Medicine dispensing device

Abstract

To develop a medicine feeder that can also automatically perform a work of weighing out a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a medicine bottle.SOLUTION: A medicine feeder 1 consists of a medicine container 2 and a body-side device 3. A semi-cylindrical portion 16 is located at the bottom of a container body 8, into which a helix member 12 is inserted. A passive member 13 is engaged with an engagement portion 30 of the helix member 12 protruding from the container body 8. The passive member 13 is a cylindrical magnet. A drive member housing portion 75 is provided inside a mounting base 60, and a drive-side member 63 is built into the drive member housing portion 75. The drive-side member 63 is a cylindrical magnet. When a motor 65 rotates, the passive member 13 rotates under the influence of the magnetic force of the drive-side member 63, and the helix member 12 connected to the passive member 13 rotates within the semi-cylindrical portion 16 in the container body 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drug feeder that measures and dispenses a predetermined amount of drug. The drug feeder of the present invention is suitable for use as a device that supplies powdered medicine to a powdered medicine dispensing device that dispenses powdered medicine. The drug feeder of the present invention is also suitable as a device built into a drug dispensing device that dispenses powdered medicine using the powdered medicine dispensing device and further has the function of individually packaging the powdered medicine. The present invention also relates to a medicine dispensing device having a built-in medicine feeder. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, large hospitals and large and small- to medium-sized pharmacies have introduced medicine dispensing devices with a powder medicine packaging function. This type of medicine dispensing device incorporates a powder medicine dispensing device and a medicine packaging device, and is also called a powder medicine packaging device. A powder medicine packaging device, such as the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, is a medicine dispensing device with the function of packaging medicines, etc., individually for each dose. The present invention also relates to a medicine dispensing device with a built-in medicine feeder. However, all powder medicine packaging devices currently in practical use are semi-automatic devices, and require manual operation. That is, the powder medicine packaging devices currently in practical use do not automate the process of measuring out a predetermined amount of powder medicine from a medicine bottle and pouring it into a hopper or the like of a powder medicine dispensing device. Therefore, even when using a powder medicine packaging device, the pharmacist must check the doctor's prescription, retrieve the medicine bottle containing the prescribed powder medicine from the medicine shelf, and then use a scale such as a balance to measure the total weight of the specific prescribed powder medicine and pour it into a hopper, which requires time and effort.

[0003] Of course, it is desirable to be able to automatically measure out powdered medicine and put it into a hopper or the like of a powdered medicine dispensing device, and a powdered medicine packaging device equipped with this function has been proposed in the past (Patent Document 2). However, to the best of the inventors' knowledge, the powder medicine packaging device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has not yet been put to practical use.

[0004] The structure and function of the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2 will be described below. The powder medicine packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a powder medicine storage 201 and a dividing and packaging device 202, as shown in FIG.

[0005] The powdered medicine storage 201 has a large number of medicine cassettes 205 attached to an endless track 203 such as a chain. The stock portion 206 of the medicine cassette 205 is a vertically placed cylindrical body, as shown in Figure 20. A stirring blade 207 is provided inside the stock portion 206. A cylindrical portion 208 is provided at the front lower portion of the stock portion 206, and extends horizontally along the radial direction of the stock portion 206. The cylindrical portion 208 has a small diameter. A screw 210 is disposed within the cylindrical portion 208. The rotation shaft 211 of the screw 210 protrudes rearward as shown in FIG.

[0006] Dividing and packaging device 202 has two distributing / dividing devices 221 as shown in Figure 18. Distributing / dividing device 221 has a rotor 226 with an annular recessed groove 225 whose cross section is recessed in an arc shape.

[0007] In powder medicine packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2, specific positions near distribution / division device 221 are defined as supply positions 212a, b. As shown in Figure 18, supply positions 212a, b are each provided with a weighing device 213. Furthermore, weighing device 213 is provided with a vibrating feeder 215. In the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2, the measuring device 213 moves between a measuring position, a dispensing position, and a cleaning position. A motor 217 is installed at the supply positions 212a and 212b, and a coupling 220 is provided on the output shaft of the motor 217.

[0008] In the powder medicine packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2, an endless track 203 of a powder medicine storage cabinet 201 is operated to move a medicine cassette 205 along the endless track 203, and the medicine cassette 205 containing the desired powder medicine is moved to a supply position 212a, b. Then, the coupling 220 of the motor 217 is engaged with the medicine cassette 205 that is still connected to the endless track 203, and the screw 210 and the stirring blade 207 are rotated to discharge the medicines in the medicine cassette 205.

[0009] At this time, the weighing device 213 is moved to the weighing position, and the medicines discharged from the medicine cassette 205 are weighed by the weighing device 213. After the predetermined amount has been weighed, the motor 217 is stopped. The weighing device 213 is then moved to the distribution position, and the vibrating feeder 215 is operated to feed the medicines into the rotor 226 of the distribution / division device 221. That is, the rotor 226 of the distribution / division device 221 rotates at a constant speed, and the medicines are gradually fed from the vibration feeder 215 into the grooves 225 of the rotor 226 . [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-85703 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-80043 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] As described above, to the best of the inventors' knowledge, the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2 has not been put to practical use. Problems with the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2 will be described below.

[0012] In the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2, medicines are discharged by rotating the rotation shaft 211 of the screw 210 while the medicine cassette 205 remains connected to the endless track 203. Therefore, the medicine cassette 205 cannot be brought close to the distribution / division device 221, and a separate device for transporting the medicines is required. Therefore, the powdered medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a large number of parts and requires space to install the conveying equipment, resulting in a large overall size.

[0013] Furthermore, in powder medicine packing device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2, medicine cassette 205 is moved to supply positions 212a, b to discharge medicine, and the destination of the discharged medicine is measuring device 213. Therefore, in powder medicine packing device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the device is viewed in plan, an area dedicated to measuring device 213 is required, and powder medicine packing device 200 itself is inevitably large.

[0014] In addition, in the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2, the stock section 206 of the medicine cassette 205 is a vertically placed cylinder. Therefore, the screw 210, which is the device for discharging the medicine, occupies only a part of the bottom surface of the stock section 206, as shown in FIG. According to the specification, as shown in Figure 20, the bottom of stock section 206 of medicine cassette 205 is circular and screw 210 is linear. Therefore, a method is required to scrape medicine accumulated on the bottom surface of stock section 206 into screw 210. Therefore, medicine cassette 205 has a built-in agitator blade 207 inside stock section 206. Because medicine cassette 205 has agitator blade 207 and screw 210 inside, cleaning is difficult.

[0015] 19, the medicine cassette 205 disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a screw 210 portion that is shorter than the diameter of the bottom surface of the stock portion 206. Therefore, the amount of medicine discharged from the medicine cassette 205 varies. On the other hand, the medicine needs to be fed into the grooves 225 of the rotor 226 of the distribution / division device 221 so that the amount fed per unit time is constant. That is, the medicine needs to be fed evenly into the grooves 225 of the rotor 226. Therefore, it is not possible to directly feed medicine from medicine cassette 205 disclosed in Patent Document 2 into groove 225 of rotor 226. For this reason, powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 2 is configured such that vibrating feeder 215 is interposed between medicine cassette 205 and distributing / dividing device 221, and the amount of medicine fed per unit time is kept constant by vibrating feeder 215.

[0016] Furthermore, the drug cassette 205 disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a rotating shaft 211 of a screw 210 protruding from the rear end. A coupling 220 provided on the output shaft of a motor 217 is advanced, and the coupling 220 engages with the rotating shaft 211 to rotate the screw 210. In this manner, the drug cassette 205 disclosed in Patent Document 2 transmits power by mechanically engaging the coupling 220, which generates dross and dust due to friction and wear. Furthermore, the location where the dross and dust are generated is near the rotating body 226 of the allocating / dividing device 221. Meanwhile, the groove 225 of the rotating body 226 is a groove that is always open. Therefore, there is a concern that dross and dust due to friction and wear may get mixed into the groove 225. The powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 200 described in Patent Document 2 has many problems and has not yet been put to practical use.

[0017] The present invention aims to develop a new medicine feeder that can automatically measure out a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a medicine bottle, and proposes a more practical medicine feeder. The present invention also proposes a medicine dispensing device with higher practicality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] One aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a medicine dispensing device comprising a medicine container containing medicine, a main body device having a mounting base, and a medicine packaging device having a vibrating feeder and an input hopper, wherein the medicine container is detachable from the mounting base, the medicine container has a medicine discharge port for discharging medicine and a spiral member that rotates inside the medicine container, the main body device has a drive side member that rotates the spiral member, and when the medicine container is placed on the mounting base, the drive side member is capable of rotating the spiral member and stopping said rotation, and these operations can be repeated to discharge medicine one dose at a time from the medicine container, The medicine dispensing device does not have a distribution tray, and an input hopper is provided directly below the vibrating feeder, The vibrating feeder is positioned between the drug discharge outlet and the input hopper, and is supplied with a single dose of drug discharged from the drug discharge outlet and inputs the supplied single dose of drug into the input hopper. The single dose of drug input into the input hopper by the vibrating feeder is packaged into single doses by a drug packaging device, making this a drug dispensing device. A preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device that further includes another spiral member other than the spiral member, the diameter of the other spiral member being smaller than the diameter of the spiral member, and the amount of drug discharged by one rotation of the other spiral member being less than the amount of drug discharged by one rotation of the spiral member. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a drug dispensing device having a drug container containing a drug, a drug feeder constituted by a main body device, a drug container moving device, and a control device, wherein the drug container has a drug storage section that stores powdered medicine, a drug discharge section that discharges the powdered medicine, and a drug moving member arranged inside the drug container, and is covered on all sides except for the drug discharge section, the drug container is detachable from the main body device, and the drug container selected by the control device based on the prescription is placed on the main body device by the drug container moving device, or is detached from the main body device, the drug moving member has a rotating shaft and a spiral structure section provided around the rotating shaft, and the spiral structure section can be rotated to move the powdered medicine in the drug container section, the main body device has weight measuring means for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container, and the drug dispensing device is capable of operating the drug moving member to move the powdered medicine in the drug storage section to the drug discharge section, discharge the powdered medicine from the drug discharge section, and detect the amount of powdered medicine discharged by the weight measuring means. A preferred embodiment is a drug feeder in which the main body device has a drive source and a power transmission member that transmits power non-contact, and the drug moving member receives power from the drive source via the power transmission member and operates within the drug storage section. An even more preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device in which the main body device has a drive source and a drive side member that moves upon receiving power from the drive source, the drug container has a passive member that transmits power to the drug moving member to operate the drug container side, the passive member is located in a position covered by the partition of the drug container and is not in contact with the drive side member, and the movement of the drive side member is transmitted to the passive side member by magnetic force. In a further preferred embodiment, the passive member is located outside the medicine container, and the partition is detachable from the medicine container. In a more preferred embodiment, the drug container is cylindrical and has a drug inlet at its end face, the drug container is placed horizontally on the main body device, the drug moving member is located on the bottom side of the drug container based on the position in which the drug container is placed on the main body device, and the spiral structure portion has a length that is 80 to 120 percent of the length of the bottom of the drug storage portion. In a further preferred embodiment, the medicine dispensing device is one in which the medicine moving member has blades or grooves spirally provided around the rotation axis. A more preferred embodiment is a medicine dispensing device having a plurality of blades or grooves. A more preferred embodiment is a medicine dispensing device in which the blade or the wall of the groove has a notch. An even more preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device having a movable member storage chamber that is connected to the drug storage section and stores a drug moving member, and when the position of the drug container placed on the main device is used as a reference, the movable member storage chamber is located at a position on the bottom side of the drug container, and there is an opening / closing section at the end of the movable member storage chamber, and the drug moving member can be removed from the movable member storage chamber by opening the opening / closing section. Another aspect of the present invention, which has been developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, includes a medicine feeder composed of medicine containers and a main body side device, a medicine container storage shelf that stores a plurality of the medicine containers in a stationary state in a horizontal position, and a medicine container moving device that holds the medicine containers and moves the medicine containers in a vertical lifting direction with a vertical lifting shaft and in a horizontal direction with a horizontal moving arm, and holds the medicine containers with a hand unit and moves the medicine containers from the medicine container storage shelf to the main body side device with the hand unit, wherein the medicine containers have a medicine storage unit that stores medicines, a medicine discharge unit that discharges medicines, and a medicine transport unit that transports the medicine containers in a horizontal position. a moving member, part or all of which is located within the drug storage section or in a section communicating with the drug storage section; the drug container is detachable from the main body side device; the main body side device has a weight measuring means for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container; the drug container that has been detached from the main body side device is placed on the main body side device by the drug container moving device, the drug moving member is operated to move the drug in the drug storage section to the drug discharge section side, the drug is discharged from the drug discharge section, and the amount of drug discharged is detected by the weight measuring means. In a preferred embodiment, the drug feeder has a plurality of main body side devices, and the drug dispensing device is capable of placing any one of the plurality of drug containers stored in a drug container storage shelf that has been detached from the main body side device onto any one of the plurality of main body side devices using a drug container moving device, discharging the drug from the drug discharge section, and detecting the amount of drug discharged using a weight measuring means. In a more preferred embodiment, the medicine container moving device is a medicine dispensing device arranged near the medicine container storage shelf. An even more preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device that, when moving the drug container, selects the drug container from a plurality of drug containers arranged on a drug container storage shelf and moves the selected drug container using a drug container moving device. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a drug feeder composed of a drug container and a main body side device, wherein the drug container has a drug storage section for storing the drug, a drug discharge section for discharging the drug, and a drug moving member, and part or all of the drug moving member is located within the drug storage section or in a location that communicates with the drug storage section, the drug container is detachable from the main body side device, and the main body side device has a weight measuring means for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container, and the drug feeder is capable of placing a drug container that has been detached from the main body side device on the main body side device, operating the drug moving member to move the drug in the drug storage section to the drug discharge section side, discharging the drug from the drug discharge section, and detecting the amount of drug discharged by the weight measuring means.

[0019] In the medicine feeder of this aspect, a part or the whole of the medicine moving member is located inside the medicine containing section or in a section communicating with the medicine containing section. Therefore, by driving the medicine moving member, the medicine in the medicine container can be discharged from the medicine discharge portion. The drug feeder of this aspect also has a weight measuring means for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container, and when the drug container that has been detached from the main body device is placed on the main body device, the drug is discharged from the drug discharge section, and the amount of drug discharged can be detected by the weight measuring means. That is, the medicine cassette 205 disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 2 discharges medicine by rotating the screw 210 while the medicine cassette 205 remains connected to the endless track 203, so a significant portion of the weight of the medicine container is placed on the endless track 203. Therefore, in the medicine cassette 205 disclosed in Patent Document 2, the change in weight of the medicine container does not match the amount of medicine discharged. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, it was necessary to measure the weight of the medicine discharged from the medicine cassette 205 using a separate device. In contrast, in the above embodiment, the drug container that has been detached from the main body device is placed on the main body device and the weight of the drug container is detected, so the weight is not applied to other parts and the total weight of the drug container and the drug remaining inside can be accurately measured. Therefore, a separate weighing device 213 is not required, and an area dedicated to the weighing device 213 is not necessary. Therefore, by adopting the drug feeder described in the above embodiment, the overall external shape of the drug dispensing device can be made smaller.

[0020] A preferred embodiment is a drug feeder in which the main body device has a drive source and a power transmission member that transmits power non-contact, and the drug moving member receives power from the drive source via the power transmission member and operates within the drug storage section.

[0021] The medicine feeder of this aspect receives power from the drive source in a non-contact manner, which prevents the generation of debris or dust due to friction or wear, reducing the chance of foreign matter getting into the medicine.

[0022] In a further preferred embodiment, the main body device has a drive source and a drive side member that moves upon receiving power from the drive source, and the drug container has a passive member that transmits power to the drug moving member to operate the drug container side, the passive member is located in a position covered by the partition of the drug container and is not in contact with the drive side member, and the movement of the drive side member is transmitted to the passive side member by magnetic force.

[0023] The medicine feeder of this embodiment transmits power by magnetic force, which prevents the generation of debris or dust due to friction or wear, reducing the chance of foreign matter getting into the medicine. Furthermore, in the medicine feeder of this aspect, the passive member is located in a position covered by the partition wall of the medicine container, so that dregs generated from the bearings of the passive member and the like do not scatter to the outside, reducing the chance of foreign matter being mixed into the medicine.

[0024] In a further preferred embodiment, the passive member is located outside the medicine container, and the partition is detachable from the medicine container.

[0025] According to this embodiment, the partition wall covering the passive member can be removed, which allows for cleaning of residues generated from the bearings of the passive member, etc. Furthermore, it also allows for cleaning and removal of chemicals that have entered the passive member for some reason.

[0026] In a further preferred embodiment, the drug transfer member has a spiral structure portion, and the drug feeder moves the drug in the drug storage portion by rotating the spiral structure portion.

[0027] In this embodiment of the drug feeder, the drug-moving member has a spiral structure portion, which can be rotated to draw in or push the drug within the drug storage portion, and the drug within the drug container can be discharged from the drug discharge portion.

[0028] In a more preferred embodiment, the drug container is cylindrical and has a drug inlet at its end face, the drug container is placed horizontally on the main body device, the drug moving member is located on the bottom side of the drug container based on the position in which the drug container is placed on the main body device, and the spiral structure portion is a drug feeder having a length that is 80 to 120 percent of the length of the bottom of the drug storage portion.

[0029] The medicine cassette 205 disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 2 is cylindrical and is installed in a vertical position. In contrast, the medicine feeder of the present invention is placed on the main body side device with the medicine containers placed horizontally. Therefore, the difference between the area occupied by the medicine moving member and the bottom surface of the medicine container is small, based on the posture of the medicine feeder placed on the main body side device. As a result, the medicine feeder of the present invention does not necessarily require a mechanism for scraping up medicines at the bottom (stirring blade 207 in Patent Document 2). In addition, in this embodiment, the length of the helical structure portion is long, so there are many opportunities for the drug to be introduced into the helix, and the drug is densely packed into the helix with few gaps. As a result, the amount of drug discharged per rotation of the helical member is stable. In other words, the amount of drug discharged per unit time is uniform.

[0030] It is recommended that the drug transfer member have blades or grooves spiraling about the axis of rotation.

[0031] A more preferred embodiment is a drug feeder having a plurality of blades or grooves.

[0032] According to experiments by the inventors, by providing multiple blades or grooves, the amount of drug discharged per rotation of the helical member becomes stable, i.e., the amount of drug discharged per unit time becomes uniform.

[0033] A further preferred embodiment is a drug feeder in which the blade or groove has a notch in the wall thereof.

[0034] The medicine feeder of this embodiment has a recessed portion on the wall of the blade or groove, so that during the process of pushing out the medicine, part of the medicine enters the recessed portion and is subjected to shearing force, which makes it difficult for the medicine to form clumps.

[0035] An even more preferred embodiment is a drug feeder having a movable member storage chamber that is connected to the inside of the drug storage section and stores a drug moving member, and when the position of the drug container placed on the main body side device is used as a reference, the movable member storage chamber is located at a position on the bottom side of the drug container, and there is an opening / closing section at the end of the movable member storage chamber, and the drug moving member can be removed from the movable member storage chamber by opening the opening / closing section.

[0036] In the medicine feeder of this aspect, the medicine moving member can be removed from the moving member housing chamber, which makes it easy to clean the medicine moving member.

[0037] In a further preferred embodiment, the drug container has a main storage section with a large cross-sectional area, a drug discharge section at the tip side of the drug container, the cross-sectional area near the drug discharge section is smaller than that of the main storage section, the drug moving member has a spiral structure section that is located at a position spanning from the main storage section to the vicinity of the drug discharge section, and the diameter of the spiral structure section on the drug discharge side is smaller than the diameter of the spiral structure section on the main storage section side.

[0038] According to the medicine feeder of this aspect, the medicine in the medicine container can be discharged from the medicine discharge portion while being stirred. In other words, in the drug feeder of this embodiment, the drug-moving member has a spiral structure portion. Here, the spiral structure portion employed in the present invention has different diameters depending on the location, with the diameter being larger on the drug-containing portion side and the diameter of the spiral structure portion on the drug-discharging portion side being smaller. Therefore, the spiral structure portion on the drug-containing portion side stirs the drugs in the drug-containing portion and prevents the drugs from forming clumps.

[0039] The drug transfer member has a spiral structure portion, and it is desirable that the diameter of the spiral structure portion gradually decreases from the drug storage portion side toward the drug discharge side.

[0040] In a more preferred embodiment, the drug container is cylindrical, the drug discharge portion is at the tip of the drug container, and the drug container is placed on the main body side device in an inclined position so that the drug discharge portion is facing downwards.

[0041] In this medicine feeder, the medicine container is placed on the main body device in an inclined position with the medicine discharge portion facing downwards, so that medicine can be smoothly discharged even when the remaining amount of medicine in the medicine storage portion is low.

[0042] A further preferred embodiment is a drug feeder equipped with a weighing function in which a weight measuring means measures the original weight of the drug container before the drug is discharged, and the weight of the drug container is monitored by the weight measuring means when the drug moving member is operated to discharge the drug from the drug discharge section, and the operation of the drug moving member is stopped when the current weight of the drug container matches or approximately matches the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight.

[0043] Regarding the means for measuring the weight of the medicine container, the weight of the medicine container may be measured directly or indirectly. That is, the weight of the medicine container alone may be measured directly, or the weight may include the weight of any component of the main body device. In this embodiment, the drug feeder utilizes the original weight, which is the weight of the drug container before the drug is discharged, and the current weight, which is the current weight of the drug container, and stops the drug transfer member when the current weight matches the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight. Alternatively, taking into account the weight of the drug being discharged, the drug transfer member is stopped when the current weight is slightly greater than but approximately matches the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight. Therefore, after the target amount of drug is discharged, the drug transfer member is stopped and drug discharge is stopped.

[0044] In a further preferred embodiment, the drug moving member is a drug feeder that alternates between an operating state and a stopped state and is capable of discharging the drug one dose at a time.

[0045] The medication feeder of this embodiment dispenses medication dose by dose, eliminating the need for a powder dispenser. In the prior art, a medicine feeder supplies medicine to a powder medicine dispensing device, which divides the medicine into individual doses, which are then supplied to a medicine packaging device and individually packaged. In contrast to this, the medicine feeder of this embodiment can discharge medicines one dose at a time, so that the medicines can be supplied directly to the medicine packaging device without going through the powder medicine dispensing device and packaged individually.

[0046] A more preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device comprising a container storage section for storing a plurality of drug containers, the drug feeder, and container moving means for removing a specified drug container from the container storage section and placing it on the main body device of the drug feeder, and further comprising input means for inputting the type and prescribed amount of drug to be dispensed, and memory means for storing the type and remaining amount of drug stored in the container storage section, wherein the drug container containing the drug input to the input means is selected and placed on the main body device by the container moving means, and a dispensing operation is performed in which the spiral structure section is rotated to dispense the prescribed amount of drug input to the input means, and if the remaining amount of drug to be prescribed stored in the container storage section is insufficient for the prescribed amount, a specified alert is given prior to the dispensing operation.

[0047] The medicine dispensing device of this aspect is equipped with a container moving means that removes a desired medicine container from the container storage unit and places it on the main body side device of the medicine feeder, thereby automating the process from selecting a medicine container to placing it on the medicine feeder. The medicine dispensing device of this aspect also has a function for managing the medicine inventory. Furthermore, if the remaining amount of the medicine to be prescribed stored in the container storage unit is insufficient for the prescribed amount, a predetermined notification is issued prior to the dispensing operation, so that the user can be informed of this fact.

[0048] An even more preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device having a powdered drug dispensing device that dispenses powdered drug, a vibrating table, and the above-mentioned drug feeder, with the vibrating table provided between the drug feeder and the powdered drug dispensing device, whereby the drug is first supplied from the drug feeder to the vibrating table, and then the drug is supplied from the vibrating table to the powdered drug dispensing device.

[0049] The medicine dispensing device of this embodiment is equipped with a powder medicine dispensing device such as that described in the prior art. Therefore, the improved work efficiency of the powder medicine dispensing device, combined with the function of the medicine feeder of the present invention, allows for a high level of automation and enables powder medicine to be packaged with high efficiency. In addition, in the medicine dispensing device of this aspect, a vibration table is provided between the medicine feeder and the powder medicine dispenser, and the medicine is first supplied from the medicine feeder to the vibration table, and then from the vibration table to the powder medicine dispenser. This reduces the variation in the amount of medicine fed per unit time, allowing the medicine to be fed uniformly to the powder medicine dispenser.

[0050] A further preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device that has a drug packaging device for packaging drugs and the above-mentioned drug feeder, in which the drug feeder repeatedly operates and stops to discharge drugs one dose at a time, and the drug packaging device is capable of packaging drugs one dose at a time.

[0051] According to this embodiment, the powdered medicine dispensing device that has been necessary in the past can be omitted.

[0052] The medicine moving member may have a rotating member and move the medicine in the medicine containing portion toward the medicine discharging portion by means of a rotational force.

[0053] The medicine moving member may have a vibrating member and vibrate the medicine in the medicine containing portion to move it toward the medicine discharging portion.

[0054] The medicine moving member may have a member that moves in the front-rear direction and may apply force to the medicine in the medicine containing portion to move it toward the medicine discharging portion.

[0055] The drug transfer member may have a member that performs a wave motion, and may transfer the drug in the drug storage portion toward the drug discharge portion by riding on the waves.

[0056] The medicine moving member may have a member for blowing air, and may move the medicine in the medicine containing portion toward the medicine discharging portion by blowing air. [Effects of the Invention]

[0057] The drug feeder of the present invention is practical because it requires fewer auxiliary devices when used in a high-priced drug dispensing device, etc. Furthermore, when used in a high-priced drug dispensing device, the drug feeder of the present invention can keep the overall size of the device to a practical size. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0058] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a medicine feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention, observed from the medicine discharge portion side (front side). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the medicine feeder according to the embodiment of the present invention, observed from the medicine discharge section side (front side). [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the medicine feeder of FIG. 1 taken along the line AA and an enlarged view of the circled area. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the medicine feeder of FIG. 1 taken along the line BB. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective view of the medicine feeder of FIG. 1 observed from the medicine discharge part side (front side), showing a state in which the medicine container has been removed from the main body side device. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view of the medicine feeder of FIG. 1, observed from the drive unit (rear side), showing a state in which medicine containers have been removed from the main body side device. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a medicine container of the medicine feeder of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] (a) is an oblique view of a screw inserted into a drug container, (b) shows the first thread of the screw in a solid line and the other two threads in a two-dot chain line, (c) shows the second thread of the screw in a solid line and the other two threads in a two-dot chain line, and (d) shows the third thread of the screw in a solid line and the other two threads in a two-dot chain line. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main body side device of the medicine feeder of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a medicine dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the vicinity of a medicine dispensing device of the medicine dispensing device of FIG. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a drug feeder according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the inside of the medicine feeder of FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a medicine feeder and its vicinity in a medicine dispensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a medicine feeder and its vicinity in a medicine dispensing device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a medicine feeder and its vicinity in a medicine dispensing device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a drug feeder according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the powder medicine dispensing machine disclosed in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 2. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the drug feeder disclosed in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 2. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a reference perspective view in which the medicine feeder of FIG. 19 is redrawn into a three-dimensional view based on the description of Patent Document 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0059] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be further described. The medicine feeder 1 of this embodiment constitutes a part of a powder medicine packaging device or a medicine dispensing device 100 having a powder medicine packaging function, as shown in FIG. As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment is composed of a drug container 2 and a main body side device 3. As shown in Figure 6, the drug container 2 and the main body side device 3 are completely independent parts, and there is no member that mechanically fastens them together.

[0060] 5 and 8, the drug container 2 is further composed of a container assembly 5 and a lower cover 6. These will be explained below in order. The drug container 2 has a long and thin shape, and is used in a horizontal position as shown in FIGS. Therefore, in describing the medicine container 2, the up-down direction will be described based on the position of the medicine container 2 laid on its side as shown in FIGS.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7, the container assembly 5 is composed of a container body 8, a lid member 10, a discharge port forming member 11, a spiral member 12, and a passive member 13. The container body 8 is a horizontally elongated case made of resin, and is a cylindrical body having two open faces 15a and 15b on one end side. That is, the container body 8 is a cylindrical container in which powdered medicine can be placed, with the other surfaces except for the open surfaces 15a and 15b being closed. Of the two open surfaces 15a and 15b, the larger open surface 15a is a medicine inlet. The smaller open surface 15b is a drug outlet. The larger open surface 15a is referred to as a drug inlet 15a, and the smaller open surface 15b is referred to as a drug outlet 15b. The drug outlet 15b is cylindrical.

[0062] The cross-sectional shape of the middle part of the container body 8 is roughly pentagonal as shown in FIG. 4, and is inclined so that the bottom side narrows with respect to the posture during use. The center of the container body 8, which is the bottommost part, is semi-cylindrical. That is, the bottom of the container body 8 has a semi-cylindrical part 16 extending in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the interior of container body 8 is divided into a large-volume main storage section 7 and a lower semi-cylindrical section 16. There is no partition between main storage section 7 and semi-cylindrical section 16, and the two are connected to each other to form a single medicine storage section 52. The semi-cylindrical portion 16 is in communication with the cylindrical medicine outlet 15b.

[0063] Turning to the appearance of the container body 8, as shown in Figure 3, the rear surface 14 is an inclined surface 18 with a large gap cut out at the bottom in a diagonal direction. However, the portion of the rear surface 14 that connects to the semi-cylindrical portion 16 described above is a vertical wall 17 as shown in Figure 3. The inclined surface 18 and the vertical wall 17 are connected by a horizontal wall 19. Therefore, on the outside of the container body 8, near the rear surface 14, there is a gap 21 surrounded by the inclined surface 18, the horizontal wall 19, and the vertical wall 17. The cutout 21 is a portion that constitutes a passive member accommodating space 22, which will be described later, and the vertical wall 17 is provided with a shaft insertion hole 23 as shown in FIG.

[0064] 3 and 7, a magnetic plate 25 is provided at the bottom of the container body 8. The magnetic plate 25 is a plate containing a magnetic material such as iron or nickel as a main component, and in this embodiment, is a steel plate containing ferrite.

[0065] The lid member 10 closes the medicine insertion port 15a of the container body 8. The lid member 10 has an engagement portion (not shown) and is detachable from the medicine insertion port 15a of the container body 8.

[0066] The outlet forming member (opening / closing portion) 11 is a member that closes the medicine outlet 15b of the container body 8. The outlet forming member 11 has multiple slit-shaped medicine outlet portions 24 arranged vertically for discharging powdered medicine. The outlet forming member 11 has an engagement portion (not shown) that allows it to be attached and detached to the container body 8. The outlet forming member 11 functions as an opening / closing portion, and can open the medicine outlet 15b when cleaning.

[0067] The helical member 12 is a screw, and has blades 27a, 27b, and 27c provided around a rotation axis . That is, the helical member 12 is a screw having three blades 27a, 27b, and 27c. As shown in FIG. 8, the three blades 27a, 27b, and 27c are arranged such that a blade belonging to one system (for example, blade 27a) is sandwiched between blades 27 belonging to the other two systems (for example, blades 27b and 27c). Further, the blades 27a, 27b, and 27c of each system are provided with cutouts 28 at regular intervals. The length of the portion where the blade 27 is provided is the same as the length of the bottom surface of the container body 8. When comparing the spacing between the blades 27 on the front and rear end sides with respect to the direction in which the powder medicine is pushed out, the spacing between the blades 27 on the rear end side is wider than that on the front side. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the blade 27 is the same at all positions.

[0068] The tip of the rotating shaft 26 protrudes from the tip of the helical member 12. An engaging portion 30 is provided at the rear end of the helical member 12. As will be described later, the engaging portion 30 is engaged with a support shaft 31a of the passive member 13, and has a recessed hole (not shown) that matches the cross-sectional shape of the support shaft 31a.

[0069] The spiral member 12 is inserted into the semi-cylindrical portion 16 of the container body 8. The engaging portion 30 protrudes to the outside of the container body 8 from a shaft insertion hole 23 provided in the vertical wall 17 on the far side of the container body 8. At the tip side of the spiral member 12, the tip of the rotating shaft 26 is supported by a recess (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the discharge outlet forming member 11. Therefore, the tip of the rotating shaft 26 on the front end side of the spiral member 12 is supported by the inner surface of the outlet forming member 11, and the rear end side of the spiral member 12 is supported by a through hole 23 provided in the rear wall 14, and the spiral member 12 is rotatable within the semi-cylindrical portion 16.

[0070] The passive member 13 is a cylindrical magnet, and support shafts 31a and 31b protrude from both ends of the main body 40. The passive member 13 is combined with a driving-side member 63 (described later) to form a single power transmission member, and can receive power from the driving-side member 63 in a non-contact manner. The passive member 13 is rotatably attached by a support member 32 to a recess 21 on the outside of the container body 8 and surrounded by the inclined surface 18 , horizontal wall 19 and vertical wall 17 . That is, the support member 32 is made by bending a metal plate into a U-shape, and has a front wall 35, a top wall 36, and a rear wall 37. The front wall 35 and the rear wall 37 are provided with through holes 38a, 38b.

[0071] The main body 40 of the passive member 13 is inserted into the space surrounded by the front wall 35 and rear wall 37 of the support member 32, and the support shafts 31a, 31b of the passive member 13 are inserted into the through-holes 38a, 38b. In this state, the top wall 36 of the support member 32 is fixed to the container main body 8 by a member not shown, and the passive member 13 is rotatably attached to the cutout portion 21. The support shaft 31 a of the passive member 13 is engaged with the engaging portion 30 of the helical member 12 that protrudes from the inner wall 14 of the semi-cylindrical portion 16 of the container body 8 . Therefore, the passive member 13 rotates integrally with the helical member 12, and when the passive member 13 rotates outside the container body 8, the helical member 12 disposed inside the container body 8 rotates.

[0072] 7, the lower cover 6 is a member that covers the entire lower surface 45 of the container body 8, part of the side surface 46, and the cutout portion 21. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower cover 6 is a member that has a bottom wall 47, inclined side walls 48a, 48b, and a rear wall 50. Here, the bottom wall 47 and the portions of the inclined side walls 48a, b excluding their rear ends have shapes that generally match the outer walls of the container body 8. In contrast, the rear wall 50 of the lower cover 6 is in a substantially vertical position and does not match the outer shape of the container body 8. Furthermore, the rear end sides of the inclined side walls 48a, b have a height that reaches the entire height of the container body 8 and have a surface that surrounds the cutout portion 21 of the container body 8. An opening 51 is provided in the bottom wall 47 of the lower cover 6 .

[0073] The lower cover 6 is attached to the lower surface 45 of the container body 8 with screws (not shown). When the lower cover 6 is attached to the container body 8, a passive member accommodating space 22 is formed between the rear wall 50 of the lower cover 6 and the outer wall of the container body 8. In other words, the lower cover 6 has a surface that completely surrounds the cutout 21 of the container body 8, and the cutout 21 of the container body 8 becomes the passive member accommodating space 22 that is shielded from the outside. As described above, the passive member 13 is located in the cutout 21 of the container body 8, and therefore the passive member 13 is surrounded by the lower cover 6 and is shielded. When the lower cover 6 is attached to the container body 8, the magnetic plate 25 provided on the lower surface 45 of the container body 8 is exposed from the opening 51 of the lower cover 6, as shown in FIGS.

[0074] As described above, the cover member 10 closes the portion of the container body 8 that corresponds to the main storage section 7 , and is detachable from the container body 8 . In this embodiment, lid member 10 of container body 8 is removed to open medicine inlet 15a of main storage section 7, and powdered medicine is stored inside container body 8. Inside container body 8, main storage section 7 and semi-cylindrical section 16 are connected to each other, and the two together form a single medicine storage section 52.

[0075] Next, the main body side device 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the main body side device 3 is composed of a mounting table 60, a weight measuring means 61, and a base member 64 from above. The following will explain each step in turn. The mounting base 60 is a base on which the drug container 2 is placed, and its surface has a shape that matches the shape of the lower cover 6 of the drug container 2. That is, the surface of the mounting base 60 has a mounting top surface 70 that abuts against the bottom of the lower cover 6, and mounting inclined side surfaces 71a, b that match the inclined side walls 48a, b of the lower cover 6. The mounting base 60 also has an upright surface 72 that abuts against the back wall 50 of the lower cover 6.

[0076] An electromagnet 62 and a driving member 63 are provided inside the mounting table 60. A motor 65 is also attached to the mounting table 60. The motor 65 functions as a driving source. That is, a magnet mounting hole 66 is provided on the mounting top surface 70 of the mounting table 60, and the electromagnet 62 is built into the magnet mounting hole 66.

[0077] A drive member housing 75 is provided at a position aligned with the magnet mounting hole 66, and the drive side member 63 is housed in the drive member housing 75. The drive member housing 75 is a cavity provided below the mounting top surface 70, and the drive side member 63 is housed within the drive member housing 75 and is not exposed to the mounting top surface 70. The reason for not exposing the drive side member 63 is to prevent powdered medicine present in the atmosphere from adhering to or becoming caught in the drive side member 63, and this is a recommended configuration, but the drive side member 63 may be exposed from the mounting top surface 70 if effective measures can be taken to prevent the powdered medicine from adhering. The driving side member 63 is a cylindrical magnet. The motor 65 is a normal small DC motor, and is attached below the mounting table 60 with its output shaft 76 directly connected to the drive side member 63 as shown in Figure 4, and part of the motor 65 is exposed from the mounting table 60 as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. When the motor 65 is rotated, the driving side member 63 rotates within the driving member accommodating portion 75 .

[0078] The weight measuring means 61 is a known load cell, and has an upper installation surface 78 and a lower installation surface 80, both of which are positioned offset from each other.

[0079] The base member 64 is a base having a U-shaped portion 81 and flange portions 82a, 82b. The base member 64 is merely a jig for attaching the main body side device 3 of the drug feeder 1 to other members, and the shape of the embodiment is not particularly significant.

[0080] In the main body side device 3 of this embodiment, a weight measuring means 61 is disposed below a mounting table 60, and a base member 64 is disposed further below that. The weight measuring means 61 has an upper installation surface 78 connected to the lower surface of the mounting table 60 , and a lower installation surface 80 of the weight measuring means 61 attached to the base member 64 . As described above, the upper installation surface 78 and the lower installation surface 80 are in offset positions, so that the middle part of the weight measuring means 61 is cantilevered relative to the base member 64, and its free end supports the mounting table 60. In this embodiment, the only member connecting the mounting table 60 and the base member 64 is the weight measuring means 61. Therefore, the mounting table 60 is supported in midair from the base member 64 by the weight measuring means 61.

[0081] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the medicine container 2 is placed on the mounting table 60, the weight of the medicine container 2 is measured indirectly. That is, the weight of the mounting table 60 and the medicine container 2 is detected by the weight measuring means 61, and the weight of the medicine container 2 is measured by subtracting the known weight of the mounting table 60.

[0082] As described above, the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment is composed of a drug container 2 and a main body side device 3, but normally the two are separate and when powdered medicine is packaged, the two are combined to form the drug feeder 1. That is, the main body side device 3 of the medicine feeder 1 is fixed near the distribution tray 112 of the medicine dispensing device 100 as shown in FIGS. In contrast, drug container 2 is placed and stored on drug container storage shelf 101 as shown in Fig. 10. That is, drug container 2 is filled with a predetermined powdered medicine and placed on drug container storage shelf 101 in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 10, for example.

[0083] Next, peripheral devices of the medicine feeder 1 will be described. The medicine feeder 1 of this embodiment constitutes a part of a medicine dispensing device 100 having a powder medicine packaging function. The overall structure of medicine dispensing device 100 is, for example, as shown in Figure 10. Medicine dispensing device 100 is functionally divided into a medicine shelf area 103, a medicine dividing area 105, and a medicine packaging area 106 in the vertical direction. Medicine container storage shelves 101 are arranged around the medicine shelf area 103 at the top, and medicine container moving devices 102 are provided inside the shelves.

[0084] The medicine container moving device 102 is a robot, and has a vertical lifting shaft 107, a horizontal moving arm 108, and a hand unit 110 that holds the medicine container 2.

[0085] A powdered medicine dispensing device 111 is provided in the medicine dividing area 105. In this embodiment, the powdered medicine dispensing device 111 has two dispensing trays 112. A plurality of medicine feeders 1 of this embodiment are installed in the powdered medicine dispensing device 111. In this embodiment, three medicine feeders 1 are installed on each dispensing tray 112. Furthermore, a medicine packaging device 120 is built into the medicine packaging area 106 . The medicine dispensing device 100 also includes a prescription reading means 121 for reading a prescription, and a control device 122 for controlling the operation of each device. The control device 122 stores data for managing the types and amounts of medicines stored in the medicine dispensing device 100. That is, the medicine dispensing device 100 has data indicating what kind of medicine and how much of it is stored in each medicine container 2 for each medicine container 2. This data is constantly updated, and the type and amount of medicine currently stored are always managed. The medicine dispensing device 100 is also provided with a display device 123. The display device 123 displays a predetermined message when a necessary drug is in short supply or when an abnormality occurs in the device.

[0086] Next, a description will be given of the function of the medicine feeder 1 of this embodiment. Since the medicine feeder 1 constitutes a part of the medicine dispensing device 100, the operation of the medicine feeder 1 will be described including the operation of the powder medicine packing device as a whole. In this embodiment, all operations are started when the prescription reading means 121 of the medicine dispensing device 100 reads the contents of the prescription. That is, as soon as the prescription contents are input, the operation of carrying out the medicine container 2 is immediately started. More specifically, the medicine container moving device 102 is driven, and a medicine container 2 containing a medicine that matches the prescription is selected from the many medicine containers 2 arranged in the medicine shelf area 103, and placed in the main body side device 3 of the medicine feeder 1. In this embodiment, as described above, the medicine container 2 and the main body device 3 are separate entities, and when powdered medicine is packaged, the two are joined together to form the medicine feeder 1. That is, in this embodiment, medicine containers 2 are stored in a horizontal position, and powdered medicines are stored in medicine container storage shelf 101. In this embodiment, the medicine container 2 is grasped by the medicine container moving device 102, moved, and placed on the table 60 of the main body side device 3 as shown in FIGS.

[0087] Then, electricity is passed through electromagnet 62 built into mounting base 60. As a result, magnetic force is generated in electromagnet 62, and magnetic plate 25 of medicine container 2 is attracted to the attracting surface on mounting base 60 side. In this embodiment, an opening 51 is provided in the bottom cover 6 of the drug container 2, and the magnetic plate 25 is exposed from the opening 51. Therefore, the electromagnet 62 can be magnetically attracted by direct contact with the magnetic plate 25, and the drug container 2 can be firmly fixed to the mounting table 60. In this state, the passive member 13 of the drug container 2 is located directly above the drive member accommodating portion 75 of the mounting table 60. However, the bottom wall 47 of the lower cover 6 acts as a partition between the drive side member 63 and the passive member 13, so the drive side member 63 and the passive member 13 do not come into direct contact with each other.

[0088] This rotates the motor 65 attached to the mounting table 60. Here, the output shaft 76 of the motor 65 is directly connected to the driving side member 63, so when the motor 65 is started, the driving side member 63 inside the driving member housing portion 75 rotates. Here, the driving-side member 63 is a cylindrical magnet, and the passive member 13 of the drug container 2 is located near the driving-side member 63. The passive member 13 is also a cylindrical magnet. Therefore, the passive member 13 is attracted to the driving-side member 63 by the magnetic force of the driving-side member 63, and rotates together with the driving-side member 63. That is, the passive member 13 is located within the passive member accommodating space 22 surrounded by the lower cover 6, and is not in contact with the driving-side member 63. In addition, the bottom wall 47 of the lower cover 6 is located between the passive member 13 and the driving-side member 63. In this way, the passive member 13 is not in contact with the driving-side member 63, and although the bottom wall 47 is located between them, the magnetic field lines of the driving-side member 63 penetrate the bottom wall 47 and apply a magnetic force to the passive member 13, causing it to rotate.

[0089] As a result, the helical member 12 connected to the passive member 13 rotates within the semi-cylindrical portion 16 within the container body 8 . Here, the helical member 12 is a screw, and has blades 27a, 27b, and 27c provided around a rotation axis . Furthermore, there is no partition between main storage section 7 and semi-cylindrical section 16, and both are in communication with each other to form one medicine storage section 52.

[0090] Therefore, the powdered medicine in medicine containing section 52 enters semi-cylindrical section 16. Here, the inside of semi-cylindrical section 16 is at the bottom of medicine containing section 52, and the cross-sectional shape of container body 8 is generally pentagonal, as shown in FIG. 5, and is inclined so that it narrows toward the bottom side. Furthermore, rear surface 14 of container body 8 forms inclined surface 18. Therefore, the inside of container body 8 is shaped to converge overall toward semi-cylindrical section 16, and the powdered medicine in medicine containing section 52 easily collects in semi-cylindrical section 16. Therefore, the powdered medicine in medicine containing section 52 collects inside semi-cylindrical section 16, and is pushed by blades 27a, 27b, and 27c as spiral member 12 rotates, moving toward medicine discharge section 24. The powdered medicine is then finally discharged to the outside from medicine discharge section 24 of discharge port forming member 11.

[0091] In this embodiment, the blade 27 of the spiral member 12 is provided over the entire length of the bottom of the medicine containing section 52, and the area where the blade 27 is provided is longer than that disclosed in Patent Document 2. Therefore, the medicine is pushed and moves a long distance. Therefore, even while being pushed by the blades 27, new powdered medicine enters the gaps between the blades 27, and as it moves toward the outlet forming member 11, the powdered medicine becomes densely packed between the blades 27. Furthermore, since the spacing between the blades 27 at the front end is narrower than that at the rear end, the powdered medicine becomes densely packed between the blades 27 as it moves toward the outlet forming member 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of liquid discharged from the discharge port forming member 11 is stable.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since three blades 27 are provided, a fixed amount of powdered medicine is discharged from discharge port forming member 11 per unit time. That is, the powdered medicine is discharged when it reaches the end of blade 27, but the amount discharged from the end of blade 27 varies depending on the rotational position of the end of blade 27. In this embodiment, multiple blades 27 are provided, and the end of each blade is at the tip of spiral member 12. Therefore, fluctuations in the amount of medicine discharged due to differences in the rotational position of the end are offset, and the amount of medicine discharged from discharge port forming member 11 is stable.

[0093] In this embodiment, blades 27a, 27b, and 27c of each system are provided with notches 28 at regular intervals. Therefore, even if clumps form in the powdered medicine while spiral member 12 is rotating, the clumps are broken up by notches 28. Therefore, the powdered medicine is discharged from discharge port forming member 11 in a smooth state.

[0094] Also, around the time when the motor 65 is started, the dispensing tray 112 of the powdered medicine dispensing device 111 is rotated. The weight of the medicine container 2 is measured around the time when the motor 65 is started. The weight of the medicine container 2 is obtained by subtracting a fixed value from the weight detected by the weight measuring means 61. More specifically, the weight of the medicine container 2 is obtained by subtracting the weight of the members of the main body side device 3 above the weight measuring means 61 from the weight detected by the weight measuring means 61. That is, the weight measuring means 61 measures the weight of all the members above the weight measuring means 61 . Therefore, when medicine container 2 is placed on table 60, weight measuring means 61 detects the sum of the weight of medicine container 2 and the weight of table 60 and the like. Here, since the weight of the mounting table 60 and the like is known, the weight of the medicine container 2 can be indirectly detected by subtracting the weight of the mounting table 60 and the like from the weight detected by the weight measuring means 61 . The weight of the medicine container 2 immediately after it is placed on the mounting table 60 is stored as the original weight G. The weight of the medicine container 2 is constantly monitored. That is, the current weight of the medicine container 2 is monitored as the current weight g.

[0095] When motor 65 starts to rotate, spiral member 12 rotates within container body 8, and the powdered medicine within medicine containing section 52 is pushed by spiral member 12 and moves slowly toward outlet forming member 11, and is discharged little by little from outlet forming member 11. Then, when the amount H of powdered medicine that has fallen reaches the desired weight, motor 65 stops rotating.

[0096] Thereafter, as with the conventional powder medicine packaging device, the rotation of the distribution tray 112 is stopped, the distribution tray 112 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of medicines to be distributed, and the powder medicine is scraped out of the distribution tray 112 by a scraping device, sent to a subsequent medicine packaging device, and individually packaged.

[0097] Furthermore, the medicine dispensing device 100 of this embodiment has a function of checking the stock of medicines stored in the medicine dispensing device 100 when the prescription contents are input, and checking whether there is enough stock to fill the prescription. If there is not enough stock to fill the prescription, the display device 123 displays a message to that effect.

[0098] When a series of discharging and packaging steps are completed, the electromagnet is de-energized, and medicine container moving device 102 is operated to return medicine container 2 to its original position.

[0099] In the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment, the helical member 12 rotates when discharging drugs, but most of the helical member 12 is inside the container body 8. That is, the blades 27a, 27b, and 27c of the helical member 12 are all inside the drug storage section 52, in a substantially sealed space. Therefore, the drugs do not leak out from the areas of the blades 27a, 27b, and 27c. Furthermore, the rear end of the spiral member 12 protrudes from the container body 8. However, the rear end of the spiral member 12 is located in the passive member accommodating space 22. Here, the passive member accommodating space 22 is a space covered by the lower cover 6 and is a substantially sealed space. Therefore, even if the powdered medicine leaks out from the through hole 23 that supports the rotation shaft of the spiral member 12, it will not leak out of the passive member accommodating space 22. In other words, in this embodiment, the container body 8 and the lower cover 6 provide doubly effective measures to prevent the powdered medicine from leaking, so the powdered medicine will not scatter to the outside.

[0100] Similarly, the passive member 13, which is a rotating member, is located within the passive member housing space 22, so dust and dregs generated by the passive member 13 do not scatter to the outside. Furthermore, since the passive member 13 does not come into direct contact with the drive-side member 63, the amount of dust and dregs generated by the passive member 13 is small to begin with. Therefore, foreign matter does not get mixed into the medicine.

[0101] When cleaning the medicine feeder 1 of the above-described embodiment, the outlet-forming member 11 attached to the medicine outlet 15b is removed. That is, the outlet-forming member 11 is attached to the container body 8 by an engaging portion (not shown) and is detachable from the container body 8. When the outlet forming member 11 is removed, the support on the tip side of the spiral member 12 is released and the tip side of the spiral member 12 is exposed.

[0102] The rear end of the spiral member 12 is supported by a through hole 23 provided in the rear wall 14 of the container body 8. The rear end of the spiral member 12 has an engagement portion 30, which is exposed from the container body 8 and engages with a support shaft 31a of the passive member 13. Therefore, in the embodiment of the drug feeder 1, when the outlet forming member 11 is removed to expose the tip of the spiral member 12, and the tip of the spiral member 12 is grasped and pulled with a pair of pliers or the like, the engaging portion 30 at the rear end comes off from the support shaft 31a of the passive member 13, and the spiral member 12 comes out of the semi-cylindrical portion 16 of the container body 8. Therefore, in the medicine feeder 1 of the embodiment, the spiral member 12 can be removed and cleaned. In this embodiment, the lower cover 6 can be removed using screws (not shown), so that the inside of the passive member accommodating space 22 can also be cleaned.

[0103] In the embodiment described above, both the passive member 13 and the driving member 63 are magnets, but one of them may be a coil. For example, even if the passive member 13 is a coil, the power of the driving member 63 can be transmitted by magnetic force.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the helical member 12 has the blade 27, and the area where the blade 27 is provided spans the entire length of the bottom of the medicine containing section 52. That is, in the above embodiment, the helical member 12 serving as the medicine moving member is located on the bottom side of the medicine container, and the length of the area where the blade 27 (helical structure portion) is provided is 100% of the length of the bottom of the medicine containing section 52. The length of blade 27 is preferably 80 percent or more of the total length of the bottom of medicine containing portion 52. Blade 27 may also be longer than medicine containing portion 52. It is preferable that blade 27 have a length that is 80 to 120 percent of the length of the bottom of medicine containing portion 52.

[0105] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The drug feeder 130 of the second embodiment is also composed of a container body 131 and a body side member 128. In the drug feeder 1 of the above-described embodiment, the spiral member 12 is provided at the bottom of the container body 8, whereas in the drug feeder 130 of this embodiment, the spiral member 132 is provided at the center of the container body 131. Furthermore, in the drug feeder 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the container body 8 was placed in a horizontal position to discharge the drug, whereas in the drug feeder 130 of this embodiment, the drug is discharged by holding the container body 8 in an inclined position with the drug discharge section facing downwards.

[0106] The drug feeder 130 of this embodiment will be described below. As described above, the drug container 133 of the drug feeder 130 has a spiral member 132 provided at the center of the container body 131. The container body 131 employed in this embodiment has a shape similar to that of a normal bottle, and is composed of a cylindrical body portion 135 and a neck portion 136 provided at the tip of the body portion 135. The body portion 135 and the neck portion 136 are arranged concentrically. Furthermore, the diameter of the neck portion 136 is clearly smaller than that of the body portion 135. In the medicine feeder 130, the inside of the container body 131 is hollow. The inside of the main body portion 135 forms a main storage portion 160.

[0107] A mouthpiece member 140 is attached to the neck portion 136 . As shown in the figure, the mouthpiece member 140 is composed of an attachment portion 141, a rotary ring 142, and a tip support portion 145. Mounting part 141 is a part that is connected to the tip of drug container 133. As a configuration unique to this embodiment, mounting part 141 is provided with an L-shaped mounting bracket 146. Mounting bracket 146 is made of a magnetic material, and is an integrated unit of horizontal bar 147 and inclined bar 148.

[0108] The rotating ring 142 is a ring that allows relative rotation with respect to other members. Gears 143a and 143b are engraved on the outside of the rotating ring 142. The tip support portion 145 is a portion that is made to have a small outer diameter. A through-hole 150 is provided inside the mouthpiece member 140, and the tip of the through-hole 150 opens at the tip of the mouthpiece member 140 to form a medicine discharge portion 150a.

[0109] 14, a helical member 132 is provided inside the mouthpiece member 140. The helical member 132 is formed by a helix of an elongated member 137. The elongated member 137 is ribbon-shaped, thin, and long. The outer diameter of the spiral member 132 gradually decreases toward the tip end. A rotation axis 138 exists at the tip side of the helical member 132, but from the middle to the rear end, the helix is ​​formed only by the elongated member 137.

[0110] The spiral member 132 is held by the mouthpiece member 140. To explain in more detail, the aforementioned rotating ring 142 is located in the middle of the mouthpiece member 140, and the spiral member 132 is attached to the rotating ring 142. Furthermore, a medicine discharge portion 150a opens at the tip of the mouthpiece member 140, and the tip of the spiral member 132 reaches the medicine discharge portion 150a. The rear end of spiral member 132 is located inside container body 131. That is, in this embodiment, spiral member 132 is provided at a position spanning from main storage section 160 to the vicinity of medicine discharge section 150a, and the diameter of spiral member 132 on the medicine discharge side is smaller than the diameter of the spiral structure portion on the main storage section 160 side.

[0111] Next, the main body side device 128 will be described. 12 and 13, the main body side device 128 is composed of, from the top, a mounting table 152, a weight measuring means 151, and a base member 164. A base case 165 is integral with the mounting table 152, and a motor 170 and a gear set 171 are attached to the mounting table 152.

[0112] The mounting table 152 is a table on which the drug container 133 is placed, as in the previous embodiment, and its surface has a shape that matches the shape of the horizontal bar 147 of the mounting metal fitting 146 of the drug container 133. As in the previous embodiment, an electromagnet 166 is provided on the mounting table 152 , and its magnetic surface (not shown) is exposed on the surface of the mounting table 152 .

[0113] The base case 165 holds the mounting table 152. The base case 165 also contains a motor 170 and a gear set 171. The motor 170 is placed vertically at a slight incline, and a bevel gear A is provided at the tip of the motor 170. Gear set 171 transmits the rotational power of bevel gear A to gears 143a, b of rotating ring 142, and is composed of two bevel gears Ba, Bb and spur gears Ca, Cb that rotate integrally with each bevel gear Ba, Bb. When the motor 170 rotates, the rotational force rotates the spur gears Ca and Cb.

[0114] The weight measuring means 151 is the same as that in the previous embodiment, and is a known load cell, having an upper installation surface 78 and a lower installation surface 80, both of which are positioned offset from each other. In this embodiment, the mounting base 152, motor 170, and gear set 171 are all fixed to the base case 165, which is fixed to the upper installation surface 78 of the weight measuring means 151. Therefore, the total weight of the mounting base 152, motor 170, gear set 171, and base case 165 is applied to the weight measuring means 151.

[0115] In this embodiment as well, drug container 133 and main body side device 128 are separate entities, and when powdered medicine is packaged, they are joined together to form drug feeder . In drug feeder 130 of this embodiment, drug container 133 is also fixed to main body device 128 by the force of electromagnet 166. In this state, spur gears Ca and Cb of gear set 171 engage with gears 143a and 143b of rotating ring 142. When motor 170 is rotated, helical member 132 rotates inside container main body 131, scraping out the powdered medicine therein.

[0116] In the above-described embodiments, the drug transfer members all have a spiral structure and include thin members such as blades or ribbons. Alternatively, a round rod with a groove formed therein and a spiral may be used as the drug transfer member. That is, in the previous embodiments, the spiral groove formed by the blade or ribbon is wider than the width of the blade or ribbon, but the groove width may be narrower.

[0117] Furthermore, the drug transfer member is not limited to one having a spiral structure, and may have other structures. For example, the drug transfer member may be a rotating member, such as a waterwheel, whose rotation axis is in a direction intersecting the direction of drug transfer, and the rotational force of this member may move the drug in the drug storage portion toward the drug discharge portion.

[0118] The medicine moving member may also have a vibrating member, and vibrate the medicine in the medicine containing portion to move it toward the medicine discharging portion.

[0119] The medicine moving member may have a member that moves in the front-rear direction and may apply force to the medicine in the medicine containing portion to move it toward the medicine discharging portion.

[0120] The drug transfer member may have a member that performs a wave motion, and may transfer the drug in the drug storage portion toward the drug discharge portion by riding on the waves.

[0121] The medicine moving member may have a member for blowing air, and may move the medicine in the medicine containing portion toward the medicine discharging portion by blowing air.

[0122] 14, when a vibrating feeder 180 is provided downstream of the drug feeder 1, the amount of drug ultimately dispensed into the distribution tray 112 (amount dispensed per unit time) becomes stable. That is, the amount of drug dispensed per unit time becomes uniform.

[0123] Also, as shown in the drug dispensing device 182 in Figure 15, it is possible to drop drugs directly into the drug packaging area 106 without going through the distribution tray 112, and have each dose individually packaged by the drug packaging device 120 installed in the drug packaging area 106. That is, the medicine dispensing device 182 shown in Figure 15 does not have a distribution tray, and an input hopper 183 of the medicine packaging device 120 is provided directly below the medicine feeder 1. The medicine packaging device 120 has the same structure as known devices, and is a device that inputs medicines into the input hopper 183 one dose at a time and packages them individually.

[0124] 15, the medicine dispensing device 182 operates the medicine feeder 1 intermittently to discharge medicines one dose at a time, which are then directly fed into the feeding hopper 183 of the medicine packaging device 120 and individually packaged. That is, in the medicine dispensing device 182, the medicine feeder 1 is programmed to repeatedly start and stop, discharging medicine dose by dose from the medicine feeder 1. Then, in conjunction with the discharge of medicine, the medicine packaging device 120 operates, discharging medicine dose by dose. The medicine feeder 1 repeatedly starts and stops a predetermined number of times according to the contents of the prescription, and dispenses medicines in the prescribed number of doses, which are then packaged by the medicine packaging device 120.

[0125] 16 is a further development of this, in which a vibrating feeder 180 is arranged downstream of the drug feeder 1. The drug dispensing device 185 shown in FIG. 16 also does not have a distribution tray, and an input hopper 183 of the drug packaging device 120 is provided directly below the vibrating feeder 180. In a medicine dispensing device 185 shown in FIG. 16, a weight measuring means 186 is also provided in the vibrating feeder 180.

[0126] In a medicine dispensing device 185 shown in FIG. 16, the final discharge amount is calculated from both the weight detected by weight measuring means 61 provided in medicine feeder 1 and weight measuring means 186 provided in vibrating feeder 180. That is, the weight G of the medicine fed from the medicine feeder 1 to the vibrating feeder 180 is detected by the weight measuring means 61 provided in the medicine feeder 1. The weight G is the decrease value of the detected value of the weight measuring means 61.

[0127] In the drug dispensing device 185, the vibrating feeder 180 receives a supply of drugs from the drug feeder 1 while feeding the drugs into the downstream drug packaging device 120, so the final discharge amount is the weight GA of the drugs fed from the drug feeder 1 to the vibrating feeder 180 minus the change ga (which may be positive or negative) in the detected value of the weight measuring means 186 on the vibrating feeder 180 side.

[0128] In all of the embodiments described above, only one spiral member 12 is provided on the container body 8, 131. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and multiple spiral members 12 may be provided. In a medicine feeder 187 shown in FIG. 17, two spiral members 190 and 191 are provided on a container body 189 of a medicine container. The two helical members 190 and 191 are driven individually by passive members (not shown) and by separate driving members (not shown). In this embodiment, a predetermined amount of medicine can be discharged with each rotation of the helical member 190. In contrast, the other helical member 191 has a smaller diameter than the helical member 190, and discharges a smaller amount of medicine with each rotation.

[0129] In the drug feeder 187 shown in Figure 17, when the amount of drug per dose is small, the thin spiral member 191 is rotated to discharge the drug. On the other hand, when the amount of drug per dose is large, the thick spiral member 190 is rotated to discharge the drug. Furthermore, when the amount of drug per dose is even larger, both spiral members 190, 191 are rotated to discharge the drug. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1 drug feeder 2 drug containers 3 Main unit side device 5 container assembly 6 Lower cover 7 Main Containment Unit 8 container body 10 Lid member 11. Discharge outlet forming member 12 spiral members 13 Passive components 15a chemical inlet 15b Drug outlet 16 semi-cylindrical section 21 missing part 22 Passive component storage space 24 Drug discharge section 25 magnetic plate 26 rotation axes 27a, 27b, 27c blades 28 Missing parts 52 Medicine storage section 60 mounting table 61 Weight measurement means 62 electromagnets 63 Drive side member 64 Foundation members 65 motor 100 Medicine Dispensing Device 103 Medicine shelf area 105 Drug Division Area 106 Pharmaceutical Packaging Area 111 Powder dispensing equipment 128 Main body side member 130 Drug Feeder 131 Container body 132 spiral member 140 nozzle parts 142 rotating ring 152 loading platform 150a drug discharge section 151 Weight measurement means 160 Main Storage Unit 170 motor 165 units case 171 gear set 182 Drug dispensing device 185 Drug dispensing device 186 Weight measurement means

Claims

1. A medicine dispensing device including a medicine container containing medicines, a main body side device having a mounting table, a vibration feeder, and a medicine packaging device having an input hopper, The medicine container is detachable from the mounting base, the medicine container has a medicine outlet for discharging the medicine and a spiral member that rotates inside the medicine container; the main body side device has a drive side member that rotates the spiral member, and when the medicine container is placed on the placing table, the drive side member can rotate the spiral member and stop the rotation, and by repeating these operations, it is possible to discharge the medicine from the medicine container one dose at a time; The medicine dispensing device does not have a distribution tray, and an input hopper is provided directly below the vibrating feeder, The vibrating feeder is disposed between the drug discharge port and the input hopper, The vibrating feeder receives a dose of medicine discharged from a medicine discharge port and feeds the supplied dose of medicine into an input hopper; A medicine dispensing device in which a single dose of medicine is fed into an input hopper by a vibrating feeder, and then packaged into individual doses by a medicine packaging device.

2. further comprising a helical member separate from the helical member; The medicine dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the other spiral member is smaller than the diameter of the spiral member, and the amount of medicine discharged by one rotation of the other spiral member is less than the amount of medicine discharged by one rotation of the spiral member.

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