Pharmaceutical feeder and dispensing device

Abstract

This invention provides a drug feeder applicable to drug dispensing devices without a robotic arm mechanism, and a drug dispensing device using this drug feeder. The drug feeder 5 includes a drug container 20 for holding powdered medicine, a container holding part 16 for holding the drug container 20, and a weight measuring device 25 for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container 20. The drug container 20 can be vibrated to discharge powdered medicine from the drug container 20, and the amount of powdered medicine discharged is detected by the weight measuring device 25. The drug container 20 has an opening and closing member for opening and closing the powdered medicine discharge part, and further has an opening and closing mechanism. The opening and closing mechanism applies force directly or indirectly to the opening and closing member to move at least a portion of the opening and closing member, thereby opening and closing the powdered medicine discharge part. Force is applied to the opening and closing member when the powdered medicine discharge part is to be in the open state and when it is to be in the closed state.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a pharmaceutical feeder for metering and dispensing a predetermined amount of powdered medicine. The pharmaceutical feeder of this invention is suitable for use as a device for supplying powdered medicine to a powder dispensing device. Furthermore, this invention relates to a dispensing device with a built-in pharmaceutical feeder. [Previous Technology]

[0002] In recent years, large hospitals and pharmacies have introduced dispensing devices with powder dispensing functions. Regarding the conventional dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the process of retrieving the bottle containing the prescribed powder from the pharmacy and weighing the total weight of the prescribed powder using a balance scale still requires manual labor, making it unsuitable as a fully automated device. To address this issue, the applicant has implemented the dispensing devices disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3.

[0003] The dispensing device disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 (a prior art dispensing device) employs a drug feeder that combines a drug container and a container holding device. The container holding device has a horizontally oriented vibrating member and a weight measuring device for measuring the weight of the drug container. Furthermore, the drug container is placed on the vibrating member, causing the vibrating member to vibrate and gradually dispensing a small amount of drug from the aforementioned dispensing section, and the amount of drug dispensed is detected by the weight measuring device.

[0004] The pharmaceutical containers disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are generally rectangular prism-shaped and are arranged horizontally in a container holding device. In the pharmaceutical feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2, the generally rectangular prism-shaped pharmaceutical container is placed horizontally in the container holding device, and in the state of assembling the pharmaceutical feeder, the height of the pharmaceutical container is relatively small compared to its horizontal length. Furthermore, in the dispensing device disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, a robotic arm is used to transport the pharmaceutical container to a designated position and to open and close the lid of the pharmaceutical container.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a powder supply device for a powder dispensing machine. In the powder supply device of Patent Document 4, a plurality of boxes each contain powder, and after the boxes are moved to the supply position, the powder is discharged from the boxes. Specifically, the box is configured to have a screw, a baffle blocking the discharge port including the front end of a cylinder, and a stirring blade that rotates together with the screw. The baffle is forcibly maintained in a closed state by a spring. Furthermore, by connecting the actuation device in the supply position to the rear end of the rotating shaft of the screw, the screw rotates and moves simultaneously. In this way, the screw pushes against the baffle, and the baffle moves against the spring force, thereby opening the discharge port. On the other hand, the rotation of the screw and the stirring blade causes the powder to flow towards the discharge port. Thus, the powder is discharged from the box.

[0006] In the powder supply device of Patent Document 4, the movement of the container to the supply position and the movement from the supply position are automatically executed. Furthermore, as described above, the powder feeder in this powder supply device discharges the powder by means of the rotation of the stirring blades and the screw, not by means of vibration (causing the entire container to vibrate). Moreover, the powder feeder is formed by an actuation device located at the supply position and a container; the actuation device only supplies power to the screw of the container. That is, all containers have a mechanism for discharging the powder. Furthermore, the baffle is moved in the closing direction by a spring. That is, the baffle is opened by temporarily applying a force in the opening direction to the baffle, which is to be kept closed; to close it, the force applied to the baffle is released. That is, the opening degree of the baffle is not adjusted. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-85703 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-35001 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2015 / 076267 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-132135 [Summary of the Invention]

[0008] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The pharmaceutical feeders disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 have the problem of occupying a large area when installed. Furthermore, the dispensing devices disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 have the problem of having a large number of parts. Moreover, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose dispensing devices that use a robotic arm to move pharmaceutical containers and open and close their lids; however, such dispensing devices often result in a large overall size, making them difficult to implement in small-scale pharmacies. To solve this problem, a device is considered that eliminates the robotic arm mechanism and relies on manual placement of pharmaceutical containers in designated positions. In this case, it is desirable to minimize the size of the lid-opening and closing mechanism and include it in other components to achieve overall device miniaturization. Furthermore, since the pharmaceutical containers are manually moved in this case, it is preferable to consider ease of handling. Also, from the viewpoint of precisely adjusting the dispensing volume of the pharmaceutical through a simple structure, the dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 4 has room for improvement.

[0010] This invention addresses the aforementioned problems of the prior art, and its objective is to provide a drug feeder applicable to drug dispensing devices that do not have a robotic arm mechanism. Furthermore, the objective is to provide a drug dispensing device employing this drug feeder. [Technical Means for Solving the Problem]

[0011] One embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a pharmaceutical feeder, which has a pharmaceutical container for containing powdered medicine, a container holding part for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container. The pharmaceutical container can be vibrated to discharge powdered medicine from the pharmaceutical container, and the amount of powdered medicine discharged is detected by the weight measuring device. The pharmaceutical container discharges powdered medicine to the outside from the powdered medicine discharge part, and has an opening and closing member for opening and closing the powdered medicine discharge part. Furthermore, it has an opening and closing mechanism part, which directly or indirectly applies force to the opening and closing member to move at least a portion of the opening and closing member to open and close the powdered medicine discharge part. When the powdered medicine discharge part is to be in an open state and a closed state, force is applied to the opening and closing member respectively.

[0012] In this type of pharmaceutical feeder, the opening and closing mechanism applies force to the opening and closing member to cause it to open and close, thus enabling precise control over the opening and closing actions of the member. Therefore, by adjusting the degree of opening (opening degree, opening width) of the dispensing section, the dispensing volume can be precisely adjusted. That is, compared to adjusting the dispensing volume solely by adjusting the vibration, the dispensing volume can be adjusted with greater precision.

[0013] In the above configuration, it is more ideal that the medicine container can be manually held in the container holding part and can be manually removed from the container holding part. By removing the medicine container from the container holding part, the medicine container is separated from the container holding part and the opening and closing mechanism part.

[0014] The drug feeder of this type can be used in a drug dispensing device to achieve miniaturization of the device.

[0015] In the above configuration, ideally, when the above-mentioned powder discharge section is in the open state, the opening degree of the above-mentioned powder discharge section can be adjusted in stages.

[0016] Based on this form, the amount of powdered medicine discharged can be precisely adjusted.

[0017] In the above configuration, it is more ideal that the powder discharge part is an obliquely extending slit, the opening and closing member has a locking wall that moves below the powder discharge part, the locking wall is a shape that extends along the width direction of the medicine container, as the opening and closing member moves in the closing direction, the overlap between the locking wall and the powder discharge part becomes larger, and the effective opening width of the powder discharge part for discharging the powder becomes smaller.

[0018] In this form, the amount of powdered medicine discharged can also be precisely adjusted.

[0019] In the above-described forms, it is more ideal that the container holding part has a longitudinal wall, and the longitudinal wall is vibrated by a vibration device, and the drug container is fixed to the longitudinal wall and vibrates.

[0020] According to this type of medicine feeder, the medicine feeder can be placed in a vertical position, which reduces the area it occupies. That is, it has the effect of accommodating a large amount of loose medicine while occupying a small area when installed.

[0021] Among the above-described forms, it is more ideal that the medicine container has a large-area side surface and a small-area side surface, the height is relatively large compared to the width, the edge of the bottom surface and / or the side surface near the bottom surface has the medicine discharge part, and a partition member with an opening is provided near the bottom surface. The medicine enters between the partition member and the bottom surface through the opening. When the medicine container vibrates, the medicine through the opening moves between the partition plate and the bottom and reaches the medicine discharge part.

[0022] The medicine container used in this embodiment is narrower in width and taller in height. Therefore, even with its narrower width, it can hold the same amount of medicine as the previous medicine container. The medicine feeder in this embodiment is narrower in width, allowing for the arrangement of more medicine feeders in a smaller space.

[0023] Of the above forms, the most ideal is that the powder discharge part is a slit extending obliquely.

[0024] According to this form, the area where the powdered medicine is discharged can be increased.

[0025] Among the above-mentioned forms, it is more ideal that the medicine container has a large-area side surface and a small-area side surface, and the height is relatively large compared with the width, so that the large-area side surface can be opened, and the medicine container can be attached and detached relative to the container holding part. When the medicine container is detached from the container holding part, the large-area side surface is opened to fill the powder medicine.

[0026] According to this form, it is easy to pack the powder into a medicine container.

[0027] Among the above-mentioned forms, it is more ideal to provide an eave-shaped temporary support plate at the middle part of the height direction of the above-mentioned pharmaceutical container.

[0028] According to this configuration, the weight of the upper powder can be supported by a temporary support plate without compressing the lower powder. Therefore, it will not hinder the movement of the powder when the medicine container is vibrated.

[0029] Of the above embodiments, it is more ideal to have a locking mechanism that locks the opening and closing member when the dispensing part is closed, and releases the locking mechanism by holding the medicine container in the container holding part.

[0030] According to this embodiment, the medicine is less likely to spill when the medicine container is removed from the container holding part.

[0031] In each of the above embodiments, it is more ideal that the container holding part has a longitudinal wall and a holding part side engaging part on the longitudinal wall, the medicine container engaging with the holding part side engaging part so that the medicine container is held in the container holding part, the medicine container has an engaging part, the container holding part has a disengagement auxiliary member, the disengagement auxiliary member engaging with the engaging part and pushing the medicine container in the direction of disengagement from the container holding part.

[0032] According to this embodiment, the medicine container can be easily disassembled from the container holding part.

[0033] In the above-described forms, it is more ideal that the above-described medicine container has a dispensing passage connected to the above-described dispensing part, the dispensing part moves in the above-described dispensing passage and is discharged from the above-described dispensing part, the above-described dispensing passage has a top wall, the above-described opening and closing member has a protrusion that protrudes toward the dispensing passage side when the above-described dispensing part is closed, the above-described top wall has a partition that protrudes downward into the dispensing passage, and when the above-described opening and closing member closes the above-described dispensing part, the protrusion reaches the vicinity of the partition.

[0034] According to this embodiment, when the opening and closing member is in the open state, the medicine is less likely to spill from the medicine dispensing section. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the medicine from splashing out of the medicine dispensing path during the dispensing process.

[0035] In the above embodiments, it is more ideal to have a weight component and a lifting device that raises and lowers at least one of the weight component, the weight measuring device, or the pharmaceutical container. By comparing the state in which the load of the weight component is applied to the weight measuring device with the state in which the load of the weight component is not applied to the weight measuring device, the weight measuring device is calibrated and / or fault detected.

[0036] Among the above-described forms, it is more ideal for the pharmaceutical container to have a vibration detection sensor that detects its own vibration.

[0037] The invention concerning the dispensing device is a dispensing device that takes out a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a medicine container, divides the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of portions, and then individually packages and discharges it. It has a dispensing dish, which is provided with a medicine input trough and is rotated by power. A plurality of medicine feeders as described in any of the above items are provided near the dispensing dish to discharge the powdered medicine from the medicine container and input it into the medicine input trough of the dispensing dish.

[0038] However, the aforementioned dispensing device not only struggles to achieve overall miniaturization, but also has room for improvement in terms of accelerating the dispensing of the powdered medicine. Specifically, in the aforementioned dispensing device, when the decision is made to dispense the powdered medicine, the medicine container is moved from the storage position to the supply position before the powdered medicine is dispensed. In other words, transporting the medicine container takes time, and there is room for improvement in terms of speeding up the dispensing process.

[0039] Thus, one aspect of the present invention related to solving this problem is a dispensing device, characterized by having: a plurality of drug feeders; and a dispensing dish having an inlet for holding powdered medicine, which is rotated by a power source; the plurality of drug feeders having: a drug container that is dispensed one-to-one with a larger amount of powdered medicine than the amount to be dispensed for a single dose, and containing the powdered medicine; a platform that holds the drug container; and a vibration device that causes the drug container to vibrate; the plurality of drug feeders are fixed around the dispensing dish, and a drug feeder is selected from the plurality of drug feeders to dispense a single dose of powdered medicine into the dispensing dish from the selected drug feeder.

[0040] Furthermore, one aspect of the above-mentioned related invention is a dispensing device, characterized by having: a dispensing dish disposed in an annular drug inlet tank and rotated by a power source; and a plurality of drug feeders; the drug feeders having a drug container containing a powder, a holding member for holding the drug container, and a powder discharge device for discharging the powder from the drug container, wherein the holding member holds a drug container containing a predetermined amount of powder, and one or more drug feeders are selected from the plurality of drug feeders to dispense a predetermined amount of powder into the dispensing dish from the selected drug feeder.

[0041] Based on these features, the overall device can be miniaturized, and the dispensing of the medicine can be accelerated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0042] According to the present invention, a drug feeder applicable to a drug dispensing device without a robotic arm mechanism and a drug dispensing device having such a drug feeder can be provided.

Implementation Method

[0044] Hereinafter, the dispensing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be further described. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the vertical positional relationship will be described based on the normal setting state (the state in FIG. 1). For ease of understanding, the general outline and general operation of the dispensing device 1 will be described first, followed by a detailed description of each component and device. As shown in FIG. 1, the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment is surrounded by a basket 2, the interior of which is divided into a hand-dispensing tablet area 300, a powder dispensing area 301, and a medicine packaging area 302. As shown in FIG. 1, a top cover 3 is present in the basket 2. The top cover 3 is mounted to the main body of the housing 2 by a hinge (not shown). By closing the top cover 3, it covers the components belonging to the powder dispensing area 301. A hand-dispensing tablet device 303 is provided in the hand-dispensing tablet area 300. This hand-dispensing tablet device 303 is located above the dispensing dish 6, medicine feeder 5, etc., which will be described later. The hand-operated tablet dispensing device 303 is well-known, so detailed description is omitted. As shown conceptually in Figure 2, a pharmaceutical packaging device 305 is built into the pharmaceutical packaging area 302. The pharmaceutical packaging device 305 is a machine for packaging pharmaceuticals in single-dose units, and includes a packaging paper supply device 306 (packaging paper supply section) and a packaging device 308 (sealing section). Furthermore, in the pharmaceutical packaging device 305, a dispensing funnel 310 for dispensing pharmaceuticals is provided above the packaging device 308. For illustrative purposes, the dispensing funnel 310 is shown separately from the dispensing dish 6; in reality, the upper end of the dispensing funnel 310 is located within the material receiving opening 15 of the dispensing dish 6.

[0045] The pharmaceutical packaging device 305 uses a paper roll mounted on the mounting part of the main body (not shown) of the paper supply device 306. The paper roll is formed by winding a strip of paper (packaging paper) around a tubular core member. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the paper roll is formed by forming a folded strip of paper into a roll, but there is no particular limitation. Also, the pharmaceutical packaging device 305 has a printing mechanism (printing section) not shown. In the pharmaceutical packaging device 305, the paper fed from the paper roll is introduced into the printing mechanism, and information such as the patient's name, drug name, and date and time of administration (information related to the prescription and the drug provided) is printed. Then, the paper with the prescribed information printed on it is made to be in an upward-opening state. Then, in this state, the drug (powder) falling (supplying) from the powder drug feeding funnel 310 is received. Next, the received medication packaging paper is guided into the sealing section (packaging device 308), where it is sealed both longitudinally and laterally, sequentially packaging the received medication. This forms a medication package containing a single dose, which is then transported outside the device. At this point, a continuous medication packaging strip consisting of multiple packages is formed and transported outside the device. However, it is also possible to form one or more individual medication packages instead of a packaging strip and transport them outside the device. Furthermore, the aforementioned transverse direction refers to the direction in which the packaging paper is rolled out (feeding direction), and the longitudinal direction is the direction that intersects (or is perpendicular to) the direction in which the packaging paper is rolled out.

[0046] Furthermore, the core component of the aforementioned paper roll may also be equipped with an identifier. The identifier is a memory device that stores information capable of individually identifying the paper roll (information related to the manufacturer, such as manufacturer name, information related to the manufacturing date, the type of paper roll wound around the core, order number, shipping date, customer delivery information, the model name and model code of the packaging machine that installs the paper roll, and other IDs). For example, it may be a memory such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) tag. Alternatively, it may be a barcode, QR code, or other encoding, and when encoding is used, it may be attached to a label. Furthermore, when the paper roll is installed on the packaging paper supply device 306, it can also perform a comparison with the device to be installed, that is, perform an action to determine whether the specified paper roll is correctly installed on the device. Additionally, the identifier may also store information used to identify unused paper rolls, and during installation, perform an action to determine whether the paper roll is unused. Furthermore, it can also remember information about the remaining amount of the packaging paper when the paper roll (sub-packaged paper roll) is installed on the main body of the packaging paper supply device 306. Also, when performing the packaging action of the medicine, it can remember the remaining amount at an appropriate point in the packaging action. For example, it can remember information related to the remaining amount during the packaging action. In addition, it can also remember the remaining amount at the end of the packaging action. That is, when using the dispensing device 1, it can also remember information related to the remaining amount at an appropriate time.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, the powder dispensing area 301 is an area where a dispensing dish 6 is provided, and a medicine feeder 5 and a cleaning device 7 are arranged around it. Furthermore, a scraping device 8 is provided in the powder dispensing area 301. The dispensing dish 6 and the scraping device 8 are well known and will be briefly described. The dispensing dish 6, also called a "groove," is a circular plate-shaped component with a medicine inlet 13 (inlet trough). The medicine inlet 13 surrounds the outer edge of the dispensing dish 6 in a ring. An organic material storage opening 15 is provided in the center of the dispensing dish 6. Furthermore, in Figure 2, most of it is covered by a lid. The aforementioned powder inlet funnel 310 is provided in the organic material storage opening 15. The dispensing dish 6 can rotate at a fixed speed. It can also rotate by a predetermined angle.

[0048] The scraping device 8 has a rotating plate 12 (see Figure 2) at the front end of the scraping arm 17 (see Figure 57(b) etc.). Specifically, a mounting base 255 (see Figure 57(b) etc.) that can be rotated by a motor is provided at the front end of the scraping arm 17, and a rotating plate 12 with a scraper or the like (not shown) is mounted on the mounting base 255. That is, the rotating plate 12 rotates by the power of the motor. The root part of the scraping device 8 is provided on a turntable (not shown) inside the material storage opening 15 of the dispensing dish 6. Moreover, the scraping arm 17 of the scraping device 8 protrudes from the center of the dispensing dish 6. The entire scraping device 8 can rotate by the rotation of the turntable. In addition, the scraping arm 17 can swing in the up and down direction. Furthermore, the scraping device 8 may also be provided without a turntable, so that the entire device does not rotate, but the scraping arm 17 can swing.

[0049] Here, as shown in FIG2, in the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, the upper opening of the medicine inlet of the powder medicine inlet 310 is located inside the dispensing dish 6. That is, outside the powder medicine inlet 310, the dispensing dish 6 is in a continuous ring shape, and when viewed from above, the powder medicine inlet 310 is located in the area surrounded by the dispensing dish 6. Furthermore, the scraping device 8 is also located inside the dispensing dish 6. When the powder medicine on the dispensing dish 6 is scraped off by the scraping device 8 and put into the powder medicine inlet 310, the powder medicine is scraped out towards the inside of the dispensing dish 6. That is, the rotating plate 12 is rotated and the scraper is moved in such a way that the powder medicine on the dispensing dish 6 moves towards the inside of the dispensing dish 6 (the rotating plate 12 is rotated so that the scraper moves in a direction that crosses from the outer edge of the dispensing dish 6 towards the inner edge). In this embodiment, by providing a scraping device 8 inside the dispensing dish 6 to scrape the medicine towards the inside of the dispensing dish 6, the number of components outside the dispensing dish 6 is reduced. That is, a larger space is ensured around the outside of the dispensing dish 6 and the periphery of the medicine feeder 5, making it easier to load and unload the medicine container 20 by manually operating the feeder body 10, and also contributing to the miniaturization of the overall dispensing device 1.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the medicine feeder 5 has a weight correction unit 21 provided in the feeder section 22. Furthermore, the medicine feeder 5 has an information read / write device 66 (see Figure 3) capable of reading and writing information to the information memory device 65 (see Figure 4). As shown in Figures 4 to 10, the feeder section 22 has a medicine container 20 for holding powdered medicine and a feeder body 10 for holding the medicine container 20. As shown in Figure 8, the feeder body 10 is structurally divided into a container support section 23, a weight measuring section 24, and a base section 26. As shown in Figure 8, the container support section 23 has a support platform 27, a vibration member 16 (container holding section), and excitation devices 30a and 30b. The excitation devices 30a and 30b are piezoelectric elements and are plate-shaped. The vibration member 16 and the excitation devices 30a and 30b are also vibration devices that cause the medicine container 20 to vibrate.

[0051] Both the support platform 27 and the vibration member 16 are L-shaped components with horizontal and vertical wall portions. That is, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 11, the support platform 27 has a horizontal support portion 30 and a vertical support wall portion 31. The vibration member 16 also functions as a container holding portion, having a horizontal vibration portion 32 and a vertical vibration wall portion 33 (longitudinal wall). On the vertical vibration wall portion 33, there are two types of engaging portions (holding portion side engaging portion, the groove-shaped engaging portion 48 (trapezoidal engaging portion 47) described later) and engaging pieces (holding portion side engaging portion) 50 that engage with the drug container 20, see Figure 10).

[0052] The support platform 27 and the vibrating member 16 are connected by two excitation devices 30a and 30b. The horizontal part 32 on the vibrating side and the horizontal part 30 on the support side are not in contact. Therefore, when the excitation devices 30a and 30b are energized, the vibrating member 16 vibrates.

[0053] As shown in FIG8, a weight measuring unit 24 is disposed below the container support 23. The weight measuring unit 24 includes a weight measuring device 25 and a vibration damping device 18. The weight measuring device 25 is a known load cell. The vibration damping device 18 has a vibration damping member 28. The container support 23 (support platform 27, vibration member 16, and excitation devices 30a and 30b) is connected to the detection part of the weight measuring device 25. Furthermore, the base 26 supports the upper member (support platform 27, vibration member 16, and excitation devices 30a and 30b) via the vibration damping member 28 of the weight measuring unit 24. The weight of the container support 23 is detected by the weight measuring device 25. The weight of the vibration damping device 18 is applied to the base 26 but not to the weight measuring device 25. Therefore, the weight of the container support 23 (support platform 27, vibration member 16, and excitation devices 30a and 30b) can be measured by the weight measuring device 25.

[0054] The medicine container 20 is a container for filling powdered medicine, and its shape is a cuboid with a roughly square side profile. As shown in Figures 6, 8, and 9, the medicine container 20 is surrounded by a front wall 35, a back wall 36, left and right side walls 37, a top wall 38, and a bottom wall 40. A closable powder discharge section 11 is located near the bottom wall 40 and the front wall 35 of the medicine container 20. Furthermore, engaging portions (engaging groove 130 and engaging recess 131, see Figure 6) are located on the longitudinal edge and lower part of the back wall 36.

[0055] The medicine container 20 is filled with powdered medicine, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and is fixed to the feeder body 10. That is, the back wall 36 of the medicine container 20 is connected to the vertical wall 33 (vertical wall) of the vibrating member 16, which serves as the container holding part, and the back wall 36 of the bottom wall 40 of the medicine container 20 is connected to the horizontal part 32 of the vibrating side. Most of the medicine container 20 is fixed to the feeder body 10 in a cantilevered state. That is, the horizontal part 32 of the vibrating side is also a holding member (holding platform) for holding at least a part of the medicine container 20. Furthermore, the engaging part of the medicine container 20 engages with the engaging parts of two parts of the vibrating member 16 (the groove-shaped engaging part 48 (trapezoidal engaging part 47, holding part side engaging part) and the engaging piece (holding part side engaging part) 50 described later, see Figure 10). Therefore, the medicine container 20 is integrated with the vibrating component 16 and vibrates together with the vibrating component 16.

[0056] Here, an information memory device 65 (see Figure 4) is installed on one of the two left and right side walls 37. The information memory device 65 stores information related to the medicine container 20 (information related to the powdered medicine contained in the medicine container 20). For example, it stores identification information of a specific medicine (medicine name, various codes, etc.) and remaining quantity information related to the current remaining quantity of the medicine. The information stored in the information memory device 65 is information that can be linked to prescription data, etc. By accessing the information stored in the information memory device 65, actions such as identifying the type of powdered medicine contained in a specific medicine container 20 can be performed. The information memory device 65 can also be a memory such as an IC tag. Alternatively, it can be an encoding such as a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode; when encoding is used, it can also be attached to a label.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above, the medicine feeder 5 has an information read / write device 66 for reading and writing information to the information memory device 65 (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader / writer is used as the information read / write device 66, which can read and write information to the information memory device 65 via wireless communication. It can also read information from the information memory device 65 and write (rewrite) the remaining amount after dispensing the medicine from the medicine container 20. Furthermore, the box information is information related to the medicine container 20, such as the medicine name and remaining amount. The information read / write device 66 is positioned slightly away from the information memory device 65 on the outside of the feeder body 10 when the medicine container 20 is installed (see Figures 3 and 4). Alternatively, information reading devices and information writing devices capable of reading and writing information can be provided instead of the information read / write device 66.

[0058] The weight calibration unit 21 detects whether the weight measuring device 25 is functioning properly. As shown in FIG4, the weight calibration unit 21 includes a weight 42 (a weight component, a calibration weight), a weight mounting component 43 (a load-bearing part) for mounting the weight 42, and a weight support component 45 that hollowly lifts the weight 42 (see FIG51). The weight mounting component 43 is fixed to the container support part 23 of the feeder body 10 via a mounting component. Therefore, the weight of the weight mounting component 43 is added to the weight measuring device 25. On the other hand, the weight support component 45 is configured such that the load is added to the base part 26 of the feeder body 10 (see FIGS51 and 52). Therefore, the weight of the weight support component 45 is not added to the weight measuring device 25.

[0059] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, six medicine feeders 5 are fixed around the dispensing dish 6. In the medicine container 20, the front wall 35 side (see Figure 6, etc.) protrudes towards the dispensing dish 6, and the medicine discharge part 11 is located directly above the medicine input tank 13.

[0060] In the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, each medicine container 20 of the medicine feeder 5 is pre-filled with a different medicine. Then, based on the prescription (prescription data as information related to the prescription), a specific medicine feeder 5 is driven to put the powdered medicine into the dispensing dish 6. Specifically, by means of a signal from a control device (not shown), a current of a fixed frequency is passed through the excitation devices 30a and 30b of the specific medicine feeder 5 to make them vibrate, and the vibration member 16 (container holding part) vibrates by means of this vibration. Furthermore, the dispensing dish 6 is rotated before and after the vibration begins.

[0061] Furthermore, the weight of the medicine container 20 is measured before and after the vibration begins. The weight of the medicine container 20 is obtained by subtracting a fixed value from the weight detected by the weight measuring device 25. More specifically, the weight of the medicine container 20 is obtained by subtracting the weight of the container support 23 and the component (the component whose load is added to the weight measuring device 25) from the weight detected by the weight measuring device 25. The weight of the medicine container 20 before dispensing the medicine is stored as the original weight G. Furthermore, the weight of the medicine container 20 is constantly monitored. That is, the current weight of the medicine container 20 is monitored as the current weight g.

[0062] When the vibrating member 16 begins to vibrate, the medicine container 20 vibrates together with it. Here, in this embodiment, the medicine container 20 is firmly engaged with the vertical wall 33 (longitudinal wall) on the vibrating side of the vibrating member 16 by means of two engaging portions (the groove-shaped engaging portion 48 (trapezoidal engaging portion 47, retaining portion side engaging portion) and the engaging piece 50 described later, see Figure 10), and the degree of contact with the vibrating member 16 is also relatively high. Therefore, the medicine container 20 and the vibrating member 16 vibrate at the same frequency. As a result, the powder stored in the medicine container 20 moves slowly toward the powder discharge portion 11.

[0063] Then, the powdered medicine falls from the powder discharge section 11 and enters the medicine input tank 13 of the distribution dish 6 below.

[0064] The decrease in the weight of the medicine container 20 confirms that the powder is falling. That is, in this embodiment, the current weight of the medicine container 20 is continuously monitored as the current weight g during the process of the powder falling from the medicine container 20. Furthermore, the original weight G of the medicine container 20 immediately after being placed behind the vibrating member 16 is compared with the current weight g, and the amount of powder falling H (the amount of powder discharged, G minus g) is continuously calculated. Furthermore, when the total amount of powder falling H becomes the desired weight, the vibration of the vibrating member 16 is stopped.

[0065] The subsequent action involves causing the rotating plate 12 of the scraping device 8 to fall into the medicine inlet 13 of the dispensing dish 6. Then, the dispensing dish 6 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of dispensing doses, concentrating a single dose of powdered medicine on the front surface of the rotating plate 12. Next, the rotating plate 12 is rotated, and a scraper (not shown) scrapes the powdered medicine out of the dispensing dish 6 and into the powdered medicine inlet funnel 310. The medicine packaging device 305 packages the powdered medicine falling from the powdered medicine inlet funnel 310 in single dose units. Thus, the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, like known dispensing devices, can perform the dispensing operation of packaging medicine in single dose units. Furthermore, the container support 23 functions as a powdered medicine dispensing device for discharging powdered medicine from the medicine container 20.

[0066] The aforementioned series of drug dispensing actions are performed while the weight 42 is lifted by the weight support member 45 of the weight correction unit 21. Therefore, the weight of the weight 42 will not be detected by the weight measuring device 25. When determining whether the weight measuring device 25 is normal, the weight support member 45 is activated to place the weight 42 on the weight placing member 43 (described in detail below). As a result, the weight of the weight 42 is applied to the weight measuring device 25, and the weight of the weight 42 is detected. Here, since the weight of the weight 42 is known, if the increase in detected weight caused by placing the weight 42 is equal to the pre-memorized weight value of the weight 42, then the weight measuring device 25 can be considered normal. Conversely, if the increase in detected weight caused by placing the weight 42 is different from the weight of the weight 42, then the weight measuring device 25 can be considered faulty. That is, during the calibration of the weight measuring device 25, a weight acquisition step is performed to obtain the increase in the detected weight (weight of the weight 42) caused by the placed weight 42.

[0067] Next, the components and devices of the dispensing device 1 will be described. (1) Feeder body 10 As described above, the feeder body 10 is divided into a container support 23, a weight measuring device 25, and a base 26. Furthermore, the container support 23 has a support platform 27, a vibration member 16 (container holding part), and vibration devices 30a and 30b. As shown in Figures 4 to 12, the vibration member 16 has an approximately "L" shape. That is, the vibration member 16 has a horizontal vibration side 32 and a vertical vibration side wall 33 that serves as a longitudinal wall.

[0068] As shown in Figures 9 to 12, the vibrating side vertical wall portion 33 is formed by providing a resin-formed inner lining member 46 to the metal body portion 63. As shown in Figure 10, the inner lining member 46 has an overall shape of a roughly rectangular plate, and a locking portion 47 is provided on the surface side. The locking portion 47 is a trapezoidal shape that is close to a rectangle when viewed from the front. However, it has a bulge 58 at the lower part of one of the inclined sides. Furthermore, a groove-shaped locking portion (holding portion side locking portion) 48 is provided on the side corresponding to the inclined side of the trapezoidal shape.

[0069] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, quadrilateral recesses 132 are provided at the top and bottom of the back side of the vertical wall 33 on the vibrating side. Furthermore, the lower edge of each recess 132 forms an inclined surface 133. The inclined surface 133 is inclined inwards from the lower edge compared to the upper edge. This inclined surface 133 functions as a mounting surface for the vibration excitation devices 30a and 30b.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10 and 13, a roughly quadrilateral opening 51 is provided on the front and lower part of the engaging portion 47. An engaging tab 50 is housed within this opening 51. The engaging tab 50 is connected to the take-up and take-down mechanism and extends out of the opening 51.

[0071] The vibrating side horizontal portion 32 is a plate-shaped component made of metal. As shown in Figures 9, 10, and 13, a baffle opening and closing mechanism 55 (opening and closing mechanism part) is provided on one side of the vibrating side horizontal portion 32. The baffle opening and closing mechanism 55 is an opening and closing mechanism for discharging powdered medicine quantitatively from the medicine container 20. As shown in Figures 10 and 13, the baffle opening and closing mechanism 55 includes a locking tab holding portion 56 and an arm 57. It also has a power unit for moving (linear movement) the arm 57. This power unit includes a motor, etc. The locking tab holding portion 56 is generally rectangular in shape, and a recess serving as a locking portion 60 is provided on its upper surface. One end of the arm 57 is connected to the locking tab holding portion 56, and the other end is housed in the vibrating side vertical wall portion 33. It is also connected to the aforementioned pick-and-place mechanism.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the feeder body 10 of this embodiment has a locking member 210 (see left figure of FIG14(a)), the upper part of which constitutes a locking piece 50. That is, the locking member 210 has a locking piece forming portion 210a forming the upper side of the locking piece 50, an abutting portion 210b forming the lower side, and an intermediate portion 210c connecting the two. By means of a spring-like or other spring-pushing member, the locking member 210 is constantly pushed in the direction from the support-side vertical wall portion 31 toward the vibration-side vertical wall portion 33. Also, the locking piece holding portion 56 has a pushing protrusion 56a on the side (see right figure of FIG14(a)). And, when the locking piece holding portion 56 is located near the vibration-side vertical wall portion 33, as shown in the left figure of FIG14(b), the pushing protrusion 56a pushes the abutting portion 210b in the direction toward the vibration-side vertical wall portion 33. In this way, the engaging member 210 is pushed against the spring force, and the engaging piece 50 is inserted into the opening 51. Conversely, when the engaging piece holding part 56 has moved to a position away from the vertical wall part 33 on the vibrating side, as shown in the right figure of FIG14(b), the engaging member 210 is pushed and moved by the spring-pushing member, and the engaging piece 50 protrudes from the opening 51. In this way, the engaging member 210 moves within the groove (recess) formed in the horizontal part 32 on the vibrating side.

[0073] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the support platform 27 has an approximate "L" shape. That is, the support platform 27 has a horizontal support portion 30 and a vertical support portion 31. There is also an inclined surface (not shown) on the front surface of the vertical support portion 31, which functions as a seat for mounting the vibration excitation devices 30a and 30b.

[0074] The vibration member 16 is disposed on the support platform 27, and a vibration side horizontal portion 32 is provided above the support side horizontal portion 30. Furthermore, the convex side of the vibration side vertical wall portion 33 faces the concave side of the support side vertical wall portion 31. The concave side of the support side vertical wall portion 31 and the convex side of the vibration side vertical wall portion 33 are connected by two excitation devices 30a and 30b. Both excitation devices 30a and 30b are installed at an angle with the support side vertical wall portion 31 side above and the vibration side vertical wall portion 33 side below. The vibration side horizontal portion 32 and the support side horizontal portion 30 are not in substantial contact.

[0075] The weight measuring unit 24 includes a weight measuring device 25 and a vibration damping device 18. The vibration damping device 18 includes a vibration damping frame 135 and vibration damping members 28. As shown in FIG12, the vibration damping frame 135 has a high frame 136 and a support platform 137. The high frame 136 has parallelly arranged vibration damping member mounting plates 140. The support platform 137 is located below the high frame 136 between the vibration damping member mounting plates 140. Vibration damping members 28 are mounted on the lower sides of the four corners of the vibration damping member mounting plates 140. Furthermore, the weight measuring device 25 is fixed on the support platform 137. Since the support platform 137 is located below the high frame 136, most of the weight measuring device 25 is located below the high frame 136, but the upper surface of the weight measuring device 25 is located above the high frame 136.

[0076] The base portion 26 is a plate-shaped component made of metal, with a recess in the center. A container support portion 23 is fixed to the upper surface of the weight measuring device 25 of the weight measuring portion 24. Specifically, the horizontal support portion 30 of the container support portion 23 is fixed to the upper surface of the weight measuring device 25, which protrudes from the high frame 136. Furthermore, the vibration damping member 28 of the weight measuring portion 24 is provided on the base portion 26. In this embodiment, the container support portion 23 (support platform 27, vibration member 16, and excitation devices 30a and 30b) is placed on the upper surface of the weight measuring device 25, and the weight measuring device 25 can accurately measure the weight of these components.

[0077] The feeder body 10 of this embodiment has a container holding part for holding the medicine container 20 and an upright support part (support side vertical wall part 31). The container holding part has a longitudinal member (vibration side vertical wall part 33), and vibration devices 30a and 30b are provided between the support part and the longitudinal member.

[0078] In the feeder body 10 of this embodiment, vibration devices 30a and 30b are provided on one side of the medicine container 20. That is, the medicine container 20 and the vibration devices 30a and 30b are placed side by side. Therefore, compared with the arrangement where the vibration devices 30a and 30b are below the medicine container 20, the medicine container 20 can be placed at a lower position, and the dispensing part 11 of the medicine container 20 can be closer to the dispensing dish 6, thereby reducing the splashing of the dispensing medicine.

[0079] (2) Pharmaceutical Container 20 Next, the pharmaceutical container 20 will be described. In the following description, the longitudinal and transverse directions are based on the posture in which the pharmaceutical container 20 is set on the feeder body 10. The pharmaceutical container 20 has a sealable container body 70. Also, as shown in Figures 6 and 15, the pharmaceutical container 20 has a partition plate 68 (partition member), a flow straightening member 72 and a baffle structure 73 inside.

[0080] Based on the orientation of the container support 23 installed on the feeder body 10, when viewed from the front side (the side of the dispensing part 11), the container body 70 has an elongated box-shaped appearance. The container body 70 is a cuboid with a roughly square side shape. That is, the medicine container 20 has a large-area side surface 61 and a small-area side surface 62, and the height H is relatively large compared to the width W. The container body 70 is surrounded by a front wall 35, a back wall 36, left and right side walls 37, a top wall 38, and a bottom wall 40. The front wall 35 and the back wall 36 are small-area side surfaces 62, which are longitudinally elongated rectangles. The left and right side walls 37 are nearly square rectangles, which are large-area side surfaces 61. The top wall 38 and the bottom wall 40 are rectangles.

[0081] As shown in Figures 6 and 9, a pair of engaging grooves 130 and an engaging recess 131 are provided on the back wall 36. The engaging grooves 130 are longitudinal grooves that open inward along the left and right longitudinal edges of the back wall 36. The engaging recess 131 is a recess located in the lower part of the back wall 36.

[0082] As shown in FIG19, a notch 77 is present in the area from the lower part of the front wall 35 to the side of the front wall 35 of the bottom wall 40. The portion of the bottom wall 40 on the side of the front wall 35 is angled towards the notch. Therefore, as shown in FIG24, the end of the bottom wall 40 on the side of the front wall 35 becomes a bevel. In this embodiment, the inclination of the end of the notch 77 is a combination of a steeply inclined portion 150 and a gently inclined portion 151.

[0083] The container body 70 includes a box portion 71 with one opening and a lid member 75. The box portion 71 constitutes five of the walls of the container body 70, excluding one side wall. A gasket (not shown) is installed at the opening of the box portion 71. As shown in FIG17, a locking portion 81 is provided on the opening side of the front wall 35 of the box portion 71. The lid member 75 constitutes one of the side walls (large area side wall 61) of the container body 70. The lid member 75 is swayably mounted to the back wall 36 of the box portion 71 via a hinge 120 (see FIG15(a)). A fastening member 76 is provided on the free end side of the lid member 75. The fastening member 76 is an elbow-type fastening device and has a fastening piece 78 that can be swayed via the hinge 121 (see FIG15(a)). A locking recess 80 is provided on the inner side of the fastening piece 78.

[0084] When the opening of the box section 71 is closed by the cover member 75, as shown in FIG17(a), the free end of the cover member 75 is brought close to the box section 71, as shown in FIG17(b), the engaging recess 80 of the fastening piece 78 abuts against the engaging portion 81 of the box section 71, as shown in FIG17(c), and the fastening piece 78 is laid down to contact the front wall 35. As a result, the free end side of the cover member 75 is pulled towards the opening of the box section 71, and the inner surface side of the cover member 75 contacts the gasket of the box section 71, thereby sealing the interior of the container body 70. Furthermore, the fastening piece 78 is positioned approximately parallel to the front wall 35 of the box section 71.

[0085] Here, it is envisioned that when the pharmaceutical container 20 of this embodiment changes from the closed state of the opening of the box 71 to the open state, an external device or jig (not shown) is used. That is, it is envisioned that when the cover member 75 is released from its fastened state (locked state), the fastening plate 78 is not operated directly by hand, but its posture is changed by an external device or the like. Therefore, as shown in FIG18(a), the fastening plate 78 is generally triangular prism in shape, and its thickness decreases with the free end side. Furthermore, in the closed state, the fastening plate 78 has an inclined surface on the side opposite to the front wall 35 side, while the fastening plate 78 is in close contact with the front wall 35 almost entirely, except for a portion on the front wall 35 side. In detail, a cutout 78a is formed on the free end side of the fastening plate 78, and a fine gap (not shown) is formed between the portion adjacent to the cutout 78a (the portion located on the base end side of the fastening plate 78) and the front wall 35. Therefore, by inserting a portion of an external device or fixture into the gap through the incision 78a, the fastening plate 78 is repositioned, thereby releasing the fastening. The incision 78a and the gap adjacent to it are small enough that an adult's finger cannot fit through it.

[0086] However, instead of the aforementioned medicine container 20, a medicine container in a manually unlocked (locked) state may be used, as shown in FIG18(b). The difference between this medicine container and the aforementioned medicine container 20 lies in the fastening plate 278. Therefore, when in the locked state, as shown in FIG18(b), a gap 279 is formed between the fastening plate 278 and the front wall 35. This gap 279 is a relatively large gap, about the size that an average adult's finger can easily enter. In detail, when viewed from above in the locked state, more than half of the edge portion of the fastening plate 278 on the front wall 35 side is positioned away from the front wall 35. Furthermore, as shown in the right image of FIG18(b), the gap 279 is largest on the free end side of the fastening plate 278 (see the upper side of FIG18) and narrows towards the base end side of the fastening plate 278 (see the lower side of FIG18). Based on the above, the user inserts his finger into the gap 279 to change the position of the fastener 278, thereby releasing the fastening state (locked state).

[0087] The partition plate 68 (partition member) is formed by bending a strip-shaped plate, as shown in FIG15, and has wall-jointing portions 141 and 142, a large inclined portion 143, a small inclined portion 145, and a horizontal portion 146. The partition plate 68 (partition member) has a horizontal portion 146 in the center, and a large inclined portion 143 and a small inclined portion 145 are formed on both sides thereon, and further, wall-jointing portions 141 and 142 are formed on both sides thereon.

[0088] The horizontal portion 146 is in a horizontal position when it is provided on the container body 70, and is provided with a plurality of small holes (openings) 146. The small holes (openings) 146 used in this embodiment are slits extending along the width W direction of the container body 70. The large inclined portion 143 and the small inclined portion 145 are parts that are inclined toward the horizontal portion 146 when they are provided on the container body 70, and the large inclined portion 143 is longer than the small inclined portion 145. The inclination angles of the inclined portions 143 and 145 are the same. The wall-jointing portions 141 and 142 are parts that are in a vertical position when they are provided on the container body 70.

[0089] The rectifier component 72 is a coil-shaped component.

[0090] As shown in FIG19, the baffle structure 73 includes a guide member 90, a baffle member 91 (opening and closing member), a transmission member 92, and a spring-pushing member 93. The guide member 90 is a member with a concave side shape, having an upper side horizontal wall 95, a lower side horizontal wall 96, and an inner wall 97 connecting the two.

[0091] As shown in Figures 19, 20, and 21, the baffle member 91 has a locking wall 110, a guide wall portion 111, a connecting wall 112, and a stop wall 113. A sealing member (gasket) is installed on the upper side of the locking wall 110. The locking wall 110 is in a horizontal position when installed. The locking wall 110 has an inclined edge 138. The guide wall portion 111 is a wall surface parallel to the locking wall 110. The connecting wall 112 is a vertical wall connecting the guide wall portion 111 and the locking wall 110. A concave shape is formed by the locking wall 110, the connecting wall 112, and the guide wall portion 111. The stop wall 113 is a small wall that stands vertically from the free end side of the guide wall portion 111.

[0092] The transmission member 92 is a rod-shaped component. In this embodiment, it is manufactured by a long, thin metal plate. A baffle-side mounting portion 118 is provided at one end of the transmission member 92. A cutout portion 115 is provided at the other end of the transmission member 92, and a locking portion 116 is located further forward of the cutout portion 115. In the transmission member 92, the baffle-side mounting portion 118 is mounted on the baffle member 91 and becomes integral with the baffle member 91.

[0093] The spring-push component 93 is a spring.

[0094] The partition plate 68 (partition member) and the flow straightening member 72 are housed within the container body 70. Most of the baffle structure 73 is located within the container body 70, with only the transmission member 92 extending along the outer surface of the container body 70.

[0095] The partition plate 68 (partition member) is fixed to the container body 70 with the connecting wall portion 142 fixed to the inside of the front wall 35 of the container body 70 and the connecting wall portion 141 fixed to the inside of the back wall 36 of the container body 70. The inclined portions 143 and 145 and the horizontal portion 146 of the partition plate 68 (partition member) are positioned as if hanging down from the front wall 35 and the back wall 36 of the container body 70. The large inclined portion 143 of the partition plate 68 (partition member) is located at the center of the front wall 35 to the container body 70. The horizontal portion 146 is located near the bottom wall 40 of the container body 70, but does not connect with the bottom wall 40, forming a dispensing passage 117 for the dispensing of medicine.

[0096] The baffle structure 73 is housed on the lower side of the large inclined portion 143. The guide member 90 of the baffle structure 73 is positioned such that the inner wall 97 faces the rear wall 36. The baffle member 91 is positioned such that the concave portion formed by the locking wall 110, the connecting wall 112, and the guide wall portion 111 engages with the concave portion of the guide member 90. That is, the lower surface of the guide wall portion 111 of the baffle member 91 is in contact with the lower horizontal wall 96 of the guide member 90. Furthermore, the locking wall 110 of the baffle member 91 is in contact with the outer side of the bottom wall 40 of the container body 70.

[0097] The push member 93 is located between the inner surface of the front wall 35 of the container body 70 and the stop wall 113 of the baffle member 91, and pushes the baffle member 91 toward the inner wall 97 of the guide member 90. As shown in FIG21, the transmission member 92 is located outside the container body 70 as described above, and extends along the side wall to the back wall 36.

[0098] The transmission member 92 and the baffle member 91 are integrated. When the transmission member 92 slides in the front-rear direction of the container body 70, the baffle member 91 also moves linearly. The recess of the baffle member 91 is in contact with the guide member 90 and the container body 70, and moves linearly under these constraints. When the transmission member 92 is located on the side closest to the back wall 36, the locking wall 110 of the baffle member 91 covers the notch 77 at the lower part of the container body 70, sealing the notch 77, which serves as the opening for discharging the powder. When the transmission member 92 is located on the side closest to the front wall 35, the locking wall 110 of the baffle member 91 moves away from the inclined edge (the inclined edge on the back wall 36 side) of the notch 77 at the lower part of the container body 70, and the lower part of the container body 70 is open. Here, the opening end of the notch 77 of the container body 70 (the portion on the side of the front wall 35 of the bottom wall 40 of the notch 77) is inclined, and the free end of the baffle member 91 is also an inclined edge 138. Therefore, the opening of the powder discharge section 11 becomes a slit 148 in an inclined posture as shown in Figures 24(a)(b). The drug feeder 5 of this embodiment can adjust the opening degree of the slit 148, and can change the opening degree based on a signal from a control device (not shown) (control of adjusting the opening degree). This control is also the control of the movement distance of the transmission member 92. Furthermore, the opening degree of the slit 148 can also be changed according to the type of drug discharged from the drug container 20 (type of powder, flowability, particle size, etc.) and the discharge amount of the drug. The baffle member 91 is pushed by the push member 93 in the direction of closing the powder discharge section 11, and the powder discharge section 11 is opened by moving the transmission member 92 toward the front wall 35 side.

[0099] Next, the positional relationship between the drug feeder 5 and the dispensing dish 6 will be explained. As shown in FIG2, a plurality of drug feeders 5 are arranged side by side around the dispensing dish 6. The drug feeders 5 are all oriented towards the normal direction relative to the dispensing dish 6. Multiple drug feeders 5 of this embodiment can be arranged in narrow areas with a narrow width. Therefore, multiple feeders can be arranged around the dispensing dish 6. In this embodiment, six drug feeders 5 are arranged radially in the near-front half of the dispensing dish 6. The drug feeders 5 of this embodiment cantilever the back wall 36 of the drug container 20 by means of the vibrating side vertical wall 33 of the feeder body 10, so most of the drug container 20 protrudes cantilever from the feeder body 10. Furthermore, as shown in FIG22 and FIG23, the position of the dispensing discharge part 11 provided on the front wall 35 side of the drug container 20 is directly above the drug input tank 13 of the dispensing dish 6.

[0100] In the drug feeder 5 of this embodiment, the shape of the drug discharge section 11 is slit-shaped and inclined relative to the drug container 20. Therefore, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, the drug discharge section 11 is enlarged in the width A direction of the drug input tank 13.

[0101] Next, the operation of the medicine feeder 5 will be explained. In the medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, as described above, each medicine feeder 5 has a different medicine pre-filled in its medicine container 20. When filling with powdered medicine, the medicine container 20 is detached from the feeder body 10, as shown in FIG16, and the medicine container 20 is laid flat. Then, the cover member 75 is opened, and powdered medicine is filled from the large-area side 61 of the medicine container 20. Afterwards, the cover member 75 is closed to make the inside of the medicine container 20 sealed.

[0102] Next, as shown in FIG13, the medicine container 20 is installed on the feeder body 10. At this time, as shown in FIG13(a), the feeder body 10 is in a standby state. Specifically, the pick-and-place mechanism of the feeder body 10 is in a retracted position, and the engaging tab 50 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33 is inserted into the opening 51. Also, in the baffle opening and closing mechanism 55, the arm 57 is pulled toward the vibrating side vertical wall 33, and the engaging tab holding part 56 is located near the vibrating side vertical wall 33. On the other hand, the medicine container 20 pulls the transmission member 92 toward the back wall 36, sealing the opening at the lower part of the container body 70.

[0103] In this state, as shown in FIG13(a), the back wall 36 of the medicine container 20 is inserted from the top along the vibrating side vertical wall 33 of the feeder body 10. Here, there is a trapezoidal engaging portion 47 in the vibrating side vertical wall 33, and on the side corresponding to the inclined side of the trapezoidal shape, there is a groove-like engaging portion (holding portion side engaging portion) 48, and there is a pair of engaging grooves 130 in the back wall 36 of the container body 70. Therefore, by inserting the medicine container 20 from the top along the vibrating side vertical wall 33 of the feeder body 10 into the back wall 36 of the medicine container 20, the engaging grooves 130 of the container body 70 can engage with the engaging portion 48 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33. Furthermore, at this time, the engaging piece 50 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33 is submerged in the opening 51, so it will not cause any obstruction when inserting the medicine container 20.

[0104] Furthermore, at this time, as shown in FIG13(b), the engaging portion 116 of the transmission member 92 engages with the engaging tab holding portion 56 of the feeder body 10. Here, in this embodiment, when installing the medicine container 20, as described above, the ant-groove-shaped engaging portion 48 functions as a guide to restrict the movement direction of the medicine container 20. Therefore, the medicine container 20 can be installed simply by moving it along the engaging portion 48, and the engaging portion 116 of the transmission member 92 can engage with the engaging tab holding portion 56. That is, there is no need for precise alignment to engage the engaging portion 116 of the transmission member 92 with the engaging tab holding portion 56 (no special attention is needed for the engagement operation), and the medicine container 20 can be engaged naturally simply by installing it. Furthermore, as described above, a specific medicine feeder 5 is selected to drive based on the prescription. In this embodiment, the pick-and-place mechanism of the selected drug feeder 5 is in a protruding position, as shown in FIG13(c), with the engaging tab 50 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33 protruding from the opening 51. As a result, the engaging tab 50 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33 engages with the engaging recess 131 of the back wall 36 of the drug container 20, firmly fixing the drug container 20 to the vibrating member 16. Furthermore, by making the pick-and-place mechanism in a protruding position, as shown in FIG13(c), the engaging tab holding portion 56 moves toward the front wall 35, the transmission member 92 slides forward, causing the baffle member 91 to move and opening the dispensing portion 11 at the lower part of the container body 70.

[0105] Next, the vibration of the vibrating member 16 begins, and as described above, the medicine container 20 vibrates along with it. Here, in this embodiment, the medicine container 20 is securely joined to the vibrating member 16 by means of engaging portions provided at two locations, and the degree of contact between the medicine container 20 and the vibrating member 16 is also relatively high. Therefore, the medicine container 20 and the vibrating member 16 vibrate at the same frequency. In the medicine container 20 of this embodiment, a partition plate 68 (partition member) is provided inside, dividing the container body 70 vertically. Furthermore, a space (dispensing passage 117) for the dispensing of medicine is ensured in the lower part of the partition plate 68. Therefore, the weight of the dispensing medicine on the upper side is not easily applied to the dispensing medicine in the dispensing passage 117, and the dispensing medicine moves easily.

[0106] The width of the medicine container 20 in this embodiment is relatively small, and therefore its height is relatively high to ensure the volume for containing the powder. The pressure applied to the powder is a function of height; the higher the height of the powder accumulation, the stronger the force pressing down on the lower side of the powder. Therefore, without the partition plate 68 (partition member), the powder near the bottom wall 40 might be pressed down by the upper powder and clump together, resulting in poor mobility. In this embodiment, the partition plate 68 supports the weight of the upper powder, so the powder near the bottom wall 40 is not pressed down and flows smoothly through vibration. Furthermore, the medicine container 20 vibrates due to the discharge action of the powder, and the powder in the medicine container 20 is stirred in the space above the partition plate 68 (horizontal part 146), i.e., the storage space. At this time, a portion of the stored powder moves in the direction of climbing up the large inclined part 143, and moves towards the horizontal part 146 at a position higher than the horizontal part 146. Therefore, the powder is not easily pressed downwards from above by the small hole (slit) in the horizontal part 146. The powder flowing by stirring will fall appropriately from the small hole (slit), thus allowing the powder to be discharged smoothly. When the powder in the powder passage 117 is insufficient, the powder falls from the small hole 147 in the horizontal part 146 into the powder passage 117, thereby replenishing the powder in the powder passage 117.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the powder is replenished to the powder distribution passage 117 only from the horizontal portion 146. The horizontal portion 146 is located in the horizontal direction closer to the back wall 36 than the front wall 35, and further away from the discharge portion. Also, there is a large inclined portion 143 between the horizontal portion 146 and the front wall 35, thus increasing the space in front of the powder's direction of travel. Specifically, the height of the space increases. Therefore, a space is formed above the powder flowing through the powder distribution passage 117. Thus, the powder flow is rectified during its travel through the powder distribution passage 117, promoting laminar flow and achieving a high degree of laminar flow.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the powder in the powdering passage 117 travels toward the powdering discharge section 11, it passes through the gap in the coil wire via the rectifier member 72. This smooths the flow of the medicine. The powder falls from the powdering discharge section 11 of the baffle member 91 and enters the medicine input tank 13 of the lower distribution dish 6.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing an inclined edge 138 on the end face of the locking wall 110, the opening degree can be effectively adjusted. That is, in the drug feeder 5 of this embodiment, the shape of the drug discharge section 11 is slit-shaped and inclined relative to the container body 70. Therefore, as described above, the drug discharge section 11 extends in the width A direction of the drug inlet 13. The drug disperses and falls in the width A direction of the drug inlet 13, thus falling evenly in the width A direction of the drug inlet 13. Therefore, when scraping the drug in subsequent steps, the collected drug is less likely to collapse.

[0110] Furthermore, the inclination of the end of the notch 77 of the container body 70 is a combination of a steeply inclined portion 150 and a gently inclined portion 151. Therefore, as shown in FIG24(a), when the amount of movement of the locking wall 110 is increased, the powder can fall from the full width of the bottom wall 40 (see FIG23(a)). In contrast, as shown in FIG24(b), when the amount of movement of the locking wall 110 is small, only the steeply inclined portion 150 of the locking wall 110 and the inclined edge of the bottom wall 40 are open, thus effectively narrowing the opening width (see FIG23(b)). When a large amount of powdered medicine needs to be discharged, as shown in Figures 23(a) and 24(a), the movement of the locking wall 110 is increased so that the powdered medicine falls from the full width of the bottom wall 40. When the amount of powdered medicine discharged is small, as shown in Figures 23(b) and 24(b), the movement of the locking wall 110 is decreased so that the powdered medicine falls from a narrower width.

[0111] When the prescribed amount of powdered medicine has been discharged, the vibration of the vibrating member 16 is stopped. Then, the feeding mechanism of the feeder body 10 is moved towards the pull-in side. As a result, the locking tab holding part 56 moves towards the back wall 36, the transmission member 92 slides rearward, and the baffle member 91 moves to close the opening at the lower part of the container body 70. Simultaneously, the feeding mechanism of the feeder body 10 is retracted, and the locking tab 50 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33 disengages from the locking recess 131 of the medicine container 20.

[0112] Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0113] The bottom portion (bottom surface) of the internal space of the medicine container 20 in the above embodiment, that is, the bottom portion (bottom surface) of the dispensing passage 117 (see Figures 15, 16, etc.) connected to the dispensing part 11, can also be inclined. For example, the bottom surface can also be an inclined surface that decreases in height as it approaches one side of the width direction of the medicine container 20. That is, it is an inclined surface that gradually decreases in height as it approaches one side of the two left and right side walls 37. For example, it can also be formed such that, when the cover member 75 is closed, it has a downward slope towards the cover member 75. With this structure, when dispensing the medicine, the medicine is easily concentrated on one side of the width direction of the medicine container 20, so that even when dispensing a small amount of medicine, it can be dispensed accurately and stably. Furthermore, it is also possible to consider forming the bottom surface with a downward slope towards the dispensing part 11. That is, it can also be considered to be formed as follows: in a direction orthogonal to the width direction when viewed from above, it has a downward slope from one end to the other end.

[0114] The baffle member 91 described above can also be fitted with a sealing member 250 as shown in FIG. 25. The sealing member 250 has a plate-shaped mounting portion 251 and a flat plate portion 280 protruding outward from one of the main surfaces of the mounting portion 251, which are integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 25(c), the mounting portion 251 extends obliquely. Furthermore, obliquely means that it is inclined in both the width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 25(c)) and the flow direction of the powdered medicine during discharge (up-down direction in FIG. 25(c)) when viewed from above.

[0115] The flat plate portion 280 is divided into a first protruding piece 260, a second protruding piece 261, and a third protruding piece 262 in the width direction of the medicine container 20 (the left-right direction in FIG. 25(c)) from one side to the other. Furthermore, in the following description of the sealing member 250, the width direction of the medicine container 20 (the left-right direction in FIG. 25(c)) is also referred to as the left-right direction, and the flow direction of the powder (the up-down direction in FIG. 25(c)) is also referred to as the front-back direction. In this case, the lower part of FIG. 25(c) is taken as the front.

[0116] The protruding portions 260, 261, and 262 are of different protruding lengths from the mounting portion 251 in a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the mounting portion 251 (in the direction indicated by arrow X in FIG. 25(c)). Specifically, the protruding lengths of the first protruding portion 260, the second protruding portion 261, and the third protruding portion 262 increase sequentially. Therefore, the protruding end face of the first protruding portion 260 and the protruding end face of the second protruding portion 261 are continuous by a step. Furthermore, the protruding end face of the second protruding portion 261 is located further rearward than the protruding end face of the first protruding portion 260 in a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the mounting portion 251. And the protruding end face of the third protruding portion 262 is located further rearward than the protruding end face of the second protruding portion 261 in the same direction.

[0117] Furthermore, the portion of the protruding end of the first protruding piece 260 located at the rearmost position (the portion shown in P1 in the figure) and the portion of the protruding end of the third protruding piece 262 located at the rearmost position (the portion shown in P2 in the figure) are at the same position in the front-rear direction, but there is no particular limitation. That is, the flat plate portion 280 is formed by cutting off a portion of a plate-shaped body that is roughly trapezoidal in shape when viewed from above, by forming a notch-like notch.

[0118] As shown in Figure 26, the baffle member 91 moves back and forth (left and right in Figure 26) with the sealing member 250 inserted into the internal space of the medicine container 20 (dispensing passage 117, see Figure 15, etc.) to perform the opening and closing action of the dispensing part 11. Specifically, as shown in Figures 26(a) to 26(c), when the baffle member 91 is moved to switch between the closed and open states, the baffle member 91 moves with at least a portion of the third protruding piece 262 always inserted into the inside of the medicine container 20. Therefore, the sealing member 250 also functions as a guide when the baffle member 91 is moved.

[0119] For example, as shown in FIG26(a), the movement of the baffle member 91 (locking wall 110) is increased, causing the dispensing portion 11 to be fully open. At this time, the following state is achieved: the first protruding piece 260 and the second protruding piece 261 are positioned outward away from the dispensing portion 11, while a portion of the third protruding piece 262 is inserted into the inside of the dispensing portion 11 (the inside of the medicine container 20). Therefore, the dispensing powder is discharged from both the portion of the dispensing portion 11 that is separated from the first protruding piece 260 and the portion that is separated from the second protruding piece 261. Furthermore, a portion of the opening of the dispensing portion 11 is blocked by the third protruding piece 262. In other words, the dispensing powder falls from the space between the dispensing portion 11 and the first protruding piece 260, and the space between the dispensing portion 11 and the second protruding piece 261.

[0120] In contrast, as shown in FIG26(b), the movement of the baffle member 91 (locking wall 110) is relatively small, and the powder discharge section 11 is set to be slightly open. At this time, the first protruding piece 260 is positioned to move outward from the powder discharge section 11, while a portion of the second protruding piece 261 and a portion of the third protruding piece 262 are inserted into the inside of the powder discharge section 11 (the inside of the medicine container 20). Therefore, the portion of the powder discharge section 11 that is separated from the first protruding piece 260 is in a state of internal and external communication, and the powder is discharged from this portion. Furthermore, a portion of the opening of the powder discharge section 11 is blocked by the second protruding piece 261 and the third protruding piece 262. In other words, the powder falls from the space between the powder discharge section 11 and the first protruding piece 260. Thus, when the movement of the baffle member 91 is small, the effective opening width for discharging the powder becomes smaller. In other words, the opening area of ​​the effective part of the powder discharge section 11 used for discharging the powder becomes smaller.

[0121] Furthermore, as shown in FIG26(c), when the baffle member 91 is in the closed state, the first protruding piece 260, the second protruding piece 261, and the third protruding piece 262 are inserted into the inside of the dispensing part 11 (the inside of the medicine container 20). In this way, after dispensing the medicine, by closing the baffle member 91, the medicine can be pushed back inward from the vicinity of the dispensing part 11.

[0122] As described above, in this embodiment, the powder discharge section 11 can be opened in stages. When a large amount of powder needs to be discharged, as shown in FIG26(a), the movement of the locking wall 110 is larger, causing the powder to fall from a larger area. Furthermore, when the amount of powder discharged is smaller, as shown in FIG26(a), the movement of the locking wall 110 is smaller, causing the powder to fall from a smaller area. In the above embodiment, the structure allows for adjustment of the opening degree (opening) of the powder discharge section 11 in two stages, or it can be adjusted in multiple stages of three or more stages. That is, the number of protruding parts can be four or more.

[0123] In addition to the structure that allows for phased adjustment of the opening of the above-mentioned powder discharge section 11, as shown in FIG27, it can also be structured as follows: the opening area (opening width) of the effective part of the powder discharge section 11 used for discharging powder is continuously increased or decreased according to the amount of movement of the baffle member 231 (opening and closing member).

[0124] As shown in FIG27, in the baffle member 231 of this embodiment, the top view (bottom view) shape of the locking wall 232 is different from that described above, and is approximately quadrilateral (approximately rectangular). That is, the locking wall 232, when viewed from above, has a length in the width direction of the medicine container, and the rearmost side (left side in FIG27) side 232a extends in the same direction as the width direction of the medicine container. In other words, the rearmost part has a straight-line extension. In contrast, the dispensing part 11 extends obliquely. Furthermore, the front end part of the bottom wall 40 also extends obliquely when viewed from above. Moreover, the front end part of the bottom wall 40 is also the junction of the bottom wall 40 and the notch 77 on the front wall 35 side (see FIG19, etc.).

[0125] Furthermore, as shown in FIG27(a), when the locking wall 232 is in the fully open state, it is positioned in a position that does not overlap with the bottom wall 40 when viewed from above. That is, the entire locking wall 232 is positioned further forward than the front end (right end in FIG27) of the powder discharge section 11 and the bottom wall 40. In this case, the powder is discharged from the entire area of ​​the powder discharge section 11. That is, when viewed from above (bottom), the powder falls from the space between the powder discharge section 11 and the edge 232a. When the baffle member 231 moves from the state in FIG27(a) to the closed direction, as shown in FIG27(b), a portion of the locking wall 232 is located below the bottom wall 40, becoming a state that overlaps with the bottom wall 40 in the vertical direction (depth direction in FIG27(a)). At this point, viewed from above, the following state is observed: one part of the powder discharge section 11 (one part of the front end of the bottom wall 40) is located further forward than the edge 232a, and the other part is located further back than the edge 232a.

[0126] In this state, the portion of the powder discharge section 11 located further rearward than side 232a becomes the effective portion for discharging the powder. That is, the powder falls from the space between the portion located further rearward than side 232a and side 232a. Therefore, as the baffle member 231 moves in the closing direction, the overlap between the bottom wall 40 and the locking wall 232 increases, and the opening width of the effective portion for discharging the powder decreases. Conversely, as the baffle member 231 moves in the closing direction, the overlap between the bottom wall 40 and the locking wall 232 decreases, and the opening width of the effective portion for discharging the powder increases. Furthermore, when in the fully closed state, as shown in FIG27(c), the powder discharge section 11 and the front end (right end in FIG27) of the bottom wall 40 are positioned further forward than side 232a.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the locking wall 110 of the baffle member 91 is connected to the outer side of the bottom wall 40 of the container body 70. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the outline of the end face of the locking wall 110 is a simple inclined line. In contrast, the locking wall 110 of the baffle member 91 can also be configured to be connected to the inner side of the bottom wall 40 of the container body 70.

[0128] If the locking wall 110 of the baffle member 91 is configured to connect with the inner side of the bottom wall 40 of the container body 70, then when the locking wall 110 is closed, the end of the baffle member 91 will push the medicine near the opening of the bottom wall 40 of the medicine container 20 back to the inside. Therefore, it prevents the medicine from spilling when the locking wall 110 is opened next time.

[0129] In the above embodiment, a partition plate 68 (partition member) is provided near the lower part of the container body 70. Alternatively, as shown in FIG28, an eave-shaped temporary support plate 152 can be provided at the middle part of the height direction of the medicine container, or the partition plate 68 (partition member) can be replaced by a temporary support plate 152. By providing a temporary support plate 152, the weight of the powder on the upper side can be prevented from being applied to the powder on the lower side. An opening can also be provided in the temporary support plate 152.

[0130] In addition to the partition plate 68 (partition member) provided near the lower part of the container body 70, as shown in FIG29(a), a second partition 160 may also be provided to separate the container body 70. Furthermore, as shown in FIG29(b), a baffle 161 is recommended to be provided in the second partition 160. The baffle 161 is opened and closed manually. By providing the second partition 160, priority loading and removal of the powdered medicine can be facilitated.

[0131] Ideally, new powder should be added to the medicine container 20 after all the powder has been used up. However, sometimes unused powder may remain. In such cases, the remaining powder is allowed to fall below the second partition 160, and then the baffle 161 is closed to separate the lower and upper parts of the medicine container. Then, the upper part is filled with powder. Afterward, the baffle 161 is opened. This allows new powder to accumulate on top of the existing powder, while the old powder is discharged first.

[0132] The baffle 161 of the second partition 160 can also be linked with the baffle member 91 of the dispensing section 11. For example, as shown in FIG30, the baffle member 91 and the baffle 161 of the second partition 160 are connected by a spring 170, so that the baffle member 91 and the baffle 161 of the second partition 160 are linked. Ideally, the linking spring 170 should be weaker than the spring of the pushing member 93 that pushes the baffle member 91 in the closing direction. The reason is that when there is a large amount of dispensing powder remaining, the powder may accumulate on the baffle 161 of the second partition 160 and the baffle 161 of the second partition 160 may not be able to close. The baffle 161 of the second partition 160 does not necessarily have to be fully closed. By making the spring 170 weaker, the baffle 161 of the second partition 160 can be made to be in a half-open state.

[0133] The above-described pharmaceutical container is filled directly with the powder from the side, but the filling surface is arbitrary. For example, the powder can also be introduced from the top surface of the pharmaceutical container. Alternatively, as shown in FIG31, a pharmaceutical container 172 with an open top surface can be used. For example, one or more feeder bodies 10 can be equipped with a pharmaceutical container 172 with an open top surface. Furthermore, in cases where the powder is used less frequently, the powder can be directly added and packaged from the top opening.

[0134] In the embodiment described above, the powder feeding funnel 310 is disposed within the material receiving opening 15 of the dispensing dish 6. Here, as shown in FIG32, it is ideal that the height of the opening of the powder feeding funnel 310 is slightly lower than that of the dispensing dish 6. By making the height of the opening of the powder feeding funnel 310 slightly lower than that of the powder feeding funnel 310, and by rotating the rotating plate 12 relatively slowly, the powder can be loaded into the powder feeding funnel 310 without spilling the powder.

[0135] The above-mentioned drug feeder 5 can also be replaced by the drug container 420 of the second embodiment shown in FIG33. The drug container 420 of the second embodiment can be attached to and detached from the feeder body 10 in the same way as the drug container 20. That is, it constitutes a drug feeder together with the feeder body 10.

[0136] The medicine container 420 is also surrounded by a front wall 435 and a back wall 436, which are small-area side walls, two side walls 437, a top wall 438, and a bottom wall 440, which are large-area side walls. That is, the medicine container 420 is also a longitudinally elongated box-shaped member. Furthermore, the back wall 436 is formed with a locking groove 130 and a locking recess (a recess that engages with the locking piece 50, not shown) in the same way as above. In addition, in the medicine container 420, near the front wall 435 in the bottom wall 440, there is an openable and closable dispensing part 411 (see Figure 35). Furthermore, the medicine container 420 has a baffle structure part 473.

[0137] As shown in FIG34(a), the baffle structure 473 has a baffle member 491 (opening and closing member) and a transmission member 492. That is, the difference from the above embodiment is that it does not have a guide member 90 and a spring-pushing member 93 (see FIG19, etc.). And, similarly to the above embodiment, the baffle member 491 moves by the linear movement of the transmission member 492, and the dispensing part 411 opens and closes. That is, similarly to the above embodiment, a portion of the back wall 436 side of the transmission member 492 is exposed to the outside, and the transmission member 492 engages with the baffle opening and closing mechanism 55 by holding the medicine container 420 on the feeder body 10.

[0138] Furthermore, the medicine container 420 of this embodiment has a retaining protrusion 525 that retains the middle portion of the transmission member 492, and a locking protrusion 526. The locking protrusion 526 forms a locking mechanism, and when the medicine container 420 is disassembled from the feeder body 10 for transport, it maintains a locked state to prevent the dispensing part 411 (baffle) from opening accidentally. The retaining protrusion 525 is a pair of protrusions extending in a direction that approaches each other from the top and bottom. A portion of the transmission member 492 is inserted into a groove formed inside the retaining protrusion 525. The locking protrusion 526 is a protrusion integrally formed with the flat plate portion of the front and rear leaf spring member 520, and is a plate portion that extends in a generally V-shape when viewed from the side between the two flat plate portions. The locking protrusion 526, together with the front and rear flat plate portions, extends outward in a cantilever shape in the width direction of the medicine container 420, and elastically deforms together with the flat plate portions. The locking protrusion 526 engages with the cutout portion (locking portion) formed above the transmission member 492 (above the engaging portion 116), thereby restricting the accidental movement of the transmission member 492.

[0139] Furthermore, by installing the medicine container 420 onto the feeder body 10, the engagement (locked state) between the locking protrusion 526 and the transmission member 492 is released, and the transmission member 492 becomes movable. Specifically, by installing the medicine container 420 onto the feeder body 10, similarly as described above, the engagement portion 60 of the engagement piece retaining portion 56 (see Figures 13, 14, etc.) engages with the engagement portion 116 of the transmission member 492 (a portion of the transmission member 492, i.e., the portion further rearward than the engagement portion 116, is inserted from above into the engagement portion 60 of the engagement piece retaining portion 56). That is, in this embodiment, at this time, the plate-shaped portion rearward of the locking protrusion 526 (back wall 436 side) is lifted from below by the upper surface of the engagement piece retaining portion 56 where the engagement portion 60 is formed. In this way, the locking protrusion 526 and the flat plate portion elastically deform by bending together, and the engagement between the locking protrusion 526 and the transmission member 492 is released.

[0140] As shown in FIG33, in the medicine container 420 of this embodiment, the cover member 475 constitutes the top wall 438 of each wall. The cover member 475 is installed on the box portion 471 with an opening on the upper surface, and the cover member 475 can be swayed by the hinge 421. Furthermore, by making the cover member 475 open, powdered medicine can be filled from the top, and by making it closed, the medicine container 420 can be sealed. Moreover, the medicine container 420 of this embodiment can be filled with powdered medicine while maintaining the state held by the feeder body 10.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 35, the cover member 475 of this embodiment has a cover body portion 475a and a small cover portion 475b. The small cover portion 475b is mounted below the cover body portion 475a (the lower side when closed) and can be swung by a hinge 421. Here, the cover member 475 has an inner cover receiving portion 527 that serves as a space for storing desiccant or the like. The inner cover receiving portion 527 of this embodiment stores a humectant. Furthermore, the inner cover receiving portion 527 can be opened and closed by swinging the small cover portion 475b. That is, the inner cover receiving portion 527 is formed in the space between the cover body portion 475a and the small cover portion 475b. Specifically, when the cover member 475 is in the closed state and the small cover portion 475b is in the closed state, the space located above a portion of the small cover portion 475b is the inner cover receiving portion 527.

[0142] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 34(a) and 35, the cover member 475 has a cover-side locking piece 476 on the side opposite to the connection portion of the box portion 471. The cover-side locking piece 476 is connected to the end of the front side of the cover body portion 475a in a state that can be swung by the hinge 421. As shown in Figure 35, the inner surface of the cover-side locking piece 476 in the upright position has a locking protrusion 476a. This locking protrusion 476a is a protrusion that extends from the front side to the back side when the cover member 475 is in the closed state, and it is a protrusion that can engage with the protrusion 600 formed on the box portion 471. That is, the locking protrusion 476a and the protrusion 600 are mating locking parts that can engage with each other. Furthermore, by engaging these parts, the cover member 475 is locked in a locked state (a state that firmly maintains the closed state). Furthermore, an operating cutout 601 for operating the cover member 475 is formed in the box portion 471 (see Figure 34(a)). The operating cutout 601 is located on the side of the cover member 475 (one side in the width direction) when the cover member 475 is in the locked state.

[0143] As shown in FIG36, for the box body 605, a partition member 606 is inserted into the opening on the front side, a pressing plate member 607 is installed, and then a baffle structure 473 is installed, thereby forming the box body 471. The partition member 606 has a flat body part 606a, a pressing plate part 606b protruding upward from the upper surface of the body part 606a, and a flow straightening part 472 formed on the lower surface side of the body part 606a (see FIG37). With the partition member 606 as the boundary, the lower side is the dispensing passage 517. The dispensing passage 517 is the passage to reach the dispensing discharge part 411 and is surrounded by the bottom of the box body 471, the lower part of the side wall, and the partition member 606.

[0144] The main body 606a has a connecting hole forming portion 546 on the back wall 436 side. The connecting hole forming portion 546 is a portion provided with a plurality of small holes (openings) 547, and in this embodiment, it is formed as an elongated hole array. Furthermore, the elongated hole array is formed by arranging a plurality of elongated holes in the front-back direction. Each elongated hole extends through the thickness direction of the main body 606a and extends in the width direction of the pharmaceutical container 20. The small holes (openings) 547 used in this embodiment are slit-shaped extending in the width W direction of the container body 70.

[0145] As shown in FIG37(a), the rectifier 472 of this embodiment comprises a group of protrusions with a plurality of protrusions. Each protrusion of the rectifier 472 is generally rectangular in shape and protrudes downward from the lower surface of the body portion 606a (or upward from the upper surface in FIG37(a)). Furthermore, each protrusion has a thickness in the width direction of the drug container 420 and is shaped to extend in the front-rear direction. Here, the plurality of protrusions of the rectifier 472 are arranged in a serrated pattern. That is, the rectifier 472 includes a first row of protrusions 472a on the front side and a second row of protrusions 472b on the rear side (the side of the connecting hole forming portion 546). In each row of protrusions, a plurality of protrusions (four in this embodiment) are spaced apart and arranged side by side in the width direction of the drug container 420. Furthermore, the rear portion of the protrusion belonging to the first protrusion row 472a is located to the side of the front portion of the protrusion belonging to the second protrusion row 472b. Therefore, in one portion of the protrusion belonging to the first protrusion row 472a, the rear portion is positioned between the two protrusions belonging to the second protrusion row 472b. Moreover, a gap is formed between the side surfaces of the protrusions belonging to the first protrusion row 472a and the side surfaces of the protrusions belonging to the second protrusion row 472b, which are positioned relative to each other in the width direction of the pharmaceutical container 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG37(b), the lower end faces of each of the plurality of protrusions belonging to the rectifying section 472 are positioned differently in the height direction. That is, regarding the arrangement position of the protrusions, the lower end face position decreases as it approaches one end in the width direction (the right side in FIG10(b)).

[0146] As shown in Figures 35 and 36, the pressing plate member 607 has two mounting operation parts 610 and a pushing protrusion 611 (see Figure 35). The mounting operation parts 610 are grippers that elastically deform when operated by the user. The two mounting operation parts 610 are respectively formed at positions separated in the width direction, and each has a protrusion that protrudes outward in the width direction. Here, as shown in Figure 36, box side engaging parts 612 are formed on the left and right side walls of the box body 605. The box side engaging parts 612 are holes that penetrate the side walls and engage with the protrusions of the mounting operation parts 610. That is, by engaging the two mounting operation parts 610 with the two box side engaging parts 612, the pressing plate member 607 is installed on the box body 605.

[0147] As shown in FIG35, the pushing protrusion 611 is a protrusion extending from the front to the rear (from the right to the left in FIG35), and it abuts against the pressed plate portion 606b of the partition member 606 from the front. Specifically, the surface of the protruding end contacts the front surface of the pressed plate portion 606b. This prevents accidental misalignment of the partition member 606.

[0148] As shown in FIG36, the baffle member 491 has a locking wall 510 (see FIG34(b) etc.), a guide wall 511, and a connecting wall 512. On the other hand, the aforementioned stop wall 113 (see FIG19 etc.) is not formed. Furthermore, a sealing member 550 is installed on the upper side of the locking wall 110.

[0149] In the medicine container 420 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG34(b), when the dispensing part 411 is closed, the locking wall 510 is located further forward than the bottom wall 440. That is, a portion of the locking wall 510 does not overlap with the bottom wall 440 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 440 is brought close to the dispensing part 411, and the sealing member 550 is pressed against the dispensing part 411, thereby closing the dispensing part 411. Furthermore, by moving the sealing member 550 forward away from the dispensing part 411, the dispensing part 411 is opened. Moreover, in the closed state, a portion of the sealing member 550 enters the dispensing passage 517 from the dispensing part 411 (see FIG35).

[0150] Inside the medicine container 420 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG35, the flat portion, namely the connecting hole forming portion 546, becomes a partition plate portion (partition member). That is, a partition plate portion (partition member) is arranged at the boundary between the storage space 613 for storing powdered medicine and the powdering passage 517. The powdering passage 517 is the portion through which the powdered medicine passes when it is discharged. It is the space located below the connecting hole forming portion 546 and includes the portion between the connecting hole forming portion 546 and the bottom wall 440.

[0151] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bottom portion (the upper surface of the bottom wall 440) of the dispensing passage 517 is inclined. Specifically, in the width direction of the medicine container 420, it is inclined at a decreasing slope toward one end (the inner end in the depth direction in FIG. 35). Furthermore, in the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 35) of the medicine container 420, it is inclined at a decreasing slope toward the dispensing outlet 411. That is, as a whole, it is inclined toward one end in the width direction of the medicine container 420 in the dispensing outlet 411. Also, the lower ends of the plurality of protrusions belonging to the rectifying section 472 are all in close contact with the bottom portion of the dispensing passage 517. Therefore, when the dispensing passes through the rectifying section 472, it passes between two protrusions or between one protrusion and the side wall 437 of the medicine container 420. That is, when the powdered medicine passes through the rectifier section 472, it passes through a smaller gap (a narrower flow path) to smooth the flow of the medicine.

[0152] The connecting hole forming part 546 is the part that keeps the feeder body 10 in a horizontal position when holding the medicine container 420. In addition, a large inclined part 543 and a small inclined part 545 are provided in the part adjacent to the connecting hole forming part 546, which serves as a partition plate.

[0153] When the large inclined portion 543 and the small inclined portion 545 hold the medicine container 420 on the feeder body 10, they together form an inclined surface inclined toward the connecting hole forming portion 546. The large inclined portion 543 is longer than the small inclined portion 545, and their inclination angles are equal. That is, the space between the large inclined portion 543 and the small inclined portion 545 (the lower part of the storage space 613) narrows toward the connecting hole forming portion 546.

[0154] When the medicine is discharged from the medicine container 420, while the medicine container 420 is held in the feeder body 10, the powder discharge section 411 is opened, causing the medicine container 420 to vibrate. At this time, the amount of powder in the medicine container 420 decreases as the powder in the powder passage 517 is discharged, and it moves from the space above the connecting hole forming section 546, i.e., the storage space 613, towards the powder passage 517 and toward the powder discharge section 411. Then, it is discharged from the powder discharge section 411. In this embodiment, the powder is also stirred in the storage space 613 by the medicine container 420. At this time, a portion of the stored powder moves in the direction of climbing along the large inclined section 543, and moves toward the connecting hole forming section 546 at a position higher than the connecting hole forming section 546. That is, similarly as above, the pressing force generated by the powder is not easily applied to the connecting hole forming section 546, and the powder can be discharged smoothly.

[0155] Next, the drug feeder 700 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 39 to 42. The drug feeder 700 includes a drug container 701 of the third embodiment and a feeder body 702 of the second embodiment that holds the drug container 701. The basic structure and function of the drug container 701 and the feeder body 702 are the same as those of the drug containers 20, 172, 420 and the feeder body 10 described above, so only the improvements will be described. The feeder body 702 of this embodiment has a disengagement auxiliary member 705 used when disassembling the drug container 701. In addition, the feeder body 702 has a function of adding a locking baffle 707 to the baffle opening and closing mechanism 706. On the other hand, the drug container 701 of the third embodiment is provided with a locking part 710 for engaging with the aforementioned disengagement auxiliary member 705. Furthermore, the medicine container 701 also has a locking mechanism to maintain a closed state and prevent the dispensing part (baffle) 711 from being accidentally opened, but its structure differs from that of the medicine container 420 described above. Moreover, as shown in FIG42, the difference between the medicine container 701 and the medicine containers 20, 172, and 420 lies in the structure of the dispensing part 711 and the baffle structure 713. This will be explained below.

[0156] In the feeder body 702 of this embodiment, a disengagement auxiliary member 705 for disassembling the medicine container 701 is provided on the vertical wall 33 (longitudinal wall) on the vibrating side of the vibrating member 16 (container holding part). As shown in Figures 39, 40, and 41, the disengagement auxiliary member 705 is a rod that revolves around a horizontally set shaft 720, and has an operating part 721 and an action part 722. The operating part 721 is an upward-pointing bow shape, and has an engaging push part 723 and a releasing push part 725. The action part 722 is a claw.

[0157] The operating part 721 and the actuating part 722 are connected by a generally "L"-shaped connecting part 726. The connecting part 726, based on the state where the medicine container 701 is mounted on the vibrating member 16 (container holding part), has a vertically oriented longitudinal side 727 and a horizontally oriented transverse side 728. Furthermore, a shaft 720 is inserted through the connection between the longitudinal side 727 and the transverse side 728. The outer portion of the connection between the longitudinal side 727 and the transverse side 728 is a planar surface that functions as the support part 731.

[0158] A spring or similar spring-loaded pusher 732 is provided on the vertical wall portion 33 (longitudinal wall) on the vibrating side to continuously push the auxiliary member 705 away. Specifically, the spring-loaded pusher 732 pushes the transverse side portion 728 upward and pushes the part detached from the auxiliary member 705 in the return direction.

[0159] Furthermore, the baffle opening and closing mechanism 706 of the feeder body 702 includes a locking tab holding portion 735 and an arm 57 in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Similar to the above embodiment, a recess serving as a locking portion 60 is provided on the upper surface of the locking tab holding portion 735. In this embodiment, in addition, a protrusion 737 is provided on the upper surface of the locking tab holding portion 735. The protrusion 737 has an inclined surface 738. The inclination direction of the inclined surface 738 is based on the protruding direction side of the arm 57, with the front side being lower and the rear side being higher.

[0160] Similar to the pharmaceutical container 420 of the second embodiment, the pharmaceutical container 701 of the third embodiment has a cover member 475 installed on the box portion 471 with an opening on the upper surface. The cover member 475 can be swayed by a hinge 421. As described above, the pharmaceutical container 701 is provided with a locking part 710 for engaging with the aforementioned disengagement auxiliary member 705. The locking part 710 is provided on the protrusion of the back wall 436. The position of the locking part 710 is arbitrary and can be located on the side wall 437 or the bottom wall 440.

[0161] As shown in FIG. 39, the baffle structure 713, like the second embodiment described above, includes a baffle 707, a baffle member 740 (opening / closing member), and a transmission member 741. Furthermore, by moving the transmission member 741 linearly, the baffle member 740 moves, thereby opening and closing the dispensing portion 711. Similar to the medicine container 420 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 39, a cut 742 is provided on the upper side of the transmission member 741. The front side inclination 743 of the cut 742 is a gentle inclination, and the rear side inclination 745 is a sharp inclination. Also, the medicine container 701 of this embodiment includes a leaf spring member 748 and a locking protrusion 747. The leaf spring member 748 is cantilevered and mounted on the outer side of the medicine container 701 in the width direction. The locking protrusion 747 is a generally triangular member integrally fixed to the leaf spring member 748. As shown in Figure 39, there are a frontal lateral inclination 750 and a rearal lateral inclination 751 on the lower surface of the locking protrusion 747. The frontal lateral inclination 750 of the locking protrusion 747 is a gentle inclination, and the rearal lateral inclination 751 is a sharp inclination.

[0162] As shown in FIG. 42, the baffle member 740 (opening and closing member) has a protrusion 760 that protrudes toward the medicine container 701 when the powder discharge section 711 is closed. The cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 760 is approximately triangular as shown in FIG. 42, with the upper surface 761 being approximately horizontal and the lower surface 762 being an inclined surface. The protruding end 763 is approximately vertical. The inclination angle of the lower surface 762 is 30 degrees or less. Ideally, the inclination angle of the lower surface 762 is less than the angle of rest of the powder contained in the medicine container 701.

[0163] Within the medicine container 701, there is a dispensing passage 517 connected to the dispensing outlet 711, through which the medicine moves and is dispensed from the dispensing outlet 711. In this embodiment, a partition 766 protruding toward the side (lower side) of the dispensing passage 517 is provided in the partition member 620 corresponding to the top wall of the dispensing passage 517 (Figs. 42, 45, and 46). The height (droop) of the partition 766 is 1.2 mm to 3.0 mm, or one-fifth to three-fifths of the passage height. When the baffle member 740 (opening and closing member) closes the dispensing outlet 711, the protruding end 763 of the protrusion 760 is extremely close to the partition 766. Furthermore, the upper surface 761 of the protrusion 760 is extremely close to the partition member 620 corresponding to the top wall of the dispensing passage 517. The angle D between the lower surface 762 of the protrusion 760 and the bottom surface of the dispersing passage 517 is an angle below the stationary angle of the dispersing agent.

[0164] Therefore, immediately after the baffle member 740 (opening and closing member) is opened, as shown in FIG42(b), the angle E of the inclined surface at the front end of the travel direction of the powder P is an angle below the stationary angle, making it difficult for the powder to spill. Furthermore, the space for the powder to enter between the upper surface 761 of the protrusion 760 of the baffle member 740 and the top wall of the powder passage 517 is relatively small, making it difficult for the powder to reach the upper surface 761 of the protrusion 760. When the baffle member 740 is opened, the powder is unlikely to spill from the upper surface 761 of the protrusion 760. The space for the powder to enter between the protruding end 763 of the protrusion 760 of the baffle member 740 and the partition 766 is relatively small, making it difficult for the powder to adhere to the protruding end 763 of the protrusion 760. When the baffle member 740 is opened, the powder is unlikely to spill from the protruding end 763 of the protrusion 760.

[0165] Next, the operation when the medicine container 701 is installed on the feeder body 702 will be explained. In the state where the medicine container 701 is not installed, as shown in FIG40(a), the feeder body 702 is in a standby state. Specifically, the horizontal edge 728 of the detachment auxiliary member 705 is pushed by the push member 732, and the detachment auxiliary member 705 is tilted. The engaging piece 50 of the vertical wall 33 on the vibrating side is inserted into the opening 51.

[0166] In this state, as shown in FIG40(b), the back wall 436 of the medicine container 701 is inserted from the top along the vertical wall 33 on the vibrating side of the feeder body 702. Furthermore, it is ideal to temporarily tilt the medicine container 701 so that the dispensing part 711 is on top before inserting it into the vertical wall 33 on the vibrating side. In this way, the dispensing material in the dispensing passage 517 of the medicine container 701 leaves the dispensing part 711, and the dispensing material is less likely to spill when the baffle member 740 is opened.

[0167] By inserting the back wall 36 of the medicine container 701 along the vibrating side vertical wall 33 of the feeder body 702 from the top, the engaging groove 130 of the medicine container 701 can engage with the engaging part (holding part side engaging part) 48 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33. The engaging piece (holding part side engaging part) 50 of the vibrating side vertical wall 33 is submerged in the opening 51.

[0168] As the medicine container 701 is inserted, the actuating part 722 of the disengagement auxiliary member 705 contacts the engaging part 710 of the medicine container 701. Upon further insertion of the medicine container 701, the actuating part 722 of the disengagement auxiliary member 705 is pushed back by the medicine container 701, the longitudinal side 727 becomes vertical, the transverse side 728 becomes horizontal, and the disengagement auxiliary member 705 becomes stable. As described above, by inserting the medicine container 701, the disengagement auxiliary member 705 can be moved back, and the engaging push part 723 of the operating part 721 can also be pushed to move the disengagement auxiliary member 705 back. In any case, when the medicine container 701 is correctly installed on the feeder body 702, the transverse side 728 of the disengagement auxiliary member 705 becomes horizontal as shown in FIG40(c). Therefore, by visually confirming from above that the operating section 721 is horizontal, it can be recognized that the medicine container 701 has been securely installed on the feeder body 702.

[0169] When the feeder body 702 is disassembling the medicine container 701, as shown by the arrow in FIG41, the release push part 725 of the operation part 721 is pressed. As a result, the disengagement auxiliary member 705 moves back in the opposite direction, and the action part 722 of the disengagement auxiliary member 705 rises. Therefore, the action part 722 engages with the engagement part 710 of the medicine container 701 and pushes the medicine container 701 up, and the medicine container 701 moves upward and disengages from the feeder body 702.

[0170] According to this embodiment, the medicine container 701 can be easily disassembled from the feeder body 702. That is, in the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, the medicine feeders 5 and 700 are closely arranged, so the gap between the medicine containers 701 is small, making it difficult to insert fingers. According to the medicine feeder 700 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to insert fingers between the medicine containers 701, so the medicine container 701 can be easily disassembled.

[0171] Next, the mechanism for locking the baffle 707 of the medicine container 701 will be described. In the medicine container 701, when the baffle member 740 is closed, the transmission member 741 retracts, and the locking protrusion 747 mounted on the leaf spring member 748 engages with the cutout 742 of the transmission member 741. Here, the rearward tilt 745 of the cutout 742 and the rearward tilt 751 of the locking protrusion 747 are both steeply tilted. Therefore, even if the transmission member 741 wants to move in the direction of opening the baffle 707, the steeply tilted surfaces of the cutout 742 and the locking protrusion 747 engage with each other, thereby preventing the transmission member 741 from moving in the direction of opening the baffle 707. Therefore, the baffle 707 of the medicine container 701 is locked, and the baffle 707 will not open.

[0172] On the other hand, when the locking tab holding part 735 moves towards the front wall 35 to discharge the powdered medicine from the medicine container 701, the locking tab holding part 735 moves, and the protrusion 737 abuts against the locking protrusion 747 of the medicine container 701. At this time, the abutting surface on the side of the protrusion 737 is an inclined surface 738. As the protrusion 737 moves forward, it pushes up the locking protrusion 747 of the medicine container 701 against the leaf spring member 748. As a result, the locking protrusion 747 installed on the leaf spring member 748 leaves the cutout 742 of the transmission member 741, and the engagement between the locking protrusion 747 installed on the leaf spring member 748 and the cutout 742 of the transmission member 741 is released. The locking plate holding part 735 moves toward the front wall 35, the transmission member 741 slides forward, causing the baffle 707 to move, and the dispensing part 711 of the medicine container 701 opens.

[0173] As a method to facilitate the disassembly of the medicine container 20 (hereinafter, the medicine container may also be of other structures), as shown in FIG43, a spring-like spring-like push member 770 may be provided on the feeder body 10, by which the medicine container 20 is constantly pushed upward by the spring-like push member 770. In this embodiment, when the locking piece 50 of the vertical wall portion 33 on the vibrating side is pulled in, the restriction that fixes the medicine container 20 is released, and the medicine container 20 is lifted upward by the spring-like push member 770.

[0174] In the embodiments described above, the engaging tab 50 that engages with the medicine container 20 is connected to the pick-and-place mechanism, forming a structure that is linked to the baffle opening and closing mechanism 55. Alternatively, the engaging tab 50 can be configured to move independently. For example, as shown in FIG44, the engaging tab 50 is pushed in the protruding direction by the spring 780, and the engaging tab 50 is pulled in by the operating lever 781, thereby releasing the engagement with the medicine container 20. According to this embodiment, the engaging tab 50 can be pulled in without relying on the actuator of the baffle opening and closing mechanism 55, and the medicine container 20 can be disassembled from the feeder body.

[0175] The small hole (opening) 146 provided in the container body 70 of the first embodiment and the small hole (opening) 547 provided in the container body 70 of the second embodiment are both slits extending in the width W direction of the container body 70. The shape of the opening is not limited to this configuration. For example, the small hole (opening) 782 shown in Figures 45 and 46 is a slit extending from the back wall 36 side of the container body 70 to the front wall 35. The top view of the small hole (opening) 782 is an elongated triangle, and the opening width increases as it faces the front wall 35. According to experiments, by setting the shape of the small hole (opening) 782 to the shape shown in Figures 45 and 46, the flow of the powder is made smoother. The shape of the opening is not limited to the shape shown in Figures 45 and 46.

[0176] As described above, the partition member 620 shown in FIG46 has a partition portion 766 on its lower surface. Furthermore, in the partition member 620 shown in FIG46, the rectifying portion 621 is cylindrical in shape.

[0177] Alternatively, as shown in FIG47, the partition member 622 may have a concave-convex shape 625 on its upper surface. According to this embodiment, the powdered medicine in the medicine container 20 is prevented from being compacted. The concave-convex shape 625 used in this embodiment is saw-shaped or wavy and has a slope. Therefore, the weight of the powdered medicine on the upper side can be dispersed near the partition member 622, and the compaction of the powdered medicine near the partition member 622 can be suppressed. The shape of the concave-convex shape is not limited to saw-shaped or wavy; for example, it can also be conical or triangular pyramidal.

[0178] In the embodiments described above, the medicine container 20 is installed on the feeder body 10. Here, it is more ideal to provide a sensor to confirm whether the medicine container 20 is correctly installed on the feeder body 10. The structure of the sensor is arbitrary, but it is more ideal to use a photoelectric sensor or a proximity sensor that can detect objects. The installation position of the sensor is arbitrary. As alternative installation positions, the vertical wall 33 on the vibrating side or the horizontal wall 32 on the vibrating side of the feeder body 10 can be cited as examples.

[0179] In the embodiments described above, an RFID tag is installed on the medicine container 20 as an information storage device 65. Alternatively, an AR (Augmented Reality) tag can be used instead of an RFID tag, or it can be installed together with an RFID tag. An AR tag is a pre-registered photograph, image, or other graphic. A label printed with the AR tag is affixed to a prominent position on the medicine container 20. The AR tag can be identified by a camera. In recent years, multiple cameras have often been installed in the device to monitor the dispensing process and subsequently confirm it. For example, sometimes a dispensing monitoring camera is installed near the medicine feeder 5. For example, the camera is used to photograph the AR tag to identify the medicine container 20. This allows comparison with prescription-based medicine information to confirm whether the medicine container is correctly positioned. RFID tags require a certain detection distance, while AR tags have fewer such limitations. Furthermore, the monitoring camera can also be used to photograph the AR tag; therefore, if an AR tag is used instead of an RFID tag, the number of RFID tag reading components can be reduced.

[0180] In the above-described dispensing device 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a plurality of drug feeders 5 are fixed around the dispensing dish 6. Furthermore, these plurality of drug feeders 5 are arranged radially. That is, as shown in Figure 38(a), each drug feeder 5 is configured such that, in a top view, its imaginary line, extending in the same direction as its length, overlaps with the rotation center of the dispensing dish 6 (the point shown as P3 in the figure). Also, in the above-described dispensing device 1, the drug container 20 of one drug feeder 5 contains one type of powdered medicine. That is, the drug container 20 of one drug feeder 5 dispenses a predetermined amount of powdered medicine one-to-one. At this time, the drug container 20 can also hold an amount greater than a single dose. Furthermore, when performing the above-mentioned action of discharging powdered medicine, the medicine feeder 5 that is assigned to discharge powdered medicine from among the plurality of medicine feeders 5 can be selected, and a single dose of powdered medicine can be discharged from the selected medicine feeder. Also, when discharging one or more types of powdered medicine from one or more medicine feeders 5, a predetermined amount of powdered medicine can also be discharged (distributed) to the dispensing dish 6 from one or more selected medicine feeders 5.

[0181] If the dispensing device 1 of the above embodiment is used continuously, there may be a situation where the powdered medicine in the medicine container 20 of a certain medicine feeder 5 is used up. That is, there may be a situation where the powdered medicine, which is a consumable, is used up. In the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, in this situation, the user (pharmacist, etc.) performs the following operation: removes the medicine container 20 from the feeder body 10, fills the medicine container 20 with powdered medicine, and then reinstalls the medicine container 20 onto the feeder body 10. That is, when the powdered medicine in a certain medicine feeder 5 is used up (or is expected to be used up), the user who receives the notification due to the notification action, etc., performs the above operation. Here, in the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, when the medicine container 20 is reinstalled, the medicine container 20 can be installed not only on the originally installed feeder body 10, but also on other feeder bodies 10. That is, if there are other feeder bodies 10 besides the original feeder body 10 that do not have the medicine container 20 installed, then the medicine container 20 can also be installed on that feeder body 10. In other words, during reinstallation, the medicine container 20 can be installed on any of the feeder bodies 10 selected from those that do not hold the medicine container 20 at this point. Therefore, the user does not need to consider where to install the medicine container 20, making the above operation easier.

[0182] As described above, the dispensing section of the medicine container is preferably adjustable in terms of the effective opening width (outlet width of the dispensing section) for dispensing the dispensing powder. For example, as described above, the portion of the opening of the dispensing section that is blocked can be changed in stages or continuously. With this configuration, it can be combined with controls that allow the amount of vibration to be varied to change the dispensing flow rate, thereby achieving more accurate dispensing operation.

[0183] However, the above-described dispensing device 1 is conceived as a miniaturized device. Here, if the device as a whole is miniaturized, even a small impact may cause the housing 2 (the entire device) to tilt. Furthermore, if the housing 2 is subjected to an impact during the movement or placement of the dispensing device 1, causing the housing 2 to tilt, using the dispensing device 1 in a tilted state may lead to malfunctions due to various actions (such as measuring the weight of the dispensing powder). Therefore, the above-described dispensing device 1 may also be equipped with a gyroscope sensor (tilt detection device, level). Furthermore, a tilt notification action can be performed based on the information detected by the gyroscope sensor (signals sent from the gyroscope sensor) to notify the housing 2 of its tilt. This tilt notification action is performed when the slope of the entire device detected by the gyroscope sensor exceeds a predetermined value, and notification is given for this situation. This action can also be performed when the power to the dispensing device 1 is turned on. Furthermore, for example, a sound generating device such as a speaker can be installed in the dispensing device 1 to output a warning sound (alarm) or a message.

[0184] Furthermore, it is also recommended to use a 3-axis accelerometer as a tilt detection device. For example, a substrate with a 3-axis accelerometer is mounted on a horizontally supported partition plate inside the housing 2. The 3-axis accelerometer is one of the inertial sensors used to measure acceleration and can detect three-dimensional inertial motion (parallel motion in orthogonal 3-axis directions). The 3-axis accelerometer can detect gravity, motion, vibration, and impact. For example, after setting the dispensing device 1 in a specified position and adjusting the housing 2 horizontally, the output values ​​of the 3-axis accelerometer related to each axis are memorized. The 3-axis accelerometer can detect gravitational acceleration. When gravitational acceleration is applied in the vertical direction, if the housing 2 tilts, the detection values ​​of each of the 3 axes will change. Based on the change in the detection values, the degree of tilt of the housing 2 is calculated, and the slope of the housing 2 is detected. It can also be displayed how to correct the posture to restore the horizontal posture. Conversely, when the change in the detection values ​​of each of the 3 axes does not reach a fixed value, it can be determined that the dispensing device 1 is not tilted and the posture is stable.

[0185] However, the discharging action of the powder in the above-mentioned drug feeder 5 can also be the following action: keeping the powder discharge section 11 in a closed state (keeping the baffle closed) and vibrating the drug container 20, and then opening the powder discharge section 11 and vibrating the drug container 20 to discharge the drug. That is, the action of closing the powder discharge section 11 and vibrating the drug container 20 (hereinafter also referred to as the closed state vibration action) can also be performed before the action of opening the powder discharge section 11 and vibrating the drug container 20 (hereinafter also referred to as the open state vibration action). Here, the closed state vibration action can also be an action that makes the drug container 20 vibrate more strongly than the open state vibration action. That is, the drug feeder 5 can also be configured to change the number of vibrations (frequency) and the amplitude. Furthermore, the vibration amount (magnitude of vibration) of the closed state vibration action can be greater than that of the open state vibration action, and the number of vibrations per unit time can also be increased. Furthermore, the closed-state vibration action can also cause the medicine container 20 to vibrate at its strongest intensity, i.e., set to maximum vibration, or to maximize the number of vibrations per unit time. To explain in detail, immediately after filling the medicine container 20 with medicine, there may sometimes be a state where there is no medicine near the dispensing section 11. If the normal dispensing action is performed in this state, it may take a long time to dispense a small amount of medicine. That is, if the dispensing section 11 is opened and the medicine container 20 is vibrated with strong vibration, a large amount of medicine may fall at once when dispensing actually begins. Therefore, it is difficult to make the medicine container 20 vibrate strongly when dispensing a small amount. Furthermore, if the vibration is weakened, it takes a long time before dispensing actually begins. Therefore, by performing the above-described closed-state vibration action and open-state vibration action to dispense medicine, even in the case of dispensing a small amount of medicine, the time required to dispense medicine can be shortened.

[0186] Here, as shown in Figures 1 and 38(b), the aforementioned hand-applied tablet device 303 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped component, installed in a swayable state. That is, its posture can be changed between a normal posture with the square portion of the upper surface opening facing upwards (see Figure 1) and an inclined posture with the opening facing backwards and upwards (see Figure 38(b)). Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the aforementioned cleaning device 7 is disposed below the hand-applied tablet device 303 (see Figure 1). Here, the cleaning device 7 has a suction port 7a connected to a suction device (not shown), which is a device that generates negative pressure to suck in contaminants (residual powder and dust, etc.) with the air. In detail, the cleaning device 7 has an extension portion 7b extending from the outer side of the dispensing dish 6 inwards, and the suction port 7a is formed in the extension portion 7b. Also, the cleaning device 7 cleans the dispensing dish 6, and normally the suction port 7a faces downwards.

[0187] Here, in the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, the hand-operated tablet dispenser 303 is linked to the cleaning device 7. That is, when the posture of the hand-operated tablet dispenser 303 changes from the normal posture to the tilted posture, as shown in FIG38(b), the cleaning device 7 automatically performs a rotation operation. Specifically, this rotation operation is an operation that rotates the extension portion 7b once, and the direction of the rotation axis is the same as the extension direction of the extension portion 7b. In this way, the state from the suction port 7a facing downwards passes through the state facing side (side based on the normal direction), the state facing upwards, and returns to the state facing downwards. With this configuration, the user can easily check whether the area around the suction port 7a of the cleaning device 7 is contaminated. That is, when the user changes the posture of the hand-operated tablet dispenser 303, the cleaning device 7 automatically starts to rotate by detecting the posture change by a sensor (not shown). By activating the cleaning device 7 in this way, the user can more easily notice it (it can more easily attract the user's attention). Furthermore, it makes it easier to observe areas around the suction port 7a that are easily contaminated and not normally visible. That is, when the area around the suction port 7a is contaminated, the user can notice the contaminants. This, in turn, prompts the user to determine whether the cleaning device 7 needs to be cleaned (maintenance of the cleaning device 7).

[0188] Water or cleaning solution is filled into the inside of the medicine container 20. In this state, the medicine container is installed on the feeder body 10 and the medicine container 20 is vibrated, thereby cleaning the inside of the medicine container 20.

[0189] Next, the upper cover 3 will be described. An electronic display 800, as shown in FIG48, is provided on the upper cover 3. The electronic display 800 has a plurality of light-emitting parts 802 arranged in a row as a plurality of light-emitting groups 801a to 801f. Each light-emitting group 801a to 801f corresponds to a medicine feeder 5 in the medicine dispensing area 301. That is, six medicine feeders 5 are provided in the medicine dispensing area 301. Light-emitting group 801a corresponds to medicine feeder 5a, light-emitting group 801b corresponds to medicine feeder 5b, light-emitting group 801c corresponds to medicine feeder 5c, light-emitting group 801d corresponds to medicine feeder 5d, light-emitting group 801e corresponds to medicine feeder 5e, and light-emitting group 801f corresponds to medicine feeder 5f. In this embodiment, the light-emitting groups 801a-801f are arranged in a fan shape. The light-emitting parts 802 belonging to the light-emitting group 801 are mixed with those of different colors and / or brightness, and are arranged in stages in a manner that gradually changes color from the center to the outside. In this embodiment, the center emits a light-colored light, and the color of the light emitted becomes darker as it moves outward.

[0190] The light-emitting group 801 provides electronic notifications to allow the user to easily monitor the operation status of the dispensing device 1. When the dispensing device 1 is started, during the preparation phase, the light-emitting parts of the light-emitting group emit light sequentially according to the preparation status. The brightness and color can change. For example, the light emits light sequentially according to the temperature rise of the heat-sealed heater. When the hand-dispensing tablet device 303 is in the preparation phase, the light emission state also changes according to the preparation phase. When the dispensing device 1 stops, the fan used to cool the heater is driven, and the light-emitting parts of the light-emitting group turn off sequentially according to the cooling status. When there are multiple light-emitting groups, they can also be turned off as a unit.

[0191] Furthermore, the illumination status changes according to the installation status of the drug containers 20 in each drug feeder 5. Furthermore, a warning is issued if the drug container 20 is forgotten to be removed. After a day's work is completed, the drug container 20 is removed from the feeder body 10, but if it is forgotten, the corresponding light-emitting part 802 of the light-emitting group 801 illuminates to issue a warning. Ideally, the number of illuminating light-emitting parts 802 or light-emitting groups 801 should decrease over time. The illumination color and brightness can also be changed.

[0192] When the medicine is dispensed from the medicine container 20, the light-emitting portion 802 of the corresponding light-emitting group 801 emits light in a predetermined sequence. For example, it may emit light from the inside towards the front, or from light to dark colors. When the amount of medicine held in the medicine container 20 is insufficient relative to the required dispensing amount, the light-emitting portion 802 of the corresponding light-emitting group 801 displays a different light than usual. For example, it may emit light from the front towards the inside, or from dark to light colors, contrary to the usual situation. When all the medicine in the medicine container 20 has been dispensed and the medicine container 20 is empty, the corresponding light-emitting group 801 emits light in a specific state.

[0193] When a certain error occurs, a distinctly different display is made. For example, all light-emitting parts 802 emit red light. The type of error is not limited, and may include malfunctions of the medicine container 20, malfunctions of the feeder body 10, and other malfunctions. Furthermore, other malfunctions also include malfunctions of the manual dispensing device 303.

[0194] Ideally, the light-emitting group 801 should emit light according to the installation status of the medicine container 20. The light emission states shown below are merely illustrative and are not limited thereto. For example, when the medicine container 20 is not installed, the corresponding light-emitting group 801 emits light in a prescribed manner, while when the medicine container 20 is installed, it emits light in a different manner. For example, when the medicine container 20 is not installed, the corresponding light-emitting group 801 is off, while when the medicine container 20 is installed, it emits light in a light color or low brightness. When the medicine is dispensed from the medicine container 20, the corresponding light-emitting group 801 emits light in a prescribed manner, while when the dispensing from the medicine container 20 is temporarily stopped, it emits light in a different manner. For example, when dispensing medicine from the medicine container 20, the light-emitting part 802 of the corresponding light-emitting group 801 is continuously lit; when dispensing from the medicine container 20 is temporarily stopped, the light-emitting part 802 of the corresponding light-emitting group 801 flashes. When dispensing from the medicine container 20 is completed, the light-emitting part 802 turns off. When a medicine container 20 is provided for a specific feeder body 10, the corresponding light-emitting group 801 enters a predetermined lighting state.

[0195] Furthermore, the light-emitting group 801 can also emit light sequentially according to the rotation of the dispensing dish 6. For example, the arc-shaped light-emitting part 802a closest to the Yuyama mark is subdivided and illuminated in the same direction as the rotation direction. The light-emitting state can be set according to the condition of the dispensing device 1 by the maintenance personnel through prescribed operation.

[0196] The opening and closing mechanism of the upper cover 3 is not limited to a hinge. For example, as shown in Figures 49 and 50, an outer cover 616 and 617 may be provided on the upper cover 615. As shown in Figure 49(b), the outer cover 616 shown in Figure 49 can slide inward, allowing the outer cover 616 to move inward and open a portion of the upper cover 615.

[0197] As shown in Figure 50(b), the outer cover 617 shown in Figure 50 can slide towards the front and then fold into the lower side. Regarding the outer cover 617 shown in Figure 50, the posture of the outer cover 617 can also be changed to open a portion of the upper cover 615.

[0198] Patent Document 2 discloses a dispensing device that includes a container storage device for storing multiple medicine containers, a robotic arm for transporting the medicine containers, a container holding device for vibrating the medicine containers to dispense medicine, and a dispensing dish. Furthermore, the container holding device has a weight measuring device for measuring the weight of the medicine containers. The desired medicine container is automatically selected, placed on the container holding device by the robotic arm, and vibrated to dispense medicine directly into the dispensing dish. During dispensing, the weight measuring device monitors the weight of the medicine container to detect the amount of medicine dispensed; vibration stops when the amount dispensed reaches a predetermined level. Subsequently, the robotic arm is driven to move the medicine container onto another weight measuring device, where the weight of the medicine container is detected again. The purpose of this second weight detection is primarily to detect malfunctions of the weight measuring device. That is, compare the weight of the medicine container after the medicine is discharged, which is detected by the weight measuring device of the container holding device, with the weight of the same medicine container detected by another weight measuring device. If the two are the same, the weight measuring device is not faulty. If there is a difference between the two, the weight measuring device may be faulty.

[0199] In the dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a robotic arm is used to transfer the medicine container to another weight measuring device to determine whether the weight measuring device is in good working order; therefore, the robotic arm needs to be operated. Furthermore, the dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires the use of multiple weight measuring devices.

[0200] The following invention addresses the problem of providing a pharmaceutical feeder that, when determining whether a weight measuring device is functioning properly, does not necessarily require the use of a robotic arm or multiple weight measuring devices. Furthermore, the problem is to provide a dispensing device equipped with such a pharmaceutical feeder. Moreover, the problem is to provide a calibration method and a fault detection method for a pharmaceutical feeder that do not necessarily require the use of a robotic arm or multiple weight measuring devices.

[0201] One embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a pharmaceutical feeder, which has a pharmaceutical container for containing powdered medicine, a holding member for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container. The pharmaceutical container can discharge powdered medicine, and the amount of powdered medicine discharged is detected by the weight measuring device. The feeder also has a weight member and a lifting device for raising or lowering at least one of the weight member, the weight measuring device, or the pharmaceutical container. The feeder compares the state in which the load of the weight member is attached to the weight measuring device with the state in which the load of the weight member is not attached to the weight measuring device, and performs calibration on the weight measuring device.

[0202] According to this type of pharmaceutical feeder, it is not necessary to use it as a robot arm of an external machine or another weight measuring device to perform calibration and fault detection of weight measuring devices.

[0203] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the lifting device raises or lowers the heavy component, and the correction is performed by raising or lowering the heavy component.

[0204] In the preferred embodiment described above, it is even more preferable to have a load-bearing part, which can bear the load of the heavy component when the holding member holds the medicine container and when the medicine container is removed from the holding member.

[0205] According to this configuration, the weight measuring device can be calibrated both when the medicine container is in place and when the medicine container is disassembled.

[0206] In the preferred embodiment described above, it is even more preferable to have a measuring device inspection section, which is formed by including the weight component, the lifting device, and a load-bearing part capable of bearing the load of the weight component. The calibration is performed by the measuring device inspection section, which is positioned at a position that moves laterally away from the holding member.

[0207] According to this further preferred form, even if the measuring device inspection section that performs the calibration of the weight measuring device malfunctions, the measuring device inspection section can be easily replaced and maintained.

[0208] In the preferred embodiment described above, it is even more preferable to have a load-bearing part. The lifting device has a motor as a power source, a cam that rotates by the operation of the motor, and a lifting member placed on the cam. The lifting member maintains the state of being placed on the cam and moves up and down with the rotation of the cam. The lifting member lifts the heavy object member from below, thereby moving from a state in which the heavy object member is in contact with the load-bearing part to a state in which the heavy object member is not in contact with the load-bearing part.

[0209] Based on this further preferred form, the weight measuring device can be calibrated using a simple structure.

[0210] In the preferred embodiment described above, it is even more preferable to have a load-bearing portion, which is part of the holding member and is formed at the lower side of the held medicine container. By raising and lowering the weight member, the state in which the weight member is placed on the load-bearing portion and the load of the weight member is added to the weight measuring device is switched with the state in which the weight member moves upward from the load-bearing portion. In both the state in which the weight member is placed on the load-bearing portion and the state in which it moves upward from the load-bearing portion, the weight member is positioned at the lower side of the held medicine container.

[0211] According to this further preferred form, the space required for configuring the drug feeder can be saved, which is therefore better.

[0212] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the medicine container can be manually held in the holding member and that the medicine container held in the holding member can be manually removed.

[0213] Another aspect of the present invention is a drug dispensing device, which includes the above-mentioned drug feeder.

[0214] In this configuration, the weight measuring device can be calibrated without the need for a robotic arm or another weight measuring device.

[0215] In the above configuration, it is preferable to have a pharmaceutical packaging section for packaging powder, a funnel member for feeding the powder into the pharmaceutical packaging section, and a funnel-side weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the funnel member. The powder is discharged in a target amount based on the detection value of the weight measuring device, the discharged powder is fed into the funnel member, and the above-mentioned fault detection is performed based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device.

[0216] In this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the weight measuring device is functioning properly during the dispensing of the powder, thereby suppressing problems caused by malfunctions of the weight measuring device.

[0217] Another aspect of the present invention is a calibration method for a pharmaceutical feeder. The pharmaceutical feeder has a pharmaceutical container for holding powdered medicine, a holding member for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container. The amount of powdered medicine discharged can be detected by the weight measuring device. The calibration method for the pharmaceutical feeder includes a weight acquisition step. The weight acquisition step is performed by measuring the weight of the weight measuring device while the load of the weight member is attached to the weight measuring device. The weight acquired in the weight acquisition step is compared with the weight that is stored in advance to determine whether the weight measuring device is normal.

[0218] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for detecting a fault in a pharmaceutical feeder. The pharmaceutical feeder includes a pharmaceutical container for containing powdered medicine, a holding member for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container. The amount of powdered medicine discharged can be detected by the weight measuring device. The method for detecting a fault in the pharmaceutical feeder includes a weight acquisition step. The weight acquisition step is performed by the weight measuring device while the load of the heavy object member is attached to the weight measuring device. The weight acquisition step is performed before the operation of discharging the powdered medicine and again after the operation of discharging the powdered medicine. The weight obtained in the weight acquisition step before the operation of discharging the powdered medicine is compared with the weight obtained in the weight acquisition step after the operation of discharging the powdered medicine, and it is determined whether the weight measuring device malfunctions when the operation of discharging the powdered medicine is performed.

[0219] According to this embodiment, the calibration and fault detection of the weight measuring device can be performed without the need for a robot arm or another weight measuring device as an external machine.

[0220] In the above configuration, it is preferable that during the action of discharging the powder, the powder discharge section of the medicine container is opened to discharge the powder, and during the action of detecting the amount of powder discharged, the action of obtaining the weight of the medicine container before the powder is discharged as the original weight is performed, and the action of obtaining the weight of the medicine container before the powder is discharged as the original weight is performed before the powder discharge section of the medicine container is opened.

[0221] Based on this morphology, the powdered medicine can be discharged with greater precision.

[0222] The present invention provides a pharmaceutical feeder that does not necessarily require a robotic arm or multiple weight measuring devices when determining whether a weight measuring device is functioning properly. Furthermore, a dispensing device incorporating such a pharmaceutical feeder can be provided. Moreover, a calibration method and a fault detection method for a pharmaceutical feeder that do not necessarily require a robotic arm or multiple weight measuring devices can be provided.

[0223] In the dispensing device 1, when dispensing (supplying) powdered medicine from the medicine container 20 to the dispensing dish 6, a dispensing check operation is performed. This dispensing check operation determines whether uneven dispensing has occurred and whether the dispensing amount is abnormal, thereby determining whether the amount of one packet (single dose) is correct. Specifically, when dispensing powdered medicine, as described above, the amount of powdered medicine falling H is continuously calculated. Furthermore, based on the amount of powdered medicine falling H, the dispensing speed (dispensing amount per unit time) of the powdered medicine to the dispensing dish 6 is calculated. Here, when the dispensing amount per unit time deviates from a predetermined value, i.e., when an extreme decrease or an extreme increase in the dispensing amount per unit time is detected, uneven dispensing is determined to have occurred. Also, when dispensing powdered medicine, the weight of the powdered medicine contained in the medicine container 20 is measured before dispensing begins and after dispensing is completed. Furthermore, if the difference between the weight of the powdered medicine before dispensing begins and the weight of the powdered medicine after dispensing ends is the same as the predetermined dispensing amount (based on the target dispensing amount of the prescription), the dispensing amount is considered normal; conversely, if they are different, the dispensing amount is considered abnormal. When uneven dispensing or an abnormal dispensing amount is detected, a notification action is executed to inform the user of the situation. The notification action may include: installing a sound-generating device such as a speaker or a display device such as a monitor on the dispensing device 1 to output a warning sound or audio message. This also applies to the notification actions described below.

[0224] Next, the weight correction unit 21, which is a characteristic part of this embodiment, will be described. As shown in FIG51, the weight correction unit 21 of this embodiment includes the aforementioned weight 42 and weight mounting member 43, lifting device 173 (lifting component), upper guide member 175, and control device 176. The lifting device 173, upper guide member 175, and control device 176 are fixed to the base portion 26 via mounting member 177 (see FIG4). That is, the load of these components is added to the base portion 26.

[0225] Furthermore, the weight-carrying member 43 and the mounting member 177 are directly or indirectly mounted to the container support 23 and the base 26 (see Figure 4), respectively. In this case, the weight-carrying member 43 and the mounting member 177 are mounted via temporary fastening elements. Here, "temporary fastening element" refers to a type of fastening element that is detachable and, in principle, does not cause damage, such as a combination of screws, bolts, and nuts; in this embodiment, it is a screw. Based on the above, the weight correction unit 21 can be detached from the drug feeder 5 (it can be attached to and detached relative to the feeder body 10).

[0226] As shown in Figure 52, the weight 42 is a metal weight with a generally spherical shape. The weight mounting member 43 is a member integrally formed of a flat plate-shaped support plate portion 43a and a vertical plate-shaped mounting plate portion 43b. The mounting plate portion 43b is the part that abuts against the object to be mounted (the container support portion 23 or a mounting member disposed between the container support portion 23) and has screw holes.

[0227] A locking hole 67 is provided in the bearing plate portion 43a. The locking hole 67 is a through hole with a circular opening shape, which penetrates the bearing plate portion 43a in the thickness direction (vertical direction). Furthermore, the locking hole 67 is the size of the weight 42 that cannot pass through, but the weight support member 45 can pass through.

[0228] As shown in Figures 51 and 52, the lifting device 173 has a motor 83 as a power source (power unit), a cam 85, a weight support member 45 (lifting member), and a support side guide member 82.

[0229] Cam 85 is fixed to the output shaft of motor 83 and rotates with the operation of motor 83. In this embodiment, an eccentric cam is used where the distance from the center of rotation to the outer peripheral surface varies in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG52, the weight support member 45 is a generally cuboid member with a longitudinally elongated recess 45a on its upper surface. The recess 45a is the part that holds the weight 42; in other words, it is a engaging part that engages with a portion of the weight 42. That is, it is a shape that allows a portion (lower part) of the weight 42 to be perfectly inserted, and has a curved surface that contacts a portion of the weight 42 when it is held. The depth of the recess on the curved surface decreases from the center toward the edge.

[0230] The support-side guide member 82 is a thick plate-shaped member with a roughly quadrilateral shape when viewed from above. A guide hole 86 is provided in the support-side guide member 82. The guide hole 86 is a through hole in the support-side guide member 82 in the thickness direction (vertical direction), and is sized to allow the weight support member 45 to be inserted.

[0231] The upper guide member 175 is a thick plate-shaped member with thickness in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG53, a guide recess 88 is provided on the lower surface of the upper guide member 175. The guide recess 88 is a bottomed hole with a bottom portion on the upper side, and is a recessed portion that is approximately truncated cone-shaped (approximately mortar-shaped).

[0232] The control device 176 is a control board that controls the operation of the weight correction unit 21, and can send and receive information with the control device on the main body side of the dispensing device 1. That is, the control device 176 has arithmetic devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory devices such as memory, and communication devices such as I / O (Input / Output) ports. Furthermore, communication with external machines such as the control device on the main body side can be wired or wireless.

[0233] As shown in FIG52, the mounting component 177 includes a body part 63a having a mounting plate part 87 in the shape of a vertical plate and a control device mounting part 63b, and is mounted to the base part 26 with the control device mounting part 63b mounted on the body part 63a.

[0234] Next, the assembly structure of the weight correction unit 21 will be described. As shown in FIG51, a motor 83 and a cam 85 are arranged on both sides of the main body 63a separated by the mounting member 177. On the main body 63a, a motor 83 is arranged on one main surface side of the main body 63a, and a support-side guide member 82 and an upper-side guide member 175 are mounted on the other main surface side. At this time, the support-side guide member 82 is arranged above the cam 85, and the upper-side guide member 175 is arranged above it.

[0235] As shown in Figures 51 and 52, the control device mounting portion 63b of the mounting member 177 extends in a manner that partially bypasses the cam 85. Therefore, as shown in Figure 51, the cam 85 is positioned between the motor 83 and the control device 176.

[0236] The weight support member 45 is configured to be placed on the cam 85 and inserted through the guide hole 86. Furthermore, the support plate portion 43a is positioned upwards from the support-side guide member 82, and a weight 42 is disposed on the upper side of the support plate portion 43a. Additionally, an upper guide member 175 is disposed on the upper side of the weight 42.

[0237] As shown in FIG54, the weight correction unit 21 can switch between a first state in which the load of the weight 42 is not attached to the support plate 43a and a second state in which the load of the weight 42 is attached to the support plate 43a by running the motor 83 as described above.

[0238] As shown in FIG54(a), the first state is such that the weight 42 is lifted by the weight support member 45 and is located above the support plate 43a, without contacting the support plate 43a. That is, the weight 42 does not contact the upper opening of the engaging hole 67. In this embodiment, at this time, a portion of the lower side of the weight 42 is located inside the engaging hole 67. Furthermore, in the first state, the upper part of the weight 42 is inserted deep into the guide recess 88 of the upper guide member 175.

[0239] In the first state, when the motor 83 operates and the cam 85 rotates, as shown in Figures 54(b) and 54(c), the weight support member 45 moves downward, and the weight 42 remains on the weight support member 45 while moving downward. Then, a portion of the weight 42 contacts the upper opening of the engagement hole 67, and the weight 42 is placed on the support plate 43a. In this way, the process moves from the first state (see Figure 54(a)) to the second state (see Figure 54(c)). Furthermore, in the second state, it is preferable to set the weight support member 45 in a position that moves away from the weight 42 downward, that is, the weight 42 does not contact the weight support member 45, and a gap is formed between the weight 42 and the upper surface of the weight support member 45. Conversely, if the bearing plate 43a is configured to bear the full load of the weight 42, then in the second state, the weight 42 can also be in contact with the weight support member 45 (in an adjacent configuration).

[0240] In the second state, the upper part of the weight 42 is also located inside the guide recess 88 of the upper guide member 175. That is, when the weight 42 moves up and down within its movable range, a portion of the upper part of the weight 42 is maintained inside the guide recess 88, and a portion of the lower part is maintained inside the engaging hole 67. In other words, in the first state, the second state, and the other states during movement, the weight 42 is always partially located inside the guide recess 88 and partially located inside the engaging hole 67.

[0241] Based on the above, the upper guide member 175 and the support plate portion 43a function as movement limiting devices to restrict the movement range of the weight 42, and also function as anti-drop devices to prevent the weight 42 from falling off. Furthermore, the weight support member 45 is also in a state where a portion is located inside the guide hole 86 when it moves vertically within the movement range. That is, the support-side guide member 82 functions as a movement limiting device to restrict the movement range of the weight support member 45, and also functions as an anti-drop device to prevent the weight support member 45 from falling off.

[0242] When transitioning from the second state to the first state, the cam 85 can be rotated in the same direction as when transitioning from the first state to the second state, or the cam 85 can be rotated in the opposite direction. By rotating the cam 85 in this manner, the weight support member 45 (the contact position between the weight support member 45 and the cam 85) moves upward, and the weight 42 is lifted and moves upward.

[0243] According to the weight correction unit 21 of this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the weight measuring device 25 is functioning properly, both when the medicine container 20 is not installed on the feeder unit 22 and when the medicine container 20 is installed on the feeder unit 22. Hereinafter, this determination operation will also be referred to as the correction of the weight measuring device 25. That is, the correction of the weight measuring device 25 is the operation of determining whether the weight measuring device 25 is in a state where it can detect the correct weight or is in a state where it cannot detect the correct weight for some reason.

[0244] In this embodiment, as described above, the condition for determining that the weight measuring device 25 is in a state where it can detect the correct weight is: the weight of the weight 42 is correctly detected by the weight measuring device 25. That is, when the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the first state to the second state, as described above, the load of the weight 42 is added to the support plate 43a. At this time, the weight mounting member 43 is installed on the container support 23, so the load of the weight 42 is borne by the support plate 43a, thereby becoming a state where the weight of the weight 42 can be detected by the weight measuring device 25.

[0245] Therefore, in the first state, a weight measurement is performed by the weight measuring device 25, and then the process transitions to the second state, where a weight measurement is performed by the weight measuring device 25 again. Furthermore, the condition for correctly detecting the weight of the weight 42 is that the value obtained by subtracting the value of the first weight measurement performed in the first state from the value of the second weight measurement performed in the second state is the same as the weight of the weight 42.

[0246] In addition, the correction for the state where the medicine container 20 is not installed can also be performed as follows: After entering the second state, a weight is measured by the weight measuring device 25, and the value obtained by subtracting the basic weight from the detected value is calculated. Here, the "basic weight" refers to the sum of the weight of the component constituting the feeder section 22 whose load is applied to the weight measuring device 25 and the weight of the weight-carrying component 43. Furthermore, when the weight-carrying component 43 is installed on the container support section 23 via other components, the "weight of the weight-carrying component 43" includes the weight of those other components. Moreover, the condition for correctly detecting the weight of the weight 42 is that the value obtained by subtracting the basic weight from the detected value is the same as the weight of the weight 42. At this time, the condition for correctly detecting the weight of the weight 42 can also be that the detected value is equal to the sum of the weight of the weight 42 and the basic weight. The weights of the components that apply the load to the weight measuring device 25, the weight of the weight-carrying component 43, and the weight 42 in the components constituting the feeder section 22 can also be measured in advance by other electronic balances and stored in the control device.

[0247] In addition, the calibration of the state in which the medicine container 20 is installed is, for example, by measuring the weight using the weight measuring device 25 in the second state, and calculating the value obtained by subtracting the sum of the basic weight and the weight of the medicine container 20 from the detected value. Furthermore, the condition for correctly detecting the weight of the discrimination weight 42 is that the calculated value is the same as the weight of the weight 42. At this time, the condition for correctly detecting the weight of the discrimination weight 42 can also be that the detected value is the same as the sum of the basic weight of the weight 42 and the weight of the medicine container 20. Furthermore, the weight of the medicine container 20 can also be measured in advance and stored in the control device. Also, when medicine (powder) is contained inside, the weight of the medicine container 20 can also be set as the sum of the weight of the medicine container 20 itself and the weight of the medicine contained therein.

[0248] In the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, before the start of a day's operation, the weight measuring device 25 of each medicine feeder 5 is automatically calibrated. Furthermore, when it is decided to perform a sub-packaging operation, the weight measuring device 25 of each medicine feeder 5 is automatically calibrated before the sub-packaging operation is performed. Moreover, the calibration performed before the sub-packaging operation can be performed not only on all medicine feeders 5, but also only on the medicine feeders 5 used in the next sub-packaging operation.

[0249] Furthermore, during the calibration of the weight measuring device 25 performed before the start of the day's work, an action can also be performed to compare the value obtained or calculated during yesterday's calibration with the value obtained or calculated during the calibration. For example, the weight value of the weight 42 calculated during yesterday's calibration can be compared with the weight value of the weight 42 calculated after the power is turned on. In the case of the same situation, it can be determined that the weight measuring device 25 of the drug feeder 5 is not abnormal. Conversely, in the case of different situations, it can be determined that the weight measuring device 25 of the drug feeder 5 is abnormal.

[0250] The dispensing device 1 of this embodiment can also perform a notification action when the weight measuring device 25 is found to be unable to measure the correct weight (the weight measuring device 25 is malfunctioning) by calibration. Furthermore, a notification action can also be performed such that, before the malfunction (fault) of the weight measuring device 25 is eliminated (before the input malfunction, such as through fixed operation, has been eliminated), even if the user mistakenly places (holds) the medicine container 20 on the feeder body 10, the medicine cannot be dispensed through the feeder body 10. This notification action is performed each time the medicine container 20 is placed on the feeder body 10. Alternatively, the feeder body 10 can be controlled not to perform vibration (set to not perform vibration) simultaneously with or instead of this action.

[0251] In the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, when dispensing powdered medicine from the medicine container 20 to the dispensing dish 6 during the packaging operation, a fault detection operation can be performed to determine whether the weight measuring device 25 has malfunctioned. The fault detection operation can also be performed together with the above-mentioned dispensing inspection operation. Specifically, when dispensing powdered medicine from the medicine container 20 of the medicine feeder 5 to the dispensing dish 6, the following operation can also be performed. First, in the medicine feeder 5 holding the medicine container 20, the weight correction unit 21 is set to the first state (step 1). Then, the weight of the medicine container 20 (and / or the weight of the powdered medicine inside) is obtained (step 2). Next, the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the first state to the second state to perform the operation of detecting the weight of the weight 42 (hereinafter also referred to as the pre-measurement weight operation) (step 3). Furthermore, the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the second state to the first state to perform the operation of dispensing the above-mentioned powdered medicine to the dispensing dish 6 (step 4). Furthermore, after performing the action of discharging the powder, the weight of the medicine container 20 (and / or the weight of the powder inside) is obtained (step 5). Then, the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the first state to the second state to perform the action of detecting the weight of the weight 42 (hereinafter also referred to as the post-event weight measurement action) (step 6).

[0252] Then, after a series of actions, when the weight values ​​of the weights 42 obtained by the pre-measurement weight action (weight acquisition step) and the post-measurement weight action (weight acquisition step) are the same, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 has not malfunctioned. In this way, even in an environment where the dispensing process causes the medicine to scatter, an abnormality in the balance (weight measuring device 25) can be detected, and further, an abnormality in the dispensing process (medicine dispensing) can be detected. Furthermore, through this action, even when the weights 42 have changed over the years, a highly reliable dispensing process can be achieved. Moreover, the fault detection action is not limited to the action performed by the aforementioned weight correction unit 21, but can also be the action performed by the weight correction units 200, 428, 521, etc., described later. Furthermore, the pre-measurement weight action and the post-measurement weight action can also be actions that involve placing the weights in the medicine container and measuring the weight of the weights. Furthermore, the configuration is not limited to automatically switching between the state where the load of the weight is applied to the weight measuring device 25 and the state where it is not applied to the weight measuring device 25. It is also considered that the operator manually places the weight on the medicine container 20 or a part of the feeder body 10 to perform the action of detecting the weight of the weight. As described above, in the fault detection operation, the increase in detected weight due to the placement of the weight 42 is obtained by the pre-measurement and post-measurement weight measurements, and the obtained weights (increased weight) are compared. In both the pre-measurement and post-measurement weight measurements, similar to the correction scenario described above, the increased weight can be obtained by subtracting the measured value of the weight measurement performed in the first state from the measured value performed in the second state. Alternatively, the increased weight can be obtained by subtracting the basic weight and the weight of the medicine container 20 from the measured value performed in the second state. Furthermore, the weight of the weight 42, the basic weight, and the total weight of the medicine container 20 can be obtained separately for comparison.

[0253] In the above embodiments, a generally spherical weight 42 and a generally rectangular weight support member 45 are exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the weight 153 (weight member) shown in FIG55(a) may also be used. The weight 153 has an upper part 142a and a lower part 142b that are both generally frustum conical in shape, and a generally circular plate-shaped central part 142c located therebetween. That is, the upper and lower parts of the weight 153 are conical, and the cross-sectional area decreases as it faces upward or downward. Furthermore, when using the weight 153, the weight support member 155 (lifting member) shown in FIG55(a) may also be used. The weight support member 155 is a longitudinally elongated member with an upwardly convex curved surface on the upper end and a downwardly convex curved surface on the lower end, and is a member with a generally elliptical longitudinal cross-section.

[0254] In the above embodiment, a weight correction unit 21 is provided on one side of the feeder section 22, but the present invention is not limited to this. The weight correction unit 21 can be provided on the other side, or it can be provided at the rear (at the rear when the feeder section 22 and the dispensing dish 6 are opposite sides, with the dispensing dish 6 side being the front). That is, it can also be provided on one side of the feeder section 22 (including the surrounding four sides). In this case, it can be provided in a position adjacent to the feeder section 22, or it can be provided in a position slightly away from the feeder section 22 in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, in the above-described dispensing device 1, the user can manually hold the medicine container 20 in the feeder body 10. And the user can manually remove the medicine container 20 held by the feeder body 10. That is, the medicine container 20 held by the feeder body 10 can be manually exchanged (changed).

[0255] The drug feeder used in the dispensing device 1 is not limited to the above, and may also be a drug feeder 201 with a weight correction unit 200 (measuring device inspection unit) as shown in FIG56. The weight correction unit 200 includes a lifting device 202 (lifting device), a weight component 203 (correction weight), and a load-bearing component 204 (load-bearing part).

[0256] The lifting device 202 includes a motor (not shown), a gear 215 that rotates with the motor, a container lifting section 211, and a load lifting section 212. The gear 215 is a pinion, and the container lifting section 211 and the load lifting section 212 each have a rack portion that is cut by the gear. Furthermore, the gear 215 engages with each rack portion. Therefore, when the container lifting section 211 rises, the load lifting section 212 falls, and when the container lifting section 211 falls, the load lifting section 212 rises.

[0257] The container lifting part 211 has a flat, pressing plate part 211a. This pressing plate part 211a is the part that contacts the medicine container 20 supported by the container support part 23 from below. The weight lifting part 212 has a flat, weight support part 212a. As shown in FIG56(b), a support hole 230 penetrates the weight support part 212a in the thickness direction (vertical direction).

[0258] The weight component 203 has a flange portion 203a, a narrowing portion 203b, and a body portion 203c in sequence from top to bottom. The flange portion 203a is too small to pass through the support hole 230, while the narrowing portion 203b and the body portion 203c are large enough to pass through the support hole 230.

[0259] As shown in Figure 56(a), the load-bearing component 204 has a flat plate-shaped support plate portion 204a and a vertical plate-shaped mounting plate portion 204b, which is a component fixed to the support platform 27.

[0260] Here, as shown in FIG56(b), the lifting part 212 is a component that supports the weight member 203 in a suspended state. That is, when the weight support part 212a is positioned at a high position, when the weight member 203 is inserted into the support hole 230 from above, the flange 203a is engaged, and the lower surface of the flange 203a contacts the upper surface of the weight support part 212a. At this time, at least a portion of the narrowing part 203b is located inside the support hole 230, most of the weight member 203 is positioned below the weight support part 212a, and the lower surface of the weight member 203 is positioned above the support plate part 204a.

[0261] In the weight correction unit 200 of this embodiment, it is possible to switch between a first state in which the load of the heavy component 203 is not attached to the support plate 204a and a second state in which the load of the heavy component 203 is attached to the support plate 204a.

[0262] In the first state, as described above, the weight member 203 is supported in a suspended state and positioned upward from the support plate portion 204a. Furthermore, the medicine container 20 is placed on the vibrating side horizontal portion 32 of the vibrating member 16, and the pressing plate portion 211a is positioned downward from the medicine container 20.

[0263] Then, when the motor operates in the first state, causing the gear 215 to rotate and the container lifting part 211 to rise, the pressing plate part 211a contacts the medicine container 20 from below. Then, by maintaining this state, the container lifting part 211 rises, causing the medicine container 20 to move upward, resulting in the state where the pressing plate part 211a lifts the medicine container 20. At this time, as the container lifting part 211 rises and the weight lifting part 212 falls, the weight member 203 is placed on the support plate part 204a. When the weight lifting part 212 falls further from this state, the upper surface of the weight support part 212a is positioned away from the lower surface of the flange part 203a. In this way, the transition from the first state to the second state is achieved. Furthermore, in the second state, the load of the weight lifting part 212 (lifting device 202) is not added to the support plate part 204a (weight measuring device 25).

[0264] That is, in the first state, the load of the weight component 203 is not applied to the weight measuring device 25, but the load of the medicine container 20 is applied to the weight measuring device 25. In the second state, the load of the weight component 203 is applied to the weight measuring device 25, but the load of the medicine container 20 is not applied to the weight measuring device 25. Therefore, by transitioning to the second state, the weight measuring device 25 can be calibrated. The switching between the first and second states can be performed automatically. Furthermore, when transitioning from the first state to the second state and from the second state to the first state, the gear 215 rotates in opposite directions. In the above embodiment, the medicine container 20 is lifted in the second state, but it is not necessary to lift the medicine container 20. That is, the medicine container 20 can be kept in place while the weight measuring device 25 is being calibrated, and it is not necessary to provide the container lifting part 211.

[0265] However, the calibration of the weight measuring device 25 performed before the start of the day's work can also be performed using the calibration tool 256 shown in Figure 57(a). The calibration tool 256 is a tool used to install on the scraping device 8, and as shown in Figure 57(b), it has a mounting member 257, a bearing member 252, a base member 253, and a locking member 254. The bearing member 252 is a ball bearing or other bearing, and the locking member 254 is a C-ring.

[0266] The mounting member 257 has a body portion 251a and a connecting rod portion 251b. The body portion 251a has a circular plate-shaped portion 263 and a continuous annular peripheral wall portion 265. The peripheral wall portion 265 is formed to protrude from the edge of the circular plate-shaped portion 263 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, a recess (not shown) is formed in the portion surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 265 to accommodate the mounting base 255 of the scraping device 8. The mounting member 257 is a member that is mounted on the mounting base 255. That is, the mounting member 257 is mounted on the mounting base 255 while the rotating plate 12 is detached from the mounting base 255. In this embodiment, the recess of the mounting member 257 can be approximately fitted into the mounting base 255. Furthermore, a engaging portion (not shown) is provided on one side of the mounting member 257 (the recess) that engages with a protrusion provided on the mounting base 255. That is, the engaging portion mates (engages) with the protruding portion that serves as the engaging portion on the mounting base 255 side. By engaging them, the mounting member 257 is integrally mounted and fixed to the mounting base 255. The connecting rod portion 251b is a cylindrical rod-shaped portion formed on the opposite side from the aforementioned recessed portion, separated by the circular plate-shaped portion 263.

[0267] The base component 253 is a component integrally formed with a weight support portion 270, an anti-rotation portion 271, and a vertical plate-shaped connecting plate portion 272. The weight support portion 270 is a flat plate portion and is provided with a support hole portion 270a. The support hole portion 270a penetrates the weight support portion 270 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The anti-rotation portion 271 has two plate-shaped components including an upper side plate portion 271a and a lower side plate portion 271b. Both the upper side plate portion 271a and the lower side plate portion 271b are flat plate portions and are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction. The connecting plate portion 272 is continuous with the weight support portion 270 at one end in the length direction and with the anti-rotation portion 271 at the other end. A connecting hole portion 272a is provided in the connecting plate portion 272. The connecting hole 272a is a through hole that penetrates the connecting plate 272 in the thickness direction.

[0268] With the calibration device 256 assembled, a bearing member 252 is installed on a portion of the connecting plate portion 272, and a connecting rod portion 251b is inserted through the connecting hole portion 272a and the inner hole of the bearing member 252. Furthermore, a locking member 254 is installed on a portion of the connecting rod portion 251b that protrudes from a portion of the connecting hole portion 272a and forms a front end side in the insertion direction. Based on the above, when the calibration device 256 is not installed on the scraping device 8, the base member 253 and the mounting member 257 are connected in a rotatable manner. That is, the connecting rod portion 251b can rotate around a rotation axis.

[0269] When installed in the scraping device 8, as shown in FIG57(a), the following state is achieved: in the extension direction of the scraping arm 17, the weight support 270 is located at a position closer to the front end than the mounting base 255, and the anti-rotation part 271 is located at a position closer to the base end than the mounting base 255. At this time, the following state is achieved: the scraping arm 17 is located between the upper side plate 271a and the lower side plate 271b of the anti-rotation part 271, and the scraping arm 17 is sandwiched between the upper side plate 271a and the lower side plate 271b. Furthermore, the mounting member 257 and the connecting plate 272 are located to one side in the thickness direction of the mounting base 255.

[0270] With the calibration tool 256 installed on the scraping device 8, the weight member 203 can be supported in a suspended state by the weight support 270, as described above (see Figure 58(a)). That is, when calibrating the weight measuring device 25 using the calibration tool 256, the medicine feeder 5, which is equipped with the weight measuring device 25 as the calibration target, is pre-set to a state where the medicine container 20 has been removed. Then, the turntable is rotated, causing the entire scraping device 8 (scraping arm 17 and mounting base 255) to rotate. As shown in Figure 58(b), the weight member 203 is positioned above the vibrating side horizontal section 32. Next, the scraping arm 17 is swung, causing the front end of the scraping arm 17 to move downward, thereby placing the weight member 203 on the vibrating side horizontal section 32. Continue to move the front end of the scraping arm 17 laterally downward, thereby adding the load of the weight component 203 to the weight measuring device 25, and perform calibration of the weight measuring device 25.

[0271] Furthermore, after calibration, the scraping arm 17 is swung, causing the front end of the scraping arm 17 to move laterally upward, thereby supporting the weight component 203 in a suspended state, so that the weight measuring device 25 is not subject to any load on the weight component 203. Next, when calibrating another weight measuring device 25, the entire scraping device 8 is rotated to perform the above-mentioned actions.

[0272] Furthermore, the drug feeder used in the dispensing device 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned type, and may also be a drug feeder 405 with a weight correction section 428 (measuring device inspection section) as shown in FIG59. The difference in construction between the drug feeder 405 in this embodiment and the drug feeder 5 described above lies in the container support section 423 (holding member). That is, a weight placement section 443 with an upper opening is formed in the horizontal section 432 on the vibration side of the vibration member 416. Furthermore, a component placement hole 446 is formed on the lower side of the weight placement section 443, which connects the space between the weight placement section 443 and the lower side of the vibration member 416. In addition, a component placement hole 447 penetrating the horizontal section 430 on the support side of the support platform 427 in the vertical direction is also formed.

[0273] The component mounting hole 446 of the vibrating component 416 and the component mounting hole 447 of the support platform 427 are formed such that at least a portion overlaps with each other when viewed from above. Therefore, a component mounting space 448 is formed on the lower side of the weight mounting section 443. The component mounting space 448 is a part of the space where the lifting device 460, namely the lifting component 445, is mounted.

[0274] The lifting device 460 includes a lifting member 445 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the lifting member 445. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes a motor as a power source and a conversion mechanism for converting the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion. The conversion mechanism may be a cam located below the lifting member 445, or it may be a rack and pinion mechanism formed by a combination of a gear-cutting portion and a pinion provided on the lifting member 445. That is, the lifting member 445 is moved vertically by rotating the motor.

[0275] In the drug feeder 405 of this embodiment, a lifting mechanism is provided below the vibrating member 416 and the support platform 427. Furthermore, the weight measuring device (not shown) of the drug feeder 405 is attached to the weight of the container support 423 and other components, but is not attached to the load of the lifting device 460.

[0276] A generally rectangular parallelepiped weight member 442 (for calibration) is disposed in the weight placement section 443. When the container support section 423 holds the medicine container 20 in place, the weight placement section 443 is located below the lower surface of the medicine container 20. At this time, the entire area above the weight placement section 443 is covered by the medicine container 20.

[0277] The drug feeder 405 of this embodiment can switch between a first state (see Figure 59(a)) in which the weight member 442 is positioned upwards from the bottom portion of the weight arrangement portion 443, and a second state (see Figure 59(b)) in which the weight member 442 contacts the bottom portion of the weight arrangement portion 443. Furthermore, by moving the drug feeder 405 from the first state to the second state, the weight measuring device can be calibrated. Moreover, in both the first and second states, the weight member 442 is positioned inside the weight arrangement portion 443.

[0278] That is, in the first state, the weight member 442 is lifted by the lifting member 445. At this time, the lower part of the weight member 442 contacts the upper part of the lifting member 445, and the weight member 442 is placed on the lifting member 445. Therefore, the load of the weight member 442 is added to the lifting member 445 but not to the vibration member 416. That is, the load of the weight member 442 is not added to the weight measuring device of the drug feeder 405, and the load of the weight member 442 cannot be measured by the weight measuring device. When the lifting member 445 gradually moves downward from this first state, the weight member 442 moves downward along with the movement of the lifting member 445. Furthermore, the lower part of the weight member 442 contacts the bottom part of the weight placement part 443 from above.

[0279] Here, the weight member 442 is of a size (and / or shape) that prevents the vibration member 416 from being inserted from above into the member placement hole 446. Therefore, when the lifting member 445 continues to move downward, the lifting member 445 is positioned at a position where it leaves the weight member 442 downward. On the other hand, the weight member 442 is placed on the bottom part of the weight placement section 443. In this way, the transition from the first state to the second state is completed. That is, it becomes a state where the load of the weight member 442 is added to the weight measuring device of the drug feeder 405, and the load of the weight member 442 is measured by the weight measuring device. As described above, since it is possible to transition from the first state to the second state, the same as above, the operation of determining whether the weight of the weight measuring device can be correctly detected (calibration of the weight measuring device, fault detection) can be performed. For example, in the calibration of the weight measuring device, in the first state, the weight is measured by the weight measuring device of the drug feeder 405. Subsequently, the process transitions to the second state, where weight measurement is performed using the weight measuring device of the drug feeder 405. Furthermore, the condition for correctly detecting the weight of the heavy component 442 is that the value obtained by subtracting the detection value of the weight measurement performed in the first state from the detection value (measured value) performed in the second state is the same as the weight of the heavy component 442. That is, the weight measuring device is determined to be in a state where it can correctly detect the weight.

[0280] When transitioning from the second state to the first state, the lifting member 445 is moved upward, in the opposite manner to the above. This brings the upper part of the lifting member 445 into contact with the lower part of the weight member 442 from the lower side. By continuing to push the lifting member 445 upward, the lifting member 445 is lifted.

[0281] Alternatively, instead of the aforementioned weight correction unit 21, a weight correction unit (not shown) may be provided. This weight correction unit (not shown) includes a motor as a power source, a torque limiter, and a cable as a linear member, and can perform a lifting action by pulling a portion of the container support 23 upwards using the cable. That is, one end of the cable along its length is fixed to a member (container support 23, etc., hereinafter also referred to as the fixed object member) that applies the load to the weight measuring device 25 within the member constituting the feeder unit 22. On the other hand, the motor and torque limiter are fixed to the lower part of the upper cover 3 or the upper unit (hand-operated tablet device 303). Furthermore, during the lifting action, by rotating the motor to wind the cable, one end of the cable is pulled up to the fixed object member, applying a force upwards towards the fixed object member. At this time, by placing the torque limiter between the motor and one end of the cable, a predetermined force can be applied to the fixed object member.

[0282] The calibration of the weight measuring device 25 acquires the detection value of the weight measuring device 25 in the state where no lifting action is performed, and the detection value of the weight measuring device 25 during the lifting action. Furthermore, the condition for determining the state in which the weight measuring device 25 can correctly detect the weight is: the value obtained by subtracting the detection value during the lifting action from the detection value in the state where no lifting action is performed is a predetermined value.

[0283] Furthermore, when calibrating the weight measuring device 25 while the medicine container 20 is in place, the cable can also be fixed to the medicine container 20. Also, in this case, the medicine container 20 maintains the same weight in both the measurement without the lifting action and the measurement during the lifting action. Here, "medicine container 20 with the same weight" means that when the medicine is contained inside, the weight of the medicine container 20, including the weight of the contained medicine, is the same.

[0284] The dispensing device 1 of the above embodiment is provided with a plurality of (6) drug feeders 5, each of which has a weight correction unit 21. That is, one weight correction unit 21 can add a weight (weight 42) to one weight measuring device 25. However, the weight correction unit 521 (measuring device inspection unit) shown in FIG60 can also add a weight to a plurality of weight measuring devices 25.

[0285] In this embodiment, a plurality of feeder units 22 are correspondingly paired with a weight correction unit 521 to form a drug feeder. As shown in FIG60, the weight correction unit 521 of this embodiment includes a motor (not shown), a winding wheel 501, a cable 502, a plurality of pulley members 503, and a plurality of weight members 504 (correction weights). The winding wheel 501 and the pulley members 503 are fixed to the lower part of the upper cover 3 or the upper unit (hand-operated tablet device 303). Furthermore, by running the motor, the cable 502 can be wound up by the winding wheel 501. Moreover, in FIG60(a), for ease of drawing, only some of the pulley members 503 and weight members 504 are labeled with symbols, and other symbols are omitted.

[0286] Furthermore, above each feeder section 22, another pulley component 503 and a weight component 504 are respectively arranged. Moreover, by switching between the state in which the cable 502 is tightly wound on the winding wheel 501 and the state in which the cable 502 is loosened, the first state in which the weight component 504 is positioned upwards from the upper surface of the medicine container 20 and the second state in which the weight component 504 is placed on the medicine container 20 can be switched.

[0287] Here, as shown in FIG60(b), the weight member 504 has an internal space portion 530. The internal space portion 530 is an open space at the bottom, surrounded by a continuous annular peripheral wall portion. Furthermore, a cable insertion hole 531 is provided at the upper part of the weight member 504 to communicate with the outside and the internal space portion 530. The cable insertion hole 531 is formed to be thinner than the internal space portion 530.

[0288] A locking member 532 is installed at the front end of the portion of the cable 502 that hangs down from the pulley member 503. The locking member 532 can enter the internal space 530 from below the weight member 504 and is the size (and / or shape) that cannot pass through the cable insertion hole 531. Furthermore, as shown in FIG60(b), when the locking member 532 is arranged in the internal space 530, the cable 502 hanging down from the pulley member 503 extends into the internal space 530 through the cable insertion hole 531 and is continuous with the locking member 532.

[0289] Therefore, in the first state, when the cable 502 is unwound, the locking member 532 moves downward, and the weight member 504 moves downward accordingly. Furthermore, the lower portion of the weight member 504 contacts the medicine container 20 from above. In this state, by moving the locking member 532 further downward, the locking member 532 moves downward from the upper part of the weight member 504 within the internal space 530, and no longer contacts the top wall of the internal space 530. Therefore, the weight member 504 is placed on the medicine container 20 and moves to the second state. In the second state, the load of the weight member 504 is applied to the weight measuring device 25, and on the other hand, the loads of the locking member 532 and the cable 502 are also applied to the weight measuring device 25.

[0290] Conversely, by winding the cable 502 in the second state, the locking member 532 moves upward and contacts the upper part of the weight member 504 from the lower side within the internal space 530. Furthermore, by continuing to move the locking member 532 upward, the weight member 504 moves upward, resulting in the lower end of the weight member 504 leaving the medicine container 20 upward, thus transitioning to the first state. As described above, the transition from the first state to the second state is possible, and therefore, similarly, the operation of determining whether the weight of the feeder section 22 can be correctly detected (weight measuring device calibration, fault detection) can be performed. For example, in the calibration of the weight measuring device, in the first state, weight measurement is performed using the weight measuring device of the feeder section 22. Afterward, the transition to the second state is performed again using the weight measuring device of the feeder section 22. Furthermore, the condition for correctly detecting the weight of the heavy component 504 is that the value obtained by subtracting the weight measurement value performed in the first state from the measured value performed in the second state is the same as the weight of the heavy component 504. That is, the state is determined to be one in which the weight measuring device can correctly detect the weight.

[0291] In the weight correction unit 521 of this embodiment, multiple weight components 504 can be raised and lowered simultaneously. That is, it is possible to switch between a state in which different weight components 504 are attached to the weight measuring devices 25 of the multiple feeder units 22 respectively, and a state in which no weight components 504 are attached to the multiple weight measuring devices 25. Furthermore, instead of the aforementioned locking member 532, an electromagnet or other weight holding device can be provided at the front end of the cable 502 (the front end of the portion hanging down from the pulley member 503). That is, the electromagnet can be energized to attract the weight and lift the weight, thereby setting it to the first state. Furthermore, the electromagnet can be de-energized when the weight is placed on the medicine container 20, setting it to the state of not holding the weight, and then the front end of the cable 502 can be moved slightly upward to set it to the second state. Furthermore, in the above example, the weight component 504 is placed on the medicine container 20 of the feeder unit 22. That is, the medicine container 20 can function as a load-bearing part to support the weight of the heavy component 504. Alternatively, during calibration, the medicine container 20 can be pre-disassembled at each feeder part 22 and the heavy component 504 can be placed on the container support part 23.

[0292] Furthermore, the aforementioned pharmaceutical feeder can also be configured to raise and lower the container support 23 via a lifting device. In this case, the container support 23 can also be raised and lowered while still supporting the pharmaceutical container 20. Additionally, when the pharmaceutical container 20 and the container support 23 are positioned at the top, the load is not applied to the weight measuring device 25, and a larger gap is formed between the lower surface of the upper support-side horizontal portion 30 and the weight measuring device 25. In this situation, the weight measuring device 25 can be calibrated by manually placing the heavy component onto it.

[0293] In the above embodiment, a weight correction unit 21 is arranged on one side of the feeder section 22, and a weight 42 is placed on the weight holding member 43 to perform the correction of the weight measuring device 25. However, the drug feeder 5 that can be used in the dispensing device 1 is not limited to this. For example, a lifting device with cams arranged on both sides of the feeder section 22 can be provided to move the weight or other heavy components up and down, thereby switching between the state in which the heavy components are placed on the vibrating side horizontal section 32 and the state in which the heavy components are placed in a position away from the vibrating side horizontal section 32. In this case, the drug container 20 is removed from the feeder body 10 to perform the correction of the weight measuring device 25. Furthermore, the member extending from one side of the feeder section 22 to the other side, i.e., the heavy support member that supports the heavy components, can be attached and detached relative to the body of the lifting device. That is, when the feeder body 10 supports the drug container 20, the heavy support member is removed. The load support component can also be used as described above to support the load component in a suspended state.

[0294] In the dispensing device 1 of the above embodiment, a lower weight measuring device for the load of the plurality of drug feeders 5 may also be provided below the plurality of drug feeders 5. With this configuration, it can be determined whether all of the plurality of drug feeders 5 can correctly detect the weight of the drug container 20. That is, by measuring the weight of the drug container 20 by each drug feeder 5, the total weight of the plurality of (3) drug containers 20 is calculated. Furthermore, by subtracting the weight values ​​of components other than the drug container 20 (such as the weight values ​​of each feeder body 10, the weight correction unit 21, etc.) from the value detected by the lower weight measuring device, the total weight of the plurality of (3) drug containers 20 is calculated. Furthermore, the total weight of the plurality of (3) medicine containers 20 calculated based on the detection values ​​of the plurality of weight measuring devices 25 is compared with the total weight of the plurality of (3) medicine containers 20 calculated based on the detection value of the lower weight measuring device. If the comparison result is that the total value does not deviate, it is determined that all (3) medicine feeders 5 can correctly detect the weight of the medicine containers 20. Conversely, if a deviation occurs, it is determined that one of the plurality of (3) medicine feeders 5 cannot correctly detect the weight of the medicine container 20. As described above, according to the above configuration, the weight of the medicine containers 20 can be double-checked without moving the medicine containers 20. Furthermore, similarly, the weights of different weights 42 can be measured separately by multiple weight measuring devices 25 and their total value can be calculated. The total weight of multiple weights 42 can be calculated by the lower weight measuring device, and the weight measuring device 25 can be calibrated by comparing these values.

[0295] The above-mentioned dispensing device 1 can also be used in conjunction with an external upper-level control device to form a dispensing system. In this case, the dispensing device 1 and the upper-level control device can send and receive signals. Furthermore, the upper-level control device is configured with a display device such as a monitor. In addition, when the power to the dispensing device 1 is turned on before the start of a day's work (hereinafter also referred to as the start of work), a determination can be made as to whether the drug feeder 5 needs to be calibrated.

[0296] Specifically, at the start of operation, each medicine feeder 5 is set to maintain the state of the measuring container (measuring component). Furthermore, the weight of each measuring container is obtained through pre-performed measurements and stored in the control device. Each medicine feeder 5 performs a comparison operation, comparing the zero point of the weight measuring device 25 with the detected weight value of the measuring container. For example, in each medicine feeder 5, the value obtained by subtracting the pre-stored weight value of the measured container from the detected weight value of the held measuring container is calculated. Next, the values ​​calculated by the comparison operation performed by each medicine feeder 5 are compared. If the values ​​calculated by each medicine feeder 5 are not all the same, the dispensing device 1 sends a signal indicating this situation to the upper control device. Upon receiving this signal, the upper control device performs a notification operation urging the user to perform calibration of the weight measuring device 25. That is, when the values ​​calculated by each drug feeder 5 are not all the same, it is determined that the drug feeder 5 needs to be calibrated, and a notification action is executed to prompt the drug feeder 5 to be calibrated.

[0297] The aforementioned series of actions can also be executed based on the signal sent from the upper control device to the dispensing device 1 at the start of the operation. That is, it is automatically executed by turning on the power to the dispensing device 1. In addition, the above actions can also be executed periodically by sending a signal from the upper control device to each time a packaging action is performed, each time a predetermined number of packaging actions are performed, or each time a predetermined time has elapsed. The measuring container can be an empty drug container 20 or a drug container 20 containing loose drug. That is, it can be a drug container 20 used in the packaging action. Furthermore, the weight of the measuring container held by each drug feeder 5 can be different.

[0298] The above-mentioned dispensing device 1 can also be used with the power supply always on. Furthermore, even if the power supply to the main body of the dispensing device 1 is cut off, the power supply to the drug feeder 5 can be kept on. In such cases, the detection of whether the weight measuring device 25 is abnormal can be performed by continuously monitoring the detection values ​​of the weight measuring devices 25 of each drug feeder 5. That is, when the change in weight value per unit time is not a predicted change (failure to maintain the specified value, etc.), it can be determined that the weight measuring device 25 is abnormal. That is, when the waveform in a waveform graph with time as the horizontal axis and the detection value (weight value) as the vertical axis deviates significantly from the specified range, it can be determined that the weight measuring device 25 is abnormal. Similarly, by continuously monitoring the detection values ​​of the weight measuring devices 25, it can be detected whether the drug container 20 has been disassembled or whether external vibration has occurred. Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected, a notification action can be performed to inform the user of the situation. Furthermore, at this time, information such as the waveform diagrams shown above, indicating the change of the detection value with respect to the passage of time, can also be displayed on the display device or the like installed in the dispensing device 1.

[0299] As shown in FIG. 61, the above-described dispensing device 1 may also include a funnel-side weight measuring device 560 for detecting the weight of the powdered medicine being dispensed into the funnel 310. This funnel-side weight measuring device 560 is part of the packaging device 308 and may also be installed on the platform member that fixes the powdered medicine dispensing funnel 310. Furthermore, when detecting the weight of the powdered medicine dispensing funnel 310, the weight of the component with a load applied to it that is different from the powdered medicine dispensing funnel 310 can be subtracted from the detected value of the funnel-side weight measuring device 560 to obtain the weight value. Additionally, an upper side cover member that blocks the upper opening of the powdered medicine dispensing funnel 310 and a lower side cover member that blocks the lower opening can also be provided. In this case, the upper and lower side cover members are members that can switch between open and closed states of each opening. Furthermore, the lower side cover member may also be integrally installed with the powdered medicine dispensing funnel 310. Furthermore, by closing the lower cover member, the powder can be added to the powder feeding funnel 310, and the powder can be temporarily stored inside the powder feeding funnel 310. At this time, the weight of the powder in the powder feeding funnel 310 can be detected by the funnel side weight measuring device 560.

[0300] When the configuration is such that the funnel-side weight measuring device 560 is installed, the following fault detection operation can also be performed. Specifically, as described above, the medicine container 20 of the medicine feeder 5 discharges powdered medicine into the dispensing dish 6. At approximately this time, the weight of one packet of powdered medicine is obtained based on the prescription data. For example, if 63 g of powdered medicine is discharged into the dispensing dish 6 as 21 packets, the weight of one packet of powdered medicine is 3 g (63 / 21). Furthermore, for the powdered medicine that has its lower opening closed by the lower cover member, one packet of powdered medicine is added into the funnel 310 in the same manner as the normal dispensing operation. Next, the weight of the powdered medicine added into the funnel 310 is obtained based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device 560.

[0301] Next, the weight of a pre-obtained packet of powdered medicine is compared with the weight of the powdered medicine fed into the funnel 310, obtained based on the weight measuring device 560 on the funnel side. If the comparison results are identical, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 has not malfunctioned. Conversely, if the compared weights are different, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 has malfunctioned. Here, as shown in FIG61, if powdered medicine is discharged from one medicine feeder 5, it is determined whether the weight measuring device 25 of that medicine feeder 5 has malfunctioned. Conversely, if powdered medicine is discharged from multiple medicine feeders 5, it is determined whether the weight measuring device 25 has malfunctioned for all of the multiple medicine feeders 5. That is, if the compared weights are the same, it is determined that the weight measuring devices 25 of all the multiple medicine feeders 5 have not malfunctioned. Conversely, if the compared weights are different, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 of one or more drug feeders 5 has malfunctioned. Furthermore, the weight of the aforementioned package can also be calculated based on the detection value of the weight measuring device 25. That is, the total discharge volume can also be calculated based on the detection value of the weight measuring device 25, and the weight of the package can be calculated based on the total discharge volume.

[0302] Furthermore, when a fault detection operation determines that the weight measuring device 25 has malfunctioned, a notification operation can be performed to inform the user of this situation. The notification operation may also include an action to urge the calibration of the weight measuring device 25. For example, an action can be performed to urge calibration of the drug feeder 5 that has been determined by the fault detection operation to have malfunctioned (or is suspected of malfunctioning), or an action can be performed to urge calibration of all drug feeders 5 belonging to the dispensing device 1 (which corresponds to the dispensing dish 6).

[0303] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 62, the fault detection action can also be an action performed by accumulating the powdered medicine discharged from the medicine feeder 5 to the dispensing dish 6 at a single point or in a very small area. That is, when the fault detection action is started, the medicine feeder 5 discharges a single dose of powdered medicine into the dispensing dish 6. During this process, the rotation of the dispensing dish 6 is stopped, or the dispensing dish 6 is rotated at a very low speed. As a result, the discharged powdered medicine accumulates at a single point or in a very small area of ​​the dispensing dish 6, forming a powdered medicine collection 570. That is, the powdered medicine collection 570 is a collection of powdered medicine piled up in a small area of ​​a portion of the dispensing dish 6 in a mountain-like shape (a mountain of powdered medicine).

[0304] When performing a fault detection operation on the weight measuring device 25 of a plurality of drug feeders 5, a package of powdered medicine is discharged from each feeder, forming a powder collection 570 at a plurality of locations on the dispensing dish 6. At approximately this time, based on the prescription data, the weight of one package of powdered medicine discharged from each drug feeder 5 is obtained, which is the target discharge weight when each powder collection 570 is formed. Next, the dispensing dish 6 is rotated at a low speed, and after one powder collection 570a moves to a position close to the powder feeding funnel 310, the powder collection 570a is fed into the powder feeding funnel 310. At this time, the lower opening of the powder feeding funnel 310 is closed beforehand, and the weight of the powder fed into the powder feeding funnel 310 is obtained based on the detection value of the weight measuring device 560 on the funnel side.

[0305] Then, the weight of the powder (powder collection 570a) fed into the powder feeding funnel 310 is compared with the target discharge amount of the powder (the target discharge amount when forming powder collection 570a), i.e., the weight of one package. Then, if the comparison result is the same, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 of the discharging agent feeder 5 has not malfunctioned. Conversely, if the results are different, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 of the discharging agent feeder 5 has malfunctioned. For example, if a agent feeder 5 discharges powder to form powder collection 570a with a target discharge amount of 3 g, it is determined whether the weight of the powder fed into the powder feeding funnel 310 is 3 g. Then, if it is 3 g, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 of the agent feeder 5 has not malfunctioned.

[0306] Next, the lower opening of the powder feeding funnel 310 is opened, and powder (powder collection 570a) is discharged from the powder feeding funnel 310. Then, by rotating the dispensing dish 6 at a low speed, another powder collection 570b is moved to a position close to the powder feeding funnel 310, and this powder collection 570b is fed into the powder feeding funnel 310. Furthermore, before this feeding action, the lower opening of the powder feeding funnel 310 is closed beforehand. Then, similarly as above, the weight of the powder (powder collection 570b) fed into the powder feeding funnel 310 is obtained based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device 560.

[0307] Then, similarly as above, the weight of the powder (powder collection 570b) added to the powder feeding funnel 310 is compared with the target discharge amount of the added powder (the target discharge amount when forming powder collection 570a), i.e., the weight of one package. This determines that the weight measuring device 25 of the discharging agent feeder 5 has not malfunctioned. Similarly, the determination of whether the weight measuring device 25 has malfunctioned is performed on multiple agent feeders 5. This fault detection operation is not limited to the operation targeting multiple agent feeders 5 weight measuring devices 25; it can also be the operation targeting a single agent feeder 5 weight measuring device 25. Furthermore, in the above fault detection operation, the following action can also be performed: comparing the value calculated based on the detection value of the weight measuring device 25 (discharge amount) with the value calculated based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device 560 (feed amount). Furthermore, in the example above, the fault detection operation is performed using a powdered drug discharged from the drug feeder 5 to the dispensing dish 6. However, the fault detection operation can also use cleaning chemicals (cleaning agents), food, excipients, etc., instead of powdered drugs. That is, powders different from drugs can also be used. Excipients are additives added to increase the volume before formulation, i.e., so-called expanders. Here, "food" includes starch, baking soda, etc., which can be ingested orally, and the same applies below. When using such alternatives to powdered drugs, a container for the detection operation is used in the aforementioned drug container 20.

[0308] As described above, when the configuration includes a funnel-side weight measuring device 560, the following funnel installation determination operation can also be performed. This funnel installation determination operation determines whether the powder feeding funnel 310 has been installed on the platform component. Specifically, the funnel-side weight measuring device 560 detects the weight change when loading and unloading the powder feeding funnel 310. That is, based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device 560, it is determined whether the load of the powder feeding funnel 310 has been applied to the funnel-side weight measuring device 560. Then, if it is determined that the load of the powder feeding funnel 310 has been applied, it is considered that the powder feeding funnel 310 has been installed. Conversely, if it is determined that the load of the powder feeding funnel 310 has not been applied, it is considered that the powder feeding funnel 310 has been removed. By using the above-mentioned funnel installation discrimination action, it is not necessary to set up a sensor to detect whether the powdered medicine funnel 310 has been installed, or to set up detection wiring in the powdered medicine funnel 310.

[0309] As described above, when the funnel-side weight measuring device 560 is provided, the following funnel cleaning operation can also be performed. First, the basic cleaning operation of the funnel will be explained. In the above-mentioned dispensing device 1, after the dispensing operation is performed and before the next dispensing operation is performed, the cleaning operation of the dispensing funnel 310 is performed. As the cleaning operation of the dispensing funnel 310, a suction cleaning operation is performed, that is, cleaning chemicals or food (hereinafter referred to as cleaning agents) are put into the dispensing funnel 310 with the lower opening in a closed state, and then the upper opening is closed to perform suction in the dispensing funnel 310. During the suction cleaning operation, the lower cover member can also be opened and closed in the latter half of the suction. At this time, air can also be blown onto the outside of the lower cover member from the air nozzle. Furthermore, as a cleaning action, there is a dust collection action, that is, removing the medicine and other substances adhering to the medicine dispensing funnel 310 by means of a dust collection device (not shown). Moreover, the dust collection device is not particularly limited to those that generate negative pressure to draw dust in with the air; it can be a vacuum pump or a device equipped with a dust collection bag. Furthermore, as a cleaning action, there is a vibration cleaning action that uses a vibrator or tapper to tap or vibrate the medicine dispensing funnel 310. The cleaning action of the medicine dispensing device 1 performs one or more of the following actions: suction cleaning, dust collection, and vibration cleaning.

[0310] Here, depending on the type, some of the powdered medicine adhering to the powdered medicine funnel 310 is difficult to remove by cleaning. Furthermore, humidity levels at the location where the dispensing device 1 is installed can also make it difficult to remove the powdered medicine by cleaning. Therefore, in the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, the weight of the powdered medicine funnel 310 is measured after the dispensing action and during the cleaning action, before the dispensing action, after the dispensing action (before the cleaning action), and after the cleaning action. That is, if powdered medicine adheres to the powdered medicine funnel 310, the weight value of the powdered medicine funnel 310 measured by the funnel-side weight measuring device 560 increases. Therefore, by obtaining the weight difference before and after the dispensing action (comparison detection value), it can be determined how much powdered medicine adhered to the powdered medicine funnel 310 due to the dispensing action. Furthermore, by comparing the weight values ​​before and after the subcontracting action, it can be determined whether the cleaning action was performed appropriately, i.e., whether all the loose chemicals have been removed. Therefore, by comparing the test values ​​before and after the subcontracting action, the cleaning action can be evaluated.

[0311] Furthermore, in the dispensing device 1, a cleaning action is performed based on the detection value of the aforementioned funnel-side weight measuring device 560. For example, by comparing the detection values ​​before and after the dispensing action, when a large amount of loose medicine is attached, the cleaning action is performed by increasing the amount of cleaning agent, increasing the intensity of the tapping, increasing the number of taps, increasing the suction intensity of the dust collection device, and increasing the suction time. Conversely, when there is basically no loose medicine attached, the cleaning action is performed by reducing the amount of cleaning agent, weakening the tapping intensity, etc. That is, the content of the cleaning action (amount of cleaning agent, execution length (execution time) of various actions such as suction action, number of taps, interval, intensity, intensity of dust collection action, etc.) is changed based on the detection value of the aforementioned funnel-side weight measuring device 560. Also, based on the detection value of the aforementioned funnel-side weight measuring device 560, it is determined whether to perform the cleaning action again after the cleaning action. Furthermore, when a cleaning action is performed again, the content of the subsequent cleaning action is also determined based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device 560. In other words, the number of cleaning actions to be performed and the content of each cleaning action to be performed (one or more) are determined based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device 560. Regarding the number of cleaning actions, in addition to deciding whether to continue the cleaning action at the beginning of each cleaning action, the number of times to perform the cleaning action can also be determined before the first cleaning action, or before the second and subsequent cleaning actions. The same applies to the content of the cleaning actions; in addition to determining the content of the subsequent cleaning actions at the beginning of each cleaning action, the content can also be determined at an appropriate time.

[0312] Furthermore, after performing a cleaning action, information related to the evaluation of the already performed cleaning action (hereinafter also referred to as cleaning evaluation information) can be stored in a memory device such as a control device. The cleaning evaluation information can also be information that is associated with information such as the type of medicine being cleaned, the humidity level during execution, and the content of the cleaning action. Moreover, each time a cleaning action is performed, the content of the cleaning action can be changed based on the cleaning evaluation information and related information to improve the evaluation results. With this configuration, the longer the dispensing device 1 is used, the higher the accuracy of the cleaning action.

[0313] As described above, the scraping device 8 is used to mount the rotating plate 12 on the mounting base 255. Here, when a funnel-side weight measuring device 560 is provided, an installation judgment operation can also be performed. The installation judgment operation is an operation to determine whether the component (rotating plate 12 in this embodiment) installed on the scraping device 8 is correctly installed. Specifically, the lower opening of the powder feeding funnel 310 is closed, and an operation is performed to feed a package of powder from the dispensing dish 6 into the powder feeding funnel 310. Furthermore, the condition for determining that the rotating plate 12 is correctly installed on the scraping device 8 is that the weight of the powder fed into the powder feeding funnel 310 is correctly detected by the funnel-side weight measuring device 560. Conversely, if the weight of the powder fed into the powder feeding funnel 310 is not correctly detected, it is determined that the rotating plate 12 is not correctly installed on the scraping device 8. The installation judgment operation can also be an operation performed simultaneously with the packaging operation. That is, during the subcontracting process, when the dispensing dish 6 is feeding powder into the powder feeding funnel 310, it can be determined whether the rotating plate 12 is correctly installed. In this case, if it is determined that the rotating plate 12 is not correctly installed, the subcontracting process can be stopped. Furthermore, a notification action can be performed to inform that the rotating plate 12 is not correctly installed. Moreover, the installation determination action can also be performed separately from the subcontracting process; for example, it can be performed before the subcontracting process begins by discharging powder from the dispensing dish 6 using the medicine feeder 5. Also, the installation determination action can be performed simultaneously with the aforementioned fault detection action. That is, if the weight of the powder fed into the powder feeding funnel 310 is correctly detected, it is determined that the rotating plate 12 is correctly installed, and the weight measuring device 25 of the medicine feeder 5 discharging the powder has not malfunctioned. Conversely, if the weight of the powder is not detected correctly, it is determined that the rotating plate 12 is not installed correctly or that the weight measuring device 25 of the powder feeder 5 is malfunctioning.

[0314] Here, in the above-described dispensing device 1 (see Figure 1, etc.), when the medicine container 20 of the medicine feeder 5 dispenses the powdered medicine into the dispensing dish 6, as described above, a pre-dispensing weight measurement operation is performed before dispensing. Furthermore, the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the second state to the first state to perform the dispensing operation into the dispensing dish 6. After performing the dispensing operation, the weight of the medicine container 20 (and / or the weight of the powdered medicine inside) is obtained. Then, a post-dispensing weight measurement operation is performed.

[0315] Furthermore, during the dispensing of the powdered medicine, as described above, the weight of the medicine container 20 is measured. That is, before and after the vibration of the vibrating member 16 in the feeder section 22 begins, the weight of the medicine container 20 is measured, and the current weight g is continuously monitored as the current weight of the medicine container 20 during the falling of the powdered medicine. Then, the original weight G of the medicine container 20 immediately after being placed behind the vibrating member 16 is compared with the current weight g, and the amount of powdered medicine falling H is continuously calculated. Once the total amount of powdered medicine falling H becomes the desired weight, the vibration of the vibrating member 16 is immediately stopped.

[0316] Here, in the above-mentioned action of discharging the powdered medicine, the weight before the opening on the lower side of the medicine container 20 is opened can also be obtained as the original weight G of the medicine container 20 (or it can be set to zero). When the amount of powdered medicine falling H becomes fixed or above, close to the desired weight (or becomes the desired weight), the vibration of the vibration member 16 is stopped, and a standby action is performed to keep the opening of the medicine container 20 in the open state for a specified time. At this time, the original weight G can also be compared with the current weight g obtained after the standby action, and the amount of powdered medicine falling H can be calculated. The amount of powdered medicine falling H is set as the final amount of powdered medicine discharged to the dispensing dish 6 (the amount of powdered medicine discharged). Hereinafter, the specific sequence of discharging powdered medicine to the dispensing dish 6 in this discharge action will be specifically explained with the following example: The medicine container 20 is installed and held on the feeder body 10. After the action of discharging powdered medicine is performed, the medicine container 20 is removed from the feeder body 10.

[0317] First, as shown in FIG. 63, the medicine container 20 is installed and held on the feeder body 10 (step 1, see FIG. 63(a)). Next, the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the first state to the second state to perform the operation of detecting the weight of the weight 42 (pre-weight measurement operation) (step 2, see FIG. 63(b)). Next, the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the second state to the first state (step 3, see FIG. 63(c)). Next, the weight of the medicine container 20 before it is in the open state is obtained as the original weight G of the medicine container 20, and the zero point is taken (step 4, see FIG. 63(d)). Next, the medicine container 20 is in the open state (step 5, see FIG. 63(e)). The vibrating member 16 is vibrated to discharge (dispense) the medicine (step 6, see FIG. 63(f)). A standby operation is performed, and the original weight G is compared with the current weight g obtained after the standby operation to obtain the final amount of medicine discharged (step 7, see FIG. 63(g)). The opening of the medicine container 20 is closed (step 8, see Figure 63(h)). The weight correction unit 21 is moved from the first state to the second state to perform the operation of detecting the weight of the weight 42 (post-weight measurement operation) (step 9, see Figure 63(i)). Furthermore, at this time, as above, if the weight values ​​of the weight 42 obtained by the pre-weight measurement operation and the post-weight measurement operation are the same, it is determined that the weight measuring device 25 has not malfunctioned. Next, the weight correction unit 21 is moved from the second state to the first state (step 10, see Figure 63(j)). The medicine container 20 is removed from the feeder body 10 (step 11, see Figure 63(k)).

[0318] By performing the dispensing action in this way, measurement errors (dispensing errors) in the amount of dispensing medicine caused by accidental dropping of the dispensing medicine can be suppressed. In detail, when the medicine container 20 is in the open state, the medicine attached to the baffle member 91, etc., may fall off during the movement towards the open state. Furthermore, it is also considered that the medicine may fall off near the dispensing section (opening) inside the medicine container 20. Therefore, by zeroing the point before the medicine container 20 is opened, errors in the amount of medicine dropped due to accidental dropping can be suppressed. That is, if zeroing is performed after the baffle member 91 is opened, in the event of the aforementioned medicine (dispensing medicine) falling off during the movement towards the open state, the weight of the dispensing medicine may differ from the packaged amount (the amount that should have been dispensing). In other words, the amount dispensing may exceed the amount of dispensing medicine that fell off before zeroing. In contrast, by performing the dispensing of the powder in the above sequence, the dispensing of the powder can be performed more accurately. That is, according to the above embodiment, the fault detection action can detect problems caused by the malfunction of the weight measuring device, and the measurement error of the dispensing amount can be prevented (suppressed), thus achieving high-precision dispensing of the powder.

[0319] The above embodiments are embodiments of the following invention. [Invention 1] A pharmaceutical feeder has a pharmaceutical container for containing powdered medicine, a holding member for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container. The powdered medicine is discharged from the pharmaceutical container, and the amount of powdered medicine discharged can be detected by the weight measuring device. The pharmaceutical feeder has a weight member and a lifting device for raising or lowering at least one of the weight member, the weight measuring device, or the pharmaceutical container. The weight measuring device is calibrated and / or fault detected by comparing the state in which the load of the weight member is applied to the weight measuring device with the state in which the load of the weight member is not applied to the weight measuring device.

[0320] [Invention 2] The pharmaceutical feeder as described in Invention 1, wherein the lifting device causes the weight component to rise and fall, and the weight component rises and falls to perform the above-mentioned correction and / or the above-mentioned fault detection.

[0321] [Invention 3] The pharmaceutical feeder as described in Invention 2 has a load-bearing part, which can bear the load of the heavy component when the pharmaceutical container is held by the holding member and when the pharmaceutical container is removed from the holding member.

[0322] [Invention 4] The pharmaceutical feeder as described in Invention 2 or 3 has a measuring device inspection section, which is formed by including the weight component, the lifting device, and a load-bearing part that can bear the load of the weight component. The measuring device inspection section performs the calibration and / or the fault detection. The measuring device inspection section is disposed around the holding component.

[0323] [Invention 5] The pharmaceutical feeder described in any one of Inventions 2 to 4 has a load-bearing part. The lifting device has a motor as a power source, a cam that rotates by the operation of the motor, and a lifting member placed on the cam. The lifting member maintains the state of being placed on the cam and moves up and down with the rotation of the cam. The lifting member lifts the weight member from below, thereby moving from a state in which the weight member is in contact with the load-bearing part to a state in which the weight member is not in contact with the load-bearing part.

[0324] [Invention 6] The pharmaceutical feeder as described in Invention 2 or 3 has a load-bearing part, which is part of the holding member and is formed at a position below the held pharmaceutical container. By raising and lowering the weight member, the state in which the weight member is placed on the load-bearing part and the load of the weight member is added to the weight measuring device is switched with the state in which the weight member moves upward from the load-bearing part. In both the state in which the weight member is placed on the load-bearing part and the state in which it moves upward from the load-bearing part, the weight member is positioned at a position below the held pharmaceutical container.

[0325] [Invention 7] The pharmaceutical feeder described in any one of Inventions 1 to 6, wherein the pharmaceutical container can be manually held in the holding member and the pharmaceutical container can be manually removed from the holding member.

[0326] [Invention 8] A dispensing device having a drug feeder as described in any one of Inventions 1 to 7.

[0327] [Invention 9] The dispensing device described in Invention 8 has a medicine packaging section for packaging powder, a funnel member for connecting to the powder in the medicine packaging section, and a funnel-side weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the funnel member. Based on the detection value of the weight measuring device, a target amount of powder is dispensed, the dispensed powder is placed into the funnel member, and the aforementioned fault detection is performed based on the detection value of the funnel-side weight measuring device.

[0328] [Invention 10] A calibration method for a pharmaceutical feeder, wherein the pharmaceutical feeder has a pharmaceutical container for containing powdered medicine, a holding member for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container, wherein the amount of powdered medicine discharged can be detected by the weight measuring device, and the calibration method for the pharmaceutical feeder includes a weight acquisition step, wherein the weight acquisition step is performed by the weight measuring device while the load of the weight member is attached to the weight measuring device; the weight acquired by the weight acquisition step is compared with the weight pre-memorized, and it is determined whether the weight measuring device is normal.

[0329] [Invention 11] A method for detecting a fault in a pharmaceutical feeder, wherein the pharmaceutical feeder has a pharmaceutical container for containing powdered medicine, a holding member for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container. The method allows the weight measuring device to detect the amount of powdered medicine discharged. The method for detecting a fault in the pharmaceutical feeder includes a weight acquisition step, wherein the weight acquisition step is performed by the weight measuring device while the load of the weight member is attached to the weight measuring device. The weight acquisition step is performed before the operation of discharging the powdered medicine, and again after the operation of discharging the powdered medicine. The weight obtained in the weight acquisition step before the operation of discharging the powdered medicine is compared with the weight obtained in the weight acquisition step after the operation of discharging the powdered medicine, and it is determined whether the weight measuring device malfunctions during the operation of discharging the powdered medicine.

[0330] [Invention 12] The method for detecting a fault in a pharmaceutical feeder as described in Invention 11, wherein during the action of discharging powdered medicine, the powdered medicine discharge section of the pharmaceutical container is opened to discharge the powdered medicine, and during the action of detecting the amount of powdered medicine discharged, the action of obtaining the weight of the pharmaceutical container before the powdered medicine is discharged as the original weight is performed, and before the powdered medicine discharge section of the pharmaceutical container is opened, the action of obtaining the weight of the pharmaceutical container before the powdered medicine is discharged as the original weight is performed.

[0331] From the perspective of accurately detecting the vibration when the medicine is discharged from the medicine feeder, there is still room for improvement in the previous medicine dispensing device.

[0332] The present invention, as described below, aims to provide a pharmaceutical feeder capable of accurately detecting vibrations when dispensing powdered medicine from a pharmaceutical feeder. Furthermore, it aims to provide a dispensing device incorporating such a pharmaceutical feeder.

[0333] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a medicine feeder, which has a medicine container for containing powdered medicine and a holding member for holding the medicine container, and can discharge powdered medicine from the medicine container, and the medicine container has a vibration detection sensor for detecting its own vibration.

[0334] In this type of pharmaceutical feeder, the pharmaceutical container containing the powdered medicine has a vibration detection sensor. When the powdered medicine is discharged, its own vibration can be detected by the vibration detection sensor. That is, the vibration during discharge can be detected at a position close to the discharged powdered medicine, which can improve the detection accuracy.

[0335] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the holding member has a holding side engagement portion and the vibration detection sensor has a sensor side engagement portion. By holding the medicine container with the holding member, the holding side engagement portion and the sensor side engagement portion are brought into contact and electrically connected, so that the vibration detection sensor can transmit and receive signals with other circuits.

[0336] According to this configuration, vibration can be detected without extending wiring components from the pharmaceutical container to the outside, which can improve detection accuracy without complicating the loading and unloading of the pharmaceutical container relative to the holding component.

[0337] In the preferred embodiment described above, it is even more preferable that the pharmaceutical container performs an installation detection operation to determine whether it is held in the holding member. The condition for the installation detection operation to determine that the pharmaceutical container is held in the holding member is that a signal output from the vibration detection sensor is input to other circuits.

[0338] According to this configuration, the installation detection of the medicine container can be performed without the need to set up a separate sensor to detect whether the medicine container is present, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

[0339] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the vibration detection sensor can detect vibrations in a plurality of directions, including the vertical direction and directions intersecting the vertical direction, and amplify and output the detection value of the vertical vibration obtained by the vibration detection sensor. The value of the offset voltage of the amplified detection value is determined based on the influence of gravity on the vibration detection sensor, and the value of the offset voltage of the amplified vertical vibration detection value is the same as that of the vibration detection value in the direction intersecting the vertical direction.

[0340] Based on this configuration, high-precision vibration detection can be achieved with a low-cost configuration.

[0341] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the vibration detection sensor is an acceleration sensor.

[0342] Another aspect of the present invention is a dispensing device that includes the above-mentioned drug feeder.

[0343] In this configuration, the detection accuracy of vibration during the discharge of powdered medicine can be improved.

[0344] The present invention provides a pharmaceutical feeder capable of accurately detecting vibrations when dispensing powdered medicine from a pharmaceutical feeder. Furthermore, a dispensing device incorporating such a pharmaceutical feeder is also provided.

[0345] As shown in FIG64, the drug feeder 5 of this embodiment is characterized by having a vibration detection device 180 for detecting the vibration of the drug container 20. The vibration detection device 180 has a vibration detection sensor 181 integrally disposed with the drug container 20. Furthermore, by holding the drug container 20 in the container support 23, an electrical signal can be detected as the vibration of the drug container 20.

[0346] In this embodiment, the vibration detection sensor 181 is an accelerometer capable of detecting three-axis vibration. Specifically, two axes extending parallel to the horizontal plane and perpendicular to each other are designated as the X-axis and Y-axis, and an axis extending perpendicular to these two axes is designated as the Z-axis, enabling the detection of three axes consisting of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. That is, in this embodiment, in the three-axis accelerometer, one axis is configured to detect the vertical direction (up and down direction), and the other two axes are configured to detect the direction parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0347] The vibration detection sensor 181 has a connector contact portion 71a that contacts the connector pin 182 (retaining side engagement portion, see FIG64(a)) provided on the vibration member 16 (feeder body 10). The connector contact portion 71a (sensor side engagement portion) is a metal part with a flat plate shape, and in this embodiment, a plurality of (3) such portions are provided. The vibration detection sensor 181 is installed in such a state that the connector contact portion 71a is exposed to the outside of the substrate constituting the sensor, and most of the other parts are not visible from the outside. In detail, it is installed in such a state that the connector contact portion 71a is exposed to the outside through a plurality of through holes provided on the back wall 36 of the drug container 20, and the other parts are not exposed to the outside.

[0348] Based on the above, by ensuring that the container support 23 correctly holds the medicine container 20, the connector contact 71a of the vibration detection sensor 181 contacts the connector pin 182, thus achieving an electrical connection. That is, the connector contact 71a and the connector pin 182 function as an electrically connected mating engagement part. Furthermore, by electrically connecting the connector contact 71a and the connector pin 182, the vibration detection sensor 181 is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as the circuit on the container support 23 side (including communication circuit, power supply circuit, signal processing circuit, etc.)). Therefore, power can be supplied to the vibration detection sensor 181, and signals can be transmitted and received between the vibration detection sensor 181 and the circuit on the container support 23 side. That is, the vibration detection sensor 181 is connected to the external circuit provided on the container support 23 side via components that serve as signal lines and power supply lines.

[0349] Furthermore, the connector pin 182 can also be installed on the vibrating member 16 (container support 23) in a state where it can move in and out, either partially or entirely. For example, it can be configured such that a trigger plate that can move in and out is provided on the horizontal part 32 on the vibrating side. When the medicine container 20 is placed on the horizontal part 32 on the vibrating side, the trigger plate is pressed into the lower side, and the connector pin 182 protrudes in conjunction with this. That is, it can also protrude outward when holding the medicine container 20. In this embodiment, the connector pin 182 is used as the holding side engagement part, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is not limited to a terminal with a protruding shape (rod-shaped or needle-shaped), for example, it can also be a flat part. That is, as long as it is a terminal part that mates with the terminal part (connector contact part 71a) of the vibration detection sensor 181 and can make electrical contact, it is acceptable.

[0350] The drug feeder 5 of this embodiment can perform an installation judgment operation to determine whether the drug container 20 is correctly installed (whether it is correctly held) on the container support 23. The condition for the installation judgment operation to determine that the drug container 20 is correctly installed on the container support 23 is that the input voltage (input signal) is input to the circuit on the container support 23 side from the vibration detection sensor 181. Conversely, when the input voltage (input signal) is not input to the circuit on the container support 23 side, the possibility that the connector contact 71a and the connector pin 182 are not in proper contact is higher. Therefore, in this case, it is determined that the drug container 20 is not correctly installed.

[0351] Here, when the output voltage (output signal) from the vibration detection sensor 181 is input to the external circuit as the input voltage (input signal), depending on the type of accelerometer used, it may be necessary to amplify the input voltage. For example, when using an analog output accelerometer with a larger scale (lower detection sensitivity) as the vibration detection sensor 181, even when the vibration of the drug container 20 is at its maximum, the input voltage may only change slightly. In this case, it is difficult to detect accurate vibration without amplifying the input voltage. However, if offset voltages (offset adjustment circuits) are set for all three axes to amplify the input voltage, the circuit configuration becomes expensive. Furthermore, in this case, the offset voltages used to correct each axis may deviate and may be affected by ambient environmental factors such as temperature characteristics and gravity. As a method to prevent the offset voltage from deviating from the set value and amplifying the waveform beyond the measurement range, a method to make the sensor substrate of the vibration detection sensor 181 adjustable in size is considered, but this requires adjustment at the time of shipment, which is not ideal. As a solution to this problem, it is recommended to set the offset voltage when amplifying the signal of the 3-axis vibration detection sensor 181 to the same voltage, and further set the offset voltage to a level that prevents the amplified waveform from exceeding the measurement range. Here, the output voltage from the vibration detection sensor 181 is at its maximum when detecting vertical (up-down) vibrations in the 3-axis sensor. Therefore, the magnitude of the offset voltage when amplifying the vibration detection sensor 181 is set such that the amplified signal of the vibration detection sensor 181 detecting vertical (up-down) vibrations in the 3-axis sensor is within the measurement range.

[0352] Therefore, in the drug feeder 5 of this embodiment, one of the three-axis sensors, the Z-axis, is set to detect the vertical direction (up and down direction) to reduce the influence of gravity during detection. That is, by reducing the error in the detection value caused by the influence of gravity, the influence of the amount of error included during amplification is reduced. Furthermore, the offset voltage value of the Z-axis detection value is corrected to reflect the influence of gravity.

[0353] In detail, the process is pre-set to a state where the medicine container 20 does not vibrate, and the Z-axis is set to a state where the vertical direction can be detected. Measurements are performed within a specified temperature range (e.g., 0°C to 40°C). Through this measurement, the influence of 1 g of gravity (the magnitude of the resulting error and the change in output voltage) on the Z-axis detection value under a specified power supply voltage (e.g., 3 V) is obtained. The inventors measured the Z-axis detection value (voltage measurement) under the influence of gravity of 1 g, 0 g, and -1 g when the medicine feeder 5 is stationary and does not vibrate, obtaining the results shown in Table 1 below. Thus, by measuring the Z-axis detection value before and after amplification under the influence of various gravitational forces, the magnitude of the error in the detection value caused by the specified gravity and the influence of amplification on the magnitude of the error can be obtained. Furthermore, "the influence of amplification on the magnitude of the error" refers to the magnitude of the error in the amplified detection value, which is the change in the amplified detection value (output voltage). According to the measurements conducted by the inventors, the amplified detection value changes by a maximum of approximately 0.2 V per 1 g of gravity.

[0354] [Table 1] Table 1 Voltage before amplification (V) Amplified voltage (V) -1 g 1.62 2.28 0 g 1.63 2.46 1 g 1.64 2.59

[0355] Furthermore, based on the change in the amplified detection value and the measurement range in the input circuit, the offset voltage value of the Z-axis detection value (included in the output voltage) is determined. Specifically, the resistance values ​​of R1 and R2 in Figure 65 are adjusted to adjust the bias voltage, thereby determining the offset voltage value.

[0356] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when correcting the detection values ​​of the X-axis and Y-axis with an offset voltage, as shown in FIG65, the offset voltage value used to correct the detection values ​​of the X-axis and Y-axis is made to match the offset voltage value used to correct the detection value of the Z-axis. That is, as shown in FIG65, in this embodiment, an amplification circuit (operational amplifier) ​​is provided to correct (amplify) the detection values ​​of each of the three axes consisting of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. Furthermore, the same offset adjustment circuit (offset adjustment operational amplifier) ​​is used for the correction of each detection value of the three axes. Here, as described above, the offset voltage value used to correct the detection values ​​reflects the influence of gravity. The detection values ​​of the X-axis and Y-axis are not affected by gravity; therefore, if the same offset voltage as the detection value of the Z-axis is used for correction, the set value will deviate compared to the correction of the Z-axis. However, the amplitudes in the X and Y axes are less than those in the Z axis. Therefore, even if an offset voltage is set that matches the Z axis (even if the same bias voltage as the Z axis is used as a reference), the possibility of problems such as deviation from the measurement range is low. That is, the vibration detection sensor 181 of this embodiment has an amplification circuit that amplifies the output voltage, and unifies the offset voltages that correct the detection values ​​of the three axes into an offset voltage that corrects the detection value of the Z axis. In this way, by unifying the offset voltage with the axis (Z axis) where the predicted maximum vibration is, the maximum vibration can be detected with high accuracy. Furthermore, in order to improve the detection accuracy, it is preferable to also separately correct the X-axis detection value and the Y-axis detection value based on measurements performed in advance, such as the Z-axis as described above. However, as mentioned above, if the three axes are corrected separately, it will lead to an increase in manufacturing costs. Therefore, as mentioned above, considering that even if the detection values ​​of the X and Y axes are corrected in a unified manner with the Z axis, the possibility of problems is low and the detection accuracy can be fully utilized, the detection values ​​of the X and Y axes are corrected in a unified manner with the Z axis. Based on the above, and according to this embodiment, high-precision vibration detection can be achieved using a low-cost circuit configuration.

[0357] The vibration state can be monitored by the vibration detection device 180 at all times for all vibration axes (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis), or only for representative vibration axes. When an abnormality is detected, or at regular intervals such as before the start of work, the vibration state can be confirmed by using all vibration axes as the object.

[0358] For example, as shown in Figure 66(a), inspection modes can be N, F1, F2, and F3. Furthermore, for ease of explanation, Figure 66 assumes there are 3 drug feeders 5, and the number of drug feeders 5 is arbitrary. Mode N is the monitoring mode during normal operation. It is a more cautious inspection mode than modes F1, F2, and F3, and individually checks the vibration status of all vibration axes (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) of each drug feeder 5. Figures 66(b) and (c) are circuit diagrams for switching vibration detection sensors according to the inspection mode. The circuits shown in Figures 66(b) and (c) have an input section 100, a switch group 101, and an output section 102. For the input section 100, the output voltage (output signal) of the vibration detection sensor 181 of each X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of each drug feeder (F1), (F2), and (F3) is directly input or amplified. Specifically, X1 is the output of the vibration sensor on the X-axis of the drug feeder (F1), Y1 is the output of the vibration sensor on the Y-axis of the drug feeder (F1), and Z1 is the terminal input to the output of the vibration sensor on the Z-axis of the drug feeder (F1). Similarly, X2, Y2, and Z2 are the terminals input to the output of the vibration sensor on the drug feeder (F2). Likewise, X3, Y3, and Z3 are the terminals input to the output of the vibration sensor on the drug feeder (F3).

[0359] In the connection state shown in Figure 66(b) of the inspection mode N series, the input terminals of the Z-axis of each drug feeder (F1), (F2), and (F3) are connected to the output terminals. In the connection state shown in Figure 66(b), the output voltage (output signal) of the vibration detection sensor 181 of the Z-axis of the drug feeder (F1) is output to the output terminal S1. Also, the output voltage (output signal) of the vibration detection sensor 181 of the Z-axis of the drug feeder (F2) is output to the output terminal S2. The output voltage (output signal) of the vibration detection sensor 181 of the Z-axis of the drug feeder (F3) is output to the output terminal S3.

[0360] In inspection mode F1, the connection state is as shown in Figure 66(c). The input terminals of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of the drug feeder (F1) are connected to the output terminals. In the connection state shown in Figure 66(c), the output voltage (output signal) of the vibration detection sensor 181 of the X-axis of the drug feeder (F1) is output to the output terminal S1. Also, the output voltage (output signal) of the vibration detection sensor 181 of the Y-axis of the drug feeder (F1) is output to the output terminal S2. The output voltage (output signal) of the vibration detection sensor 181 of the Z-axis of the drug feeder (F1) is output to the output terminal S3. (Illustrations of the switch connection states in other inspection modes are omitted.) In inspection mode F2, the input terminals of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of the drug feeder (F2) are connected to the output terminals. Furthermore, in inspection mode F3, the input terminals of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of the drug feeder (F3) are connected to the output terminals.

[0361] The feeder unit 22 described above includes vibration excitation devices 30a and 30b, a potentiometer (not shown), an actuator (not shown), a weight measuring unit 24, and a vibration detection sensor 181 as an electrically configured machine. Furthermore, the potentiometer is a sensor capable of detecting the amount of movement or rotation angle, and can detect the amount of movement of a specified component (e.g., a component constituting the baffle opening / closing mechanism 55). The actuator functions as a drive device for driving the specified component (the component constituting the baffle opening / closing mechanism 55), specifically a DC (Direct Current) motor. Furthermore, the vibration excitation devices 30a and 30b, the potentiometer, and the actuator (not shown) are arranged such that a load is applied to the weight measuring unit 24. In addition to these vibration excitation devices 30a and 30b, the potentiometer, and the actuator (not shown), the weight measuring unit 24 and the vibration detection sensor 181 are arranged such that a load is applied to the vibration damping device 18 (vibration damping member 28).

[0362] Here, when the electrical configuration of the feeder unit 22 is connected to the upper control device (the control device of the main body disposed in the housing 2 of the dispensing device 1, not shown), it can also be connected via a wiring component. In this case, a motor driver can also be placed between the actuator and the upper control device. In addition, at least a part of the electrical configuration of the feeder unit 22 can be connected to the upper control device without a wiring component. For example, the potentiometer, actuator and upper control device can also be connected by wireless power supply and wireless communication. In this case, when the configuration is set to connect to the upper control device without a wiring component, the influence of wiring can be eliminated (reduced) when the weight measuring unit 24 performs the weight measuring operation, and a high-precision weight measuring operation can be achieved. Therefore, when performing the operation of adding a small amount of powder into the dispensing dish 6 (dividing a small amount of powder), a higher precision operation can be achieved.

[0363] As shown in Figure 4, the pharmaceutical feeder 5 includes: a feeder section 22 having a vibrating member 16; and a weight correction section 21 fixed to the middle plate section (a plate section located outside the dispensing dish 6 that serves as a base, see Figure 2, etc.) without vibration. Here, when the electrical components of the feeder section 22 are connected to the upper control device via wiring, it is preferable to use a thin, flat strip wiring member such as FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) (hereinafter referred to as strip wiring member). Furthermore, the strip wiring member is preferably configured to extend along a curved track (posture). That is, it is preferable not to extend in a straight line downwards, but to extend in a curved manner. In this case, the curved portion may also include a portion that temporarily extends upwards, a portion that extends downwards from the feeder section 22 in a direction away from it in the upper direction, and a portion that extends downwards in a direction close to the feeder section 22. Thus, by setting the structure to have an arc-shaped (circular) extension, when the vibrating member 16 vibrates and the weight measuring unit 24 performs the weight measuring action, the accuracy of the weight measuring action can be improved. That is, the effects of vibration-induced tension changes in the wiring components and movement of a portion of the wiring components can be eliminated (reduced), thereby improving the accuracy of the weight measuring action.

[0364] As described above, the feeder section 22 is equipped with piezoelectric elements (vibration devices 30a and 30b). Here, the vibration circuit of the piezoelectric element can use a D-class amplifier or an AB-class amplifier. However, using an AB-class amplifier allows for more appropriate control of the vibration action, and is therefore preferable. That is, by using an AB-class amplifier, the accuracy of the action of adding the powder into the dispensing dish 6 can be improved.

[0365] The above embodiments are embodiments of the following inventions. [Invention 1] A medicine feeder has a medicine container for containing powdered medicine and a holding member for holding the medicine container, from which powdered medicine can be discharged, and the medicine container has a vibration detection sensor for detecting its own vibration. [Invention 2] The medicine feeder as described in Invention 1, wherein the holding member has a holding side engagement portion, and the vibration detection sensor has a sensor side engagement portion, and by holding the medicine container with the holding member, the holding side engagement portion and the sensor side engagement portion are in contact, forming an electrical connection, and signal transmission and reception can be performed between the vibration detection sensor and other circuits. [Invention 3] The medicine feeder as described in Invention 2, wherein the medicine container performs an installation detection operation to determine whether it is held on the holding member, and the condition for the installation detection operation to determine that the medicine container is held on the holding member is that a signal output from the vibration detection sensor is input to other circuits. [Invention 4] A drug feeder as described in any one of Inventions 1 to 3, wherein the vibration detection sensor can detect vibrations in a plurality of directions, including the vertical direction and directions intersecting the vertical direction, and amplifies and outputs the detected value of the vertical vibration obtained by the vibration detection sensor. The value of the offset voltage of the amplified detected value is determined based on the influence of gravity on the vibration detection sensor, and the value of the offset voltage of the amplified vertical vibration detection value is the same as the value of the offset voltage of the vibration detection value in the direction intersecting the vertical direction. [Invention 5] A drug feeder as described in any one of Inventions 1 to 4, wherein the vibration detection sensor is an acceleration sensor. [Invention 6] A drug dispensing device comprising a drug feeder as described in any one of Inventions 1 to 5. [Industrial Applicability]

[0366] This invention relates to a dispensing device for pharmaceuticals, which can achieve the third goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): "Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all people of all ages." This dispensing device eliminates the need for pharmacists and other licensed pharmacists to perform the dispensing and weighing of loose medications, allowing technicians and other non-pharmacists to perform the task. Specifically, the operator does not need to focus on the medication; they simply take the medication container number specified based on the prescription information, or the medication container designated by a lamp or similar device on a shelf, and place it in the dispensing device to reliably complete the dispensing process required by the prescription. This allows pharmacists, as licensed pharmacists, to shift from in-kind dispensing to face-to-face patient-based services, enabling non-pharmacists to perform the necessary dispensing tasks, thus achieving the third goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): "Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all people of all ages." Furthermore, this invention can reduce labor costs and improve economic productivity. This, in turn, can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0043] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the state with the top cover open. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of the dispensing dish of the dispensing device in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the drug feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the drug feeder in Figure 3, omitting the information reading / writing device. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the drug feeder viewed from a different direction than Figure 4. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the feeder body of the drug feeder in the state of the self-holding component disassembling the drug container. Figure 7 is a side view of the feeder body of the drug feeder in the state of the self-holding component disassembling the drug container. Figure 8 is a side view of the feeder body shown in a model of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the feeder body of the drug feeder in the state of the self-holding component disassembling the drug container, viewed from a different direction than Figure 6. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the feeder body, showing the disassembly of the medicine container by the self-holding member, viewed from a different direction than Figures 6 and 9, and an enlarged view of the outline of the baffle opening and closing mechanism. Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of the holding member of the feeder body. Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of the holding member of the feeder body in further detail. Figures 13(a), (b), and (c) are explanatory diagrams showing the situation from the installation of the medicine container on the feeder body to the discharge of the medicine, and an enlarged sectional view of a part thereof. The left view of Figure 14(a) is a perspective view of the engaging member of the feeder body of Figure 10, and the right view is a perspective view of the engaging tab holding part 56 of the baffle opening and closing mechanism. The left view of (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the engaging tab of the feeder body submerged in the opening, and the right view is an explanatory diagram showing the engaging tab of the feeder body protruding from the opening. Figure 15(a) is a perspective view of the medicine container with the cover member open, and (b) is its front view. Figure 16 is a perspective view showing the posture of filling the medicine container with powdered medicine. Figures 17(a), (b), and (c) are front views of the lid portion of the medicine container, showing the situation when the lid member is fixed to the container body. Figure 18(a) shows the periphery of the fastening plate in the medicine container with the lid member closed; the left image is a perspective view, and the right image is a top view. (b) shows the periphery of the fastening plate in a medicine container with the lid member closed in a different embodiment than (a); the left image is a perspective view, and the right image is a top view. Figure 19 is an exploded perspective view of the baffle of the medicine container. Figure 20 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the baffle of the medicine container; (a) is a perspective view with the baffle closed, and (b) is a perspective view with the baffle open. Figure 21 is a perspective view showing the engagement state of the engagement part of the transmission member of the medicine container and the engagement part of the baffle opening and closing mechanism. Figure 22 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the medicine feeder and the dispensing dish. Figure 23(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the diffusion of the medicine when the baffle is fully opened and the medicine falls into the dispensing dish, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the diffusion of the medicine when the baffle is half-open and the medicine falls into the dispensing dish.Figure 24(a) is a bottom view of the medicine container with the baffle fully open, (b) is a bottom view of the medicine container with the baffle partially open, (c) is a bottom view of the medicine container with the baffle closed, and (d) is a perspective view of the lower part of the container body and the baffle. Figure 25(a) is a perspective view showing the installation of a sealing member different from that in Figure 19 on the baffle component, showing the view from below. (b) is a perspective view of the sealing member in (a), and (c) is a bottom view of the sealing member in (a). Figure 26 is a bottom view of the medicine container using the sealing member shown in Figure 25, (a) showing the baffle fully open, (b) showing the baffle slightly open, and (c) showing the baffle closed. Figure 27 is a bottom view of the medicine container in an embodiment different from the above embodiment, (a) showing the baffle fully open, (b) showing the baffle slightly open, and (c) showing the baffle closed. Figure 28 is a front view of a pharmaceutical feeder according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 29 is a perspective view of the interior of a pharmaceutical container according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, (a) showing the state with the second dividing baffle closed, and (b) showing the state with the second dividing baffle open. Figure 30 is an explanatory diagram of the opening and closing mechanism of the baffle used in the pharmaceutical container shown in Figure 29. Figure 31 is a perspective view of the periphery of the dispensing dish of a dispensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 32 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the dispensing dish and the powdered medicine funnel, (a) showing the state with the powdered medicine already sprinkled into the dispensing dish, (b) showing the state with the scraping device disc placed into the dispensing dish, and (c) showing the state with the powdered medicine scraped out from the dispensing dish. Figure 33 is a perspective view of a pharmaceutical container according to an embodiment different from the above embodiments, (a) showing the state with the cover member closed, and (b) showing the state with the cover member open. Figure 34(a) is a perspective view showing the medicine container of Figure 33(a) viewed from another direction, and (b) is a bottom view showing the medicine container of (a) in a schematic manner. Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view showing the medicine container of Figure 33(a), showing the case where the cover member and other parts are cut off with different cutting surfaces. Figure 36 is an exploded perspective view showing the medicine container of Figure 33(a). Figure 37 is a diagram showing the partition member of Figure 36, (a) is a perspective view viewed from below, and (b) is a front view. Figure 38(a) is a top view showing the medicine feeder and dispensing dish of Figure 2 in a schematic manner, and (b) is a perspective view showing the case where the posture of the hand-dispensing tablet device of Figure 1 is changed. Figure 39(a) is a side view showing the medicine feeder of the second embodiment in a model, and (b) is an exploded perspective view of its baffle opening and closing mechanism. Figures 40 (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory diagrams showing the situation when the medicine container is installed on the feeder body according to the second embodiment.Figure 41 (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory diagrams showing the situation when the drug container is removed from the feeder body according to the second embodiment of the drug feeder. Figure 42 (a) is a cross-sectional view of the drug container according to the third embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view near the baffle with the baffle open. Figure 43 is a front view of the drug feeder according to another embodiment of the present invention, (a) showing the state in which the drug container is installed on the feeder body, and (b) showing the state in which the drug container is removed from the feeder body. Figure 44 is a front view of the feeder body according to another embodiment of the present invention, (a) showing the state of the feeder body when the drug container is installed on the feeder body, and (b) showing the state of the feeder body when the drug container is removed from the feeder body. Figure 45 is an exploded perspective view of the baffle of the drug container according to the third embodiment. Figure 46 is a diagram of the partition member in Figure 45, (a) is a perspective view viewed from below, and (b) is a front view. Figure 47 shows a variation of the partition member; (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the horizontal portion of the partition plate. Figure 48 is a front view of the electronic display. Figure 49 shows a perspective view of a dispensing device with a variation of the top cover; (a) shows the outer cover closed, and (b) shows the outer cover open. Figure 50 shows a perspective view of a dispensing device with another variation of the top cover; (a) shows the outer cover closed, and (b) shows the outer cover open. Figure 51 shows a perspective view of the weight correction unit in Figure 4 viewed from another direction. Figure 52 is an exploded perspective view of the weight correction unit in Figure 51. Figure 53 shows the upper guide member in Figure 51; (a) is a perspective view viewed from below, and (b) is a cross-sectional view. Figure 54 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the weight correction unit in Figure 4 moving from the first state to the second state, moving in the order of (a) to (c). Figure 55(a) is a perspective view of a weight according to an embodiment different from Figure 52, and (b) is a perspective view of a weight support member according to an embodiment different from Figure 52. Figure 56(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a drug feeder according to a further different embodiment, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the drug feeder of (a) transitioning from a first state to a second state. Figure 57 is a diagram showing a calibration device that can be installed on the scraping device of Figure 2, (a) is a perspective view of the device installed on the scraping device, and (b) is an extruded explanatory diagram of the calibration device of (a). Figure 58(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the case where the calibration device shown in Figure 57 supports a heavy component, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the case where the heavy component is placed on the horizontal part on the vibrating side by means of the calibration device shown in Figure 57. Figure 59 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the drug feeder, (a) representing the first state and (b) representing the second state.Figure 60(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a weight correction unit in a dispensing device according to another embodiment. The left diagram in (b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the periphery of a weight component in the first state, and the right diagram is a schematic diagram illustrating the periphery of a weight component in the second state. Figure 61 is a schematic diagram illustrating the main parts of a dispensing device according to another embodiment, showing the situation where powdered medicine is discharged from the medicine feeder to the dispensing dish and a fault detection operation is performed. Figure 62 shows the situation where a fault detection operation different from that in Figure 61 is performed in the dispensing device shown in Figure 61. Figure 63 is a schematic diagram illustrating the specific sequence of the discharge operation of powdered medicine from the medicine feeder to the dispensing dish, with the discharge operation performed in the order of (a) to (k). Figure 64(a) is a perspective view of the container support shown in Figure 8 in a simplified model form, and (b) is a perspective view of the medicine container shown in Figure 8 in a simplified model form. Figure 65 is a circuit diagram of the vibration detection sensor in Figure 64. Figure 66(a) is a logic table showing the inspection mode when checking the vibration state of the drug feeder, (b) is a circuit diagram for switching the vibration detection sensor, showing the connection state of each switch when the inspection mode is N, and (c) is a circuit diagram for switching the vibration detection sensor, showing the connection state of each switch when the inspection mode is F1.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical feeder comprising a pharmaceutical container for holding a powdered drug, a container holding portion for holding the pharmaceutical container, and a weight measuring device for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the pharmaceutical container, wherein the pharmaceutical container is vibrated to discharge the powdered drug from the pharmaceutical container, and the amount of powdered drug discharged is detected by the weight measuring device, wherein the pharmaceutical container discharges the powdered drug from the powdered drug discharge portion to the outside, and the feeder comprises an opening and closing member for opening and closing the powdered drug discharge portion, and further comprises an opening and closing mechanism portion, wherein the opening and closing mechanism portion directly or indirectly applies force to the opening and closing member to move at least a portion of the opening and closing member to open and close the powdered drug discharge portion, and applies force to the opening and closing member when the powdered drug discharge portion is to be in an open state and a closed state, respectively.

2. The drug feeder of claim 1, wherein the drug container can be manually held in the container holding part and can be manually removed from the container holding part, thereby removing the drug container from the container holding part and the opening and closing mechanism part.

3. The drug feeder as requested in item 1 or 2, wherein when the above-mentioned drug discharge section is in the open state, the opening degree of the above-mentioned drug discharge section can be adjusted in stages.

4. The pharmaceutical feeder of claim 1 or 2, wherein the powder discharge section is an obliquely extending slit, the opening and closing member has a locking wall that moves below the powder discharge section, the locking wall is shaped to extend along the width direction of the pharmaceutical container, and as the opening and closing member moves toward the closing direction, the overlap between the locking wall and the powder discharge section increases, and the effective opening width of the powder discharge section for discharging the powder decreases.

5. A pharmaceutical feeder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the container holding part has a longitudinal wall, and the longitudinal wall is vibrated by a vibration device, and the pharmaceutical container is fixed to the longitudinal wall and vibrates.

6. A pharmaceutical feeder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pharmaceutical container has a large-area side surface and a small-area side surface, the height is greater than the width, the side of the bottom surface and / or the side surface near the bottom surface has the aforementioned dispensing part, and a partition member with an opening is provided near the bottom surface, through which the dispensing material moves between the partition, the partition plate and the bottom and reaches the aforementioned dispensing part.

7. The pharmaceutical feeder of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the above-mentioned powder discharge section is an obliquely extending slit.

8. A pharmaceutical feeder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pharmaceutical container has a large-area side surface and a small-area side surface, the height is greater than the width, the large-area side surface can be opened, the pharmaceutical container can be attached and detached relative to the container holding part, and the large-area side surface is opened to fill the powdered medicine while the pharmaceutical container is detached from the container holding part.

9. The pharmaceutical feeder of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an eave-shaped temporary receiving plate is provided at the middle part of the pharmaceutical container in the height direction.

10. The pharmaceutical feeder of any one of claims 1 to 9, having a locking mechanism that locks the opening and closing member when the dispensing part is closed, and releasing the locking mechanism by holding the pharmaceutical container in the container holding part.

11. A pharmaceutical feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the container holding portion has a longitudinal wall, and a holding portion-side engaging portion is provided on the longitudinal wall, the pharmaceutical container engaging with the holding portion-side engaging portion, thereby holding the pharmaceutical container in the container holding portion, the pharmaceutical container having an engaging portion, and the container holding portion having a disengagement auxiliary member, the disengagement auxiliary member engaging with the engaging portion and pushing the pharmaceutical container in a direction of disengagement from the container holding portion.

12. A pharmaceutical feeder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein a dispensing passage connected to the dispensing discharge portion is present within the pharmaceutical container, the dispensing powder moves through the dispensing passage and is discharged from the dispensing discharge portion, a top wall is present in the dispensing passage, the opening and closing member has a protrusion that protrudes toward the dispensing passage side when the dispensing discharge portion is closed, and a partition portion protruding downward into the dispensing passage is present in the top wall, wherein when the opening and closing member closes the dispensing discharge portion, the protrusion reaches the vicinity of the partition portion.

13. A pharmaceutical feeder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12, having a weight component and a lifting device for raising or lowering at least one of the weight component, the weight measuring device, or the pharmaceutical container, comparing the state in which the load of the weight component is applied to the weight measuring device with the state in which the load of the weight component is not applied to the weight measuring device, thereby performing calibration and / or fault detection of the weight measuring device.

14. A pharmaceutical feeder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the pharmaceutical container has a vibration detection sensor for detecting its own vibration.

15. A dispensing device for taking out a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a medicine container, dividing the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of portions, packaging them individually, and discharging them, and having a dispensing dish with a medicine inlet trough and rotating by a power source, and having a plurality of medicine feeders, such as any one of claims 1 to 14, disposed near the dispensing dish to discharge the powdered medicine from the medicine container and into the medicine inlet trough of the dispensing dish.