Medicine ejection device of medicine selling machine with multi-degree-of-freedom folding type mechanical arm and method of medicine ejection device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic vending equipment, in particular to a medicine ejection device of a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding type mechanical arm and a method thereof, the medicine ejection device comprises a medicine vending device, and a moving system, an ejection device and a plurality of storage cabinets which are arranged side by side are sequentially arranged in the medicine vending device from inside to outside. The ejection device comprises a push plate driven by a plurality of power-saving push rods and a sliding frame arranged at the bottom of the push plate in a sleeving mode. Through the integrated design of the vertical stacking goods channel and the mechanical linkage goods supplementing mechanism, full-automatic synchronization of medicine taking and medicine supplementing is achieved, extra driving is not needed in the whole process, preparation is made for next time of medicine selling while one time of medicine selling is completed, and continuous automatic circulation of taking one time and supplementing one time is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated vending equipment technology, and more specifically, to a medicine dispensing device and method for a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] A medicine vending machine is a smart device that provides 24-hour self-service medicine purchasing. It is typically installed in public places such as communities, supermarkets, and subway stations, and is equipped with common over-the-counter drugs, emergency medications, and medical devices. Users select products via a touchscreen. It effectively fills the gap in traditional pharmacy nighttime services, provides immediate medication support for sudden minor illnesses, and is an important supplement to convenient urban medical care and public services.

[0003] Patent application CN201920397321.8 discloses an indoor / outdoor separated automatic medicine vending machine, comprising: a medicine storage cabinet located indoors, equipped with multiple layers of shelves, each shelf extending into the cabinet with several medicine storage channels, and a dispensing port on the side wall of the storage cabinet; a medicine dispensing cabinet located outdoors, with a retrieval port on the side wall of the dispensing cabinet and a temporary storage box on the inner side wall of the dispensing cabinet; and a conveying mechanism. Separating the storage and dispensing cabinets minimizes the outdoor space required, improves the safety of medicines in the cabinet, and simultaneously meets the need for 24-hour medicine dispensing.

[0004] However, traditional automated medicine vending machines, which widely use spiral push-type delivery channels, have significant structural shortcomings: Firstly, the dispensing and replenishment processes are independent of each other, lacking a mechanical linkage mechanism. They cannot automatically prepare for the next dispensing while completing one, resulting in replenishment relying on additional driving steps, poor continuity, and low efficiency. Secondly, their horizontally rotating dispensing method requires a large amount of space to be reserved for each medicine, resulting in a large overall footprint, low space utilization, limited storage capacity of a single delivery channel, and the need for operators to tediously fill each spiral delivery channel one by one during replenishment, which is inconvenient to operate and has high maintenance costs.

[0005] In view of this, we propose a medicine ejection device and method for a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a medicine dispensing device and method for a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm. Through the integrated design of a vertical stacking channel and a mechanical linkage replenishment mechanism, fully automatic synchronization of medicine dispensing and replenishment is achieved, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A medicine dispensing device for a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm includes a medicine dispensing device, which has a moving system, a dispensing device and several storage cabinets placed side by side inside and out.

[0009] The moving system includes two vertically arranged first lead screws and a second lead screw disposed between the two first lead screws to support the ejection device. After the first lead screws and the second lead screw rotate, they are used to drive the ejection device to move along the X-axis and Z-axis.

[0010] The ejection device comprises a push plate driven by multiple electric push rods and a sliding frame sleeved at the bottom of the push plate;

[0011] The storage cabinet includes a cabinet body with several partitions integrally formed inside, a base that slides between two adjacent partitions for placing medicines, a strip set on the outer wall of the partition for limiting the position of the medicines, several limiting blocks with a right-angled trapezoidal longitudinal section that are elastically embedded in several grooves opened on the outer wall of the strip, and several upper platforms that slide on the rear wall of the cabinet body.

[0012] The upper platform includes a lifting frame, several levers with longitudinal cross-sections of right-angled trapezoids that are elastically embedded in several square grooves in the front wall of the lifting frame, guide blocks integrally formed on the top of both sides of the lifting frame and with inclined chamfers on the rear wall, and several third springs set on the bottom surface of the lifting frame.

[0013] In the above configuration, the multi-section electric push rod drives the push plate to move to its maximum stroke, pushing out the top medicine. At the same time, the sliding frame moves with the push plate and abuts against the guide block, causing the lifting frame to move down according to the spacing of adjacent paddles. Then, the adjacent paddles located above the base move to the bottom of the base and pop out to support it.

[0014] After the push plate is reset, the lifting frame is reset under the action of the third spring. The base is lifted at a fixed distance by the toggle block and placed on the top surface of the adjacent limit block above, thereby lifting the medicine to complete the replenishment.

[0015] In the technical solution of the present invention, the medicine dispensing device includes a body, a plurality of inspection slots opened on one side wall of the body, a fixed platform fixedly connected to the inner wall of the body by bolts and placed below the inspection slots, a cover plate fixed to the outer wall of the body by bolts, and a limiting slide bar welded to the inner wall of the rear end of the body. The fixed platform has a slide rail welded to its top surface and an inclined downward square plate integrally formed at its front end.

[0016] The above setup enables quick assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of the storage cabinets; the transparent observation window and the guide plate at a specific angle ensure inventory visibility and smooth shipping, respectively, improving the maintainability of the equipment and the user experience.

[0017] In the technical solution of the present invention, the moving system further includes a first motor fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the convex plate on the inner wall of the machine body by bolts, a moving block threadedly connected to the outside of the first lead screw and sliding within the limiting slide bar, a pulley coaxially connected to the bottom ends of the two first lead screws, and a synchronous belt sleeved between the two pulleys. The first lead screw is rotatably connected between the convex plate inside the machine body and the inner top surface, and one of the first lead screws is coaxially connected to the first motor.

[0018] In the technical solution of the present invention, a second motor is fixedly connected to the outer wall of one of the movable blocks by bolts, the end of the second motor is coaxially connected to the second lead screw, and a slide rod is snapped and fixed between the two movable blocks.

[0019] The above setup enables precise positioning of the ejector device in the X and Z directions in the horizontal plane. The synchronous belt drive ensures the synchronous movement of the two first lead screws, resulting in a stable structure that allows the ejector device to be quickly aligned with any target cargo channel.

[0020] In the technical solution of the present invention, the ejection device further includes a mounting block threaded to the second lead screw and sliding on the outside of the slide bar, and a limiting frame snapped onto the outside of the mounting block. The bottom surface of the limiting frame is integrally formed with a protrusion near the frame opening.

[0021] In the technical solution of the present invention, the multi-section electric push rod is fixed to the inner wall of the limiting frame by screws, the push plate is engaged with the end of the multi-section electric push rod and slides in the sliding frame, the sliding frame slides inside the limiting frame and the bottom surface is provided with a long groove that matches the protrusion.

[0022] In the above setup, the push plate and the sliding frame adopt a nested linkage design. The timing of the sliding frame's movement is precisely controlled by the cooperation of the protrusion and the long groove, so that the ejection action and the replenishment trigger action can be separated or linked sequentially, ensuring reliable connection between the two key links of ejecting medicine and preparing for replenishment.

[0023] In the technical solution of the present invention, the rear wall of the cabinet is provided with through slots above the adjacent partitions, and the rear wall of the cabinet is also provided with a sliding groove for the upper part to slide. There is a gap between the long strip and the bottom surface of the cabinet for the base to be inserted. The top surface of the base is provided with a slot adapted to the size of the long strip. The base is rotatably embedded with a ball on the groove wall. A first spring is bonded between the limiting block and the groove on the outer wall of the long strip. A protruding plate is also heat-fused to the outer wall of the partition near the top.

[0024] In the technical solution of the present invention, the horizontal cross section of the lifting frame is U-shaped and slides inside the slide groove. A second spring is attached between the toggle block and the square groove on the front wall of the lifting frame. The elastic force provided by the second spring pushes the toggle block to extend forward. The height of the guide block is adapted to the distance between two adjacent toggle blocks.

[0025] In the technical solution of the present invention, the upper platform also includes a telescopic rod sleeved inside the third spring. The upper and lower ends of the telescopic rod are respectively engaged with the top surface of the lifting frame and the bottom surface of the cabinet. The elastic force provided by the third spring pushes the lifting frame to move upward.

[0026] In the above setup, the clever cooperation of two sets of elastic telescopic mechanisms, namely the push block and the limit block, enables the base to be moved, lifted, and locked during the replenishment process, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of drug replenishment. No additional electrical control is required, simplifying the system and improving stability.

[0027] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for dispensing medicine from a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm, comprising the following steps:

[0028] S1. The user selects the desired medicine and quantity on the operation panel at the front of the dispensing device and completes the payment; the control system generates a dispensing instruction containing the coordinates of the target medicine channel; after the control system parses the instruction, it determines the target storage cabinet and the specific channel location, and at the same time wakes up the moving system and the ejection device, so that it enters the ready-to-run state from the standby state.

[0029] S2. The moving system controls the first motor and the second motor to work together based on the analyzed coordinates. The first motor drives the two first lead screws to rotate synchronously through the synchronous belt drive, which drives the moving block and the entire ejection device installed on it to move along the Z-axis to the row where the target cargo channel is located. At the same time, the second motor drives the second lead screw to rotate, which drives the mounting block and the limit frame to move along the X-axis until the push plate is precisely aligned with the through groove on the rear wall of the target cargo channel.

[0030] S3. Subsequently, the multi-section electric push rod of the ejection device is activated, pushing the push plate to move horizontally forward; the push plate passes through the through slot and smoothly ejects a medicine from the cabinet at the front end of the sales channel; during the ejection process, the sliding frame fitted at the bottom of the push plate moves forward along with it, and the front end of the sliding frame presses against the guide block on the upper platform, forcing the lifting frame to overcome the elastic force of the third spring and move downward, thereby moving the push block to directly below the medicine base;

[0031] S4. After the ejection action is completed, the multi-section electric push rod retracts, driving the push plate and slide frame to reset; the slide frame disengages from the guide block, and the lifting frame moves upward to reset under the action of the third spring. During the process, the push block lifts the base carrying the subsequent medicines one position upward, and enables the base to be stably placed on the top surface of the adjacent limit block above, completing the automatic forward movement and replenishment of medicines in the cargo channel.

[0032] S5. After that, the control system prompts the user to pick up the medicine. After the user picks up the medicine, the system determines whether the current order is completed. If the order is completed, the system controls the ejection device to return to the initial position for standby. If the order contains multiple medicines, the system returns to step S2 and continues to execute the ejection process of the next medicine.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0034] 1. The medicine ejection device and method of the medicine vending machine with multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm, through the integrated design of vertical stacking channel and mechanical linkage replenishment mechanism, realizes fully automatic synchronization of medicine picking and replenishment, and the whole process does not require additional drive. While completing one medicine dispensing, it immediately prepares for the next medicine dispensing, realizing a continuous automated cycle of "one picking and one replenishing".

[0035] 2. The medicine ejection device and method of the medicine vending machine with multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm vertically stacks medicines on the base in the cargo channel, which greatly improves the space utilization rate. When replenishing, it is only necessary to open the cover and pull out the storage cabinet. This design allows the equipment to store more medicines in a smaller footprint, and simplifies the replenishment operation and reduces the operation and maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the drug dispensing device in this invention;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the fixed platform in this invention;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mobile system in this invention;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the ejection device in this invention;

[0042] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the limiting frame in this invention;

[0043] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the push plate in this invention;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the sliding frame structure in this invention;

[0045] Figure 10 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the storage cabinet in this invention;

[0046] Figure 11 This is the second schematic diagram of the storage cabinet in this invention;

[0047] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the cabinet structure in this invention;

[0048] Figure 13 This is a partial structural diagram of the storage cabinet in this invention;

[0049] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the base structure in this invention;

[0050] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the upper platform in this invention;

[0051] Figure 16 For the present invention Figure 15 An enlarged schematic diagram of part A in the middle;

[0052] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0053] 100. Dispensing device; 110. Machine body; 111. Inspection slot; 120. Fixed platform; 121. Slide rail; 130. Cover plate; 140. Limiting slide bar;

[0054] 200. Moving system; 210. First motor; 220. First lead screw; 230. Moving block; 240. Pulley; 250. Synchronous belt; 260. Second motor; 270. Second lead screw; 280. Slide bar;

[0055] 300. Ejection device; 310. Mounting block; 320. Limiting frame; 321. Protrusion; 330. Multi-section electric push rod; 340. Push plate; 350. Sliding frame;

[0056] 400. Storage cabinet; 410. Cabinet body; 411. Through groove; 412. Slide groove; 420. Partition; 430. Base; 431. Ball bearing; 440. Strip; 450. Limiting block; 460. First spring; 470. Protruding plate; 480. Upper platform; 481. Lifting frame; 482. Pulley; 483. Second spring; 484. Guide block; 485. Telescopic rod; 486. Third spring. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The technical solutions of this invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0058] Please see Figures 1-4 As shown, this embodiment provides the following technical solution:

[0059] A method for dispensing medicine from a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm includes a medicine dispensing device 100, which has a moving system 200, a dispensing device 300, and several storage cabinets 400 arranged side by side, arranged sequentially from the inside to the outside.

[0060] Specifically, the drug dispensing device 100 includes a body 110, several maintenance slots 111 formed on one side wall of the body 110, a fixed platform 120 fixed to the inner wall of the body 110 by bolts and placed below the maintenance slots 111, a cover plate 130 fixed to the outer wall of the body 110 by bolts, and a limiting slide bar 140 welded to the inner wall of the rear end of the body 110. The fixed platform 120 has a slide rail 121 welded to its top surface and an inclined downward square plate integrally formed at its front end.

[0061] Furthermore, after removing the cover plate 130 on the machine body 110, the operator can pull out the entire storage cabinet 400 through the inspection slot 111. An acrylic plate for observing the internal medicine is also glued to the front cover of the machine body 110 with glass glue. The bottom of the front cover of the machine body 110 is hinged with an inwardly flipping medicine retrieval plate. After the medicine is pushed out, the user can reach into the machine body 110 through the medicine retrieval plate to take out the medicine.

[0062] Furthermore, the slide rail 121 on the fixed platform 120 is used to ensure the stability of the storage cabinet 400 when it is pulled out, the inclined square plate on the front side of the fixed platform 120 is used to ensure the stability of the medicine falling, and the limiting slide bar 140 is used to limit the movement range of the internal structure of the moving system 200.

[0063] Furthermore, once the user completes the transaction on the control panel of the machine 110, the control system immediately starts its core workflow. First, based on the internally stored cargo channel coordinate mapping database, it converts the purchased drug information into the physical coordinates (X, Z values) of a specific cargo channel on the target storage cabinet. This database is a dynamically maintained electronic index that establishes a unique correspondence between each drug code and its absolute position in the two-dimensional planar storage space.

[0064] Subsequently, the system generates and issues precise motion commands. Based on the coordinate values ​​obtained from the analysis, these commands calculate the optimal movement path and precisely control the movement system 200 to drive the ejector device 300 to move along a two-dimensional plane. The entire movement process is a closed-loop control: the system continuously compares the real-time position of the ejector device 300 with the target coordinates through encoder or position sensor feedback, and performs dynamic correction until the central axis of the core actuator of the ejector device and the central axis of the target cargo channel rear wall outlet reach within the preset coordinate tolerance range, thereby achieving precise alignment in three-dimensional space.

[0065] The above setup enables the storage cabinet 400 to be quickly assembled, disassembled, and maintained; the transparent observation window and the guide plate at a specific angle respectively ensure inventory visibility and smooth shipping, improving the maintainability of the equipment and the user experience.

[0066] Please see Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the moving system 200 includes two vertically arranged first lead screws 220 and a second lead screw 270 disposed between the two first lead screws 220 for supporting the ejection device 300. After the first lead screws 220 and the second lead screw 270 rotate, they are used to drive the ejection device 300 to move along the X-axis and Z-axis.

[0067] Specifically, the moving system 200 also includes a first motor 210 fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the convex plate on the inner wall of the body 110 by bolts, a moving block 230 threadedly connected to the outside of the first lead screw 220 and sliding within the limiting slide bar 140, a pulley 240 coaxially connected to the bottom ends of the two first lead screws 220, and a synchronous belt 250 sleeved between the two pulleys 240. The first lead screw 220 is rotatably connected between the convex plate inside the body 110 and the inner top surface, and one of the first lead screws 220 is coaxially connected to the first motor 210.

[0068] Furthermore, a second motor 260 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of one of the movable blocks 230 by bolts. The end of the second motor 260 is coaxially connected to the second lead screw 270. A slide rod 280 is snapped and fixed between the two movable blocks 230.

[0069] Furthermore, the moving system 200 controls the first motor 210 and the second motor 260 to work together based on the analyzed coordinates; the first motor 210 drives the two first lead screws 220 to rotate synchronously through the synchronous belt 250, driving the moving block 230 and the entire ejection device 300 mounted on it to move along the Z-axis to the row where the target cargo channel is located; at the same time, the second motor 260 drives the second lead screw 270 to rotate, driving the ejection device 300 to move along the X-axis until the ejection device 300 is precisely aligned with the target cargo channel.

[0070] The above configuration enables precise positioning of the ejector device 300 in the X and Z directions in the horizontal plane. The synchronous belt 250 transmission ensures the synchronous movement of the two first lead screws 220, resulting in a stable structure that allows the ejector device 300 to be quickly aligned with any target cargo channel.

[0071] Please see Figures 6-9 As shown, in this embodiment, the ejection device 300 includes a push plate 340 driven by multiple electric push rods 330 and a sliding frame 350 sleeved on the bottom of the push plate 340.

[0072] Specifically, the ejection device 300 also includes a mounting block 310 that is threaded to the second lead screw 270 and slides on the outside of the slide bar 280, and a limiting frame 320 that is snapped onto the outside of the mounting block 310. The bottom surface of the limiting frame 320 near the frame opening has an integrally formed protrusion 321.

[0073] Furthermore, the multi-section electric push rod 330 is fixed to the inner wall of the limiting frame 320 by screws, and the push plate 340 is engaged with the end of the multi-section electric push rod 330 and slides in the slide frame 350. The slide frame 350 slides inside the limiting frame 320 and has a long groove on its bottom surface that matches the protrusion 321.

[0074] Furthermore, the multi-section electric push rod 330 of the ejection device 300 is activated, pushing the push plate 340 to move horizontally forward and extend into the storage cabinet 400 to eject the medicine. The protrusion 321 on the limiting frame 320 is used to limit the movement range of the sliding frame 350. During the movement of the push plate 340, the protrusion on the bottom rear end of the push plate 340 moves to the front side of the frame wall of the sliding frame 350, and then the push plate 340 drives the sliding frame 350 to extend forward. This two-stage stroke design essentially folds the effective working length of the push plate 340 in space, so that the longitudinal space occupied by the push plate 340 and the multi-section electric push rod 330 in the retracted state is greatly shortened while achieving the same ejection distance.

[0075] In the above configuration, the push plate 340 and the slide frame 350 adopt a nested linkage design. The timing of the slide frame 350's movement is precisely controlled by the cooperation of the protrusion 321 and the long slot, so that the ejection action and the replenishment trigger action can be separated or linked sequentially, ensuring reliable connection between the two key links of ejecting medicine and preparing for replenishment.

[0076] Please see Figures 10-15 As shown, in this embodiment, the storage cabinet 400 includes a cabinet body 410 with several partitions 420 integrally formed inside, a base 430 for placing medicines that slides between two adjacent partitions 420, a long strip 440 disposed on the outer wall of the partitions 420 for limiting the position of the medicines, several limiting blocks 450 with a right-angled trapezoidal longitudinal cross-section that are elastically embedded in several grooves opened on the outer wall of the long strip 440, and several upper platform portions 480 that slide on the rear wall of the cabinet body 410.

[0077] Specifically, the rear wall of the cabinet 410 has through slots 411 above the adjacent partitions 420. The rear wall of the cabinet 410 also has a sliding groove 412 for the upper platform 480 to slide. There is a gap between the long strip 440 and the bottom surface of the cabinet 410 for the base 430 to be inserted. The top surface of the base 430 has a slot that matches the size of the long strip 440. The base 430 has a ball bearing 431 rotatably embedded in the groove wall of the slot. The ball bearing 431 is used to reduce the friction between the base 430 and the long strip 440 when the base moves. A first spring 460 is bonded between the limiting block 450 and the groove on the outer wall of the long strip 440. A protruding plate 470 is also heat-fused to the outer wall of the partition 420 near the top.

[0078] The multi-section electric actuator 330 drives the push plate 340 to its maximum stroke, pushing out the top medicine. Simultaneously, the sliding frame 350 moves with the push plate 340 and abuts against the guide block 484, causing the lifting frame 481 to move downwards according to the spacing of the adjacent toggle blocks 482. The adjacent toggle block 482 located above the base 430 then moves below the base 430 and pops out to support it. After the push plate 340 resets, the lifting frame 481 resets under the action of the third spring 486, and lifts the base 430 at a fixed distance via the toggle block 482 and places it on the top surface of the adjacent upper limit block 450, thereby lifting the medicine to complete the replenishment.

[0079] Furthermore, the upper platform 480 includes a lifting frame 481, several lever blocks 482 with longitudinal cross-sections of right-angled trapezoids that are elastically embedded in several square grooves in the front wall of the lifting frame 481, guide blocks 484 integrally formed on the top of both sides of the lifting frame 481 and with inclined chamfers on the rear wall, and several third springs 486 disposed on the bottom surface of the lifting frame 481.

[0080] Furthermore, the lifting frame 481 has a concave cross section and slides inside the slide groove 412. A second spring 483 is attached between the toggle block 482 and the square groove on the front wall of the lifting frame 481. The elastic force provided by the second spring 483 pushes the toggle block 482 forward. The height of the guide block 484 is adapted to the distance between two adjacent toggle blocks 482.

[0081] Furthermore, the upper platform 480 also includes a telescopic rod 485 sleeved inside the third spring 486. The upper and lower ends of the telescopic rod 485 are respectively engaged with the top surface of the lifting frame 481 and the bottom surface of the cabinet 410. The elastic force provided by the third spring 486 pushes the lifting frame 481 to move upward.

[0082] Further, the push plate 340 moves forward and passes through the through slot 411, its front end contacting the medicine package located at the front of the sales position in the aisle, thus smoothly pushing the medicine horizontally out of the cabinet 410, completing the delivery. During this pushing process, the sliding frame 350 fixed to the bottom of the push plate 340 moves forward synchronously. When the front end of the sliding frame 350 contacts and begins to press against the inclined chamfer of the guide block 484 of the upper platform 480, a downward component force is generated. This component force forces the entire lifting frame 481 to overcome the elastic force of multiple third springs 486 and slide downward along the sliding groove 412 on the rear wall of the cabinet 410, moving downward at a fixed distance.

[0083] During this downward movement, the lever 482 installed in the square groove on the front wall of the lifting frame 481 will first contact the base 430. Since the longitudinal section of the lever 482 is also a right trapezoid, and its rear side is elastically connected to the lifting frame 481 through the second spring 483, when encountering an obstacle, the lever 482 will be pressed backward, compressing the second spring 483 and retracting into the square groove, thus successfully overcoming the obstacle.

[0084] Once the lifting frame 481 has moved down to the set position, the second spring 483 that was compressed on the lever 482 releases its elasticity, pushing the lever 482 forward to reset, so that it moves directly below the medicine base 430.

[0085] After the ejection action is completed, the multi-section electric push rod 330 retracts, causing the push plate 340 and the slide frame 350 to return to their rearward position. As the slide frame 350 disengages from the guide block 484, the downward pressure applied to the lifting frame 481 disappears. At this time, multiple continuously compressed third springs 486 push the lifting frame 481 to return to its upward position along the slide groove 412.

[0086] During the ascent of the lifting frame 481, the forward-extending lever 482 supports the base 430 and lifts it together. As the base 430 is lifted, the two side edges of the base 430 will contact the right-angled trapezoidal inclined surface of the limiting block 450;

[0087] At the moment of contact, the limiting block 450 is subjected to lateral compression, which compresses the first spring 460 and retracts along the groove, making way for the base 430 to continue rising; when the base 430 is raised to a position where its bottom surface is higher than the top surface of the limiting block 450, the limiting block 450 extends outward again under the action of the reset elastic force of the first spring 460.

[0088] At this time, the push block 482 will lift the base 430 carrying the subsequent medicines upward by one position, and make the base 430 stably placed on the top surface of the adjacent limit block 450 above, completing one "take one, replenish one" automatic replenishment cycle, so that the subsequent medicines enter the waiting to be ejected state.

[0089] In the above configuration, the clever cooperation between the two sets of elastic telescopic mechanisms, namely the lever block 482 and the limit block 450, enables the repositioning, lifting, and locking of the base 430 during the replenishment process, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of drug replenishment. No additional electrical control is required, simplifying the system and improving stability.

[0090] The method for dispensing medicine from a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to the present invention includes the following steps:

[0091] S1. The user selects the desired medicine and quantity on the operation panel at the front of the dispensing device 110 and completes the payment; the control system generates a dispensing instruction containing the coordinates of the target medicine channel; after the control system parses the instruction, it determines the target storage cabinet 400 and the specific channel location, and at the same time wakes up the moving system 200 and the ejection device 300, so that they enter the ready-to-run state from the standby state.

[0092] S2. The moving system 200 controls the first motor 210 and the second motor 260 to work together according to the analyzed coordinates. The first motor 210 drives the two first lead screws 220 to rotate synchronously through the synchronous belt 250, which drives the moving block 230 and the entire ejection device 300 mounted on it to move along the Z-axis to the row where the target cargo channel is located. At the same time, the second motor 260 drives the second lead screw 270 to rotate, which drives the mounting block 310 and the limiting frame 320 to move along the X-axis until the push plate 340 is precisely aligned with the through groove 411 on the rear wall of the target cargo channel.

[0093] S3. Subsequently, the multi-section electric push rod 330 of the ejection device 300 is activated, pushing the push plate 340 to move horizontally forward; the push plate 340 passes through the through slot 411 and smoothly ejects a medicine from the cabinet 410 at the front end of the cargo channel; during the ejection process, the sliding frame 350 fitted at the bottom of the push plate 340 moves forward along with it, and the front end of the sliding frame 350 presses against the guide block 484 of the upper platform 480, forcing the lifting frame 481 to overcome the elastic force of the third spring 486 and move downward, thereby moving the lever 482 to directly below the medicine base 430;

[0094] S4. After the ejection action is completed, the multi-section electric push rod 330 retracts, driving the push plate 340 and the slide frame 350 to reset; the slide frame 350 disengages from the guide block 484, and the lifting frame 481 moves upward and resets under the action of the third spring 486. During the process, the toggle block 482 lifts the base 430 carrying the subsequent medicines upward by one position, and enables the base 430 to be stably placed on the top surface of the adjacent upper limit block 450, completing the automatic forward movement and replenishment of medicines in the channel.

[0095] S5. After that, the control system prompts the user to pick up the medicine. After the user picks up the medicine, the system determines whether the current order is completed. If the order is completed, the system controls the ejection device 300 to return to the initial position for standby. If the order contains multiple medicines, the system returns to step S2 and continues to execute the ejection process of the next medicine.

[0096] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention is for illustrative and explanatory purposes. These descriptions are not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it will be apparent that many changes and variations can be made in accordance with the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the specific principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to implement and utilize various different exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as various different choices and variations. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the specification and its equivalents.

Claims

1. A medicine dispensing device for a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm, characterized in that: It includes a medicine dispensing device, which contains, from the inside out, a moving system, a push-out device, and several storage cabinets placed side by side. The moving system includes two vertically arranged first lead screws and a second lead screw disposed between the two first lead screws to support the ejection device. After the first lead screws and the second lead screw rotate, they are used to drive the ejection device to move along the X-axis and Z-axis. The ejection device comprises a push plate driven by multiple electric push rods and a sliding frame sleeved at the bottom of the push plate; The storage cabinet includes a cabinet body with several partitions integrally formed inside, a base that slides between two adjacent partitions for placing medicines, a strip set on the outer wall of the partition for limiting the position of the medicines, several limiting blocks with a right-angled trapezoidal longitudinal section that are elastically embedded in several grooves opened on the outer wall of the strip, and several upper platforms that slide on the rear wall of the cabinet body. The upper platform includes a lifting frame, several levers with longitudinal cross-sections of right-angled trapezoids that are elastically embedded in several square grooves in the front wall of the lifting frame, guide blocks integrally formed on the top of both sides of the lifting frame and with inclined chamfers on the rear wall, and several third springs set on the bottom surface of the lifting frame. The multi-section electric push rod drives the push plate to move to its maximum stroke, pushing out the top medicine. At the same time, the sliding frame moves with the push plate and abuts against the guide block, causing the lifting frame to move down according to the spacing of adjacent paddles. Then, the adjacent paddles located above the base move to the bottom of the base and pop out to support it. After the push plate is reset, the lifting frame is reset under the action of the third spring. The base is lifted at a fixed distance by the toggle block and placed on the top surface of the adjacent limit block above, thereby lifting the medicine to complete the replenishment.

2. The medicine dispensing device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dispensing device includes a body, several inspection slots opened on one side wall of the body, a fixed platform fixed to the inner wall of the body by bolts and placed below the inspection slots, a cover plate fixed to the outer wall of the body by bolts, and a limiting slide bar welded to the inner wall of the rear end of the body. The fixed platform has a slide rail welded to its top surface and an inclined downward square plate integrally formed at its front end.

3. The medicine ejection device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The moving system also includes a first motor fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the convex plate on the inner wall of the machine body by bolts, a moving block threaded to the outside of the first lead screw and sliding within the limiting slide bar, a pulley coaxially connected to the bottom ends of the two first lead screws, and a synchronous belt sleeved between the two pulleys. The first lead screw is rotatably connected between the convex plate inside the machine body and the inner top surface, and one of the first lead screws is coaxially connected to the first motor.

4. The medicine ejection device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that: A second motor is fixedly connected to the outer wall of one of the movable blocks by bolts. The end of the second motor is coaxially connected to the second lead screw. A sliding rod is snapped between the two movable blocks.

5. The medicine ejection device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ejection device also includes a mounting block threaded to the second lead screw and sliding on the outside of the slide bar, and a limiting frame snapped onto the outside of the mounting block. The bottom surface of the limiting frame has a protrusion integrally formed near the frame opening.

6. The medicine dispensing device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 5, characterized in that: The multi-section electric push rod is fixed to the inner wall of the limiting frame by screws. The push plate is engaged with the end of the multi-section electric push rod and slides in the slide frame. The slide frame slides inside the limiting frame and has a long groove on its bottom surface that matches the protrusion.

7. The medicine dispensing device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rear wall of the cabinet has through slots above the adjacent partitions, and the rear wall of the cabinet also has a sliding groove for the upper part to slide. There is a gap between the long strip and the bottom surface of the cabinet for the base to be inserted. The top surface of the base has a slot that matches the size of the long strip. The base is fitted with ball bearings that rotate on the groove wall. A first spring is bonded between the limiting block and the groove on the outer wall of the long strip. A protruding plate is also heat-fused to the outer wall of the partition near the top.

8. The medicine dispensing device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: The lifting frame has a concave cross-section and slides inside the slide groove. A second spring is attached between the lever and the square groove on the front wall of the lifting frame. The elastic force provided by the second spring pushes the lever forward. The height of the guide block is adapted to the distance between two adjacent levers.

9. The medicine ejection device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm according to claim 8, characterized in that: The upper platform also includes a telescopic rod sleeved inside the third spring. The upper and lower ends of the telescopic rod are respectively engaged with the top surface of the lifting frame and the bottom surface of the cabinet. The elastic force provided by the third spring pushes the lifting frame to move upward.

10. A method for dispensing medicine from a medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm, using the medicine dispensing device of the medicine vending machine with a multi-degree-of-freedom folding robotic arm as described in claim 9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. The user selects the desired medicine and quantity on the operation panel at the front of the dispensing device and completes the payment; the control system generates a dispensing instruction containing the coordinates of the target medicine channel; after the control system parses the instruction, it determines the target storage cabinet and the specific channel location, and at the same time wakes up the moving system and the ejection device, so that it enters the ready-to-run state from the standby state. S2. The moving system controls the first motor and the second motor to work together based on the analyzed coordinates. The first motor drives the two first lead screws to rotate synchronously through the synchronous belt drive, which drives the moving block and the entire ejection device installed on it to move along the Z-axis to the row where the target cargo channel is located. At the same time, the second motor drives the second lead screw to rotate, which drives the mounting block and the limit frame to move along the X-axis until the push plate is precisely aligned with the through groove on the rear wall of the target cargo channel. S3. Subsequently, the multi-section electric push rod of the ejection device is activated, pushing the push plate to move horizontally forward; the push plate passes through the channel and smoothly ejects a medicine located at the front end of the cargo channel from the cabinet; During the ejection process, the sliding frame fitted at the bottom of the push plate moves forward, and the front end of the sliding frame presses against the guide block on the upper platform, forcing the lifting frame to overcome the elastic force of the third spring and move downward, thereby moving the push block to the bottom of the medicine base. S4. After the ejection action is completed, the multi-section electric push rod retracts, driving the push plate and slide frame to reset; the slide frame disengages from the guide block, and the lifting frame moves upward to reset under the action of the third spring. During the process, the push block lifts the base carrying the subsequent medicines one position upward, and enables the base to be stably placed on the top surface of the adjacent limit block above, completing the automatic forward movement and replenishment of medicines in the cargo channel. S5. After that, the control system prompts the user to pick up the medicine. After the user picks up the medicine, the system determines whether the current order is completed. If the order is completed, the system controls the ejection device to return to the initial position for standby. If the order contains multiple medicines, the system returns to step S2 and continues to execute the ejection process of the next medicine.

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