Medicine dispensing system and medicine dispensing device

• US 9,833,384 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yasunaga, Itsuo, Asaoka, Chisei, Oike, Norifumi, Kaminishi, Kensuke, Kasuya, Masahiko, Takeda, Nakaji, Tsuda, Hiromichi, Morita, Yasuyuki, Taira, Shinya, Sugimoto, Tomohiro, Toyota, Naomichi
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US14/717,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 53154
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0069 Trays for holding or distributing medicines display trays A47F3/14; serving trays A47G23/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/025 for applying, e.g. printing, code or date marks on material prior to packaging
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• 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 medicine dispensing system configured such that a medicine dispensing device includes a sub unit having a function to dispense medicine that is connected to a medicine dispensing device that includes a main unit having a function of packing medicines. There is also provided a medicine dispensing device that can be appropriately integrated with such a medicine dispensing system. The medicine dispensing system includes, in some embodiments a main unit, a sub unit and a transfer device connecting the main unit and the sub unit. The medicine dispensing system transfers the medicine dispensed in the sub unit to the main unit by means of a transfer device and dispenses the medicine at a medicine packing part together with the medicine dispensed from a main storage part in the main unit.

Claims

1. A medicine dispensing device comprising:

a first container configured to store a plurality of kinds of medicines per each kind and to dispense each kind of medicine according to a prescription by dropping the medicine;

a second container configured to receive the medicine dropped from the first container and to dispense the medicine;

a medicine packing mechanism configured to pack the medicine dispensed from the second container into respective packing paper sheets;

a packing paper sheet conveyor configured to feed the packing paper sheet to the medicine packing mechanism; and

a printer configured to print predetermined information on the packing paper sheet, the printer being disposed upstream of the medicine packing mechanism in a flow direction of the packing paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet conveyor,

wherein the first container comprises;

a main storage container configured to dispense the medicine;

a manual distribution container configured to dispense the medicine;

a collecting hopper configured to feed the medicine dispensed from the main storage container; and

a manual distributing hopper configured to feed the medicine dispensed from the manual distribution container,

wherein the second container comprises;

a disk-shaped section forming body configured to be rotated and having a plurality of circumferentially arranged sections separated from one another by corresponding walls;

a lid comprising a first hole and a second hole respectively positioned in positions corresponding to two sections of the plurality of the sections, the first hole being disposed below the collecting hopper above the section forming body, the second hole being disposed below the manual distribution hopper above the section forming body; and

a body part to which the section forming body is rotatably mounted and to which the lid is attached, the body part comprising an opening disposed below the section forming body and configured to dispense the medicine from each section of the plurality of sections to the medicine packing mechanism,

wherein each section of the plurality of the sections is configured to gather the medicine dispensed from the main storage container and the manual distribution container,

wherein the second container is configured to receive one or more kinds of the medicine dispensed from the main storage container and the manual distribution container in each section of the plurality of sections by one pack,

wherein the first hole is configured to be connected to the collecting hopper and the second hole is configured to be connected to the manual distribution hopper,

wherein, when a first section of the plurality of sections reaches the first hole by rotation of the section forming body, the medicine dispensed from the main storage container is inputted through the collecting hopper and the first hole to the first section,

wherein, when the first section reaches the second hole by the rotation of the section forming body, the medicine dispensed from the manual distribution container is inputted through the manual distribution hopper and the second hole to the first section, and

wherein, when the first section reaches the opening by the rotation of the section forming body, the first section dispenses the medicine for one pack, which is gathered in the first section according to a prescription, to the medicine packing mechanism through the opening.

2. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the second container further includes:

a shutter disposed at and configured to open and close each section of the plurality of sections, and a contactor disposed near the opening and configured to contact each shutter, and

wherein when each section reaches the opening by the rotation of the section forming body, the shutter contacts the contactor by the rotation of the section forming body and is opened by the contactor.

3. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the first hole is apart from the opening by one section of the plurality of sections in a rotation direction of the section forming body and the second hole is apart from the first hole in the rotation direction of the section forming body.

4. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a medicine standby mechanism disposed between the first container and the second container,

wherein the medicine standby mechanism includes:

a standby hopper configured to receive the medicine dropped from the first container, the standby hopper including at least one discharging opening; and

a movable lid movably coupled to the standby hopper and configured to open and close the discharging opening.

5. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1, wherein a length of a path through which the packing paper sheet passes between the printer and the medicine packing mechanism is n times of a length of a packing paper sheet necessary for packing a medicine for one pack.

6. The medicine dispensing device of claim 5, wherein the printer prints an information corresponding to a section A of the plurality of sections on the packing paper sheet at a time earlier by a time period necessary for dispensing a medicine for a section n from the second container than a time for dispensing a medicine received in the section A.

7. The medicine dispensing device of claim 6, wherein a printing operation to the packing paper sheet is performed by the printer based upon a condition that the medicine is fed into the section A up to a time earlier by the time period necessary for dispensing the medicine for the section n from the second container than the time of dispensing the medicine received in the section A of the plurality of sections.

8. The medicine dispensing device of claim 6, wherein after the printer prints the information corresponding to the section A on the packing paper sheet, the second container rotates such that the section A reaches the opening.

9. The medicine dispensing device of claim 5, wherein the medicine is dispensed from the first container into a section A of the plurality of sections at a time earlier by a time Z as early as a time period Y when the packing paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet conveyor moves from a position corresponding to the printer to the medicine packing mechanism than a time X when the medicine in the section A is dispensed from the second container toward the medicine packing mechanism, and

wherein an information corresponding to the section A is printed on the packing paper sheet at the time Z by the printer.

10. The medicine dispensing device of claim 9, wherein a printing operation to the packing paper sheet is performed based upon a condition that the medicine is fed into the section A at the time earlier than the time Z.

11. The medicine dispensing device of claim 10, wherein a print purporting that the medicine to be packed runs short is made on the packing paper sheet by the printer based upon a condition that the medicine to be packed is not inputted to the section A until the time earlier than the time Z.

12. A medicine dispensing system comprising:

a main unit;

one or more sub units; and

a transfer mechanism configured to connect the main unit and the one or more sub units,

wherein the main unit comprises;

a first container configured to store a plurality of kinds of medicines per each kind and to dispense each kind of medicine according to a prescription by dropping the medicines;

a second container configured to receive the medicines dropped by the first container and to dispense the medicines;

a medicine packing mechanism configured to pack the medicines dispensed from the second container into respective packing paper sheets;

a packing paper sheet conveyor configured to feed the respective packing paper sheets to the medicine packing mechanism; and

a printer configured to print respective predetermined information on the respective packing paper sheets, the printer being disposed upstream of the medicine packing mechanism in a flow direction of the packing paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet conveyor,

wherein the first container comprises;

a main storage container configured to dispense the medicine;

a manual distribution container configured to dispense the medicine;

a collecting hopper configured to feed the medicine dispensed from the main storage container;

a manual distributing hopper configured to feed the medicine dispensed from the manual distribution container; and

a sub collecting hopper configured to feed the medicine dispensed from the one or more sub units,

wherein the one or more sub units are configured to store and dispense a plurality of kinds of medicines per each kind,

wherein the second container comprises;

a disk-shaped section forming body configured to be rotated and having a plurality of circumferentially arranged sections separated from one another by corresponding walls;

a lid comprising a first hole, a second hole, and a third hole respectively positioned in positions corresponding to three sections of the plurality of the sections, the first hole being disposed below the collecting hopper above the section forming body, the second hole being disposed below the sub collecting hopper above the section forming body, the third hole being disposed below the manual distribution hopper above the section forming body; and

a body part to which the section forming body is rotatably mounted and to which the lid is attached, the body part comprising an opening disposed below the section forming body and configured to dispense the medicine from each section of the plurality of the sections to the medicine packing mechanism,

wherein each section of the plurality of sections is configured to gather the medicine dispensed from the main storage container, the manual distribution container, and the one or more sub units,

wherein the transfer mechanism transfers the medicine dispensed from the one or more sub units according to a prescription toward the main unit and feeds the medicine to the sections of the section forming body,

wherein the second container is configured to receive one or more kinds of the medicine dispensed from the main storage container, the manual distribution container, and the one or more sub units in each section of the plurality of sections by one pack,

wherein first hole is configured to be connected to the collecting hopper and the second hole is configured to be connected to the sub collecting hopper and the third hole is configured to be connected to the manual distribution hopper,

wherein, when a first section of the plurality of the sections reaches the first hole by rotation of the section forming body, the medicine dispensed from the main storage container is inputted through the collecting hopper and the first hole to the first section,

wherein, when the first section reaches the second hole by the rotation of the section forming body, the medicine dispensed from the one or more sub units is inputted through the sub collecting hopper and the second hole to the first section,

wherein, when the first section reaches the third hole by the rotation of the section forming body, the medicine dispensed from the manual distribution container is inputted through the manual distribution hopper and the third hole to the first section,

and

wherein, when the first section reaches the opening by the rotation of the section forming body, the first section dispenses the medicine for one pack, which is gathered in the first section according to a prescription, to the medicine packing mechanism through the opening.

13. The medicine dispensing system of claim 12,

wherein the first hole is spaced apart from the opening by one section of the plurality of the sections in a rotation direction of the section forming body,

wherein the second hole is spaced apart from the opening by two sections of the plurality of the sections in the rotation direction of the section forming body, and

wherein the third hole is spaced apart from the opening by three sections of the plurality of the sections in the rotation direction of the section forming body.

14. The medicine dispensing system of claim 12, wherein a length of a path through which the packing paper sheet passes between the printer and the medicine packing mechanism is n times of a length of a packing paper sheet necessary for packing a medicine for one pack.