Dispensing robot and automatic medicinal material dispensing system comprising same

Abstract

The utility model provides a dispensing robot and an automatic medicinal material dispensing system comprising the same, and the dispensing robot comprises a dispensing trolley used for bearing and conveying medicinal materials; the rail device comprises at least one guide rail assembly used for bearing the dispensing trolley and guiding the dispensing trolley; and the rail changing mechanism is used for enabling the dispensing trolley to perform front-back relative position adjustment with other dispensing trolleys on the at least one guide rail assembly. The technical problem that in the prior art, medicine taking efficiency is low due to the fact that a conveying belt or a conveying line can only take medicine in sequence is solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, in particular to a dispensing robot and a medicinal material automatic dispensing system comprising the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the existing automatic dispensing system of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, the lower part of the medicinal material cabinet is a conveying line, and the medicinal material cabinet has a plurality of dispensing units. The dispensing units share a medicine dropping channel to drop medicine into the medicine baskets below the conveying line. The medicine baskets can only move on the conveying line in turn and at equal intervals. When there is a prescription dispensing timeout, all the medicine baskets on the conveying line need to wait, and the system dispensing efficiency is low. In view of the above problems, no effective solution has been proposed so far. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a dispensing robot and a medicinal material automatic dispensing system comprising the same, to at least solve the technical problem of low medicine taking efficiency caused by the fact that the conveying belt or the conveying line can only take medicine in sequence in the prior art.

[0004] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a dispensing robot for a medicinal material automatic dispensing system is provided, comprising: a dispensing trolley for carrying and conveying medicinal materials; a track device comprising: at least one guide rail assembly for carrying and guiding the dispensing trolley; and a track changing mechanism for enabling the dispensing trolley to adjust the relative position of the dispensing trolley and other dispensing trolleys in front and back on the at least one guide rail assembly.

[0005] In the embodiments of the present application, through the provision of the track changing mechanism, dynamic path planning and position adjustment of multiple dispensing trolleys can be achieved, the problem of scheduling congestion caused by a single track can be avoided, and the overall operation efficiency of the medicinal material dispensing system can be significantly improved.

[0006] In some embodiments, the at least one guide rail assembly comprises a main guide rail line and an overtaking guide rail line; the track changing mechanism is arranged on the main guide rail line and the overtaking guide rail line and comprises a horizontal movement assembly and a short guide rail assembly fixed on the horizontal movement assembly, wherein the horizontal movement assembly is configured to be able to horizontally move between the main guide rail line and the overtaking guide rail line, and to enable at least one short guide rail on the short guide rail assembly to align with the main guide rail line and / or the overtaking guide rail line.

[0007] In the embodiments of the present application, through the double-track design of the main guide rail line and the overtaking guide rail line and the dynamic alignment function of the short guide rail assembly, flexible overtaking and track changing of the trolley can be achieved without interrupting the operation, and the transmission delay caused by waiting can be greatly reduced.

[0008] In some embodiments, the vehicle platform is used to carry the medicinal materials; the base is used to support the vehicle platform; a plurality of support guide wheel groups are divided into two groups of support guide wheel groups, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides below the base, wherein the support guide wheel group on one side is fixedly connected to one side below the base, and the support guide wheel group on the other side is detachably connected to the other side below the base; and the moving assembly is used to drive the dispensing trolley to move on the at least one guide rail assembly.

[0009] In the embodiments of the present application, the symmetric detachable support guide wheel group design not only ensures the stability of the trolley structure, but also facilitates quick disassembly and replacement during maintenance, and at the same time, adapts to the compatibility requirements of different guide rail specifications.

[0010] In some embodiments, each support guide wheel group comprises: a support seat; a support wheel fixedly connected to the front face of the support seat for supporting the dispensing trolley; an auxiliary wheel fixedly connected to the lower part of the side face of the support seat for assisting in supporting the dispensing trolley; a plurality of guide wheels fixedly connected to the upper end face and the lower end face of the support seat for guiding the dispensing trolley to move along the at least one guide rail assembly; and a balance wheel fixedly connected to the upper part of the side face of the support seat for balancing the dispensing trolley to enable it to move smoothly.

[0011] In the embodiments of the present application, the four-level wheel system structure (support wheel, auxiliary wheel, guide wheel, and balance wheel) forms a three-dimensional constraint, effectively inhibiting lateral shaking and longitudinal deviation during trolley operation, and ensuring high stability during medicinal material transportation.

[0012] In some embodiments, the driving assembly comprises: a motor and a speed reducer, wherein the motor is used to provide driving force, and the speed reducer is used to adjust the driving force; a first bevel gear installed on the output shaft of the speed reducer for transmitting the driving force from the speed reducer to a transmission shaft; a second bevel gear meshing with the first bevel gear and installed on the upper end of the transmission shaft for transmitting the driving force to the transmission shaft; the transmission shaft, the lower end of which is fixedly connected to a driving wheel through a tensioning sleeve for transmitting the driving force to the driving wheel; and the driving wheel for driving the dispensing trolley to move along the at least one guide rail assembly under the driving of the driving force.

[0013] In the embodiments of the present application, the bevel gear transmission combined with the driving scheme of the tensioning sleeve can not only realize efficient transmission of vertical direction power, but also compensate for assembly errors through tensioning adjustment, thereby improving the reliability and service life of the transmission system.

[0014] In some embodiments, each guide rail assembly comprises: a guide rail, which is in the shape of an I-beam in cross section; a rack mounted on the inner side of the guide rail of the I-beam, wherein the driving wheel rotates under the driving of the driving force and can continuously mesh with the rack to move.

[0015] In the embodiments of the present application, the I-beam guide rail and the rack meshing driving mode form a double positioning mechanism, which not only limits the lateral displacement through the guide rail structure, but also eliminates the risk of slipping through the rack transmission, achieving millimeter-level precision positioning control.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cargo platform comprises: a medicine basket for carrying the medicinal materials; a cargo platform body having a recessed sunken structure on the top, wherein the sunken structure is used for placing the medicine basket; and a sensor arranged on the sunken structure for detecting whether the medicine basket is placed on the sunken structure.

[0017] In the embodiments of the present application, the sunken cargo platform cooperates with the contact sensor to accurately detect the loading state of the medicine basket and prevent the displacement of the medicine basket during transportation, while reducing the overall cargo center of gravity to improve the safety of movement.

[0018] In some embodiments, the track device further comprises a track turning mechanism arranged at a corner position of the at least one guide rail assembly for adjusting the moving direction of the dispensing trolley at the corner position.

[0019] In the embodiments of the present application, the arrangement of the corner track turning mechanism breaks through the layout limitation of the traditional straight track, supports multi-directional path expansion, and enables the system to adapt to the layout of the ring-shaped or zigzag-shaped track under complex site conditions.

[0020] In some embodiments, the track turning mechanism comprises: a rotary base arranged at the corner position; a rotary table rotatably mounted on the rotary base; and a linear guide rail assembly arranged on the rotary table for changing the direction of the guide rail of the at least one guide rail assembly at the corner position when the rotary table rotates by a preset angle.

[0021] In the embodiments of the present application, the rotary track turning mechanism realizes automatic switching of the direction of the guide rail through mechanical linkage, without the need for additional steering motors, which simplifies the control logic and reduces the equipment failure rate.

[0022] According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, there is provided an automatic medicine dispensing system, comprising: a medicine storage and retrieval cabinet comprising a plurality of dispensing units, each dispensing unit being configured to store and output medicine; a dispensing robot as described above, a dispensing trolley of the dispensing robot, the dispensing trolley being configured to be movable to a target medicine dropping position below the medicine storage and retrieval cabinet under the control of a control system; and the control system being connected to the plurality of dispensing units respectively, and configured to control a corresponding dispensing unit of the plurality of dispensing units to drop the medicine contained therein into the dispensing trolley running to the target medicine dropping position according to a required weight.

[0023] The present application realizes automatic medicine dispensing in the whole process through the cooperative operation of the medicine storage and retrieval cabinet, the high-precision dispensing robot and the control system. Specifically, the parallel operation of the plurality of dispensing units in combination with the dynamic path planning of the robot enables seamless connection between the medicine storage and transportation processes. In addition, the control system based on the guide rail positioning and closed-loop weight detection can ensure that the medicine dispensing error is controlled within a certain range, and significantly improves the accuracy of prescription medicine dispensing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present application, are intended to provide further understanding of the present application, and the illustrative embodiments of the present application and their description serve the purpose of explaining the present application. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 is an architecture diagram of the automatic medicine dispensing system according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of the dispensing robot according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 is a perspective structural diagram of the dispensing trolley according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4 is a perspective structural diagram of the cargo carrying platform according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 is a front view of the support and guide wheel assembly according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0030] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of the driving assembly according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0031] Figure 7 is a structural diagram of the guide rail assembly according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0032] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of the rail changing mechanism according to the embodiments of the present application;

[0033] Figure 9 is a structural diagram of a track switching mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 10 (a) is a perspective view of a discharging machine according to an embodiment of the present application, and (b) is a right view of the discharging machine;

[0035] In the above drawings, the following reference signs are used:

[0036] 10, medicine storage and retrieval cabinet; 12, dispensing robot; 14, control system; 201, first-stage bin; 202, dispensing mechanism; 203, weighing assembly; 204, isolation assembly; 205, second-stage bin; 301, dispensing trolley; 302, guide rail assembly; 303, track switching mechanism; 304, track switching mechanism; 305, medicine basket; 3011, base; 3012, vertical support; 3013, quick-release support; 3014, support and guide wheel set; 3015, drive assembly; 3016, cargo carrying platform; 30141, support seat; 30142, support wheel; 30143, auxiliary wheel; 30144, guide wheel; 30145, balancing wheel; 30151, motor; 30152, speed reducer; 30153, support; 30154, bevel gear one; 30155, bevel gear two; 30156, transmission shaft; 30157, bearing seat; 30158, tensioning sleeve; 30159, drive wheel; 30161, sunken structure; 30162, non-detection sensor; 3021, main guide rail line; 3022, overtaking guide rail line; 3023, guide rail; 3024, guide rail base; 3025, rack; 3031, lower base; 3032, transverse movement assembly; 3033, short guide rail assembly; 3041, slewing base; 3042, slewing table; 3043, linear guide rail assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] It should be noted that the embodiments and features of the embodiments in the present application can be combined with each other without conflict. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only intended to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and it should also be understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "include" as used in the specification mean the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0039] The relative arrangement of parts and steps, numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in the Examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present application unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, it is to be understood that the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to scale for the sake of convenience in description. Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art can not be discussed in detail unless specifically stated, but should be considered part of the disclosure in appropriate circumstances. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments can have different values. It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items throughout the drawings, and thus, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be discussed further in subsequent drawings.

[0040] The embodiments of the present application provide an automatic medicine dispensing system, as shown in Figure 1 The system includes a medicine storage and dispensing cabinet 10, a dispensing robot 12, and a control system 14.

[0041] The medicine storage and dispensing cabinet 10 is composed of multiple dispensing units for storage and automatic dispensing of medicines. The structure of the medicine storage and dispensing cabinet includes a main frame, dispensing units, dust removal pipelines, and a medicine dropping passage. The main frame is hollow inside and divided into an upper part and a lower part. The upper part is used to mount and fix the dispensing units, and the lower part is the travel area of the dispensing trolley, which is equipped with guide rails and a reversing mechanism. The dispensing units are distributed from top to bottom in the medicine storage and dispensing cabinet, arranged in multiple layers, with each layer divided into front and rear rows, and multiple columns distributed from left to right in each layer. Multiple medicine storage and dispensing cabinets can be installed in different arrangement and combination forms, including a linear form, two rows arranged at intervals, an L-shaped or U-shaped combination form.

[0042] The dispensing robot 12 includes a dispensing trolley and a track device. The dispensing trolley travels on the guide rails and is equipped with medicine carriers (i.e., medicine boxes) on it. The dispensing trolley travels below the medicine storage and dispensing cabinet and is responsible for grabbing and carrying medicines. The guide rails of the dispensing robot are at least partially installed below the lower part of the medicine storage and dispensing cabinet, including a main guide rail line and an overtaking guide rail line. A rail changing mechanism is provided between the main guide rail line and the overtaking guide rail line to allow the dispensing robot to switch between different guide rails.

[0043] The control system 14 is composed of a dispensing management system and a medicine replenishment management system. The dispensing management system is responsible for prescription scheduling, dispensing unit operation control, and dispensing trolley travel control; the medicine replenishment management system is used for medicine use and replenishment management of the medicine storage and dispensing cabinet.

[0044] The automatic dispensing principle of the dispensing management system is as follows: the dispensing management system sends a dispensing instruction to the dispensing trolley and the dispensing unit of the dispensing robot. The dispensing mechanism of the dispensing unit first dispenses the medicinal materials to the weighing hopper as required, and at the same time, the dispensing trolley travels to below the medicine drop opening of the medicinal material storage cabinet. After the dispensing unit receives the medicine grabbing signal, the weighing hopper is opened, the medicinal materials flow into the medicine box on the dispensing trolley through the medicine drop channel, and the grabbing of the medicinal materials in the current storage cabinet is completed. Then, the dispensing trolley travels to the next medicine drop opening and continues to grab other medicinal materials until the grabbing of all the medicinal materials in the prescription is completed. After the grabbing is completed, the dispensing trolley transfers the medicinal materials to the designated work station for subsequent processing and prepares for the next prescription dispensing or returns to the standby position.

[0045] The working principle of the medicine supplementing management system is as follows: when the dispensing unit in the medicinal material storage cabinet issues a material shortage alarm, the yellow indicator light is turned on, and after the medicine supplementing signal is received by the medicine supplementing management system, the medicinal materials are manually filled into the standby secondary material bin. Then, the handling trolley transfers the secondary material bin to the side of the medicinal material storage cabinet, finds the corresponding empty secondary material bin and pulls it out, and then pushes the secondary material bin filled with medicinal materials into the medicinal material storage cabinet, triggers the medicine adding completion signal, and the green light is turned on, and the medicine supplementing process is completed.

[0046] The dispensing system has high efficiency, multiple dispensing trolleys can flexibly travel below the medicinal material storage cabinet to complete the grabbing of medicinal materials, the travel path of the dispensing trolley is not fixed, and the dispensing robots can catch up with and overtake each other, which significantly improves the dispensing efficiency. The system supports overtime dispensing and can automatically complete 100% of the medicine drop amount. In addition, the dispensing units in the medicinal material storage cabinet each have an independent medicine drop channel, which avoids the risk of cross contamination. The system also has strong redundancy and can adjust the number of dispensing trolleys according to the peak and off-peak periods of prescriptions. When the dispensing trolley fails, the system can quickly clean the dispensing area and automatically control other dispensing trolleys to re-execute the prescription dispensing task.

[0047] The dispensing robot will be described in detail below.

[0048] When the existing ground track trolley is used to take medicine, two parallel guide rails are usually adopted, the trolley chassis is composed of four groups of left and right guide and walking wheels, and the trolley mainly travels on the two guide rails through the motor-driven walking wheels. The two guide rails need to be adjusted for mutual parallelism, flatness and center distance, and the factory ground needs to be designed with a pre-buried installation base every certain distance. In addition, the vehicle body structure is complex, maintenance is not convenient, once the trolley fails, it cannot be quickly moved off the track, affecting the operation of the whole system, the trolley walking exists slipping, the positioning accuracy is poor, the guide rail installation process is complex, and the construction cost is high.

[0049] The present application provides a dispensing robot for grabbing and transporting medicinal materials such as traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces.

[0050] AsFigures 2 to 9 As shown, the dispensing robot comprises a dispensing trolley 301 and a track device, wherein the track device comprises at least one guide rail assembly 302, a rail switching mechanism 303, and a rail turning mechanism 304, wherein the guide rail assembly is used for carrying and walking guidance of the dispensing trolley. The dispensing trolley is slidingly connected to the main guide rail line for material handling and conveying. The rail switching mechanism can be distributed between two parallel guide rails for switching the trolley between the parallel guide rail assemblies. The rail turning mechanism is distributed at the intersection of two vertical guide rails to enable the trolley to change direction between the vertical guide rails.

[0051] As shown in the figure, Figures 3 to 5 The dispensing trolley 301 comprises a base 3011, a vertical support 3012, a quick-release support 3013, a support and guide wheel set 3014, a drive assembly 3015, and a cargo platform 3016. The support and guide wheel set 3014 is mounted to the lower surface of the base 3011 through the vertical support 3012 and the quick-release support 3013, the drive assembly 3015 is located on the upper surface of the base 3011, and the cargo platform is located above the base 3011.

[0052] The support and guide wheel set 3014 is composed of a support seat 30141, a support wheel 30142, an auxiliary wheel 30143, a guide wheel 30144, and a balancing wheel 30145. The support and guide wheel set 3014 serves to support the dispensing trolley 301 and ensure that the trolley slides forward and backward along the guide rail. The support wheel 30142 is fixedly connected to the front of the support seat 30141 and serves as the main support of the trolley. The auxiliary wheel 30143 is fixedly connected to the lower side of the support seat 30141 and serves as the auxiliary support of the trolley. The guide wheel 30144 is fixedly connected to the upper and lower end faces of the support seat 30141 and serves to ensure that the dispensing trolley 301 slides forward and backward. The balancing wheel 30145 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the support seat 30141 and serves to ensure smooth sliding of the trolley.

[0053] The support and guide wheel set 3014 can have four, which are distributed at a certain distance apart on both sides. One side of the two support and guide wheel sets 3014 is fixedly connected to the base through the vertical support, and the other side of the two support and guide wheel sets 3014 is fixedly connected to the base 3011 through the quick-release support. The cargo platform 3016 is fixedly connected above the base. The dispensing trolley can quickly remove the support and guide wheel set 3014 on one side of the trolley by loosening the quick-release support, which facilitates the removal of the trolley from the guide rail assembly 302.

[0054] As shown in the figure, Figures 6 to 9As shown, the driving assembly 3015 is composed of a motor 30151, a speed reducer 30152, a support 30153, a bevel gear one 30154, a bevel gear two 30155, a transmission shaft 30156, a bearing seat 30157, a tensioning sleeve 30158 and a driving wheel 30159;the motor 30151 is connected to the rear end of the speed reducer 30152, the speed reducer 30152 is installed on the support, the support is installed on the upper surface of the base 3011, the bevel gear one 30154 is installed on the front end shaft of the speed reducer 30152, the bevel gear two 30155 is installed on the upper end of the transmission shaft 30156, the transmission shaft 30156 is installed on the bearing seat 30157, the bearing seat 30157 is embeddedly installed on the base 3011, and the driving wheel 30159 is fixed to the lower end of the transmission shaft 30156 through the tensioning sleeve 30158.

[0055] The loading platform 3016 is a sunken structure 30161 for placing the medicine basket 305, and a non-detection sensor 30162 is installed on the plane of the lower structure for judging whether the loading platform has the medicine basket 305.

[0056] The guide rail assembly 302 includes a main guide rail line 3021 and an overtaking guide rail line 3022. The main guide rail line 3021 and the overtaking guide rail line 3022 both include a guide rail 3023, a guide rail base 3024 and a rack 3025. The guide rail 3023 can be in an I shape, the guide rail 3023 is installed on the upper surface of the guide rail base 3024, and the rack 3025 is installed on the inner side of the guide rail. The main guide rail line 3021 and the overtaking guide rail line 3022 can be distributed in parallel with each other.

[0057] The rail changing mechanism 303 includes a lower base 3031, a horizontal moving assembly 3032 and a short guide rail assembly 3033, the horizontal moving assembly 3032 is fixedly connected to the lower base 3031, and the short guide rail assembly 3033 is fixed to the horizontal moving assembly 3032.

[0058] The rail turning mechanism 304 includes a rotary base 3041, a rotary table 3042 and a linear guide rail assembly 3043, the rotary table 3042 is fixed to the rotary base 3041, the rotary table 3042 can rotate by 360 degrees, and the linear guide rail assembly 3043 is fixedly connected above the rotary table 3042.

[0059] In the embodiment of the utility model, only one guide rail is used for supporting and guiding below the trolley, the guide rail is simple to lay, the trolley is driven to walk through the gear and rack transmission mode, and the walking positioning precision is high through cooperation with servo driving, the trolley is provided with quick release structure, once the trolley fails, the trolley can be quickly removed from one side of the supporting and guiding wheel group, the trolley is moved out of the guide rail, the trolley guide rail is in I shape structure, the guiding wheel clamped on the upper and lower edges of the I shape guide rail is installed on the two sides of the trolley, the trolley walking can be ensured not to overturn, and the trolley contacts the upper and lower surfaces in the guide rail through the supporting wheel and the balance wheel, so that the trolley operation is stable.

[0060] The following describes the movement and track-changing principle of the trolley: The trolley moves by means of a motor-driven reducer that drives the drive wheels to rotate and continuously mesh with the racks in the guide rails; four sets of guide wheels (left, right, front, and back) ensure that the trolley moves along the direction of the guide rails, while support wheels, auxiliary wheels, and balance wheels restrict the trolley's vertical movement to ensure smooth movement; when the trolley needs to change tracks, it first moves onto the short guide rail assembly of the track-changing mechanism. The lateral movement assembly moves the short guide rail assembly from its alignment with the main guide rail to its alignment with the overtaking guide rail, thus transferring the trolley from the short guide rail assembly to the overtaking guide rail. Conversely, the trolley can also move from the overtaking guide rail to the main guide rail; when the trolley reaches the end of the main guide rail or the overtaking guide rail, it needs to change to another vertical guide rail. The trolley first moves onto the straight guide rail assembly, the turntable rotates 90 degrees, and the trolley on the straight guide rail assembly also rotates 90 degrees, transferring the trolley from its original parallel guide rail to another guide rail perpendicular to the original guide rail.

[0061] The main drawback of existing dispensing systems is that the conveyor line needs to deliver prescriptions forward sequentially at fixed intervals to complete the dispensing, resulting in low dispensing efficiency. In this application, the dispensing trolley can catch up and overtake, thereby improving the efficiency of dispensing medication.

[0062] The adjustment unit will be described below.

[0063] The dispensing unit includes a discharge machine and a dispensing channel, wherein the discharge machine is as follows: Figure 10 As shown, the device includes: a primary hopper 201 for containing materials; and a dispensing mechanism 202 connected to the primary hopper 201, comprising: a pushing mechanism for pushing materials into the drum; and a drum with helical blades integrally formed with the inner wall of the drum, the drum dispensing materials quantitatively through its rotation. In some embodiments, an axial gap is formed between the front end of the pushing mechanism and the feed inlet of the drum; or, the pushing mechanism includes a pushing section with continuous helical blades and a buffer section without blades connected sequentially along the axial direction, wherein the pushing section is located on the side away from the feed inlet of the drum. With the above structure, after the material leaves the pushing mechanism or pushing section, it is squeezed to the drum inlet, avoiding squeezing and jamming caused by direct contact between the pushing mechanism or pushing section and the drum.

[0064] Specifically, when the pushing mechanism and the roller are integrally formed, the pushing mechanism includes a pushing section with blades and a buffer section without blades. The front end of the buffer section extends into the interior of the roller, and the rear end is axially connected to the pushing section; alternatively, the buffer section is entirely located between the roller's inlet and the pushing section, without extending into the roller's interior. When the pushing mechanism and the roller are separate structures, a predetermined axial gap is provided between the output end of the pushing mechanism and the roller's inlet, for example, the axial gap ranges from 5 to 20 mm.

[0065] In the present embodiment, when the pushing mechanism is integrally formed with the roller, the bladeless buffer section forms a low-resistance area between the pushing section and the roller feed port. After the material is forced to push by the spiral blade in the pushing section, the flowability of the material is enhanced when it enters the buffer section without being blocked by the blade, avoiding the extrusion and accumulation of the material caused by the hard contact between the blade tip and the inner wall of the roller. In the split structure, the preset axial gap between the output end of the pushing mechanism and the roller feed port forms a dynamic buffer zone. After the material is separated from the pushing mechanism, it is extruded to the roller inlet, avoiding extrusion and jam caused by the direct connection of the pushing mechanism and the roller.

[0066] In some embodiments, the continuous spiral blade in the roller is connected to the inner wall of the roller without gap through integral molding. In the present embodiment, the continuous spiral blade in the roller is connected to the inner wall of the roller without gap through integral molding, avoiding the connection gap and material jamming problem existing in the traditional structure.

[0067] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism and the roller are in a split structure, and the pushing mechanism and the roller are driven asynchronously by a single motor through different reduction ratios, or are driven asynchronously or synchronously by two independent motors.

[0068] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism is a hard screw, and the blade of the hard screw is a rigid structure; or the pushing mechanism is a soft screw, which includes a screw and a flexible blade, wherein the flexible blade is spirally arranged on the screw and can elastically deform to release the jam when the material is jammed.

[0069] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism and the roller are in an integrated structure, and the pushing mechanism and the roller are synchronously driven by a single motor. The integrated structure effectively reduces the mechanical connection and transmission parts, improves the stability and reliability of the discharging machine. At the same time, through synchronous driving, it can ensure that the pushing mechanism and the roller work coordinately, improve the accuracy and efficiency of material output, and reduce energy consumption and maintenance cost.

[0070] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism is a hard screw, and the hard screw is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the roller to form an integrated structure; or the pushing mechanism is a soft screw, which includes a screw and a flexible blade, and the screw is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the roller to form an integrated structure, wherein the flexible blade is spirally arranged on the screw and can elastically deform to release the jam when the material is jammed.

[0071] In some embodiments, the discharging machine further comprises an isolation assembly 204 installed in the first-stage bin 201, used to support the material in the first-stage bin 201 and convey the material in the first-stage bin 201 to the pushing mechanism through the discharge port of the first-stage bin 201.

[0072] In some embodiments, the isolation assembly 204 includes at least two isolation shafts arranged in parallel along the length or width direction of the first hopper 201, and can rotate or swing in opposite directions under the drive of a driving motor, so as to deliver the material in the upper layer of the first hopper 201 to the pushing mechanism.

[0073] In some embodiments, the isolation assembly 204 includes at least two blocking shafts arranged in parallel along the width direction of the first hopper 201, and can rotate or swing within a preset angle range under the drive of a driving motor, wherein a plurality of bridge breaking rods are arranged on each blocking shaft to support the material in the first hopper 201 and break the bridge formed when the material falls to the pushing mechanism.

[0074] In some embodiments, the isolation assembly 204 includes a blocking long shaft arranged above the pushing mechanism along the length direction of the first hopper 201, and can rotate or swing within a certain angle range under the drive of a driving motor, wherein a plurality of bridge breaking rods are arranged on the blocking long shaft to support the material in the first hopper 201 and break the bridge formed when the material falls to the pushing mechanism.

[0075] In some embodiments, the isolation assembly 204 includes an arc-shaped isolation plate, the arc surface of which extends towards the direction of the pushing mechanism to guide the material to flow to the pushing mechanism, and the edge of the arc-shaped isolation plate is provided with a plurality of through holes to adjust the flow of the material.

[0076] In the present embodiment, the isolation assembly 204 can effectively deliver the material in the upper layer of the first hopper 201 to the pushing mechanism while supporting the material by any of the above structures, thereby improving the stability and efficiency of material delivery.

[0077] In some embodiments, the discharging machine further includes a weighing assembly 203 arranged below the discharge port of the roller, which includes: a weighing hopper for receiving the material output by the roller; a weighing sensor for detecting the weight of the material in the weighing hopper; wherein the lower part of the weighing hopper is provided with a discharge plate, the discharge plate is connected with a discharge plate motor through a rotating shaft, and can rotate along the rotating shaft under the drive of the discharge plate motor to form an adjustable discharge port.

[0078] In some embodiments, the discharging machine further includes a second hopper 205 detachably mounted on the first hopper 201, wherein the second hopper 205 includes: a detachable hopper body for storing standby material; a hopper bottom plate hingedly connected to the hopper body through a rotating shaft, which can be extracted and rotated by a preset angle around the hopper rotating shaft and then buckled on the second hopper to replenish the first hopper.

[0079] For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "rear", "front", "vertical" and "horizontal" as can be perceived herein relative to the accompanying drawings refer to the orientation of the components being described. However, it is to be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device described herein relative to the other device or structure is inverted, then a spatially relative term such as "above" can be interpreted as meaning "below" or "below" can be interpreted as meaning "above". The device can also be oriented in other ways (rotated at 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. The terms "first", "second", etc. as can be used herein do not have any specific meaning and are used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0080] In addition, it should be pointed out that the use of the terms "first", "second" and the like to define parts only facilitates the distinction of the corresponding parts, and the above terms have no special meaning unless otherwise stated, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0081] The above only represents the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. The present application can have various modifications and changes for those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A dispensing robot, characterized in that, include: A dispensing cart, used to carry and transport medicinal herbs; Track device, including: At least one guide rail assembly is used to support the adjusting trolley and guide the adjusting trolley; A track-changing mechanism is used to enable the adjusting trolley to adjust its relative position to other adjusting trolleys on the at least one guide rail assembly.

2. The dispensing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one guide rail assembly includes a main guide rail and an overtaking guide rail; The track-changing mechanism is disposed on the main guide rail and the overtaking guide rail, and includes a lateral movement assembly and a short guide rail assembly fixed on the lateral movement assembly. The lateral movement assembly is configured to move laterally between the main guide rail and the overtaking guide rail, such that at least one short guide rail on the short guide rail assembly is aligned with the main guide rail and / or the overtaking guide rail.

3. The dispensing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dispensing cart includes: A cargo platform for carrying the medicinal materials; A base for supporting the cargo platform; Multiple support guide wheel sets are evenly divided into two groups of support guide wheel sets. The two groups of support guide wheel sets are symmetrically arranged on both sides below the base. The support guide wheel set on one side is fixed to one side below the base, and the support guide wheel set on the other side is detachably connected to the other side below the base. A drive assembly for driving the dispensing trolley to move on at least one guide rail assembly.

4. The dispensing robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each support guide wheel assembly includes: Support base; Support wheels are fixedly connected to the front of the support base and are used to support the dispensing trolley; The auxiliary wheel is fixedly connected to the lower part of the side of the support base and is used to assist in supporting the adjusting trolley; Multiple guide wheels are fixedly connected to the upper and lower surfaces of the support base, respectively, for guiding the adjusting trolley to move along at least one guide rail assembly; The balance wheel is fixedly connected to the upper part of the side of the support base and is used to balance the adjusting trolley so that it can move smoothly.

5. The dispensing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The driving component includes: An electric motor and a speed reducer, wherein the electric motor is used to provide driving force and the speed reducer is used to adjust the driving force; The first bevel gear is mounted on the output shaft of the reducer and is used to transmit the driving force from the reducer to the transmission shaft; The second bevel gear meshes with the first bevel gear and is mounted on the upper end of the drive shaft to transmit the driving force to the drive shaft; The lower end of the drive shaft is fixedly connected to the drive wheel via a tensioning sleeve, which is used to transmit the driving force to the drive wheel; The drive wheel is used to move the adjusting trolley along the at least one guide rail assembly under the drive force.

6. The dispensing robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each guide rail assembly includes: The guide rail has an I-shaped cross-section; A rack is mounted on the inner side of the I-shaped guide rail, wherein the drive wheel rotates under the drive force and can continuously mesh with the rack to move.

7. The dispensing robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cargo platform includes: A medicine basket, used to hold the medicinal materials; The cargo platform body has a recessed sunken structure on its top, wherein the sunken structure is used to place the medicine basket; A sensor is installed on the sunken structure to detect whether the medicine basket is placed on the sunken structure.

8. The dispensing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The track device further includes a track switching mechanism, which is located at the corner position of the at least one guide rail assembly and is used to adjust the movement direction of the adjusting trolley at the corner position.

9. The dispensing robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The switching mechanism includes: A rotating base is located at the corner position; A rotary table, rotatably mounted on the rotary base; A single-rail assembly is disposed on the rotary table and is used to change the direction of the guide rail at the corner position of at least one guide rail assembly when the rotary table rotates by a preset angle.

10. An automated medicinal material dispensing system including a dispensing robot, characterized in that, include: The medicinal herb storage and retrieval cabinet includes multiple dispensing units, each of which is used to store and dispense medicinal herbs. The dispensing robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the dispensing robot has a dispensing cart, the dispensing cart being configured to move to a target dispensing position below the medicine storage cabinet under the control of the control system; The control system is connected to the plurality of dispensing units and is used to control the corresponding dispensing units among the plurality of dispensing units to drop the medicinal materials contained therein into the dispensing trolley that is running to the target dispensing position according to the required weight.

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