Drug dispenser and drug filling apparatus incorporating the same
First Claim
1. A drug dispenser to be positioned downstream of a drug feeder, the drug dispenser being adapted to receive solid drugs from the drug feeder, to temporarily accumulate the drugs, and to discharge the accumulated drugs, the drug dispenser comprising:
- a receptacle having an open top and a bottom adapted to be opened and closed, said receptacle including an outer receptacle portion and an inner receptacle portion,wherein said inner receptacle portion includes a first movable wall, a second movable wall, and a peripheral wall connecting said first movable wall and said second movable wall, each of said first movable wall, said peripheral wall, and said second movable wall being adapted to move when the bottom of said receptacle is opened,wherein said first movable wall opposes said second movable wall,wherein said inner receptacle portion is rotatably disposed in said outer receptacle portion such that a cavity is formed in said receptacle for accumulating drugs therein,wherein said outer receptacle portion includes an arcuate surface, a first opening formed in said arcuate surface at a top of said outer receptacle portion, and a second opening formed in said arcuate surface at a bottom of said outer receptacle portion,wherein said outer receptacle portion has an expanded portion extending below said second opening, said expanded portion forming a skirt-like portion which expands in a direction extending away from said second opening for preventing tablets or capsules from sticking in said receptacle,wherein said inner receptacle portion has an opening formed in said peripheral wall, said opening extending from said first movable wall to said second movable wall, andwherein the central angle defined by the edges of the opening in said peripheral wall of said inner receptacle portion is greater than the central angle defined by the edges of said first opening of said outer receptacle portion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A drug filling apparatus capable of preventing drugs from being bridged to each other and reducing troubles. The drug filling apparatus functions to select specific tablets from various types of tablet groups and fill the selected tablets into a vial, and includes a storage cabinet, a drug supplying section, a drug halting section, a drug conveying section, a drug filling section, a vial storing section, and a vial carrying section. A drug dispenser is installed in the drug halting section. A receptacle of the drug dispenser is constituted by an outer receptacle portion and an inner receptacle portion. When a time for filling of tablets in the drug dispenser into the vial comes, a motor of a drive section rotates according to specified signals to rotate the inner receptacle portion; that is, the rotational orientation of the inner receptacle portion is changed to reverse the inner receptacle portion.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A drug dispenser to be positioned downstream of a drug feeder, the drug dispenser being adapted to receive solid drugs from the drug feeder, to temporarily accumulate the drugs, and to discharge the accumulated drugs, the drug dispenser comprising:
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a receptacle having an open top and a bottom adapted to be opened and closed, said receptacle including an outer receptacle portion and an inner receptacle portion, wherein said inner receptacle portion includes a first movable wall, a second movable wall, and a peripheral wall connecting said first movable wall and said second movable wall, each of said first movable wall, said peripheral wall, and said second movable wall being adapted to move when the bottom of said receptacle is opened, wherein said first movable wall opposes said second movable wall, wherein said inner receptacle portion is rotatably disposed in said outer receptacle portion such that a cavity is formed in said receptacle for accumulating drugs therein, wherein said outer receptacle portion includes an arcuate surface, a first opening formed in said arcuate surface at a top of said outer receptacle portion, and a second opening formed in said arcuate surface at a bottom of said outer receptacle portion, wherein said outer receptacle portion has an expanded portion extending below said second opening, said expanded portion forming a skirt-like portion which expands in a direction extending away from said second opening for preventing tablets or capsules from sticking in said receptacle, wherein said inner receptacle portion has an opening formed in said peripheral wall, said opening extending from said first movable wall to said second movable wall, and wherein the central angle defined by the edges of the opening in said peripheral wall of said inner receptacle portion is greater than the central angle defined by the edges of said first opening of said outer receptacle portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A drug dispenser to be positioned downstream of a drug feeder, the drug dispenser being adapted to receive solid drugs from the drug feeder, to temporarily accumulate the drugs, and to discharge the accumulated drugs, the drug dispenser comprising:
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a receptacle having an inner peripheral surface, an open top and a bottom adapted to be opened and closed, a casing accommodating the receptacle; an engaging portion normally protruding from and capable of being retracted into the casing; and a pressing portion for retracting the engaging portion into the casing such that the engaging portion is retracted into the casing when the pressing portion is pressed, wherein at least part of the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle is formed by a movable wall adapted to move when the bottom of the receptacle is opened.
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12. A drug dispenser to be positioned downstream of a drug feeder, the drug dispenser being adapted to receive solid drugs from the drug feeder, to temporarily accumulate the drugs, and to discharge the accumulated drugs, the drug dispenser comprising:
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a receptacle having an opening at each of a top and a bottom thereof; a closing member for opening and closing the opening at the bottom of the receptacle; a scraper adapted to scrape a part of an inner surface of the receptacle or a vicinity of the part when the closing member opens the opening at the bottom of the receptacle; a casing accommodating the receptacle; an engaging portion normally protruding from and capable of being retracted into the casing; and a pressing portion for retracting the engaging portion into the casing such that the engaging portion is retracted into the casing when the pressing portion is pressed; wherein said scraper and said closing member are discrete structures, said scraper extending away from said closing member. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19)
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18. A drug dispenser to be positioned downstream of a drug feeder, the drug dispenser being adapted to receive solid drugs from the drug feeder, to temporarily accumulate the drugs, and to discharge the accumulated drugs, the drug dispenser comprising:
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a receptacle having an opening at each of a top and a bottom thereof; a closing member for opening and closing the opening at the bottom of the receptacle; and a scraper adapted to scrape a part of an inner surface of the receptacle or a vicinity of the part when the closing member opens the opening at the bottom of the receptacle, wherein the closing member is a linearly movable shutter, and wherein the scraper is integrated with the closing member. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A drug dispenser to be positioned downstream of a drug feeder, the drug dispenser being adapted to receive solid drugs from the drug feeder, to temporarily accumulate the drugs, and to discharge the accumulated drugs, the drug dispenser comprising:
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a receptacle having an opening at either of its top and bottom; a closing member for opening and closing the opening at the bottom of the receptacle; and a scraper adapted to cross within the receptacle when the closing member opens the opening at the bottom of the receptacle, wherein the closing member is a linearly movable shutter and wherein the scraper is integrated with the closing member. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A drug filling apparatus comprising:
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a main body; a plurality of drug feeders adapted to send out solid drugs and arranged vertically and horizontally in a matrix in the main body; a plurality of common passageways each corresponding to at least one column of the drug feeders; a drug dispenser positioned downstream of each of the common passageways, the drug dispenser being adapted to receive solid drugs from the drug feeder, to temporarily accumulate the drugs, and to discharge the accumulated drugs through its predetermined opening; and a drug filling section adapted to fill the drugs discharged from the drug dispenser into a predetermined container or wrapping material, wherein the drug dispenser comprises a receptacle, a power source and a casing accommodating the receptacle and the power source integrally, the receptacle being adapted to accumulate the drugs, the power source being adapted to open an opening of the receptacle, wherein the drug dispenser further comprises an engaging portion normally protruding from and capable of being retracted into the casing, and a pressing portion for retracting the engaging portion into the casing such that the engaging portion is retracted into the casing when the pressing portion is pressed, and wherein the main body has a plurality of compartments for installing the casing of the drug dispenser therein, each compartment having an engaging hole or a slot for engaging the engaging portion of the drug dispenser, the drug dispenser being insertable into the compartment with the pressing portion of the drug dispenser pressed to make the engaging portion refracted into the casing, the engaging portion being engaged with the engaging hole or the slot formed in the compartment when the drug dispenser is inserted into the compartment. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification