Drug Preparation Department

Abstract

To suppress bouncing of a tablet when the tablet collides with a medicine preparation part, due to an impact of the collision.SOLUTION: A medicine preparation part (10) is formed with a buffer region (Ba) being a region that elastically deforms to relax an impact when the medicine preparation part (10) collides with a tablet (2) that has passed a tablet passage path (30) and has been discharged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drug preparation unit in a drug dispensing device that supplies tablets discharged through a tablet passage path to a packaging unit that stores the tablets one package at a time in each of a plurality of storage units and packages the tablets of one package in packaging paper.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a drug dispensing device that packages tablets of one package in packaging paper is known. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses the following drug dispensing device. That is, the drug dispensing device of Patent Document 1 includes a drug preparation unit having a plurality of storage units. In the drug dispensing device of Patent Document 1, tablets of one package are discharged through a hopper (tablet passage path) to each of the plurality of storage units of the drug preparation unit. Then, the tablets of one package are supplied from each of the plurality of storage units to a packaging unit that packages the tablets in packaging paper, whereby the tablets of one package are packaged in packaging paper.

[0003] Further, the drug preparation unit of Patent Document 1 includes a partition forming body in which a plurality of storage units are formed and a drug preparation unit main body capable of accommodating the partition forming body. The partition forming body is accommodated in the drug preparation unit main body in a rotatable state. An opening is formed on the bottom surface of the drug preparation unit main body. In the storage unit that has reached the position corresponding to the opening, the shutter provided in the storage unit opens, and the tablets in the storage unit are supplied to the packaging unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the conventional technology described above, if the tablet discharged through the tablet passage is bounced by the impact of a collision with the drug preparation unit, the following situation may occur. That is, if the tablet bounces due to the impact of the collision, the timing of the tablet being stored in the desired storage unit among the plurality of storage units may be delayed, and the tablet may be stored in a storage unit other than the desired storage unit.

[0006] Furthermore, in the conventional technology described above, if at least one of the powder and fragments generated from the tablets stored in the storage section is located outside the storage section on the bottom surface of the drug preparation unit body, the following situation may occur. That is, at least one of the powder and fragments located outside the storage section on the bottom surface of the drug preparation unit body may be supplied to the dispensing section through an opening formed on the bottom surface of the drug preparation unit body, for example, as the compartment forming body rotates.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention aims to prevent tablets discharged through a tablet passage from bouncing off the drug preparation unit due to the impact of collision with the drug preparation unit in a drug dispensing device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention aims to reduce the possibility that at least one of the tablet powder and fragments retained in the storage compartment will be separated into individual packets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that stores tablets discharged through a tablet passage path in each of a plurality of storage units, one packet at a time, and supplies the tablets in one packet to a packaging unit that packages them into packaging paper, wherein a buffering region is formed which elastically deforms to mitigate the impact when it collides with the tablets discharged through the tablet passage path.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, a drug preparation unit according to another aspect of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that stores tablets discharged through a tablet passage path in at least one storage unit in a single-packet quantity and supplies the single-packet quantity of tablets to a packaging unit that packages them into packaging paper, comprising: a compartment forming body having a storage unit with an open bottom; a bottom plate provided vertically below the compartment forming body and moving relative to the compartment forming body, having a portion capable of closing the bottom of the storage unit and an opening that allows the tablets stored in the storage unit to be supplied to the packaging unit; and a removal unit that removes at least one of powder and fragments generated from the tablets from a region along the movement path of the tablets stored in the storage unit on the bottom plate, having a width corresponding to the width of the opening in a direction perpendicular to the movement path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drug dispensing device has the effect of suppressing the bounce of tablets that have been discharged through the tablet passage path due to the impact of collision with the drug preparation unit.

[0012] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, the possibility that at least one of the tablet powder and fragments retained in the storage section may be separated into individual packets can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is an external perspective view showing an overall overview of the drug preparation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the general layout of a drug dispensing device equipped with the drug preparation unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a top view of the drug preparation unit, seen from vertically above. [Figure 4] This is a bottom view of the drug preparation unit shown in Figure 1, viewed from vertically below. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a top view of the top panel and compartment forming body of the drug preparation unit, seen from vertically above. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an image of a cross-section viewed in the direction of the X1-X2 arrow in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an image of a cross-section viewed in the direction of the Y1-Y2 arrow in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] It is a bottom view of the partition forming body in FIG. 5 as seen from directly below vertically. [Figure 9] It is a top view of the bottom plate provided in the drug preparation part of FIG. 1 as seen from directly above vertically. [Figure 10] It is a bottom view of the bottom plate in FIG. 9 as seen from directly below vertically. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an image of a cross-section viewed in the direction of the Z1-Z2 arrow in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a diagram for explaining the position of the tablet discharged through the tablet passage route. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining how the tablet is stored in the storage part. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view showing the whole of the drug dispensing device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [[ID=

[26] ] [Figure 15] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the tablet standby part according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 16] It is an enlarged view of the rib provided in the tablet standby part. [Figure 17] It is a top view of the drug preparation part as seen from directly above vertically. [Figure 18] It is a bottom view of the drug preparation part as seen from directly below vertically. [Figure 19] It is a top view of the bottom plate provided in the drug preparation part as seen from directly above vertically. [Figure 20] It is a bottom view of the partition forming body as seen from directly below vertically. [Figure 21] It is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the partition forming body and the bottom plate in plan view. [Figure 22] It is a perspective view of a cross-section of the drug preparation part in a plane parallel to the axis. [Figure 23] It is a schematic diagram showing the structure around the removal part.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] [Embodiment 1] The following describes in detail one embodiment of the present invention. In the figures, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are not repeated. In the following description, "n" and "m" each represent an integer of "1" or more. When it is necessary to distinguish between multiple parts that have the same part number, a single uppercase letter of the alphabet may be added to distinguish them, for example, "storage section 100A", "storage section 100B", ..., "storage section 100Z". Also, when it is not necessary to distinguish between "storage section 100A", "storage section 100B", ..., "storage section 100Z", they may simply be described as "storage section 100".

[0015] To facilitate understanding of the drug preparation unit 10 (drug preparation unit) according to one aspect of the present invention, first, an overview of the drug dispensing device 1 equipped with the drug preparation unit 10 will be explained using Figure 2.

[0016] (Overview of the drug dispensing device) Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the drug dispensing device 1. As shown in Figure 2, the drug dispensing device 1 is a device that packages tablets 2 into individual packaging sheets, and more specifically, a device that packages one pack of tablets 2 into individual packaging sheets. The drug dispensing device 1 comprises a drug preparation unit 10, a plurality of cassettes 20, a tablet passage path 30, and a packaging unit 40.

[0017] Each cassette 20 contains one or more tablets 2, and in particular, each of the multiple cassettes 20 contains one or more (e.g., multiple) tablets 2. Specifically, cassette 20A contains one type of tablet 2 (e.g., tablets 2A-1, 2A-2, ..., 2A-n), and similarly, cassette 20B contains another type of tablet 2 (e.g., tablets 2B-1, 2B-2, ..., 2B-m).

[0018] The tablet passage path 30 is the path through which the tablets 2, which were stored in the cassette 20, pass when they are discharged to the drug preparation unit 10.

[0019] The drug preparation unit 10 is equipped with multiple storage units 100, and the tablets 2 (especially one packet of tablets 2) discharged through the tablet passage path 30 are stored one packet at a time in each of the multiple storage units 100 and supplied to the dispensing unit 40. In other words, the tablets 2 stored in each of the multiple cassettes 20 are discharged through the tablet passage path 30 to each of the multiple storage units 100.

[0020] Here, it is possible that all the "tablets 2 in one packet" stored in the storage unit 100 are of the same type. For example, if all the "tablets 2 in one packet" stored in the storage unit 100A are of a certain type, the tablets 2 stored in the cassette 20 are discharged to the storage unit 100A through the tablet passage path 30 as follows: That is, for example, tablets 2 of a certain type (for example, tablets 2A-1, 2A-2, ..., 2A-n) stored in the cassette 20A are discharged to the storage unit 100A through the tablet passage path 30.

[0021] Furthermore, a "sachet of tablets 2" stored in the storage unit 100 may contain multiple different types of tablets 2. For example, if a "sachet of tablets 2" stored in the storage unit 100B contains one type of tablet 2 and another type of tablet 2, the tablets 2 stored in the cassette 20 are discharged to the storage unit 100B via the tablet passage path 30 as follows: That is, for example, one type of tablet 2 stored in cassette 20A and another type of tablet 2 stored in cassette 20B are discharged to the storage unit 100B via the tablet passage path 30. For example, tablets 2A-1, 2A-2, ..., 2A-n of one type stored in cassette 20A and tablets 2B-1, 2B-2, ..., 2B-m of another type stored in cassette 20B are discharged to the storage unit 100B via the tablet passage path 30. When distributing multiple types of tablets 2 into a single package, each type of tablet 2 is dispensed into the storage unit 100 by a corresponding cassette 20 (for example, each of the cassettes 20A and 20B mentioned above). In the storage unit 100, the multiple types of tablets 2 are then combined into a single package of tablets 2.

[0022] The packaging unit 40 packages the tablets 2 into individual packaging sheets, and in particular, packages one pack of tablets 2 into individual packaging sheets. For example, the packaging unit 40 packages a certain pack of tablets 2 (e.g., tablets 2A-1, 2A-2, ..., 2A-n) that has been stored in the storage unit 100A into individual packaging sheets. Similarly, the packaging unit 40 packages another pack of tablets 2 (e.g., tablets 2B-1, 2B-2, ..., 2B-m) that has been stored in the storage unit 100B into individual packaging sheets.

[0023] Before explaining the details of the drug preparation unit 10 based on Figure 1 and other figures, let's briefly describe the overview of the drug preparation unit 10 as follows. Specifically, the drug preparation unit 10 stores one packet of tablets 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 in each of the multiple storage units 100, and supplies one packet of tablets 2 to the dispensing unit 40. The drug preparation unit 10 has a buffer region Ba formed therein, which is a region that elastically deforms to mitigate the impact when it collides with tablets 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30.

[0024] When the buffer region Ba collides with the tablet 2, a relatively narrow area centered on the point of collision with the tablet 2 may deform sharply into a concave shape (U-shape), or a relatively wide area centered on the point of collision with the tablet 2 may deform gently into a concave shape. In other words, when the buffer region Ba collides with the tablet 2, the point of collision with the tablet 2 in the buffer region Ba deforms in the direction of movement of the tablet 2 before the collision with the buffer region Ba (for example, roughly vertically downward), and the surrounding area deforms sharply or gently.

[0025] The buffer region Ba elastically deforms upon collision with tablet 2, thereby absorbing the impact of the collision and suppressing the possibility of tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact.

[0026] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the drug preparation unit 10 (especially the buffer area Ba).

[0027] Here, if the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 bounces due to the impact of a collision with the drug preparation unit 10, and for example, bounces up into the air above the compartment forming body 11, the following situation may occur. That is, if the tablet 2 bounces up into the air above the compartment forming body 11 due to the impact of the collision, the timing of the tablet 2 being stored in the desired storage unit 100 (for example, storage unit 100B) among the multiple storage units 100 will be delayed.

[0028] As will be explained in more detail later, the compartment-forming body 11, which has multiple storage sections 100, rotates around a vertical axis 16. Therefore, while the tablet 2 is bouncing up above the compartment-forming body 11 (in other words, while the timing of the tablet 2 being stored in the storage section 100B is delayed), the compartment-forming body 11 may rotate. As a result, the tablet 2 may be stored in a storage section 100 other than the desired storage section 100B (for example, storage section 100C).

[0029] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 uses the buffer region Ba to absorb the impact when it collides with the tablet 2, thereby suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact of the collision.

[0030] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the added benefit of preventing a situation where "the tablet 2 bounces due to the impact of the collision, delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100B, and resulting in the tablet 2 being stored in a storage unit 100C that is different from the desired storage unit 100B."

[0031] Furthermore, the buffer region Ba elastically deforms upon collision with tablet 2 to absorb the impact, and then returns to its original state, that is, to the state before deformation.

[0032] (Overview of the Pharmaceutical Preparation Department) The drug preparation unit 10, described below using Figure 1 and other references, comprises a compartment forming body 11 having multiple storage sections 100, a top plate 12, and a bottom plate 14. In the drug preparation unit 10, the compartment forming body 11 is located between the top plate 12, which is positioned approximately horizontally, and the bottom plate 14, which is also positioned approximately horizontally. In the compartment forming body 11, the storage sections 100 are open vertically upward (towards the top plate 12) and vertically downward (towards the bottom plate 14), and the bottom of the storage sections 100 is closed by the bottom plate 14.

[0033] (Overview of the partitioning structure and top panel) Figure 1 is an external perspective view showing an overall overview of the drug preparation unit 10. As shown in Figure 1, the compartment forming body 11 has a plurality of storage sections 100 formed therein. As illustrated in Figure 1, the compartment forming body 11 has, for example, a roughly disc-shaped external form, and more specifically, a cylindrical shape having a vertical height that is sufficiently larger than the dimensions of the tablet 2. The compartment forming body 11 has a plurality of storage sections 100 formed along its outer circumference, inside the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11. For example, the plurality of storage sections 100 may be formed along the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0034] The compartment-forming body 11 shown in Figure 1 has six storage compartments 100, each containing one tablet 2, specifically storage compartments 100A to 100F. In this embodiment, an example is described in which there are six storage compartments 100 formed in the compartment-forming body 11, but it is not necessary for the number of storage compartments 100 formed in the compartment-forming body 11 to be six. The number of storage compartments 100 formed in the compartment-forming body 11 is arbitrary.

[0035] In the compartment forming body 11, the storage section 100 is a region that is open vertically upward and vertically downward, and is formed as a region surrounded by the side walls of the storage section 100 (horizontally). The vertical height of the storage section 100 is designed to be sufficient to hold the tablets 2, in other words, it is sufficiently large compared to the dimensions of the tablets 2.

[0036] The top plate 12 is a thin plate provided approximately vertically above the compartment forming body 11 and faces the exit of the tablet passage path 30. As illustrated in Figure 1, the top plate 12 is, for example, a thin, disc-shaped plate. The top plate 12 may be joined (bonded) to the compartment forming body 11, or for example, the top plate 12 and the compartment forming body 11 may be formed integrally. However, it is not essential that the top plate 12 and the compartment forming body 11 are joined, and the top plate 12 may be joined to the shaft 16, which will be described later.

[0037] The top panel 12 has openings 1201 which are surrounded by edge portions 1211, and in particular, multiple openings 1201 are formed, each surrounded by one of the multiple edge portions 1211. For example, opening 1201A is surrounded by edge portion 1211A, and similarly, opening 1201B is surrounded by edge portion 1211B.

[0038] Each of the multiple openings 1201 in the top plate 12 corresponds to each of the multiple storage sections 100 of the compartment forming body 11. For example, opening 1201A corresponds to the opening of storage section 100A, and similarly, opening 1201B corresponds to the opening of storage section 100B. The storage section 100 is designed to accept tablets 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 via the openings 1201 in the top plate 12. The top plate 12 rotates together with the compartment forming body 11 around an axis 16, which will be described later, such that each of the multiple openings 1201 is positioned to correspond to each of the multiple storage sections 100 of the compartment forming body 11.

[0039] A gap 13 is provided directly below the edge portion 1211. By providing a gap 13 directly below the edge portion 1211, the edge portion 1211 is more easily elastically deformed compared to when the gap 13 is not provided. For example, when the edge portion 1211 collides with the tablet 2, the position of the edge portion 1211 that collides with the tablet 2 deforms in the direction of movement of the tablet 2 before the collision with the edge portion 1211 (for example, approximately vertically downward), and the surrounding area deforms rapidly or gradually. For example, a gap 13A is provided directly below the edge portion 1211A, and similarly, a gap 13B is provided directly below the edge portion 1211B.

[0040] The compartment forming body 11 is made rotatable about an axis 16 in the vertical direction (in other words, the thickness direction of the compartment forming body 11) by receiving power through, for example, a drive mechanism (not shown). In particular, the compartment forming body 11 rotates together with the top plate 12 relative to the bottom plate 14 about the axis 16. The axis 16 may be located at approximately the center of the compartment forming body 11, that is, at a position where the distance from each of the multiple storage sections 100 is approximately equal.

[0041] Specifically, the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11, as illustrated in Figure 1, is provided with an external gear-shaped flange portion 17. The teeth formed on the flange portion 17 mesh with a gear that rotates under power from a motor (not shown). Therefore, when the motor operates, power is transmitted to the flange portion 17 via the gear, and the compartment forming body 11, which is joined to the flange portion 17, rotates around the axis 16. When the compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 are joined, the two rotate together as a single unit around the axis 16. However, in the drug preparation unit 10, it is not essential to provide the flange portion 17 on the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11; it is sufficient that the compartment forming body 11 can rotate around the axis 16.

[0042] Figure 3 is a top view of the drug preparation unit 10, viewed from vertically above. The compartment forming body 11 rotates together with the top plate 12 around the axis 16, and rotates counterclockwise, for example, as shown in Figure 3.

[0043] The top plate 12 has a first region 121 formed therein, which is a region that can collide with the tablet 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30, in other words, a region that faces the exit of the tablet passage path 30. The top plate 12 further includes a second region 122, which is a region other than the first region 121. In the top plate 12, the first region 121 and the second region 122 are made of the same material. The first region 121 also includes an edge portion 1211.

[0044] As described above, in the compartment forming body 11, the storage section 100 is open vertically upward and vertically downward. In the compartment forming body 11, the side walls surrounding the storage section 100 are broadly divided into a front wall 111, which is the side wall on the front side with respect to the rotational direction of the compartment forming body 11, and a rear wall 112, which is the side wall on the rear side with respect to the rotational direction of the compartment forming body 11. For example, the storage section 100A is surrounded by side walls including the front wall 111A and the rear wall 112A, and similarly, the storage section 100B is surrounded by side walls including the front wall 111B and the rear wall 112B.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the front wall 111 is planar, and the rear wall 112 is curved. That is, the cross-section of the rear wall 112 in the horizontal plane is arc-shaped, and the cross-section of the front wall 111 in the horizontal plane roughly corresponds to the chord connecting the two ends of the arc that is the cross-section of the rear wall 112 in the horizontal plane. The front wall 111 and the rear wall 112 together form the side walls that surround the storage section 100 on all four sides.

[0046] In other words, in the drug preparation unit 10, at least one side wall (for example, the front wall 111) of the storage unit 100 is planar. With this configuration, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of preventing a situation in which the timing of supplying the tablets 2 from the storage unit 100 to the dispensing unit 40 is delayed due to the tablets 2 rotating inside the storage unit 100 along the side wall of the storage unit 100.

[0047] If the tablet 2 rotates inside the storage section 100 along the side wall of the storage section 100, the timing of the supply of the tablet 2 from the storage section 100 to the dispensing section 40 may be delayed for the following reasons.

[0048] In other words, as will be described in detail later, the compartment forming body 11, which has multiple storage sections 100, rotates relative to the bottom plate 14 about a vertical axis 16. When the bottom of the storage section 100 comes to a position corresponding to the supply port 1401 formed in the bottom plate 14, the tablets 2 that were stored in the storage section 100 are supplied to the dispensing section 40 through the supply port 1401. That is, when the supply port 1401 formed in the bottom plate 14 comes to a position corresponding to the bottom of the storage section 100, the tablets 2 at the bottom of the storage section 100 are supplied to the dispensing section 40 through the supply port 1401.

[0049] However, if the tablet 2 rotates inside the storage section 100 along the side wall of the storage section 100, the timing at which the tablet 2 reaches the bottom of the storage section 100 may be delayed. And if the timing at which the tablet 2 reaches the bottom of the storage section 100 is delayed, the timing at which "the tablet 2 is supplied to the dispensing section 40 through the supply port 1401 located at the bottom of the storage section 100" will also be delayed.

[0050] (Overview of the base plate) Figure 4 is a bottom view of the drug preparation unit 10, viewed from vertically below. The bottom plate 14 is a thin plate provided approximately vertically below the compartment forming body 11, and covers the bottom of the storage section 100 which is open in the compartment forming body 11. As illustrated in Figure 4, the bottom plate 14 is, for example, a thin, disc-shaped plate. The bottom plate 14 is not glued to the compartment forming body 11. The compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 rotate together around the axis 16 relative to the bottom plate 14, for example, counterclockwise relative to the bottom plate 14.

[0051] A supply port 1401, which is an opening, is formed in the bottom plate 14. The tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100 are supplied to the packaging section 40 through the supply port 1401. That is, the compartment forming body 11 rotates around the axis 16 relative to the bottom plate 14. When the bottom of the storage section 100 formed in the compartment forming body 11 comes to a position corresponding to the supply port 1401, the tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100 are supplied to the packaging section 40.

[0052] For example, when a certain pack of tablets 2 (e.g., tablets 2A-1, 2A-2, ..., 2A-n) stored in the storage section 100A reaches the position corresponding to the supply port 1401, it is supplied to the dispensing section 40 through the supply port 1401. Similarly, when another pack of tablets 2 (e.g., tablets 2B-1, 2B-2, ..., 2B-m) stored in the storage section 100B reaches the position corresponding to the supply port 1401, it is supplied to the dispensing section 40 through the supply port 1401.

[0053] The bottom plate 14 has a fifth region 141 formed therein, which is a region that can collide with the tablet 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30. The bottom plate 14 further includes a sixth region 142, which is a region other than the fifth region 141. In the bottom plate 14, the fifth region 141 and the sixth region 142 are made of the same material. For example, the approximate center of the fifth region 141 is located opposite the exit of the tablet passage path 30 via a partition forming body 11.

[0054] As mentioned above, the compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 rotate together as a single unit with respect to the bottom plate 14 around the axis 16. Therefore, the position on the bottom plate 14 where the fifth region 141 is provided can also be expressed as follows: The fifth region 141 is provided on the bottom plate 14 at the position opposite to the opening 1201 (i.e., the position corresponding to the bottom of the storage region 100) when the opening 1201 of the top plate 12 and the storage portion 100 are in a position opposite to the exit of the tablet passage path 30.

[0055] The bottom plate 14 illustrated in Figure 4 is further provided with an outlet 15 that allows for the discharge of powder generated from the tablet 2, but is sized so that the tablet 2 cannot pass through. The outlet 15 may also allow for the discharge of fragments generated from the tablet 2.

[0056] It is not mandatory to provide the discharge port 15 on the bottom plate 14; the discharge port 15 may also be provided on the side wall of the storage section 100. Alternatively, the discharge port 15 may be provided on both the bottom plate 14 and the side wall of the storage section 100.

[0057] In other words, the drug preparation unit 10 is provided with an outlet 15 on at least one of the side wall and bottom plate 14 of the storage unit 100 that is capable of discharging powder (or "powder and fragments") generated from the tablet 2, but is sized so that the tablet 2 cannot pass through.

[0058] According to the above configuration, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of preventing the situation in which powder generated from the tablet 2 remains in the storage unit 100.

[0059] (Details of the partition and top panel) Figure 5 is a top view of the top plate 12 and compartment forming body 11 of the drug preparation unit 10, viewed from vertically above. As described above, the top plate 12, which includes the first region 121 and the second region 122, rotates with respect to the bottom plate 14 about the axis 16, together with the compartment forming body 11. Furthermore, the vertically upward opening of the storage section 100 of the compartment forming body 11 corresponds to the opening 1201 of the top plate 12, and the storage section 100 is surrounded by side walls formed by the front wall 111 and the rear wall 112 working together.

[0060] Figure 6 shows an image of the cross-section viewed from the X1-X2 arrow in Figure 5. Note that in Figure 6, the scale of each member and the gap 13 has been exaggerated to make it easier to understand the relationship between each member and the gap 13.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, in the compartment forming body 11, the rear wall 112 is substantially downward-sloping. In contrast, the front wall 111 is inclined toward the rear wall 112 up to an intermediate position from the side of the top plate 12 (top side) toward the side of the bottom plate 14 (bottom side), and from this intermediate position it is substantially downward-sloping. That is, the front wall 111 includes a front wall 111(SL), which is an inclined wall inclined with respect to the vertical direction such that the area of ​​the horizontal surface enclosed by the side walls of the storage section 100 decreases as it moves vertically downward, and a front wall 111(VE), which is a vertical wall extending in the vertical direction.

[0062] However, it is not mandatory for the front wall 111 to include both front wall 111(SL) and front wall 111(VE). The front wall 111 may consist only of front wall 111(SL), and for example, the entire front wall 111 may be inclined such that it approaches the rear wall 112 as it moves from the top side to the bottom side. In other words, the front wall 111 does not have to include a vertical wall, front wall 111(VE).

[0063] The side walls of the storage section 100 are made of thin side wall plates. The side wall plates that make up the side walls of the storage section 100 include a third side wall plate 1111, which is a thin plate that makes up the front wall 111(SL), and a fourth side wall plate 1112, which is a thin plate that makes up the front wall 111(VE) and the rear wall 112, respectively. However, the front wall 111(VE) may also be made of the third side wall plate 1111, and only the rear wall 112 may be made of the fourth side wall plate 1112. Also, if the front wall 111 does not include the front wall 111(VE), that is, if the front wall 111 consists only of the front wall 111(SL), then the front wall 111 will be made of the third side wall plate 1111.

[0064] The third side wall plate 1111 and the fourth side wall plate 1112 are made of the same material. The thickness of the third side wall plate 1111, which constitutes the front wall 111(SL), is thinner than the thickness of the fourth side wall plate 1112, which constitutes the side walls of the storage section 100 other than the front wall 111(SL) (for example, the rear wall 112).

[0065] As shown in Figure 6, a gap 13 is provided between the front wall 111 and the top plate 12. In other words, the portion where the front wall 111 and the top plate 12 are not in contact is formed as a gap 13. For example, the gap 13 is provided as a through hole that penetrates substantially horizontally through the portion located directly below the edge portion 1211 of the side wall plate (particularly the third side wall plate 1111) that constitutes the side wall of the storage section 100. By providing a gap 13 between the front wall 111 and the top plate 12, the edge portion 1211 becomes more elastically deformable when it collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 compared to when there is no gap 13.

[0066] For example, when the edge portion 1211 collides with the tablet 2, the position of the edge portion 1211 at the point of collision with the tablet 2 deforms in the direction of movement of the tablet 2 before the collision (for example, approximately vertically downward), and the surrounding area deforms rapidly or gradually. The vertical width of the gap 13 is such that the tablet 2 cannot pass through.

[0067] The void 13 may be provided at any position (height) on the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100. For example, the void 13 may be provided at a position close to the bottom of the storage section 100 on the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100. By providing the void 13 at any position on the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100, the edge portion 1211 becomes more elastically deformable when it collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, compared to when the void 13 is not provided. However, the edge portion 1211 is most elastically deformable when the void 13 is provided at a position directly below the edge portion 1211 on the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100. That is, the edge portion 1211 is most elastically deformable when the void 13 is provided between the front wall 111 and the top plate 12.

[0068] In particular, if the vertical thickness of the first region 121, including the edge portion 1211, is made thinner to make the edge portion 1211 more elastically deformable, then by providing a gap 13 directly below the edge portion 1211, the edge portion 1211 becomes even more elastically deformable.

[0069] Figure 7 shows an image of the cross-section viewed from the Y1-Y2 arrow in Figure 5. Note that in Figure 7, the scale of each component is exaggerated to make it easier to understand the relationships between the components. As shown in Figure 7, the top plate 12 is a thin plate and includes a first region 121, which is a region that can collide with the tablet 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30, and a second region 122, which is the region other than the first region 121. The vertical thickness of the first region 121 is thinner than the vertical thickness of the second region 122. Because the vertical thickness of the first region 121 is thinner than the vertical thickness of the second region 122, the first region 121 is more elastically deformable than the second region 122 when it collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, that is, it is more likely to absorb the impact of the collision.

[0070] For example, when the first region 121 collides with the tablet 2, the position of the collision with the tablet 2 in the first region 121 deforms in the direction of movement of the tablet 2 before the collision with the first region 121 (for example, approximately vertically downward), and the surrounding region deforms rapidly or gradually. By making the thickness of the first region 121, which is the region that can collide with the tablet 2, thinner than the thickness of the second region 122, which is the region other than the first region 121, it is possible to suppress the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of the collision when it collides with the top plate 12.

[0071] Figure 8 is a bottom view of the compartment forming body 11, viewed from vertically below. Figure 8 shows an example in which six storage sections 100 (specifically, storage sections 100A to 100F) are formed circumferentially along the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11. Multiple storage sections 100 may be formed at predetermined intervals circumferentially along the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11.

[0072] In the compartment forming body 11, the bottom of the storage section 100 is open, and the storage section 100 is surrounded by side walls consisting of a planar front wall 111 and a curved rear wall 112. The rear wall 112 hangs down substantially from the side of the top plate 12 (top side) to the side of the bottom plate 14 (bottom side), and the front wall 111 includes a portion that slopes toward the rear wall 112 up to an intermediate position from the top side toward the bottom side (i.e., front wall 111(SL)).

[0073] (Details of the base plate) Figure 9 is a top view of the bottom plate 14 of the drug preparation unit 10, viewed from vertically above. The thin bottom plate 14 is provided with a supply port 1401 for supplying a single packet of tablets 2 stored in the storage unit 100 to the dispensing unit 40, and a discharge port 15 for discharging powder generated from the tablets 2. As mentioned above, the discharge port 15 may be provided on the side wall of the storage unit 100 instead of the bottom plate 14, or it may be provided on both the bottom plate 14 and the side wall of the storage unit 100.

[0074] Figure 10 is a bottom view of the bottom plate 14, viewed from vertically below. As shown in Figure 10, in addition to the supply port 1401 and the discharge port 15, the bottom plate 14 is further provided with a fifth region 141 at a position where it may collide with the tablets 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30. The area of ​​the bottom plate 14 other than the fifth region 141 is referred to as the sixth region 142.

[0075] Figure 11 shows an image of the cross-section viewed from the Z1-Z2 arrow in Figure 10. Note that in Figure 11, the scale of each component has been exaggerated to make it easier to understand the relationships between the components. As shown in Figure 11, the vertical thickness of the fifth region 141, which is located in the bottom plate 14 and is in a position where it may collide with the tablet 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30, is thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142, which is a region other than the fifth region 141. Because the vertical thickness of the fifth region 141 is thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142, the fifth region 141 is more elastically deformable than the sixth region 142 when it collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, that is, it is more likely to absorb the impact of the collision.

[0076] For example, when the fifth region 141 collides with the tablet 2, the point of collision between the fifth region 141 and the tablet 2 deforms in the direction of movement of the tablet 2 before the collision (for example, approximately vertically downward), and the surrounding region deforms rapidly or gradually. By making the thickness of the fifth region 141, which is the region that can collide with the tablet 2, thinner than the thickness of the sixth region 142, which is the region other than the fifth region 141, it is possible to suppress the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of the collision when it collides with the bottom plate 14.

[0077] (Location where the buffer zone is formed) Regarding the drug preparation unit 10 described so far, the positions where the buffer region Ba is formed, which is "a region that elastically deforms to mitigate the impact when it collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30," can be summarized as follows.

[0078] (1. Form a buffer area on the top panel.) In the drug preparation unit 10, the multiple storage units 100 are formed along the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11, and inside the outer circumference of the compartment forming body 11. In the drug preparation unit 10, a top plate 12 is provided approximately vertically above the compartment forming body 11, facing the outlet of the tablet passage path 30. Each of the multiple storage units 100 can accept tablets 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 via each of the multiple openings 1201 provided in the top plate 12. In the drug preparation unit 10, a buffer area Ba is formed in the top plate 12.

[0079] The buffer region Ba formed on the top plate 12 elastically deforms upon collision with the tablet 2, thereby absorbing the impact of the collision and suppressing the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing off the surface due to the impact.

[0080] Therefore, according to the above configuration, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of absorbing the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the top plate 12 by the buffer area Ba formed on the top plate 12, thereby suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 will bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the top plate 12.

[0081] If the tablet 2 bounces due to the impact of a collision, the timing of its storage in the desired storage section 100 (for example, storage section 100B) is delayed. The compartment forming body 11, which has multiple storage sections 100, rotates together with the top plate 12 around a vertical axis 16. Therefore, if the timing of the tablet 2 being stored in storage section 100B is delayed, the compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 will rotate during that time, and as a result, the tablet 2 may be stored in a storage section 100 other than storage section 100B (for example, storage section 100C).

[0082] Therefore, when the compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 are rotating relative to the exit of the tablet passage path 30 and the bottom plate 14 about the vertical axis 16, the drug preparation unit 10 further provides the following effect by forming a buffer area Ba on the top plate 12. That is, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the top plate 12 and delaying the timing of when the tablet 2 is stored in the storage unit 100B, thereby preventing the tablet 2 from being stored in a storage unit 100C that is different from the storage unit 100B.

[0083] (1.1. The first area of ​​the top panel is defined as the buffer area.) The top plate 12 includes a first region 121, which is a region that may collide with tablets 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30, and a second region 122, which is a region other than the first region 121. The first region 121 and the second region 122 are made of the same material. By making the vertical thickness of the first region 121 thinner than the vertical thickness of the second region 122, the first region 121 is formed as a buffer region Ba.

[0084] According to the above configuration, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of absorbing the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the first region 121, which is formed as a buffer region Ba on the top plate 12, thereby suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 will bounce off due to the impact. In other words, on the top plate 12, the thickness of the first region 121 is thinner than the thickness of the second region 122 and is more elastically deformable, so the first region 121 can suppress the tablet 2 from bouncing off when it collides with the top plate 12.

[0085] Furthermore, when the compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 are rotating about the vertical axis 16, the thin first region 121 provides the following additional effect to the drug preparation unit 10. Specifically, the drug preparation unit 10 further prevents the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the top plate 12, delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100 (e.g., storage unit 100B), and preventing the tablet 2 from being stored in storage unit 100C instead.

[0086] Here, as a way to suppress the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the top plate 12 (first region 121), it is also conceivable to separately provide a shock-absorbing material such as a sponge in the first region 121.

[0087] However, if additional components such as shock absorbers are provided separately in areas that may collide with the tablet 2, there is a possibility that the additional components may be damaged or peeled off for some reason, and the additional components may be packaged together with the tablet 2 in the packaging paper.

[0088] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 suppresses the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact of a collision by making the vertical thickness of the first region 121 thinner than the vertical thickness of the second region 122, without using additional members such as shock absorbers.

[0089] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of eliminating the possibility that anything other than the tablets 2 may be packaged together with the tablets 2 in the packaging paper, while also suppressing the possibility that the tablets 2 may bounce off due to the impact during collision.

[0090] Furthermore, if additional components such as shock absorbers are provided, additional costs will be incurred, such as the cost of those additional components. However, the drug preparation unit 10 does not require such additional components to suppress the possibility of the tablets 2 bouncing due to the impact when they collide with the top plate 12.

[0091] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of suppressing the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact of a collision, while keeping the costs required for implementation down, compared to the case in which an additional member is provided to suppress the bouncing of the tablet 2.

[0092] (1.2. The edges of the top panel will serve as a buffer zone.) The drug preparation section 10 has a gap 13 between the top plate 12 and the side wall of the storage section 100 that facilitates the elastic deformation of the edge portion 1211 when it collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30.

[0093] In other words, compared to a case where the void 13 is not provided, the edge portion 1211 in the drug preparation section 10 is more susceptible to elastic deformation when the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 collides with the edge portion 1211 due to the void 13. For example, when the edge portion 1211 collides with the tablet 2, the position of the edge portion 1211 at the point of collision with the tablet 2 deforms in the direction of movement of the tablet 2 before the collision (for example, approximately vertically downward), and the surrounding area deforms rapidly or gradually.

[0094] By making the edge portion 1211 more elastically deformable by the gap 13, the edge portion 1211 can absorb the impact of collision with the tablet 2 more effectively than when the gap 13 is not provided. In other words, it is possible to better suppress the tablet 2 from bouncing when it collides with the edge portion 1211.

[0095] Therefore, compared to a drug preparation unit 10 without the gap 13, the provision of the gap 13 allows the edge portion 1211 to elastically deform more easily upon collision with the tablet 2, absorbing the impact of the collision and suppressing the tablet 2 from bouncing off the edge portion 1211.

[0096] Furthermore, when the compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 are rotating about the vertical axis 16, the gap 13 provides the following additional effect to the drug preparation unit 10. Specifically, the drug preparation unit 10 provides the additional effect of preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the edge portion 1211, delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100 (for example, storage unit 100B), and preventing the tablet 2 from being stored in storage unit 100C.

[0097] In particular, it is desirable that the thickness of the top plate 12 (for example, the vertical thickness of the first region 121) be thinner than the thickness of the side wall plates that constitute the side wall of the storage section 100 (specifically, the thickness of at least one of the third side wall plate 1111 and the fourth side wall plate 1112, which will be described later). When the vertical thickness of the first region 121 is thinner than the thickness of the side wall plates that constitute the side wall of the storage section 100, providing a gap 13 between the top plate 12 and the side wall of the storage section 100 further suppresses the tablets 2 from colliding with the edge portion 1211 and bouncing, compared to when the gap 13 is not provided. That is, by making the vertical thickness of the first region 121 including the edge portion 1211 thinner, the edge portion 1211 becomes more elastically deformable, and furthermore, by providing the gap 13, the edge portion 1211 becomes even more elastically deformable compared to when the gap 13 is not provided.

[0098] In the drug preparation section 10, the gap 13 is the portion where the top plate 12 and the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100 are not in contact; in other words, a gap 13 is provided between the top plate 12 and the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100. For example, the top plate 12 and the side wall of the storage section 100 may be joined together except for the gap 13. The gap 13 is a through hole that penetrates the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100 in a substantially horizontal direction, and may be a through hole provided in the portion of the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100 that is located directly below the edge portion 1211.

[0099] According to the above configuration, in the drug preparation section 10, the edge portion 1211 is more elastically deformable due to the void 13 compared to when the void 13 is not provided. For example, when the edge portion 1211 collides with the tablet 2, the position of the edge portion 1211 that collides with the tablet 2 deforms in the direction of movement of the tablet 2 before the collision with the edge portion 1211 (for example, approximately vertically downward), and the surrounding area deforms rapidly or gradually.

[0100] The edge portion 1211, which is more elastically deformable due to the gap 13, can absorb the impact of collision with the tablet 2 more effectively than in a place where the gap 13 is not provided. In other words, it can better suppress the tablet 2 from bouncing when it collides with the edge portion 1211.

[0101] Therefore, compared to a drug preparation unit 10 without the gap 13, the provision of the gap 13 allows the edge portion 1211 to elastically deform more easily upon collision with the tablet 2, absorbing the impact of the collision and suppressing the tablet 2 from bouncing off the edge portion 1211.

[0102] Furthermore, when the compartment forming body 11 and the top plate 12 are rotating about the vertical axis 16, the gap 13 provided between the top plate 12 and the side wall of the storage section 100 provides the drug preparation section 10 with the following additional effect: The drug preparation section 10 further prevents the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the edge portion 1211, delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage section 100 (for example, storage section 100B), and preventing the tablet 2 from being stored in storage section 100C.

[0103] Here, as a way to suppress the possibility that tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the edge portion 1211, it is also conceivable to separately provide an impact-absorbing material such as a sponge on the edge portion 1211.

[0104] However, if additional components such as shock absorbers are separately provided on the edge portion 1211, there is a possibility that the additional components may be damaged or peeled off for some reason, and the additional components may be separated into the packaging paper along with the tablets 2.

[0105] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10, without using additional members such as shock absorbers, provides a gap 13 to make the edge portion 1211 more elastically deformable, thereby suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the edge portion 1211.

[0106] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of eliminating the possibility that anything other than the tablet 2 may be packaged together with the tablet 2 in the packaging paper, while also suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the edge portion 1211.

[0107] Furthermore, if additional components such as shock absorbers are provided, additional costs will be incurred, such as the cost of those additional components. However, the drug preparation unit 10 does not require such additional components to suppress the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact when it collides with the edge portion 1211.

[0108] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of suppressing the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact when it collides with the edge portion 1211, while keeping the costs required for implementation down, compared to the case in which an additional member is provided to suppress the bouncing of the tablet 2.

[0109] The void 13, which is a through-hole that penetrates the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100 in a substantially horizontal direction, may be provided at any position (height) of the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100. For example, the void 13 may be provided at a position close to the bottom of the storage section 100 on the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100. By providing the void 13 (i.e., a through-hole that penetrates the side wall plate in a substantially horizontal direction) at any position of the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100, the edge portion 1211 becomes more elastically deformable when it collides with the tablet 2 compared to when the void 13 is not provided. However, the edge portion 1211 is most elastically deformable when the void 13 is provided directly below the edge portion 1211 on the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100, that is, when the void 13 is provided between the top plate 12 and the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100.

[0110] The vertical width of the void 13 is such that the tablet 2 cannot pass through. With the above configuration, in the drug preparation section 10, since the vertical width of the void 13 is such that the tablet 2 cannot pass through, the drug preparation section 10 has the effect of preventing the tablet 2 from passing through the void 13 and leaving the storage section 100.

[0111] The compartment forming body 11 rotates about a vertical axis 16. The tablets 2 are discharged through the tablet passage path 30 between the rear wall 112B of a desired storage section 100 (e.g., storage section 100B) and the rear wall 112A of storage section 100A, which is the storage section 100 directly in front of storage section 100B with respect to the rotational direction of the compartment forming body 11. The void 13 is provided between the front wall 111 of the storage section 100 and the top plate 12.

[0112] Since tablet 2 is discharged between the rear wall 112B of the desired storage section 100B and the rear wall 112A of the storage section 100A immediately preceding the desired storage section 100B, it may collide with the edge portion 1211B of the top plate 12, which is located vertically above the "front wall 111B of the desired storage section 100B".

[0113] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 provides a gap 13 in the front wall 111 of the storage unit 100, making the edge portion 1211B located vertically above the front wall 111B of the desired storage unit 100B more elastically deformable than when the gap 13 is not provided. In other words, the edge portion 1211B located vertically above the front wall 111B of the desired storage unit 100B is more elastically deformable due to the gap 13B than when the gap 13B is not provided. As a result, the edge portion 1211B with the gap 13B is more elastically deformable when it collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 compared to when the gap 13B is not provided, and thus absorbs the impact of the collision with the tablet 2 more effectively.

[0114] Therefore, by providing a gap 13 in the "front wall 111 of the storage section 100", the drug preparation section 10 makes the edge portion 1211B more elastically deformable compared to when the gap 13 is not provided, thereby suppressing the situation in which the tablet 2 bounces due to the impact of a collision.

[0115] Furthermore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the added benefit of preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the edge portion 1211B, which would delay the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100B, and thus prevent the tablet 2 from being stored in the storage unit 100C.

[0116] (2. The inclined wall of the storage section 100 serves as a buffer zone.) At least a portion of the side wall of the storage section 100 (for example, the front wall 111) (for example, the front wall 111(SL)) is an inclined wall such that the area of ​​the horizontal surface enclosed by the side wall of the storage section 100 decreases as it moves vertically downward. The buffer region Ba is formed in the inclined wall (for example, the front wall 111(SL)).

[0117] According to the above configuration, in the drug preparation section 10, the front wall 111(SL) is inclined such that the area of ​​the horizontal surface surrounded by the side walls of the storage section 100 decreases as it moves vertically downward. For example, the front wall 111(SL) is inclined toward the rear wall 112 opposite to the front wall 111(SL). Therefore, tablets 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 may collide with the front wall 111(SL).

[0118] The drug preparation section 10 absorbs the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the front wall 111(SL) through the buffer region Ba formed on the front wall 111(SL), thereby suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the front wall 111(SL).

[0119] Furthermore, when the compartment forming body 11 is rotating about the vertical axis 16, the drug preparation unit 10 achieves the following additional effect by using the inclined wall of the storage unit 100 (for example, the front wall 111(SL)) as a buffer area Ba. Specifically, the drug preparation unit 10 further achieves the effect of preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the front wall 111(SL), delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100 (for example, storage unit 100B), and thus preventing the tablet 2 from being stored in storage unit 100C.

[0120] In the drug preparation section 10, the thickness of the third side wall plate 1111, which is a thin plate constituting the front wall 111(SL), is thinner than the thickness of the fourth side wall plate 1112, which is a thin plate constituting the side wall of the storage section 100, other than the front wall 111(SL). In other words, in the drug preparation section 10, the front wall 111(SL) is formed as a buffer region Ba.

[0121] According to the above configuration, the drug preparation section 10 absorbs the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the front wall 111(SL), which is formed as a buffer region Ba, thereby suppressing the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact of the collision. The thickness of the third side wall plate 1111 that constitutes the front wall 111(SL) is thinner and more elastically deformable than the thickness of the fourth side wall plate 1112 that constitutes the side walls of the storage section 100 other than the front wall 111(SL). Therefore, compared to the side walls of the storage section 100 other than the front wall 111(SL), the front wall 111(SL) suppresses the tablet 2 from bouncing when it collides with the front wall 111(SL).

[0122] Therefore, the drug preparation section 10 has the effect of suppressing the impact of collision with the tablet 2 by elastically deforming the front wall 111(SL), which is formed as a buffer region Ba, and preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing when it collides with the front wall 111(SL).

[0123] Furthermore, when the compartment forming body 11 rotates about the vertical axis 16, the front wall 111(SL), which is formed as a buffer region Ba, provides the following additional effect to the drug preparation unit 10. Specifically, the drug preparation unit 10 provides the additional effect of preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the front wall 111(SL), delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100 (for example, storage unit 100B), and thus preventing the tablet 2 from being stored in storage unit 100C.

[0124] Here, as a way to suppress the possibility that tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the front wall 111(SL), it is also conceivable to separately provide a shock-absorbing material such as a sponge on the front wall 111(SL).

[0125] However, if additional components such as shock absorbers are separately provided on the front wall 111(SL), there is a possibility that the additional components may be damaged or peeled off for some reason, and the additional components may be separated into the packaging paper along with the tablets 2.

[0126] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 suppresses the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing off due to the impact when it collides with the front wall 111(SL), by making the thickness of the third side wall plate 1111 thinner than the thickness of the fourth side wall plate 1112, without using additional members such as shock absorbers.

[0127] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of eliminating the possibility that anything other than the tablet 2 may be packaged together with the tablet 2 in the packaging paper, while also suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the front wall 111 (SL).

[0128] Furthermore, if additional components such as shock absorbers are provided, additional costs will be incurred, such as the cost of those additional components. However, the drug preparation unit 10 does not require such additional components to suppress the possibility of the tablets 2 bouncing off due to the impact when they collide with the front wall 111 (SL).

[0129] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of suppressing the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact when it collides with the front wall 111 (SL), while keeping the costs required for implementation down, compared to the case in which an additional member is provided to suppress the bouncing of the tablet 2.

[0130] (3. Form a buffer area on the bottom plate.) In the compartment-forming body 11, the bottom of the storage section 100 is open. The drug preparation unit 10 is provided with bottom plates 14 that constitute the bottoms of the multiple storage sections 100, located approximately vertically below the compartment-forming body 11. As the compartment-forming body 11 rotates relative to the bottom plates 14 about a vertical axis 16, the tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100 are supplied to the dispensing unit 40 through the supply port 1401, which is an opening in the bottom plates 14. In the drug preparation unit 10, a buffering area Ba is formed in the bottom plates 14.

[0131] According to the above configuration, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of absorbing the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the bottom plate 14 by the buffer area Ba formed on the bottom plate 14, thereby suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 will bounce off due to the impact when it collides with the bottom plate 14.

[0132] Furthermore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the added benefit of preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the bottom plate 14, which would delay the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100 (for example, storage unit 100B), and thus prevent the tablet 2 from being stored in storage unit 100C.

[0133] The bottom plate 14 includes a fifth region 141, which is a region that may collide with the tablet 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30, and a sixth region 142, which is a region other than the fifth region 141. The fifth region 141 and the sixth region 142 are made of the same material. By making the vertical thickness of the fifth region 141 thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142, the fifth region 141 is formed as a buffer region Ba.

[0134] According to the above configuration, the drug preparation unit 10 absorbs the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the fifth region 141, which is formed as a buffer region Ba in the bottom plate 14, thereby suppressing the possibility that the tablet 2 will bounce due to the impact of the collision. In other words, in the bottom plate 14, the thickness of the fifth region 141 is thinner than the thickness of the sixth region 142 and is more elastically deformable, so the fifth region 141 has the effect of suppressing the tablet 2 from bouncing when it collides with the bottom plate 14.

[0135] Furthermore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the added benefit of preventing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of collision with the bottom plate 14, which would delay the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100 (for example, storage unit 100B), and thus prevent the tablet 2 from being stored in storage unit 100C.

[0136] Here, as a way to suppress the possibility that the tablet 2 may bounce due to the impact when it collides with the bottom plate 14 (fifth region 141), it is also conceivable to separately provide a shock-absorbing material such as a sponge in the fifth region 141.

[0137] However, if additional components such as shock absorbers are separately provided in the fifth region 141, there is a possibility that the additional components may be damaged or peeled off for some reason, and the additional components may be packaged together with the tablets 2 in the packaging paper.

[0138] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 suppresses the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact of a collision by making the vertical thickness of the fifth region 141 thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142, without using additional members such as shock absorbers.

[0139] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of eliminating the possibility that anything other than the tablets 2 may be packaged together with the tablets 2 in the packaging paper, while also suppressing the possibility that the tablets 2 may bounce off due to the impact during collision.

[0140] Furthermore, if additional components such as shock absorbers are provided, additional costs will be incurred, such as the cost of those additional components. However, the drug preparation unit 10 does not require such additional components to suppress the possibility of the tablets 2 bouncing due to the impact when they collide with the bottom plate 14.

[0141] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 has the effect of suppressing the possibility of the tablet 2 bouncing due to the impact when it collides with the bottom plate 14, while keeping the costs required for implementation down, compared to the case in which an additional member is provided to suppress the bouncing of the tablet 2.

[0142] (Regarding the tablet dispensing location and storage of tablets in the storage compartment) Figure 12 illustrates the position of the tablet 2 as it is discharged through the tablet passage path 30. In particular, Figure 12 illustrates the position of the tablet 2 as it is discharged through the tablet passage path 30 when the "desired storage section 100 in which the tablet 2 should be stored" is storage section 100A.

[0143] As shown in Figure 12, in the drug dispensing device 1, the tablets 2 are already discharged from the tablet passage path 30 to the top plate 12 before the vertically upper opening of the desired storage section 100A (i.e., the opening 1201A of the top plate 12) reaches a position facing the exit of the tablet passage path 30. Specifically, the tablets 2 are discharged through the tablet passage path 30 between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B, which is the storage section 100 directly in front of the storage section 100A with respect to the rotational direction of the compartment forming body 11".

[0144] Therefore, compared to the case where the drug dispensing device 1 discharges the tablets 2 to the drug preparation unit 10 after the vertically upward opening of the desired storage unit 100A is positioned opposite the exit of the tablet passage path 30, the timing at which the tablets 2 are stored in the desired storage unit 100A can be accelerated.

[0145] Figure 13 illustrates how the tablet 2 is stored in the storage section 100. Similar to Figure 12, Figure 13 illustrates how the tablet 2 is stored in the desired storage section 100A when the "desired storage section 100 in which the tablet 2 should be stored" is storage section 100A.

[0146] As shown in Figure 13(A), in the drug dispensing device 1, the tablet 2 is discharged from the tablet passage path 30 to the top plate 12 before the vertically upward opening of the desired storage section 100A is positioned opposite the exit of the tablet passage path 30. Specifically, the tablet 2 is discharged through the tablet passage path 30 between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B, which is the storage section 100 directly in front of the storage section 100A with respect to the rotational direction of the compartment forming body 11".

[0147] The tablets 2, having passed through the tablet passage path 30 and been discharged between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B", collide with the region of the top plate 12 between the rear wall 112A and the rear wall 112B, for example, as shown in Figure 13(B).

[0148] As the compartment forming body 11 rotates, the tablet 2 on the "region of the top plate 12 between the rear wall 112A and the rear wall 112B" is pushed by the "inner wall of the tablet passage path 30 that is on the rear side relative to the rotation direction of the compartment forming body 11" and moves along the top plate 12, approaching the opening 1201A.

[0149] Then, as shown in Figure 13(C), the tablets 2 that have been discharged through the tablet passage path 30 are fed into the desired storage section 100A from the opening 1201A between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B".

[0150] As shown in Figure 13(D), at the moment when the tablet 2 reaches the bottom of the desired storage section 100A, the following situation is realized with respect to the bottom plate 14 that covers the bottom of the desired storage section 100A. That is, at the moment when the tablet 2 reaches the bottom of the desired storage section 100A, the fifth region 141, which has a vertical thickness thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142, is covering the bottom of the desired storage section 100A. Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 absorbs the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the fifth region 141, which is formed as a buffer region Ba in the bottom plate 14, and suppresses the possibility that the tablet 2 will bounce due to the impact of the collision.

[0151] Even if the tablet 2 collides with the bottom plate 14, it does not bounce due to the impact of the collision. Therefore, the timing at which the tablet 2 is stored in the desired storage section 100A is delayed in the drug preparation section 10, and the situation in which the tablet 2 is stored in a storage section 100F other than the desired storage section 100A can be avoided.

[0152] Here, the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30 between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B" does not necessarily collide with the area of ​​the top plate 12 between the rear wall 112A and the rear wall 112B. For example, the tablet 2 discharged between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B" may collide with the edge portion 1211A located vertically above the "front wall 111A of the desired storage section 100A".

[0153] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 provides a gap 13 in the front wall 111 of the storage unit 100, making the edge portion 1211A located vertically above the front wall 111A of the desired storage unit 100A more elastically deformable than if the gap 13 were not provided. In other words, the edge portion 1211A located vertically above the front wall 111A of the desired storage unit 100A is more elastically deformable due to the gap 13A. When the edge portion 1211A collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, it elastically deforms to absorb the impact of the collision, thereby suppressing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of the collision.

[0154] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 can avoid a situation where the tablet 2 bounces due to the impact of collision with the edge portion 1211A, delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage portion 100A, and resulting in the tablet 2 being stored in a storage portion 100F other than the desired storage portion 100A.

[0155] Furthermore, the tablet 2 discharged between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B" may collide with the front wall 111(SL) "inclined toward the rear wall 112 in the storage section 100".

[0156] Therefore, in the drug preparation unit 10, the thickness of the third side wall plate 1111 that constitutes the front wall 111(SL) is made thinner than the thickness of the fourth side wall plate 1112 that constitutes the side wall of the storage unit 100, other than the front wall 111(SL). In other words, in the drug preparation unit 10, the front wall 111(SL), which may collide with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, is made more elastically deformable. When the front wall 111(SL) collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, it elastically deforms to absorb the impact of the collision, thereby suppressing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of the collision.

[0157] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 can avoid a situation where the tablet 2 bounces due to the impact of collision with the front wall 111 (SL), delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100A, and resulting in the tablet 2 being stored in a storage unit 100F other than the desired storage unit 100A.

[0158] Furthermore, the tablets 2 that have passed through the tablet passage path 30 and been discharged between the "rear wall 112A of the desired storage section 100A" and the "rear wall 112B of the storage section 100B" may collide with the bottom plate 14 that seals the bottom of the storage section 100.

[0159] Therefore, in the drug preparation unit 10, the vertical thickness of the fifth region 141, which is the area that may collide with the tablet 2 discharged from the tablet passage path 30, is made thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142, which is the area other than the fifth region 141. In other words, in the drug preparation unit 10, the fifth region 141, which may collide with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, is more elastically deformable than the sixth region 142. When the fifth region 141 collides with the tablet 2 discharged through the tablet passage path 30, it elastically deforms and absorbs the impact of the collision, thereby suppressing the tablet 2 from bouncing due to the impact of the collision.

[0160] Therefore, the drug preparation unit 10 can avoid a situation where the tablet 2 bounces due to the impact of collision with the bottom plate 14, delaying the timing of its storage in the desired storage unit 100A, and resulting in the tablet 2 being stored in a storage unit 100F other than the desired storage unit 100A.

[0161] For example, the vertical thickness of the first region 121 and the vertical thickness of the second region 122 range from 0.1 millimeters (hereinafter abbreviated as "mm") to 10 mm, respectively. As mentioned above, the vertical thickness of the first region 121 is thinner than the vertical thickness of the second region 122.

[0162] Furthermore, for example, the thickness of the third side wall panel 1111 and the thickness of the fourth side wall panel 1112 are 0.1 mm to 10 mm, respectively. As mentioned above, the thickness of the third side wall panel 1111 is thinner than the thickness of the fourth side wall panel 1112.

[0163] Furthermore, it is desirable that the vertical thickness of the first region 121 be thinner than the thickness of the third side wall plate 1111. The first region 121, whose vertical thickness is thinner than that of the third side wall plate 1111, is more elastically deformable than the third side wall plate 1111, and therefore, the edge portion 1211 included in the first region 121 is more elastically deformable than the third side wall plate 1111. In addition, by providing a gap 13 directly below the edge portion 1211 of the first region 121, the edge portion 1211 becomes even more elastically deformable than when the gap 13 is not provided.

[0164] Furthermore, for example, the vertical thickness of the fifth region 141 and the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142 are 0.1 mm to 10 mm, respectively. As mentioned above, the vertical thickness of the fifth region 141 is thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region 142.

[0165] [Embodiment 2] Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the entirety of the drug dispensing device 1A according to Embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 14, the drug dispensing device 1A comprises a drug preparation unit 10A, a plurality of cassettes 20, a tablet passage path 30, a packaging unit 40, a tablet waiting unit 50, a manual dispensing unit 60, a touch panel 70, and a control unit 80. The cassettes 20 are fixed cassettes in which the type of tablets 2 to be contained is fixed. However, the drug dispensing device 1A may also include variable cassettes as cassettes 20, in which the type of tablets 2 to be contained can be changed. The drug preparation unit 10A is located below the tablet waiting unit 50. Also, in Figure 14, the drug dispensing device 1A is shown with the tablet waiting unit 50 and other components pulled out to the front from their original position in order to illustrate the tablet waiting unit 50.

[0166] The control unit 80 is a control circuit that comprehensively controls the operation of the drug dispensing device 1A. Although the control unit 80 is located outside the drug dispensing device 1A for illustrative purposes, it may actually be built into the drug dispensing device 1A. The packaging unit 40, the manual dispensing unit 60, and the touch panel 70 will be described in a separate embodiment later.

[0167] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the tablet waiting unit 50. As shown in Figure 15, the tablet waiting unit 50 holds tablets 2 until a single packet of tablets 2 is supplied from the cassette 20 via the tablet passage path 30, and includes a waiting hopper 51, a movable lid 52, and ribs 53. The waiting hopper 51 is a funnel-shaped member with an opening 51a in the center and sloping downwards toward the center. The movable lid 52 is a lid that opens and closes the opening 51a. The movable lid 52 opens and closes the opening 51a by moving up and down by an operating mechanism (not shown). When the opening 51a is closed, the tablet waiting unit 50 holds the tablets 2 supplied from the cassette 20 in the waiting hopper 51. When the opening 51a is open, the tablet waiting unit 50 supplies the tablets 2 that were held in the waiting hopper 51 to the drug preparation unit 10A through the opening 51a.

[0168] The ribs 53 are partitions that prevent the tablets 2 from rotating along the circumferential direction of the standby hopper 51 when the opening 51a is closed. In the example shown in Figure 15, four ribs 53 are provided between the standby hopper 51 and the movable lid 52 at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction of the standby hopper 51 and the movable lid 52. However, the number and position of the ribs 53 are not limited to this.

[0169] Figure 16 is an enlarged view of the rib 53. As shown in Figure 16, slits 53a and 53b are formed near the top of the rib 53. Slit 53a is formed on the side of the rib 53 facing the standby hopper 51. Slit 53b is formed on the side of the rib 53 facing the movable lid 52. In Figure 16, slit 53a is longer than slit 53b. However, the rib 53 may have slits in different positions, shapes, and numbers than slits 53a and 53b, if they provide the effects described later.

[0170] By providing slits 53a and 53b, the portion of the rib 53 above slit 53a flexes when the tablet 2 collides with the upper end of the rib 53, thereby absorbing the impact caused by the collision of the tablet 2.

[0171] Here, if the tablet 2 supplied from the cassette 20 collides with the upper end of the rib 53 and bounces up into the air above the tablet waiting section 50, the timing of when the tablet 2 will be waiting at the bottom of the tablet waiting section 50 will be delayed. The control unit 80 operates the movable lid 52 to discharge the tablet 2 from the opening 51a to the drug preparation section 10A after a predetermined time has elapsed since dispensing one packet of tablets 2 from the cassette 20 (after a time has elapsed in which it can be determined that one packet of tablets 2 has been contained in the tablet waiting section 50). Therefore, it is possible that the movable lid 52 operates and the opening 51a opens and closes while the tablet 2 is bouncing up into the air above the tablet waiting section 50. As a result, there is a possibility that the tablet 2 that should be discharged from the tablet waiting section 50 to the drug preparation section 10A at the timing of the opening and closing may not be discharged.

[0172] Therefore, the ribs 53, through the slits 53a and 53b, absorb the impact when the tablet 2 collides with the upper end, reducing the possibility that the tablet 2 will bounce off due to the impact. Consequently, the tablet waiting section 50 has the effect of reducing the possibility that the tablet 2 will bounce off due to the impact of the collision with the ribs 53, and that the tablet 2, which should be discharged from the tablet waiting section 50 to the drug preparation section 10A at the desired timing, will not be discharged.

[0173] The widths of the slits 53a and 53b should be set to an extent that produces the above-mentioned effect, and may be, for example, 1.5 mm or less. The width should be set considering the material of the tablet waiting section 50, as well as the position and number of slits.

[0174] In the example shown in Figure 16, the rib 53 is a single member having slits 53a and 53b. However, the rib 53 may have an upper member and a lower member that are spaced apart. The gap between the upper member and the lower member may also be set to, for example, 1.5 mm or less. The upper member is movable relative to the lower member by the amount of the gap when the tablet 2 collides with it. In this case, the impact caused by the tablet 2 colliding with the upper member of the rib 53 is absorbed by the movement of the upper member, thus producing the same effect as the rib 53 having slits 53a and 53b.

[0175] Figure 17 is a top view of the drug preparation unit 10A, viewed from vertically above. Figure 18 is a bottom view of the drug preparation unit 10A, viewed from vertically below. The drug preparation unit 10A includes a compartment forming body 11A instead of a compartment forming body 11. The compartment forming body 11A includes a storage section 100 with an open bottom, similar to the compartment forming body 11 described above. The drug preparation unit 10A also includes a bottom plate 14A instead of a bottom plate 14. The bottom plate 14A includes a portion that can close the bottom of the storage section 100, similar to the bottom plate 14 described above, and a supply port 1401 that can supply tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100 to the dispensing unit 40.

[0176] The drug preparation unit 10A, like the drug preparation unit 10, stores one packet of tablets 2 in each of the multiple storage units 100 and supplies one packet of tablets 2 to the packaging unit 40, which then packages them into individual packaging papers. The drug preparation unit 10A supplies the tablets 2 stored in the storage units 100 to the packaging unit 40 by the relative movement of the compartment forming body 11A with respect to the bottom plate 14A. Specifically, the compartment forming body 11A rotates around the axis 16 while the bottom plate 14A is stationary. However, in the drug preparation unit 10A, the bottom plate 14A may rotate around the axis 16 while the compartment forming body 11A is stationary. In either case, the tablets 2 stored in the storage units 100 move relative to the bottom plate 14A and are supplied to the packaging unit 40 through a supply port 1401 (see Figure 19) provided on the bottom plate 14A.

[0177] Figure 19 is a top view of the bottom plate 14A of the drug preparation unit 10A, viewed from vertically above. In Figure 19, region 15C is the region opposite the storage unit 100, and is the region in which the tablets 2 stored in the storage unit 100 can move as the compartment forming body 11A moves relative to the bottom plate 14A. Region 15C is defined by the movement path through which the tablets 2 can move as a result of the relative movement, and should be a region having a width corresponding to the width of the supply port 1401 in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the drug preparation unit 10A. For example, if the width of the region between grooves 15A and 15B corresponds to the width of the supply port 1401, then the width of the region between grooves 15A and 15B will be equal to the width of region 15C.

[0178] Unlike the bottom plate 14, the bottom plate 14A does not have an outlet 15 on the movement path through which the tablet 2 moves as the compartment forming body 11 rotates. The bottom plate 14A is provided with annular grooves 15A and 15B in the outer region of area 15C. Specifically, groove 15A is located further from the axis 16 than area 15C. Groove 15B is located closer to the axis 16 than area 15C. In other words, area 15C is the inner region of grooves 15A and 15B. Grooves 15A and 15B will be described later.

[0179] The bottom plate 14A may have a fifth region 141, similar to the bottom plate 14. However, the fifth region 141 is not essential for the bottom plate 14A. Also, the first region 121 is not essential for the top plate 12 of the drug preparation unit 10A. Furthermore, in the drug preparation unit 10A, the buffer region Ba provided by the drug preparation unit 10 is not essential, such as the void 13 formed between the top plate 12 and the storage unit 100.

[0180] Figure 20 is a bottom view of the compartment forming body 11A, viewed from vertically below. As shown in Figure 20, the compartment forming body 11A further comprises a removal section 18 in addition to the components of the compartment forming body 11. The removal section 18 is a block-shaped member disposed on the bottom surface of the compartment forming body 11A. The removal section 18 rotates integrally with the compartment forming body 11A around the axis 16 while in contact with the bottom plate 14A.

[0181] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the compartment forming body 11A and the bottom plate 14A in a plan view. As shown in Figure 21, the removal section 18 is provided at a position opposite to the movement path (i.e., region 15C) of the tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100. Furthermore, the removal section 18 is provided on the rear side of the storage section 100 when the direction of movement of the compartment forming body 11A relative to the bottom plate 14A (i.e., the direction of movement of the tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100) is considered to be the front side.

[0182] Furthermore, in Figure 21, a portion of the removal section 18 faces groove 15A, and another portion of the removal section 18 faces groove 15B. In this case, at least one of the powder and fragments (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as powder, etc.) generated from the tablet 2 that are present in region 15C can be guided along the removal section 18 to groove 15A or 15B. Therefore, the powder, etc. can be more reliably contained in groove 15A or 15B. Such powder, etc. is generated, for example, by collisions between the tablet 2 and the wall surface during the process of the tablet passage path 30, or by friction between the tablet 2 stored in the storage section 100 and the bottom plate 14.

[0183] Furthermore, in the drug preparation section 10A, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the removal section 18 faces the groove 15A or 15B in the vertical direction. In other words, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the removal section 18 is located vertically above the groove 15A or 15B. In this case, the removal section 18 can guide the powder or other material present in area 15C along the removal section 18 to the groove 15A or 15B. Therefore, the powder or other material can be more reliably contained in the groove 15A or 15B.

[0184] The removal section 18 has a contact surface 18a that comes into contact with powder or the like due to the relative movement of the compartment forming body 11A with respect to the bottom plate 14A. The contact surface 18a may be inclined with respect to a straight line PL perpendicular to the movement path of the tablet 2 when the compartment forming body 11A is viewed from the bottom side of the storage section 100. In this embodiment, the straight line PL is a straight line perpendicular to the grooves 15A and 15B that extends radially from the center of the drug preparation section 10A. By inclining the contact surface 18a with respect to the straight line PL in this way, powder or the like can be accurately removed to the outside of the region 15C.

[0185] In this embodiment, the contact surface 18a moves away from the straight line PL towards the rear in the rotational direction of the compartment forming body 11A as it moves from the inside to the outside of the drug preparation section 10A (i.e., from the groove 15B side to the groove 15A side). Therefore, due to the relative movement of the compartment forming body 11A with respect to the bottom plate 14A, powder etc. discharged from the storage section 100 comes into contact with the removal section 18 and is pushed out towards the groove 15A side or repelled. Specifically, the angle that the contact surface 18a makes with respect to the straight line PL in the above plan view may be greater than 0° and 4.5° or less. By making the above angle greater than 0°, the contact surface 18a can be directed towards the outer circumference of the drug preparation section 10A, thereby increasing the possibility of pushing or repelling powder etc. towards the outer circumference of the region 15C. Also, 4.5° is the maximum angle when considering the positional relationship of the removal section 18 with surrounding parts (e.g., storage section 100) in the drug preparation section 10A. The closer the angle is to the maximum angle, the greater the possibility of pushing or flicking powder or other materials towards the outer periphery of region 15C.

[0186] The contact surface 18a may be spaced further back in the rotational direction of the compartment forming body 11A relative to the straight line PL, moving from the outside to the inside of the drug preparation section 10A (i.e., from the groove 15A side to the groove 15B side). In this case, the powder discharged from the storage section 100 will be pushed out towards the groove 15B side or flicked away by contact with the removal section 18.

[0187] Figure 22 is a perspective view of the cross-section of the drug preparation unit 10A in a plane parallel to the axis 16. As shown in Figure 22, in the drug preparation unit 10A, a gap 143 is formed between the storage unit 100 and the bottom plate 14A, with dimensions that make it difficult for tablets 2 to pass through. The height of the gap 143 is, for example, in the range of 0.3 mm to 1 mm, and is appropriately adjusted during the manufacture of the drug dispensing device 1A according to the thickness of the tablets 2. Powder and the like are discharged from the storage unit 100 through the gap 143 by the relative movement of the compartment forming body 11A relative to the bottom plate 14A. The removal unit 18 removes the powder and the like generated from the tablets 2 and discharged from the storage unit 100 by contacting it as the compartment forming body 11A moves relative to the bottom plate 14A. The powder and the like that come into contact with the removal unit 18 are pushed or flicked away by the removal unit 18 as a result of the relative movement. This makes it possible to remove powder and other materials present outside the storage unit 100 from region 15C.

[0188] The removal section 18 is made of a material that has higher sliding properties against the bottom plate 14A compared to the material of the compartment forming body 11A. For example, the bottom surface of the compartment forming body 11A is made of aluminum, and the side walls of the storage section 100 are made of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). The removal section 18 is made of a high-molecular polymer. The bottom plate 14A is made of POM (Polyoxymethylene). By constructing the removal section 18 and the bottom plate 14A from such materials, wear on the removal section 18 and the bottom plate 14A can be reduced.

[0189] The grooves 15A and 15B described above are grooves that contain the powder and other materials removed by the removal unit 18. In the drug preparation unit 10A, grooves 15A and 15B are provided on the bottom plate 14A, which further reduces the possibility that the powder and other materials removed from area 15C by the removal unit 18 may be supplied to the dispensing unit 40 from the supply port 1401. To clean the grooves 15A and 15B containing the powder and other materials, simply remove the bottom plate 14A and wipe them dry. However, grooves 15A and 15B are not essential in the drug preparation unit 10A, and one or both may be omitted.

[0190] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram showing the structure around the removal section 18. As shown in Figure 23, the compartment forming body 11A includes a pressing section 19 that presses the removal section 18 against the bottom plate 14A. By pressing the removal section 18 against the bottom plate 14A with the pressing section 19, powder and other materials present on the surface of the bottom plate 14A can be more reliably brought into contact with the removal section 18.

[0191] As shown in Figure 23, the pressing portion 19 includes a pin 19a that fixes the position of the removal portion 18 in a plan view, and a spring 19b (elastic member) that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The removal portion 18 is movable in the vertical direction relative to the pin 19a. The spring 19b biases the removal portion 18 when the compartment forming body 11A is attached to the bottom plate 14A. This allows the removal portion 18 to be pressed more reliably against the bottom plate 14A.

[0192] Furthermore, the drug preparation unit 10A does not necessarily need to have multiple storage units 100, and may have a single storage unit 100. Also, the compartment forming body 11A does not necessarily need to rotate around the axis 16. For example, the compartment forming body 11A may be configured such that the storage unit 100 moves linearly along a predetermined axis within the region including the supply port 1401.

[0193] Furthermore, in the drug preparation unit 10A, the removal unit 18 may not be able to completely remove powder, etc., from the area 15C. However, in such cases, the powder, etc., on the area 15C that is pushed or flicked away by the removal unit 18 will be packaged in the same packaging paper as the tablet 2, which is the source of the powder, etc. Therefore, when the drug preparation unit 10A has multiple storage units 100, the possibility that powder, etc., generated from a tablet 2 stored in one storage unit 100 will be mixed into the packaging paper of a tablet 2 stored in another storage unit 100 and packaged there can be reduced.

[0194] Furthermore, the drug preparation unit 10A does not necessarily have to be implemented as the removal unit 18 using the aforementioned block. For example, the drug preparation unit 10A may have a suction mechanism for aspirating powder, etc., instead of the aforementioned block, as the removal unit 18. Such a removal unit 18 can also remove powder, etc., that is outside the storage unit 100 in region 15C from region 15C. In this case, it is not necessary to provide grooves 15A and 15B in the bottom plate 14A.

[0195] [Embodiment 3] The rotation of the compartment forming body 11A in the drug preparation unit 10A will be described below. Note that the following description is also applicable to the rotation of the compartment forming body 11 in the drug preparation unit 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the description assumes that the compartment forming body 11A rotates relative to the bottom plate 14, but the same description can be applied even if the bottom plate 14 rotates relative to the compartment forming body 11A.

[0196] In the drug preparation unit 10A, the compartment forming body 11A rotates 60 degrees around the axis 16. That is, the rotation of the compartment forming body 11A is provided with stopping positions every 60 degrees. However, this angle is just an example and may be changed as appropriate depending on the number of storage units 100 in the drug preparation unit 10A.

[0197] At the stopping position of the compartment forming body 11A, the bottom of each storage section 100 is located in a position on the bottom plate 14 that does not correspond to the supply port 1401. As the compartment forming body 11A rotates 60 degrees from one stopping position to the next, the bottom of one of the storage sections 100 passes the position corresponding to the supply port 1401, causing the tablets 2 to pass through the supply port 1401. This allows the tablets 2 to be supplied from the storage section 100 to the dispensing section 40.

[0198] In this embodiment, the control unit 80 temporarily stops the rotation of the compartment forming body 11 when the bottom of any of the storage sections 100 passes the position corresponding to the supply port 1401. If the compartment forming body 11 does not temporarily stop rotating when the bottom of any of the storage sections 100 passes the position corresponding to the supply port 1401, the following situations may occur. That is, due to the rotation of the compartment forming body 11, the bottom of the storage section 100 moves to a position that does not correspond to the supply port 1401 before all the tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100 are supplied to the supply port 1401. In other words, the tablets 2 stored in the storage section 100 do not fall out of the supply port 1401 but pass over it. As a result, there is a possibility that tablets 2 that should be packaged remain in the storage section 100 and are not packaged. Also, after the compartment forming body 11 has completed one rotation, the tablets 2 remaining in the storage section 100 may be supplied to the supply port 1401, resulting in packaging that differs from the prescription.

[0199] Therefore, the control unit 80 temporarily stops the rotation of the compartment forming body 11 when any of the storage units 100 passes the position corresponding to the supply port 1401. This has the effect of reducing the possibility of situations where tablets 2 to be packaged remain in the storage unit 100 and are not packaged, and where packaging is performed in a manner different from the prescription.

[0200] In the compartment forming body 11, the rotational speed from the start of rotation from the stop position until one of the storage units 100 reaches the position corresponding to the supply port 1401 is defined as the first rotational speed. After one of the storage units 100 reaches the position corresponding to the supply port 1401 and rotation is temporarily stopped, the rotational speed from the restart of rotation until the next stop position is defined as the second rotational speed. In this case, it is preferable that the first rotational speed be set to a speed slower than the second rotational speed.

[0201] If the compartment forming body 11 temporarily stops rotating when the storage section 100 passes the position corresponding to the supply port 1401, the tablets 2 contained in the storage section 100 may collide with each other, causing the tablets 2 to bounce violently. This phenomenon occurs especially when there are both large and small tablets 2 in the storage section 100. Specifically, when a large tablet 2 collides with a small tablet 2, the small tablet 2 is knocked away and bounces violently. Furthermore, the compartment forming body 11 may resume rotating before the tablet 2 falls back to the bottom of the storage section 100, potentially preventing the tablet 2 from passing through the supply port 1401.

[0202] By setting the first rotation speed to a slower speed than the second rotation speed, the bouncing of the tablets 2 when the rotation of the compartment forming body 11 is temporarily paused can be reduced. Therefore, the possibility that tablets 2 will not be supplied to the supply port 1401 due to bouncing can be reduced. Furthermore, by setting the second rotation speed to a faster speed than the first rotation speed, the number of times per unit time that tablets 2 are supplied from the storage unit 100 to the dispensing unit 40 via the supply port 1401 can be increased while reducing the above possibility. In other words, the number of tablets 2 that are packaged per unit time can be increased.

[0203] [Embodiment 4] The drug dispensing device 1A maintains information for each of the multiple cassettes 20, including the expiration date of the tablets 2 contained within, and a user-determined expiration date for the tablets 2 contained within. Even tablets 2 of the same type will be placed in different cassettes 20 if their expiration dates or expiration dates differ. The expiration date is generally set earlier than the expiration date, but is not limited to this.

[0204] When dispensing a tablet 2, the control unit 80 determines whether the expiration date or use-by date for each cassette 20 containing the tablet 2 is the same as or later than the last day of the period during which the medication is to be taken (last day of taking the medication). The user of the drug dispensing device 1A may arbitrarily set whether to determine the expiration date or the use-by date through an input operation.

[0205] The information indicating the planned duration of medication use is included in the prescription data transmitted from the dispensing command device (not shown) to the drug dispensing device 1A. However, the prescription data may also be read into the drug dispensing device 1A via a two-dimensional code printed on the prescription. Alternatively, the prescription data may be manually entered into the drug dispensing device 1A by the user, for example, via the touch panel 70. The medication dates may be calculated by the control unit 80 based on this information.

[0206] The dispensing command device creates prescription data that indicates the prescription details entered by the user and includes information about the medication to be dispensed from at least one medication dispensing device that is communicatively connected to the dispensing command device. The dispensing command device transmits the created prescription data to the medication dispensing device that dispenses the medication indicated by the prescription data. In this embodiment, the dispensing command device is communicatively connected to the medication dispensing device 1A, creates prescription data that includes information about the tablets 2 to be dispensed from the medication dispensing device 1A, and transmits it to the medication dispensing device 1A. The medication dispensing device 1A dispenses the tablets 2 based on the received prescription data.

[0207] The control unit 80 supplies tablets 2 from the cassette 20 to the tablet waiting unit 50 only if the expiration date or use-by date of the tablets 2 is the same as or later than the last day of taking the tablets 2. This allows the drug dispensing device 1A to dispense tablets 2 that are within their expiration date or use-by date. In other words, the drug dispensing device 1A can package the tablets 2 considering when the patient will take them. Therefore, the possibility of giving patients tablets 2 that have expired or are within their use-by date can be reduced.

[0208] If there are multiple cassettes 20 of the same drug type where the expiration date or use-by date of tablet 2 is the same as or later than the last day of taking tablet 2, the drug dispensing device 1A supplies tablet 2 to the tablet waiting unit 50 starting with the cassette 20 whose expiration date or use-by date is closest in time to the period of planned administration. This allows the drug dispensing device 1A to dispense the tablet 2 with the expiration date or use-by date closest in time to the period of planned administration. However, if this point is not taken into consideration, the control unit 80 may identify any of the multiple cassettes 20 where the expiration date or use-by date of tablet 2 is the same as or later than the last day of taking tablet 2 as the cassette 20 from which to dispense tablet 2.

[0209] Furthermore, if there is no cassette 20 in which the expiration date or use-by date of tablet 2 is the same as or later than the last day of taking tablet 2, the drug dispensing device 1A supplies the manually dispensed tablets 2 to the tablet waiting unit 50 using the manually dispensed unit 60, which will be described later.

[0210] Here, we will explain an example of determining whether or not to dispense tablet 2 by comparing its expiration date with the last day of use. For example, The expiration date of tablet 2 contained in cassette 20 of cassette number 1 is March 19, 2021. • The expiration date of tablet 2 contained in cassette 20 of cassette number 2 is March 23, 2021. • The expiration date of tablet 2 contained in cassette 20 of cassette number 3 is March 26, 2021. Let's assume that this is the case.

[0211] For example, if the last day of administration was March 19, 2021, the expiration dates of the tablets 2 contained in cassettes 20 numbered No. 1 to No. 3 would be the same as or later than the last day of administration. Therefore, the control unit 80 can identify cassettes 20 numbered No. 1 to No. 3 as the target for dispensing tablets 2, but in this embodiment, cassette 20 numbered No. 1, which has the closest expiration date or expiration date in time to the period during which administration is planned, is identified as the cassette 20 from which to dispense tablets 2.

[0212] Furthermore, for example, if the last day of administration is March 22, 2021, the control unit 80 can identify cassettes 20 with cassette numbers No. 2 to No. 3 as the targets for dispensing tablets 2. However, in this embodiment, cassette 20 with cassette number No. 2, which has the closest expiration date or expiration date in time to the period during which administration is planned, is identified as the cassette 20 from which tablets 2 will be dispensed.

[0213] The manual dispensing unit 60 is a unit for users to manually dispense tablets 2. The manual dispensing unit 60 comprises a plurality of compartments 61 into which the tablets 2 are dispensed, and an indicator 62 corresponding to each of the plurality of compartments 61. The indicator 62 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

[0214] The touch panel 70 is an input / output device on which the control unit 80 displays information to the user and the user inputs information to the drug dispensing device 1A. For example, the control unit 80 displays an image on the touch panel 70 for the user to input information about the tablets 2 to be dispensed by hand. The user inputs information about the tablets 2 to be dispensed by hand (information associating the tablets 2 to be dispensed by hand with the compartment 61 that contains the tablets 2) based on the image displayed on the touch panel 70. The drug dispensing device 1A displays an image indicating the compartment 61 that contains the tablets 2 according to the input information and lights up the indicator 62 corresponding to that compartment 61. Therefore, the user can dispense the tablets 2 into the appropriate compartment 61.

[0215] The control unit 80 may accept input of information indicating the expiration date of the tablet 2 that the user is distributing by hand using the distributing unit 60. For example, if the control unit 80 receives input of a GS1 code assigned to the tablet 2 that the user is distributing by hand, it will compare the expiration date of the tablet 2 indicated by the GS1 code with the last day of administration.

[0216] The GS1 code is an example of information used to identify the type and expiration date of the tablet 2, and is printed on the PTP sheet or outer box of the tablet 2 to be dispensed by hand. The drug dispensing device 1A includes, for example, a reading unit 75 (see Figure 14) that reads the GS1 code, and the control unit 80 receives the input of the GS1 code via the reading unit 75. For example, if the GS1 code is printed on the PTP sheet or the like in barcode format, the reading unit 75 may be a barcode reader.

[0217] If the control unit 80 determines that the expiration date of the tablets 2 to be hand-distributed is the same as or later than the last day of administration, it permits the hand-distribution of tablets 2 for all scheduled administration dates. That is, the control unit 80 displays on the touch panel 70 the compartments 61 for accepting tablets 2 up to the last day of administration, and lights up the indicator 62 corresponding to those compartments 61. Subsequently, if the control unit 80 receives an instruction, for example via the touch panel 70, that tablets 2 have been placed in all the compartments 61 for accepting tablets 2, it instructs the dispensing unit 40 to package the hand-distributed tablets 2.

[0218] If the control unit 80 determines that the expiration date of the tablet 2 is earlier than the last day of administration, it permits the manual administration of the tablet 2 only for the days until the expiration date. Subsequently, if the control unit 80 receives an instruction, for example via the touch panel 70, that the tablet 2 has been placed in all the compartments 61 that accept the tablet 2, it instructs the packaging unit 40 to package the manually administered tablet 2.

[0219] The control unit 80 will request the user to hand-dispense another tablet 2 of the same drug type if the expiration date of the tablet 2 being hand-dispenseed has passed. However, if the expiration date of tablet 2 is before the last day of administration, the control unit 80 may not accept the hand-dispense of tablet 2 being hand-dispensed at all and may request the user to hand-dispense another tablet 2 whose expiration date is the same as or later than the last day of administration.

[0220] The control unit 80 also performs the above determination for other tablets 2. This allows the user to manually dispense tablets 2 that are within their expiration date, as tablets 2 to be taken until the last day of administration. Furthermore, the control unit 80 will not allow the dispensing unit 40 to dispense tablets 2 until all tablets 2 to be manually dispensed are within their expiration date, if the verification result is deemed inappropriate. However, the control unit 80 may have a function to skip the above determination based on user input. With this function, the control unit 80 can accept manual dispensing even for tablets 2 that do not have a GS1 code. In this case, the user can confirm the expiration date of the tablets 2.

[0221] [Embodiment 5] The packaging unit 40 is a device for packaging tablets 2 in packaging paper. The packaging unit 40 has a supply device for supplying packaging paper. The packaging paper is mounted in a roll paper form on the supply device. The roll paper is made by winding a strip of packaging paper (wrapping paper) around a tubular core member to form a roll. In this embodiment, the roll paper is made by rolling up packaging paper that has been folded in half into a strip. However, the roll paper mounted on the packaging unit 40 is not limited to this.

[0222] Furthermore, the packaging unit 40 has a printing mechanism (not shown). In the packaging unit 40, the packaging paper dispensed from the roll paper is introduced into the printing mechanism. The printing mechanism prints information such as the patient's name, the name of the tablet 2, and the timing of administration (date and time of administration) (information related to the prescription and information related to the tablet 2 to be provided) onto the packaging paper. After this information is printed on the packaging paper, it is opened upwards. In this state, it receives the tablet 2 that has fallen (was supplied) from the supply port 1401.

[0223] Furthermore, the packaging unit 40 has a sealing mechanism (not shown). In the packaging unit 40, the packaging paper that has received the tablets 2 is introduced into the sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism sequentially packages the received tablets 2 by sealing the packaging paper that has received the tablets 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions. The horizontal direction is the direction in which the packaging paper is dispensed (delivered). The vertical direction is the direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) the direction in which the packaging paper is dispensed. In this way, a package containing one dose of tablets 2 is formed. Furthermore, the packaging unit 40 has a transport mechanism that transports the package to the outside of the packaging unit 40.

[0224] The transport mechanism of the packaging unit 40 transports the packaged products to the outside of the packaging unit 40 in the form of a continuous group of multiple packages. However, the transport mechanism may also transport one or more individual packaged products to the outside of the packaging unit 40.

[0225] Furthermore, the core member of the roll paper described above may be assigned an identifier. The identifier is, for example, a memory element that stores information that allows for the individual identification of the roll paper. Examples of information that allows for the individual identification of the roll paper include information about the manufacturer of the roll paper (such as the manufacturer's name), information about the date of manufacture, or the type of roll paper wound on the core member. Other examples of information that allows for the individual identification of the roll paper include the order number of the roll paper, the shipping date, customer information of the delivery destination, the model name and model code of the packaging unit 40 in which the roll paper is attached, or other IDs (Identification). A concrete example of such an identifier is a memory such as an IC tag. The identifier may also be a code such as a one-dimensional code (barcode) or a two-dimensional code. If a code is used as the identifier, the identifier may be attached to the label of the roll paper.

[0226] The control unit 80 may determine whether the roll paper is correct to be loaded into the packaging unit 40 when the roll paper is loaded into the packaging unit 40. The identifier may also store information to identify whether the roll paper is unused. In this case, the control unit 80 may determine whether the roll paper is unused when the roll paper is loaded into the packaging unit 40.

[0227] Furthermore, the identifier may store information regarding the remaining amount of packaging paper. In this case, the control unit 80 may store the remaining amount of packaging paper in the identifier during the packaging operation in which the tablets 2 are packaged by the packaging unit 40. Alternatively, the control unit 80 may store the remaining amount of packaging paper in the identifier after the packaging operation by the packaging unit 40 has been completed. In other words, the control unit 80 may store information regarding the remaining amount of packaging paper at any given time during the packaging operation by the packaging unit 40.

[0228] Furthermore, the packaging unit 40 has a forward packaging function that packages the tablets 2 in the order they should be taken. In addition, the packaging unit 40 has a reverse packaging function that packages the tablets 2 in the reverse order they should be taken. A packaged item is a medicine package containing the tablets 2 in packaging paper.

[0229] For example, consider the case of packaging tablets 2, which are taken three times a day, in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. In the forward packaging function, the packaging unit 40 packages tablets 2 in the order of morning dose, noon dose, and evening dose, starting from the first day of the administration period. On the other hand, in the reverse packaging function, the packaging unit 40 packages tablets 2 in the order of evening dose, noon dose, and morning dose, starting from the last day of the administration period.

[0230] When multiple types of tablets 2 are packaged together in the same individual packaging, depending on the combination of tablets 2, pharmaceutical changes may occur between those tablets. Examples of pharmaceutical changes include discoloration or staining. To avoid such changes, multiple types of tablets 2, administered by the same patient, on the same day, and at the same time of administration, may be packaged together in multiple different individual packaging packages.

[0231] Normally, the packaging unit 40 prints information about the tablets 2 contained in the packaging on only one side of the packaging. For this reason, multiple packaging units with the same patient, date of administration, and timing of administration may be crimped together using a crimping machine with the printed side facing outwards. Specifically, one of several groups of packaging units with the same patient, date of administration, and timing of administration is designated as the base packaging unit. Then, other groups of packaging units with the same patient, date of administration, and timing of administration are crimped onto the base packaging unit, with the unprinted side facing the base packaging unit.

[0232] If multiple groups of individually packaged tablets contain tablets 2 in a connected sequence, then in order to perform the above-mentioned crimping, it is necessary to separate each package individually and then crimp each package that has the same patient, administration date, and administration period. This requires the separation of packages and increases the number of crimping steps, resulting in a significant amount of work time and effort.

[0233] In this embodiment, the control unit 80 instructs the packaging unit 40 to package, for example, only the base packaging group using the forward packaging function, and package the other packaging groups using the reverse packaging function, from among multiple packaging groups that share the same patient, date of administration, and timing of administration. If the control unit 80 receives an instruction, for example via the touch panel 70, to package tablets 2 prescribed to a certain patient using the reverse packaging function, it instructs the packaging unit 40 to package tablets 2 using the forward packaging function and the reverse packaging function as described above. As a result, even if the packaging items remain connected, the base packaging group and the other packaging groups can be crimped together with their sides opposite to the printed side facing each other, so that the timing of administration corresponds between them. Therefore, the separation work is eliminated and the number of crimping operations is reduced, thus reducing working time and effort.

[0234] Furthermore, in this crimped group of individual packets, the printed surfaces of both the base packet group and the other packets can be clearly seen with their tops and bottoms aligned. Therefore, it is easy to determine whether all the crimped packets belong to the patient and whether the administration dates and times are the same.

[0235] Furthermore, the contents of each package (the type or number of tablets 2 included) may differ depending on the time of administration. In other words, the contents of each package may be uneven. When tablets 2 with uneven contents are manually distributed using the manual dispensing unit 60, the tablets 2 to be distributed differ for each section 61, which may lead to dispensing errors. Such dispensing errors are particularly likely to occur when the user refers to an instruction sheet that lists the types and numbers of tablets 2 to be distributed in the order of administration, and then manually distributes the tablets 2 in the reverse order of what is written.

[0236] Therefore, the control unit 80 determines whether the contents of the individual packages are uneven. If the control unit 80 determines that the contents of the packages are uneven, it prints an instruction sheet on a printer (not shown) that lists the types and numbers of tablets 2 to be hand-distributed in reverse order of administration, or displays the contents of the instruction sheet on the touch panel 70. By hand-distributing the tablets 2 in the order of the instruction sheet, the possibility of distributing them incorrectly can be reduced.

[0237] Furthermore, if the number of individual packets differs between the base packet group and other packet group, the packet section 40 may equalize the number of individual packets by adding an empty packet (which does not contain tablets 2) to the packet group with fewer individual packets.

[0238] In this case, the control unit 80 determines whether the number of individual packets matches between the base packet group to be generated and the other packet group. That is, the control unit 80 determines whether the timing of administration included in the prescription for generating the base packet group matches the timing of administration included in the prescription for generating the other packet group. If the control unit 80 determines that the number of individual packets does not match between the base packet group to be generated and the other packet group, it determines, based on the two prescription contents, where to add an empty packet in the packet group with fewer individual packets. Then, when generating the packet group with fewer individual packets, the control unit 80 adds an empty packet at the determined position. That is, in the packet group with fewer individual packets, the control unit 80 adds an empty packet at a position corresponding to a timing of administration that exists in the prescription for generating the packet group with more individual packets but does not exist in the prescription for generating the packet group with fewer individual packets.

[0239] For example, consider a case where the tablets 2 included in the base package group are taken in the morning, noon, and evening, while the tablets 2 included in other package groups are taken only in the morning and evening. In this case, the packaging unit 40 packages the tablets 2 in the other package groups such that there is a series of empty packages between the package containing the tablets 2 to be taken in the morning and the package containing the tablets 2 to be taken in the evening.

[0240] This allows the base package group and other package groups to be crimped together so that the timing of administration corresponds between them, even if the number of packages differs between the base package group and other package groups, and even if the packages remain connected.

[0241] [Embodiment 6] The following describes the case where the drug dispensing device 1A pre-packages the tablets 2 contained in the cassette 20 (i.e., pre-packaging). In this case, the control unit 80 performs pre-packaging based on drug information received from the dispensing command device (not shown).

[0242] When the dispensing command device described above receives an instruction to perform pre-packaging by the drug dispensing device 1A, the dispensing command device transmits drug information for pre-packaging to the drug dispensing device 1A. The drug information for pre-packaging includes, for example, information to identify the type of tablet 2 to be pre-packaged (e.g., information included in the GS1 code) and information indicating the number of tablets per package. The drug information for pre-packaging also includes the tablet name in addition to the information indicating the number of tablets per package, as information indicating the contents to be printed on the drug package. Furthermore, the drug information for pre-packaging may also include the usage instructions for the tablet 2. However, the dispensing command device does not transmit information included in normal prescription data (e.g., the number of drug packages to wrap tablet 2, the number of minutes indicating the number of doses per day, and the number of days of administration). Note that the drug information for pre-packaging and the instruction to perform pre-packaging may also be entered on the touch panel 70.

[0243] When the control unit 80 receives drug information for pre-production, it identifies the cassette 20 containing the tablets 2 indicated by the drug information and instructs the packaging unit 40 to package the tablets 2 from the cassette 20. At this time, the control unit 80 packages the tablets in the number of tablets per package indicated by the drug information for pre-production. The control unit 80 continues packaging the tablets 2 until the supply of tablets 2 runs out.

[0244] The control unit 80 manages the number of tablets 2 contained in each cassette 20. When the control unit 80 determines that the number of tablets 2 in a cassette 20 containing the tablets 2 to be pre-made has become 0 (i.e., out of stock), it terminates the packaging operation by the packaging unit 40 without specifying that it is an error state in which the tablets 2 cannot be packaged due to being out of stock. The control unit 80 may, for example, not notify the user via the touch panel 70 that the cassette 20 is out of stock, but instead notify the user that the packaging of the tablets 2 to be pre-made has been completed.

[0245] By performing the above process, the burden on users who create prescriptions for pre-packaged products, taking into account the number of packages to be dispensed, can be reduced.

[0246] Alternatively, the tablets 2 to be pre-processed may be dispensed from a variable cassette instead of cassette 20 (fixed cassette). In this case, the drug information for pre-processing includes drug size information. When the control unit 80 receives the drug information for pre-processing, it displays information on the touch panel 70, for example, indicating that the tablets 2 to be pre-processed should be placed in the variable cassette. After the user places the tablets 2 in the variable cassette, if the unit receives an instruction to start dispensing via the touch panel 70, for example, the dispensing unit 40 will dispensing the tablets 2 to be pre-processed until the variable cassette runs out of stock.

[0247] With a medicine bottle containing unpackaged tablets (bulk tablets), whether new or partially used, simply placing the tablets from the bottle into a variable cassette allows for easy preparation of the number of tablets placed in the cassette.

[0248] [Examples of implementation using software] The functions of the drug dispensing device 1A are realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the device, and by a program that causes a computer to function as each control block (particularly the control unit 80) of the device. In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., memory) as hardware for executing the program. By executing the program using this control device and storage device, each of the functions described in the above embodiments is realized.

[0249] The above program may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media, not temporary ones. These recording media may or may not be provided by the above device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the above device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0250] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of each of the above control blocks can also be implemented by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which logic circuits functioning as each of the above control blocks are formed is also included in the scope of this disclosure. In addition, it is also possible to implement the functions of each of the above control blocks by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0251] 〔others〕 A drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a drug dispensing device that stores tablets discharged through a tablet passage path in one package each in a plurality of storage units and supplies the package of tablets to a packaging unit that packages them into packaging paper, wherein a buffer region is formed which is an area that elastically deforms to mitigate the impact when it collides with the tablets discharged through the tablet passage path, the plurality of storage units are formed along the outer circumference of a partition forming body and on the inside of the outer circumference, a top plate is provided vertically above the partition forming body facing the outlet of the tablet passage path, each of the plurality of storage units is capable of receiving the tablets discharged through the tablet passage path through each of a plurality of openings provided in the top plate, and a gap is provided between the top plate and the side wall of the storage unit that facilitates the elastic deformation of the edge portion of the top plate that forms the opening when it collides with the tablets discharged through the tablet passage path.

[0252] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of this disclosure, the buffer area may be formed in the top plate.

[0253] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the top plate includes a first region which is a region that can collide with the tablets discharged through the tablet passage path, and a second region which is a region other than the first region, wherein the first region and the second region are formed of the same material, and the first region may be formed as the buffer region by making the vertical thickness of the first region thinner than the vertical thickness of the second region.

[0254] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the void may be provided between the top plate and the side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage unit.

[0255] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of this disclosure, the vertical width of the void may be such that the tablet cannot pass through.

[0256] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the compartment forming body rotates about a vertical axis, and the tablets are discharged through the tablet passage path between (A) the side wall of a desired storage unit among the plurality of storage units that is rearward with respect to the rotation direction of the compartment forming body, and (B) the side wall of the storage unit immediately preceding the desired storage unit with respect to the rotation direction of the compartment forming body that is rearward with respect to the rotation direction of the compartment forming body, and the void may be provided between the side wall of the storage unit that is frontward with respect to the rotation direction of the compartment forming body and the top plate.

[0257] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the side wall of the storage unit is an inclined wall that is inclined such that the area of ​​the horizontal surface surrounded by the side wall of the storage unit decreases as it moves vertically downward, and the buffer area may be formed in the inclined wall.

[0258] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the inclined wall may be formed as the buffer region by making the thickness of the third side wall plate, which is a side wall plate constituting the inclined wall, thinner than the thickness of the fourth side wall plate, which is a side wall plate constituting the side wall of the storage unit other than the inclined wall.

[0259] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the bottom of the storage section is open in the compartment forming body, and a bottom plate constituting the bottom of the plurality of storage sections is provided substantially vertically below the compartment forming body, and the compartment forming body rotates relative to the bottom plate about a vertical axis, thereby supplying the tablets stored in the storage section to the dispensing section through a supply port which is an opening provided in the bottom plate, and the buffer area may be formed in the bottom plate.

[0260] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the bottom plate includes a fifth region which is a region that can collide with the tablets discharged through the tablet passage path, and a sixth region which is a region other than the fifth region, wherein the fifth region and the sixth region are formed of the same material, and the fifth region may be formed as the buffer region by making the vertical thickness of the fifth region thinner than the vertical thickness of the sixth region.

[0261] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, at least one side wall of the storage unit may be planar.

[0262] In a drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the bottom of the storage section is open in the compartment forming body, and a bottom plate constituting the bottom of the plurality of storage sections is provided substantially vertically below the compartment forming body, and the compartment forming body rotates relative to the bottom plate about a vertical axis, thereby supplying the tablets stored in the storage section to the packaging unit through a supply port, which is an opening provided in the bottom plate, and at least one of the side wall of the storage section and the bottom plate may be provided with an outlet that allows the powder generated from the tablets to be discharged, but is too small for the tablets to pass through.

[0263] A drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a drug dispensing device that stores tablets discharged through a tablet passage path in one package each in a plurality of storage units and supplies the packages of tablets to a packaging unit that packages them into packaging paper, comprising: a compartment forming body formed along the outer circumference of the plurality of storage units and rotating about a vertical axis; and a top plate located vertically above the compartment forming body and facing the outlet of the tablet passage path, wherein one of the plurality of storage units faces the outlet of the tablet passage path Before reaching a position, each of the plurality of storage sections includes a region for receiving tablets discharged from the tablet passage path, and each of the plurality of storage sections is capable of receiving tablets discharged through the tablet passage path via each of the plurality of openings provided in the top plate, and a gap is provided between the top plate and the side wall of the storage section that facilitates elastic deformation of the edge portion of the top plate that forms the opening, when the edge portion which is part of the region collides with a tablet discharged through the tablet passage path.

[0264] A drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a drug dispensing device that stores tablets discharged through a tablet passage path in at least one storage unit in a single-packet quantity and supplies the single-packet quantity of tablets to a packaging unit that packages the tablets into packaging paper, comprising: a compartment forming body having a storage unit with an open bottom; a bottom plate provided vertically below the compartment forming body and moving relative to the compartment forming body, having a portion capable of closing the bottom of the storage unit and an opening that allows the tablets stored in the storage unit to be supplied to the packaging unit; and a removal unit that removes at least one of powder and fragments generated from the tablets from a region along the movement path of the tablets stored in the storage unit on the bottom plate, having a width corresponding to the width of the opening in a direction perpendicular to the movement path.

[0265] In the drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the removal unit is provided at a position facing the movement path in the partition forming body, and is provided on the rear side of the storage unit when the moving direction of the partition forming body with respect to the bottom plate is the front side. A gap having a dimension that makes it difficult for the tablets to pass is formed between the storage unit and the bottom plate. The removal unit may remove at least one of the powder and chips from the storage unit through the gap by contacting at least one of the powder and chips discharged from the storage unit through the gap due to the relative movement of the partition forming body with respect to the bottom plate to the outside of the region.

[0266] In the drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the removal unit has a contact surface with which at least one of the powder and chips comes into contact due to the relative movement. The contact surface may be inclined with respect to a straight line perpendicular to the movement path when the partition forming body is viewed in plan from the bottom side of the storage unit.

[0267] In the drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the partition forming body moves relative to the bottom plate by rotating relative to the bottom plate about an axis in the vertical direction. The removal unit may remove at least one of the powder and chips that have come into contact due to the relative rotation of the partition forming body with respect to the bottom plate to the outside of the region.

[0268] In the drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, at least one groove for accommodating at least one of the powder and chips removed by the removal unit may be provided in the outer region of the region on the bottom plate.

[0269] A part of the removal unit faces the groove It's fine to do so . [[ID=I9]]

[0270] In the drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a pressing portion for pressing the removal unit against the bottom plate may be provided.

[0271] In the drug preparation unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the pressing portion includes an elastic member that expands and contracts in the vertical direction, and the elastic member may urge the removing portion in a state where the partitioning member is attached to the bottom plate.

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Claims

1. A drug dispensing device, a drug preparation unit that stores tablets discharged from multiple cassettes containing tablets and further discharged through a tablet passage path in at least one storage unit in one package portion, and supplies the said package portion of tablets to a packaging unit that packages them into individual packaging sheets, A compartment forming body having the aforementioned storage section with an open bottom, A bottom plate provided vertically below the compartment forming body and movable relative to the compartment forming body, having a portion capable of closing the bottom of the storage section and an opening that allows tablets stored in the storage section to be supplied to the dispensing section, A drug preparation unit comprising: a removal unit for removing at least one of powder and fragments generated from a tablet from a region including the movement path, defined along the movement path of the tablet stored in the storage unit on the bottom plate, and having a width corresponding to the width of the opening in a direction perpendicular to the movement path.

2. A gap of a size that makes it difficult for the tablets to pass through is formed between the storage section and the bottom plate. The drug preparation unit according to claim 1, wherein the removal unit removes at least one of the powder and fragments discharged from the storage unit through the gap by the relative movement of the compartment forming body with respect to the bottom plate, thereby removing the powder and fragments to the outside of the area.

3. The removal unit has a contact surface to which at least one of the powder and fragments comes into contact by the relative movement, The drug preparation unit according to claim 2, wherein the contact surface is inclined with respect to a straight line perpendicular to the movement path when the compartment forming body is viewed in plan from the bottom side of the storage unit.

4. The compartment forming body moves relative to the bottom plate by rotating relative to the bottom plate about a vertical axis. The drug preparation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the removal unit removes at least one of the powder and fragments that have come into contact with the compartment forming body by the relative rotation of the bottom plate to the outside of the area.

5. The drug preparation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bottom plate is provided with at least one groove in the outer region of the area for accommodating at least one of the powder and fragments removed by the removal unit.

6. The drug preparation unit according to claim 5, wherein a part of the removal unit faces the groove.

7. The drug preparation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a pressing portion for pressing the removal portion against the bottom plate.

8. The pressing portion is equipped with an elastic member that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The drug preparation unit according to claim 7, wherein the elastic member biases the removal unit when the compartment forming body is attached to the bottom plate.

9. The drug preparation unit according to claim 1, wherein the removal unit not only removes at least one of the powder and fragments from the area by contacting at least one of the powder and fragments, but also guides the remaining powder and fragments that could not be removed to the opening.

Images