Automatic medicine packing machine with detachable shutter assembly

• US 7,690,529 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVM Company Limited
• Original Assignee: JVM Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Randall, Jr.; Kelvin L
• Application Number:
  US11/729,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 221/1, 221 92- 94, 221/122, 221/130, 221/131, 221/133, 221/174, 221/186, 221/188, 221/189, 221/197, 221/200, 221/201, 221/204, 221/205, 221/208, 221/258, 221263-266, 221/277
• US Class Current: 221/133
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• 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

The present invention relates to an automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines dose by dose continuously. According to one embodiment, there is provided an automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines dose by dose continuously, including: a plurality of cassette units in which the variety of medicines are accommodated; a hopper for collecting the medicines discharged from the cassette units; a packing unit for packing the medicines collected by the hopper; and a shutter assembly mounted on the hopper to temporarily suspend the medicines discharged from the cassette units, wherein the shutter assembly includes a frame detachably mounted to an upper end of the hopper; an openable/closable shutter unit arranged and mounted on the frame; a driving means for driving the shutter unit to be opened and closed; and an interlocking unit for transferring a driving force of the driving means to the shutter unit to interlock the shutter unit.

Claims

1. An automatic medicine packing machine for packing a variety of medicines dose by dose continuously, comprising:

a plurality of cassette units in which the variety of medicines are accommodated;

a hopper configured to collect the medicines discharged from the cassette units;

a packing unit configured to pack the medicines collected by the hopper; and

a shutter assembly mounted on the hopper to temporarily suspend the medicines discharged from the cassette units,

the shutter assembly including a frame detachably mounted to an upper end of the hopper, an openable and closable shutter unit arranged and mounted on the frame, a driving device configured to drive the shutter unit to be opened and closed, and an interlocking unit configured to transfer a driving force of the driving device to the shutter unit to interlock the shutter unit,

the shutter unit including a shutter member pivotably mounted to open and close a passage between the cassette unit and the hopper, and a connection member detachably coupled to the interlocking unit and allowing the shutter member to be rotated by the driving force transferred through the interlocking unit,

the interlocking unit including an interlocking member installed to be pivotable on a pivot shaft by the driving device within a predetermined angle range, the pivot shaft being integrally formed in a lower end of the interlocking member, a fitting groove into which the connection member is detachably coupled being formed in an upper end of the interlocking member, and

the connection member including a cylindrical end portion to be detachably coupled to the fitting groove.

2. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame is detachably installed to the upper end of the hopper by a fastening device with the shutter unit mounted to the frame, and the shutter unit and the interlocking unit are detachably connected to each other.

3. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the shutter unit is detachably mounted to the frame by a fastening device.

4. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking unit further includes a rotational circular plate rotating together with a rotation shaft of the driving means, and a link member for connecting the rotational circular plate and the interlocking member to each other.

5. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the interlocking unit further includes a plurality of interlocking members and a link member for connecting the interlocking members to each other.

6. The automatic medicine packing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shortest distance between inner peripheral surfaces of upper end portions of the fitting groove is smaller than a diameter of the cylindrical end portion, whereby the cylindrical end portion is elastically coupled into the fitting groove.

7. A shutter assembly configured to temporarily suspend medicines discharged from a cassette unit of an automatic medicine packing machine having a hopper unit, the shutter assembly comprising:

a shutter unit configured to be coupled to the automatic medicine packing machine to open and close a passage through which the medicines are discharged from the cassette unit, the shutter unit including a connection member and a shutter member pivotably mounted to open and close a passage between the cassette unit and the hopper unit;

a driving device configured to drive the shutter unit to be opened and closed; and

an interlocking unit configured to transfer a driving force of the driving device to the shutter unit to interlock the shutter unit, the interlocking unit including an interlocking member, a pivot shaft pivotably mounting the interlocking member to pivot in response to the driving force within a predetermined angle range, and a fitting groove, the connection member of the shutter unit including a cylindrical end portion detachably coupled to the fitting groove and allowing the shutter member to be rotated by the driving force transferred through the interlocking unit.