevent said whisker-like resilient members of said partitioning member from being damaged due to rotation of said rotor in a reverse direction.

5. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said first member is opposed to any of said second members, the discharge path is not in alignment with any of said pockets.

6. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member and said second members comprise magnets.

7. A tablet feeder comprising:

a support base defining a tablet discharge path;

a tablet storage case mounted on said support base, said tablet storage case having a bottom portion;

a rotor rotatably mounted in said bottom portion of said tablet storage case, said rotor being formed with a plurality of pockets for receiving tablets therein;

a motor for driving said rotor such that when tablets are received in said pockets, the tablets are discharged when each of said pockets comes into alignment with the tablet discharge path; and

at least one magnet provided on said bottom portion of said tablet storage case; and

a plurality of magnets or magnetizable members fixed to said rotor and spaced circumferentially with respect to an axis of rotation of said rotor,

wherein said magnets or magnetizable members, which are fixed to said rotor, are positioned so as to oppose said at least one magnet upon rotation of said rotor so that the rotor will always stop in a position at which said pockets are out of alignment with the tablet discharge path.

8. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 7, wherein upon rotation of said rotor, said at least one magnet on said bottom portion of said tablet storage case opposes each of said magnets or magnetic members fixed to said rotor in succession without contacting said magnets or magnetic members.

9. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 7, wherein said at least one magnet is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of said bottom portion of said tablet storage case.

10. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a partitioning member comprising whisker-like resilient member fixed to said bottom portion at a position adjacent said discharge path, wherein said whisker-like resilient members are mounted so as to be inclined in the rotation direction of said rotor.

11. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a reverse turn preventing means mounted on a rotary shaft of said rotor in order to prevent said whisker-like resilient members of said partitioning member from being damaged due to rotation of said rotor in a reverse direction.

12. A tablet feeder comprising:

a support base defining a tablet discharge path;

a tablet storage case mounted on said support base, said tablet storage case having a bottom portion;

a rotor rotatably mounted in said bottom portion of said tablet storage case, said rotor being formed with a plurality of pockets for receiving tablets therein;

a motor for driving said rotor such that when tablets are received in said pockets, the tablets are discharged when each of said pockets comes into alignment with the tablet discharge path; and

at least one magnet provided on said bottom portion of said tablet storage case; and

a plurality of magnets fixed to said rotor and spaced circumferentially with respect to an axis of rotation of said rotor,

wherein said magnets, which are fixed to said rotor, are positioned so as to oppose said at least one magnet upon rotation of said rotor so that the rotor will always stop in a position at which said pockets are out of alignment with the tablet discharge path.

13. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one magnet is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of said bottom portion of said tablet storage case.

14. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a partitioning member comprising whisker-like resilient member fixed to said bottom portion at a position adjacent said discharge path, wherein said whisker-like resilient members are mounted so as to be inclined in the rotation direction of said rotor.

15. The tablet feeder as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a reverse turn preventing means mounted on a rotary shaft of said rotor in order to prevent said whisker-like resilient members of said partitioning member from being damaged due to rotation of said rotor in a reverse direction.