Medication filling apparatus

• US 6,928,790 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• 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
• Application Number:
  US10/895,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20040261357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 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: 53/247
• 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 accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases arranged to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, dispensing ports respectively formed at the bottommost portions of the hoppers, a plurality of holding cells that are disposed below the hoppers and are rotationally moved on circumferences where the dispensing ports of the hoppers exist, shutters for opening and closing lower end outlets of the holding cells, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from the holding cell to a predetermined container and for charging the medications wherein, when a medication is dispensed from a tablet case, a holding cell is rotationally moved to adjust its position thereby to align an upper end inlet of the holding cell to the dispensing port of the hopper that receives the dispensed medication so as to accommodate the medication falling from the tablet case in a predetermined holding cell, and when filling a container, the holding cell is rotationally moved to align its outlet to the charging means before a shutter is opened,

wherein the holding cell is constructed by a fixed cell and a movable cell installed such that it can move in a direction for opening the outlet in relation to the fixed cell, and the movable cell is moved in a direction for opening the outlet by movable cell driving means when opening the shutter.

2. A medication filling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising movable cell operation detecting means for detecting the operation of the movable cell.

3. A medication filling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the movable cell driving means is disposed such that it disengageably engages the movable cell of the holding cell that matches the charging means, without interfering with the rotational movement of the holding cell.

4. A medication filling apparatus comprising a plurality of tablet cases for accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases arranged to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, dispensing ports respectively formed at the bottommost portions of the hoppers, a plurality of holding cells that are disposed below the hoppers and are rotationally moved on circumferences where the dispensing ports of the hoppers exist, shutters for opening and closing lower end outlets of the holding cells, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from the holding cells to a predetermined container and for charging the medications, wherein, when a medication is dispensed from a tablet case, a holding cell is rotationally moved to adjust its position thereby to align an upper end inlet of the holding cell to the dispensing port of the hopper that receives the dispensed medication so as to accommodate the medication falling from the tablet case in a predetermined holding cell, and when filling a container, the holding cell is rotationally moved to align its outlet to the charging means before a shutter is opened,

wherein a holding unit is constructed by the holding cell and the shutter, and a plurality of the holding units are installed on a rotating plate that rotates below the hoppers.