Medicine-supplying device and medicine-counting device

• US 9,962,317 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Koike, Naoki, Mitani, Mitsuhiro, Fukada, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US15/438,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20170224587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 235103, 235375, 235435, 235487, 700214-216
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/40 by shape or form, e.g. by using shape recognition
• 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: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/30 Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2210/04 Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/06 Separating single articles from loose masses of articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/20 Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles other applications B65B65/08
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/02 Arrangements to enable adjustments to be made while the machine is running
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/04 for dispensing annular, disc-shaped, or spherical or like small articles, e.g. tablets or pills

Abstract

This drug-supplying device is provided with: a rotator that discharges drugs towards the outer diameter by being rotated; a drug shape-specifying unit for specifying the shape of the drug; and a control unit that rotates the rotator at a rotational speed specified, on the basis of a speed table that correlates drug shape to rotator rotational speed, by the shape that has been specified by a drug-detecting unit.

Claims

1. A medicine-supplying device comprising:

a rotator having an annular shape and configured to rotate in a circumferential direction and discharge a plurality of medicines on the rotator to an outer diameter direction of the rotator by rotation;

an inner guide configured to guide the medicine discharged to the outer diameter direction of the rotator by rotation, wherein

the inner guide has a tilted part whose surface is tilted toward the outer diameter direction of the rotator; and

a width restricting body configured to restrict a conveyance width of the medicine and being positioned at an upper stream side of rotation of the rotator with respect to the inner guide.

2. The medicine-supplying device according to claim 1, further comprising an outer guide configured to form a passage where the medicine passes together with the inner guide, wherein

the outer guide is positioned at an upper stream side of rotation of the rotator with respect to the inner guide,

an interval between the inner guide and the outer guide is adjustable.

3. The medicine-supplying device according to claim 2, wherein

the interval is changed by a displacement of the outer guide.

4. The medicine-supplying device according to claim 1, further comprising an outer guide configured to form a passage where the medicine passes together with the inner guide, wherein

the outer guide is positioned at the upper stream side of the rotation of the rotator with respect to the inner guide;

an interval between the inner guide and the outer guide is changed by a displacement of the outer guide;

the outer guide and the width restricting body are movable by a single driving motor.