Dual-mode dispensing machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a dual-mode dispensing machine which comprises a quick dispensing module and a manipulator dispensing module. The rapid medicine dispensing module comprises a first cabinet body, and a chute medicine storage mechanism and a horizontal conveying belt which are accommodated in the first cabinet body; the chute medicine storage mechanism comprises a plurality of chutes; a stopper is arranged at the bottom end of each chute; the manipulator medicine dispensing module comprises a second cabinet body, a flat groove medicine storage mechanism, a refrigerated cabinet and a clamping manipulator; the flat groove medicine storage mechanism is arranged on the inner side wall of the second cabinet body and comprises a plurality of horizontal flat grooves; the refrigerated cabinet comprises a refrigerated cabinet body and a refrigerated cabinet door; the refrigerated cabinet body is arranged on the inner side wall of the second cabinet body; the refrigeration cabinet door can slide up and down to open and close; the clamping mechanical arm is installed in the second cabinet body and can clamp the medicine in any flat groove and the refrigerated cabinet and move the medicine to the designated position. According to the dual-mode dispensing machine, through cooperative work of the rapid dispensing module and the manipulator dispensing module, the dispensing efficiency is improved, and the waiting time of a user is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a dual-mode dispensing machine. Background Technology

[0002] Dispensing machines are intelligent devices used in medical institution pharmacies, achieving precise drug dispensing through automated technologies such as robotic arms and conveyor belts. These machines seamlessly connect to hospital information systems, allowing for rapid dispensing of medication within 5-8 seconds after patient payment, significantly reducing the time required for traditional manual dispensing. Their core functions include automatic refilling, intelligent inventory management, and low-dose alerts. Some models are equipped with a dual-station robotic dispensing system for fully automated management, finding applications in outpatient pharmacies and mobile emergency scenarios.

[0003] Many outpatient pharmacies have already used automated dispensing machines to replace manual dispensing. These automated dispensing machines include a refill area, a transport area, a medicine box storage area, a dispensing area, and a return area. The staff places the medicine box in the refill area, which then provides the medicine box to the robotic transport area. The robotic transport area places the medicine box in the medicine box storage area, and the dispensing area dispenses the medicine box. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to enrich the product range of dispensing machines and improve the dispensing efficiency of dispensing machines, this embodiment of the invention provides a dual-mode dispensing machine.

[0005] This invention provides a dual-mode dispensing machine, including a rapid dispensing module and a robotic arm dispensing module;

[0006] The rapid dispensing module includes a first cabinet and a sloping groove drug storage mechanism and a horizontal conveyor belt housed in the first cabinet; the horizontal conveyor belt is located at the bottom edge of the first cabinet and can receive drugs that slide down from the sloping groove drug storage mechanism.

[0007] The inclined trough medicine storage mechanism includes several downward inclined troughs for storing boxed medicines; each inclined trough is equipped with a stopper at the bottom end, and the stoppers of any number of inclined troughs can be opened simultaneously so that multiple medicine bottles fall onto the horizontal conveyor belt at the same time.

[0008] The robotic arm dispensing module includes a second cabinet, a flat-slot drug storage mechanism, a refrigerator, and a gripping robotic arm;

[0009] The flat-slot medicine storage mechanism is located on the inner side wall of the second cabinet and includes several horizontal flat slots for storing irregularly shaped medicines.

[0010] The refrigerator is used to store medicines that require refrigeration, and includes a refrigerator body and a refrigerator door; the refrigerator body is located on the inner side wall of the second refrigerator; the refrigerator door is located on the outer side of the second refrigerator body and can slide up and down to open and close.

[0011] The gripping robot is installed inside the second cabinet and can grip any flat slot and medicines in the refrigerator, and move the medicines to a designated position.

[0012] In one or more alternative embodiments, the gripping robot includes a gripping robot body, a first lifting slider, a gripping robot column, a first first track, and a first ground track;

[0013] The first top rail is fixed to the top of the second cabinet, and the first bottom rail is fixed to the bottom of the second cabinet. The first top rail and the first bottom rail are parallel vertically.

[0014] The gripping robot arm column is positioned between the first overhead rail and the first ground rail, and can slide along the first overhead rail and the first ground rail;

[0015] The first lifting slider is disposed on the gripping robot column and can move up and down along the gripping robot column;

[0016] The gripping robot body is fixedly connected to the first lifting slider.

[0017] In one or more alternative embodiments, the gripping robot body includes a mounting base, a support platform, and a rotary motor;

[0018] The mounting base is fixed to the first lifting slider;

[0019] The support platform is movably mounted on the mounting base;

[0020] The rotary motor is located at the lower part of the mounting base and is connected to the support platform in a transmission manner, enabling it to drive the support platform to rotate.

[0021] In one or more alternative embodiments, the gripping manipulator body further includes a clamping motor, two clamping plates, and two lead screw mechanisms;

[0022] The two clamping plates and the clamping plate motor are both mounted on the support platform, and the two clamping plates are arranged symmetrically.

[0023] The clamping plate motor is connected to the two clamping plates and can drive the two clamping plates to move away from each other and to move closer to each other.

[0024] The two lead screw mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support platform, and can push the two clamping plates and the clamping plate motor to move forward or backward relative to the support platform.

[0025] In one or more alternative embodiments, the gripping manipulator body further includes a push rod and a push rod motor disposed on the support platform;

[0026] The push rod is positioned on the center line of the support platform;

[0027] The push rod motor is connected to the push rod and can drive the push rod forward or backward.

[0028] In one or more alternative embodiments, the gripping robot body further includes a monitoring camera disposed on the support platform.

[0029] In one or more alternative embodiments, the number of refrigerator doors is two;

[0030] The two refrigerator doors are respectively located on the outside of the refrigerator body, with the upper refrigerator door sliding upward to open and the lower refrigerator door sliding downward to open.

[0031] In one or more alternative embodiments, the robotic arm dispensing module further includes a medication conveyor belt;

[0032] The second cabinet is provided with a medicine replenishment port, and the medicine replenishment conveyor belt extends into the second cabinet through the medicine replenishment port so that the medicine replenishment conveyor belt can transport the medicine into the second cabinet;

[0033] The gripping robot can grip the medicine on the medicine conveyor belt and place the gripped medicine into any flat trough or refrigerated cabinet.

[0034] In one or more alternative embodiments, the rapid dispensing module further includes a dispensing robot arm;

[0035] The drug-adding robotic arm is located inside the first cabinet on the side away from the horizontal conveyor belt;

[0036] The medicine replenishment robot includes a medicine replenishment robot body, a medicine replenishment robot column, a second lifting slider, a second second rail, and a second ground rail.

[0037] The second ground rail is fixed to the top of the first cabinet, and the second ground rail is fixed to the bottom of the first cabinet. The second ground rail and the second ground rail are parallel vertically.

[0038] The column of the medicine replenishment robot is positioned between the second second rail and the second ground rail, and can slide along the second second rail and the second ground rail;

[0039] The second lifting slider is disposed on the column of the drug replenishing robot and can move up and down along the column of the drug replenishing robot;

[0040] The main body of the medicine-addressing robotic arm is fixedly connected to the second lifting slider.

[0041] In one or more alternative embodiments, the blocker includes an electromagnet, a reset element, and a magnetic baffle;

[0042] The reset component is connected to the electromagnet and the magnetic baffle, respectively.

[0043] The magnetic baffle is located at the bottom of the inclined groove to prevent medicine from falling.

[0044] When the electromagnet is energized, it attracts the magnetic baffle, causing the magnetic baffle to compress the reset member and retract below the bottom of the inclined groove.

[0045] When the electromagnet is de-energized, the magnetic baffle is reset under the elastic force of the reset member.

[0046] The beneficial effects of the above-described technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention include at least the following:

[0047] The dual-mode dispensing machine provided in this invention, through its rapid dispensing module with gravity-fed chute and multi-stop synchronous opening design, achieves batch and rapid dispensing of standardized boxed medicines, significantly improving the processing speed of regular medicines during peak periods and meeting large-scale dispensing needs. The robotic arm dispensing module precisely handles irregularly shaped and easily scattered medicines, while an integrated refrigerated cabinet covers the storage and dispensing needs of medicines requiring refrigeration. The dispensing machine boasts a high degree of functional integration, enabling simultaneous processing and unified delivery of different types of medicines. Users no longer need to travel between multiple locations and can retrieve their entire prescription at once, greatly improving dispensing and retrieval efficiency. Furthermore, the collaborative work of the rapid dispensing module and the robotic arm dispensing module shortens dispensing time, improves efficiency, effectively reduces user waiting time, and fundamentally improves the medication retrieval experience.

[0048] The dual-mode dispensing machine provided in this invention uses inclined slots for standardized boxed medicines, utilizing gravity-assisted dispensing for a simple and reliable structure. Irregularly shaped medicines are stored in horizontal slots, avoiding spillage and collisions caused by tilted storage. Combined with the adaptive gripping design of the robotic arm, this further ensures the safety of transporting irregularly shaped medicines. Medicines requiring refrigeration are stored in a dedicated refrigerated cabinet with a sliding door design. This ensures a sealed refrigerated environment without interfering with the gripping action of the robotic arm, ensuring smooth handling of refrigerated medicines. The independent refrigerated space ensures that the medicine storage environment meets standards, preventing medicine deterioration due to improper storage. This multi-layered protection design significantly improves the reliability of medicine storage and transportation, and reduces medicine loss rates.

[0049] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the written description and the accompanying drawings.

[0050] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0051] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first external structure of the dual-mode dispensing machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second external structure of the dual-mode dispensing machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first internal structure of the dual-mode dispensing machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second internal structure of the dual-mode dispensing machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the layer and partition provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drug-dispensing robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the gripping robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gripping robotic arm body provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure label:

[0062] 11. First cabinet; 12. Inclined chute medicine storage mechanism; 121. Inclined chute; 122. Support frame; 123. Shelf; 124. Partition; 13. Horizontal conveyor belt; 14. Medicine replenishment robot; 141. Medicine replenishment robot body; 142. Medicine replenishment robot column; 143. Second lifting slider; 144. Second second rail; 145. Second ground rail;

[0063] 21. Second cabinet; 211. Replenishment port; 22. Flat trough medicine storage mechanism; 221. Flat trough; 23. Refrigerated cabinet; 231. Refrigerated cabinet body; 232. Refrigerated cabinet door; 233. Cabinet door motor; 24. Clamping robot; 241. Clamping robot body; 2411. Mounting base; 2412. Support platform; 2413. Rotary motor; 2414. Clamping plate motor; 2415. Clamping plate; 2416. Screw mechanism; 2417. Screw motor; 2418. Push rod; 2419. Push rod motor; 24110. Monitoring camera; 242. First lifting slider; 243. Clamping robot column; 244. First first track; 245. First ground track; 25. Replenishment conveyor belt. Detailed Implementation

[0064] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0065] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "far," "near," "front," and "rear," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0066] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0067] The inventors discovered that in the field of automated dispensing equipment, while pure robotic arm gripping can handle irregularly shaped medicines, it is inefficient at dispensing large quantities of standardized boxed medicines, making it difficult to meet the demand for rapid dispensing during peak periods. While rapid dispensing mechanisms relying on chute or conveyor belt can improve the processing speed of conventional medicines, they cannot reliably handle irregularly shaped or easily scattered medicines. This results in low functional integration of existing dispensing machines, making it difficult to balance dispensing efficiency and the comprehensiveness of the types of medicines dispensed. People either need to retrieve their medicines from different locations multiple times or have to wait for a long time, negatively impacting the user experience.

[0068] Based on this, the inventors conducted further research and development and came up with this invention, which provides a dual-mode dispensing machine.

[0069] This invention provides a dual-mode dispensing machine, referring to... Figures 1-5 As shown, it includes a rapid drug dispensing module and a robotic arm drug dispensing module;

[0070] The rapid dispensing module includes a first cabinet 11 and a sloping groove drug storage mechanism 12 and a horizontal conveyor belt 13 housed within the first cabinet 11; the horizontal conveyor belt 13 is located at the bottom edge of the first cabinet 11 and is capable of receiving drugs that slide down from the sloping groove drug storage mechanism 12.

[0071] The inclined trough medicine storage mechanism 12 includes several downward inclined troughs 121 for storing boxed medicines; each inclined trough 121 is provided with a stopper (not shown in the figure) at the bottom end, and the stoppers of any number of inclined troughs 121 can be opened at the same time so that multiple medicine bottles fall onto the horizontal conveyor belt 13 at the same time.

[0072] The robotic arm dispensing module includes a second cabinet 21, a flat-slot drug storage mechanism 22, a refrigerator 23, and a gripping robotic arm 24;

[0073] The flat-slot medicine storage mechanism 22 is located on the inner side wall of the second cabinet 21 and includes several horizontal flat slots 221 for storing irregularly shaped medicines.

[0074] The refrigerator 23 is used to store medicines that need to be refrigerated, and includes a refrigerator body 231 and a refrigerator door 232; the refrigerator body 231 is located on the inner side wall of the second cabinet 21; the refrigerator door 232 is located on the outer side of the second cabinet 21 and can slide up and down to open and close.

[0075] The gripping robot 24 is installed inside the second cabinet 21 and can grip any medicine in the flat slot 221 and the refrigerator 23, and move the medicine to a designated position.

[0076] The dual-mode dispensing machine provided in this embodiment of the invention also includes a central control module, which is connected to a stopper, a gripping robot 24, and a refrigerator 23 via signals. The central control module can control the stopper to move down and reset to control the falling of medicines, can control the gripping robot 24 to move to any position within the second cabinet 21 and perform gripping actions, and can also control the opening and closing of the refrigerator door 232. By synchronously controlling the falling of medicines and the gripping robot 24 to retrieve medicines, one-stop rapid medicine retrieval based on prescriptions can be achieved.

[0077] The dual-mode dispensing machine provided in this invention, through the design of a rapid dispensing module with a sloping chute gravity dispensing system and multiple simultaneous blocking devices, achieves batch and rapid dispensing of standardized boxed medicines, significantly improving the processing speed of regular medicines during peak periods and meeting large-scale dispensing needs. The robotic arm dispensing module precisely handles irregularly shaped and easily scattered medicines, while the integrated refrigerated cabinet 23 covers the storage and dispensing needs of medicines requiring refrigeration. The dispensing machine has a high degree of functional integration, achieving simultaneous processing and unified delivery of different types of medicines. Users do not need to travel between multiple locations and can obtain all prescription medications at once, greatly improving dispensing and retrieval efficiency. Furthermore, the collaborative work of the rapid dispensing module and the robotic arm dispensing module shortens dispensing time, improves dispensing efficiency, effectively reduces user waiting time, and fundamentally improves the medication retrieval experience.

[0078] The dual-mode dispensing machine provided in this embodiment of the invention uses a slanted groove 121 to store standardized boxed medicines, utilizing gravity-assisted dispensing for a simple and reliable structure. Irregularly shaped medicines are stored in a horizontal groove 221, avoiding spillage and collisions caused by tilted storage. Combined with the adaptive gripping design of the robotic arm, this further ensures the safety of transporting irregularly shaped medicines. Medicines requiring refrigeration are stored in a dedicated refrigerated cabinet 23, with the cabinet door 232 featuring a sliding opening and closing design. This ensures a sealed refrigerated environment without interfering with the gripping action of the robotic arm, ensuring smooth handling of refrigerated medicines. The independent refrigerated space ensures that the medicine storage environment meets standards, preventing medicine deterioration due to improper storage. This multi-layered protection design significantly improves the reliability of medicine storage and transportation, and reduces medicine loss rates.

[0079] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown, the inclined slot medicine storage mechanism 12 includes a support frame 122 and multiple shelves 123 fixed within the support frame 122. All shelves 123 are inclined downwards at the same angle to ensure that they are parallel to each other. Each shelf 123 has multiple parallel partitions 124 to divide it into multiple strip-shaped inclined slots 121. Each inclined slot 121 has a separate stopper at its bottom, allowing boxed medicines to be stored within the slot 121. The vertical spacing between the shelves 123 and the horizontal spacing between the partitions 124 can be adaptively set according to the size of the boxed medicines, forming various sizes of storage slots to meet the sizes of most boxed medicines on the market, thus improving the versatility of medicine storage.

[0080] In one specific embodiment, the blocker may include an electromagnet (not shown), a reset element (not shown), and a magnetic baffle (not shown). The reset element is connected to both the electromagnet and the magnetic baffle. The magnetic baffle is located at the bottom end of the inclined chute 121 to prevent medication from falling. The reset element and the electromagnet may be located on the bottom surface of the shelf 123. When the main control module energizes the electromagnet, the electromagnet attracts the magnetic baffle, causing the magnetic baffle to compress the reset element until the magnetic baffle retracts below the bottom of the inclined chute 121. At this point, the medication slides from the inclined chute 121 onto the horizontal conveyor belt 13. When the main control module de-energizes the electromagnet, the magnetic baffle resets under the elastic force of the reset element, restoring its blocking effect on the medication. The main control module can control the simultaneous opening and resetting of blockers at different positions, achieving efficient batch dispensing of boxed medications.

[0081] Preferably, multiple parallel inclined trough drug storage mechanisms 12 can be placed inside the first cabinet 11 according to the required amount of drug to be stored.

[0082] In this embodiment, the rapid dispensing module also includes a medication replenishment robot 14. The medication replenishment robot 14 is located inside the first cabinet 11 on the side away from the horizontal conveyor belt 13, i.e., near the high end of the inclined chute 121. It can deliver boxed medications onto the inclined chute 121, where the boxed medications slide down naturally under gravity, completing the replenishment operation. Specifically, the medication replenishment robot 14 includes a medication replenishment robot body 141, a medication replenishment robot column 142, a second lifting slider 143, a second second track 144, and a second ground track 145. The second rail 144 is fixed to the top of the first cabinet 11, and the second ground rail 145 is fixed to the bottom of the first cabinet 11. The second rail 144 and the second ground rail 145 are parallel vertically. The medicine replenishment robot column 142 is set between the second rail 144 and the second ground rail 145 and can slide horizontally along the second rail 144 and the second ground rail 145. The second lifting slider 143 is set on the medicine replenishment robot column 142 and can move up and down along the medicine replenishment robot column 142. The medicine replenishment robot body 141 is fixedly connected to the second lifting slider 143. The replenishment robot arm column 142 moves along the second second rail 144 and the second ground rail 145 to achieve left and right X-axis positioning, and the second lifting slider 143 moves along the replenishment robot arm column 142 to achieve Y-axis positioning. This allows the replenishment robot arm body 141 to accurately reach the high-end entrance of any inclined chute 121 behind it for replenishment. Moreover, the replenishment process is completely separated from the front-end user's medicine retrieval process in space and time, and medicine can be replenished at any time. This ensures that the inclined chute medicine storage mechanism 12 can continuously receive supplies during the rapid medicine dispensing at the front end, and improves the system's continuous service capability and reliability.

[0083] In this embodiment, the flat-slot medicine storage mechanism 22 is an open compartment installed on the inner side wall of the second cabinet 21, and the size of its flat slot 221 is reasonably set according to the specific size of the medicine.

[0084] In this embodiment, the gripping robot 24 includes a gripping robot body 241, a first lifting slider 242, a gripping robot column 243, a first top rail 244, and a first bottom rail 245. Specifically, the first top rail 244 is fixed to the top of the second cabinet 21, and the first bottom rail 245 is fixed to the bottom of the second cabinet 21. The first top rail 244 and the first bottom rail 245 are parallel vertically. The gripping robot column 243 is disposed between the first top rail 244 and the first bottom rail 245 and can slide along the first top rail 244 and the first bottom rail 245. The first lifting slider 242 is disposed on the gripping robot column 243 and can move up and down along the gripping robot column 243. The gripping robot body 241 is fixedly connected to the first lifting slider 242 and can move together with the first lifting slider 242. The gripping robot arm 241 achieves left and right X-axis positioning by moving its column 243 along the first first track 244 and the first ground track 245, and achieves Y-axis positioning by moving its first lifting slider 242 along the column 243. This allows the gripping robot arm 241 to accurately reach the opposite side of any flat slot 221 to grip the medicine, achieving fast and accurate dispensing. The gripping robot arm column 243 and the first lifting slider 242 are each driven by a corresponding motor, and the motor signals are connected to the central control module.

[0085] In one specific embodiment, the gripping robot body 241 includes a mounting base 2411, a support platform 2412, a rotary motor 2413, a clamping motor 2414, two clamping plates 2415, and two lead screw mechanisms 2416. The mounting base 2411 is fixed to the first lifting slider 242. The support platform 2412 is movably mounted on the mounting base 2411. The rotary motor 2413 is located at the lower part of the mounting base 2411 and is connected to the support platform 2412, enabling it to drive the support platform 2412 to rotate. The two clamping plates 2415 and the clamping motor 2414 are both mounted on the support platform 2412, and the two clamping plates 2415 are symmetrically arranged. The clamping motor 2414 is connected to the two clamping plates 2415, enabling it to drive the two clamping plates 2415 to move away from each other and closer together, thereby achieving the gripping and placement of medicines. Two lead screw mechanisms 2416 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support platform 2412, which can push the clamping unit composed of two clamping plates 2415 and a clamping plate motor 2414 forward or backward relative to the support platform 2412, so that the two clamping plates 2415 can extend into the flat groove 221 to clamp at different depths. The support platform 2412 is also provided with a lead screw motor 2417 for driving the movement of the lead screw mechanism 2416. The lead screw motor 2417, the rotary motor 2413, and the clamping plate motor 2414 are all connected to the main control module. The main control module can control the rotation of the support platform 2412, the clamping and placement of the clamping plates 2415, and the horizontal movement of the lead screw mechanism 2416 by controlling the power output of the three motors. In conjunction with the movement of the lifting slider and the clamping manipulator column 243, precise and fully automated storage and retrieval operations of medicines in the flat groove medicine storage mechanism 22 and the refrigerator 23 can be realized. Taking medicine retrieval as an example, the specific process is as follows:

[0086] The main control module controls the gripping robot column 243 to slide horizontally along the second second rail 144 and the second ground rail 145, so that the gripping robot body 241 moves to the X-axis coordinate where the target flat groove 221 is located;

[0087] The main control module controls the first lifting slider 242 to move up and down along the gripping robot column 243, adjusting the gripping robot body 241 to the Y-axis coordinate where the target flat groove 221 is located;

[0088] The main control module controls the rotary motor 2413 to drive the support platform 2412 to rotate, so that the clamping plane formed by the two clamping plates 2415 is precisely aligned with the groove direction of the target flat groove 221;

[0089] The main control module controls the two lead screw motors 2417 to work synchronously, pushing the entire clamping unit to move horizontally forward relative to the support platform 2412, so that the two clamping plates 2415 can be smoothly extended into the flat groove 221 until they reach the predetermined clamping positions on both sides of the medicine.

[0090] The main control module controls the clamping plate motor 2414 to drive the two clamping plates 2415 to move closer to each other, firmly clamping the medicine with a set safety clamping force, and confirming the clamping through current feedback or force sensor.

[0091] After confirming clamping, the main control module controls the screw mechanism 2416 to move in the opposite direction, driving the gripping unit and the gripped medicine to move horizontally backward, smoothly removing the medicine from the flat groove 221 and completely retracting it above the support platform 2412.

[0092] After the medicine is moved onto the support platform 2412, the main control module controls the clamp motor 2414 to drive the two clamps 2415 to move away from each other and release them. The medicine is then smoothly placed onto the support platform 2412 under the action of gravity.

[0093] After the clamping plate 2415 is released, the main control module controls the rotary motor 2413 to drive the bearing platform 2412 to rotate back to a preset center angle, in preparation for the next movement;

[0094] When the main control module determines that the medicine placed on the carrier platform 2412 has reached its maximum capacity, or determines that all the medicines required to be obtained from the robotic arm module in the prescription have been retrieved, the main control module controls the gripping robotic arm column 243 to move horizontally and the first lifting slider 242 to move vertically, so as to move the carrier platform 2412 carrying one or more medicines to the designated medicine outlet.

[0095] In one specific embodiment, the gripping robot body 241 further includes a push rod 2418 and a push rod motor 2419 disposed on the support platform 2412. The push rod 2418 is disposed on the center line of the support platform 2412, and the push rod motor 2419 is connected to the push rod 2418, enabling it to drive the push rod 2418 forward or backward. A limit stop (not shown in the figure) is provided at the front end of the support platform 2412 (the protruding end of the clamping plate 2415). The medicine gripped by the clamping plate 2415 is placed between the limit stop and the push rod 2418. By driving the push rod 2418 forward through the push rod motor 2419, the gap between the medicine and the medicine can be eliminated, improving the utilization rate of the space on the support platform 2412, thereby reducing the number of back-and-forth cycles of "gripping-transferring" and shortening the overall medicine dispensing time. In addition, the quantity of medicine can be determined by the position of the push rod 2418 and the length of the medicine.

[0096] In one specific embodiment, the gripping robot body 241 also includes a monitoring camera 24110 disposed on the support platform 2412. The monitoring camera 24110 serves as a visual sensor, which converts the operation of the gripping robot body 241 into analyzable and verifiable visual information and feeds it back to the central control module.

[0097] In one specific embodiment, a cabinet door motor 233 connected to the main control module is installed inside the refrigerator cabinet 231 to drive the refrigerator door 232 to slide up and down. Two refrigerator doors 232 are designed, positioned vertically on the outer side of the refrigerator cabinet 231. The upper refrigerator door 232 slides upwards to open, and the lower refrigerator door 232 slides downwards to open. This design allows the doors to be completely attached to the outer panel of the cabinet when opened, retracting vertically. It also avoids the situation where a single large door occupies a lot of space and is inconvenient to fully open within the limited space of the second cabinet 21. The refrigerator cabinet 231 can be installed in the middle of the side wall of the second cabinet 21, facilitating gripping by the robotic arm 24. Meanwhile, the two refrigerator doors 232 divide the access points of the refrigerator body 231 into two independent working areas in the vertical direction, which is equivalent to dividing a large refrigerated space into two sub-areas that can be entered and exited separately. The main control module can open the upper cabinet door to access the upper medicines or open the lower cabinet door to access the lower medicines without exposing the entire refrigerated compartment, thus saving time and energy.

[0098] In one specific embodiment, the robotic arm dispensing module also includes a medication conveyor belt 25. The second cabinet 21 is provided with a medication inlet 211, and the medication conveyor belt 25 extends into the second cabinet 21 through the inlet 211, enabling the conveyor belt 25 to transport medications into the second cabinet 21. The gripping robotic arm 24 can grip the medications on the medication conveyor belt 25 and place them into any flat slot 221 or refrigerated cabinet 23, thus reusing the capabilities of the gripping robotic arm 24. This achieves decoupling and parallel operation of automated medication dispensing and front-end / back-end processes, significantly improving automation and operational efficiency.

[0099] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. This disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the invention fall within the scope of the claims of the invention and their equivalents, the invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A dual-mode dispensing machine, characterized in that, Includes a rapid dispensing module and a robotic dispensing module; The rapid dispensing module includes a first cabinet and a sloping groove drug storage mechanism and a horizontal conveyor belt housed in the first cabinet; the horizontal conveyor belt is located at the bottom edge of the first cabinet and can receive drugs that slide down from the sloping groove drug storage mechanism. The inclined trough medicine storage mechanism includes several downward inclined troughs for storing boxed medicines; each inclined trough is equipped with a stopper at the bottom end, and the stoppers of any number of inclined troughs can be opened simultaneously so that multiple medicine bottles fall onto the horizontal conveyor belt at the same time. The robotic arm dispensing module includes a second cabinet, a flat-slot drug storage mechanism, a refrigerator, and a gripping robotic arm; The flat-slot medicine storage mechanism is located on the inner side wall of the second cabinet and includes several horizontal flat slots for storing irregularly shaped medicines. The refrigerator is used to store medicines that require refrigeration, and includes a refrigerator body and a refrigerator door; the refrigerator body is located on the inner side wall of the second refrigerator; the refrigerator door is located on the outer side of the second refrigerator body and can slide up and down to open and close. The gripping robot is installed inside the second cabinet and can grip any flat slot and medicines in the refrigerator, and move the medicines to a designated position.

2. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping robot includes a gripping robot body, a first lifting slider, a gripping robot column, a first first track, and a first ground track. The first top rail is fixed to the top of the second cabinet, and the first bottom rail is fixed to the bottom of the second cabinet. The first top rail and the first bottom rail are parallel vertically. The gripping robot arm column is positioned between the first overhead rail and the first ground rail, and can slide along the first overhead rail and the first ground rail; The first lifting slider is disposed on the gripping robot column and can move up and down along the gripping robot column; The gripping robot body is fixedly connected to the first lifting slider.

3. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gripping robot body includes a mounting base, a support platform, and a rotary motor; The mounting base is fixed to the first lifting slider; The support platform is movably mounted on the mounting base; The rotary motor is located at the lower part of the mounting base and is connected to the support platform in a transmission manner, enabling it to drive the support platform to rotate.

4. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The gripping robot body also includes a clamping motor, two clamping plates, and two lead screw mechanisms; The two clamping plates and the clamping plate motor are both mounted on the support platform, and the two clamping plates are arranged symmetrically. The clamping plate motor is connected to the two clamping plates and can drive the two clamping plates to move away from each other and to move closer to each other. The two lead screw mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support platform, and can push the two clamping plates and the clamping plate motor to move forward or backward relative to the support platform.

5. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The gripping robot body also includes a push rod and a push rod motor mounted on the support platform; The push rod is positioned on the center line of the support platform; The push rod motor is connected to the push rod and can drive the push rod forward or backward.

6. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The gripping robot body also includes a monitoring camera mounted on the support platform.

7. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerator has two doors; The two refrigerator doors are respectively located on the outside of the refrigerator body, with the upper refrigerator door sliding upward to open and the lower refrigerator door sliding downward to open.

8. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm dispensing module also includes a medication conveyor belt; The second cabinet is provided with a medicine replenishment port, and the medicine replenishment conveyor belt extends into the second cabinet through the medicine replenishment port so that the medicine replenishment conveyor belt can transport the medicine into the second cabinet; The gripping robot can grip the medicine on the medicine conveyor belt and place the gripped medicine into any flat trough or refrigerated cabinet.

9. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rapid dispensing module also includes a drug replenishment robotic arm; The drug-adding robotic arm is located inside the first cabinet on the side away from the horizontal conveyor belt; The medicine replenishment robot includes a medicine replenishment robot body, a medicine replenishment robot column, a second lifting slider, a second second rail, and a second ground rail. The second ground rail is fixed to the top of the first cabinet, and the second ground rail is fixed to the bottom of the first cabinet. The second ground rail and the second ground rail are parallel vertically. The column of the medicine replenishment robot is positioned between the second second rail and the second ground rail, and can slide along the second second rail and the second ground rail; The second lifting slider is disposed on the column of the drug replenishing robot and can move up and down along the column of the drug replenishing robot; The main body of the medicine-addressing robotic arm is fixedly connected to the second lifting slider.

10. The dual-mode dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blocker includes an electromagnet, a reset element, and a magnetic baffle. The reset component is connected to the electromagnet and the magnetic baffle, respectively. The magnetic baffle is located at the bottom of the inclined groove to prevent medicine from falling. When the electromagnet is energized, it attracts the magnetic baffle, causing the magnetic baffle to compress the reset member and retract below the bottom of the inclined groove. When the electromagnet is de-energized, the magnetic baffle is reset under the elastic force of the reset member.

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