Medication support device and lock device

Abstract

To provide a medication assisting device of a simple configuration configured to easily store a medicine case in a cassette, to take out a specified medicine case without any fail at a specified medication available time zone without any special operation and to take the medicine.SOLUTION: A medication assisting device 1 has: a plurality of medicine cases 7 for storing medicines; and a plurality of cassettes 3 for storing the plurality of medicine cases 7 in the stack, provided corresponding to each of a plurality of preset medication available time zones, and aligned in a horizontal straight line. The medication assisting device 1 further has a medicine case delivery mechanism 15 for delivering a medicine case 7 stored in the lowermost stage of each cassette 3, from the cassette 3 based on the medication available time zone. The cassette 3 has: a medicine case insertion port 10 in which the medicine case 7 can be inserted, on a front side of an upper end portion; and a medicine case take-out port 11 from which the medicine case 7 can be taken out, on the front side of a lower end portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medication support device. and locking device Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] When taking medicine on a daily basis, there is a possibility that a person "forgets to take", "takes too much", or "takes the wrong medicine", which may impair the effectiveness of the medicine. Therefore, various devices have been proposed to prevent such "forgetting to take", "taking too much", or "taking the wrong medicine". For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a medicine taking support device for avoiding "forgetting to take", "taking too much", or "taking the wrong medicine". This medicine taking support device stores one week's worth of medicine cases, that is, seven medicine cases, in each of four cassettes, and when a preset designated medicine taking time arrives, the cassette is rotated to a position where the medicine case containing the designated medicine can be discharged, and the medicine case to be taken is discharged from the cassette. The four cassettes are provided corresponding to the four designated medicine taking times, "morning", "afternoon", "evening", and "sleep". [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-10597 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By using the above-mentioned medication support device, it is expected that "forgetting to take medicine," "taking too much," or "taking the wrong medicine" can be prevented. Since the medication support device must always be handled properly, it is required that the person taking the medicine and the person assisting the person taking the medicine can take the specified medicine within the specified time with simple operations. However, in the above-mentioned medication support device, although it notifies the person by voice or the like when the specified time for taking the medicine arrives, there is a problem that the medicine case cannot be received unless the medication acceptance operation of pressing the input button is performed. In other words, if the input button is forgotten to be pressed, the medicine cannot be taken.

[0005] In addition, when setting the medicine case in the cassette, the user must open the lid of the device body, remove the cassette that has already been set, store the medicine case in the cassette, set the cassette in the device body, and then close the lid, which is a hassle in the preparation stage for taking medicine. In addition, there are four types of cassettes corresponding to the time periods during which medicine can be taken, and each cassette must be set in a specific opening in the device body, which is a hassle in that the user must select from the four cassettes the cassette that fits the opening when the lid is opened and set it.

[0006] Furthermore, since the medicine case that is emptied after taking the medicine cannot be set in the cassette unless the same work as the above-mentioned medicine preparation work is carried out one week later, there is a risk that it will be lost during the period until the medicine is put into the medicine case, and there is also a hygiene issue if it is left as it is. Furthermore, since the above-mentioned medicine taking support device has only one position for ejecting the medicine case, when the designated time for taking the medicine arrives, the four cassettes must be rotated to a position where the medicine case to be taken can be ejected. The drive device and control system for this are complicated, which increases the cost, and there is an issue that it is difficult to introduce easily.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve at least one of these problems, and aims to provide a medication support device of a simple structure that allows a medicine case to be stored in a cassette with a simple operation, and allows a designated medicine case to be taken out and medicine to be taken without fail at a designated medication time period without any special operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] [1] The medication support device of the present invention comprises a plurality of medicine cases for containing medication, a plurality of cassettes for stacking and storing the plurality of medicine cases, each cassette corresponding to a plurality of preset medication time periods and arranged in a straight line, and a medicine case ejection mechanism for ejecting the medicine case stored in the bottom row of each of the cassettes based on the medication time period, wherein the cassettes have a medicine case insertion port on the front side of their upper end through which the medicine case can be inserted, and a medicine case removal port on the front side of their lower end through which the medicine case can be removed.

[0009] [2] In the medication support device of the present invention, the medicine case is stored in the cassette so that it can fall naturally, and the medicine case feeding mechanism has a medicine case support plate that supports the medicine case and transports the medicine case from an initial position where it is stored in the cassette to a position where it can be removed, and is preferably configured to return the medicine case support plate to its initial position after the medicine taking time period has elapsed after the medicine case has been fed out of the cassette.

[0010] [3] In the medication support device of the present invention, the medicine case support plate has a front position regulating portion that regulates the front position of the medicine case in the case feeding direction, and a rear position regulating portion that regulates the rear position, and during the medication possible time period, it is preferable that the rear position regulating portion is located near the center of the plane of the medicine case stored in the cassette, has a height that is at least half the thickness of the medicine case, and has an upper tip that is lower than the upper edge of the medicine case removal port.

[0011] [4] In the medication support device of the present invention, the medicine case is integrally formed with a case body having a medicine storage section connected by a hinge section and a case lid, and a knob portion protruding from the side of the case lid allows the medicine case to be lifted, and it is preferable that the knob portion protrudes outward from a slit provided in the cassette when the medicine case is stored in the cassette.

[0012] [5] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that the medicine case further has an engaging portion that fixes the case body and the case lid so that they can be opened and closed, and that the engaging portion has an engaging force such that when the knob portion is pinched and the medicine case is lifted, the case lid does not open when the medicine is contained therein, but can be easily opened when taking the medicine.

[0013] [6] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that the case body has a plurality of partition plates that divide the medicine storage section, and that the partition plates are detachable from the case body.

[0014] [7] In the medication support device of the present invention, at least one of four possible medication time periods, namely "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," is pre-set as the possible medication time period, and the device further has a mode changeover switch for selecting the cassette corresponding to the possible medication time period, and it is preferable that the mode changeover switch is provided with an open / close lid that can be opened and closed.

[0015] [8] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that the medicine case is color-coded for each of the cassettes corresponding to the four possible medication time periods.

[0016] [9] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that a tray is placed on the upper surface of the multiple cassettes, and the tray fixes the upper parts of the multiple cassettes.

[0017]

[10] The medication support device of the present invention further comprises a time control system including a display unit that displays the current time and a time setting unit that sets the time, and a drive system including a motor that drives the medicine case delivery mechanism and a motor control unit, and further comprises a power source that supplies power to each of the two systems, the time control system and the drive system, and it is preferable that the power source is a primary battery or a secondary battery.

[0018]

[11] A medication support device of the present invention includes a plurality of medicine cases for storing medicines, a plurality of cassettes for stacking and storing the plurality of medicine cases, the cassettes being provided corresponding to a plurality of preset possible medication time slots and arranged in a horizontal line as viewed from the front, and a medicine case delivery mechanism for delivering the medicine case stored in the lowest level of each of the cassettes from the cassettes based on the possible medication time slots, the cassettes having a medicine case insertion port on the front side at an upper end through which the medicine case can be inserted, and a medicine case removal port on the front side at a lower end through which the medicine case can be removed, the medicine case insertion port being provided on the front side at a lower end of the cassettes, the shutter that can open and close the medicine case insertion opening; an axis member that extends horizontally and is movable axially and engages with the shutter; a position regulating shaft made of a magnetic material that can move vertically upward on the axis member and engages with a step of the axis member to regulate the position of the axis member to a position where the shutter can be maintained in a state where the shutter closes the medicine case insertion opening; a magnet key that magnetically attracts the position regulating shaft and releases the engagement between the step and the position regulating shaft; and a coil spring that moves the axis member to a position where the engagement between the axis member and the shutter is released when the engagement between the step and the position regulating shaft is released.

[0019]

[12] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that the magnetic key can be stored separately from the medication support device. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily store the medicine case in the cassette, and it is possible to take out the designated medicine case without fail and take the medicine at the designated medicine taking time without performing any special operations, and it is also possible to realize a medicine taking support device with a simple structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the medication support device 1 as seen from above on the front side. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a controller 2. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation panel unit 13. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mode change switch 22. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a medicine case delivery mechanism 15. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a simplified diagram for explaining a state in which a medicine case 7G is removed from a cassette 3. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing a state after the medicine case 7G has been removed from the cassette 3. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a medicine case 7. [Figure 9] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a medication method using the medication support device 1. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the medication support device 1A as viewed from above the front side. [Figure 11] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a locking device 81. FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the shutter 80 is locked. [Figure 13] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a method for unlocking the shutter 80. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, a medication support device 1 and a medication support device 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 13. Note that each of the drawings described below is a schematic diagram for explaining functions and actions, and has a different scale and enlargement from the actual one.

[0023] (Configuration of medication support device 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the medication support device 1 as seen from above the front side. The medication support device 1 is composed of a controller 2 in which a drive unit and a control unit are stored, and cassettes 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D aligned and fixed to the upper part of the controller 2 in the horizontal direction in the figure. The cassette 3A stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken in the "morning" are stacked in the height direction. Similarly, the cassette 3B stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken in the "afternoon". The cassette 3C stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken in the "evening", and the cassette 3D stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken before going to bed (displayed as "sleep"). The cassettes 3A to 3D are fixed to the upper plate portion 6 of the controller 2. Note that the cassettes 3A to 3D may be referred to as cassette 3 when they can be commonly described. Furthermore, when the medicine cases 7A to 7G can be commonly described, they may be referred to as medicine case 7.

[0024] The medicine cases 7A to 7G correspond to one week's worth of medication, and the medicine cases 7A to 7G housed in each cassette have the same configuration and can be used in common. However, if the type of medicine to be taken differs in the four possible time periods of "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep", it is preferable to change the color of the medicine case 7 for each cassette in order to make it easier to recognize the medicine to be taken and the medicine case for each of the four possible time periods. The possible time period of medication here refers to the time during which the medicine case 7 can be removed from the cassette 3, for example, up to two hours after the time the medicine case 7 is sent out from the cassette 3 (designated time of medication). Even if the person taking the medicine is not in front of the medication support device 1 at the designated time of medication, he or she can take the medicine by removing the medicine case 7 from the cassette 3 somewhere in the possible time period of medication.

[0025] In addition, as a general example of the designated time for taking medicine, "morning" is set to 7:00 AM, "afternoon" to 11:00 AM, "evening" to 5:00 PM, and "sleep" to 9:00 PM in advance according to the daily life pattern of the medicine taker. Therefore, the available time slots for taking medicine are "morning" from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM after breakfast, "afternoon" from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM after lunch, "evening" from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM after dinner, and "sleep" from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. These available time slots for taking medicine are general examples, and are set in advance as part of a program according to the daily life of the medicine taker, especially meal times. The medicine taker only needs to take medicine during these available time slots, and no special operation of the medicine taking support device 1 is required. The medicine case 7 is set to a size and shape that allows it to fall naturally while it is set inside the cassette 3.

[0026] In this example, four cassettes 3A to 3D are provided for "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep", but it is also possible to provide three for "morning", "afternoon" and "evening" or to provide only one of them depending on the type of medicine and the method of taking the medicine. It is also possible to provide four cassettes 3 and select one of them for use. The cassette 3 to be used is selected in advance at the stage of deciding the method of taking the medicine. The method of selecting the cassette 3 to be used will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0027] Each cassette has a medicine case insertion opening 10 at the front side of the upper end, through which the medicine case 7 can be inserted, and a medicine case removal opening 11 at the front side of the lower end, through which the medicine case 7 can be removed. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the medicine case 7G at the bottom of the cassette 3A has been moved to a position where it can be removed from the medicine case removal opening 11. The front and rear position of the medicine case 7G relative to the front wall 3a is regulated by a medicine case support plate 9.

[0028] A slit 12 is formed in the front wall 3a of the cassette 3, which communicates with the medicine case insertion opening 10 and the medicine case removal opening 11. Each medicine case has a knob 8, which protrudes outward from the front wall 3a within the slit 12 and is configured to be able to pass freely through the slit 12. Therefore, while the medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette 3, the medicine case 7 can be moved up and down by pinching the knob 8. That is, the medicine case 7 located midway in the cassette 3 can be removed from the medicine case insertion opening 10 by pinching the knob 8, and the medicine case 7 can be inserted from the medicine case insertion opening 10 and moved to the lower side of the cassette 3.

[0029] A tray 70 is fixed to the upper surfaces of the cassettes 3A to 3D. In other words, by fixing the cassettes 3A to 3D together with the tray 70, it is possible to reinforce the fixing of the cassettes 3A to 3D. For example, reading glasses and a patient registration card can be placed on the tray 70, and it can be used as a storage space for an empty medicine case 7. When there are three cassettes 3, a tray 70 of a size corresponding to the three cassettes is fixed. An operation panel unit 13 is disposed on the front side of the controller 2. The configuration of the operation panel unit 13 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main components of the controller 2. The controller 2 has a time control system 20 including a time setting unit 21, a mode changeover switch 22, a display unit 23, a memory unit 24, and a timer 25. The time setting unit 21 has a function of setting and correcting the current time. The mode changeover switch 22 is a changeover switch for selecting a cassette to be actually used for taking medicine from the cassettes 3A to 3D. The display unit 23 is an optical display means such as a liquid crystal display that displays the current time, and displays "hours and minutes." The memory unit 24 stores any or all of the designated times for taking medicine, "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," and the available time periods for taking medicine (the range from the time when taking medicine becomes available to the time when taking medicine stops). The timer 25 controls the time and the available time periods for taking medicine of the controller 2.

[0031] The drive system includes a motor control unit 26, motors Mo corresponding to the cassettes 3A to 3D, and limit switches 48, 49. The motor control unit 26 drives the motors Mo to be driven among the cassettes 3 set by the designated medication time and available medication time zone stored in the memory unit 24, and the mode changeover switch 22. The motors Mo drive the medicine case delivery mechanisms 15 (see FIG. 5) provided for each of the cassettes 3A to 3D. The limit switches 48, 49 regulate the reciprocating position of the medicine case support plate 9, i.e., the transport position of the medicine case 7. The configuration of the mode changeover switch 22 will be described with reference to FIG. 4, and the configuration and operation of the medicine case delivery mechanism 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

[0032] The time control system 20 and the drive system each have a dry cell 27, 28 as a power source. In addition to primary batteries such as dry cells, secondary batteries can be used as the power source. The battery life can be extended by using dry cells 27, 28 of a standard that is appropriately compatible with the time control system 20 and the drive system. In the drive system, when there are four cassettes 3, the motor Mo drives the medicine case support plate 9 back and forth four times a day. In the time control system 20, the time display can be made invisible under normal circumstances and displayed only when the time is set, thereby extending the battery life. In this example, it was confirmed that a single dry cell battery does not require battery replacement for more than two years when taking medicine in four possible time periods every day. When a commercial AC power source is used as in the conventional medication support device, an outlet and a power cord are required, which limits the installation location of the medication support device. However, by using dry cells or the like as the power source, the installation location of the medication support device 1 is not limited.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of the operation panel unit 13. The operation panel unit 13 is disposed on the front side of the controller 2. On the operation panel unit 13, a mode changeover switch 22, a display unit 23, and a time setting unit 21 are arranged in this order from the left side in the figure. The mode changeover switch 22 is for selecting one of the possible time periods of "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep", and is normally prevented from switching by an opening and closing cover 31. The display unit 23 is composed of an "hour" display unit 32 and a "minute" display unit 33, and displays the current time. The time display / setting button 34 is a button that allows the current time to be set or corrected, and by pressing the time display / setting button 34, the "hour" and "minute" flash, allowing the user to recognize that time setting is possible.

[0034] When the "hour" and "minute" are flashing, pressing the Time Down button 35 will delay the displayed time, while pressing the Time Up button 36 will advance the displayed time. When the current time is reached, pressing the Confirm button 37 will confirm the current time. If you wish to correct the current time again, press the Time Display / Set button 34 and then the Confirm button 37 as described above. Once the current time has been confirmed, you can extend battery life by programming the display unit 23 to turn off. If the clock that displays the current time is a radio-controlled clock, there is no need to set the time.

[0035] The operation panel unit 13 is provided with a motor operation lamp 38 and a battery replacement lamp 39. The motor operation lamp 38 is lit when the motor Mo is running. This motor operation lamp 38 is provided for confirmation during normal operation and for operational inspection. On the other hand, the battery replacement lamp 39 notifies that either of the dry batteries 27, 28 has fallen below a predetermined voltage and that it is nearing the time to replace the batteries.

[0036] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mode changeover switch 22. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the opening and closing cover 31 (see FIG. 3) is open. The mode changeover switch 22 is composed of four switches 40A to 40D. Each switch is provided for each possible time period of taking medicine, namely "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep", and it is preferable to use a switch such as a rocker switch or a slide switch that allows the switch to be recognized at a glance as being in an "on" state or an "off" state. FIG. 4 shows an example in which all four possible time periods of taking medicine are "on" and taking medicine is possible during the four possible time periods of taking medicine. Next, the configuration and operation of the medicine case delivery mechanism 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the medicine case delivery mechanism 15. FIG. 5 shows a part of the lower side in a state where all the medicine cases are stored in the cassette 3, and shows the initial state before the designated time of taking the medicine. The medicine case 7G in the lowest layer is supported by a medicine case support plate 9 inside the cassette 3. The medicine case support plate 9 has a front position regulation part 9a on the front side of the cassette 3 and a rear position regulation part 9b on the back side, and together they regulate the position of the medicine case 7G. The medicine case support plate 9 can move along the upper plate part 6 of the controller 2, and since the upper surface of the medicine case 7G is located at a position lower than the upper edge part 11a of the medicine case removal port 11, it can move to the outside of the cassette 3 together with the medicine case support plate 9.

[0038] Between the cassette 3 and the medicine case 7, there are provided gaps 14a, 14b through which the medicine case 7 can naturally fall while maintaining the set posture. The gap 14a on the back side has a dimension that allows the rear position restriction portion 9b to enter. The height of the rear position restriction portion 9b is set to be at least half the thickness of the medicine case 7 and lower than the upper edge portion 11a of the medicine case removal opening 11. A medicine case delivery mechanism 15 is provided below the upper plate portion 6.

[0039] The medicine case delivery mechanism 15 has a motor Mo, a screw shaft 50 connected to the motor shaft of the motor Mo, a columnar nut 51 screwed onto the screw shaft 50, and a motor plate 52 supporting the motor Mo and the end of the screw shaft 50. The motor plate 52 is fixed to the base plate 42. A drive shaft 45 facing the nut 51 side is fixed to the medicine case support plate 9, and the drive shaft 45 penetrates a long hole 6a provided in the upper plate portion 6 and a long hole 41a provided in the plate 41, and the recess 45a fits into the nut 51. When the screw shaft 50 is rotated in one direction, the nut 51 moves to the front side, and the medicine case support plate 9 moves to the front side via the drive shaft 45. When the screw shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, the nut 51 moves to the back side, and the medicine case support plate 9 moves to the back side via the drive shaft 45.

[0040] Shaft members 46, 47 are fixed to the medicine case support plate 9, penetrating the long hole 6a of the upper plate portion 6 and the long hole 41a of the plate 41. The shaft members 46, 47 move together with the medicine case support plate 9, and the motor Mo is stopped when the shaft member 46 moves to a position where the limit switch 48 is turned ON (a position where the medicine case 7G can be removed). The motor Mo is stopped when the shaft member 47 moves to a position where the limit switch 49 is turned ON (initial position). Next, a situation in which the medicine case 7G is removed from the cassette 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a simplified diagram for explaining the state in which the medicine case 7G is removed from the cassette 3. The description will be made with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows the state in which the shaft member 46 moves to a position where the limit switch 48 is turned ON and stops, and the rear position restricting portion 9b of the medicine case support plate 9 moves to the vicinity of the center of the cassette 3 (medicine case 7F), and about half of the length of the medicine case 7G protrudes from the cassette 3. Then, by holding the knob portion 8 or the side surface of the medicine case 7G and pulling it in the direction of the arrow, the medicine case 7G can be removed from the cassette 3 and the medicine can be taken.

[0042] Until just before the medicine case 7G is removed, the medicine cases 7F to 7A remain on the medicine case 7G and do not change their positions. When the medicine case 7G is removed from the cassette 3, the medicine case 7F falls to a position where it abuts against the rear position restriction portion 9b. The medicine cases above the medicine case 7G also fall accordingly. This will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state after the medicine case 7G is removed from the cassette 3. That is, the state shown in FIG. 7 is a state within a time period during which the medicine can be taken. During the time period during which the medicine can be taken, the rear position restricting portion 9b of the medicine case support plate 9 is located at the center of the medicine case 7F stored in the cassette in the planar direction, and the height of the rear position restricting portion 9b is set to be 1 / 2 or more of the thickness of the medicine case 7 and lower than the upper edge portion 11a of the medicine case removal opening 11. Therefore, it is impossible to remove the medicine case 7F from the cassette 3, and even if the medicine case 7F tilts with the rear position restricting portion 9b as a fulcrum, the medicine case 7F is not locked between the cassette 3 and cannot fall. If the medicine case support plate 9 is moved to the initial position within the cassette 3 after the time period during which the medicine can be taken (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure), the medicine case 7F falls between the front position restricting portion 9a and the rear position restricting portion 9b of the medicine case support plate 9. Therefore, when the medicine-taking time period arrives, the medicine in the medicine case 7F becomes available for taking. Next, the configuration of the medicine case 7 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the medicine case 7. FIG. 8(a) is a plan view of the case body 60 and the case lid 61 in an expanded state, FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the case lid 61 in a closed state, and FIG. 8(c) is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged detailed view of the fitting portion 68 in FIG. 8(b). The medicine case 7 is formed by integrally molding the case body 60 and the case lid 61 connected by the hinge portion 62 with a translucent material. A knob portion 8 protrudes from the side of the case lid 61 to lift the medicine case 7 and to open and close the case lid 61 from the case body 60 with the hinge portion 62 as a fulcrum. If the medicine case 7 is formed of a transparent or translucent plastic resin, it is possible to check whether medicine is contained in the medicine case 7.

[0045] The case body 60 is a container with an open top, and the space surrounded by the bottom 60a and the side wall 60b is the medicine storage section 63. A convex strip 64 is formed on the inner upper edge of the side wall 60b. A partition plate support section 65 protrudes inward at the same position on the inner side of two opposing sides of the side wall 60b. A groove is formed in the partition plate support section 65 in the vertical direction (thickness direction), and a partition plate 66 can be inserted into this groove. The partition plate 66 does not protrude from the convex strip 64. The example shown in FIG. 8 is an example in which three partition plates 66 can be inserted, and the medicine storage section 63 is divided into four medicine storage sections 63A, 63B, 63C, and 63D. The partition plate 66 is configured to be easily attached and detached to the case body 60.

[0046] When one day's worth of medicine is stored in one medicine case 7, the partition plate 66 is not necessary. When two days' worth of medicine is stored, one partition plate 66 is attached to the center of the medicine storage section 63. In such a case, after taking the medicine stored in one of the partitions, the medicine case 7 is returned to the medicine case insertion port 10 of the cassette 3. In this way, it is possible to store two weeks' worth of medicine in one cassette 3. Similarly, if the medicine storage section 63 is divided into four, it is possible to store four weeks' worth of medicine in one cassette 3.

[0047] A convex rib portion 67 is formed on the outer upper edge of the side wall portion 61b protruding from the bottom portion 61a of the case lid 61. When the case lid 61 is closed, the convex rib portion 67 of the case lid 61 and the convex rib portion 64 of the case body 60 are fitted together to prevent dust and the like from entering the medicine storage portion 63. A fitting portion 68 is provided between the case body 60 and the case lid 61, which can be opened and closed with a sense of moderation (sometimes called a clicking sensation).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8(c), the fitting portion 68 is composed of a protrusion 60c provided on the case body 60 and a protrusion 61c provided on the case lid 61. As shown in FIG. 8(c), the protrusions 60c, 61c form a kind of hook structure at the same position when the case body 60 and the case lid 61 are overlapped, and a sense of moderation is obtained when the case lid 61 is opened and closed by utilizing the elasticity of the protrusions 60c, 61c. The fitting portion 68 has a fitting force that prevents the case lid 61 from opening when the knob 8 is pinched and lifted up while the medicine is contained therein, and allows the case lid 61 to be easily opened when taking the medicine. The fitting force here is the force when the knob 8 is pinched to open the case lid 61. Since the weight including the medicine case 7 when the medicine is contained in the medicine containing portion 63 is 20 grams or so, the fitting force may be in the range of 30 grams to 50 grams, for example. The tip of the knob 8 is provided with a claw 8a that protrudes downward, making it easier to open the case lid 61.

[0049] Next, a method of taking medicine using the medicine taking support device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0050] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of taking medicine using the medication support device 1. The medication support device 1 has a time period during which medication can be taken set in advance. The following description will be given with reference to the medication support device 1 shown in FIG. 1. An example will be described in which the medication time period is set to "morning" on the first day. When the designated medication time for "morning" (7:00 a.m.) arrives, the medicine case 7G is pushed out of the cassette 3A. The medication time period (two hours until 9:00 a.m.) is a time period during which the medicine case 7G can be removed. The person taking the medicine then checks whether the medicine case 7G has been pushed out to a position where it can be removed from the cassette 3A (step S10). If the medicine case 7G is in a state where it can be removed (YES), the person taking the medicine removes the medicine case 7G from the cassette 3A (step S11), opens the case lid 61, and removes the medicine (step S12). If the medicine case 7G is not in a state where it can be removed (NO), the person taking the medicine or the medication supporter waits until the medication time period arrives. However, there is a two-hour window in which medication can be taken, so you simply need to take out the 7G medication case within that time.

[0051] Then, the patient takes the medicine (step S13) and returns the empty medicine case 7G to the cassette 3A from the medicine case insertion port 10. The same procedure is followed for taking medicine after "afternoon". Note that the medicine case 7G after taking the medicine cannot be returned to the cassette 3A during the medicine-taking time slot because the medicine case 7A is in the medicine case insertion port 10. Therefore, the medicine case 7G may be temporarily placed on the tray 70 and returned to the time when the medicine-taking time slot for "morning" has passed, for example, when the medicine case 7G is in the medicine-taking time slot for cassette 3B. If the medicine case 7G is not removed during the medicine-taking time slot, the medicine case 7G is returned to the cassette 3A at the end of the medicine-taking time slot. If there is medicine remaining when refilling each medicine case one week later, it can be recognized that the patient forgot to take the medicine.

[0052] The above-described medication support device 1 includes medicine cases 7 (7A-7G) for storing medicines, and cassettes 3 (3A-3D) for storing the medicine cases 7A-7G in a stacked manner, which are provided corresponding to each of a plurality of preset possible medication time periods and are arranged in a horizontal straight line when viewed from the front. The medication support device 1 includes a medicine case delivery mechanism 15 for delivering the medicine case 7 stored in the bottommost stage of each cassette from the cassette 3 based on the possible medication time period. The cassette 3 includes a medicine case insertion opening 10 on the front side of the upper end portion through which the medicine case 7 can be inserted, and a medicine case removal opening 11 on the front side of the lower end portion through which the medicine case 7 can be removed.

[0053] According to the above-mentioned medication support device 1, when a preset available time slot for medication (designated medication time) arrives, the medicine case delivery mechanism 15 transports the medicine case 7 to a position where it can be removed from the cassette 3. The person taking the medicine can remove the medicine case 7 from the cassette 3 and take the medicine. In other words, if the medicine case 7 is in a position where it can be removed, the person taking the medicine can take the designated medicine case 7 without fail during the designated available time slot for medication without performing any special operations. Also, the medicine case 7 can be easily stored in the cassette 3 through the medicine case insertion port 10.

[0054] Furthermore, the medication support device 1 has cassettes 3A-3D for each of the four possible medication time periods, "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," and each cassette has a corresponding medicine case delivery mechanism 15. Therefore, in the conventional technology, since there is only one position for discharging the medicine case, when the possible medication time period arrives, the four cassettes must be rotated to a position where the medicine case to be taken can be discharged, making the structure complicated and making it difficult to reduce costs, whereas it is possible to realize a medication support device 1 that is easy to introduce by reducing costs with a simple structure.

[0055] The medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette 3 so as to be able to fall naturally. The medicine case delivery mechanism 15 has a medicine case support plate 9 which supports the medicine case 7 and moves the medicine case 7 from an initial position where it is stored in the cassette 3 to a position where it can be removed, and is configured to return the medicine case support plate 9 to the initial position after the medicine case 7 is delivered from the cassette 3 and the medicine-taking time period has elapsed.

[0056] The medicine case sending mechanism 15 transfers the medicine case 7 from the initial position in the cassette 3 to a position where the medicine case 7 can be removed. Since the state is maintained during the medicine-taking time slot, the medicine-taking person can take the medicine at any time during the medicine-taking time slot (2 hours). If the medicine-taking person forgets to take the medicine, the medicine-taking assistant can find that the medicine case 7 remains and urge the person to take the medicine. When the medicine-taking time slot has passed, the medicine case support plate 9 returns to the initial position. At this time, if the medicine case 7 has been removed, the medicine case 7 to be taken the next day is automatically prepared for transfer. Even if the medicine case 7 is still on the medicine case support plate 9 when the medicine-taking time slot has passed, the medicine case support plate 9 returns to the initial position while holding the medicine case 7. This makes it possible to prevent the person from taking the medicine outside the determined medicine-taking time slot.

[0057] The medicine case support plate 9 has a front position restricting portion 9a that restricts the position of the medicine case 7 on the front side in the case sending direction, and a rear position restricting portion 9b that restricts the position on the rear side. During the time period when medicine can be taken, the rear position restricting portion 9b is located near the center of the plane of the medicine case stored in the cassette 3, has a height equal to or greater than half the thickness of the medicine case 7, and is configured so that the top end portion is lower than the upper edge portion 11a of the medicine case removal opening 11.

[0058] When the medicine case 7 is removed during the period when medicine can be taken, the medicine case 7 to be removed next falls until it abuts against the rear position restricting portion 9b. At this time, the medicine case 7 is supported by the rear position restricting portion 9b near the center thereof and tilts with the rear position restricting portion 9b as a fulcrum. However, by configuring the height of the rear position restricting portion 9b to be at least 1 / 2 the thickness of the medicine case 7 and lower than the upper edge portion 11a of the medicine case removal opening 11, it is possible to prevent the medicine case 7 from being locked between the cassette 3 and falling due to the tilt of the medicine case 7. In addition, during the period when medicine can be taken, the medicine case 7 above the medicine case 7 that has been removed cannot be removed, which prevents overdosing of medicine.

[0059] The medicine case 7 is formed integrally with a case body 60 having a medicine storage section 63 connected by a hinge section 62 and a case lid 61. A knob 8 capable of lifting the medicine case 7 protrudes from the side of the case lid 61, and this knob 8 protrudes outward from a slit 12 provided in the cassette 3 when the medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette.

[0060] The case body and the case lid 61 are integrally molded from resin such as plastic. Although a general medicine case is often composed of two bodies, the case body and the case lid, it is possible to reduce costs by integral molding. In addition, since the case body 60 and the case lid 61 are integral, the case lid 61 can be easily opened and closed, and it is also possible to prevent one from being lost. In addition, since the knob portion 8 protrudes outward from the slit 12, the medicine case 7 can be moved up and down by pinching the knob portion 8 when the medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette 3. This makes it easy to move the medicine case 7 stored in the cassette 3 downward from the medicine case insertion port 10 and to remove the medicine case 7 stored in the cassette 3 from the medicine case insertion port 10. Therefore, it is possible to set the medicine case 7 in the cassette 3 without performing the troublesome work as in the conventional medicine taking support device.

[0061] In addition, the medicine case 7 further has an engaging portion 68 that fixes the case body 60 and the case lid 61 so that they can be opened and closed. The engaging portion 68 has a fitting force that prevents the case lid 61 from opening when the knob portion 8 is pinched and lifted up while the medicine is contained therein, but allows the case lid 61 to be easily opened when taking the medicine.

[0062] The fitting force is the force required when pinching knob 8 to open case lid 61. By setting the fitting force appropriately, it is possible to prevent case lid 61 from opening unintentionally and dropping the medicine, and to easily open and close case lid 61 when taking medicine.

[0063] Furthermore, the case body 60 has a plurality of partition plates 66 that divide the medicine storage section 63, and the partition plates 66 are detachable from the case body 60. If the medicine storage section 63 is divided into two by the partition plate 66, in this example, two weeks' worth of medicine can be stored in the cassette 3, and if it is divided into four, four weeks' worth of medicine can be stored in the cassette 3, thereby saving the effort of medicine-taking preparation work. Since the partition plate 66 is detachable from the case body 60, it is possible to divide the medicine storage section 63 appropriately depending on the medicine-taking conditions, the amount of medicine, and the health condition of the person taking the medicine.

[0064] The medication support device 1 is preset with at least one of four possible medication time periods: "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," and further has a mode change switch 22 that selects a cassette 3 corresponding to the possible medication time period, and the mode change switch 22 is provided with an open / close lid 31 that can be opened and closed.

[0065] The medicine-taking time period can be set to one of four times: "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep". The designated medicine-taking time period can be set by the mode changeover switch 22. For example, if the medicine is taken three times, "morning", "afternoon" and "evening", the medicine can be taken during the medicine-taking time periods of "morning", "afternoon" and "evening" by setting the switches 40A to 40C of the mode changeover switch 22 to "on". Alternatively, if the medicine is taken twice, "morning" and "evening", the medicine can be taken during the medicine-taking time periods of "morning" and "evening" by setting the switches 40A and 40C to "on". This switching can be set at the start of taking medicine, and does not need to be set each time. Therefore, by keeping the opening and closing lid 31 closed until switching is required, it is possible to prevent unexpected mode switching.

[0066] In addition, it is preferable to color-code the medicine cases 7 according to the cassettes corresponding to the four possible time periods for taking medicine. In other words, by changing the color of the medicine cases 7 for each possible time period for taking medicine, "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," it becomes possible to store medicine cases 7 corresponding to each of the four possible time periods for taking medicine. Of course, the color of all the medicine cases 7 may be the same.

[0067] In the medication support device 1, a tray 70 is placed on the upper surfaces of the cassettes 3, and the tray 70 fixes the upper parts of the cassettes 3. As shown in FIG. 1, each cassette 3 is a vertically long column, and a configuration in which only the lower end part is fixed to the controller 2 is unstable. Therefore, by fixing the upper part of the tray 70 to a set of cassettes 3A to 3D (or 3A to 3C), it is possible to reinforce the fixation of the cassettes 3A to 3D. For example, reading glasses or a patient registration card can be placed on the tray 70, and it can also be used as a storage space for empty medicine cases 7, etc.

[0068] In addition, the medication support device 1 further has a time control system 20 including a display unit 23 that displays the current time and a time setting unit 21 that sets the time, and a drive system including a motor Mo and a motor control unit 26 that drives the medicine case delivery mechanism 15, and has power sources 27, 28 that supply power to each of the two systems, the time control system 20 and the drive system, and it is preferable that the power source is a primary battery or a secondary battery.

[0069] The time control system 20 and the drive system each have a dry cell 27, 28 as a power source. In addition to primary batteries such as dry cells, secondary batteries can be used as the power source. By using dry cells 27, 28 of specifications corresponding to the time control system 20 and the drive system, respectively, it is possible to extend the battery life. When using a commercial AC power source as in the case of conventional medication support devices, an outlet and power cord are required, which limits the installation location of the medication support device. However, the use of dry cells or the like has the advantage that the installation location of the medication support device 1 is not limited.

[0070] In the medication support device 1 described above, the available time slots for medication are preset as part of the program, but it is also possible to configure the device so that the user (the person taking the medication or the medication supporter) can set the time slot of their choice.

[0071] (Configuration of medication support device 1A) Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the medication support device 1A as viewed from above the front. The medication support device 1A is the medication support device 1 described in Figs. 1 to 9, equipped with a shutter 80 capable of opening and closing the medicine case insertion opening 10, and a locking device 81 that restricts the medicine case insertion opening 10 between a state in which it can be opened and a state in which it is closed. Note that the same components as those in the medication support device 1 are given the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 1.

[0072] The shutter 80 has a generally U-shape in plan view, and is composed of a shutter section 82 that covers a part of the medicine case insertion opening 10 of each cassette 3A to 3D, and a support section 83 that extends from the left and right ends of the shutter section 82 along the left and right sides of the tray 70. The shutter 80 is attached to the tray 70 by a support shaft 84 at the support section 83. The shutter 80 is configured so that when the shutter 80 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the paper side of the figure about the support shaft 84 as a rotation axis, it is possible to open the medicine case insertion opening 10, and when the shutter 80 is rotated clockwise from the released state, it is possible to close the medicine case insertion opening 10. Note that when the shutter 80 is closed, the opening area of ​​the medicine case insertion opening 10 is reduced, so that the medicine case 7 cannot be inserted or removed. The shutter section 82 is provided with an opening 85 for each cassette, so that the medicine taking time period "morning", "afternoon", "night", and "sleep" can be recognized. The configuration and operation of the locking device 81 will be described with reference to Figs. 11 to 13. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the lock device 81 is disposed in one place, but it is possible to dispose it in two places on both the left and right sides of the tray 70.

[0073] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the locking device 81. FIG. 11 shows an initial state in which the shutter 80 is not locked, the shutter 80 shown by the two-dot chain line shows the initial state, and the shutter 80 shown by the dotted line shows the state in which it has been rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure. In the following description, the right side of the figure is the front side (front side) of the medication support device 1A, the left side is the rear side, and the cassette 3A is used as a representative example. The locking device 81 is composed of an axis member 90 that can advance and retreat in the front-rear direction, a frame body 91 that supports both ends of the axis member 90, a position regulating shaft 92 that regulates the axial position of the axis member 90, and a coil spring 93 that urges the axis member 90 rearward. A washer 94 is fitted to the axis member 90, and the coil spring 93 urges the axis member 90 until the washer 94 abuts against a wall 91a of the frame body 91.

[0074] The position restricting shaft 92 disposed in the insertion hole 91b of the frame body 91 rides on a step portion 95 in the axial center of the shaft member 90, and therefore does not impede the movement of the shaft member 90. The position restricting shaft 92 is made of a magnetic material, and falls in the insertion hole 91b by its own weight until it abuts against the shaft member 90. An elastic member may be disposed between the frame body 91 and the position restricting shaft 92 to bias the position restricting shaft 92 against the shaft member 90. The frame body 91 is fitted into a recess 96 provided in the bottom of the tray 70. The shaft member 90 is biased rearward by a coil spring 93, and therefore the front end portion 90a is located away from the locking hole 97 provided in the shutter portion 82, and does not impede the operation of the shutter 80. When the shutter 80 is rotated counterclockwise by hand from the initial state, the medicine case insertion port 10 is released, and the medicine cases 7A to 7G can be inserted into the cassette 3A or removed from the cassette 3A.

[0075] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the shutter 80 is locked. In the initial state shown in FIG. 11, when the rear end surface 90b of the shaft member 90 is pushed forward (in the direction of the thick arrow in the figure) by a finger or the like until the position regulating shaft 92 passes over the step portion 95, the front end portion 90a of the shaft member 90 is inserted into the locking hole 97 of the shutter part 82. The position regulating shaft 92 falls through the insertion hole 91b by its own weight and engages with the rear side of the step portion 95. Since the rear side of the step portion 95 is biased against the position regulating shaft 92 by the elastic force of the coil spring 93, the shaft member 90 cannot return to the initial state shown in FIG. 11 (a state in which the medicine case insertion opening 10 can be released). Note that when the position regulating shaft 92 passes over the step portion 95, there is a sense of moderation, so that it is possible to recognize that the shutter 80 is locked. In such a state, it is not possible to insert the medicine case 7A into the medicine case insertion opening 10, let alone remove it. The unlocking method will be described with reference to FIG.

[0076] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a method for unlocking the shutter 80. The method will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. The shutter 80 is unlocked using a magnetic key 100. The magnetic key 100 is composed of a key body 101 and a rod-shaped magnet 102 that protrudes from the key body 101. On the opposite side to the magnet 102, the key body 101 has a protrusion 103 that is shaped to be easily picked up with fingers.

[0077] When the shutter 80 is in a locked state (see FIG. 12), the magnet 102 is inserted into the through hole 104 communicating with the insertion hole 91b of the frame body 91. Since the position regulating shaft 92 is a magnetic body, it is attracted upward by the magnet 102, and the engagement between the step portion 95 of the shaft member 90 and the position regulating shaft 92 is released. The shaft member 90 is returned to the initial position (see FIG. 11) by the coil spring 93. This releases the engagement between the shaft member 90 and the locking hole 97 of the shutter 80 (shutter portion 82), and the shutter 80 becomes capable of rotating. When the magnet key 100 is removed, the position regulating shaft 92 falls by its own weight and rests on the outer periphery of the step portion 95 of the shaft member 90 shown in FIG. 11, maintaining a state in which the medicine case insertion opening 10 can be opened. In addition, in a configuration in which an elastic member is used to urge the position regulating shaft 92 downward, the urging force of the elastic member is set to be smaller than the attractive force of the magnet 102.

[0078] When not in use, the magnet key 100 can be stored separately from the medication support device 1A. For example, the magnet key 100 may be placed on the tray 70, or may be stored by a medication supporter.

[0079] The medication support device 1A described above includes medicine cases 7A-7G for storing medicines, cassettes 3A-7D for storing the medicine cases 7A-7G in a stacked manner, which are provided corresponding to each of a plurality of preset possible medication time slots and are arranged in a horizontal straight line when viewed from the front, and a medicine case delivery mechanism 15 for delivering the medicine case 7 stored in the lowest level of the cassettes 3A-3D from the cassettes 3A-7D based on the possible medication time slot. The cassettes 3A-3D include a medicine case insertion opening 10 on the front side of the upper end portion through which the medicine cases 7A-7G can be inserted, and a medicine case removal opening 11 on the front side of the lower end portion through which the medicine cases 7A-7G can be removed. The medication support device 1A has a shutter 80 capable of opening and closing the medicine case insertion opening 10, an axis member 90 that extends horizontally and is movable in an axial direction and engages with the shutter 80, and a position regulating shaft 92 made of a magnetic material that is movable vertically upward of the axis member 90 and engages with a step 95 of the axis member 90 to regulate the position of the axis member 90 at a position where the shutter 80 can be maintained in a state where the shutter 80 closes the medicine case insertion opening 10. Furthermore, the medication support device 1A has a magnet key 100 that magnetically attracts the position regulating shaft 92 and releases the engagement between the step 95 and the position regulating shaft 92, and a coil spring 93 that moves the axis member 90 to a position where the engagement between the step 95 and the position regulating shaft 92 is released.

[0080] The medication support device 1A configured in this manner has a shutter 80 and a locking device 81 that close the medication case insertion port 10, making it possible to prevent the medication case 7 from being removed from the medication case insertion port during times other than the designated medication time period, and to prevent a medication case that is not for the designated medication from being removed from the medication case insertion port 10.

[0081] Furthermore, the locking device 81 can lock the shutter 80 by pressing the shaft member 90 with a finger while the shutter 80 is closed, and can be unlocked by simply inserting the magnet key 100 into the frame body 92. This allows anyone to lock and unlock the shutter 80 with a simple operation.

[0082] Furthermore, the magnetic key 100 can be stored separately from the medication support device 1A. For example, the magnetic key 100 may be placed on the tray 70, or may be stored by a medication supporter. Alternatively, the medication user or medication supporter can lock the shutter 80 after setting one week's worth of medicine cases 7A to 7G, and the medication supporter can store the magnetic key 100 in a fixed position away from the medication support device 1A, thereby reducing the risk of taking the wrong medicine.

[0083] The locking device 81 described above is adapted to the medication support device 1A, but it can also be applied to furniture, trinket boxes, boxes, and other items that have single- or double-leaf doors or lids using hinges, and that are used to put items in and take items out, and where it is convenient to be able to easily lock and unlock the door or lid at times. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1,1A...medication support device, 2...controller, 3,3A-3D...cassette, 7,7A-7G...medicine case, 8...grip, 9...medicine case support plate, 9a...forward position regulation section, 9b...rearward position regulation section, 10...medicine case insertion port, 11...medicine case removal port, 11a...upper edge, 12...slit, 13...operation panel section, 15...medicine case ejection mechanism, 20...time control system, 21...time setting section, 22...mode change switch, 23...display section, 26...motor control section, 27,28...battery (power source), 31...opening / closing cover, 32..."hour" display section, 33..."minute" display section, 34...time display / setting button, 3 5...time down button, 36...time up button, 37...confirm button, 38...motor operation lamp, 39...battery replacement lamp, 60...case body, 61...case lid, 62...hinge portion, 63...medicine storage portion, 66...partition plate, 68...fitting portion, 70...tray, 80...shutter, 81...locking device, 82...shutter portion, 83...support portion, 84...support shaft, 85...opening, 90...shaft member, 91...frame body, 91b...insertion hole, 92...position regulating shaft, 93...coil spring, 95...step portion, 97...engagement hole, 100...magnetic key, 102...magnet, 103...projection portion, 104...through hole, Mo...motor

Claims

1. a plurality of cassettes for stacking and storing the plurality of medicine cases, the cassettes being provided corresponding to a plurality of preset possible time slots for taking medicine and arranged in a horizontal line as viewed from the front; and a medicine case delivery mechanism for delivering the medicine case stored in the lowest level of each of the cassettes from the cassettes based on the possible time slots for taking medicine, the cassettes having a medicine case insertion opening at the front side of an upper end portion through which the medicine case can be inserted and a medicine case removal opening at the front side of a lower end portion through which the medicine case can be removed, a shutter capable of opening and closing the medicine case insertion opening; a shaft member that extends horizontally, is movable forward and backward in an axial direction, and engages with the shutter; a position regulating shaft made of a magnetic material, which is movable vertically upward of the shaft member and engages with a step of the shaft member to regulate a position of the shaft member at a position where the shutter can be maintained in a state where the shutter closes the medicine case insertion opening; a magnet key that magnetically attracts the position restriction shaft and disengages the step portion from the position restriction shaft; a coil spring that moves the shaft member to a position where the shaft member and the shutter are disengaged when the engagement between the step portion and the position regulating shaft is released; It has A medication support device characterized by:

2. The medication support device according to claim 1, The magnet key can be stored separately from the medication support device. A medication support device characterized by:

Images