Pharmaceutical tablet dispensing and packaging system

• US 7,398,895 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JVM Company Limited
• Original Assignee: JVM Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler; Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US10/804,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20040182878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 221/154, 221/92, 221/131, 221/124, 221/264, 221/179
• US Class Current: 221/154
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/10 two or more magazines having a common delivery chute
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A pharmaceutical tablet dispensing and packaging system comprising a tablet packaging unit and a tablet dispensing unit having door cabinets and a base cabinet with each door cabinet rear portion detachably engaged to the base cabinet rear portion. Each cabinet rear portion is vertically wrinkled to form ridges and furrows so that when the door cabinets are attached to the base cabinet, spatial shafts are formed by the furrows and ridges.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical tablet dispensing and packaging system, comprising:

a) a tablet packaging unit;

b) a tablet dispensing unit having two or more door cabinets and a base cabinet each defined by a front portion and a rear portion, wherein said each door cabinet rear portion is detachably engaged to the base cabinet rear portion, wherein the rear portion of said each cabinet is vertically wrinkled to form ridges and furrows so that when the door cabinets are attached to the base cabinet a plurality of spatial shafts are formed by the furrows and ridges of the cabinet rear portions, wherein each of the spatial shafts is formed by two opposing furrows and two adjacent spatial shafts are divided by two opposing ridges, wherein tablet cassettes each containing tablets are installed in said each cabinet to selectively release the tablets through the spatial shafts down to the tablet packaging unit disposed below the tablet dispensing unit, whereby the spatial shafts serving as downward channels allow the released tablets to fall toward the tablet packaging unit; and

c) a hopper disposed beneath the dispensing unit into the tablet packaging unit to guide the released tablets down into the tablet packaging unit for tablet packaging.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said each door cabinet is hingedly connected to the base cabinet.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of hampers formed through the door cabinets and corresponding portions of the base cabinet to soften opening and closing of the respective door cabinets from and to the base cabinet.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first locking member having hooks and hookers, wherein the hooks are each formed on a door cabinet frame of said each door cabinet, wherein the hookers are formed on a base cabinet frame corresponding to the door cabinet frames.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second locking member having male bolts and female bolts releasably receiving therein the male bolts, wherein said each male bolt is fixedly formed though said each ridge of the base cabinet rear portion, wherein said each female bolt is releasably formed in the door cabinet and covered by the corresponding ridge of said each door cabinet rear portion to receive therein the corresponding male bolt through the ridge of the door cabinet rear portion, whereby the opening and closing of the door cabinets from and to the base cabinet are easily controlled by a simple turn of the female bolt.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a stopper is formed on said each female bolt to prevent an unwanted release of said each female bolt from the base cabinet.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a) a first locking member having hooks and hookers, wherein the hooks are each formed on a door cabinet frame of said each door cabinet, wherein the hookers are formed on a base cabinet frame corresponding to the door cabinet frames; and

b) a second locking member having male bolts and female bolts releasably receiving therein the male bolts, wherein said each male bolt is fixedly formed though said each ridge of the base cabinet rear portion, wherein said each female bolt is releasably formed in the door cabinet and covered by the corresponding ridge of said each door cabinet rear portion to receive therein the corresponding male bolt through the ridge of the door cabinet rear portion, whereby the opening and closing of the door cabinets from and to the base cabinet are easily controlled by a simple turn of the female bolt.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein a stopper is formed on said each female bolt to prevent an unwanted release of said each female bolt from the base cabinet.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the ridges are flat and wider than the furrows.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the spatial shafts are substantially rectangular when viewed atop.

11. A pharmaceutical tablet dispensing and packaging system, comprising:

a) a tablet packaging unit;

b) a plurality of tablet dispensing units each having two or more door cabinets and a base cabinet each defined by a front portion and a rear portion, wherein said each door cabinet rear portion is detachably engaged to the base cabinet rear portion, wherein the rear portion of said each cabinet is vertically wrinkled to form ridges and furrows so that when the door cabinets are attached to the corresponding base cabinet a plurality of spatial shafts are formed by the furrows and ridges of the cabinet rear portions, wherein each of the spatial shafts is formed by two opposing furrows and two adjacent spatial shafts are divided by two opposing ridges, wherein tablet cassettes each containing tablets are installed in said each cabinet to selectively release the tablets through the spatial shafts down to the tablet packaging unit disposed below the tablet dispensing units, whereby the spatial shafts serving as downward channels allow the released tablets to fall toward the tablet packaging unit; and

c) a hopper disposed beneath the dispensing units into the tablet packaging unit to guide the released tablets down into the tablet packaging unit for tablet packaging.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said each door cabinet is hingedly connected to the corresponding base cabinet.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of hampers formed through the door cabinets and corresponding portions of the base cabinet to soften opening and closing of the respective door cabinets from and to the base cabinet.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising a first locking member having hooks and hookers, wherein the hooks are each formed on a door cabinet frame of said each door cabinet, wherein the hookers are formed on a base cabinet frame corresponding to the door cabinet frames.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising a second locking member having male bolts and female bolts releasably receiving the male bolts, wherein said each male bolt is fixedly formed though said each ridge of the base cabinet rear portion, wherein said each female bolt is releasably formed in the door cabinet and covered by the corresponding ridge of said each door cabinet rear portion to receive therein the corresponding male bolt through the ridge of the door cabinet rear portion, whereby the opening and closing of the door cabinets from and to the base cabinet are easily controlled by a simple turn of the female bolt.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a stopper is formed on said each female bolt to prevent an unwanted release of said each female bolt from the base cabinet.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a) a first locking member having hooks and hookers, wherein the hooks are each formed on a door cabinet frame of said each door cabinet, wherein the hookers are formed on a base cabinet frame corresponding to the door cabinet frames; and

b) a second locking member having male bolts and female bolts releasably receiving the male bolts, wherein said each male bolt is fixedly formed though said each ridge of the base cabinet rear portion, wherein said each female bolt is releasably formed in the door cabinet and covered by the corresponding ridge of said each door cabinet rear portion to receive therein the corresponding male bolt through the ridge of the base cabinet rear portion, whereby the opening and closing of the door cabinets from and to the base cabinet are easily controlled by a simple turn of the female bolt.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein a stopper is formed on said each female bolt to prevent an unwanted release of said each female bolt from the base cabinet.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the ridges are flat and wider than the furrows.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the spatial shafts are substantially rectangular when viewed atop.

21. A pharmaceutical tablet dispensing and packaging system, comprising:

a) a tablet packaging unit;

b) a plurality of tablet dispensing rear units horizontally aligned longerside by longer-side and each having two or more door cabinets and a base cabinet each defined by a front portion and a rear portion, wherein said each door cabinet rear portion is detachably engaged to the base cabinet rear portion, wherein the rear portion of said each cabinet is vertically wrinkled to form ridges and furrows so that when the door cabinets are attached to the corresponding base cabinet a plurality of spatial shafts are formed by the furrows and ridges of the cabinet rear portions, wherein each of the spatial shafts is formed by two opposing furrows and two adjacent spatial shafts are divided by two opposing ridges, wherein tablet cassettes each containing tablets are installed in said each cabinet to selectively release the tablets through the spatial shafts down to the tablet packaging unit disposed below the tablet dispensing rear units, whereby the spatial shafts serving as downward channels allow the released tablets to fall toward the tablet packaging unit;

c) at least one tabletdispensing front unit resembling one of the tablet dispensing rear units in construction and disposed on top of the tablet packaging unit, wherein the front unit is substantially perpendicular to the rear units; and

d) a hopper disposed beneath the dispensing units into the tablet packaging unit to guide the released tablets down into the tablet packaging unit for tablet packaging.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the rear units are linearly slidable to move back and forth so that the forward sliding (toward the front unit) of the rear units can be effected when the front unit is open, whereby the rear units are selectively pulled out through a space reserved by opening the front unit.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said each door cabinet is hingedly connected to the corresponding base cabinet.

24. The system of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of hampers formed through the door cabinets and corresponding portions of the base cabinet to soften opening and closing of the respective door cabinets from and to the base cabinet.

25. The system of claim 21 further comprising a first locking member having hooks and hookers, wherein the hooks are each formed on a door cabinet frame of said each door cabinet, wherein the hookers are formed on a base cabinet frame corresponding to the door cabinet frames.

26. The system of claim 21 further comprising a second locking member having male bolts and female bolts releasably receiving the male bolts, wherein said each male bolt is fixedly formed though said each ridge of the base cabinet rear portion, wherein said each female bolt is releasably formed in the door cabinet and covered by the corresponding ridge of said each door cabinet rear portion to receive therein the corresponding male bolt through the ridge of the door cabinet rear portion, whereby the opening and closing of the door cabinets from and to the base cabinet are easily controlled by a simple turn of the female bolt.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein a stopper is formed on said each female bolt to prevent an unwanted release of said each female bolt from the base cabinet.

28. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a) a first locking member having hooks and hookers, wherein the hooks are each formed on a door cabinet frame of said each door cabinet, wherein the hookers are formed on a base cabinet frame corresponding to the door cabinet frames; and

b) a second locking member having male bolts and female bolts releasably receiving the male bolts, wherein said each male bolt is fixedly formed though said each ridge of the base cabinet rear portion, wherein said each female bolt is releasably formed in the door cabinet and covered by the corresponding ridge of said each door cabinet rear portion to receive therein the corresponding male bolt through the ridge of the door cabinet rear portion, whereby the opening and closing of the door cabinets from and to the base cabinet are easily controlled by a simple turn of the female bolt.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein a stopper is formed on said each female bolt to prevent an unwanted release of said each female bolt from the base cabinet.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein the ridges are flat and wider than the furrows.

31. The system of claim 21 wherein the spatial shafts are substantially rectangular when viewed atop.