Sheet driver for use in a drug dispenser

• US 8,776,788 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Original Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Inventors: Davies, Michael Birsha, Tansley, Robert William
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Jackie T
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARDAS, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US12/514,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20100059052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,436 Days
• Field of Search: 12820221-20222, 128/203.15, 128/203.21, 128/205.23, 226/190, 221/25, 221/123, 221/21, 242/534, 242/563
• US Class Current: 128/203.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0026 Hinged caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0043 Non-destructive separation of the package, e.g. peeling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0045 using multiple prepacked dosages on a same carrier, e.g. blisters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0051 the dosages being arranged on a tape, e.g. strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0055 the used dosages being coiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0075 on a disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0081 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/123 with incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback

Abstract

A sheet driver for use in a drug dispenser where the sheet driver includes a shaft with a shaft cavity co-axial with a rotational axis of the shaft and a hub that defines a hub aperture, where within the shaft cavity there is an indicator pin having a side member and an indicator pin head that may project through the hub aperture, where within the shaft cavity there is a spring for biasing said indicator pin out of the shaft cavity, and where an engagement member may selectively engage said side member of the indicator pin to prevent movement of the engagement member upon the occurrence of an fault condition of the sheet driver.

Claims

1. A spool for winding up a tape comprising a rotatable part for rotating the spool, a hub part mounted to the rotatable part for rotation therewith to wind the tape up thereon, a biasing mechanism for biasing the hub part to rotate relative to the rotatable part to a first rotary position, and a fault indicator for indicating a fault in the tape when the hub part is in the first rotary position on the rotatable part, and

wherein the rotatable part has an axis of rotation and wherein the hub part is mounted co-axially to the rotatable part so as to be rotatable relative thereto about said axis.

2. The spool of claim 1, wherein the fault indicator is movable from a first position to a second position only when the hub part is in the first rotary position, said movement of the fault indicator to the second position indicating a fault in the tape.

3. The spool of claim 2, further comprising a biasing mechanism for biasing the fault indicator to move from the first position to the second position and a latch for latching the fault indicator in the first position thereof when the hub part is not in the first rotary position.

4. The spool of claim 3, wherein the latch is a surface of the hub part which acts on the fault indicator when not in the first rotary position.

5. The spool of claim 2, wherein the fault indicator is housed within the spool when in the first position and protrudes from the spool when in the second position.

6. The spool of claim 1, wherein the fault indicator is carried by the rotatable part.

7. The spool of claim 5, wherein the hub part has an aperture through which the fault indicator is able to protrude when the hub is in the first rotary position.

8. The spool of claim 4, wherein the fault indicator is housed within the spool when in the first position and protrudes from the spool when in the second position, and the hub part has an aperture through which the fault indicator is able to protrude when the hub is in the first rotary position, and wherein the latch surface is a rim of the aperture.

9. The spool of claim 8, wherein the rim of the aperture and the fault indicator have complementary non-circular shapes which are only aligned in the same orientation as each other when the hub part is in the first rotary position.

10. The spool of claim 1, wherein the hub part and the rotatable part have co-operable surfaces for holding the hub part in the first rotary position on the rotatable part.