Tablet vessel feed apparatus

• US 6,478,185 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Honda, Shinichi, Okubo, Yasushi, Kodama, Tsuyoshi, Imai, Takafumi, Murakami, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): SKAGGS JR, H GRANT
• Application Number:
  US09/904,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 221/6, 221/13, 221/14, 221/9, 221/17, 221/21, 221/133, 221/200, 221/237, 221/252, 221/253, 700/214, 700/241, 700/242
• US Class Current: 221/6
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets

Abstract

The present invention provides a tablet vessel feed apparatus comprising a stock container for storing a plurality of tablet vessels, a vessel takeout section for taking out the tablet vessels from the stock container, and a conveyor for conveying the tablet vessels taken out from the stock container. The apparatus further comprises an auxiliary conveyor for conveying the tablet vessel taken out from the stock container toward the conveyor; a delivery table for receiving the tablet vessel conveyed by the auxiliary conveyor to retain and then deliver the tablet vessel to the conveyor; a tablet vessel sensor for detecting the tablet vessel on at least any one of the auxiliary conveyor and the delivery table; and a controller. The controller allows the vessel takeout section to stop taking out the tablet vessels from the stock container while the tablet vessel sensor detects the tablet vessel.

Claims

1. A tablet vessel feed apparatus comprising a stock container for storing a plurality of tablet vessels, a vessel takeout section for taking out the tablet vessels from the stock container in accordance with a prescription specifying data, and a conveyor for conveying the tablet vessels taken out from the stock container by the vessel takeout section, the tablet vessel feed apparatus further comprising:

an auxiliary conveyor for conveying the tablet vessel taken out from the stock container toward the conveyor;

a delivery table for receiving the tablet vessel conveyed by the auxiliary conveyor to retain and then deliver the tablet vessel to the conveyor;

a tablet vessel sensor for detecting the tablet vessel on at least any one of the auxiliary conveyor and the delivery table; and

a controller for allowing the vessel takeout section to stop taking out the tablet vessels from the stock container while the tablet vessel sensor detects the tablet vessel.

2. The tablet vessel feed apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising an indicator and a remaining quantity sensor for detecting a remaining quantity of tablet vessels in the stock container, wherein based on a detecting signal of the remaining quantity sensor, the controller allows the indicator to indicate a fact that the remaining quantity of the tablet vessels is less than a predetermined quantity.

3. The tablet vessel feed apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the stock container has a circular rotation member on the bottom thereof so that the circular rotation member is periodically rotated to improve detection accuracy of the remaining quantity sensor.

4. The tablet vessel feed apparatus as in claim 1, wherein when the tablet vessel sensor can not detect the tablet vessel for a predetermined time after commencing the takeout of the tablet vessels from the stock container, the controller allows the indicator to indicate stockout of the tablet vessel.

5. The tablet vessel feed apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the stock container comprises a plurality of containers containing a different size of tablet vessels respectively, and wherein when the controller decides stockout of the tablet vessel having a size corresponding to the prescription specifying data in accordance with a detection signal of the tablet vessel sensor, the controller allows the vessel takeout section to take out the tablet vessel of larger size than the tablet vessel of the size corresponding to the prescription specifying data.

6. The tablet vessel feed apparatus as in claim 5, wherein when the controller also decides stockout of the tablet vessel of larger size, the controller stops treating a prescription on which the prescription specifying data is based.

7. The tablet vessel feed apparatus as in claim 6, wherein as the controller stops treating a prescription on which the prescription specifying data is based, the controller stores the prescription as an untreated prescription, and wherein when the tablet vessel corresponding to the stockout is replenished, the controller allows the vessel takeout section to start taking out the replenished tablet vessel to treat the untreated prescription.

8. The tablet vessel feed apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a recovery box for recovering the tablet vessel on the conveyor, wherein when continuing operation after abnormal shutdown of the apparatus, the controller conducts a restoring process for allowing the conveyor to operate so that the tablet vessel remaining on the conveyor is recovered into the recovery box before restoring to normal operation.