Tablet half splitter

Abstract

To provide a tablet half splitter capable of accurately splitting a plurality of tablets into half tablets with small force and facilitating work of placing tablets.SOLUTION: A tablet half splitter 1 for splitting a plurality of tablets into half tablets is so configured that a lower part 2 having a placement base 34a for the plurality of tablets and an upper part 3 having an upper blade 63 are connected with a hinge 4. A pair of tablet pressing members 40 for pressing a plurality of tablets from both sides are provided. The upper part 3 is rotationally turned with respect to the lower part 2 around the hinge 4 to cut the plurality of tablets placed in a line on the placement base 34a with the upper blade 63. At least portions for pressing the plurality of tablets in the pair of tablet pressing members 40 can move to a non-parallel state. The pair of tablet pressing members 40 each include a first member 41 being movable in a direction orthogonal to an alignment direction of the plurality of tablets, a second member 42 clamping the plurality of tablets from both sides, and an elastic member 43 energizing the second member 42 toward the tables with respect to the first member 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a half-tablet splitting device for splitting tablets into half tablets.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, tablet cutters and half-tablet cutters for splitting tablets into half tablets have been provided so that children and the elderly can take them. However, since these split one tablet at a time, it is a troublesome and time-consuming operation.

[0003] As a device capable of splitting a plurality of tablets, Patent Document 1 describes a tablet splitter including a base member having a pair of alignment bars and a cover member having a cutting blade. In this tablet splitter, a pair of alignment bars of the base member are manually spread and a plurality of pills or tablets are placed on the upper end wall. After aligning the pills or tablets in a row by the pair of alignment bars, the cover member is fitted into and pushed into the base member, so that the plurality of pills or tablets are cut and split by the cutting blade of the cover member.

[0004] In the tablet splitter of Patent Document 1, since a plurality of pills or tablets are cut at once by fitting and pushing the cover member into the base member, a large force is required. Further, since the cover member is separated from the base member, when the cover member is fitted into and pushed into the base member, the cutting blade of the cover member is displaced from the center of the pill or tablet on the base member, and the pill or tablet cannot be accurately split into two. Furthermore, since the pair of alignment bars are biased in a direction approaching each other by a spring, there are various problems such that when placing a tablet before splitting or taking out a half tablet after splitting, the pair of alignment bars must be pressed with fingers in a direction separating from each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a tablet splitting device that can accurately divide multiple tablets into halves with minimal force and facilitates the process of placing the tablets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention by the first means for solving the aforementioned problem is: (1) In a tablet splitting device that divides multiple tablets into halves, The lower part having a platform for the multiple tablets and the upper part having an upper blade are connected by a hinge. The aforementioned mounting platform is provided with a pair of tablet-holding members that press down on and align the plurality of tablets from both sides. The upper part is rotated relative to the lower part around the hinge, so that the multiple tablets, which are aligned and placed on the aforementioned stand, are cut by the upper blade. In this invention, the upper and lower parts are joined by a hinge, and the upper blade of the upper part divides multiple tablets on the lower mounting base one by one from the side closest to the hinge, so that tablets can be divided with little force. In addition, because the upper and lower parts are joined by a hinge, the position of the upper blade of the upper part is less likely to shift relative to the lower mounting base, and the upper blade can be applied to the center of the tablet, allowing the tablet to be accurately divided in half. Furthermore, the invention by the second means is, (2) In a tablet splitting device that divides multiple tablets into halves, The system is provided with a lower part having a platform for placing the multiple tablets and an upper part having an upper blade. The aforementioned mounting platform is provided with a pair of tablet-holding members that press down on and align the plurality of tablets from both sides. The present invention is characterized in that at least the portion of the pair of tablet-holding members that holds the plurality of tablets is movable in a non-parallel state. In this invention, if the pressure applied to the upper blade is uneven, causing some of the aligned tablets to be cut by the upper blade, at least the tablet-holding portions of the pair of tablet-holding members move in a non-parallel position. As a result, some of the tablet-holding members on either side of the tablet being cut move away from each other, while the remaining portions of the tablet-holding members on either side of the uncut tablet continue to hold the tablet. This allows tablets to be divided with less force, and the upper blade can be placed at the center of the tablet to accurately divide it in half.

[0008] (3) The pair of tablet-holding members are, A first member that can move in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction of the plurality of tablets, A second member that holds the plurality of tablets from both sides, Preferably, the second member is provided with an elastic member that biases the first member toward the tablet. When multiple tablets are placed on the placement platform and the second member is moved toward the tablets, the tablets are held and aligned by the second member. Therefore, even if the tablets are placed haphazardly on the placement platform, they will be aligned by the second member, making the task of placing multiple tablets easy.

[0009] (4) When the second member is moved in the direction of holding the plurality of tablets, it is preferable that the first member moves toward the plurality of tablets in conjunction with the movement of the second member. Since the first member moves in conjunction with the second member, a constant distance is maintained between the first and second members, and the elastic member always exerts the same elastic force when the structure is divided.

[0010] (5) When the tablet closest to the hinge is cut by the upper blade, it is preferable that the side of the second member closest to the hinge moves away from the tablet by the thickness of the upper blade, so that the second member is displaced in a V shape when viewed from above the stand described above. When multiple tablets are separated one by one, starting from the side closest to the hinge, the second component moves away from the tablets and opens in a V-shape, allowing the tablets to move to both sides by the thickness of the upper blade, thus enabling the tablets to be separated with less force. In addition, the V-shape opening causes the side of the second component furthest from the hinge to move closer to the tablets, reducing the displacement of the tablets.

[0011] (6) It is preferable to have a separation mechanism in which the tablet holding member moves to a predetermined position in a direction away from the plurality of tablets in conjunction with the upper part moving in a direction away from the stand described above for the upper blade. When the top is opened relative to the bottom to use the tablet splitting device, the separation mechanism separates a pair of tablet holders, eliminating the need to manually spread the pair of tablet holders. This allows the tablet to be immediately placed on the holding platform, enabling a quick tablet placement process.

[0012] (7) Preferably, the pair of tablet-holding members is provided with an interlocking mechanism that interlocks each of the first members in a direction approaching the tablet and in a direction away from the tablet. When arranging tablets on a platform before splitting, or when removing tablets from the platform after splitting, simply moving one of the first components away from the tablet via the second component causes the other first component and the second component to move away from the tablet due to the interlocking mechanism, allowing for quick arrangement and removal of tablets. Furthermore, when aligning tablets on the platform, simply moving one of the first members toward the tablet via the second member causes the other first member and the second member to move toward the tablet via the interlocking mechanism, thus enabling the correct alignment of multiple tablets at the division position.

[0013] (8) A movable member having a slit through which the upper blade passes, and which is movable between a cutting position in which the upper blade is exposed from the slit and a retracted position in which the upper blade is retracted from the slit, It is preferable to include a locking mechanism that locks the movable member in a retracted position in conjunction with the upper part moving away from the aforementioned base. When using the half-tablet splitting device, when the upper part is opened with respect to the lower part, the movable member is locked in the retracted position and the upper blade of the upper part retracts from the slit, so that the user's hand does not touch the upper blade and it is safe.

[0014] (9) It is preferable that the placement table can be switched between a state having a slit through which the lower blade penetrates and a state having a protrusion with which the score line of the tablet engages, at a portion facing the upper blade. When the placement table is switched to the state having a slit, the upper blade and the lower blade can cut the tablet to split the tablet. Also, when the placement table is switched to the state having a protrusion, by placing the tablet having a score line so that the score line engages with the protrusion, the tablet can be accurately split along the score line.

[0015] (10) It is preferable to be provided with a first plate having a slit through which the lower blade penetrates and a second plate having a protrusion with which the score line of the tablet engages, in a replaceable manner. By simply exchanging the first plate and the second plate, both tablets without a score line and tablets having a score line can be split. The following are means for solving other problems. (11) Horizontally pressing the tablets aligned on the placement table of the tablet and cutting the tablet in a stable state The means for solving the problem is In a half-tablet splitting device for splitting a plurality of tablets into half-tablets, A lower part having a placement table on which a plurality of tablets can be placed and an upper part having an upper blade are connected by a hinge, An elastically supported movable member is provided on the upper part, and the movable member is characterized in that the hinge side and the anti-hinge side can move independently. (12) The means for solving the problem of preventing the tablets dropped onto the placement table of the tablet from being aligned in two rows is In a half-tablet splitting device for splitting a plurality of tablets into half-tablets, It has a lower part having the placement table for the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade, On the placement table, a pair of tablet pressing members are provided for pressing and aligning the plurality of tablets from both sides. It is characterized in that a scale for adjusting the interval between the pair of tablet pressing members is provided. (13) The means for solving the problem of preventing overloading of the tablet placement table is In a half-tablet splitting device for splitting a plurality of tablets into half tablets, A lower part having a placement table for the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade are coupled by a hinge. On the placement table, a pair of tablet pressing members are provided for pressing and aligning the plurality of tablets from both sides. It is characterized in that a limit line indicating the limit position on the anti-hinge side of the tablets placed on the placement table is provided. (14) The means for solving the problem of aligning the score lines of tablets having score lines placed on the tablet placement table is In a half-tablet splitting device for splitting a plurality of tablets into half tablets, It has a lower part having a placement table for the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade. On the placement table, a pair of tablet pressing members are provided for pressing and aligning the plurality of tablets from both sides. It is characterized by including at least one of a tablet alignment rod for pressing and rotating the tablets placed on the placement table or a tablet alignment plate having a tapered edge that enters the score lines of the plurality of tablets placed on the placement table.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, a half-tablet splitting device can be provided that can accurately split a plurality of tablets into half tablets with a small force and is easy to operate for placing the tablets.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the half-tablet splitting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the lower body and the lower locking member. [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view of the lower movable member. [Figure 4] A perspective view of the second movable member, seen from the back. [Figure 5] Perspective views of the first and second plates of the tablet mounting plate. [Figure 6] Perspective view of the tablet holder and interlocking mechanism. [Figure 7] A perspective view of the tablet holder and interlocking mechanism, seen from the back. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the upper part of the main body. [Figure 9] Perspective view of the upper locking member. [Figure 10] Exploded perspective view of the upper movable member. [Figure 11] A perspective view of the upper movable member, seen from the back. [Figure 12] A cross-sectional view showing the operation of the upper locking member. [Figure 13] A cross-sectional view showing the operation of the lower locking member. [Figure 14] A cross-sectional view of a tablet splitting device showing the tablet before it is cut. [Figure 15] A plan view of a tablet splitting device showing the state of tablets when placed, aligned, and in the initial stages of cutting. [Figure 16] A cross-sectional view (a) of a tablet splitting device showing the state of a tablet after it has been cut, and a diagram (b) showing the cutting of the tablet by the upper and lower blades as seen through the viewing window. [Figure 17] A longitudinal cross-sectional view of a tablet splitting device showing the state of a tablet just before it is cut. [Figure 18] A perspective view of a tablet splitting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] Perspective view of the lower body and interlocking mechanism. [Figure 20] Perspective view of the tablet mounting plate and tablet holding member. [Figure 21] An exploded perspective view of the tablet mounting plate, seen from the back. [Figure 22] Exploded perspective view of the lower movable member. [Figure 23] Perspective view of the upper body and upper blade mounting base. [Figure 24] Perspective views of the upper movable member from the front and from the back. [Figure 25] A cross-sectional view showing the operation of the upper movable member when it is locked and unlocked. [Figure 26] A longitudinal cross-sectional view of a tablet splitting device showing the tablet before it is cut. [Figure 27] A cross-sectional view of a tablet splitting device showing the tablet before it is cut. [Figure 28] A cross-sectional view of a tablet splitting device showing the state of a tablet after it has been cut. [Figure 29] Perspective view (a) and perspective view (b) of the upper movable member of the tablet splitting device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the outside and from the inside. [Figure 30] Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view showing the attachment state of the upper movable member to the upper main body. [Figure 31] Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view showing, in sequence, the process of cutting a tablet using a tablet splitting device with an upper movable member. [Figure 32] A plan view showing a means to prevent the spacing between the tablet-holding members from becoming too wide. [Figure 33] A plan view showing a method to prevent leaving too many tablets on the shelves. [Figure 34] A perspective view (a) showing a tablet alignment member and its storage section for aligning the score line of a tablet along the upper or lower blade, a partial cross-sectional front view (b) of a tablet alignment rod, and a partially enlarged perspective view (c) of a tablet alignment plate. [Figure 35] (a) is a perspective view showing the process of aligning tablets using a tablet alignment rod. (b) is a plan view showing the tablets before alignment, and (c) is a plan view showing the tablets after alignment. [Figure 36] (a) is a perspective view showing tablets being aligned using a tablet alignment plate; (b) is a plan view showing the tablets before alignment; and (c) is a plan view showing the tablets after alignment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows a tablet splitting device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The tablet splitting device 1 splits multiple tablets into two halves and comprises a lower part 2 having a mounting base 34a for placing multiple tablets and a lower blade 13 (see Figure 2), and an upper part 3 having an upper blade 63 (see Figure 8). The upper part 3 is rotatably connected to the lower part 2 by a hinge 4. In this specification, the side opposite the hinge 4 is referred to as the "front" of the lower part 2, the side on which the hinge 4 is provided is referred to as the "rear" of the lower part 2, the left side when viewing the lower part 2 from front to back is referred to as the "left", and the right side when viewing the lower part 2 from front to back is referred to as the "right".

[0020] First, let's describe the lower part 2. As shown in Figure 1, the lower part 2 comprises a lower body 10, a lower locking member 20, a lower movable member 30, a pair of tablet holding members 40 (see Figure 6), and an interlocking member 50 (see Figure 6).

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the lower body 10 has a rectangular shape in which the front-to-back dimension is longer than the left-to-right dimension when viewed from above. A lower hinge 11, which constitutes the hinge 4, is provided at the rear of the lower body 10. The lower hinge 11 consists of a hinge base 11a and a hinge shaft 11b fixed to the hinge base 11a and extending in the left-to-right direction. A cam 11c is formed on the outer surface of the hinge base 11a, such that when viewed from the right side, the distance from the axis of the hinge shaft 11b increases in a counterclockwise direction from directly below. A lower blade mounting base 12 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the lower body 10, and a lower blade 13 extending in the front-to-back direction is attached to the lower blade mounting base 12. A first stopper 14a is provided at the rear of the lower blade mounting base 12 of the lower body 10, and a second stopper 14b is provided at the front of the lower blade mounting base 12. The first stopper 14a and the second stopper 14b are designed to support the projection 34d of the second plate, which will be described later. Holes 15 are formed in two locations on the front and two locations on the rear of the lower body 10, through which the support columns 35 of the lower movable member 30, which will be described later, are inserted, and springs 16 that elastically support the lower movable member 30, which will be described later, are arranged around these holes 15.

[0022] A guide wall 17 is provided around the lower body 10, into which the lower movable member 30, described later, is fitted. Two first guides 17a are provided on the front wall of the guide wall 17, two second guides 17b are provided on the left and right side walls of the guide wall 17, and four third guides 17c are provided on the upper surfaces of the left and right sides of the lower blade mounting base 12 inside the guide wall 17, all to guide the vertical movement of the lower movable member 30. In addition, support ribs 18 that support the lower locking member 20, described later, from below, and guide pieces 19 that support the lower locking member 20 from both sides together with the guide wall 17 are provided inside the left and right guide walls 17.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the lower locking member 20 consists of a base 21 and two arm portions 22. The base 21 extends in the left-right direction, and two projections 23 on which racks 23a are formed are provided on the rear side of the base 21. The arm portions 22 extend forward from both ends of the base 21, and two locking pieces 24 having engaging bevels 24a are formed on the upper sides of the arm portions 22. The lower locking member 20 is biased forward by two springs 25 positioned between the base 21 and the rear guide wall 17 of the lower body 10. The lower locking member 20, together with the teeth 61d of the hinge body 61b (described later), constitutes a locking mechanism.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the lower movable member 30 is composed of a first movable member 31, a second movable member 32, a lower blade penetration member 33, and a tablet placement plate 34 as shown in Figure 5.

[0025] As shown in the lower part of Figure 3, the first movable member 31 has a recess 31b extending in the front-rear direction, which is formed by a step 31a in the center, making it one step lower. A rectangular hole 31c is formed in the recess 31b through which the lower blade mounting base 12 passes. Upward-projecting ribs 31d are provided on the left and right edges of the hole 31c, and a groove 31e is formed between these ribs 31d and the step 31a. Shaft holes 31f supporting the pinions 51a and 51b of the interlocking mechanism 50, which will be described later, are formed in front of and behind the hole 31c, and screw insertion holes 31g are formed on both sides of the recess 31b. Four support columns 35 are provided on the back surface of the first movable member 31, which are inserted into the spring 16 of the lower body 10. Stopper screws 36 are provided on the support columns 35.

[0026] As shown in the middle of Figure 3, the second movable member 32 has a recess 32a extending in the front-rear direction, which is formed in the center at a lower level. A rectangular hole 32b is formed in the recess 32a. On the left and right edges of the hole 32b, there are ribs 32c that protrude downward and mounting seats 32d for attaching the lower blade penetrating member 33. In front of and behind the hole 32b, there are shaft holes 32e that support the pinions 51a and 51b of the interlocking mechanism 50, which will be described later, and positioning holes 32f for positioning the tablet mounting plate 34, which will be described later. On both sides of the hole 32b, there are guide recesses 32g that guide the movement of the first member 41 of the tablet holding member 40, which will be described later. The guide recess 32g is provided with a guide hole 32h into which the third guide 17c of the lower body 10 fits, and a rail 32i that movably supports the first member 41 of the tablet holding member 40.

[0027] A guide wall 37 is provided around the second movable member 32, which fits into the guide wall 17 of the lower body 10. The front wall of the guide wall 37 has a guide recess 37a into which the first guide 17a of the lower body 10 engages, and a notch 37b into which the third rack 54 of the interlocking mechanism 50 (described later) protrudes. Guide notches 37c are formed on the left and right side walls of the guide wall 37 into which the second guide 17b of the lower body 10 engages. An opening 37d is formed between the left and right edges of the upper surface of the second movable member 32 and the guide wall 37, into which the rack base 57 of the interlocking mechanism 50 (described later) is inserted.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, a locking portion 38 is formed on the back surface of the guide wall 37 of the second movable member 32, having an engaged slope 38a that engages with the engaging slope 24a of the locking piece 24 of the lower locking member 20. The back surface of the second movable member 32 is provided with a guide piece 39a that guides the rack body 58 of the interlocking mechanism 50, which will be described later, a projection 39b with a female thread into which a screw (not shown) inserted into the screw insertion hole 31g of the first movable member 31 is screwed, and a support shaft 39c that supports the roller 59 of the interlocking mechanism 50, which will be described later.

[0029] The lower movable member 30 is movable between a cutting position in which the lower blade 13 protrudes from the slit 34b of the tablet mounting plate 34, and a retracted position in which the lower blade 13 is retracted from the slit 34b.

[0030] As shown in the upper part of Figure 3, the lower blade penetration member 33 is attached to the mounting seat 32d of the second movable member 32, and has a slit 33a through which the lower blade 13 passes.

[0031] The tablet mounting plate 34 consists of a first plate 34A shown in the upper part of Figure 5 and a second plate 34B shown in the lower part of Figure 5, and they are interchangeable. The first plate 34A is installed in the recess 32a of the second movable member 32 and has a mounting base 34a on its upper surface on which a tablet is placed. The first plate 34A has a slit 34b through which the lower blade 13 passes. The rear end of the slit 34b is provided with a regulating piece 34c for regulating the hinge-side position of the tablet placed on the mounting base 34a. The back surface of the first plate 34A has a positioning projection 34d that fits into the positioning hole 32f of the second movable member 32. The second plate 34B is substantially identical to the first plate 34A, except that it has a projection 34e that engages with the score line of a tablet instead of the slit 34b of the first plate 34A, and that the positioning projection 34d is longer than the positioning projection 34d of the first plate 34A. The first plate 34A is used when placing tablets without a score line, and the second plate 34B is used when placing tablets with a score line.

[0032] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the pair of tablet-holding members 40 consists of a pair of first members 41, a pair of second members 42, and a coil spring 43 as an elastic member.

[0033] A pair of first members 41 are elongated in the front-rear direction and are provided on the upper surface of the second movable member 32. They are movable along the rail 32i of the second movable member 32 in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction of the multiple tablets placed on the tablet placement plate 34, i.e., in the left-right direction. The first members 41 have an engagement recess 41a formed between their upper and inner surfaces, a guide projection 41b formed on their lower surface that engages with the guide recess 32g of the second movable member 32, and engagement claws 41c formed on both sides.

[0034] The pair of second members 42 are elongated in the front-to-back direction and are supported by each of the pair of first members 41, holding multiple tablets from both sides. The second members 42 are provided with tablet contact surfaces 42a on their sides that are opposite and parallel to each other. A recess 42b is formed on the back surface of the second member 42 in which the first member 41 is housed. Because the first member 41 is located within the recess 42b, whether the second member 42 is moved inward (towards the tablet side) or outward, the first member 41 will come into contact with the wall surface forming the recess 42a, so that the first member 41 moves in conjunction with the second member 42 regardless of which direction it is moved. The recess 42b is formed with an engaging projection 42c that engages with the engaging recess 41a of the first member 41, engaging holes 42d and 42e into which the engaging claw 41c of the first member 41 engages, a through hole 42f and a non-through hole 42g into which the spring 43 is inserted, and a notch 42h that prevents interference with the restricting piece 34c of the tablet mounting plate 34.

[0035] The coil spring 43 is supported at one end by a hole 56a in the mounting base 56 of the interlocking mechanism 50 attached to both ends of the first member 41, and at the other end by a non-through hole 42g in the second member 42, thereby biasing the second member 42 toward the tablet relative to the first member 41.

[0036] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the interlocking mechanism 50 consists of a first pinion 51a, a second pinion 51b, a left first rack 52a, a left second rack 52b, a right first rack 53a, a right second rack 53b, and a third rack 54.

[0037] The first pinion 51a and the second pinion 51b have vertical shaft portions 55, and both ends of the shaft portions are supported by shaft holes 31f provided on the front and rear sides of the first movable member 31 and shaft holes 32e provided on the front and rear sides of the second movable member 32, and are rotatably mounted.

[0038] The left first rack 52a and the left second rack 52b are attached to both ends of the left first member 41 of a pair of tablet holder members 40, and the right first rack 53a and the right second rack 53b are attached to both ends of the right first member 41 of a pair of tablet holder members 40. Each rack 52a, 52b, 53a, and 53b has a mounting base 56, a rack base 57, and a rack body 58. The mounting base 56 is attached to both ends of the first member 41 of the tablet holder member 40 and forms a part of the first member 41. The mounting base 56 has a hole 56a that supports the coil spring 43 of the tablet holder member 40. The rack base 57 extends downward from the mounting base 56 and is housed in the opening 37b of the second movable member 32 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The rack body 58 extends from the rack base 57 in a direction perpendicular to the first member 41 of the tablet holder member 40 and has teeth that mesh with the pinions 51a and 51b. On the back of the rack body 58, a roller 59 is provided on the support shaft 39c of the second movable member 32 to maintain meshing with the pinions 51a and 51b.

[0039] The third rack 54 extends in the front-rear direction and has a rack portion 54a that engages with the first pinion 51a and a rack portion 54b that engages with the second pinion 51b. The front end of the third rack 54 protrudes forward from the notch 37b of the second movable member 32 and can be manually pushed by the user.

[0040] The rack body 58 of the left first rack 52a and the rack body 58 of the right first rack 53a are parallel, and the teeth of each mesh with the first pinion 51a. Similarly, the rack body 58 of the left second rack 52b and the rack body 58 of the right second rack 53b are parallel, and the teeth of each mesh with the second pinion 51b. In addition, the rack portions 54a and 54b of the third rack 54 mesh with the first pinion 51a and the second pinion 51b.

[0041] Therefore, when, for example, the left tablet holder 40 of the pair of tablet holder members 40 is moved toward the right tablet holder member 40, that is, toward the direction of gripping the tablet, the teeth of the left first rack 52a and left second rack 52b drive the first pinion 51a and second pinion 51b to rotate counterclockwise, and this rotation of the first pinion 51a and second pinion 51b drives the teeth of the right first rack 53a and right second rack 53b, causing the right tablet holder member 40 to move toward the left tablet holder member 40. Similarly, when the left tablet holder 40 of a pair of tablet holders 40 is moved away from the right tablet holder 40, the right tablet holder 40 moves away from the left tablet holder 40.

[0042] Furthermore, when the front end of the third rack 54 is pushed backward, the teeth drive the first pinion 51a and the second pinion 51b to rotate clockwise. This rotation of the first pinion 51a and the second pinion 51b drives the left first rack 52a and the right first rack 53a, and the left second rack 52b and the right second rack 53b, causing the pair of tablet-holding members 40 to move away from each other.

[0043] Next, the upper part 3 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the upper part 3 comprises an upper body 60, an upper locking member 70 (see Figure 9), and an upper movable member 80.

[0044] As shown in Figure 8, the upper body 60 has a rectangular shape with an opening on the side facing the lower part 3 and covers the lower part 3 from above. An upper hinge 61 is provided at the rear of the upper body 60, which together with the lower hinge 11 of the lower body 10 constitutes the hinge 4. The upper hinge 61 consists of a mounting portion 61a and two hinge bodies 61b into which the hinge shaft 11b of the lower hinge 11 is fitted. The mounting portion 61a has a hole 61c formed therein that supports the spring 73 of the upper locking member 70, which will be described later. Teeth 61d are formed on a part of the outer circumference of the hinge body 61b that engage with the rack 23a of the lower locking member 20 when the upper part 3 is closed against the lower part 2.

[0045] An upper blade mounting base 62 is provided in the center of the inner surface of the top wall of the upper body 60, and an upper blade 63 extending in the front-rear direction is attached to the upper blade mounting base 62. Guide protrusions 64 are provided at two locations on the front side and two locations on the rear side of the upper body 60, and springs 65 that elastically support the upper movable member 80, which will be described later, are arranged on these guide protrusions 64.

[0046] On both sides of the upper blade mounting base 62, there is a first guide wall 66a that supports the upper movable member 80 (described later) from the outside, and a second guide wall 66b that supports the upper locking member 70 from the inside. An elastic claw 67 is formed between the first guide wall 66a and the second guide wall 66b to prevent the locking member from coming off.

[0047] The front wall 68 of the upper body 60 has a notch 68a to prevent interference with the front end of the third rack 54 of the lower body 2, and a viewing window 68b. Inside the front wall 68, there are two guide ribs 68c and a contact portion 68d that abuts against the upper end of the first guide 17a of the lower body 10.

[0048] As shown in Figure 9, the upper locking member 70 consists of a base 71 and two arm portions 72. The base 71 extends in the left-right direction, and a cam follower 71a that slides on the cam 11c of the hinge base 11a is provided on the rear surface of the base 71, and a projection 71b that supports the spring 73 is formed on the front surface of the base 71. The arm portions 72 extend forward from both ends of the base 71. The arm portions 72 have a locking edge 72a that the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80 abuts against, a notch 72b that allows the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80 to move away from it, a stopper 72c that engages with the engaging edge 87a of the upper movable member 80, and an engaging portion 72e that engages with the elastic claw 67 of the upper body 60. The upper locking member 70 is biased rearward by a spring 73 positioned between the base 71 and the mounting portion 61a of the upper hinge 61. The upper locking member 70, together with the cam 11c of the hinge base 11a, constitutes a locking mechanism.

[0049] As shown in Figure 10, the upper movable member 80 has a slit 81 in the center of its top wall through which the upper blade 63 shown in Figure 8 passes, and ribs 82 parallel to the slit 81 are formed on both sides of the slit 81. Guide holes 83 are formed at the four corners of the top wall of the upper movable member 80 through which the guide projections 64 of the upper body 60 pass. As shown in Figure 11, an upper blade penetration member 84 having a hole 84a opposite to the slit 81 is attached to the center of the back surface of the upper movable member 80. On the front and rear sides of the back surface of the upper movable member 80, protrusions 85 are formed around the guide holes 83, against which the springs 65 abut. Rectangular notches 86 are formed from both side edges of the upper blade movable member 80 to the side walls, and the edges of these notches 86 are engaging edges 86a into which the stopper 72c of the upper locking member 70 engages. A locking portion 87 is formed on the inside of the side wall of the upper blade movable member 80. A guide recess 88 is formed on the front wall of the upper movable member 80, which engages with the guide rib 68c of the upper body 60.

[0050] The upper movable member 80 is movable between a cutting position in which the upper blade 63 is ejected and protrudes from the slit 81, and a retracted position in which the upper blade 63 is retracted from the slit 81.

[0051] Next, the operation of the tablet splitting device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0052] As shown in Figure 12, when the upper part 3 is open relative to the lower part 2, the upper movable member 80 is biased toward the opening side of the upper body 60 by the spring 65, and the stopper 72c of the upper locking member 70 is locked in place by engaging with the engaging edge 86a of the notch 86. In this state, as shown in Figure 14, the upper blade 63 is not exposed from the slit 81 of the upper movable member 80. Also, as shown in Figure 12, the cam follower 71a of the upper locking member 70 is in contact with the lowest position from the hinge axis 11b of the cam 11c formed on the hinge base 11a, and the upper locking member 70 is biased toward the hinge by the spring 73. As a result, the notch 72b of the upper locking member 70 is retracted from the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80, and the upper movable member 80 is locked in the retracted position. Therefore, even if the user pushes the upper movable member 80, the upper movable member 80 does not move, and as shown in Figure 14, the upper blade 63 is not exposed from the slit 81 of the upper movable member 80, ensuring safety.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, when the upper part 3 is open relative to the lower part 2, the lower movable member 30 is biased upward toward the lower body 10 by the spring 16, and as shown in Figure 14, the stopper screw 36 attached to the support column 35 of the first movable member 31 engages with the hole 15 of the lower body 10, stopping the movable member. In this state, as shown in Figure 14, the lower blade 13 is not exposed from the slit 34b of the tablet mounting plate 34 of the lower movable member 30. Also, as shown in Figure 13, the rack 23a of the lower locking member 20 is spaced apart from the teeth 61d formed on the hinge body 61b of the upper hinge 61, and the lower locking member 20 is biased toward the opposite side of the hinge by the spring 25. As a result, the engaging slope 24a of the locking piece 24 of the lower locking member 20 rides up onto the engaged slope 38a of the locking portion 38 of the second movable member 32, and the lower movable member 30 is locked in the retracted position. Therefore, in Figure 14, even if the user pushes the lower movable member 30 or the tablet mounting plate 34, the lower movable member 30 does not move, so the lower blade 13 is not exposed through the slit 34b of the tablet mounting plate 34, ensuring safety.

[0054] To divide multiple tablets into halves, first, with the upper part 3 open relative to the lower part 2, the pair of tablet-holding members 40 are separated, as shown in Figure 15(a). To do this, one of the second members 42 of the pair of tablet-holding members 40 is moved away from the other second member 42. This causes the other second member 42 to move away from the first second member 42 via the interlocking mechanism 50. Alternatively, the pair of tablet-holding members 40 can be separated by pushing the front end of the third rack 54 that protrudes from the notch 37b of the front guide wall 37 of the lower movable member 30.

[0055] Next, the tablet to be divided in half is placed on the tablet mounting plate 34. Here, we will explain the case of dividing a tablet that does not have a score line. The tablet mounting plate 34 uses the first plate 34A which has a slit 34b.

[0056] The first tablet is placed on the tablet placement plate 34 so that it touches the regulating plate 34c, and the second and subsequent tablets are placed along the slit 34b in a direction away from the regulating plate 34c. At this time, it is not necessary for the multiple tablets to be precisely aligned. Once the multiple tablets have been placed, one of the second members 42 of the pair of tablet holding members 40 is moved in a direction toward the other second member 42. As a result, the other second member 42 moves toward the first second member 42 via the interlocking mechanism 50, and as shown in Figure 15(b), the multiple tablets are held between the two second members 42 and aligned in a line.

[0057] Next, in order to cut multiple tablets on the mounting base 34a, the upper part 3 is rotated around the hinge 4 relative to the lower part 2, as shown in Figure 17.

[0058] In Figure 12, when the cam follower 71a of the upper locking member 70 of the upper part 3 slides against the cam 11c formed on the hinge base 11a of the lower hinge 11 and reaches the highest position from the hinge axis 11b of the cam 11c, the upper locking member 70 moves away from the hinge 4 against the biasing force of the spring 73. As a result, the notch 72b of the upper locking member 70 moves to a position opposite the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80, and the upper locking member 70 is released.

[0059] Furthermore, in Figure 13, when the rack 23a of the lower locking member 20 engages with the teeth 61d formed on the hinge body 61b of the upper hinge 61, the lower locking member 20 moves toward the hinge 4 against the biasing force of the spring 25. As a result, the engaging inclined surface 24a of the locking piece 24 of the lower locking member 20 separates from the engaged inclined surface 38a of the locking portion 38 of the second movable member 32, and the lower movable member 30 is released from lock.

[0060] As the upper part 3 approaches the lower part 2, in Figure 14, the ribs 82 located on both sides of the slit 81 of the upper movable member 80 come into contact with the multiple tablets placed on the tablet mounting plate 34 of the lower part 2, and the reaction force causes the upper movable member 80 to move toward the upper body 60 against the biasing force of the spring 65. As a result, as shown in Figure 16(a), the upper blade 63 of the upper body 60 penetrates the slit 81 of the upper movable member 80 and is exposed from the upper movable member 80, cutting the tablet from above. Also, as the upper blade 63 pushes the tablet, the lower movable member 30 is pushed down via the tablet mounting plate 34. As a result, the lower blade 13 of the lower body 10 penetrates the slit 34b of the tablet mounting plate 34 of the lower movable member 30 and is exposed from the tablet mounting plate 34, cutting the tablet from below. As a result, the tablet is cut by the upper blade 63 and the lower blade 13 and divided into two halves. Furthermore, the upper body 60 is prevented from descending further when the contact portion 68d abuts against the upper end of the first guide 17a of the lower body 10. As shown in Figure 16(b), the gap between the upper blade 63 and the lower blade 13 and the state of tablet cutting can be checked through a viewing window 68b provided in the upper body 60. The viewing window 68b may have a transparent cover or may be open. Alternatively, the entire upper body 60 may be made transparent.

[0061] When the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13 cut into the tablet, as shown in Figure 15(c), the half-tablet closer to the hinge 4 is pressed in a direction perpendicular to the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13 (in the thickness direction of the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13) by the thickness of the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13. At this time, the second member 42 of the pair of tablet-holding members 40 moves away from each other relative to the first member 41, against the biasing force of the coil spring 43. The tablet furthest from the hinge 4 remains held between the pair of tablet-holding members 40. Since multiple tablets are cut from the side closer to the hinge 4, the second member 42 is displaced in a V-shape when viewed from above the mounting base 34a. This allows the tablet to be divided with little force, and the upper blade can be placed at the center of the tablet, allowing the tablet to be accurately divided into halves.

[0062] When all the tablets placed on the tablet mounting plate 34 have been cut, the upper part 3 rotates around the hinge 4 away from the lower part 2 to open and remove the tablets from the tablet mounting plate 34. When the upper part 3 is open relative to the lower part 2, as described above, the upper movable member 80 of the upper part 3 is locked by the upper locking member 70 with the upper blade 63 retracted, and the lower movable member 30 of the lower part 2 is locked by the lower locking member 20 with the lower blade 13 retracted.

[0063] In this embodiment, the upper part 3 and the lower part 2 are connected by a hinge 4, and the upper blade 63 of the upper part 3 divides multiple tablets on the lower mounting base 34a one by one from the side closest to the hinge 4, so that tablets can be divided with little force. In addition, because the upper part 3 and the lower part 2 are connected by a hinge 4, the position of the upper blade 63 of the upper part 3 is less likely to shift relative to the mounting base 34a of the lower part 2, and the upper blade 63 can be applied to the center of the tablet, so that the tablet can be accurately divided in half.

[0064] When multiple tablets are placed on the mounting table 34a and the second member 42 is moved toward the multiple tablets, the multiple tablets are held in place by the second member 42 and aligned. Therefore, even if multiple tablets are placed haphazardly on the mounting table 34a, they will be aligned by the second member 42, making it easy to place multiple tablets.

[0065] When the second member 42 is moved toward the tablet, the outer surface of the recess 42b of the second member 42 directly presses against the outer surface of the first member 41, causing the first member 41 to move in conjunction with the second member 42. As a result, a constant distance is maintained between the first member 41 and the second member 42, and the elastic member always exerts the same elastic force during separation. Alternatively, magnets of the same polarity may be placed facing each other or a compression spring inserted between the outer surface of the recess 42b of the second member 42 and the outer surface of the first member 41 to cause the first member 41 to move in conjunction with the second member 42.

[0066] When multiple tablets are separated in order from the side closest to the hinge 4, the second member 42 moves away from the tablets, and the tablets move to both sides by the thickness of the upper blade 63, so that the tablets can be separated with little force.

[0067] When arranging tablets on the mounting table 34a before splitting, or when removing tablets from the mounting table 34a after splitting, simply moving one of the first members 41 away from the tablet via the second member 42 causes the other first member 41 and the second member 42 to move away from the tablet via the interlocking mechanism 50, thus enabling the arrangement and removal of tablets to be done quickly. Furthermore, when aligning tablets on the mounting table 34a, simply moving one of the first members 41 toward the tablet via the second member 42 causes the other first member 41 and the second member 42 to move toward the tablet via the interlocking mechanism 50, thus enabling multiple tablets to be correctly aligned at the division position.

[0068] When the upper part 3 is opened relative to the lower part 2 in order to use the tablet splitting device 1, the upper movable member 80 is locked in the retracted position, and the upper blade 63 of the upper part 3 is retracted from the slit 81, so that the user's hand does not come into contact with the upper blade 63, ensuring safety.

[0069] Next, when dividing a tablet with a score line, the tablet mounting plate 34 is used by replacing the first plate 34A, which has a slit 34b, with the second plate 34B, which has a projection 34e and no slit.

[0070] Tablets without a score line can be cut using the first plate 34A regardless of how the tablet is placed. However, tablets with a score line are designed to be divided along the groove-shaped score line. Therefore, when using the first plate 34A, if the score line is not aligned with the direction of the slit, the score line remains on the half-tablet, resulting in an unsightly appearance, and the half-tablet may further break along the score line. For this reason, tablets with a score line need to be placed with the score line aligned with the direction of the slit 34b, but this is difficult in practice.

[0071] In this embodiment, by replacing the first plate 34A having a slit 34b with a second plate 34B having a projection 34e, and placing a tablet with a score line on it so that the score line engages with the projection 34e, the tablet can be accurately divided along the score line. The projection 34d of the second plate 34B rests on the first stopper 14a and the second stopper 14b of the lower body 10, so that the second plate 34B does not go down even when the upper body 60 is pushed down during tablet division, thus preventing interference between the second plate 34B and the lower blade 13. Note that the projection 34d of the first plate 34A is shorter than the projection 34d of the second plate, so the projection 34d of the first plate 34A does not rest on the first stopper 14a and the second stopper 14b.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the pair of tablet holders 40 are separated by manually pushing the third rack 54, but the pair of tablet holders 40 can also be automatically separated when the upper part 3 is rotated relative to the lower part 2 around the hinge 4 to open it.

[0073] In other words, the device is equipped with a separation mechanism that moves the third rack 54 in conjunction with the upper part 3 moving away from the mounting base 34a, thereby activating the interlocking mechanism 50, and causing the tablet holder 40 to move to a predetermined position away from the multiple tablets. As a result, when the upper part 3 is opened relative to the lower part 2 in order to use the half-tablet splitting device 1, the separation mechanism separates the pair of tablet holders 40, eliminating the need to manually spread the pair of tablet holders 40, and allowing the tablets to be placed on the mounting base 34a immediately, thus enabling the tablet placement work to be carried out quickly.

[0074] <Second Embodiment> Figure 18 shows a tablet splitting device 101 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The tablet splitting device 101 splits multiple tablets into two halves and comprises a lower part 102 having a mounting base 120a for placing multiple tablets and a lower blade 135 (see Figure 22), and an upper part 103 having an upper blade 178 (see Figure 23), with the upper part 102 being able to be pushed into the lower part 103. In this specification, the side of the mounting part 120a where the restricting piece 120c is provided is referred to as the "front" of the lower part, the side of the mounting part 120a opposite to the restricting piece 120c is referred to as the "rear" of the lower part, the left side when looking from the front to the back of the lower part is referred to as the "left", and the right side when looking from the front to the back of the lower part is referred to as the "right".

[0075] First, let's describe the lower part 102. As shown in Figure 1, the lower part 102 comprises a lower body 110, a tablet mounting plate 120, a lower movable member 130 (see Figure 22), an interlocking mechanism 140 (see Figure 19), and a pair of tablet holding members 150.

[0076] As shown in Figure 19, the lower body 110 has the shape of a rectangular container with an upward opening. Support columns 111 for supporting the tablet mounting plate 120 are provided on the front and rear, left and right sides of the bottom of the lower body 110. Lower support parts 112 having lower bearing parts 112a for supporting the pinion shafts 145 and 146 of the interlocking mechanism 140, which will be described later, are provided on the front and rear sides of the bottom of the lower body 110. Protrusions 113 are formed at two locations on the front and two locations on the rear of the lower body 110, and springs 114 that elastically support the lower movable member 130, which will be described later, are arranged on these protrusions 113. Recesses 115 are formed at the corners of the lower body 110 into which the locking piece 163 of the upper body 160, which will be described later, is fitted.

[0077] As shown in Figure 20, the tablet mounting plate 120 has four legs 121 on its lower surface, and is attached to the lower body 110 by screwing the legs 121 to the support columns 111 of the lower body 110, thereby closing the open end of the lower body 110. The tablet mounting plate 120 has a mounting base 120a on its upper surface on which tablets are placed. The tablet mounting plate 120 has a slit 120b through which the lower blade 135 passes. A regulating piece 120c is provided at the rear end of the slit 120b to regulate the rear position of the tablet placed on the mounting base 120a.

[0078] The tablet mounting plate 120 has four guide holes 122 into which the guide rods 172 of the upper part 103 (described later) are fitted. The periphery of the guide holes 122 has an upwardly raised raised edge 122a. The four corners of the tablet mounting plate 120 have upwardly projecting release pieces 123. The release pieces 123 have engaging bevels 123a that face the engaged bevels 183a of the locking member 183 of the upper part 103 (described later). A fitting wall 124 is formed around the tablet mounting plate 120 to fit into the opening of the lower body 110. A notch 124a is formed between the left and right edges of the upper surface of the tablet mounting plate 120 and the fitting wall 124 into which the projections 148 of the interlocking mechanism 140 (described later) are inserted.

[0079] As shown in Figure 21, the back surface of the tablet mounting plate 120 is provided with two upper support portions 125, each having an upper bearing portion 125a that supports the pinion shafts 145 and 146 of the interlocking mechanism 140, which will be described later. The upper support portions 125 are provided with a buffer gear 126 that meshes with an auxiliary gear 147 provided on the pinion shafts 145 and 146 of the interlocking mechanism 140 to prevent the pinion shafts 145 and 146 from moving easily. The back surface of the tablet mounting plate 120 is also provided with a lower blade penetrating member 127 having a slit 127a facing a slit 120b, and a pair of support members 128 that support it.

[0080] As shown in Figure 22, the lower movable member 130 is composed of a pair of link plates 131 and a lower blade mounting base 132.

[0081] Each of the pair of link plates 131 is a roughly rectangular plate, with support shafts 133 protruding from its front and rear ends, two arm portions 131a formed on opposite side ends, and a notch 131b formed on the opposite side. The pair of link plates 131 are rotatably supported by the support shafts 133 on two upper support portions 125 of the tablet mounting plate 120, and are connected to each other by inserting a connecting shaft 134 through oval-shaped holes 131c drilled in the front-rear direction in the two arm portions 131a at the opposite side ends.

[0082] The lower blade mounting base 132 has a lower blade 135 mounted on it so as to protrude upward from its top surface, and a support portion 136 mounted on its bottom surface. The lower blade mounting base 132 moves up and down in conjunction with the up and down movement of the arms 131a of the pair of link plates 131, as the connecting shafts 134 of the pair of link plates 131 are inserted into holes 136a formed at the front and rear ends of the support portion 136.

[0083] As shown in Figure 19, the interlocking mechanism 140 consists of a left first pinion 141a, a left second pinion 141b, a right first pinion 142a, a right second pinion 142b, a left first rack 143a, a left second rack 143b, a right first rack 144a, and a right second rack 144b.

[0084] The left first pinion 141a and the left second pinion 141b are connected to each other by the left pinion shaft 145 and supported between the lower bearing 112a of the lower support portion 112 and the upper bearing 125a of the upper support portion 125, allowing them to rotate as a single unit. An auxiliary gear 147 is integrally provided on the rear side of the left pinion shaft 145, close to the left second pinion 141b. Similarly, the right first pinion 142a and the right second pinion 142b are connected to each other by the right pinion shaft 146 and supported between the lower bearing 112a of the lower support portion 112 and the upper bearing 125a of the upper support portion 125, allowing them to rotate as a single unit. On the front side of the right pinion shaft 146, similar to the auxiliary gear 147 of the left pinion shaft 145, an auxiliary gear 147 (not shown) is integrally provided close to the right first pinion 142a. The auxiliary gear 147 meshes with the buffer gear 126 of the tablet mounting plate 120, preventing the pinion shafts 145 and 146 from moving easily.

[0085] The left first rack 143a and the left second rack 143b are parallel to each other and mesh with the left first pinion 141a and the left second pinion 141b, respectively. The left first rack 143a and the left second rack 143b have projections 148 that protrude upward from the notch 124a of the tablet mounting plate 120, and these projections 148 are connected to the left tablet holding member 150, which will be described later.

[0086] Similarly, the right first rack 144a and the right second rack 144b are parallel to each other and mesh with the right first pinion 142a and the right second pinion 142b, respectively. The right first rack 144a and the right second rack 144b have projections 148 that protrude upward from the notch 124a of the tablet mounting plate 120, and these projections 148 are connected to the right tablet holding member 150, which will be described later.

[0087] As shown in Figure 20, the pair of tablet holder members 150 are elongated in the front-to-back direction and are arranged parallel to both sides of the slit 120b of the tablet mounting plate 120, holding multiple tablets from both sides. The pair of tablet holder members 150 have thickened portions 150a formed at both ends in the front-to-back direction. The pair of tablet holder members 150 are provided with opposing and parallel tablet contact surfaces 150b on their inner sides, and grooves 150c are formed to prevent interference with the regulating plate 120c of the tablet mounting plate 120. The outer sides of the pair of tablet holder members 150 are formed with notches 150d to prevent interference with the guide rod 172 of the upper part 103, which will be described later, and recesses 150e are formed to connect the protruding pieces 148 of the left first rack 143a and the left second rack 143b, and the right first rack 144a and the right second rack 144b.

[0088] Therefore, when, for example, the left tablet holder 150 of the pair of tablet holder members 150 is moved toward the right tablet holder member 150, that is, toward the direction of gripping the tablet, the teeth of the left first rack 143a and left second rack 143b drive the left first pinion 141a and left second pinion 141b to rotate clockwise when viewed from the front. This rotation of the left first pinion 141a and left second pinion 141b causes the right first pinion 142a and right second pinion 142b to rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the front, and the right first rack 144a and right second rack 144b move toward the left first rack 143a and left second rack 143b, causing the right tablet holder member 150 to move toward the left tablet holder member 150. Similarly, when the left tablet holder 150 of a pair of tablet holders 150 is moved away from the right tablet holder 150, the right tablet holder 150 moves away from the left tablet holder 150.

[0089] Next, the upper part 103 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the upper part 103 comprises an upper body 160, an upper blade mounting base 170 (see Figure 23), and an upper movable member 180.

[0090] As shown in Figure 23, the upper body 160 has a rectangular shape with an opening on the side facing the lower part 102 and covers the lower part 102 from above. Six mounting seats 161 are provided on the inner surface of the top wall of the upper body 160, stoppers 162 are provided on the front and rear sides of the inner surface of the top wall to prevent the upper movable member 180 from coming off, and locking pieces 163 are provided at the four inner corners of the side wall.

[0091] As shown in Figure 23, the upper blade mounting base 170 consists of a mounting base plate 171, four guide rods 172, two pairs of link arms 173, and an upper blade fixing base 174. The mounting base plate 171 is attached to a mounting seat 161 on the inner surface of the top wall of the upper body 160. The four guide rods 172 are cylindrical and are mounted on the mounting base plate 171 so as to protrude toward the opening side of the upper body 160. A large diameter section 172a is provided in the middle of each guide rod 172. The two pairs of link arms 173 have fixed shafts 175 at their fixed ends that are rotatably attached to the front and rear sides of the mounting base plate 171, one pair at each end, and the upper blade fixing base 174, which will be described later, is attached to the movable shafts 176 at their free ends. Each of the two pairs of link arms 173 is biased by a torsion spring 177 in the direction away from the mounting base plate 171 at its free end.

[0092] The upper blade fixing base 174 has the upper blade 178 mounted on it so as to protrude from the top surface towards the opening side of the upper body 160, and both ends are attached to the movable shafts 176 of the free ends of two pairs of link arms 173, so that it moves up and down in conjunction with the up and down movement of the two pairs of link arms 173.

[0093] The upper movable member 180 is shown in Figure 24. Figure 24(a) is a view of the upper body 160 from the opening side, i.e., the front, and Figure 24(b) is a view of it from the back. As shown in Figure 24(a), it has a rectangular shape that can be accommodated in the opening of the upper body 160, and a slit 181 is formed on its surface through which the upper blade 178 passes. Notches 182 are formed on both side edges of the upper movable member 180 to prevent interference with the guide rod 172. As shown in Figure 26, lock members 183 are provided on the four side edges of the upper movable member 180 so as to be movable in the left-right direction and are biased outward by a spring 184, and engage with the unlocking pieces 123 located at the four corners of the tablet mounting plate 120. The lock member 183 has an engaged slope 183a that faces the engaging slope 123a of the unlocking piece 123.

[0094] As shown in Figure 24(b), projections 186 that support the spring 185 are formed on both sides of the center of the back surface of the upper movable member 180. Rectangular cylindrical protrusions 187 are projected toward the top wall of the upper body 160 from the front and rear sides of the back surface of the upper movable member 180. A locking portion 187a is formed at the tip of this protrusion 187, which engages with the stopper 162 of the upper body 160.

[0095] The upper movable member 180 is movable between a cutting position where the upper blade 178 is ejected from the slit 181 and a retracted position where the upper blade 178 is retracted from the slit 181.

[0096] Next, the operation of the tablet splitting device 101 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0097] As shown in Figure 25, when the upper part 103 is separated from or above the lower part 102, the upper movable member 180 is biased toward the opening side of the upper body 160 by the spring 185, and the stopper 162 of the upper body 160 is locked into the locking part 187a of the protrusion 187 of the upper movable member 180, keeping it stopped. In this state, the upper blade 178 is not exposed from the slit 181 of the upper movable member 180. Also, as shown in Figure 26, the locking member 183 of the upper movable member 180 protrudes outward by the spring 184 and is locked opposite the locking piece 163 of the upper body 160. For this reason, even if the user pushes the upper movable member 180, the upper movable member 180 does not move, so the upper blade 178 is not exposed from the slit 181 of the upper movable member 180, ensuring safety.

[0098] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 25, when the upper part 103 is separated from or above the lower part 102, the lower blade 135 is not exposed through the slit 120b of the tablet mounting plate 120. Also, the tablet mounting plate 120 is fixed to the lower body 110. Therefore, even if the user presses the tablet mounting plate 120, the lower blade 135 will not be exposed through the slit 120b of the tablet mounting plate 120, ensuring safety.

[0099] With the upper part 103 separated from the lower part 102, in order to divide multiple tablets into halves, first, the distance between the pair of tablet-holding members 150 is increased. To do this, one of the tablet-holding members 150 is moved away from the other. This causes the other tablet-holding member 150 to move away from the other tablet-holding member 150 via the interlocking mechanism 140.

[0100] Next, the tablets to be split in half are placed on the tablet placement plate 120 along the slit 120b. The first tablet is placed so that it touches the regulating plate 120c, and the second and subsequent tablets are placed along the slit 120b away from the regulating plate 120c. At this time, it is not necessary for the multiple tablets to be perfectly aligned. Once the multiple tablets have been placed, one of the pair of tablet holding members 120 is moved toward the other. This causes the other tablet holding member 120 to move toward the first tablet holding member 120 via the interlocking mechanism 140, and the multiple tablets are held between the pair of tablet holding members 120 and aligned in a line.

[0101] Next, in order to cut the multiple tablets on the mounting base 120a, the upper part 103 is placed over the lower part 102 from above, as shown in Figure 27.

[0102] Here, as shown in Figure 26, the locking member 183 of the upper movable member 180 engages with the unlocking pieces 123 located at the four corners of the tablet mounting plate 120, moving inward against the biasing force of the spring 184 and separating from the locking pieces 163 located at the four inner corners of the upper body 160. As a result, the upper movable member 180 is unlocked.

[0103] When the upper part 103 is pushed into the lower part 102, as shown in Figure 28, the guide rod 172 of the upper blade mounting base 170 enters the guide hole 122 of the tablet mounting plate 120, guiding the upper part 103 against the lower part 102. The upper movable member 180 of the upper part 103 comes into contact with the tablet, and the reaction force causes the upper movable member 180 to move toward the top wall of the upper body 160 against the biasing force of the spring 185. As a result, the upper blade 178 of the upper body 160 penetrates the slit 181 of the upper movable member 180 and is exposed from the upper movable member 180, cutting the tablet from above. In addition, the guide rod 172 of the upper blade mounting base 170 presses the outside of the support shaft 133 of the pair of link plates 131 of the lower part 102. As a result, the lower blade 135 of the lower movable member 130 penetrates the slit 120b of the tablet mounting plate 120 and is exposed from the tablet mounting plate 120, cutting into the tablet from below. Consequently, the tablet is cut by the upper blade 178 and the lower blade 135, dividing it into two halves. Furthermore, as the tablet 103 approaches the lower part 102, the large-diameter portion 172a of the guide rod 172 comes into contact with the raised edge 122a of the guide hole 122, preventing it from moving any further down.

[0104] As shown in Figure 25, the upper blade mounting base 170 of the upper part 102 is attached to the link arm 173 and is biased by a torsion spring 177 in a direction away from the mounting base plate 171, that is, toward the lower blade mounting base 132 of the lower part 102. Therefore, when the upper blade 178 cuts into a tablet, it moves away from the lower blade 135 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 177, and the impact is mitigated. In addition, the upper blade 178 is attached to a movable shaft 176 held by the link arm 173, and the upper blade 178 moves back and forth as it moves downward, making it easier to cut cleanly.

[0105] Once all the tablets placed on the tablet mounting plate 120 have been cut, the upper part 103 is lifted away from the lower part 102 to separate it, and the tablets on the tablet mounting plate 120 are removed. When the upper part 103 is separated from or above the lower part 102, as described above, the upper movable member 180 of the upper part 103 is locked to the upper body 160 with the upper blade 178 retracted inside the upper movable member 180.

[0106] In this embodiment, the upper part 103 and the lower part 102 are joined by the fitting of the guide hole 122 and the guide rod 172, and the upper blade 178 of the upper part 103 divides multiple tablets on the mounting base 120a of the lower part 102. As a result, the position of the upper blade 178 of the upper part 103 is less likely to shift relative to the mounting base 120a of the lower part 102, and the upper blade 178 can be applied to the center of the tablet, allowing the tablet to be accurately divided into two halves.

[0107] When multiple tablets are placed on the mounting table 120a and one of the pair of tablet holders 150 is moved toward the multiple tablets, the multiple tablets are held in place by the pair of tablet holders 150 and aligned. Therefore, even if multiple tablets are placed haphazardly on the mounting table 120a, they will be aligned by the pair of tablet holders 150, making the task of placing multiple tablets easy.

[0108] Since one of the pair of tablet-holding members 150 moves in conjunction with the other, a constant distance is maintained between the pair of tablet-holding members 150.

[0109] When arranging tablets on the mounting table 120a before splitting, or when removing tablets from the mounting table 120a after splitting, simply moving one tablet holder member 150 away from the tablet causes the other tablet holder member 150 to move away from the tablet via the interlocking mechanism 140, allowing for quick arrangement and removal of tablets. Furthermore, when aligning tablets on the mounting table 120a, simply moving one tablet-holding member 150 towards the tablet causes the other tablet-holding member 150 to move towards the tablet via the interlocking mechanism 140, thus enabling multiple tablets to be correctly aligned at their division positions.

[0110] When the upper part 103 is separated from the lower part 102 or moved upward in order to use the tablet splitting device 101, the upper movable member 180 is locked in the retracted position, and the upper blade 178 of the upper part 102 is retracted from the slit 181, so that the user's hand does not come into contact with the upper blade 178, ensuring safety.

[0111] In the second embodiment described above, each of the pair of tablet-holding members 150 is made up of a single component. However, like the pair of tablet-holding members 40 in the first embodiment, they may also be made up of a pair of first members, a pair of second members, and a coil spring as an elastic member.

[0112] <Third Embodiment> In the first embodiment already described, the upper movable member 80 is elastically supported by the spring 65 relative to the upper body 60 and is guided by the guide projection 64 provided on the upper body 60, moving parallel to the protruding direction of the upper blade 63. As a result, it is not parallel to the tablets placed on the tablet mounting plate 34, and the tablets are pressed in order from the tablet closest to the hinge 4.

[0113] In contrast, in the third embodiment shown in Figure 29, the upper movable member 80 has two coaxial support shafts 90 extending outward from the center of both ends parallel to the hinge 4, and is elastically supported by springs 65 to the upper body 60 at positions separated from the support shafts 90 on the hinge side and the opposite side. As shown in Figure 30, the support shafts 90 are supported by two support members 91 attached to the top wall of the upper body 60. The support member 91 consists of a base portion 91a fixed with screws 92 at a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the top wall of the upper body 60, and a U-shaped guide portion 91b protruding from the base portion 91a toward the inner surface of the top wall of the upper body 60. By housing the support shafts 90 of the upper movable member 80 in the U-shaped guide portion 91b of the support member 91, movement in the direction parallel to the cutting edge of the upper blade 63 is restricted, while movement in the direction perpendicular to the cutting edge of the upper blade 63 and rotation around the support shafts 90 are permitted. As a result, the upper movable member 80 can move independently of the upper body 60 on its hinged side and non-hinged side.

[0114] As shown in Figure 31(a), in order to cut multiple tablets on the mounting table 34a, the upper part 3 is rotated relative to the lower part 2 around the hinge 4. As the upper part 3 approaches the lower part 2, the ribs 82 located on both sides of the slit 81 of the upper movable member 80 come into contact with the tablets closest to the hinge 4 among the multiple tablets placed on the mounting table 34a of the lower part 2. Due to the reaction force, the upper movable member 80 rotates counterclockwise around the pivot shaft 90 in Figure 31(a) and moves along the guide part 91b toward the upper body 60. At this time, the spring 65 on the hinge side contracts, and the spring 65 on the opposite side of the hinge extends. As a result, as shown in Figure 31(b), the upper movable member 80 becomes parallel to the tablets placed on the mounting table 34a, and can simultaneously hold multiple tablets in a horizontal position, so that all of the tablets can be cut cleanly.

[0115] In the embodiment shown in Figure 29-31, a support shaft 90 is provided on the upper movable member 80, and a U-shaped guide portion 91b is provided on the support member 91 attached to the upper body 60. However, the U-shaped guide portion may be provided on the upper movable member 80, and the support shaft may be provided on the upper body 60. Furthermore, the position of the support shaft 90 is not limited to the center of the upper movable member 80, but may be biased toward the hinge side or biased toward the opposite hinge side. In addition, the spring 65 that elastically supports the upper movable member 80 may be provided between the support shaft 90 and the inner surface of the top wall of the upper body 60.

[0116] <Other Embodiments> In the following embodiment, instead of using the tablet mounting plate 34 as in the first embodiment, the upper surface of the lower movable member 30 is used as a tablet mounting base 30a, and a slit 30b is provided through this tablet mounting base 30a, through which the lower blade 13 passes.

[0117] Figure 32 shows a means to prevent the spacing between the tablet-holding members 40 from becoming too wide. When dropping multiple tablets onto the tablet holder 30a, if the spacing between the tablet holder members 40 is too wide, the tablets may end up in two rows. In this case, as shown in Figure 32(a), even if the tablets are held down from both sides by the tablet holder members 40, two tablets will be sandwiched between the tablet holder members 40, making it impossible to separate the tablets. To prevent this, in the embodiment shown in Figure 32(b), a sheet 94 with spacing adjustment markings 93 printed on it is attached to the tablet holder 30a. As shown in Figure 32(c), the spacing adjustment markings 93 are provided on both sides of the slit 30b of the holder 30a, with a first line 93a for tablets with a diameter of 5 to 8 mm at a first predetermined distance S1 (9 mm) apart, and a second line 93b for tablets with a diameter of 8 to 14 mm at a second predetermined distance S2 (14 mm) apart. The first line 93a and the second line 93b may be formed by grooves or protrusions. If a tablet mounting plate 34 is provided as in the first embodiment, a spacing adjustment scale 93 may be provided on the upper surface of the tablet mounting plate 34.

[0118] When placing a tablet on the tablet holder 30a, if the diameter of the tablet is known and the tablet is less than 8 mm in diameter, the outside of the tablet holder member 40 is aligned with the first line 93a. If the tablet is 8 mm or larger in diameter, the outside of the tablet holder member is aligned with the second line 93b. If the diameter of the tablet is unknown, first place one tablet on the tablet holder 30a, narrow the spacing of the tablet holder members 40 that will hold the tablet, and move the tablet holder members 40 to align with the closer of the first line 93a and the second line 93b. In this state, by dropping multiple tablets between the tablet holder members 40, even if the spacing of the tablet holder members 40 is narrowed and the tablets are aligned, the tablets will not be arranged in two rows, and they can be reliably aligned in a single row.

[0119] Figure 33 shows a means to prevent leaving too many tablets on the shelves. When multiple tablets are placed on the tablet holder 30a, tablets located far from the hinge 4 cannot be cut. Therefore, a limit line 95 indicating the limit on which tablets can be placed is provided on the upper surface of the tablet holder member 40 in a direction perpendicular to the slit 30b of the tablet holder 30a, and the word "LIMIT" 96 is displayed near the limit line 95. In addition, a notch 96 is provided in a part of the tablet contact surface 40a of the tablet holder member 40 that exceeds the limit line 95, so that tablets cannot be gripped by the tablet holder member 40.

[0120] Figure 34 shows a method for ensuring that the score lines of the tablets are aligned in a straight line. When dividing a tablet having a score line along the score line, in the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the first plate 34A having a slit 34b is replaced with a second plate 34B having a first projection 34e. However, the direction of the score line may be manually aligned using the score line alignment rod 97 and score line alignment plate 98 shown in Figure 34.

[0121] As shown in Figure 34(b), the secant line alignment rod 97 has a rod-shaped body 97a with a small diameter portion 97b at one end and a large diameter portion 97c at the other end. The small diameter portion 97b and the large diameter portion 97c are provided with tubular first pressing portion 97d and second pressing portion 97e made of silicone rubber. The first pressing portion 97d and the second pressing portion 97e are mounted so as to protrude from the tips of the small diameter portion 97b and the large diameter portion 97c, respectively.

[0122] The score line alignment plate 98 is formed from a long, narrow, ruler-shaped plate. As shown in Figure 34(c), of the two edges of the score line alignment plate 98 that extend in the longitudinal direction, one edge has a tapered alignment portion 98a that fits into the score line of the tablet, and the other edge has a thickened portion 98b that can be held by hand, and both ends in the longitudinal direction have protruding support portions 98c.

[0123] As shown in Figure 34(a), the secant line alignment rod 97 and the secant line alignment plate 98 can be stored in a storage compartment 99 formed on the bottom surface of the lower body 10. The storage compartment 99 has clamping parts 99a and 99b for clamping both ends of the secant line alignment rod 97, a hole 99c for inserting one support part 98c of the secant line alignment plate 98, and an engaging part 99d for engaging the other support part 98c. The secant line alignment plate 98 also serves as a cover for the storage compartment 99.

[0124] For tablets with a score line, multiple tablets are placed on the tablet holder 30a and aligned with the tablet holder 40, and then the direction of the score line is manually aligned using the score line alignment rod 97 and score line alignment plate 98.

[0125] First, as shown in Figure 35(a), the scoring rod 97, with its pressing portion 97d or 97e that matches the size of the tablet, is pressed against the tablet closest to the hinge 4. Then, as shown in Figure 35(b), the scoring rod 97 is rotated to align the scoring line of the tablet parallel to the tablet contact surface 40a of the tablet holder 40. Next, while keeping the scoring rod 97 pressed against the tablet, the tablet is moved along the slit 30b and brought against the regulating plate 34c. The next tablet is rotated in the same way to align its scoring line parallel to the tablet contact surface 40a and brought against the previous tablet to reduce the spacing between the tablets. In the state where all the tablets are aligned, as shown in Figure 35(c), the scoring lines of each tablet are not perfectly aligned in a straight line.

[0126] Therefore, as shown in Figure 36(a), the alignment portion 98a of the score line alignment plate 98 is pressed toward each score line of a row of aligned tablets. As a result, as shown in Figure 36(b), the alignment portion 98a of the score line alignment plate 98 fits into the score lines, and the tilted score lines rotate little by little to follow the alignment portion 98a. As a result, as shown in Figure 36(c), the score lines of each tablet are precisely aligned in a straight line. Therefore, when the tablets are cut by the upper blade 63 and the lower blade 13, they are precisely divided into halves along the score lines. Note that even without using the score line alignment rod 97 to reduce the spacing between tablets, the spacing between tablets can be reduced by moving the score line alignment plate 98 toward the regulating plate 34c while pressing it toward the tablets. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0127] 1. Tablet splitting device 2 Lower part 3 Top 4 hinges 10 Lower body 13 Lower blade 20 Lower locking member 30 Lower movable member 34 Tablet mounting plate 34a Mounting platform 34b Slit 34c protrusion 34A Plate 1 34B Plate 2 40 Tablet holder 41 First Member 42 Second Member 43 Coil spring 50 Interlocking mechanism 60 Upper body 63 Upper blade 70 Upper locking member 72a Lock rim 80 Upper movable member 81 Slit 86 Lock section 101 Tablet splitter 102 Lower part 103 Top 110 Lower body 120 Tablet Holder Plate 123 Unlock Piece 130 Lower movable member 135 Lower blade 140 Interlocking mechanism 150 Tablet holder 160 Upper body 163 lock pieces 170 Upper blade mounting base 178 Upper blade 180 Upper movable member 183 Locking member

Claims

1. In a half tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets, a lower part having a table for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade are rotatably connected to each other, A half-tablet dividing device characterized in that the multiple tablets are aligned on the mounting table, the upper part is rotated relative to the lower part, and the multiple tablets aligned and placed on the mounting table are cut in sequence with the upper blade.

2. The half-tablet splitting device as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the loading platform is provided with a pair of tablet pressing members which press and align the multiple tablets from both sides.

3. In a half tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets, A lower part having a platform for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade are provided, A pair of tablet pressing members are provided on the placement table to press and align the tablets from both sides, A half-tablet dividing device, characterized in that at least the portions of the pair of tablet pressing members that press the plurality of tablets are movable in a non-parallel state.

4. The pair of tablet pressing members each include: A first member movable in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction of the plurality of tablets; A second member that holds the plurality of tablets from both sides; 4. The tablet splitting device according to claim 2, further comprising an elastic member that biases the second member toward the tablet relative to the first member.

5. The half-tablet dividing device according to claim 4, characterized in that when the second member is moved in a direction to clamp the plurality of tablets, the first member moves toward the plurality of tablets in conjunction with the movement of the second member.

6. A half-tablet splitting device as described in claim 4, which cites claim 2, characterized in that when the tablet at the joint between the lower and upper parts is cut by the upper blade, the joint between the lower and upper parts of the second member moves in a direction away from the tablet by an amount equal to the thickness of the upper blade, and the second member is displaced into a V-shape when viewed from above the mounting table.

7. A half-tablet dividing device as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that it is provided with a separation mechanism in which the tablet pressing member moves in a direction away from the plurality of tablets to a predetermined position in conjunction with the upper part moving in a direction away from the upper blade and the placement table.

8. The half-tablet dividing device according to claim 4, further comprising an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the first members of the pair of tablet pressing members with each other in a direction approaching the tablet and in a direction away from the tablet.

9. a movable member having a slit through which the upper blade passes, the movable member being movable between a cutting position where the upper blade is exposed from the slit and a retracted position where the upper blade is retracted from the slit; 4. The half-tablet dividing device according to claim 2, further comprising a locking mechanism that locks the movable member in a retracted position in conjunction with the movement of the upper portion in a direction away from the placement table.

10. The half-tablet dividing device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the mounting base is switchable between a state in which the portion opposite the upper blade has a slit through which the lower blade passes and a state in which the mounting base has a protrusion with which the score line of the tablet engages.

11. The half-tablet dividing device according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a first plate having a slit through which the lower blade passes and a second plate having a protrusion with which the score line of the tablet engages, which are replaceable.

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