Tablet discharging method

• US 8,204,621 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Imai, Takafumi, Taniguchi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/665,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20100181334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 700/240, 700/236, 700/241, 700/242, 700/233, 221/241, 221/304
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

There is provided a tablet discharging method capable of discharging a vial to an outlet corresponding to a size of the vial even if the size of the vial is changed. The tablet discharging method is related to removing a vial from a stocker accommodating a large number of vials according to a prescription data, dispensing tablets into the vial to fill the vial and discharging the vial filled with the tablets. The tablet discharging method includes the following steps of: determining a vial of an appropriate size according to a prescription data; checking for a stock of the determined vial; fixing a size by changing the determined vial to a vial of a size larger than that of the determined vial when the vial of the determined size is out-of-stock; and discharging the vial filled with the tablets to an outlet holding the vial of the fixed size.

Claims

1. A method of removing a vial from a stocker accommodating a large number of vials according to a prescription data, dispensing tablets into the vial to fill the vial and discharging the vial filled with the tablets, comprising:

determining a vial of an appropriate size according to the prescription data;

checking for a stock of the determined vial;

fixing a size by changing the determined vial to a vial of a size larger than that of the determined vial if the vial of the determined size is out-of-stock; and

discharging the vial filled with the tablets to one of two slopes, the two slopes forming an outlet and being juxtaposed vertically, the one of the two slopes holding the vial of the fixed size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein checking for a stock of the determined vial is performed in at least one of the following:

when an error relating to label application occurs during applying a label to the vial; and

when it is detected that the tablets are out-of-stock during supplying the tablets to the vial.