Tablet guide path adjustment device for a tablet cassette

Abstract

A tablet cassette (2) comprises: a tablet container (5) in which tablets are stored; and a rotor (8) which is rotatably housed in the tablet container (5). The rotor (8) has: a tablet guideway (8b) for guiding tablets in the tablet container (5) to a tablet discharge port (9) of the tablet container (5); and an adjustment part (33, 64) which is capable of adjusting the dimension of the tablet guideway (8b). This tablet guideway adjustment device (100) comprises: an adjustment member (102) which engages the adjustment part (33, 64); a manipulation amount detection unit (131) which detects a manipulation amount of the adjustment member (102); and a notification unit (201) which, on the basis of the manipulation amount detected by the manipulation amount detection unit (131), notifies a user of adjustment assistance information that is necessary for the user to make an adjustment to the adjustment part (33, 64) by means of the adjustment member (102).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tablet guide path adjusting device for a tablet cassette that houses a large number of tablets and discharges the tablets according to a prescription. Specifically, according to the shape or size of the tablets housed in the tablet cassette, dimensions such as the depth, height, width, etc. of the grooves of the tablet guide path of the rotor, and the entry position of the partition member entering the tablet guide path can be easily adjusted. The present invention relates to a tablet guide path adjusting device for a tablet cassette.

Background Art

[0002] Tablet storage and dispensing devices installed in pharmacies and hospitals can automatically provide tablets according to prescriptions quickly, reliably, and safely to many patients. Tablets come in many shapes and sizes, such as circular, elliptical, spherical, capsule-shaped, sugar-coated, etc. It is desirable that the tablet storage and dispensing device can dispense as many types of tablets as possible.

[0003] The tablet storage and dispensing device is provided with a large number of tablet cassettes that can store and dispense different types of tablets. Each tablet cassette consists of a cassette body for storing tablets and a rotor rotatably disposed at the bottom of the cassette body. When the rotor rotates, the tablets in the cassette body are sequentially guided into a plurality of tablet guide paths formed in the rotor. When each tablet guide path coincides with the tablet discharge hole of the cassette body, the lowermost tablet and the tablet above it in the tablet guide path are partitioned by a partition member, and only the lowermost tablet is discharged from the tablet discharge hole.

[0004] The applicant of the present application proposed in Patent Document 1 a tablet cassette capable of changing the depth, width, and partition position of the tablet guide path of the rotor according to the type of tablet. The tablet cassette of Patent Document 1 includes a rotor lifting mechanism for lifting a rotor having an inclined outer surface forming the bottom surface of the tablet guide path, a width adjustment mechanism for relatively moving first and second movable members having side walls forming the surfaces in the width direction of the tablet guide path in the circumferential direction of the rotor, and a tablet support base lifting mechanism for lifting a tablet support base that supports the lowermost tablet in the tablet guide path. Since the tablet cassette of Patent Document 1 can adjust the depth, width, and partition position of the tablet guide path, it can handle tablets of many shapes and sizes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Although the dimensions of the tablet guide path of a conventional tablet cassette can be adjusted by respective adjustment mechanisms, it is complicated and requires skill to determine the dimensions according to the shapes or sizes of various tablets.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tablet guide path adjustment device for a tablet cassette that can easily adjust the dimensions of the tablet guide path according to the shape or size of a tablet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] As means for solving the above problems, the present invention includes a tablet container for accommodating tablets, and a rotor rotatably accommodated in the tablet container. In a tablet guide path adjusting device for a tablet cassette having a tablet guide path for guiding tablets in the tablet container to a tablet discharge hole of the tablet container and an adjusting unit for adjusting the dimensions of the tablet guide path on the rotor, an adjusting member engaged with the adjusting unit, an operation amount detection unit for detecting an operation amount of the adjusting member, and a notification unit for notifying a user of adjustment support information necessary for the user to adjust the adjusting unit by the adjusting member based on the operation amount detected by the operation amount detection unit.

[0009] It is provided with a tablet master storage unit that stores the dimensions of the tablet guide path suitable for the shape or size of the tablet, or numerical values related to the dimensions. Preferably, the notification unit reads out a target value of the dimensions of the tablet guide path corresponding to the tablets accommodated in the tablet container from the tablet master storage unit, and notifies the target value and the current value of the adjusting unit based on the operation amount of the operation amount detection unit.

[0010] Preferably, the adjusting member is detachable from the rotor. Also, preferably, the operation amount detection unit is provided in a device main body provided separately from the adjusting member. Furthermore, preferably, the adjusting member is detachable for each of the plurality of adjusting units of the rotor. Also, a plurality of operation amount detection units are provided corresponding to the plurality of adjusting units. Preferably, the adjusting member is detachable with respect to the plurality of operation amount detection units.

[0011] It includes a base portion having a rotor table on which the rotor is placed. Preferably, a zero point detection sensor for detecting a zero point of the adjusting unit is provided on the base portion.

[0012] Above the base portion, a guide portion for guiding the central axis of the adjusting member is provided. A guide hole into which the central axis of the adjusting member is inserted is formed in the guide portion. Preferably, the guide hole is formed on the same axis as the adjustment portion of the rotor placed on the rotor table.

[0013] Preferably, the operation amount detection unit is provided on the guide portion and detects the rotation amount of the central axis of the adjustment member inserted into the guide hole.

[0014] A rotating member that can rotate integrally with the central axis of the adjustment member is provided on the guide portion. Preferably, the operation amount detection unit detects the rotation amount of the central axis of the adjustment member inserted into the guide hole via the rotating member.

[0015] Preferably, the rotating member has an engagement hole that communicates with the guide hole and engages with the central axis of the adjustment member.

[0016] Preferably, a backlash prevention portion for preventing backlash between the engagement hole and the central axis is formed on the rotating member.

[0017] Preferably, the rotating member and the operation amount detection unit are connected via a gear, and the operation amount detection unit has a backlash prevention portion for preventing the backlash of the gear by biasing toward the rotating member.

[0018] The adjustment member has a central axis and a grip portion. Preferably, a torque limiter that does not transmit the rotational force to the central axis when a rotational force of a predetermined value or more acts on the grip portion is provided between the central axis and the grip portion of the adjustment member.

[0019] Preferably, the grip portion of the adjustment member is provided so as to be axially movable with respect to the central axis, and is movable between an engagement position where it engages with the central axis and rotates integrally, and a non-engagement position where it idles with respect to the central axis.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, according to the shape or size of the tablet, dimensions such as the depth, thickness, height, etc. of the tablet guide path can be easily adjusted.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a tablet storage and dispensing device 1 that can dispense tablets of types and numbers according to a prescription. A number of tablet cassettes 2 are detachably provided on respective bases 3 in the tablet storage and dispensing device 1. A tablet guide path adjusting device 100 according to the present invention is installed on a table 4 provided beside the tablet storage and dispensing device 1. First, after explaining the structure of the tablet cassette 2, the tablet guide path adjusting device 100 will be described. Note that the "tablets" in the present invention include, in addition to tablets in the narrow sense, drugs that can be dispensed by the tablet cassette 2 such as capsules and sugar-coated tablets.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a tablet cassette 2 and its base 3 attached to the tablet storage and dispensing device 1. The tablet cassette 2 includes a cassette body 5 that is a tablet container of the present invention, a lid 6 that opens and closes and is detachably covered over the upper opening of the cassette body 5, a skirt portion 7 provided at the lower part of the cassette body 5, and a rotor 8 accommodated in the cassette body 5 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0024] Pockets 6a and 7a for accommodating a label or a card capable of identifying the tablets accommodated in the tablet cassette 2 are formed on the upper surface of the lid 6 and the front surface of the skirt portion 7. As shown in FIG. 4, on the inner surface of the skirt portion 7, a slide portion 7b that slidably contacts a mounting guide 3a of the base 3 shown in FIG. 2 and an elastic engagement piece 7c that engages with a locking portion 3b of the mounting guide 3a are provided.

[0025] <Structure of the cassette body> As shown in FIG. 5, the cassette body 5 is composed of a rectangular upper part 5a that opens upward, an inverted conical inclined part 5b, a cylindrical tubular part 5c, and a bottom part 5d. In the internal space from the bottom part 5d to the inclined part 5b, the rotor 8 is accommodated, and a large number of tablets T can be accommodated above the rotor 8. A tablet discharge hole 9 is formed from the lower part of the inclined part 5b to the bottom part 5d. The tablet discharge hole 9 communicates with a tablet discharge path 3c formed in the base 3 shown in FIG. 2. Outside the cassette body 5, a partition member 20 and a partition adjustment mechanism M1 (described later for adjusting the position of the partition member 20) are attached. The tip of the partition member 20 is inserted inward through a slit 9a shown in FIG. 6 formed above the tablet discharge hole 9 from the outside of the inclined part 5b. In the center of the bottom part 5d, a rotor shaft hole 11 for accommodating a rotor drive part 10 shown in FIG. 6 is formed.

[0026] <rotor drive part> As shown in Fig. 7, the rotor drive unit 10 includes a drive shaft 12 penetrating through a rotor shaft hole 11, an engagement shaft 13 engaged with the upper end of the drive shaft 12 and rotating integrally with the drive shaft 12, a drive gear 14 engaged with the lower end of the drive shaft 12 and rotating integrally with the drive shaft 12, and a central shaft 15 penetrating through the engagement shaft 13, the drive shaft 12, and the drive gear 14 to integrate them. The engagement shaft 13 includes a circular base 13a abutting on the upper end surface of the drive shaft 12, engagement pieces 13b located at six equal circumferential positions protruding downward from the outer peripheral edge of the base 13a, and a connecting portion 13c connecting the lower ends of adjacent engagement pieces 13b. The inner surfaces of the engagement pieces 13b and the connecting portion 13c are slidably provided on the outer peripheral surface of an annular protrusion 11a provided at the edge of the rotor shaft hole 11 via a ring 16. When the rotor 8 is mounted, the engagement piece 13b engages with a slit 44a between the engagement pieces 44 of the engagement recess 41a of the rotor 8 shown in Fig. 10 to transmit the rotational force of the rotor drive unit 10 to the rotor 8. A flange 15a and a hole 15b are formed at the upper end of the central shaft 15. In the hole 15b of the central shaft, three annular magnets 15c are inserted in a stacked state and fixed with screws 15d. The magnet 15c may be a single cylindrical one. The lower end of the central shaft 15 passes through a gear cover 17 attached to the bottom 5d of the cassette body 5 shown in Fig. 4 and is prevented from coming off by a C-shaped retaining ring 15e. The drive gear 14 is engaged with and driven by a motor gear 3d of the base 3 shown in Fig. 2 via an intermediate gear 18 shown in Fig. 4.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, a locking claw 19a at one end of a locking lever 19 provided on the bottom surface of the cassette body 5 is locked to the drive gear 14. An operating portion 19b at the other end of the locking lever 19 extends in the mounting direction of the tablet cassette 2. When the tablet cassette 2 is mounted on the base 3, the operating portion 19b of the locking lever 19 abuts against a predetermined abutting portion 3e of the base 3 shown in Fig. 2, causing the locking lever 19 to rotate against the biasing force of the spring 19c, and the locking claw 19a to disengage from the drive gear 14, enabling the drive gear 14 to be rotationally driven. Also, when the tablet cassette 2 is pulled out from the base 3, the operating portion 19b of the locking lever 19 separates from the abutting portion 3e of the base 3, the locking lever 19 rotates by the biasing force of the spring 19c, and the locking claw 19a locks to the drive gear 14, preventing the rotation of the drive gear 14. As a result, it is possible to prevent the tablets T from dropping due to unexpected rotation of the rotor 8 of the pulled-out tablet cassette 2.

[0028] <Partition adjustment mechanism> As shown in Fig. 8A, the partition member 20 is formed in a comb shape that curves convexly upward. The partition member 20 is movable forward and backward with respect to the rotor 8 by a partition adjustment mechanism M1. The partition adjustment mechanism M1 includes a first fixing member 21, a second fixing member 22, a movable member 23, and an adjustment member 24.

[0029] In the center of the first fixing member 21, an upper case portion 21a for accommodating a slide portion 23c and a stopper 28 of the movable member 23 is formed. Mounting holes 21b are formed on both sides of the upper case portion 21a of the first fixing member 21. On the lower surface of the first fixing member 21, a pair of elastic pieces 21c for pressing and stabilizing the movable member 23 are formed. At the tip of the elastic piece 21c, a protrusion 21d that engages with a groove 23d of the movable member 23 is formed.

[0030] At the center of the second fixing member 22, a lower case portion 22b is formed in which the slide portion 23c of the movable member 23 and the stopper 28 are accommodated. Reverse U-shaped notches 22b are formed at the lower edges on both sides of the lower case portion 22a of the second fixing member 22. When the upper case portion 21a of the first fixing member 21 and the lower case portion 22a of the second fixing member 22 are combined with each other, a movable member accommodating portion 25 that is open downward and accommodates the slide portion 23c of the movable member 23 and a stopper accommodating portion 26 that accommodates the stopper 28 are formed. Semi-circular notches 27 that support both axial ends of the adjustment member 24 in a non-axially movable manner are formed at the lower edge of the upper case portion 21a and the upper edge of the lower case portion 22a of the movable member accommodating portion 25.

[0031] The movable member 23 is formed with a holding portion 23a that holds the partition member 20 at the lower end and a slide portion 23c that has a screw hole 23b at the upper end. Grooves 23d are formed at both end portions on the upper surface of the movable member 23.

[0032] The adjustment member 24 has a screw portion 24a that is screwed into the screw hole 23b of the slide portion 23c of the movable member 23 and an engagement gear 24b. The stopper 28 can be locked to the engagement gear 24b and fixed at a required position. Since the movable member 23 is fixed in the rotational direction of the adjustment member 24 by the engagement of the groove 23d of the movable member 23 and the protrusion 21d of the first fixing member 21, when the adjustment member 24 rotates, the movable member 23 moves in the axial direction of the adjustment member 24.

[0033] To assemble the partition adjustment mechanism M1, first, the slide portion 23c of the movable member 23 is received from below in the lower case portion 22a of the second fixing member 22. After the adjustment member 24 is screwed into and passed through the slide portion 23c, both ends of the adjustment member 24 are placed on the notch 27 of the lower case portion 22. Also, the stopper 28 is received in the lower case portion 22a of the second fixing member 22. In this state, when the first fixing member 21 is overlapped with the second fixing member 22 so that the adjustment member 24 passes through the hole formed by the notch 27 of the first fixing member 21 and the second fixing member, the claw 22f of the elastic locking piece 22e provided on the upper case portion 21a is locked to the lower edge of the lower case portion 22a and assembled integrally. Also, since the size of the notch 27 is smaller than that of the engagement gear 24b, the engagement gear 24b is fixed to the upper case portion 22a and the lower case portion 22b so as not to move in the axial direction. Subsequently, by passing the fixing screw 29 through the notch 22b of the second fixing member 22 and the mounting hole 21b of the first fixing member 21 and screwing it into the screw hole 5e on the back surface of the cassette body 5, it is fixed to the cassette body 5.

[0034] When the adjustment member 24 of the partition adjustment mechanism M1 is rotated, the slide portion 23c moves within the movable member accommodation portion 25 of the upper case 21a of the first fixing member 21 and the lower case 22b of the second fixing member 22. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, the partition member 20 held by the movable member 23 moves forward or backward toward the rotor 8 in the cassette body 5, and the tip position 20a of the partition member 20 can be adjusted. That is, as shown in FIG. 8B(a), when the thickness of the tablet T is thick, as will be described in detail later, the rotor body 31 of the rotor 8 is raised to increase the depth D of the groove of the tablet guide path 8b between the lower inclined outer surface 35c and the inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5. Along with this, the tip of the partition member 20 also moves forward toward the rotor 8. As shown in FIG. 8B(b), when the thickness of the tablet T is thin, the rotor body 35 of the rotor 8 is lowered to decrease the depth D of the groove of the tablet guide path 8b between the lower inclined outer surface 35c and the inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5. Along with this, the tip of the partition member 20 also moves backward from the rotor 8.

[0035] <Overall Structure of Rotor> As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the rotor 8 generally has a shape with a conical upper surface, an inverted conical side surface, and a flat bottom surface. On the upper part of the side surface of the rotor 8, tablet pockets 8a are provided in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of tablet guide paths 8b extending downward from the tablet pockets 8a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0036] The tablet pocket 8a is formed by the outer peripheral surface of the rotor body 35 described later, the first horizontal protrusion 73 of the first movable member 60 described later, and the second horizontal protrusion 82 of the second movable member 61 described later, and is surrounded by the inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5. It receives the tablets T accommodated in the cassette body 5 and aligns them in the circumferential direction.

[0037] The tablet guide path 8b is formed in a groove shape by the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the lower part of the rotor body 35 described later, the first vertical protrusion 72 of the first movable member 60 described later, the second vertical protrusion 81 of the second movable member 61 described later, and the tablet support base 55 of the annular lifting member 51 described later. It is covered by the inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5, receives the tablets T aligned in the tablet pocket 8a, and guides them downward.

[0038] The tablet guide path 8b needs to adjust the depth, height, and width of the groove according to the shape or size of the tablets accommodated in the tablet cassette, so that the tablets can smoothly pass through the tablet guide path 8b and be discharged from the tablet discharge hole 9 shown in FIG. 5. Here, the "depth" of the groove of the tablet guide path 8b is the dimension in the thickness direction of the tablets passing through the tablet guide path 8b, which is the dimension D between the inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5 and the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the downward protrusion 35 of the rotor body 31. The "height" of the groove is the dimension in the height direction of the tablets passing through the tablet guide path 8b, which is the dimension H between the partition member 20 and the tablet support base 55 of the annular lifting member 51 of the rotor 8. The "width" of the groove is the dimension in the width direction of the tablets passing through the tablet guide path 8b, which is the dimension W between the first vertical protrusion 72 of the first movable member 60 and the second vertical protrusion 81 of the second movable member 61.

[0039] The rotor 8 has a depth adjustment mechanism M2, a height adjustment mechanism M3, and a width adjustment mechanism M4 in order to adjust the groove shape of the tablet guide path 8b. These will be described in order below.

[0040] <Depth adjustment mechanism> FIG. 11 shows the members constituting the depth adjustment mechanism M2. The depth adjustment mechanism M2 is composed of a rotor cover 30, a rotor body 31, a rotor base 32, and a depth adjustment member 33.

[0041] The rotor cover 30 has an overall umbrella shape. The upper surface of the rotor cover 30 is formed in a conical shape.

[0042] The rotor body 31 has a circular base portion 34, a downward protrusion 35, an annular portion 36, and a guide portion 37.

[0043] A shaft portion 38 is provided at the center of the base portion 34, and a threaded hole (not shown) is formed in the shaft portion 38. On the upper surface of the base portion 34, two holes 34a and 34b are formed through which a height adjustment member 52 and a width adjustment member 64, which will be described later, are exposed.

[0044] The downward protrusion 35 extends downward from six equally spaced positions on the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 34. The downward protrusion 35 is composed of a vertical inner surface 35a, an upper inclined outer surface 35b that inclines downward outward from the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 34, a lower inclined outer surface 35c that inclines downward inward from the lower end of the upper inclined outer surface 35b, and both side surfaces 35d, and is formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the side. The lower inclined outer surface 35c forms the bottom surface of the groove of the tablet guide path 8b. A slit 35e is formed at the lower end of the downward protrusion 35.

[0045] The annular portion 36 is formed concentrically outside the base portion 34 and is connected to the base portion 34 via the downward protrusion 35.

[0046] The guide portion 37 extends downward from the six equally spaced positions on the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 34 between the downward protrusions 35. Guide edges 37a are formed on both sides of the inner surface of the guide portion 37, with which guide pieces 40 of a rotor base 32, which will be described later, engage slidably. By the engagement of the guide piece 40 and the guide edge 37a, the rotor main body 31 and the rotor base 32 rotate integrally. A protrusion 37b serving as a detection portion for detecting the zero point is formed at the lower end of any one of the six guide portions 37.

[0047] The rotor base 32 has an annular base portion 39, guide pieces 40, and an engagement portion 41.

[0048] An annular wall 42 is formed on the upper surface of the base portion 39. Vertical slits 42a extending in the axial direction are formed in the annular wall 42 at six equally spaced positions around the circumference.

[0049] The guide pieces 40 project upward at six equally spaced positions around the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 39 and between adjacent vertical slits 42a. The guide pieces 40 are formed so as to engage slidably with the guide edges 37a of the guide portions 37 of the rotor main body 31. Reinforcing ribs 43 are provided between the guide pieces 40 and the annular wall 42.

[0050] The engagement portion 41 has engagement pieces 44 rising upward from six equally spaced positions around the inner peripheral edge of the base portion 39 and circular protrusions 45 provided at the upper ends of the engagement pieces 44. When viewed from the back surface, as shown in FIG. 10, the engagement portion 41 forms an engagement recess 41a with which a rotor drive portion 10 engages. Engagement pieces 13b of the rotor drive portion 10 engage in slits 44a between adjacent engagement pieces 44. Inside the circular protrusion 45, a magnetic plate 46 that adsorbs to a magnet 15c provided on the central axis 15 of the rotor drive portion 10 is embedded. A depth adjustment member 33 is supported at the center of the upper surface of the circular protrusion 45. The circular protrusion 45 is formed with a hole 45a for accommodating a stopper 48 that prevents free rotation of the depth adjustment member 33 and two screw holes 45b into which screws (not shown) inserted through two screw insertion holes 93 of a second support member 63, which will be described later, are screwed.

[0051] An annular recess 47 for accommodating a height adjustment mechanism M3, which will be described later, is formed between the circular protrusion 45 and the annular wall 42.

[0052] The depth adjustment member 33 has a male screw portion 33a and a gear portion 33b at the lower end. The male screw portion 33a is screwed into a screw hole (not shown) in the shaft portion 38 of the rotor main body 31, and the gear portion 33b at the lower end is supported by the circular protrusion 45 of the rotor base 32. An engaging portion 33c is formed at the upper end of the male screw portion 33a, which protrudes and is exposed from the shaft portion 38 of the rotor main body 31 and can be rotationally adjusted from the outside. The tip of a stopper 48 made of an elastic piece is locked between the teeth of the gear portion 33b.

[0053] In the depth adjustment member 33, the axial movement of the gear portion 33b is restricted by the first support member 62 and the rotor base 32, and the rotation of the rotor main body 31 with respect to the rotor base 32 is restricted by the guide edge 37a of the rotor main body 31 engaging with the guide piece 40 of the rotor base 32. Thus, when the depth adjustment member 33 is rotated with the rotor base 32 not rotating, the rotor main body 31 having a screw hole (not shown) that is screwed with the male screw portion 33a of the depth adjustment member 33 moves up or down in the rotational axis direction of the rotor 4. Accordingly, the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the downward protrusion 35 of the rotor main body 31 that forms the bottom surface of the tablet guide path 8b also moves up or down.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 14, the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the downward protrusion 35 is inclined radially from the outside to the inside as it goes from top to bottom, and is parallel to the inverted conical inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5. Therefore, when the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the downward protrusion 35 of the rotor body 31 descends, the distance between the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the downward protrusion 35 and the conical inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5 decreases, and the depth of the tablet guide path 8b can be made shallower (D1). Conversely, when the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the downward protrusion 35 of the rotor body 31 ascends, the distance between the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the downward protrusion 35 and the inverted conical inclined portion 5b of the cassette body 5 increases, and the depth of the tablet guide path 8b can be made deeper (D2). Thus, by rotating the depth adjustment member 33 to the left or right, the depth of the tablet guide path 8b can be adjusted according to the thickness of the tablet T passing through the tablet guide path 8b. Each time the gear portion 33b of the depth adjustment member 33 shown in FIG. 11 rotates, the tip of the stopper 48 gets over the teeth of the gear portion 33b and engages between the teeth, so that the depth adjustment member 33 can be stopped at an appropriate position and the rotor body 35 can be fixed at a desired height position.

[0055] <Height adjustment mechanism> FIG. 12 shows the members constituting the height adjustment mechanism M3. The height adjustment mechanism M3 is composed of a cylindrical rotating member 50, an annular elevating member 51, and a height adjustment member 52.

[0056] The cylindrical rotating member 50 has a male thread portion 50a formed on the lower outer periphery and a driven gear 50b formed on the upper inner periphery. A stopper 53 for preventing free rotation of the cylindrical rotating member 50 is engaged with the driven gear 50b.

[0057] The annular elevating member 51 has radially projecting arms 54 provided at six equally spaced positions on the outer periphery, and a tablet support 55 is formed at the tip of each arm 54. The tablet support 55 is inclined so as to be orthogonal to the tablet guide path 8b so that it can support the lowermost tablet T in the tablet guide path 8b. A female thread portion 51a that engages with the male thread portion 50a of the cylindrical rotating member 50 is formed on the inner surface of the annular elevating member 51.

[0058] The height adjustment member 52 has a drive gear 52a meshing with the driven gear 50b of the cylindrical rotating member 50 at its lower end. The upper end of the height adjustment member 52 is formed with an engaging portion 52b, which protrudes and is exposed from the hole 34a on the upper surface of the base portion 34 of the rotor body 31, and can be rotationally adjusted from the outside. The height adjustment member 52 is held immovably in the vertical direction at the edge of the hole 90 of the second support member 63 described later.

[0059] The cylindrical rotating member 50 and the annular elevating member 51 are screwed together and accommodated in the annular recess 47 of the rotor base 32. The arm 54 of the annular elevating member 51 is slidably fitted into the slit 42a of the annular wall 42 of the rotor base 32, and the tablet support base 55 protrudes outside the annular wall 42 of the rotor base 32 to support the lowermost tablet T in the tablet guide path 8b.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 15, to adjust the height H of the tablet guide path 8b corresponding to the height of the tablet T, the height adjustment member 52 of the height adjustment mechanism M3 is rotated to the left or right. In the present invention, since the partition member 20 is fixed in the height direction with respect to the cassette body 5, instead of moving the partition member 20 itself to adjust the height H of the tablet guide path 8b, the tablet support base 55 below the partition member 20 is raised and lowered, and the distance between the partition member 20 and the tablet support base 55 is adjusted to adjust the height H from the tablet support base 55 of the tablet guide path 8b to the partition member 20.

[0061] When the height adjustment member 52 is rotated, the cylindrical rotating member 50 rotates. The vertical movement of the cylindrical rotating member 50 is restricted by the second support member 63 and the rotor base 32. The annular elevating member 51 having an internal thread portion 51a screwed to the external thread portion 50a of the cylindrical rotating member 50 has its arm 54 passing through the slit 42a of the annular wall 42 of the rotor base 32 and its rotation restricted. Therefore, due to the rotation of the cylindrical rotating member 50, the annular elevating member 51 moves up and down, and the tablet support base 55 of the annular elevating member 51 moves up and down.

[0062] That is, as shown in Fig. 15, when the cylindrical rotating member 50 rotates in one direction, the tablet support 55 of the annular elevating member 51 rises, and the position of the partition member 20 with respect to the tablet support 55, that is, the height becomes low (H1). Conversely, when the cylindrical rotating member 50 rotates in the other direction, the tablet support 55 of the annular elevating member 51 descends, and the position of the partition member 20 with respect to the tablet support 55, that is, the height becomes high (H2). Each time the cylindrical rotating member 50 rotates due to the rotation of the height adjusting member 52, the tip of the stopper 53 gets over the teeth of the driven gear 50b of the cylindrical rotating member 50 and engages between the teeth. Therefore, the height adjusting member 52 can be stopped at an appropriate position to fix the tablet support 55 at a desired height position.

[0063] <Width adjustment mechanism> Fig. 13 shows the members constituting the width adjustment mechanism M4. The width adjustment mechanism M4 is composed of a first movable member 60, a second movable member 61, a first support member 62, a second support member 63, and a width adjusting member 64.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 13, the first movable member 60 is composed of an upper member 60a and a lower member 60b. The engaging protrusion 65 of the upper member 60a and the engaging protrusion 66 of the lower member 60b are engaged with each other, and the two can rotate integrally.

[0065] On the upper member 60a of the first movable member 60, a substantially semi-circular notch 68 and a long hole 69 are formed adjacent to the inner circumference of the annular base 67. At the edge of the notch 68 facing the center of the notch 68 when looking at the first movable member 60 from above, A protrusions 68a and B protrusions 68b facing each other in the circumferential direction of the first movable member 60 are formed. The A protrusions 68a and B protrusions 68b serve as cam followers that slide on the A cam 94a and B cam 94b of the first adjustment shaft 94 described later.

[0066] The lower member 60b of the first movable member 60 has an annular base 70, six wall portions 71, a first vertical projection 72, and a first horizontal projection 73. The six wall portions 71 project downward from six equally spaced positions on the outer peripheral edge of the base 70. The first vertical projection 72 projects outward from the left end as viewed from the front of the wall portion 71 and forms the right side surface of the above-described tablet guide path 8b. A notch 72a into which the partition member 20 is fitted is formed in the first vertical projection 72. The first horizontal projection 73 extends horizontally in the circumferential direction from the upper end of the first vertical projection 72 toward the right as viewed from the front and forms the bottom surface of the above-described tablet pocket 8a.

[0067] Similar to the first movable member 60, the second movable member 61 is composed of an upper member 61a and a lower member 61b. The engaging projection 74 of the upper member 61a and the engaging recess 75 of the lower member 61b are engaged with each other, and the two can rotate integrally.

[0068] An approximately semicircular notch 77 and a long hole 78 are formed adjacent to each other on the inner circumference of an annular base 76 in the upper member 61a of the second movable member 61. A projections 77a and B projections 77b facing each other in the circumferential direction of the second movable member 61 are formed on the edges of the notches 77 facing each other when the second movable member 61 is viewed from above. The A projections 77a and B projections 77b serve as cam followers that slide in contact with an A cam 95a and a B cam 95b of a second adjustment shaft described later.

[0069] The lower member 61b of the second movable member 61 has an annular base 79, six wall portions 80, a second vertical projection 81, and a second horizontal projection 82. The six wall portions 80 project downward from six equally spaced positions on the outer peripheral edge of the base 79. The second vertical projection 81 projects outward from the right end as viewed from the front of the wall portion 80 and forms the left side surface of the above-described tablet guide path 8b. A notch 81a into which the partition member 20 is fitted is formed in the second vertical projection 81. The second horizontal projection 82 extends horizontally in the circumferential direction from the upper end of the second vertical projection 81 toward the left as viewed from the front and, together with the first horizontal projection 73 of the first movable member 60, forms the bottom surface of the above-described tablet pocket 8a. The tip of the second horizontal projection 82 of the second movable member 61 is formed so as to overlap the tip of the first horizontal projection 73 of the first movable member 60.

[0070] The first support member 62 has a circular shape with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the upper member 60a of the first movable member 60, and has a circular protrusion 83 on its lower surface. In the center of the first support member 62, there are formed holes 84, 84a through which a width adjustment member 64 described later penetrates, a hole 85 through which a depth adjustment member 33 of the depth adjustment mechanism M2 penetrates, a hole 86 through which a height adjustment member 52 of the height adjustment mechanism M3 penetrates, and two screw insertion holes 87.

[0071] The second support member 63 has a circular shape with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the upper member 60a of the first movable member 60, and an annular protrusion 88 is formed on its upper surface for the circular protrusion 83 of the first support member 62 to fit into. In the center of the second support member 63, there are formed a hole 89 through which a depth adjustment member 33 of the depth adjustment mechanism M2 penetrates, a hole 90 and a notch 90a through which a height adjustment member 52 of the height adjustment mechanism M3 penetrates, a hole 91a through which a first adjustment shaft 94 of the width adjustment member 64 described later penetrates, a hole 91b into which a second adjustment shaft 95 fits, two screw holes 92 into which screws (not shown) inserted into the two screw insertion holes 87 of the first support member 62 are screwed, and two screw insertion holes 93.

[0072] By inserting a screw (not shown) into the screw insertion hole 87 of the first support member 62 and screwing it into the screw hole 92 of the second support member 63, the first support member 62 and the second support member 63 are integrated while sandwiching the first movable member 60 and the second movable member 61. Also, by inserting a screw (not shown) into the screw insertion hole 93 of the second support member 63 and screwing it into the screw hole 45b of the rotor base 32, the second support member 63 is fixed to the rotor base 32, and a cylindrical rotating member 50 of the height adjustment mechanism M3 is held between the second support member 63 and the rotor base 32, and its axial movement is restricted.

[0073] The width adjustment member 64 is composed of a first adjustment shaft 94 and a second adjustment shaft 95. The first adjustment shaft 94 is disposed within the notch 68. The second adjustment shaft 95 is disposed within the long hole 69. A stopper 96 for preventing free rotation of the width adjustment member 64 is provided on the second adjustment shaft 95.

[0074] The first adjustment shaft 94 is formed with an A cam 94a, a B cam 94b, and a gear 94c in order from the upper end. As shown in FIG. 16, the A cam 94a is formed such that the radius of the cam surface increases in the range of 360° clockwise when the width adjustment member 64 is viewed from above, and is in sliding contact with the A protrusion 68a of the first movable plate 60. The B cam 94b is formed such that the radius of the cam surface increases in the range of 360° counterclockwise when the width adjustment member 64 is viewed from above, and is in sliding contact with the B protrusion 68b of the first movable plate 60. The maximum radius portions of the A cam 94a and the B cam 94b are located 180° apart. The upper end of the first adjustment shaft 94 is supported by the hole 84a of the first support member 62, and the lower end is supported by the hole 91a of the second support member 63.

[0075] Similarly, the second adjustment shaft 95 is formed with an A cam 95a, a B cam 95b, a gear 95c, and an engagement portion 95d in order from the lower end. The A cam 95a is formed such that the radius of the cam surface increases in the range of 360° clockwise when the width adjustment member 64 is viewed from below, and is in sliding contact with the A protrusion 77a of the second movable member 61. The B cam 95b is formed such that the radius of the cam surface increases in the range of 360° counterclockwise when the width adjustment member 64 is viewed from below, and is in sliding contact with the B protrusion 77b of the second movable plate 61. The maximum radius portions of the A cam 95a and the B cam 95b are located 180° apart. The gear 95c of the second adjustment shaft 95 is configured to mesh with the gear 94c and operate in conjunction therewith. The upper end of the second adjustment shaft 95 passes through the hole 69 of the first support member 62, protrudes from the rotor main body 31, and is exposed from the hole 34a, and can be rotationally adjusted from the outside. The lower end of the second adjustment shaft 95 is supported by the hole 91b of the second support member 63. Incidentally, the upper end of the first adjustment shaft 94 may pass through the first support member 62, protrude from the rotor main body 35, and be exposed, and be rotationally adjustable from the outside.

[0076] When the second adjustment shaft 95 is rotated clockwise in Fig. 16(a), the rotational force is transmitted from the gear 95c of the second adjustment shaft 95 to the gear 94c of the first adjustment shaft 94, and the first adjustment shaft 94 rotates counterclockwise. Due to the rotation of the first adjustment shaft 94, the A cam 94a of the first adjustment shaft 94 comes into sliding contact with and presses against the A protrusion 68a of the first movable member 60, so the first movable member 60 rotates clockwise in Fig. 16(a). On the other hand, due to the rotation of the second adjustment shaft 95, as shown in Fig. 16(b), the A cam 95a of the second adjustment shaft 95 comes into sliding contact with and presses against the A protrusion 77a of the second movable member 61, so the second movable plate 61 rotates clockwise in Fig. 16(b) and counterclockwise in Fig. 16(a).

[0077] Subsequently, when the second adjustment shaft 95 is rotated counterclockwise in Fig. 16(a), the rotational force is transmitted from the gear 95c of the second adjustment shaft 95 to the gear 94c of the first adjustment shaft 94, and the first adjustment shaft 94 rotates clockwise. Due to the rotation of the first adjustment shaft 94, the B cam 94b of the first adjustment shaft 94 comes into sliding contact with and presses against the B protrusion 68b of the first movable member 60, so the first movable member 60 rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 16(a). On the other hand, due to the rotation of the second adjustment shaft 95, as shown in Fig. 16(b), the B cam 95b of the second adjustment shaft 95 comes into sliding contact with and presses against the B protrusion 77b of the second movable member 61, so the second movable member 61 rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 16(b) and clockwise in Fig. 16(a).

[0078] In this way, the first movable member 60 and the second movable member 61 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and the distance between the first vertical protruding piece 72 of the first movable member 60 and the second vertical protruding piece 81 of the second movable member 61, that is, the width of the tablet guide path 8b, can be enlarged or reduced.

[0079] Next, the operation of the rotor 8 in the tablet cassette 2 having the above configuration will be described.

[0080] As already described, between the cassette body 5 and the rotor 8 shown in Fig. 5, the rotor 8 has a tablet pocket 8a extending circumferentially at the upper part of the side surface and a plurality of tablet guide paths 8b extending downward from the upper part of the side surface of the rotor 8.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 5, the tablets T accommodated in the cassette body 5 enter the tablet pocket 8a while being agitated by the rotation of the rotor 8, enter the tablet guide path 8b from the tablet pocket 8a, and when the tablet guide path 8b approaches the tablet discharge hole 9, the partition member 20 fixed to the cassette body 5 enters between the lowermost tablet T in the tablet guide path 8b and the tablet T above it. The tablets T above the partition member 20 are prevented from falling downward by the partition member 20. The lowermost tablet T below the partition member 20 is on the tablet support base 55, but since the tablet support base 55 is inclined, it falls toward the tablet discharge hole 9 on the tablet support base 55 and is discharged from the tablet discharge hole 9. The tablets T discharged from the tablet discharge hole 7 are dispensed through the tablet discharge path 3c of the base 2 shown in FIG. 2. Thus, each time the tablet guide path 8b turns to the tablet discharge hole 9, one tablet T is discharged. By adjusting the rotation angle of the rotor 8, the number of tablets T corresponding to the prescription can be dispensed.

[0082] The tablet guide path 8b can be adjusted for the entry position of the partition member 20 with respect to the thickness of the tablet T, the depth D corresponding to the thickness of the tablet T, the height H corresponding to the height of the tablet, and the width W corresponding to the width of the tablet T by using the partition adjustment mechanism M1, depth adjustment mechanism M2, height adjustment mechanism M3, and width adjustment mechanism M4 described above. Therefore, according to the shape or size of the tablet T accommodated in the cassette body 5, a tablet guide path 8b of an appropriate size can be formed. Each time the tablet T is different, without replacing the entire tablet cassette 2 or the rotor 8, by adjusting the tablet guide path 8b according to various tablets T using the same tablet cassette 2 or rotor 8, it can be discharged. Such adjustment can be automatically performed by a tablet guide path adjustment device described below.

[0083] <Tablet Guide Path Adjustment Device> FIG. 17 shows a tablet guide path adjustment device 100 for a tablet cassette according to the present invention. The tablet guide path adjustment device 100 is for manually adjusting the groove depth, height, width, and the entry position of the partition member 20 of the tablet guide path 8b of the tablet cassette 2 already described.

[0084] That is, the tablet guide path adjusting device 100 engages with the engaging portions 33c, 52b, 95d of the adjusting members 33, 52, 64 of the respective adjusting mechanisms M2, M3, M4 that adjust the depth, height, and width of the groove of the tablet guide path 8b of the tablet cassette 2, activates the adjusting mechanisms, adjusts the dimensions of the tablet guide path 8b according to the shape or size of the tablet T accommodated in the cassette body 5, and engages with the engaging gear 24b of the partition adjusting member 24 of the partition adjusting mechanism M1 that adjusts the entry position of the partition member 20, activates the partition adjusting mechanism M1, and adjusts the entry position of the partition member 20 according to the shape or size of the tablet T accommodated in the cassette body 5 and the depth of the groove of the tablet guide path 8b.

[0085] The tablet guide path adjusting device 100 includes a device main body 101, an adjusting member 102, a tool 103, and a control device 200.

[0086] The device main body 101 has a base portion 105, an intermediate portion 106 that rises upward from the rear portion of the base portion 105, and a guide portion 107 that protrudes forward from the upper end of the intermediate portion 106.

[0087] The upper surface of the base portion 105 serves as a rotor table 108 on which the rotor 8 of the tablet cassette 2 is placed. A rotor mounting protrusion 109 is provided on the upper surface of the rotor table 108. The rotor mounting protrusion 109 has the same shape as the engaging shaft 13 of the rotor driving portion 10 of the cassette body 5 and is capable of mounting the tablet cassette 2.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 19, on the back surface of the rotor table 108, a height zero point detection sensor 113, a depth zero point detection sensor 114, a width zero point detection sensors 115, 116 are respectively provided via brackets 110, 111, 112. Each of the sensors 113, 114, 115, 11 6 is a limit switch. As shown in FIGS. 34, 35, and 36, the detection portions 113a, 114a, 115a, 116a of each of the sensors 113, 114, 115, 116 are the rotors It protrudes upward from the rotor base 108. As shown in FIG. 36, the detection unit 113a of the height zero detection sensor 113 is the lower surface of the tablet support base 55 of the rotor 8 placed on the rotor base 108. As shown in FIG. 35, the detection unit 114a of the depth zero detection sensor 114 is the protrusion 37b of the guide unit 37. As shown in FIG. 34, the detection units 115a and 116a of the width zero detection sensors 115 and 116 face and can come into contact with the lower ends of the first vertical protrusion 72 and the second vertical protrusion 81, respectively. Returning to FIG. 17, the detection units 113a, 114a, 115a, and 116a are prevented from coming into contact with foreign objects by the U-shaped guard parts 117, 118, and 119 provided on the rotor base 108.

[0089] Also, as shown in FIG. 19, a substrate 121 is attached to the back surface of the rotor base 108 via a bracket 120. The substrate 121 receives signals from the height zero detection sensor 113, the depth zero detection sensor 114, the width zero detection sensors 115 and 116, and an encoder 131 (described later), and transmits them to a control device 200 (described later), and supplies power to them. The base part 105 is provided with a USB terminal 122 for connecting the substrate 121 and the control device 200.

[0090] Inside the intermediate part 106, as shown in FIG. 18, a cylindrical part 123 for housing the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 is provided. The cylindrical part 123 communicates with the housing port 124 of the guide part 107 (described later), extends in the vertical direction, and has a reduced diameter downward.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 17, the guide portion 107 is composed of an upper case 107a and a lower case 107b. A storage port 124 is formed at the rear portion of the guide portion 107, penetrating from the upper case 107a to the lower case 107b, into which the central axis 155 is inserted when the adjustment member 102 is stored. At the front portion of the upper case 107a of the guide portion 107, three upper guide holes 125a, 125b, and 125c into which the central axis 155 is inserted when the adjustment member 102 is used are formed. In the lower case 107b, lower guide holes (indicated by reference numeral 126 in FIG. 22(b)) are formed at positions corresponding to the upper guide holes 125a, 125b, and 125c. Indications 127a, 127b, and 127c indicating what kind of guide holes for adjustment are provided in the vicinity of the upper guide holes 125a, 125b, and 125c. On the rear side surface of the guide portion 107, a protrusion 128 (see FIG. 18) for attaching the tool 103 is formed. Inside the guide portion 107, three rotating members 129 (that is, a first rotating member 129a, a second rotating member 129b, and a third rotating member 129c), an intermediate gear 130, and an encoder 131 are provided.

[0092] The three rotating members 129 have the same shape. As shown in FIG. 22, the rotating member 129 has a cylindrical shape in which an engagement hole 132 that engages with the central axis 155 of the adjusting member 102 described later is formed. The upper end of the rotating member 129 is rotatably engaged with an annular rib 133 formed around the upper guide hole 125 such that the engagement hole 132 communicates with the upper guide hole 125. Similarly, the lower end of the rotating member 129 is rotatably engaged with an annular rib 134 formed around the lower guide hole 126 such that the engagement hole 132 communicates with the lower guide hole 126. On the inner surface of the engagement hole 132 of the rotating member 129, four engagement grooves 135 extending in the axial direction are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In the rotating member 129, an elastic piece 137 is provided by forming an inverted U-shaped slit 136 composed of two linear portions 136a and 136b extending in the axial direction and opposing two adjacent engagement grooves 135 and an arc portion 136c connecting the upper ends of the linear portions 136a and 136b. On the inner surface of the elastic piece 137, a pressing portion 138 that is displaced inward from the inner surface of the engagement hole 132 is formed. The pressing portion 138 serves as an anti-play portion that prevents play between the central axis 155 of the adjusting member 102 inserted into the engagement hole 132 and the engagement hole 132. A rotating gear 139 is provided below the elastic piece 137 of the rotating member 129. As shown in FIG. 21, the rotating gear 139 of the first rotating member 129a meshes with the rotating gear 139 of the second rotating member 129b, and the rotating gear 139 of the third rotating member 129c is separated from the rotating gears 139 of the first rotating member 129a and the second rotating member 129b.

[0093] The intermediate gear 130 has a shaft portion 140 rotatably supported by the upper case 107a and the lower case 107b, and a tooth portion 141 freely rotatably fitted to the shaft portion 140. The tooth portion 141 has a slight gap with respect to the shaft portion 140 and is movable in a direction orthogonal to the shaft portion 140. The tooth portion 141 of the intermediate gear 130 meshes with the rotating gear 139 of the second rotating member 129b and the rotating gear 139 of the third rotating member 129c.

[0094] The encoder 131 is the operation amount detection unit of the present invention and has a detection gear 142 that meshes with the intermediate gear 130. The encoder 131 is attached to a lever 143 rotatably provided on the lower case 107b. The lever 143 is biased by a coil spring 144 in a direction in which the detection gear 142 of the encoder 131 meshes with the intermediate gear 130. The lever 143 and the coil spring 144 serve as a backlash prevention unit that prevents backlash between the tooth portion 141 of the intermediate gear 130 and the detection gear 142, and between the tooth portion 141 of the intermediate gear 130 and the rotation gears 139 of the second rotating member 129b and the third rotating member 120c. The tooth portion 141 of the intermediate gear 130 is pushed by the detection gear 142 to maintain meshing with the detection gear 142, and by moving in a direction orthogonal to the shaft portion 140, it meshes with the rotation gear 139 of the second rotating member 129b and the third rotating member 120c without play, thereby preventing backlash between the gears.

[0095] When the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 is inserted into the engagement hole 132 of the first rotating member 129a, the encoder 131 detects the rotation amount of the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 via the rotation gear 139 of the first rotating member 129a, the rotation gear 139 of the second rotating member 129b, the intermediate gear 130, and the detection gear 142. When the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 is inserted into the engagement hole 132 of the second rotating member 129b, the encoder 131 detects the rotation amount of the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 via the rotation gear 139 of the second rotating member 129b, the intermediate gear 130, and the detection gear 142. When the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 is inserted into the engagement hole 132 of the third rotating member 129c, the encoder 131 detects the rotation amount of the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 via the rotation gear 139 of the third rotating member 129c, the intermediate gear 130, and the detection gear 142. The rotation amount of the adjustment member 102 detected by the encoder 131 is transmitted to the substrate 121 of the base portion 105 via the cord 145 and the connector 146.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 23, the adjustment member 102 is roughly divided into a grip portion 147 and a shaft portion 148.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 24, the grip portion 147 is composed of an outer member 149 and an inner member 150.

[0098] The outer member 149 has a frustum-shaped cylindrical large grip portion 149b with its upper end closed by a top wall 149a and its lower end open, and a small grip portion 149c protruding axially from the top wall 149a. A hexagonal wrench 149d is attached to the upper end of the small grip portion 149c. The hexagonal wrench 149d is for engaging with a hexagonal hole (not shown) provided in the adjustment member 24 of the partition adjustment mechanism M1 of the tablet cassette 2 to drive the partition adjustment mechanism M1. A mark 149e in the form of an arrow indicating the origin direction is provided on the surface of the top wall 149a of the large grip portion 149b. On the back surface of the top wall 149a of the large grip portion 149b, as shown in FIG. 25, a shaft hole 149f and an engaging portion 149g formed by concavo-convex portions annularly aligned around the axis are formed.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 24, the inner member 150 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape and is attached to a mounting seat 151 shown in FIG. 25 inside the outer member 149 with mounting screws 152. A flange 150a is formed on the inner circumference of the inner member 150 so as to protrude radially inward.

[0100] The shaft portion 148 is composed of a first member 153, a second member 154, and a central shaft 155.

[0101] The first member 153 is sized to be accommodated inside the inner member 150 of the grip portion 147, and as shown in FIG. 28, it has an inner cylindrical portion 153a and an outer cylindrical portion 153b. The upper end of the inner cylindrical portion 153a is closed by the upper engaging portion 153c, and the lower end is open. The upper engaging portion 153c has a shaft hole 153d formed at the center and has unevenness formed in an annular shape around the shaft on the upper surface. The upper engaging portion 153c of the inner cylindrical portion 153a is engageable with the engaging portion 149g of the grip portion 147. The lower end of the inner cylindrical portion 153a is open and has a lower engaging portion 153e on the outer periphery. As shown in FIG. 26, unevenness aligned in an annular shape around the shaft is formed on the lower surface of the lower engaging portion 153e. The upper end of the outer cylindrical portion 153b is open, and the lower end is connected to the upper surface of the lower engaging portion 153e. An outer peripheral recess 153f into which the flange 150a of the inner member 150 of the grip portion 147 enters is formed on the outer periphery of the outer cylindrical portion 153b.

[0102] The upper part of the second member 154 is formed in a cylindrical shape sized to fit inside the inner cylindrical portion 153a of the first member 153. The upper end of the second member 154 is closed, and a shaft hole 154a is formed at the center. The lower end of the second member 154 is open, and an annular engaging portion 154b is formed on the outer periphery. Unevenness aligned in an annular shape around the shaft is formed on the upper surface of the engaging portion 154b. The engaging portion 154b of the second member 154 is engageable with the lower engaging portion 153e of the first member 153. Four engaging grooves 154c extending in the axial direction are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the second member 154, as shown in FIG. 27.

[0103] The central shaft 155 has, from top to bottom in FIG. 24, a base end portion 155a, a first engaging portion 155b, a second engaging portion 155c, and a tip end portion 155d in this order. The base end portion 155a is formed in a columnar shape that fits into the shaft hole 154a of the second member 154, the shaft hole 153d of the first member 153, and the shaft hole 149f of the outer member 149 of the grip portion 147. An outer peripheral groove 155e with which a retaining ring 158 to be described later engages is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion 155a. The first engaging portion 155b has a cross-shaped cross section and is engageable with the engaging groove 154c of the second member 154. The second engaging portion 155c has a cross-shaped cross section smaller than that of the first engaging portion 155b and is engageable with the engaging groove 135 of the engaging hole 132 of the rotating member 129 of the guide portion 107. The tip end portion 155d is columnar, and its tip is engageable with the engaging portions 33c, 52b, and 95d of the respective adjusting members 33, 52, and 64 of the tablet cassette 2.

[0104] A coil spring 156 is attached to the base end portion 155a of the central shaft 155. The base end portion 155a penetrates through the shaft hole 154a of the second member 154 and the shaft hole 153d of the first member 153, and a retaining ring 158 is attached to the outer peripheral groove 155e of the base end portion 155a protruding from the first member 153 via a washer 157, thereby preventing it from coming off. The coil spring 156 is attached in a compressed state between the first engaging portion 155b and the second member 154. As a result, the central shaft 155 has the first engaging portion 155b engaged with the engaging groove 154c of the second member 154, the second member 154 biased toward the first member 153 by the coil spring 156, and the engaging portion 154b of the second member 154 engaged with the upper engaging portion 153c of the first member 153, enabling the first member 153 and the second member 154 to rotate integrally.

[0105] The grip portion 147 is attached to the shaft portion 148 by fixing it to the mounting seat 151 of the outer member 149 with a mounting screw 152 in a state where the half inner member 150 is assembled to the first member 153 of the shaft portion 148 such that the flange 150a of the inner member 150 fits into the outer peripheral recess 153f of the first member 153 of the shaft portion 148. Thereby, the grip portion 147 is slidable in the axial direction with respect to the shaft portion 148, and the engaging portion 149g engages with the upper engaging portion 153c of the first member 153 and is engageable to rotate integrally with the central axis 155 of the shaft portion 148, and the engaging portion 149g can move to a non-engaging position where it is separated from the upper engaging portion 153c of the first member 153 and idles with respect to the central axis 155.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 29, the tool 103 has a fitting 159 for removing a lifting unit (not shown) when the lifting unit is attached to lift the tablet cassette 2, and a pin 160 for removing the rotor cover 30.

[0107] FIG. 30 is a system configuration diagram of the tablet guide path adjustment device 100. The tablet guide path adjustment device 100 includes a control device 200, a display device 201, and a tablet master 202. Detection signals from the zero point detection sensors 113, 114, 115, 116 for height, depth, and width are input to the control device 200. Also, the detection signal of the encoder 131 is input to the control device 200. The tablet master 202 is the tablet master storage unit of the present invention, and stores the identification ID of the tablet type, the depth, height, and width dimensions of the tablet guide path 8b suitable for the shape or size of the tablet, and the shape or size of the tablet. Instead of the dimensions of the tablet guide path 8b, numerical values related to the dimensions, such as a correction coefficient with respect to the standard dimensions, may be stored. The control device 200 displays the target values and current values of depth, height, and width on the display device 201 based on the tablet master 202 and the detection signals from the sensors 113, 114, 115, 116. The reading signal of the barcode reader 204 provided in the tablet storage / retrieval device 1 shown in FIG. 1, and the reading signal of the RFID chip 206 of the tablet cassette 2 by the RFID reader 205 provided on the filling table 1a of the tablet storage / retrieval device 1 shown in FIG. 1 are input to the control device 200. The target values of depth, height, and width may be downloaded from an upper computer or a database on the Internet.

[0108] FIG. 31 is an example of a screen 207 displayed on the display device 201. On the screen 207, there are display units 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d showing the ON and OFF states of the zero point detection sensors for height, depth, and width, a message unit 209 for displaying an operation prompting the user, display units 210, 211 for the current value and the target value, and display units 212a, 212b, 212c indicating what adjustment the rotation amount detected by the encoder 131 is for. Also, a start button 213 and an OK button 214 are displayed. The display device 201 constitutes the notification unit of the present invention, and in addition to displaying the current value and the target value, it may display either the current value or the target value, the magnitude of the difference between the target value and the current value, the countdown to the target value, whether the target value has been reached, etc., and notify the adjustment support information necessary for the user to adjust the tablet guide path 8b using the adjustment member 102 by means such as making a sound, printing on a piece of paper, switching the light emission state of an LED, or reading aloud in voice.

[0109] Regarding the operation of adjusting the dimensions of the tablet guide path 8b of the rotor 8 of the tablet cassette 2 and the entry position of the partition member 20 using the tablet guide path adjustment device 100 having the above configuration, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 32 and 33.

[0110] First, connect the tablet guide path adjustment device 100 and the tablet storage / retrieval device 1 with a USB cable (not shown) and start the application installed in the control device 200.

[0111] In step 1, read the drug information of the tablets to be newly stored in the tablet storage / retrieval device 1 by scanning the barcode or the like on the box of the tablets with the barcode reader 204 and import it into the control device 200.

[0112] In step 2, take out the tablet cassette 2 in which the tablets are to be replaced with new tablets from the tablet storage / retrieval device 1 and place it on the filling table 1a. If there are still tablets in the tablet cassette 2, take them out.

[0113] In step 3, the user presses the start button 213.

[0114] In step 4, the rotor 8 is removed from the cassette body 5. For this purpose, first, the adjusting member 24 of the partition adjusting mechanism M1 is rotated using the hexagonal wrench 149d of the adjusting member 102 to move the partition member 20 backward, and then the rotor 8 is taken out from the cassette body 5. Next, the rotor cover 30 is removed from the rotor 8 using the tool 103 provided on the device body 101 of the tablet guide path adjusting device 100.

[0115] In step 5, the rotor 8 is attached to the rotor stand 108 of the apparatus main body 101. At this time, the mark on the rotor 8 is aligned with the positioning mark on the rotor stand 108, as shown in FIG.

[0116] When the rotor 8 is attached, in step 6, the user presses the OK button 214, and in step 7, the width of the tablet guide path 8b is adjusted.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 33, in step 21, a message "Adjust the adjustment member to Width" is displayed on the display device 201. Please insert" is displayed, and in step 22, the encoder select width display section 212c is highlighted to display whether the encoder 131 has detected the width. In step 23, the target width of the tablet guide path 8b corresponding to the shape and size of the new tablet is displayed on the display device 201. Also, in step 24, the RFID chip 206 provided in the tablet cassette 2 is read by the RFID reader 205 provided in the filling table 1a, and the current width of the tablet guide path 8b set for the tablets contained in that tablet cassette 2 is displayed.

[0118] First, the user removes the adjustment member 102 from the storage opening 124 of the device body 101, and inserts the central shaft 155 from the upper guide hole 125 of the “Width” of the device body 101 into the lower guide hole 126. 34, it engages with the engaging portion 95d of the width adjustment mechanism M4 of the rotor 8.

[0119] The central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 engages with the engagement hole 132 of the rotating member 129 and can rotate integrally with the rotating member 129. Further, since it is pressed against the engagement hole 132 by the pressing portion 138 of the elastic piece 137 of the rotating member 129, rattling is prevented and the rotation of the adjustment member 102 can be reliably transmitted to the rotating member 129.

[0120] The rotation of the rotating member 129 is transmitted to the detection gear 142 of the encoder 131 via the intermediate gear 130, the rotation amount is detected by the encoder 131, and the rotation amount is transmitted to the control device 200. Since the detection gear 142 of the encoder 131 is pressed against the intermediate gear 130 by the coil spring 144, backlash between the teeth is prevented, and as a result of the rotation of the rotating member 129 being reliably transmitted, accurate detection can be performed by the encoder 131.

[0121] When the adjustment member 102 has the grip portion 147, as shown in FIG. 28(b), the shaft portion 148 drops downward with respect to the grip portion 147 due to its own weight, and the outer member 149g of the grip portion 147 disengages from the upper engagement portion 153c of the first member 153. As a result, even when the grip portion 147 is rotated with the central axis 155 not engaged with the engagement portion 95d, the rotational force is not transmitted to the shaft portion 155, so the encoder does not detect the rotation. When the central axis 155 is pressed against the engagement portion 95d, the central axis 155 moves relative to the grip portion 147, and the engagement portion 149g and the upper engagement portion 153c engage with each other. Therefore, when the grip portion 147 is rotated, the central axis 155 rotates. Further, when the central axis 155 is engaged with the engagement portion 95d and rotated unreasonably beyond the zero point, torque is applied, so the torque limiter operates. As shown in FIG. 28(c), the lower engagement portion 153e of the first member 153 disengages from the engagement portion 154b of the second member 154, and the rotation of the grip portion 147 is not transmitted to the central axis 155. As a result, the rotation mechanism such as the rotating member 129, the intermediate gear 130, and the encoder 131, and the adjustment mechanism of the rotor 8 are not damaged.

[0122] Next, in step 25, while pressing the grip portion 147 downward, rotate the central shaft 155 in the origin direction indicated by the arrow on the grip portion 147 until the zero point detection sensors 115, 116 are turned on. When the zero point detection sensors 115, 116 are turned on in step 26, the central shaft 155 is rotated in the direction opposite to the origin direction until the zero point detection sensors 115, 116 are turned off in step 27, and when the zero point detection sensors 115, 116 are turned off in step 28, the central shaft 155 is rotated in the origin direction again until the zero point detection sensors 115, 116 are turned on in step 29. When the zero point detection sensors 115, 116 are turned on for the second time in step 30, the current value of the width of the tablet guide path 8b is reset in step 31, and the current value of the rotating member 129 is detected by the encoder 131. In step 32, the user rotates the grip portion 147 in the direction opposite to the origin direction until the current value becomes the target value. At this time, it is preferable to rotate the grip portion 147 by holding the large knob portion 149b. This is because the amount of rotation of small knob portion 149c becomes large and may pass the target value. While grip portion 147 is being rotated, in step 33, the current value is displayed on display unit 210. In step 34, when the current value reaches the target value, the user presses OK button 214, then stops the rotation of grip portion 147 and removes adjustment member 102 from device body 101.

[0123] This completes the adjustment of the width of the tablet guide path 8b, and in step 8, the depth of the tablet guide path 8b is adjusted. 35, the depth adjusting mechanism M2 of the rotor 8 engages with the engaging portion 33c of the depth adjusting mechanism M2. The depth adjustment is the same as the width adjustment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0124] After completing the adjustment of the depth of the tablet guide path 8b, the height of the tablet guide path 8b is adjusted in step 9. The user inserts the central axis 155 of the adjustment member 102 from the upper guide hole 125 toward the lower guide hole 126 of the "Length" of the device body 101, and engages with the engagement portion 52b of the height adjustment mechanism M3 of the rotor 8, as shown in Fig. 36. The height adjustment is the same as the width adjustment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0125] When the adjustment of the height of the guiding path 8b of the tablet is completed, the adjustment member 102 is removed to end the adjustment work. In step 10, the rotor 8 is removed from the rotor base 108, and in step 11, the rotor cover 30 is attached to the rotor 8, and the rotor 8 is mounted on the tablet cassette 2.

[0126] Next, in step 12, the partition member 20 is adjusted. For this, the engaging portion 24 of the partition adjustment mechanism M1 is rotated in the advancing direction by the hexagonal wrench 149d of the grip portion 147 of the adjustment member 102 until the partition member 20 contacts the rotor 8 and bends. Subsequently, the engaging portion 24 is rotated in the retracting direction, and the rotation is stopped at a position where the partition member 20 is slightly separated from the rotor 8. The drive gear 14 of the tablet cassette 2 is turned to rotate the rotor 8, and it is confirmed that the partition member 20 does not hit the rotor 8.

[0127] In order to surely confirm that the partition member 20 abuts on the lower inclined outer surface 35c of the rotor 8, an adjustment jig 161 as shown in FIG. 37 may be used. The adjustment jig 161 is in the shape of a rectangular plate that can be inserted between the two holding portions 23a of the movable member 23. At the tip of the adjustment jig 161, an engaging piece 161a that protrudes from the upper surface in an inverted L shape toward the tip and a protruding piece 161b that protrudes from the center of the tip surface toward the tip are provided. The engaging piece 161a is formed so as to be caught by a protrusion 23e that protrudes rearward from the center of the lower surface of the movable member 23. The protruding piece 161b is formed so as to protrude to the same position as the tip of the partition member 20 when the engaging piece 161a is hooked on the protrusion 23e of the movable member 23.

[0128] When adjusting the partition member 20, first, hook the engaging piece 161a of the adjustment jig 161 on the protrusion 23e of the movable member 23 to hold the adjustment jig 161 on the movable member 23. In this state, rotate the engaging portion 24 of the partition adjustment mechanism M1 in the entering direction with the hexagon wrench 149d of the grip portion 147 of the adjustment member 102. Due to this rotation, the adjustment jig 161 approaches the lower inclined surface 35c of the rotor 8 together with the movable member 23. When the tip of the protruding piece 161b of the adjustment jig 161 hits the lower inclined surface 35c of the rotor 8, the adjustment jig 161 is pushed radially outward of the rotor 8 by the lower inclined surface 35c, the engagement between the adjustment jig 161 and the movable member 23 is disengaged, and the adjustment jig 161 drops. Thereby, it can be seen that the partition member 20 has come into contact with the rotor 8, and at this point, stop the rotation with the hexagon wrench 149d.

[0129] When the adjustment of the partition member 20 is completed, with the tablet cassette 2 placed on the filling table 1a, in step 13, press the OK button 214 to end each adjustment operation. Thereby, new tablets are accommodated in the tablet cassette 2 and mounted at a predetermined position of the tablet extraction device 1.

[0130] As described above, the tablet guide path adjustment device 100 of the present invention can be detachably engaged with the manual adjustment member 102 with respect to the rotor 8 to be adjusted. For this reason, a plurality of adjustment points (height, depth, width) of the tablet guide groove 8b of the rotor 8 can be adjusted with one adjustment member 102. Further, since it is not necessary to provide an adjustment member on the rotor 8, the height of the rotor 8 can be reduced, and the capacity of the tablet storage portion of the cassette body can be increased. When an adjustment member is provided on the rotor, the capacity of the cassette body is reduced by that amount.

[0131] Further, the tablet guide path adjustment device 100 of the present invention can detect the operation amount (rotation amount) of the adjustment member 102 with a detection device that can be detachably engaged with the adjustment member 102. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide an electric component such as a sensor for detecting the operation amount of the adjustment member on the adjustment member.

[0132] Furthermore, in the tablet guide path adjusting device 100 of the present invention, since the guide holes 125 for inserting the adjustment member 102 are provided for each adjustment location (height, depth, width), the adjustment locations can be recognized by the guide holes into which the adjustment member is inserted. Therefore, the user does not need to select and input the adjustment locations (height, depth, width).

[0133] Furthermore, in the tablet guide path adjusting device 100 of the present invention, since the guide holes 125 for inserting the adjustment member 102 correspond to the engagement portions of each adjustment location of the rotor 8 to be adjusted, without moving the rotor 8, by simply changing the guide holes into which the adjustment member is inserted, the adjustment locations (height, depth, width) can be adjusted.

[0134] In the tablet guide path adjusting device 100 of the present invention, since the adjustment locations (height, depth, width) are displayed in the vicinity of the guide holes 125 of the device main body 101, the relationship between the guide holes and the adjustment locations is easy to understand, and the adjustment locations are not misread.

[0135] In the tablet guide path adjusting device 100 of the present invention, while reading the drug information of the tablets newly stored by the barcode reader 204 and performing the adjustment operation of the tablet guide path, even if other tablets are read by the barcode reader 204, it is preferable that the control device 200 rejects this reception and does not display it on the screen.

[0136] The above-described embodiments can be variously modified within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

[0137] For example, in the above-described embodiment, all of the depth, height, and width of the groove of the tablet guide path 8b can be adjusted, but it is also possible to adjust any one or two of the depth, height, and width of the groove. It may be.

[0138] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the adjustment member 102 is manually rotated, but as shown in FIG. 38, a motor 300 and a battery 301 for supplying power to the motor 300 may be provided on the adjustment member 102, and the grip portion 147 may be rotated by the driving force of the motor 300.

[0139] Furthermore, without removing the rotor 8 from the tablet cassette 2, with the lid 6 of the tablet cassette 2 opened and the rotor cover 30 removed, the adjustment member 102 may be used to adjust at least one of the depth, height, and width of the tablet guide path 8b of the rotor 8 inside the tablet cassette 2, or the entry position of the partition member 20. In this case, when the grip portion 147 is rotated in the origin direction and rotation stops, it may be determined that each engaging portion 95d, 33c, 52b is located at the origin, and the operation of step 33 in FIG. 33 may be performed.

Explanation of Signs

[0140] 1... Tablet storage and dispensing device 2... Tablet cassette 5... Cassette body (tablet container) 8... Rotor 9... Tablet discharge hole 8b... Tablet guide path 20... Partition member 24... Partition adjustment member 33... Depth adjustment member 52... Height adjustment member 64... Width adjustment member 100... Tablet guide path adjustment device 101... Device body 102... Adjustment member 105... Base portion 107... Guide portion 108... Rotor base 113... Height zero point detection switch 114... Depth zero point detection switch 115... Width zero point detection switch 116... Width zero point detection switch 125... Upper guide hole 126... Lower guide hole 129... Rotating member 131... Encoder (operation amount detection unit) 132... Engaging hole 137... Elastic piece (anti-play portion) 143... Lever (anti-backlash portion) 144... Coil spring (anti-backlash portion) 147…Grip part 148…Shaft part 153…First member 153e…Lower engaging part (torque limiter) 154…Second member 154b…Engaging part (torque limiter) 155…Central axis 156…Coil spring (torque limiter) 200 Control device 201…Display device (display part) 202…Tablet master (tablet master storage part) M1…Partition adjustment mechanism M2…Depth adjustment mechanism (tablet guide path adjustment mechanism) M3…Height adjustment mechanism (tablet guide path adjustment mechanism) M4…Width adjustment mechanism (tablet guide path adjustment mechanism)

Claims

1. A tablet container for accommodating tablets, and a rotor rotatably accommodated in the tablet container, In a tablet guide path adjusting device in a tablet cassette having a tablet guide path for guiding the tablets in the tablet container to a tablet discharge hole of the tablet container and an adjusting unit capable of adjusting the dimensions of the tablet guide path on the rotor, An adjusting member engaged with the adjusting unit, An operation amount detection unit for detecting an operation amount of the adjusting member, A notification unit for notifying a user of adjustment support information necessary for the user to adjust the adjusting unit with the adjusting member based on the operation amount detected by the operation amount detection unit, A base portion having a rotor table on which the rotor is placed, Above the base portion, a guide portion for guiding the adjusting member is provided, In the guide portion, a guide hole into which the adjusting member is inserted is formed, The operation amount detection unit is provided in the guide portion and detects a rotation amount of the adjusting member inserted through the guide hole, and the tablet guide path adjusting device is characterized in that.

2. A tablet master storage unit that stores the dimensions of the tablet guide path suitable for the shape or size of the tablet, or numerical values related to the dimensions, The notification unit reads a target value of the dimensions of the tablet guide path corresponding to the tablets accommodated in the tablet container from the tablet master storage unit, and notifies the target value and the current value of the adjusting unit based on the operation amount of the operation amount detection unit. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The adjusting member is detachable from the rotor, and the tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The operation amount detection unit is provided in a device main body provided separately from the adjusting member, and the tablet guide path adjusting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

5. The adjusting member is detachable for each of the plurality of adjusting units of the rotor, and the tablet guide path adjusting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

6. A plurality of operation amount detection units are provided corresponding to the plurality of adjusting units, The adjusting member is detachable from the plurality of operation amount detection units, and the tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a zero point detection sensor for detecting a zero point of the adjusting unit is provided on the base portion.

8. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 7, wherein the guide hole is formed on the same axis as the adjusting portion of the rotor placed on the rotor table.

9. A rotating member that can rotate integrally with the adjusting member is provided on the guide portion. The operation amount detection unit detects the rotation amount of the adjusting member inserted through the guide hole via the rotating member. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 1 is characterized in that.

10. The rotating member has an engaging hole that communicates with the guide hole and engages with the adjusting member. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 9 is characterized in that.

11. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 10, wherein a backlash prevention portion for preventing backlash between the engaging hole and the adjusting member is formed on the rotating member.

12. The rotating member and the operation amount detection unit are connected via a gear, and the operation amount detection unit has a backlash prevention portion for preventing backlash of the gear by biasing toward the rotating member. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to any one of claims 9 to 11 is characterized in that.

13. The adjusting member has a central axis and a grip portion. A torque limiter is provided between the central axis and the grip portion of the adjusting member to prevent transmission of the rotational force to the central axis when a rotational force equal to or greater than a predetermined value acts on the grip portion. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is characterized in that.

14. The grip portion of the adjusting member is provided so as to be axially movable with respect to the central axis. The tablet guide path adjusting device according to claim 13, wherein the tablet guide path adjusting device is movable between an engaged position where it can rotate integrally with the central axis and a non-engaged position where it idles with respect to the central axis.

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