Medicine box, kit, and bag-type container

Abstract

This invention provides a medicine box that can be easily assembled from a single sheet, thereby improving the efficiency of medicine sorting and enhancing the stability of the box shape. [Solution] The medicine box 10 is assembled into a box shape from a single sheet 11 and contains bag bands 91, 92, and 93 that package prescription drugs for the same period of administration, and allows the bags 95 to be continuously removed. The sheet 11 has a rectangular side region A that forms the side of the box shape, an upper surface region B extending from the upper edge of the side region A, and a bottom surface region C extending from the lower edge of the side region A. One upper edge X is positioned vertically lower than the other upper edges, and the upper surface region BX extending from the upper edge X is folded into the box shape, thereby forming a gap 25a between the upper edge X and the upper surface 30 of the box shape. The ends of the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 can each be removed from the gap 25a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medicine box for accommodating a bag belt in which bag bodies encapsulating prescription drugs are continuously arranged, and for continuously taking out the bag bodies.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with respect to prescription drugs dispensed based on a prescription, a process called "encapsulation" is carried out in which a plurality of drugs are put together in one bag body for each dosing time such as morning, noon, and evening. The encapsulated prescription drugs are often provided in the form of a long strip (bag belt) in which the bag bodies are continuously arranged in the order of dosing times. Generally, information regarding the dosing time is printed on the surface of each bag body. The patient may cut out the bag bodies in order from the head of the bag belt and take the medicine.

[0003] However, when the dosing period becomes long, the amount of drugs prescribed at one time also increases, so the length of the bag belt becomes long. A long bag belt is not only difficult to use as it spreads out as it is, but also, if it is poorly organized, the bag body may be accidentally damaged and the bag body may be opened.

[0004] As a technology for solving this problem, a medicine box has been proposed in which a box shape having an outlet for the bag belt is formed by assembling cardboard materials or the like, the bag belt is accommodated in this box shape, and the bag bodies can be taken out from the outlet in the order of dosing times (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, this type of medicine box has had the following problems.

[0007] (1) Conventionally, a single bag of medication is used in which the bags are arranged in order of administration, for example, morning → noon → evening → morning →.... This makes the task of sorting the medication in the correct order troublesome, and also adds to the burden of checking for sorting errors.

[0008] (2) For example, if the length of each pouch is 6 cm, the total length of a pack of medicine bags for morning, noon, and evening use for one week would be 6 cm x 3 x 7 days = 126 cm. When this pack of medicine bags is rolled up, the thickness of the pouches also contributes to a considerably large diameter. The medicine box that stores this roll of medicine bags is a flattened rectangular prism with a larger vertical dimension than horizontal dimension when viewed from the front, making it unstable and prone to tipping over. This is particularly problematic when pulling the medicine bags out of the medicine box.

[0009] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide a medicine box that can improve the efficiency of medicine sorting work and improve the stability of the box shape. Furthermore, the objective of this invention is to provide a kit and a bag-type container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The inventors of this invention, after diligently studying to achieve the above objectives, have found that the above objectives can be solved by the following configuration.

[0011] [1] A box-shaped medicine box that contains multiple bands of bags in which prescription drugs are individually packaged and arranged in a continuous manner, and which allows the bags to be continuously removed, The box-shaped side has four rectangular side regions A, at least two upper surface regions B extending from the upper edges of each side region A, and at least one bottom surface region C extending from the lower edges of each side region A. Of the side regions A, the upper edge X of one side region AX is positioned vertically lower than the other upper edges, and the upper surface region BX of the upper surface region B that extends from the upper edge X is folded into the box shape, thereby forming a gap between the upper edge X and the upper surface of the box shape. Multiple of the aforementioned bag-shaped strips, which are wound in a roll or folded along their longitudinal direction, can be accommodated within the box-shaped structure such that their shorter direction aligns with the upper edge X. A medicine box in which the ends of multiple aforementioned bag-like straps can each be removed from the gap between them.

[0012] This configuration allows for the use of a continuous arrangement of bags for medications taken at the same time of day, such as all morning doses or all midday doses, thus improving the efficiency of sorting medications. Furthermore, since multiple bags are housed within the box with their shorter sides aligned along the upper ridge X, the box becomes longer horizontally and shorter vertically when viewed from the front, improving the stability of the box and making it less likely to tip over when pulling out the bags.

[0013] [2] The medicine box according to [1], wherein the top region BX folded into the box-shaped structure overlaps the side region AX and is folded so that its leading edge overlaps the bottom surface of the box-shaped structure.

[0014] In this configuration, the upper surface region BX, which is folded into the box shape from the upper edge X, overlaps with the side region AX and the bottom surface of the box shape, thus improving the strength of the upper edge X and the side region AX.

[0015] [3] The medicine box according to [1], wherein the upper surface region B includes an upper surface region B1 extending from an upper ridge Y opposite to the upper ridge X, an upper surface region B2 extending from one of two upper ridges Z sandwiched between the upper ridge X and the upper ridge Y, and an upper surface region B3 extending from the other of the two upper ridges Z, the upper surface region B1 being rectangular in shape enclosed by the upper ridge X, the upper ridge Y and the two upper ridges Z, and the box-shaped upper surface is formed with the upper surface region B2 overlapping the upper surface region B1 and the upper surface region B3 overlapping the upper surface region B2.

[0016] With this configuration, by overlapping three of the four upper surface regions B1, B2, and B3 (excluding upper surface region BX) to form a box-shaped top surface, a single sheet can be effectively used to reinforce the top surface of the box. Moreover, by pressing down on multiple obi (sashes) from above with upper surface region B1, which is equal in area to the entire top surface of the box, unwanted movement of the obi can be suppressed, allowing the obi to be pulled out smoothly.

[0017] [4] A medicine box according to [1], wherein a partition means for individually accommodating a plurality of the aforementioned bag bands is provided within the box shape, and the partition means is formed by folding a part of the single sheet and has a partition surface for separating adjacent bag bands and a placement surface for individually placing the bag bands.

[0018] With this configuration, multiple obi sashes are separated one by one by a partition made from a single sheet, thus avoiding the inconvenience of adjacent obi sashes getting mixed up or tangled.

[0019] [5] A medicine box according to [1], wherein a connecting means for connecting a plurality of medicine boxes in the direction of extension of the upper ridge X is formed on the single sheet, and the connecting means has a connecting piece formed on one of two side regions located at both ends of the upper ridge X, and a connecting hole formed on the other of the two side regions that can be locked to the connecting piece.

[0020] This configuration allows for the connection of multiple medicine boxes using a single sheet, enabling users to connect any number of medicine boxes according to their needs, thereby improving convenience.

[0021] [6] The medicine box according to [1], wherein the width of the gap, which is the distance from the upper ridge X to the top surface of the box, is 4 mm or more and 20 mm or less. [7] The medicine box according to [6], wherein the width of the gap is 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

[0022] When pulling out the bag belt from the gap, if the width of the gap is too narrow, the bag belt will get caught in the gap and be difficult to pull out. Conversely, if the width of the gap is too wide, the bag belt will be pulled out without resistance, resulting in excessive momentum and overshooting or reverse return. Therefore, considering the thickness of the bag body, it is preferable that the width of the gap is 4 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and more preferably 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

[0023] [8] The medicine box according to [1], wherein two or more first folding lines that become the upper edge X are provided on the single sheet. [9] The medicine box according to [8], wherein one of the two or more first folding lines is formed at a position 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less from the upper surface of the box shape, and the other one is formed at a position 13 mm or more and 15 mm or less from the upper surface of the box shape.

[0024] According to this configuration, by providing two or more first folding lines that become the upper edge X, a plurality of widths of the gap formed by the distance from the upper edge X to the upper surface of the box shape can be set. Thereby, a medicine box that can accommodate bag bodies of various thicknesses can be provided.

[0025]

[10] Second folding lines corresponding to each of the two or more first folding lines are formed in the upper surface region BX, and the second folding lines are used when folding the tip side of the upper surface region BX folded into the box shape so as to overlap the bottom surface. The medicine box according to [8].

[0026] According to this configuration, even when any one of the two or more first folding lines is selected, a corresponding second folding line can be selected, so that the tip side of the upper surface region BX can be easily folded so as to overlap the bottom surface.

[0027]

[11] A kit including the sheet for assembling the medicine box according to any one of [1] to

[10] .

[12] A bag belt container including the medicine box according to any one of [1] to

[10] and the bag belt housed in the medicine box.

[0028] According to the kit of this invention, since the above-mentioned sheet is included, the medicine box can be easily assembled. According to the bag-type holder of this invention, since the bag-type holder is already stored in the medicine box, there is no need to assemble the medicine box, making it even easier to use. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] This invention provides a medicine box that can improve the efficiency of medicine sorting and the stability of the box shape. Furthermore, this invention can also provide a kit and a bag-type container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a medicine box according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the entire medicine box in disassembled form. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the sheets for assembling the medicine box. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the top surface of a medicine box in disassembled form. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing a specific example of connecting multiple medicine boxes. [Figure 6] This is a front view showing an example of a connecting means; Figure 6[A] shows the connecting piece before it is inserted into the connecting hole, and Figure 6[B] shows it after it has been inserted into the connecting hole. [Figure 7] Figure 7[A] is a perspective view of the area around the gap after removing a portion from the inside of the medicine box. Figure 7[B] shows the case where a narrow gap is formed, and Figure 7[B] shows the case where a wide gap is formed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] The following descriptions of medicine boxes, kits, and pouches are representative embodiments used to illustrate the features of the present invention and do not limit the present invention to any particular embodiment. Note that in the drawings, when there are two or more identical parts, only one may be given a reference numeral. When explaining using the drawings, identical or similar parts are given a common reference numeral to avoid redundant explanations.

[0032] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the medicine box 10 of this embodiment, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the entire medicine box 10, and Figure 3 is a plan view showing the sheet 11 for assembling the medicine box 10. The following explanation will mainly be based on Figures 1 to 3.

[0033] The medicine box 10 is assembled into a box shape from a single sheet 11 and contains bag bands 91, 92, 93 in which bag bodies 95 containing prescription drugs (tablets 94) for the same administration period are arranged in a continuous sequence, allowing the bag bodies 95 to be continuously removed. The sheet 11 has four rectangular side regions A (side regions 21, 22, 23, 24) that form the sides of the box shape, at least two upper regions B (upper regions 31, 32, 33, 34) extending from the upper edges 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a of the side regions A, and at least one bottom region C (bottom regions 41, 42, 43, 44) extending from the lower edges 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b of the side regions A. The upper edge X (upper edge 21a) of one side region AX (side region 21) is positioned vertically lower than the other upper edges 22a, 23a, and 24a, and the upper surface region BX (upper surface region 31) extending from the upper edge 21a is folded into the box shape, thereby forming a gap 25a between the upper edge 21a and the upper surface 30 of the box shape. The straps 91, 92, and 93 are each rolled up or folded in the longitudinal direction, and their short sides are housed in the box shape along the upper edge 21a, with the ends of the straps 91, 92, and 93 being removable from the gap 25a. Here, the medicine box 10 according to the present invention will be described in an embodiment assembled from a single sheet 11, but it is not limited to being assembled from only one sheet. It is also possible to assemble the various parts of the box-shaped 10 from multiple sheets and connect each part. The connection of each part can be done using the means normally used to assemble a box-shaped structure, for example, by bonding them together with adhesive. However, assembling it from a single sheet is preferable because it is simpler and less expensive.

[0034] The medicine box 10 has no limit on the number of pouches it can hold, but in this embodiment, it holds three pouches 91, 92, and 93 for morning, midday, and evening use. Perforations 96 are formed between the pouches 95 that make up pouches 91, 92, and 93, allowing each pouch to be separated one by one along the perforations 96. The type or quantity of tablets 94 sealed in the pouches 95 differs for each pouch 91, 92, and 93. The pouches 95 are transparent synthetic resin bags, and information such as the timing of administration, the name and quantity of the tablets 94 are printed on their surface.

[0035] The medicine box 10 is assembled into a rectangular parallelepiped shape from a single sheet 11 and consists of sides 20, a top surface 30, and a bottom surface 40. An example of the dimensions of the medicine box 10 is 9±1cm in height, 23±1cm in width, and 11.5±1cm in depth. The material of the sheet 11 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a self-supporting cardboard. Its thickness is preferably, for example, 0.15 to 0.5 mm. In Figure 3, the parts cut from the sheet 11 are shown by solid lines, the fold lines by short dashed lines, and the perforations by long dashed lines. The fold lines are parts of the sheet 11 that have been processed with folds or grooves to facilitate folding. The perforations are parts of the sheet 11 that have been perforated with multiple tiny holes so that they can be torn by pressing with a finger.

[0036] Side 20 consists of four rectangular side regions 21, 22, 23, and 24. In Figure 3, a trapezoidal adhesive piece 26 is attached to the right side of side region 23. As shown in Figure 2, when side region 23 and side region 24 are fixed via the adhesive piece 26, side 20 becomes a closed rectangular frame. In the medicine box 10, the adhesive piece 26 is inside the box and therefore not visible from the outside. Connecting pieces 61, 62 and connecting holes 63, 64 are formed on side 20 as connecting means. Semicircular connecting pieces 61, 62 are formed on side region 22, and slit-shaped connecting holes 63, 64 are formed on side region 24. Connecting holes 64 are also formed on the adhesive piece 26. Another first fold line, which becomes the upper ridge X (upper ridge 21c), is formed on side region 21. By folding the upper surface region 31 into the box shape along the first fold line which becomes the upper ridge 21c, an even further vertically lower upper ridge 21c and a wide gap 25c (see Figure 7[B]) are obtained. A viewing window 27 (Figure 1) may be formed on the side surface 20 to check the remaining amount of the bag bands 91, 92, and 93.

[0037] The top surface 30 consists of three top surface regions 32, 33, and 34, excluding the top surface region 31. The top surface regions 31, 33, and 34 are rectangular in shape, while the top surface region 32 is trapezoidal. When the top surface region 31 is folded into the box shape along the top edge 21a, the leading edge 31d of the top surface region 31 comes into contact with the bottom surface 40. Therefore, second fold lines 31a and 31c are formed on the top surface region 31 so that the leading edge 31d of the top surface region 31 overlaps with the bottom surface 40. The second fold line 31a is used when the top surface region 31 is folded along the top edge 21a, and the second fold line 31c is used when the top surface region 31 is folded along the top edge 21c. A semicircular insertion piece 35 is formed in the top surface region 34, and a slit-shaped insertion hole 36 into which the insertion piece 35 can be inserted is formed in the top surface region 32. The bags 91, 92, and 93 are placed in the medicine box 10, and after closing the lid with the top surface 30, the insertion piece 35 is inserted into the insertion hole 36, thereby securing the top surface 30 of the medicine box 10.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, a display section 37 is provided outside the top surface area 31 to display "morning," "noon," and "evening," etc. Necessary information is written on the display section 37, for example, by printing, pasting, or handwriting. Furthermore, the display section 37 is not limited to the outside of the top surface area 31, but can be provided in any area. For example, relatively long information, such as the contents of a "medication record book," may be written inside the top surface area 34 or outside the top surface area 33 as shown in Figure 4.

[0039] The base surface 40 consists of four base surface regions 41, 42, 43, and 44. Base surface regions 42 and 44 are roughly triangular in shape, while base surface regions 41 and 43 are roughly trapezoidal in shape. With the side surface 20 closed in a rectangular frame shape, the base surface 40 is firmly assembled by combining opposite base surface regions 41 and 43, bonding base surface regions 41 and 44 to each other, and bonding base surface regions 42 and 43 to each other.

[0040] The partitioning means 50 individually separates the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 within the box shape and is formed by folding a portion of the sheet 11 that has been cut into a rectangular shape from the sheet 11. The partitioning means 50 has four partitioning surfaces 51 and three mounting surfaces 52 arranged in a row. The partitioning surfaces 51 separate the bag bands 91 and 92 from each other and the bag bands 92 and 93 from each other, while the mounting surfaces 52 individually support the bag bands 91, 92, and 93. In Figure 3, the fold lines between the partitioning surfaces 51 and the mounting surfaces 52 are valley folds, and the fold lines between the partitioning surfaces 51 are mountain folds.

[0041] Next, we will explain how to assemble the medicine box 10 from a single sheet 11.

[0042] First, the side edges of the side regions 21, 22, 23, and 24 are folded inwards so that all the surfaces shown in Figure 3 are on the inside, forming a rectangular frame, and the side region 24 is attached to the adhesive piece 26 with adhesive to fix it in place. Next, the opposite bottom regions 41 and 43 are combined, and the bottom regions 41 and 44 are glued together, and the bottom regions 42 and 43 are glued together to form the bottom surface 40. Then, the top region 31 is folded inwards along the top edge 21a to form a gap 25a. The tip 31d side of the top region 31 is folded along the second folding line 31a and overlapped with the bottom surface 40. This completes the box shape except for the top surface 30.

[0043] Meanwhile, a portion of the sheet 11 is folded to create a partition 50, which is then placed inside the box. The bag bands 91, 92, and 93 are placed on the three mounting surfaces 52 of the partition 50 housed inside the box, thereby housing the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 inside the box. Next, the top surface area 33 is folded and placed on top of the bag bands 91, 92, and 93, and then the top surface area 34 is folded and placed on top of that. This state is shown in Figure 4. Finally, the top surface area 34 is folded and placed on top of the top surface area 32, and the insertion piece 35 is inserted into the insertion hole 36, completing the medicine box 10 containing the bag bands 91, 92, and 93.

[0044] Next, we will explain in more detail the actions and effects of medicine box 10.

[0045] [1] The medicine box 10 is formed by assembling a single sheet 11 into a box shape, with one upper ridge 21a positioned vertically lower than the other upper ridges 22a, 23a, and 24a, and the upper surface region 31 extending from the upper ridge 21a is folded into the inside of the box shape. This creates a gap 25a between the top surface 30 of the box shape and the upper ridge 21a, allowing the ends of the bag straps 91, 92, and 93 housed inside the box shape to be removed from the gap 25a.

[0046] According to the medicine box 10, for example, a bag band 91 consisting entirely of morning bags (morning → morning → morning → ...), a bag band 92 consisting entirely of midday bags (midday → midday → midday → ...), and a bag band 93 consisting entirely of evening bags (evening → evening → evening → ...) can be used, with bag bands 91, 92, and 93 arranged in a continuous pattern of bags 95 for the same administration time. Therefore, the work of sorting the medicine becomes easier, and the work of checking for sorting errors is also simpler, thus improving the efficiency of the medicine sorting work. Moreover, since multiple bag bands 91, 92, and 93 are housed in the box shape with their shorter sides aligned along the upper ridge 21a, the box shape becomes longer horizontally and shorter vertically when viewed from the front, improving the stability of the box shape, and making it less likely to tip over when pulling out the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 from the box shape.

[0047] Furthermore, because the upper surface region 31 is folded inward, resistance to compression from the width direction (the extension direction of the upper ridge 21a) is maintained, thus preserving strength. As a result, excellent durability is achieved. In addition, because the openings for the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 are formed by the ingenuity of the position of the upper ridge 21a, the shape of the unfolded diagram (Figure 3), i.e., the sheet 11 for assembling the medicine box 10, is simpler and easier to assemble.

[0048] Because the medicine box 10 is assembled from such a simple sheet 11, the manufacturing costs are low, making it possible to distribute it widely to patients. It is expected that the medicine box 10 will further promote unit-dose packaging, and as a result contribute to reducing medical costs.

[0049] [2] The upper region 31 folded into the box shape may be folded so that it overlaps the side region 21 and the tip 31d side overlaps the bottom surface 40 of the box shape. In this case, the upper region 31 becomes L-shaped and supports the side region 21 from behind as if it were an L-shaped metal fitting. This reinforces the side region 21 and improves the strength of the upper ridge 21a and the side region 21. This effect is particularly significant when the upper ridge 21a and the side region 21 are subjected to the most force when the sashes 91, 92, and 93 are pulled out.

[0050] [3] As shown in Figure 4, the upper surface region B includes upper surface region B1 (upper surface region 33) extending from upper surface Y (upper surface region 23a) opposite to upper surface region 21a, upper surface region B2 (upper surface region 32) extending from one of the two upper surfaces Z (upper surface region 22a) sandwiched between upper surface regions 21a and upper surface region 23a, and upper surface region B3 (upper surface region 34) extending from the other of the two upper surfaces Z (upper surface region 24a). The upper surface region 33 is rectangular in shape, enclosed by upper surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a. The box-shaped upper surface 30 may be formed with upper surface region 32 overlapping on top of upper surface region 33, and upper surface region 34 overlapping on top of upper surface region 32. In this case, by overlapping upper surface regions 31, 32, and 33 to form the box-shaped upper surface 30, a single sheet 11 can be effectively used to reinforce the box-shaped upper surface 30. Furthermore, by pressing down on the obi sashes 91, 92, and 93 from above with the upper surface area 33 which is equal to the entire area of ​​the box-shaped upper surface 30, unnecessary movement of the obi sashes 91, 92, and 93 is suppressed, allowing the obi sashes 91, 92, and 93 to be pulled out smoothly.

[0051] [4] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a partition means 50 for individually accommodating the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 may be provided inside the box shape, and the partition means 50 may be formed by folding a part of the sheet 11 and have a partition surface 51 that separates adjacent bag bands 91, 92, and 93 from each other and a placement surface 52 on which the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 are individually placed. In this case, since the bag bands 91, 92, and 93 are separated one by one by the partition means 50 obtained from a single sheet 11, the inconvenience of adjacent bag bands 91, 92, and 93 getting mixed up or tangled can be avoided.

[0052] [5] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a connecting means for connecting multiple medicine boxes 10 in the direction extending along the upper edge 21a may be formed on a single sheet 11, and the connecting means may have connecting pieces 61, 62 formed on one of two side regions (side region 22) located at both ends of the upper edge 21a, and connecting holes 63, 64 formed on the other of the two side regions (side region 24) that can be locked to the connecting pieces 61, 62. In this case, any number of medicine boxes 10 can be connected according to the user's request using the connecting means formed on a single sheet 11, thereby improving convenience.

[0053] A specific example will be explained based on Figure 5. The medicine box 10A shown in Figure 5 has the same configuration as the medicine box 10 shown in Figure 1, except that the contents of the display section 37 are different. The medicine box 10B shown in Figure 5 has the same configuration as the medicine box 10 shown in Figure 1, except that the contents of the display section 37 are different and that it can accommodate two pouches. Therefore, parts of medicine boxes 10A and 10B that are the same as medicine box 10 are either given the same reference numerals or the reference numerals are omitted. The display section 37 of medicine box 10A is labeled "Upon waking," "Morning," and "Afternoon." The display section 37 of medicine box 10B is labeled "Evening" and "Before going to bed." Now, the connecting pieces 61 and 62 of medicine box 10B are inserted into the connecting holes 63 and 64 of medicine box 10A as shown by the arrow 65. Then, the connecting pieces 61 and 62 and the connecting holes 63 and 64 lock together, and medicine boxes 10A and 10B are connected to each other in the direction of extension of the upper ridge 21a (direction of arrow 65). The display section 37 of the connected medicine boxes 10A and 10B is labeled "Upon waking," "Morning," "Noon," "Evening," and "Before bed," making the medicine boxes 10A and 10B extremely convenient for users who take medication multiple times a day.

[0054] An example of a connecting means will be explained in detail based on Figure 6. The connecting piece 61 and the connecting hole 63 will be explained, but the same applies to the connecting piece 62 and the connecting hole 64. As shown in Figure 6[A], the connecting piece 61 is semicircular and the connecting hole 63 is slit-shaped. Let L1 be the vertical length of the connecting hole 63. On the other hand, the vertical length of the connecting piece 61 increases from the tip towards the base, becoming L2 which is greater than L1, but then decreases near the base, becoming L3 which is less than L1. That is, L2 > L1 > L3 holds true.

[0055] Here, as shown in Figure 6[B], when the connecting piece 61 is pushed into the connecting hole 63, the connecting piece 61 bends, causing its base end to enter the connecting hole 63. This securely locks the connecting piece 61 into the connecting hole 63. Conversely, when the connecting piece 61 is pulled out of the connecting hole 63, the connecting piece 61 bends and detaches from the connecting hole 63, releasing the lock between the connecting piece 61 and the connecting hole 63. In this way, the connecting piece 61 is detachably attached to the connecting hole 63. The insertion piece 35 and insertion hole 36 described above may also have the same structure as the connecting piece 61 and connecting hole 63.

[0056] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the area around the gap 25a after removing a portion from the inside of the medicine box 10. In this embodiment, either the upper ridge 21a or 21c can be used as the upper ridge X. Figure 7[A] shows the case where the upper ridge 21a is used, and a gap 25a with width Wa is formed. Figure 7[B] shows the case where the upper ridge 21c is used, and a gap 25c with width Wc, which is wider than width Wa, is formed. The gap will be described in detail below based on Figures 1 and 7.

[0057] [6] The width Wa of the gap 25a, which is the distance from the upper ridge 21a to the upper surface 30, may be 4 mm or more and 20 mm or less. [7] The width Wa of the gap 25a may be 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less. When pulling out the bag bands 91, 92, 93 from the gap 25a, if the width Wa is too narrow, the bag bands 91, 92, 93 will get caught in the gap 25a and will be difficult to pull out. Conversely, if the width Wa is too wide, the bag bands 91, 92, 93 will be pulled out without resistance, causing them to come out too far or to go back in. Therefore, taking into consideration the thickness of the bag body 95, it is preferable that the width Wa be 4 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and more preferable that it be 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

[0058] [8] A single sheet 11 may have two or more first fold lines that form the upper ridge X. [9] One of the two or more first fold lines (corresponding to the upper ridge 21a) may be formed at a position of 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less from the top surface 30 of the box shape, and the other (corresponding to the upper ridge 21c) may be formed at a position of 13 mm or more and 15 mm or less from the top surface 30 of the box shape. In this case, by providing two or more first fold lines that form the upper ridge X, multiple gap widths can be set based on the distance from the upper ridge X to the top surface 30. This makes it possible to provide a medicine box 10 that can accommodate bags 95 of various thicknesses. The thickness of the bag 95 varies depending on the type and quantity of medicine; for example, a bag 95 containing herbal medicine is about twice as thick as a bag 95 containing general tablets. Therefore, for a general tablet medicine box 10, one of the first fold lines (corresponding to the upper ridge 21a) is adopted, and the upper ridge 21a is formed at a position of 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less from the top surface 30. For a herbal medicine medicine box 10, the other line (corresponding to the upper ridge 21c) is adopted, and the upper ridge 21c is formed at a position of 13 mm or more and 15 mm or less from the top surface 30.

[0059]

[10] A second fold line corresponding to each of two or more first fold lines may be formed on the upper region 31, and the second fold line may be used when folding the upper region 31 folded into the box shape so that the leading edge 31d side overlaps the bottom surface 40. In this case, even if one of the two or more first fold lines is selected, a corresponding second fold line can be selected, so that the leading edge 31d side of the upper region 31 can be easily folded so that it overlaps the bottom surface 40.

[0060] In this embodiment, the second fold line 31a corresponds to the first fold line corresponding to the upper ridge 21a, and the second fold line 31c corresponds to the first fold line corresponding to the upper ridge 21c. As shown in Figure 7[B], if the distance between the upper ridge 21a and the upper ridge 21c is Wca, and the distance between the second fold line 31a and the second fold line 31c is 31ca, then the distance 31ca is twice the distance Wca. The reason for this is that when the upper ridge 21c is selected, the upper ridge 21c is lowered vertically by the distance Wca compared to when the upper ridge 21a is selected, and the distance from the upper ridge 21c to the base surface 40 is shortened by the distance Wca.

[0061]

[11] The kit may include a sheet 11 for assembling the medicine box 10.

[12] The kit may also include a bag-type container containing the medicine box 10 and the bag-type containers 91, 92, 93 contained within the medicine box 10. With this kit, the medicine box 10 can be easily assembled because it includes the sheet 11. If this kit is given to a patient at a pharmacy or hospital along with the individually packaged prescription drugs, the patient can easily assemble and use the medicine box 10 themselves. The kit only needs to include the sheet 11, but it may also include other items such as adhesive tape. Alternatively, the medicine box 10 may be assembled from the sheet 11 in advance, and the individually packaged prescription drugs (bag-type containers 91, 92, 93) may be placed inside it to create a bag-type container which is then given to the patient. With this bag-type container, since the bag-type containers 91, 92, 93 are already contained within the medicine box 10, there is no need to assemble the medicine box 10, making it even easier to use.

[0062] The above describes a medicine box according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, the above is merely one example of an embodiment of the present invention, and modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of achieving the effects of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10,10A,10B Medicine box 11 sheets 20 Side view A,AX,21,22,23,24 Side area X,Y,Z,21a,21c,22a,23a,24a Upper ridge 21b,22b,23b,24b Lower ridge 25a,25c gap Wa, Wc width 26 Adhesive piece 27 Peephole 30 Top side B,BX,B1,B2,B3,31,32,33,34 Top area 31a, 31c Second folding line 31d tip 35 Inserts 36 Insertion holes 37 Display section 40 Bottom C,41,42,43,44 Bottom area 50 partitioning means 51 Partition surface 52 Mounting surface 61,62 Connecting piece 63, 64 connecting holes 65 Arrow 91, 92, 93 Fukuro obi (formal sash) 94 tablets 95 Bag body 96 perforations

Claims

1. A box-shaped medicine box assembled from at least one sheet, containing multiple bands of bags in which prescription drugs are individually packaged, and allowing the bags to be continuously removed, The box-shaped side has four rectangular side regions A, at least two upper regions B extending from the upper edges of each side region A, and at least one bottom region C extending from the lower edges of each side region A. The upper edge X of one of the side regions AX of the side region A is positioned vertically lower than the other upper edges, and the upper region BX of the upper surface region B that extends from the upper edge X is folded into the box shape, thereby forming a gap between the upper edge X and the upper surface of the box shape. Multiple of the aforementioned bag-shaped strips, which are wound in a roll or folded along their longitudinal direction, can be accommodated within the box-shaped structure such that their shorter direction aligns with the upper edge X. A medicine box in which the ends of multiple aforementioned bag-like straps can each be removed from the gap between them.

2. The medicine box according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface region BX folded into the box shape overlaps the side surface region AX and is folded so that its leading edge overlaps the bottom surface of the box shape.

3. The upper surface region B includes an upper surface region B1 extending from an upper edge Y opposite to the upper edge X, an upper surface region B2 extending from one of the two upper edges Z sandwiched between the upper edge X and the upper edge Y, and an upper surface region B3 extending from the other of the two upper edges Z. The upper surface region B1 is rectangular in shape, enclosed by the upper edge X, the upper edge Y, and the two upper edges Z. The medicine box according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the box is formed such that the top surface area B2 overlaps the top surface area B1, and the top surface area B3 overlaps the top surface area B2.

4. The aforementioned medicine box is assembled into a box shape from a single sheet. A partitioning means for individually accommodating multiple of the aforementioned bag-shaped strips is provided within the box-shaped structure. The medicine box according to claim 1, wherein the partition means is formed by folding a part of the single sheet and has a partition surface for separating adjacent bag bands and a placement surface for individually placing the bag bands.

5. The aforementioned medicine box is formed from a single sheet, A connecting means for linking multiple medicine boxes in the direction extending the upper edge X is formed on the single sheet. The medicine box according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means comprises a connecting piece formed on one of two side regions located at both ends of the upper ridge X, and a connecting hole formed on the other of the two side regions and capable of engaging with the connecting piece.

6. The medicine box according to claim 1, wherein the width of the gap, which is the distance from the upper ridge X to the top surface of the box shape, is 4 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

7. The medicine box according to claim 6, wherein the width of the gap is 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

8. The aforementioned medicine box is formed from a single sheet, The medicine box according to claim 1, wherein one sheet is provided with two or more first fold lines that form the upper ridge X.

9. One of the two or more first fold lines is formed at a position of 6 mm or more and 8 mm or less from the top surface of the box shape. The medicine box according to claim 8, wherein the other rod is formed at a position of 13 mm or more and 15 mm or less from the top surface of the box-shaped box.

10. A second fold line corresponding to each of the two or more first fold lines is formed in the upper surface region BX. The medicine box according to claim 8, wherein the second folding line is used when folding the upper surface region BX, which is folded into the box shape, so that the leading edge overlaps the bottom surface.

11. A kit comprising a sheet for assembling a medicine box according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The sheet has four rectangular side regions A that form the box-shaped side, at least two upper surface regions B extending from the upper edges of the side regions A, and at least one bottom surface region C extending from the lower edges of the side regions A. The kit is configured such that the upper edge X of one of the side regions AX of the side region A is positioned vertically lower than the other upper edges, and the upper region BX of the upper surface region B that extends from the upper edge X is folded into the box shape, thereby forming a gap between the upper edge X and the upper surface of the box shape.

12. A bag-type bag holder comprising a medicine box according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and the bag-type bag contained in the medicine box.

Images