Solid drug filling device

• US 6,792,736 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hideyuki, Haraguchi, Manabu, Ota, Toshihiko, Ishiwatari, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, LOUIS K
• Application Number:
  US09/856,497
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 531/54, 532/37, 532/38, 532/47, 534/93, 53/52, 221/130, 221/133, 221/251, 221/255, 221/256, 221/257, 221/258
• US Class Current: 53/237
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 37/08 by rotary feeders
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A medication filling apparatus for filling a predetermined container with medications, such as tablets, provide improved assemblability and maintainability, and permits safe and reliable filling operations, while maintaining a compact size. The medication filling apparatus is equipped with a plurality of tablet cases for accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases in a corresponding manner to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from a dispensing port formed at the bottommost portion of each hopper to a predetermined container and for charging them, and is further equipped with retaining members on which the hoppers are hung, wherein the hoppers are detachably installed to the retaining members.

Claims

1. A medication filling apparatus comprising

a plurality of tablet cases for respectively accommodating medications of respective types,

a plurality of hoppers each unitary and distinct from other ones of the hoppers, the hoppers being disposed side by side below the tablet cases and in alignment with respective ones of each of the tablet cases to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, and

means for transferring the medications dispensed from a dispensing port formed at the bottommost portion of each hopper to a predetermined container, and

retaining members on which the hoppers are hung, wherein the hoppers are detachably installed onto the retaining members.

2. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising hopper detecting means for detecting that the hoppers have been installed to the retaining members.

3. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a height adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of the dispensing port of each hopper.

4. The medicine filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for transferring the medications further comprises a charging means for guiding the medications into the container.

5. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for transferring the medications comprises;

dispensing ports respectively formed at the bottommost portions of the hoppers;

a plurality of holding units that are disposed below the hoppers on a rotating plate for rotating motion along a circumference where the dispensing ports of the hoppers exist, wherein each of the holding units respectively further comprises a holding cell and a shutter for opening and closing a lower end outlet of the holding cell;

wherein, when a medication is dispensed from a tablet case, the rotating motion brings a predetermined holding cell into alignment with the outlet of the hopper that receives the medication dispensed therefrom, and the holding cell is rotationally moved to align its outlet to the charging means for guiding the medications into the container before the shutter is opened.

6. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a shutter driving means for opening and closing the shutters disposed such that the shutter driving means does not interfere with the rotating motion of the holding units by the rotation of the rotating plate and that it detachably engages with the shutter of the holding unit whose holding cell matches the charging means for guiding the medications into the container.

7. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising shutter opening/closing detecting means for detecting the opening and closing of the shutters.

8. The medicine filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for transferring the medications further comprises a holding unit further comprising a plurality of holding cells.

9. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the hoppers is rectangular and wherein dispensing ports of the hoppers are deployed along a circumference of a circle.

10. A medication filling apparatus comprising

a plurality of tablet cases for respectively accommodating medications of respective types,

a plurality of hoppers each unitary and distinct from other ones of the hoppers, the hoppers being disposed side by side below the tablet cases and in alignment with respective ones of each of the tablet cases to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, and

means for transferring the medications dispensed from a dispensing port formed at the bottommost portion of each hopper to a predetermined container, and

wherein each of the hoppers comprises a vertical wall installed in a standing manner to partition the interior thereof.

11. The medicine filling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for transferring the medications further comprises a charging means for guiding the medications into the container.

12. The medicine filling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for transferring the medications further comprises a holding unit further comprising a plurality of holding cells.

13. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the hoppers is rectangular and wherein dispensing ports of the hoppers are deployed along a circumference of a circle.

14. A medication filling apparatus comprising

a plurality of tablet cases for respectively accommodating medications of respective types,

a plurality of hoppers each unitary and distinct from other ones of the hoppers, the hoppers being disposed side by side below the tablet cases and in alignment with respective ones of each of the tablet cases to receive the medications dispensed therefrom,

means for transferring the medications dispensed from a dispensing port formed at the bottommost portion of each hopper to a predetermined container, and

wherein each of the hoppers comprises an anti-spilling wall that extends outward from the dispensing port and is installed over the full periphery of the dispensing port.

15. The medicine filling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for transferring the medications further comprises a charging means for guiding the medications into the container.

16. The medicine filling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for transferring the medications further comprises a holding unit further comprising a plurality of holding cells.

17. The medication filling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of the hoppers is rectangular and wherein dispensing ports of the hoppers are deployed along a circumference of a circle.