Drug feeder

Abstract

To develop a medicine feeder capable of discharging only a correct amount of medicine.SOLUTION: A medicine feeder 1 includes a medicine container 2, and a container mounting device 3. The medicine container 2 is detachable from the container mounting device 3. The medicine container 2 has a medicine discharge portion for discharging medicine. The container mounting device 3 has a vibration table 50, excitation means 51, container holding means, and weight measuring means. There is provided a wire holding member 73 which has a magnet electrification wire 65, an excitation means electrification wire 68, and a measuring means electrification wire 70, and holds any of the wires. The wire holding member 73 holds the wires, and has elasticity to move the position of a wire fixing portion 76 according to external force, and when the external force is eliminated, the wire fixing portion 76 is restored to an original position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drug feeder that measures and discharges a predetermined amount of a drug. The drug feeder of the present invention is suitably used as a device for supplying powder drugs to a powder drug dispensing device that distributes powder drugs. Further, the drug feeder of the present invention is suitable as a device incorporated in a powder drug packaging device having a function of distributing powder drugs by the powder drug dispensing device and further individually packaging them. The present invention also relates to a drug dispensing device incorporating a drug feeder.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in large hospitals and large-scale pharmacies, powder drug packaging devices and drug dispensing devices having a powder drug packaging function have been introduced. Here, the powder drug packaging device is a device that individually packages powder drugs and the like for each dose. By using the powder drug packaging device, most of the work of packaging powder drugs and the like for each dose can be automated. The powder drug packaging device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a device that individually packages powder drugs for each dose. As shown in FIG. 39, it has a drug supply device 201, a powder drug dispensing device 202, and a drug packaging device 203 inside. The drug supply device 201 disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of a charging hopper 205 and a powder feeder 206 as shown in FIGS. 39 and 40. As shown in FIG. 40, the powder feeder 206 has two piezoelectric elements 207 and 208 provided under a trough 210 and vibrates the trough 210.

[0003] The powder drug dispensing device 202 is composed of a dispensing dish 212 and a scraping device 215 as shown in FIG. 39. The dispensing dish 212 has an arc-shaped cross section and has an annular groove 216 in a plan view. The dispensing dish 212 is rotated at a constant speed by a motor 219. The scraping device 215 has a disk 217 that moves up and down and rotates, and a scraping plate 218 is provided on the disk 217.

[0004] The drug packaging device 203 consists of a packaging hopper 220 and a packaging device 221, as shown in Figure 39.

[0005] Next, we will explain the procedure for dispensing powdered medication using the powder dispensing device 200. The process of packaging powdered medication is carried out by a pharmacist operating a powdered medication packaging device 200 according to the doctor's prescription. Specifically, the pharmacist checks the doctor's prescription and takes out the prescribed powdered medication vials from a medicine cabinet (not shown). Then, using a scale such as a balance, the total weight of the prescribed specific powdered medication is measured. In other words, if the medication is a powder taken three times a day, prescribed at 1.0 gram per dose, and a 20-day supply is prescribed, then (1.0 × 3 × 20 = 60) grams of powder will be dispensed. More specifically, the container is placed on a scale and tare is performed, the powder is taken from the medicine bottle using a spatula, and the powder is placed in the container on the scale to measure out 60 grams of powder.

[0006] The 60 grams of powdered drug that have been weighed out are then put into the input hopper 205 of the drug supply device 201. At the same time, the piezoelectric elements 207 and 208 (Figure 40) of the powder feeder 206 are energized to vibrate the trough 210, and the distribution plate 212 is rotated at approximately 20 to 30 revolutions per minute. The powdered chemical introduced into the input hopper 205 falls from the opening at the bottom of the input hopper 205 into the trough 210 of the powder feeder 206. As the trough 210 vibrates, the powdered chemical slowly moves toward the front and is straightened. As it moves along the trough 210, the straightening progresses, and the flow of the chemical becomes laminar. That is, the distribution of the chemical in the cross-section perpendicular to the flow becomes constant, and the distance the chemical travels per unit time also becomes constant. As a result, 60 grams of powdered chemical are uniformly dispersed and move slowly toward the front at a constant speed per unit time. Finally, the leading powder reaches the tip of the trough 210 and falls from the tip of the trough 210 into the groove 216 of the dispensing dish 212. The powder that follows will fall into the dispensing dish 212 at a constant rate per unit of time. Finally, the last remaining powder falls into the dispensing dish 212, and all 60 grams of powder enter the groove 216.

[0007] Meanwhile, since the dispensing dish 212 is rotating at a predetermined speed, the powder falling from the trough 210 is evenly distributed in the grooves 216 of the dispensing dish 212. In other words, the powder feeder 206 drops the powder onto the dispensing tray 212 little by little, and the dispensing tray 212 rotates at a constant speed, so the powder is evenly distributed into the grooves 216 of the dispensing tray 212.

[0008] Once the powder has finished falling into the dispensing tray 212, the rotation of the dispensing tray 212 is temporarily stopped. Then, the disc 217 of the scraping device 215 is dropped into the groove 216 of the dispensing tray 212. After that, the dispensing tray 212 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of portions to be dispensed. To explain using the previous example, since 60 grams of powder is to be divided into 60 packets, the dispensing tray 212 is rotated by (60 / 360) degrees, and (60 / 360) degrees of powder is collected on the front side of the disc 217. Then the disc 217 is rotated, and the scraping plate 218 scrapes out (60 / 360) degrees of powder from the dispensing tray 212 and puts it into the packaging hopper 220. The powder that falls from the packaging hopper 220 is packaged by the packaging device 221.

[0009] Using the powder dispensing device 200 disclosed in Patent Document 1, most of the work of packaging powders into single-dose portions can be automated. However, the conventional powder dispensing device 200 still has processes that have to be done manually, and it cannot be said that it is a device that can completely automate the dispensing of powdered medicine. In other words, with the conventional powder dispensing device 200, it is essential for the pharmacist to take a medicine bottle containing the desired powder from the medicine cabinet and measure out a predetermined amount of powder from that bottle. Therefore, the applicant developed a drug feeder equipped with a weight measuring device to automate the process of measuring out powdered drugs, and filed a patent application (Patent Document 2).

[0010] The drug feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2 consists of a container mounting device and a drug container. The container mounting device is equipped with a vibrating table, an excitation means and an electromagnet, and the drug container can be fixed to the vibrating table by the electromagnet. The drug feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2 vibrates a vibrating platform to dispense drug from a drug container into a dispensing tray. The weight of the drug container is monitored by a weight measuring device, and the vibration of the vibrating platform is stopped when a certain amount of drug has been dispensed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-85703 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2014-46148 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] According to the drug feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2, the work of measuring out a predetermined amount of powdered drug can be omitted. However, when we prototyped the drug feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2 and conducted repeated experiments to investigate the difference between the target drug discharge amount and the actual discharge amount, we found that there was often an error of about 0.5g between the two. Therefore, the challenge is to develop a drug feeder that can resolve this problem and dispense a more accurate amount of drug. Furthermore, the drug feeder of this embodiment can accommodate applications such as packaging drugs that are prescribed infrequently. Furthermore, the drug feeder of this embodiment can handle applications such as dispensing drugs that have been crushed from tablets into powder, or drugs that have been compounded by mixing multiple drugs in a mortar and pestle. Furthermore, the drug feeder of this embodiment can be used for dispensing drugs that are not suitable for storage in drug containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The inventors investigated the cause of errors in discharge volume. As a result, they found that the elasticity of the wire connecting the chemical feeder to the outside was the cause of the errors. Specifically, the drug feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2 has an electromagnet for fixing the drug container and an excitation means for vibrating the drug container, and there are wires for supplying power to these. There are also wires for outputting the signal of the weight measuring means to the outside. Although these wires are thin, they are physically connected to the main body, and their weight and elasticity slightly affect the detection value of the weight measuring device. Furthermore, the drug feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a vibrating platform, and the main body vibrates during use. As a result, the vibration of the vibrating platform is transmitted to each wire, causing each wire to vibrate. Consequently, the position and curvature of the wires change while the drug is being discharged, causing an error of about 0.5g in the measurement.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a drug feeder having a drug container and a container mounting device, wherein the drug container is detachably attached to the container mounting device, the drug container has a drug discharge section for discharging the drug, the container mounting device has a vibrating table and a container holding means for temporarily fixing the drug container to the vibrating table, the drug container is placed on the vibrating table, the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table with the container holding means, and the vibrating table is vibrated to discharge the drug from the drug discharge section, the drug container has a storage space forming member and a bottom forming member, the storage space forming member has side walls that cover at least the sides and has an opening at the bottom, the bottom forming member is part or all of a magnetic material, the storage space forming member is detachably attached to the bottom forming member, and the container holding means is It is an electromagnet. Having a magnetic member The magnetic component generates or ceases to generate magnetic force depending on whether or not power is supplied, and the presence or absence of magnetic force from the magnetic component determines whether or not the drug container is attached to or detached from the container mounting device. This is a drug feeder. A preferred embodiment is a chemical feeder including an operation in which, with respect to the posture of the chemical feeder placed on the vibration table of the container placement device, the total length in the longitudinal direction of the bottom forming member is longer than the total length in the longitudinal direction of the storage space forming member, the tip of the bottom forming member serves as the chemical discharge portion, when the chemical container is placed on the vibration table and fixed to the vibration table by the container holding means and the vibration table is vibrated, the chemical that has fallen from the opening of the storage space forming member to the bottom forming member travels over the bottom forming member, and the chemical is discharged from the chemical discharge portion. A more preferred embodiment is a chemical feeder in which the chemical container has an opening on the upper surface side with respect to the posture of the chemical container attached to the container placement device, and chemicals can be introduced into the chemical container through the opening. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a drug feeder having a drug container and a container mounting device, wherein the drug container is detachably attached to the container mounting device, the drug container has a drug discharge section for discharging the drug, the container mounting device has a vibrating table and a container holding means for temporarily fixing the drug container to the vibrating table, the drug container is placed on the vibrating table, the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table by the container holding means, and the drug is discharged from the drug discharge section by vibrating the vibrating table, the drug container has a storage space forming member and a bottom forming member, the storage space forming member has side walls that cover at least the sides and has an opening at the bottom, part or all of the bottom forming member is a magnetic material, the storage space forming member is detachably attached to the bottom forming member, and the container holding means has a magnetic member and fixes the drug container by magnetic force. The storage space forming member is disposed above the bottom forming member, further has an elastic member between the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member, the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member are separated at the edges, and the amount of vibration of the storage space forming member is smaller than the amount of vibration of the bottom forming member. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a drug dispensing device comprising a sealed drug container filled with a drug, a container storage device for storing the sealed drug container, a container mounting device, a housing, and an operation display unit, wherein the sealed drug container, the container storage device, and the container mounting device are arranged inside the housing, and with respect to the orientation in which the sealed drug container is mounted on the container mounting device, the sealed drug container has a lid member at one end in the longitudinal direction, the lid member is openable and closable, the container mounting device has a vibrating platform, and with respect to the orientation in which the container mounting device is mounted, a drug input open type drug container has an opening on the upper side, from which the drug is put in, and is located outside the housing, and the sealed drug container or the drug input open type drug container This drug dispensing device allows for the dispensing of drugs filled in the sealed drug container or the drug-injection open drug container by placing the drug container on a vibrating platform. If there are no sealed drug containers filled with the prescribed drug stored in the container storage device, a message is displayed on the operation display unit prompting the user to place the drug-injection open drug container, which is located outside the housing, onto the container placement device. The device further has a manual loading door, and the operation display unit has a touch panel, on which a message is displayed indicating one of the following actions: (a) open the manual loading door, (b) close the manual loading door, or (c) start dispensing. A preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device in which the container placement device has an alerting member, and the alerting member of the container placement device on which the sealed drug container is placed lights up. A more preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device in which, when the display on the operation display unit indicating the operation of (a) is pressed, the manual loading door opens automatically, and the manual loading door closest to the container placement device whose notification member is lit opens, allowing the operator to manually insert the drug container with an open drug input port through the manual loading door and place the drug container with an open drug input port on the container placement device whose notification member is lit. A more preferred embodiment is that the medicament input and release type medicament container has a storage space forming member and a bottom forming member, and the storage space forming member is a medicament dispensing device having a side wall covering at least the side surface and an opening at the bottom. A more preferred embodiment is that the medicament input and release type medicament container has a container holding means for temporarily fixing the medicament input and release type medicament container to the shaking table, a part or all of the bottom forming member is a magnetic body, the storage space forming member is detachable from the bottom forming member, and the container holding means has a magnet member and fixes the medicament input and release type medicament container by magnetic force, which is a medicament dispensing device. A more preferred embodiment is that there is an elastic body between the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member of the medicament input and release type medicament container. Based on the posture of being placed on the shaking table of the container placement device, the total length of the bottom forming member in the horizontal direction is longer than the total length of the storage space forming member in the horizontal direction, and the tip of the bottom forming member becomes the medicament discharge part. When the medicament input and release type medicament container is placed on the shaking table, fixed to the shaking table by the container holding means, and the shaking table is vibrated, the medicament that has fallen from the opening of the storage space forming member to the bottom forming member travels on the bottom forming member, and the medicament is discharged little by little from the medicament discharge part, which is a medicament dispensing device. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a drug feeder having a drug container and a container mounting device, wherein the drug container is detachably attached to the container mounting device, the drug container has a drug discharge section for discharging the drug and an information recording member, the container mounting device has a vibrating table, an excitation means for vibrating the vibrating table, a container holding means for temporarily fixing the drug container to the vibrating table, and a weight measuring means for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container, the drug container is placed on the vibrating table, the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table with the container holding means, the vibrating table is vibrated to discharge small amounts of drug from the drug discharge section, and the amount of drug discharged can be detected by the weight measuring means, the vibrating table has a container holding means for temporarily fixing the drug container, the drug container has a storage space forming member and a bottom forming member, the storage space forming member has side walls that cover at least the sides and has an opening at the bottom, and the bottom forming member is part or all of a magnetic material, The storage space forming member is detachable from the bottom forming member, the container holding means has a magnetic member and fixes the drug container by magnetic force, there is an elastic body between the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member, the horizontal length of the bottom forming member is longer than the horizontal length of the storage space forming member based on the position when the container is placed on the vibrating table of the container placement device, the tip of the bottom forming member becomes the drug discharge part, a confirmation operation is performed to check whether the drug container placed on the vibrating table is correctly placed by placing the drug container on the vibrating table, fixing the drug container to the vibrating table with the container holding means, and reading information that identifies the drug container from the information recording member, and when the vibrating table is vibrated, the drug that has fallen from the opening of the storage space forming member to the bottom forming member moves over the bottom forming member, and the drug is discharged in small amounts from the drug discharge part, and the drug container in a state in which the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member are integrated is a drug feeder that can be moved by hand. A preferred embodiment is a drug feeder in which the storage space forming member has a guide piece, and the bottom forming member has a guide receiving member, and the guide piece and the guide receiving member are engaged to integrate the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member. A more preferred embodiment is a drug feeder in which the guide receiving member has the elastic body. A more preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device having the above-mentioned drug feeder and a temporary storage stand for temporarily placing drug containers, wherein the drug container has an opening on the upper side in the direction of gravity, relative to the orientation in which it is mounted on the container mounting device, and drugs can be put into the drug container from the opening, and the drug container has a drug discharge part at one end in the horizontal direction, and the drug container is temporarily placed on the temporary storage stand in an inclined position such that the opening is on the upper side and the drug discharge part is facing upward. Another embodiment developed based on the above-mentioned findings is a drug feeder having a drug container and a container mounting device, wherein the drug container is detachably attached to the container mounting device, the drug container has a drug discharge section for discharging the drug, the container mounting device has a vibrating table, an excitation means for vibrating the vibrating table, a container holding means for temporarily fixing the drug container to the vibrating table, and a weight measuring means for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container, the drug container is placed on the vibrating table, the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table with the container holding means, the vibrating table is vibrated to discharge small amounts of drug from the drug discharge section, and the amount of drug discharged can be detected by the weight measuring means, the drug feeder has one or more wires connected to the outside, and has a wire holding member that holds all or some of the wires, the wire holding member has a wire fixing part that holds the wires, the wire holding member is elastic and the position of the wire fixing part moves in response to an external force, and when the external force disappears the wire fixing part returns to its original position.

[0015] In this embodiment of the drug feeder, the drug container is fixed to a vibrating table, and the drug container is in direct contact with the vibrating table. By vibrating the vibrating table in this state, the entire drug container or a part of it can be vibrated. As a result, the drug inside the drug container slowly moves towards the drug discharge section, the drug is rectified and its flow becomes laminar, and it is discharged from the drug discharge section. Furthermore, since the drug feeder in this embodiment is equipped with a weight measuring means, it can detect the amount of drug discharged, and the work of weighing out powdered drugs can be automated. Furthermore, the chemical feeder in this embodiment has a wire holding member, and the wire is held by the wire fixing portion of the wire holding member. The wire holding member is elastic, and the position of the wire fixing portion moves in response to an external force, and when the external force disappears, the wire fixing portion returns to its original position. As a result, changes in the position or curvature of the wire are prevented while the chemical is being discharged, and the problem of errors occurring in measurement values ​​is eliminated.

[0016] One possible configuration is in which the drug container is partially or entirely made of a magnetic material, the container holding means has a magnetic member and fixes the drug container by magnetic force, and has a magnetic current wire connected to the magnetic member, a vibration current wire connected to a vibration means, and a measurement current wire connected to a weight measuring means.

[0017] It is recommended that the wire holding component be partially or entirely a coil spring.

[0018] The wire holding member may have multiple components.

[0019] The container holding means preferably includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, and at least the magnetic force of the permanent magnet fixes the drug container to the vibrating table, and the fixing of the drug container to the vibrating table is released by energizing the electromagnet to generate a magnetic force that cancels out the magnetic force of the permanent magnet.

[0020] In this embodiment, the drug feeder has a container holding means that includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, and fixes the drug container to the vibrating table by the magnetic force of at least the permanent magnet. Therefore, when the drug container is mounted on the container holder, the amount of current supplied to the electromagnet is small. If a configuration is adopted in which the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet alone, there is no need to supply current to the electromagnet while the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table. Therefore, the electromagnet does not generate heat, and the drug inside the drug container is not heated. Also, since there is no need to supply current to the electromagnet while the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table, power consumption is small. Therefore, the power consumption of the drug feeder as a whole is small, and because there is little heat generation, it is less likely to affect the drug.

[0021] Preferably, the drug container contains one or more coil-shaped members, at least one of which is a movable coil that is positioned horizontally with its axis intersecting the direction of drug flow caused by the vibration of the vibrating table, and has degrees of freedom in the vertical direction so as to move up and down in response to the vibration of the vibrating table.

[0022] In some cases, powdered medication may clump together inside the medication container. According to this embodiment, the movable coil moves up and down due to vibration, crushing the clumps and allowing the medication to be discharged smoothly.

[0023] A canopy member is provided to cover the upper part of the movable coil, and an opening is provided in the canopy member, with the opening positioned directly above the movable coil, so that any chemicals that have accumulated on the canopy member fall onto the movable coil through the opening.

[0024] In this embodiment of the drug feeder, the drug falls directly into the movable coil, resulting in a strong crushing effect on clumps.

[0025] Preferably, the drug container contains two or more coil-shaped members, and at least one of the coil-shaped members is a fixed coil that is positioned horizontally with its axis intersecting the direction of drug flow and has no degree of freedom in the vertical direction.

[0026] In this embodiment of the drug feeder, the coiled member functions as a flow straightening member. It can also break down clumps of powdered drug and return them to their original powder form.

[0027] The drug container contains two or more coil-shaped members, at least one of which is a movable coil that is positioned horizontally with its axis intersecting the direction of drug flow caused by the vibration of the vibrating table, and has degrees of freedom in the vertical direction so as to move up and down with the vibration of the vibrating table, and at least one of which is a fixed coil that is positioned horizontally with its axis intersecting the direction of drug flow, and does not have degrees of freedom in the vertical direction, and it is desirable that the fixed coil be located downstream of the movable coil in the direction of drug flow.

[0028] As mentioned above, the movable coil has the function of crushing clumps of the drug. Also, as mentioned above, the fixed coil has the function of a flow rectifier. If there are lumps in the drug, they are crushed by the moving coil. However, in this state, the thickness of the drug layer is uneven. In this embodiment, since there is a fixed coil downstream of the movable coil, the crushed and powdered drug is leveled and transformed into a thin layer of a certain thickness.

[0029] It is desirable to have a weighing function that measures the original weight of the drug container before the drug is discharged using a weight measuring means, monitors the weight of the drug container using the weight measuring means as the drug is discharged in small amounts from the drug discharge section by vibrating the vibrating table, and stops the vibration of the vibrating table when the current weight of the drug container matches or approximately matches the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight.

[0030] Regarding the means of measuring the weight of the drug container, it should be noted that the measurement of the drug container's weight can be direct or indirect. That is, the weight of the drug container alone may be measured directly, or the weight including equipment such as a vibration table may be measured. In the drug feeder of the present invention, the original weight of the drug container before drug discharge and the current weight of the drug container are utilized, and the vibration of the vibrating table is stopped when the current weight matches the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight. Alternatively, the vibration of the vibrating table is stopped when the current weight is slightly less than the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight, and approximately matches. Therefore, after the target amount of drug has been discharged, the vibration of the vibrating table is stopped, and the discharge of drug stops.

[0031] It is desirable to monitor the weight of the drug container and change the vibration pattern of the vibration table if the change in the weight of the drug container per unit time falls below a certain level.

[0032] One possible reason why the change in the weight of the drug container per unit time falls below a certain level is that the drug has solidified inside the container. Therefore, if the change in the weight of the drug container per unit time falls below a certain level, the vibration pattern of the vibration table is changed to break up the clump. For example, the vibration pattern is changed so that the amplitude of the vibration table increases.

[0033] If the change in the weight of the drug containers per unit time remains below a certain level even after changing the vibration pattern of the vibration table, it is desirable to stop the vibration of the vibration table and perform the predetermined shortage processing step.

[0034] If the change in the weight of the drug container per unit time remains below a certain level even after changing the vibration pattern of the vibration table, it is possible that the amount of drug remaining in the drug container has decreased. The vibration of the vibration table is then stopped, and the predetermined missing item processing step is executed.

[0035] In the stockout processing step, it is desirable to remember the weight of the drug already discharged, and after replacing the drug container and restarting the system automatically or manually, to stop the vibration of the vibration table when the total discharged amount matches or nearly matches the target discharge amount.

[0036] According to this embodiment, even if a shortage occurs before a predetermined amount of discharge is reached, when the missing chemical is replenished and discharge is resumed, the amount that needs to be discharged after replenishment can be calculated because the amount of discharge completed before replenishment is stored in memory. Therefore, there is no need to recover the chemical that has already been discharged and start the discharge process all over again, resulting in high work efficiency.

[0037] It is desirable to change the vibration pattern of the vibration table when the amount of drug discharged approaches the target amount.

[0038] For example, when the amount of drug discharged falls to a certain amount below the target amount (sufficiently small compared to the target amount), the amplitude of the vibration table is reduced or the vibration frequency is lowered.

[0039] The drug container comprises a container body with one side open, and a lid member that constitutes a drug discharge section and is detachably attached to the opening of the container body, the lid member having an engaging piece, the outer circumference of the drug container having a recess, and a swinging member that covers the recess and swings relative to the container body, the engaging piece of the lid member being positioned in the recess, and a part of the swinging member engaging with the engaging piece to fix the lid member to the container body.

[0040] Furthermore, the drug container may have a main body that is almost entirely covered and has an internal space, and a raised base member may be provided at a position behind the drug discharge section, based on the orientation in which the container is placed on the container mounting device, so that when the drug container is in an upright position, the drug inside does not reach beyond the raised base member.

[0041] The drug feeder of this embodiment is suitable for dispensing small amounts of medication at a time. Medications prescribed in small quantities per prescription result in low consumption (sales) over a given period. Consequently, inventory levels are also low, and if these medications are placed in standard-sized containers, there will be ample empty space within the container, which can cause the medication to absorb moisture due to water vapor in the air. According to the drug feeder of this embodiment, the space for containing the drug in the drug container becomes narrower, making it less likely for the drug to become damp. Furthermore, this embodiment of the drug feeder is also suitable for dispensing medications that are prescribed infrequently. Furthermore, this embodiment of the drug feeder is suitable for cases where drug containers are stored in a vertical position and placed horizontally on a container placement device. When a drug container containing a small amount of medication is stored vertically, the medication will concentrate at the bottom. When this container is placed horizontally on a container holder, the medication will be concentrated at the back (farther away from the medication discharge area). In this embodiment, the drug feeder vibrates a vibrating platform to vibrate the entire drug container or a part of it, thereby slowly moving the drug inside the container towards the drug discharge section. However, if the amount of drug contained in the drug container is small, it takes time for the drug accumulated at the back to reach the drug discharge section. In this embodiment, the container was developed to hold a small amount of drug, and since the drug inside does not reach beyond the raised bottom member, the time required from the start of vibration of the vibration platform until the drug reaches the drug discharge section is short.

[0042] The drug container may have an opening on its upper side, relative to the orientation in which it is mounted on the container mounting device, and may be designed so that the drug can be poured into the drug container through this opening.

[0043] The drug feeder of this embodiment is suitable for packaging drugs that are prescribed infrequently. It is also suitable for packaging drugs that have been crushed into powder or drugs that have been mixed in a mortar and pestle. Furthermore, it is suitable for packaging drugs that are not suitable for storage in drug containers.

[0044] Furthermore, the drug container may have a storage space forming member and a bottom forming member, the storage space forming member having at least side walls covering the sides and an opening at the bottom, part or all of the bottom forming member being magnetic, the storage space forming member being detachable from the bottom forming member, and the container holding means having a magnetic member and fixing the drug container by magnetic force.

[0045] This embodiment of the drug feeder is also suitable for packaging drugs that are prescribed infrequently. Furthermore, this embodiment of the drug feeder is also suitable for packaging drugs that have been crushed into powder or drugs that have been mixed in a mortar and pestle. This embodiment of the drug feeder is also suitable for packaging drugs that are not suitable for storage in drug containers.

[0046] An elastic body is placed between the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member. The horizontal length of the bottom forming member is longer than the horizontal length of the storage space forming member, based on the orientation in which the container is placed on the vibrating table of the container placement device. The tip of the bottom forming member serves as the drug discharge section. When the drug container is placed on the vibrating table, the drug container is fixed to the vibrating table with the container holding means, and the vibrating table is vibrated, it is desirable that the drug that falls from the opening of the storage space forming member onto the bottom forming member travels over the bottom forming member and is discharged in small amounts from the drug discharge section.

[0047] According to this embodiment, vibrations from the vibrating table are less likely to be transmitted to the storage space forming member, and the movement of the drug is smooth. In this embodiment of the drug feeder, there is an elastic body between the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member, creating a structure that effectively isolates the two. As a result, the bottom forming member vibrates significantly due to the direct vibration from the vibration table, while the storage space forming member located on the upper side vibrates less. Thus, in this embodiment, the vibration of the storage space forming member and the vibration of the bottom forming member are not synchronized. Therefore, the drug in the storage space forming member falls to the bottom forming member, moves smoothly through the bottom forming member, and is discharged from the drug discharge section at the tip.

[0048] The recommended drug dispensing device is a drug dispensing device that has the above-mentioned drug feeder and a powder dispensing device for distributing powdered drugs, and is characterized by feeding the drug into the powder dispensing device via the drug feeder.

[0049] A drug dispensing device employing the drug feeder described above, further recommended configurations include having a plurality of container placement devices constituting the drug feeder, the container placement devices being arranged around the powder dispensing device, and the container placement device having a notification member that indicates that a specific drug container or a specific object should be placed on it.

[0050] "Specific drug containers" are not limited to specific types, but examples include drug containers filled with infrequently used drugs, drug containers containing drugs with a small total discharge amount, and drug containers containing drugs that have been crushed into powder. When handling such specialized medications, instead of relying on weighing by weight-measuring devices, the medication may be pre-weighed using an external weighing device, filled into containers, and then distributed using a powder dispensing device. In such cases, the pharmacist may hold the drug container by hand and place it on the container holder. However, if there are multiple container holders, it can become unclear which container the drug container should be placed in. According to this embodiment, the container placement device on which the drug container should be placed becomes clear, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, while "specific objects" are not limited to specific items, examples include weights used for calibrating and verifying weight measuring devices. In this case as well, it can become unclear which container mounting device the weights should be placed on. According to this embodiment, the container placement device on which the "specific object" should be placed becomes clear, and work efficiency is improved.

[0051] A further recommended drug dispensing device comprises a plurality of container placement devices constituting a drug feeder, a container storage device for placing and storing a plurality of drug containers, and a container moving means, wherein the container placement devices are arranged around the powder dispensing device, the area where the container storage device and the powder dispensing device are provided is covered by a housing, the housing has a plurality of doors that allow drug containers to be put in and taken out of the housing, at least one of the doors is an automatic loading door, and drug containers loaded through the automatic loading door are transported to a predetermined position by the container moving means, and at least one other door is a manual loading door, the manual loading door is sized so that an operator can reach in from the outside and introduce drug containers into the housing, and is positioned so that an operator can place drug containers on any of the container placement devices.

[0052] The drug container has an opening on its upper side, relative to the orientation in which it is mounted on the container mounting device, and drugs can be poured into the drug container through this opening. The drug container has a drug discharge section at one end in the horizontal direction and a temporary storage stand for temporarily placing the drug container. The temporary storage stand may be in an inclined position in which the drug container is temporarily placed, with the drug input section facing upwards and the drug discharge section facing upwards.

[0053] The drug container may be provided with a storage means or an identification means for identifying the drug container, and the temporary storage stand may be provided with a reading means and / or writing means for reading the contents recorded in the storage means or identification means.

[0054] Furthermore, the embodiment relating to the container placement device is a container placement device for a drug feeder that is integrated with a drug container for containing a drug, and comprises a vibrating table, an excitation means for vibrating the vibrating table, a container holding means for temporarily fixing the drug container to the vibrating table, and a weight measuring means for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container, wherein the container holding means has a magnetic member and fixes the drug container by magnetic force, and comprises a magnetic current wire connected to the magnetic member, an excitation means current wire connected to the excitation means, and a measuring means current wire connected to the weight measuring means. The container placement device for a drug feeder is characterized in that it is possible to place a drug container on a vibrating table, fix the drug container to the vibrating table with a container holding means, vibrate the vibrating table to discharge small amounts of drug from the drug discharge section, and detect the amount of drug discharged by a weight measuring means, and has a wire holding member that holds one of the wires, the wire holding member has a wire fixing part that holds the wire, the wire holding member is elastic and the position of the wire fixing part moves in response to an external force, and when the external force disappears the wire fixing part returns to its original position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0055] According to the drug feeder of the present invention, the process of measuring out powdered drugs and the like can be automated. Furthermore, this embodiment of the drug feeder eliminates the problem of errors occurring in the measured values ​​of powdered drugs, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0056] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a drug feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drug container of the drug feeder. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a disassembled perspective view of the drug container. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a partially broken perspective view of the drug container, observed from the rear after a portion of the container body has been broken. [Figure 5] (a) is a perspective view of the lid member of the drug container in Figure 2, observed from the rear with the inner lid and visor lid removed; (b) is a magnified view of a part thereof; (c) is a perspective view showing the fixed rectifier coil extracted; and (d) is a perspective view showing the movable rectifier coil extracted. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lid of the drug container, observed from the rear with the inner lid removed. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drug container (AA). [Figure 8] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view (AA) of the drug container, illustrating the flow of powdered drug within the drug container in a drug feeder. [Figure 9] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drug container at point B. [Figure 10] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the container placement device and the feeder cover attached to the container placement device of the drug feeder. [Figure 11] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the container mounting device. [Figure 12] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view AA of the container mounting device. [Figure 13] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the container mounting device. [Figure 14] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the main part illustrating the behavior of the wire holding member of the drug feeder. (a) is a perspective view of the vicinity of the wire holding member before the dispensing of the powdered drug, (b) is a perspective view of the vicinity of the wire holding member during the dispensing of the powdered drug, and (c) is a perspective view of the vicinity of the wire holding member after the dispensing of the powdered drug. [Figure 15] Figure 1 is an external view of the drug dispensing device in which the drug feeder is installed. [Figure 16] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the drug dispensing device. [Figure 17] This is a perspective view of a drug container for a drug feeder according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view of a drug feeder according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] This is an exploded perspective view of the lid member of a drug container according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] This is a partially enlarged view of Figure 16, showing the dispensing tray of one of the powder dispensing devices and the container support device provided around it. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view of a drug feeder according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] Figure 21 is a disassembled perspective view of a drug container. [Figure 23] Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the drug container, where (a) shows the movable lid in the open position and (b) shows the movable lid in the closed position. [Figure 24] Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the drug container, where (a) shows the lid attached to the container body, and (b) and (c) show the procedure for removing the lid from the container body. [Figure 25] This is a cross-sectional view of a drug container for a drug feeder according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] This is a perspective view illustrating the behavior of a drug container immediately before it is placed on the container placement device. [Figure 27] This is a perspective view of a drug container for a drug feeder according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] Figure 27 is an exploded perspective view of the storage space forming member of the drug container. [Figure 29] Figure 27 is a cross-sectional view of a drug container. [Figure 30] Figure 27 is a disassembled perspective view of a drug container. [Figure 31] Figure 27 is an exploded perspective view of the bottom forming member of the drug container. [Figure 32] Figure 31 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom forming member. [Figure 33]This is a perspective view of the temporary stand. [Figure 34] This is a rearward perspective view of the lid member of a drug container according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 35] This is a perspective view showing a portion of the lid member in Figure 34, with the lid broken off. [Figure 36] Figure 34 is a cross-sectional view of a drug container. [Figure 37] This is a disassembled perspective view of a drug container used in another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 38] Figure 37 is a cross-sectional view of the drug container. [Figure 39] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a powder dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Figure 40] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a powder feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0057] The following describes a drug feeder 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following explanation, the top and bottom directions are based on the state in which the drug container 2 is attached to the container mounting device 3 in the correct position, as shown in Figure 1. The drug discharge section (Figure 7) 13 side of the drug container 2 is considered the front side, and the opposite side is considered the rear side. The left and right directions are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the drug container 2. The drug feeder 1 of this embodiment consists of a drug container 2 and a container mounting device 3, as shown in Figure 1. A feeder cover 18 is attached to the container mounting device 3, as shown in Figure 10. For drawing purposes, the feeder cover 18 is omitted in Figure 1.

[0058] The drug container 2 is a sealed container and, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, is composed of a container body 5, a transport iron plate section 7, a fixing iron plate section 6, and a lid member 8. The container body 5 is a vertically elongated container made of resin, with one end in the longitudinal direction being open. The drug container 2 is equipped with an information recording element 90 such as an RFID and an electronic paper 91. Here, the electronic paper 91 is a display medium that has visual properties, is as thin as paper, and can have its display content electrically rewritten. In this embodiment, the type of drug is stored in the information recording member 90. The date the drug was filled into the drug container 2 and the amount filled may also be stored as needed. Furthermore, the remaining amount of drug, the amount dispensed, the expiration date, etc., may also be stored in the information recording member 90. Furthermore, it is desirable that the electronic paper 91 displays the type of drug filled in the information recording element 90, the date the drug was filled, the amount filled, the remaining amount of drug, the amount dispensed, the expiration date, etc.

[0059] Furthermore, the container body 5 is provided with a transport iron plate section 7. In this embodiment, the transport iron plate section 7 is divided into two smaller transport iron plate sections 7a and 7b. The transport iron plate section 7 is made of steel plate containing magnetic components such as ferrite.

[0060] The lid member 8 has a lid body portion 10 and a movable lid portion 11. The movable lid portion 11 has a tab portion 12, and by pressing the tab portion 12, the movable lid portion 11 opens as shown in Figure 7. When the movable lid portion 11 opens, the drug discharge portion 13, which connects the inside and outside of the container body 5, opens, and the movable lid portion 11 maintains the drug discharge portion 13 in an open state. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 to 8, a desiccant insertion section 15 and a flow straightening section 20 are provided at the rear end of the lid body 10. The desiccant insertion section 15 is a recessed area with a bottom and has parallel side walls 16. The top surface of the side walls 16 is an inclined surface that slopes downward towards the rear. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a desiccant 21 is built into the desiccant insertion section 15.

[0061] The rectifier section 20 is provided on the rear end side of the lid body 10. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the rectifier section 20 mainly consists of a fixed rectifier coil 25 and a movable rectifier coil 26. In other words, the lid body portion 10 is provided with a rectifier coil holding portion 27 located behind the desiccant insertion portion 15 and towards the lower side. The rectifier coil holding section 27 has left and right side sections 30 and a top section 29, and its bottom is open. Inside, there is a coil housing space 28 that accommodates a fixed rectifier coil 25 and a movable rectifier coil 26. In this embodiment, the movable rectifier coil 26 is located upstream of the drug flow direction, and the fixed rectifier coil 25 is located downstream. The side portion 30 of the rectifier coil holding section 27 is functionally divided into a fixed coil holding wall 31, a movable coil holding wall 32, and a tip closing wall 33.

[0062] The top surface of the fixed coil holding wall 31 forms the same plane as the top surface of the side wall 16 of the desiccant insertion section 15, and as shown in Figure 5, it is an inclined surface that slopes downward as it approaches the rear. The inner circumferential surfaces of the left and right fixed coil holding walls 31 are parallel to each other. The outer surfaces of the left and right fixed coil holding walls 31 are inclined inward as they move towards the rear, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6.

[0063] Next, the left and right movable coil retaining walls 32 will be described. Both the left and right movable coil retaining walls 32 are thin in thickness and parallel. Their heights are also uniform. The movable coil holding wall 32 is provided with a hole 39 as shown in Figure 5(b). The diameter of the hole 39 is sufficiently larger than the wire diameter of the movable rectifier coil 26.

[0064] Next, the left and right end-closing walls 33 will be described. The left and right end-closing walls 33 are continuous with the left and right movable coil holding walls 32 and are inclined inward as they extend towards the rear. The rear ends of the left and right end-closing walls 33 meet and close the rear end of the coil housing space 28. As a result, the rear end of the rectifier coil holding section 27 is triangular. A notch 36 is provided at the lower edge of the side portion 30, at the boundary between the movable coil holding wall 32 and the tip closing wall 33.

[0065] The fixed rectifier coil 25 is a coil spring, as shown in Figure 5(c), with wire wound in a circular shape, and in the middle section, the wires are wound with spacing between them. At both ends of the fixed rectifier coil 25, the wires are tightly wound to form a seated winding section 40. Both ends of the fixed rectifier coil 25 are smooth; that is, the seated winding section 40 is smooth.

[0066] In contrast, the movable rectifier coil 26 has wires protruding from both ends, as shown in Figure 5(d), forming pin portions 41. The pin portions 41 protrude along the extension of the axis of the movable rectifier coil 26. In the case of the movable rectifier coil 26, the wires in the middle section are wound with gaps between them.

[0067] The fixed rectifier coil 25 and the movable rectifier coil 26 are housed in the coil housing space 28 described above. More specifically, the fixed rectifier coil 25 is positioned on the fixed coil holding wall 31, and the seat winding portions 40 at both ends are integrally fixed to the fixed coil holding wall 31. Therefore, the fixed rectifier coil 25 is held immovably at both ends and does not move up or down as a whole even when subjected to vibration.

[0068] When the fixed rectifier coil 25 is housed in the coil housing space 28, there is a gap between the wire loops in the middle of the coil housing space 28. This gap is larger than the diameter of the wire. The gap is preferably about 1 to 5 times the diameter of the wire, and more preferably about 2 to 3 times. Specifically, the gap between the wires is about 1 mm to 5 mm, and more preferably 2 mm to 3 mm. Furthermore, the wire diameter of the fixed rectifier coil 25 is approximately 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. The outer diameter of the fixed rectifier coil 25 is approximately 10 mm to 25 mm, and more preferably 12 mm to 18 mm.

[0069] In contrast, the movable rectifier coil 26 has a degree of freedom in the vertical direction. That is, the movable rectifier coil 26 is prevented from detaching from the coil housing space 28 by inserting the pin portion 41 into the hole 39 of the movable coil holding wall 32. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the hole 39 in the movable coil holding wall 32 is sufficiently larger than the wire diameter of the movable rectifier coil 26, so there is a considerable gap between the pin portion 41 and the hole 39. Moreover, the movable rectifier coil 26 is neither in a compressed state nor in a tensile state. Therefore, when the movable rectifier coil 26 is subjected to vibration, the movable rectifier coil 26 itself moves in the vertical direction.

[0070] The movable rectifier coil 26 also has a gap between the wire loops. This gap is slightly larger than that of the fixed rectifier coil 25. The gap is preferably about 1 to 6 times the diameter of the wire, and more preferably about 2 to 4 times. Specifically, the gap between the wires is about 1 mm to 6 mm, and more preferably 2 mm to 4 mm. Furthermore, the wire diameter of the movable rectifier coil 26 is approximately 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. The outer diameter of the movable rectifier coil 26 is approximately 10 mm to 25 mm, and more preferably 12 mm to 18 mm.

[0071] The top surface of the desiccant insertion section 15 and the upper part of the fixed rectifier coil 25 in the coil housing space 28 are closed off by the inner cover 22. In other words, the top surface of the side wall 16 of the desiccant insertion section 15 and the top surface of the fixed coil holding wall 31 form the same inclined plane, and a plate-shaped inner cover 22 is attached to both, closing off the upper side of the desiccant insertion section 15 and the upper side of the fixed rectifier coil 25 in the coil housing space 28.

[0072] Furthermore, the upper part of the movable rectifier coil 26 in the coil housing space 28 is closed off by a canopy cover (canopy member) 35. Here, the planar shape of the canopy cover 35 coincides with the outlines of the left and right movable coil holding walls 32 and the left and right end-closing walls 33 when viewed from above. As a result, the top surfaces of the areas enclosed by the left and right movable coil holding walls 32 and the areas enclosed by the left and right end-closing walls 33 are closed off by the canopy cover 35.

[0073] In this embodiment, an opening 43 is provided in the central part of the canopy cover 35. The size of the opening 43 is approximately 5 mm square to 15 mm square. In this embodiment, the opening 43 is a square, but it may be another polygon or a circle. The opening 43 is located directly above the movable rectifier coil 26, and is at or near the longitudinal center of the movable rectifier coil 26. Therefore, the top surface of the coil housing space 28 is located directly above the movable rectifier coil 26 and communicates with the outside at the longitudinal center when the movable rectifier coil 26 is lying down.

[0074] The lid member 8 is attached to the opening of the container body 5 as shown in Figure 7. When the lid member 8 is attached, there is a gap 48 between the bottom 46 of the container body 5 and the bottom opening of the coil housing space 28, as shown in Figures 4, 7, and 8. That is, the lower ends of the fixed coil holding wall 31, the movable coil holding wall 32, and the tip closing wall 33 that constitute the peripheral wall of the coil housing space 28 do not reach the bottom 46 of the container body 5, and the coil housing space 28 is held in a hollow state as shown in Figures 4, 7, and 8. Therefore, the upper part of the movable rectifier coil 26 is covered by the canopy cover 35. The fixed rectifier coil 25 and the movable rectifier coil 26 have axes parallel to each other, and their axes are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container body 5.

[0075] When the lid member 8 is attached to the container body 5, both the fixed rectifier coil 25 and the movable rectifier coil 26 are positioned horizontally, and their axes are perpendicular to the direction of drug flow caused by vibrating the vibration table 50. Furthermore, the movable rectifier coil 26 has degrees of freedom in the vertical direction and moves up and down in response to the vibration of the vibration table 50. In this embodiment, the movable rectifier coil 26 is given a degree of freedom in the vertical direction by making the hole 39 for holding the movable rectifier coil 26, which is formed in the movable coil holding wall 32, sufficiently larger than the wire diameter of the movable rectifier coil 26. Therefore, in reality, the movable rectifier coil 26 also has a degree of freedom in the front-to-back direction.

[0076] The sides of the fixed rectifier coil 25 and the movable rectifier coil 26 are in contact with or slightly separated from the bottom 46 of the container body 5.

[0077] The fixing plate portion 6 is a steel plate containing magnetic components such as ferrite. The fixing plate portion 6 is located on the outer periphery of the container body 5 and is attached to the lower surface 14 of the peripheral wall. The surface to which the fixing plate portion 6 is attached and the surface to which the transport plate portion 7 is attached face each other.

[0078] Next, we will explain the container placement device 3 of the drug feeder 1. As shown in Figures 10 to 13, the container mounting device 3 is composed of, from top to bottom, a vibration table 50, excitation means 51a, 51b, an intermediate table 52, a vibration isolation table 53, a weight measuring means 55, a base member 56, and a mounting plate 66.

[0079] The vibration table 50 is a platform on which the drug container 2 is placed. The vibration table 50 is as shown in Figures 10 and 11, and has a roughly rectangular main body 85, with a trough-shaped container holding section 58 formed on its upper part.

[0080] The top surface of the vibration table 50 is a mounting surface 61 on which the drug container 2 is placed. Magnetic members 62a and 62b are built into the mounting surface 61. The magnetic members 62a and 62b are container holding means. The magnetic members 62a and 62b are a type of electromagnet and are self-holding solenoids. On the short sides 63a and 63b of the vibration table 50, inclined surfaces 67a and 67b are formed in the central portion.

[0081] The excitation means 51a and 51b are piezoelectric elements. Motors or solenoids can also be used as the excitation means 51a and 51b. As shown in Figure 11, the intermediate platform 52 has an overall shape that is roughly "H" in plan view. The intermediate platform 52 has inclined surfaces 78a and 78b. The inclined surfaces 67a and 67b of the vibration table 50 are located on the extension of the inclined surfaces 78a and 78b of the intermediate platform 52.

[0082] Inside the intermediate base 52, there is a large cavity 75 as shown in Figures 12 and 13, and the back surface of the main body 74 is widely open. The vibration isolation platform 53 is a plate-shaped body with a protruding central section that creates a space inside, as shown in Figure 11.

[0083] In the container placement device 3, as shown in Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13, excitation means 51a and 51b are provided between the vibration table 50 and the intermediate table 52.

[0084] In this embodiment, vibration means 51a and 51b are present between the vibration table 50 and the intermediate table 52, and the vibration table 50 is not supported in any part other than the vibration means 51a and 51b. Therefore, the vibration table 50 is supported in a hollow manner from the intermediate table 52 by the vibration means 51a and 51b.

[0085] Furthermore, a vibration-damping base 53 is positioned below the intermediate base 52 via a vibration-damping member 38. In this embodiment, there are no members other than the vibration-damping member 38 that connect the intermediate base 52 and the vibration-damping base 53. Therefore, the intermediate base 52 is supported in a hollow space away from the vibration-damping base 53 by the vibration-damping member 38.

[0086] Furthermore, a weight measuring device 55 is positioned below the vibration isolation platform 53, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, and a base member 56 is positioned further below that. The weight measuring means 55 is a load cell. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the majority of the weight measuring means 55 is located within a protrusion 77 provided in the center of the vibration isolation table 53, and the upper mounting surface 83 of the weight measuring means 55 is connected to the inner surface 79 of the top surface 77 of the vibration isolation table 53. On the other hand, the lower mounting surface 37 of the weight measuring means 55 is attached to the base member 56. The base member 56 is attached to the mounting plate 66 via vibration-damping members 42 such as springs. The container mounting device 3 is also attached via the mounting plate 66 near the distribution tray 116 of the drug dispensing device 100, which will be described later.

[0087] In this embodiment, the mounting plate 66 is also provided with a connector 72 and a wire holding member 73. The wire holding member 73 is a helical spring and is fixed to the mounting plate 66 in an upright position. The lower end of the wire holding member 73 is integrally fixed to the mounting plate 66 and cannot move relative to the mounting plate 66. The upper end of the wire holding member 73 is a free end.

[0088] As described above, the container mounting device 3 consists of a vibration table 50, excitation means 51a, 51b, intermediate table 52, vibration isolation table 53, weight measuring means 55, base member 56, and mounting plate 66. Of these members, the vibration table 50, excitation means 51a, 51b, and weight measuring means 55 are connected to electric wires. In other words, the vibration table 50 has magnetic members 62a and 62b, and since the magnetic members 62a and 62b are self-holding solenoids, it is necessary to supply power to operate them. For this reason, the magnetic members 62a and 62b have magnetic current lines 65. Since the excitation means 51a and 51b are piezoelectric elements, they require power to be supplied in order to operate. Therefore, the excitation means 51a and 51b are connected to excitation means power lines 68. The weight measuring means 55 is a load cell that converts weight into an electrical signal. Therefore, the weight measuring means 55 has a measuring means power supply line 70 which is a signal line.

[0089] In the container mounting device 3 of this embodiment, the magnet powered wire 65, the vibration means powered wire 68, and the measuring means powered wire 70 are all connected to the connector 72. The routing of each wire is as shown in Figure 10. Specifically, the magnet powered wire 65, the vibration means powered wire 68, and the measuring means powered wire 70 are temporarily bundled together in the middle and fixed to the intermediate base 52 with a fastening fitting 71. The magnet wire 65, the vibration means wire 68, and the measurement means wire 70 are all held at the free end of the wire holding member 73 from the fastening fitting 71 to the connector 72. More specifically, the free end of the wire holding member 73 has the annular portion of the winding tip bent into a vertical position, forming a ring-shaped wire fixing portion 76. The wire is then fixed to the ring-shaped wire fixing portion 76 with adhesive or the like.

[0090] In this embodiment, a drug feeder 1 is composed of a drug container 2 and a container placement device 3. The drug feeder 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, as a component of a drug dispensing device 100 as shown in Figures 15 and 16. The drug dispensing device 100 of this embodiment is enclosed by a housing 101, and its interior is divided into a drug shelf area 102, a drug division area 103, and a drug packaging area 105.

[0091] The housing 101 is provided with several doors 130, 180a, and 180b. Doors 130, 180a, and 180b are all doors for inserting and removing drug containers 2 into and out of the drug dispensing device 100. Doors 130, 180a, and 180b are all opened and closed by the power of motors (not shown). Furthermore, the opening and closing of the doors 130, 180a, and 180b are, in principle, performed by an operator using a touch panel or similar control display unit (not shown).

[0092] The door 130, located in a position that covers the drug shelf area 102, is an automatic loading door, and inside the door 130 is a temporary drug container storage area (not shown) for temporarily placing drug containers 2. Drug containers 2 inserted through the door 130 and placed in the temporary drug container storage area, and drug containers 2 loaded through the automatic loading door, are automatically transported by the container moving means 110 (described later) to the container storage device 106 (described later) or a specific container placement device 3 (described later).

[0093] The doors 180a and 180b, located in positions that cover the drug dispensing area 103, are for manual loading and are mainly used when using drug containers 81 with an open drug input port, as described later. The doors 180a and 180b, positioned to cover the drug dispensing area 103, are used when an operator reaches in from the outside to introduce a drug container 81 with an open drug input port into the housing 101 and to place the drug container 81 with an open drug input port on a specific container placement device 3. Therefore, the doors 180a and 180b are sized to allow an operator to reach in from the outside to introduce a drug container 2 into the housing 101, and are positioned so that the operator can place the drug container 2 on one of the container placement devices 3.

[0094] In this embodiment, the cover that covers the entire drug dispensing area 103 can be opened and closed by an opening and closing mechanism (not shown), but since the cover that covers the entire drug dispensing area 103 is large, it takes time to open and close it. Therefore, in this embodiment, relatively small door sections 180a and 180b are provided in positions that cover the drug dispensing area 103, making it easier to install the drug container 81 with an open drug input port into a specific container mounting device 3. In this embodiment, since the drug container 81 with an open drug input port can be placed inside the housing 101 by opening the door sections 180a and 180b, there is no need to open and close the cover that covers the entire drug dispensing area 103. Furthermore, the door sections 180a and 180b are also used when placing weights for calibrating or verifying the weight measuring means onto a specific container mounting device 3.

[0095] The drug shelf area 102 is provided with a container storage device 106 for storing drug containers 2. In this embodiment, the container storage device 106 has a vertical drum member 107 that rotates substantially horizontally, and a plurality of container mounting sections 108 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the drum member 107. The container mounting sections 108 hold the drug containers 2 by mechanical engagement. The drug containers 2 are held in place by pushing them in, and the engagement is released and the drug containers 2 can be removed by pulling them.

[0096] A container moving mechanism 110 is provided in the area extending from the drug shelf area 102 to the drug dispensing area 103. The container moving mechanism 110 is a robot. The container moving mechanism 110 has two arm members 111 and 112 and a hand part 113. A magnet is provided on the hand part 113, which can magnetically attach to and hold the iron plate of the drug container 2.

[0097] The drug dispensing area 103 is an area where a powder dispensing device is built in, and two dispensing trays 116 are installed on the table 115. Multiple container holders 3 are installed around the two dispensing trays 116 in the drug dispensing area (powder dispensing device) 103. In this embodiment, three container holders 3 are installed around each distribution tray 116. An information reading device 128 is also provided near the container holders 3.

[0098] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 20, the container mounting device 3 has only a portion of the vibration table 50 on the table 115, while the other components, including the excitation means 51a, 51b, intermediate table 52, vibration isolation table 53, weight measuring means 55, base member 56, and mounting plate 66, are embedded beneath the table 115. Furthermore, a feeder cover 18 is attached to the vibration table 50 of the container mounting device 3. The feeder cover 18 is made of resin and is a frame that covers the outer circumference of the container holding section 58. An alert member 19 (Figures 10 and 20) is provided on the rear end side of the container holding section 58. The alert member 19 is a lamp such as an LED. In this embodiment, lamps of multiple colors are used. More specifically, red, green, and blue lamps are used as the alert member 19. The notification member 19 indicates that the container placement device 3 is where the drug container 2 should be placed. In addition, in order to verify whether the weight measuring means 55 of the container mounting device 3 is functioning correctly, or to calibrate it by adding a correction value, a weight of known weight (not shown) may be placed on the container mounting device 3. The notification member 19 is also used to inform the operator that the container mounting device 3 is the one on which the weight should be placed.

[0099] In this embodiment, the drug feeder 1 consists of separate drug containers 2 and container mounting devices 3. The drug containers 2 are stored in a container storage device 106, and the container mounting devices 3 are installed around the distribution tray 116 in the drug dispensing area (powder dispensing device) 103. The drug dispensing area 103 is also provided with a cleaning device 117 and a scraping device 120.

[0100] A drug packaging device 122 is built into the drug packaging area 105. The drug packaging device 122 is a machine that packages drugs into single doses, similar to known devices, and is composed of a packaging paper supply device and a packaging device, as is well known. A powder drug input hopper 123 for loading the drug is also provided in the packaging section.

[0101] As described above, in this embodiment, the drug feeder 1 consists of a separate drug container 2 and a container placement device 3. When dispensing powdered medicine, the two are combined to form the drug feeder 1. The drug feeder 1 has the function of stopping the power supply to the magnetic members 62a and 62b built into the vibrating table 50 to fix the drug container 2 to the vibrating table 50, and vibrating the drug container 2 to discharge the powdered drug.

[0102] In actual operation, the drug container 2 is placed in the temporary drug container storage area provided in the door section 130, and then the door section 130 is closed to place the drug container 2 inside the housing 101. By closing the door 130, a safety device (not shown) is released, allowing the container moving means 110 and other components to operate. The container moving means 110 then operates automatically, and the drug container 2 is transported to the drum member 107 in the drug shelf area 102. In this embodiment, the drug container 2 is stored vertically in the container storage device 106, and the powdered medicine is stored inside the drug container 2. In this embodiment, the drug container 2 is held by the handle portion 113 of the container moving means 110, the drug container 2 is moved, and placed on the container placing device 3 as shown in Figure 1.

[0103] As described above, the drug container 2 is placed on the drum member 107, held and moved by the handle 113, and placed on the container mounting device 3 as shown in Figure 1. If the drug container 2 is moved in a horizontal position, it is desirable to tilt it once just before placing it on the container mounting device 3, so that the drug discharge section 13 side of the drug container 2 is facing upwards, as shown in Figure 26. By tilting the drug container 2 so that the drug discharge section 13 is facing upwards, the powder inside is moved away from the drug discharge section 13. This posture change prevents the powder from spilling out when the movable lid 11 is opened. The aforementioned "tilting" action is intended to move the powdered medicine inside to one side. As long as it is possible to move only the medicine near the movable lid 11 backward, it is possible to prevent the powdered medicine from spilling out when the movable lid 11 is opened, so the tilt angle can be shallow. Furthermore, it is preferable to keep the tilting time as short as possible, and it is recommended to tilt it quickly. By tilting it quickly, the powder inside does not move evenly, but rather the powder near the movable lid 11 is moved more intensely.

[0104] Then, the power supply to the magnetic members 62a and 62b built into the vibration table 50 is stopped. The magnetic members 62a and 62b are self-holding solenoids 62, and by stopping the power supply, the magnetic force of the permanent magnets is restored, generating a magnetic force on the vibration table 50, and the fixing iron plate portion 6 of the drug container 2 is attracted to the vibration table 50. Then, a current of a constant frequency is passed through the excitation means 51a and 51b to generate vibrations, and these vibrations cause the vibration table 50 to vibrate. The distribution plate 116 is also rotated around the time the vibration starts.

[0105] Around the time the vibration begins, the weight of the drug container 2 is measured by the weight measuring means 55. The weight of the drug container 2 is the weight detected by the weight measuring means 55 minus a certain value. More specifically, the weight of the drug container 2 is the weight detected by the weight measuring means 55 minus the weight of the components of the container mounting device 3 above the weight measuring means 55. The weight of the drug container 2 immediately after being placed on the vibration table 50 is stored as the original weight G. The weight of the drug container 2 is also constantly monitored; that is, the current weight of the drug container 2 is monitored as the current weight g.

[0106] When the vibration platform 50 starts to vibrate, the drug container 2 vibrates. In this embodiment, the drug container 2 is firmly attached to the vibration platform 50 by the permanent magnets of the magnetic members 62a and 62b, and the degree of contact with the vibration platform 50 is also high, so the drug container 2 vibrates at the same frequency as the vibration platform 50. As a result, the powder stored in the powder storage section 17 of the drug container 2 slowly moves toward the drug discharge section 13.

[0107] The powder then passes through the rectifier section 20. After passing through the rectifier section 20, the powder flows like a river and eventually reaches the drug discharge section 13 of the drug container 2, where it falls like a waterfall into the groove of the distribution tray 116 below.

[0108] The fact that the powder is falling is confirmed by the decrease in the weight of the drug container 2. In other words, in this embodiment, even while the powder is falling from the drug discharge section 13 of the drug container 2, the current weight (current weight g) of the drug container 2 is continuously monitored by the weight measuring means 55. The original weight G of the drug container 2 immediately after being placed on the vibration table 50 is then compared with the current weight g, and the amount of powder that falls H (G minus g) is constantly calculated. Then, when the total amount of powdered medicine dropped H reaches the desired weight, the vibration of the vibration table 50 is stopped. In other words, when the current weight g of the drug container 2 measured by the weight measuring means 55 becomes less by a desired amount than the original weight G measured by the weight measuring means 55 before the vibration started, the vibration of the vibration table 50 is stopped. Furthermore, before stopping the vibration of the vibration table 50, it is desirable to operate the vibration table 50 with a reduced amplitude and lowered vibration frequency. For example, if the current amount of powder discharged is a few grams less than the final amount of powder to be discharged (target discharge amount), the vibration table 50 is operated with a reduced amplitude and lower vibration frequency. The remaining few grams are then discharged while the amplitude and vibration frequency of the vibration table 50 are still reduced. Then, as described above, when the total amount of powdered medicine dropped H reaches the desired weight, the vibration of the vibration table 50 is stopped. Subsequently, the container transfer mechanism 700 operates automatically, and the drug container 2 is returned to the drum member 107 in the drug shelf area 102.

[0109] Furthermore, if the powder stops falling despite the vibration platform 50 continuing to vibrate, or if the amount of powder falling per unit time becomes excessively small despite the vibration platform 50 continuing to vibrate, the vibration pattern of the vibration platform 50 is automatically changed. To explain in more detail, while the vibration platform 50 is being vibrated and the weight of the drug container 2 is being continuously monitored, if the rate of powder dispensing H does not reach the desired weight, but the change in the weight of the drug container 2 per unit time falls below a certain level, the amplitude of the vibration platform 50 is increased. Alternatively, the frequency of the amplitude is increased or decreased. If possible, lateral and longitudinal amplitudes are also added.

[0110] Despite the vibration table 50 being vibrated, the change in the weight of the drug container 2 per unit time remains below a certain level for the following two reasons: (1) The powdered medicine becomes stuck together The powdered drug may solidify or clump together inside the drug container 2, preventing it from passing through the flow straightening section 20. (2) Insufficient amount of powdered medicine There is no powdered medicine in medicine container 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the change in the weight of the drug container 2 per unit time is less than a certain level despite the vibration table 50 being vibrated, the first thing to suspect is the adhesion of the powdered drug, and the amplitude of the vibration table 50 is increased. If the cause is indeed the adhesion of the powdered drug, increasing the amplitude of the vibration table 50 may resolve the issue.

[0111] Furthermore, if the amplitude of the vibration table 50 is increased, but the change in the weight of the drug container per unit time is below a certain level, the vibration of the vibration table is stopped, and a predetermined notification is given to the user. For example, an abnormality is indicated on a display device (not shown). Alternatively, the user is notified that an abnormality has occurred in the drug dispensing device 100 by voice, alarm sound, or light. Then, the predetermined stock shortage processing steps are executed. In the stock shortage processing step, the weight of the drug already discharged from drug container 2 is stored. Upon discovering that an abnormality has occurred, the user will remove the drug container 2 manually or using the container transfer device 110 and inspect it.

[0112] In this embodiment, during the stockout processing step, the drug container 2 is removed using the container moving means 110. That is, if the change in the weight of the drug container 2 per unit time is less than a certain amount even when the amplitude is increased, the vibration of the vibration table is stopped and the container moving means 110 automatically operates, moving the drug container 2 to a temporary drug container storage area (not shown) provided with a door 130. When the drug container 2 is placed in the temporary drug container storage area (not shown) provided in the door section 130, the door section 130 opens automatically. The user removes the drug container 2 from the temporary drug container storage area and inspects the inside of the drug container 2. If there is no powdered medicine inside the drug container 2, the user replenishes the drug container 2 with medicine. If the powdered medicine inside the drug container 2 has clumped together, the user breaks up the clumps.

[0113] Subsequently, the drug container 2 is placed back onto the container placement device 3 either manually or using the container moving means 110, and the vibrating table 50 and dispensing tray 116 are restarted either automatically or manually. In this embodiment, the drug container 2 is placed in a temporary drug container storage area (not shown) with a door 130, and by performing a predetermined operation, the container moving means 110 is activated and the drug container 2 is transported to the container placement device 3. As mentioned above, the weight of the drug dispensed from drug container 2 before the work was interrupted is stored in memory, so only the remaining amount of powdered drug is dispensed from drug container 2.

[0114] Next, one of the unique functions of the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment will be described. As described above, the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment can detect the amount of powdered drug that falls (discharges) H and discharge a predetermined amount of powdered drug from the drug container 2. Furthermore, the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment has a small error in the amount of powdered drug discharged. In other words, the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment has a small difference between the target discharge amount and the amount of drug actually discharged from the drug container 2. The reason for this will be explained below. In the drug feeder 1, electric wires (magnetic wire 65, vibration means electric wire 68, and measuring means electric wire 70) are drawn out from the container mounting device 3. Therefore, the container mounting device 3 is subjected to some force from the electric wires, albeit a weak force. In conventional technology, the force received from the electric wire changed, causing errors in the measurements of the weight measuring means 55.

[0115] A conventional drug feeder 1 will be described. In the conventional drug feeder 1, the wires (magnetic wire 65, vibration means wire 68, measuring means wire 70) drawn out from the container placement device 3 are connected to a control device (not shown), etc., but there is no set route or method for drawing them out, and it was done as it happened. That is, the wires were routed through the gaps between each piece of equipment and connected to the control device, etc., after being drawn out from the container placement device 3. In addition, known methods such as bundling the wires together or fixing or supporting the wires to walls or other structures are sometimes employed.

[0116] However, in either case, one end of the electric wire is on the container mounting device 3 side, and the next support point of the electric wire is a stationary point. In other words, in the conventional technology, one end of the electric wire is fixed to the container mounting device 3, and the next support point away from the container mounting device 3 is a fixed point and does not move. The drug feeder 1 has a vibrating platform 50, and is structured to discharge powdered drug from the drug container 2 by vibrating the platform 50. As a result, the power lines shake during the vibration. The position of the power lines may change slightly before and after the vibration. In other words, vibrating the vibration table 50 causes the electric wire to shake, subtly changing its curvature. To put it simply, electric wires have some kind of bending tendency, but vibration changes this tendency. As a result, the force acting on the chemical feeder 1 from the electric wire changes, causing an error of about 0.5g in the measurement value of the weight measuring means 55.

[0117] In contrast, in the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment, the relay point of the electric wire is movable. That is, in the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment, an electric wire holding member 73 is provided on the mounting plate 66. The electric wire holding member 73 is a helical spring, and its upper end moves arbitrarily in response to external force. In the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment, the electric wire drawn out from the container mounting device 3 is initially relayed and supported by the electric wire fixing part 76 on the free end side of the electric wire holding member 73. Therefore, although the electric wire shakes when the vibration table 50 is vibrated, this shaking is absorbed by the elasticity of the electric wire holding member 73. When the vibration table 50 stops vibrating, the electric wire holding member 73 returns to its original position. As a result, the degree of bending and the tendency of the electric wire do not change before and after vibration, and there is no change in the force that the electric wire receives from the chemical feeder 1 before and after vibration, so there is no error in the measurement value of the weight measuring means 55.

[0118] Figure 14 shows the behavior of the electric wire and the electric wire holding member 73 before and after vibration. Before the vibration table 50 is vibrated, the electric wire between the fastening fitting 71 and the electric wire fixing part 76 of the electric wire holding member 73 is connected with the bend shown in Figure 14(a). When the vibration table 50 is vibrated, the electric wire shakes, and the electric wire holding member 73 shakes accordingly (Figure 14b). As a result, no undue force is applied to the electric wire, and the bending tendency of the electric wire remains unchanged. When the vibration table 50 stops vibrating, the wire holding member 73 returns to its original position as shown in Figure 14(c). At this time, the bending of the wire remains unchanged, so there is no change in the force exerted on the chemical feeder 1 by the wire before and after vibration, and no error occurs in the measurement value of the weight measuring means 55.

[0119] Furthermore, a unique effect of the drug feeder 1 in this embodiment is that the powdered drug is smoothly discharged from the drug container 2. In other words, the drug feeder 1 of this embodiment has a unique configuration in which a rectifier section 20 is located in the drug container 2. Furthermore, the rectifier section 20 has two coils, one of which is a movable rectifier coil 26 that has a degree of freedom in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the vibration table 50 vibrates, the movable rectifier coil 26 also vibrates in the vertical direction.

[0120] Therefore, if there are clumps in the powder, these clumps are broken up by the vertical movement of the movable rectifier coil 26. The following explains this point. When the drug container 2 is placed on the container mounting device 3 and the vibration table 50 is vibrated, the powdered drug 80 inside the drug container 2 slowly moves toward the drug discharge section 13, as shown by the arrow in Figure 8, and reaches the rectifier section 20. At the rear end of the rectifier section 20 is a rectifier coil holding section 27, which has a triangular shape in plan view. Therefore, the powdered drug that reaches this section is appropriately separated and dispersed.

[0121] In this rectifier section 20, the lower ends of the movable coil holding wall 32 and the tip closing wall 33 that constitute the coil housing space 28 do not reach the bottom 46 of the container body 5, and as shown in Figure 8, there is a gap 48 between the bottom 46 of the container body 5 and the bottom opening of the coil housing space 28. Furthermore, a notch 36 is provided at the boundary between the movable coil holding wall 32 and the tip closing wall 33.

[0122] Therefore, the powdered drug that has moved to the drug discharge section 13 enters the rectifier section 20 through the gap 48 and notch 36, as shown in Figures 4 and 9. Most of the powdered drug enters the rectifier section 20 through the gap 48 between the bottom 46 of the container body 5 and the bottom opening of the coil housing space 28, and passes under the rectifier section 20. However, by providing the notch 36, it is made easier to introduce the powdered drug to the movable rectifier coil 26 from the outside. As mentioned above, the movable rectifier coil 26 moves up and down, so the powder is struck by the wire of the movable rectifier coil 26, and any clumps are destroyed. The powder then reaches the fixed rectifier coil 25 downstream. The fixed rectifier coil 25 does not move up or down, and the powder passes through the gaps between the wires and becomes laminar flow.

[0123] In other words, the clumps of powder are struck by the movable rectifier coil 26, causing them to break down. However, in this state, there are still clumps of powder that have been crushed into mountain-like shapes, and the flow of the powder is not in a laminar flow state. Therefore, in this embodiment, a fixed rectifier coil 25 is provided downstream of the movable rectifier coil 26 to level the mound of powder. As a result, the powdered drug enters a laminar flow state and eventually reaches the drug discharge section 13, from which it is discharged.

[0124] Furthermore, relatively large clumps of drug inside the drug container 2 ride up onto the canopy cover (canopy member) 35 and fall into the movable rectifier coil 26 through the opening 43 provided in the canopy cover 35. In other words, when substances with different particle sizes are mixed together, vibrating them vertically will cause larger particles to move upwards and smaller particles to sink downwards. Therefore, when the drug container 2 is vibrated, the larger clumps of particles float upwards and move toward the drug discharge section 13. The clumps then ride up onto the canopy cover (canopy member) 35 and fall into the movable rectifier coil 26 through the opening 43 provided in the canopy cover 35. The falling mass is struck and broken into small pieces by the wires of the movable rectifier coil 26.

[0125] The presence of the opening 43 is particularly effective when the powder stored in the drug container 2 is a viscous substance such as lactose, and when the amount of powder stored is large. In other words, if the amount of powdered medicine filled is large, the powder will move to the drug discharge section 13 due to vibration, but it will accumulate near the flow straightening section 20. Also, if the powdered medicine is viscous, it will be compressed near the flow straightening section 20, causing clumps to form. In this embodiment, an opening 43 is provided on the top surface of the coil housing space 28. The size of the opening 43 is such that clumps of powder do not clog it. As a result, clumps enter the coil housing space 28 through the opening 43 and fall onto the movable rectifier coil 26, where they are struck. Consequently, the clumps are dissolved, and the discharge of powder is maintained.

[0126] In the embodiments described above, a drug feeder 1 employing a sealed drug container 2 was used as an example, but a drug container 81 with an open drug input port, as shown in Figure 17, may also be used. The drug container 81 has an opening 82 on its upper side, relative to the position in which it is mounted on the container mounting device 3, and drugs can be put into the drug container through this opening 82.

[0127] Further variations of the drug container will be described with reference to Figures 21 to 24. The drug container 170 is a sealed container. The drug container 170 is an improved version of the drug container 2 shown in Figures 1 to 9. Although the design is different, the functions of its components are similar in many respects. Therefore, the description of the drug container 170 will focus on the differences from the drug container 2. Also, the same numbers will be used for components identical to those in the previous embodiment, and some explanations will be omitted.

[0128] The drug container 170 is composed of a container body 5, a metal plate portion 6, and a lid member 118. The container body 5 is a vertically elongated container made of resin. The inner surface of the lower side 171 of the peripheral wall of the container body 5 is generally flat, but as shown in Figure 23, there are inclined sections 181a and 181b at the rear. The inclined section 181b at the rear is a gentle slope, while the following inclined section 181a has a steep slope. There is a gap 350 in the outer circumference of the container body 5 corresponding to the inclined sections 181a and 181b.

[0129] As shown in Figures 22 and 23, near the opening of the container body 5, on the outer side of the upper surface 126 of its peripheral wall, there is a stepped portion 160 and a slightly lower ceiling portion (recess) 161. An engaging member 162 (shown only in Figure 22) is provided on the stepped portion 160.

[0130] A swinging lid (swinging member) 237 is attached to the low ceiling section (recess) 161. As shown in Figure 22, the swinging lid 237 has a main body 163 that is large enough to completely cover the low ceiling section 161, and a handle 164 that extends laterally from both sides of the main body 163. A hinge 167 is attached to one end of the main body 163. Furthermore, engaging members 166a and 166b are formed on the lower surface of the main body 163. The engaging members 166a and 166b are hook-shaped. The swinging lid 237 has a hinge portion 167 that engages with the container body 5, and swings around the hinge portion 167.

[0131] Next, the lid member 118 will be described. The lid member 118 has a lid body portion 125 and a movable lid portion 134. The movable lid portion 134 has a handle portion 147, and by pressing the handle portion 147, the movable lid portion 134 opens as shown in Figure 23(a). When the movable lid portion 134 opens, the drug discharge portion 13, which connects the inside and outside of the container body 5, opens, and the movable lid portion 134 maintains the drug discharge portion 13 in an open state. Furthermore, similar to the previous embodiment, a desiccant insertion section 15 and a flow straightening section 20 are provided at the rear end of the lid body 125. The lid body portion 125 is made by joining two lid body portion pieces together. The following explanation will be based on the state in which the two are joined together. The lid body portion 125 has a frame portion 127 on the front side, and a desiccant insertion portion 15 and a flow straightening portion 20 are provided on the rear side.

[0132] Furthermore, the front frame portion 127 has a part that functions as a fixing frame 131 and a part that functions as a contact frame 132. Within the frame section 127, the area enclosed by the fixing frame 131 has a bottom and contains a shielding wall 138. The area enclosed by the fixing frame 131 is a recess 373, as shown in Figures 22 and 23. A leaf spring 185 is provided on the surface of the shielding wall 138 within the recess 373, as shown in Figure 23. The leaf spring 185 has mounting parts 186a and 186b at both ends, as shown in Figure 23. The area sandwiched between the two mounting parts 186a and 186b is a functional area 187, which is shaped in a bent form and has corners.

[0133] Furthermore, a horizontally extending engagement plate (engagement piece) 192 is provided near the upper rear side of the lid body 125. The engagement plate 192 is provided with two engagement holes 193. The rear side of the lid body 125 (desiccant insertion section 15 and flow straightening section 20) is the same as in the previous embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0134] Next, the movable cover portion 134 will be described. The movable cover portion 134 is composed of a retaining plate portion 145, an elasticity-providing portion 194, and a gripping portion 147. The gripping portion 147 is an extension of the retaining plate portion 145, and the gripping portion 147 has a curved surface that curves slightly backward from the plane of the retaining plate portion 145. A pad 236 is provided on the back side of the retaining plate portion 145.

[0135] The elastic-providing portion 194 is provided on the left and right sides of the retaining plate portion 145. As shown in Figure 22, the elastic-providing portion 194 has a hairpin-shaped elastic portion 235 when viewed from above. The elastic portion 235 has a forward side portion 195 that extends to the rear side as shown in Figure 22, with the side of the retaining plate portion 145 as its base end, and a return side portion 196 that is folded back in a "U" shape to the front side, and the entire structure is elastic. An axle piece 197 is provided on the outside of the return side portion 196. The free end of the elastic-providing portion 194 opens outwards to form a gripping portion 146.

[0136] Furthermore, an engaging piece 149 protrudes from the back side of the retaining plate portion 145. The engaging piece 149 is rod-shaped or plate-shaped and is cantilevered to the retaining plate portion 145. A small projection 199 is provided on the engaging piece 149.

[0137] The movable lid portion 134 is attached to the lid body portion 125 by the engagement of the shaft piece 197 of the elastic-providing portion 194 with the bearing portion 140 of the lid body portion 125. To install, the tabs 146 on both sides are pressed in the direction that reduces the distance between them, the elastic part 235 is bent to reduce the distance between the left and right shaft pieces 197, the back side of the movable lid part 134 is inserted into the recess 373 of the lid body part 125, and in that state the elastic part 235 is returned to engage the left and right shaft pieces 197 with the bearing part 140. To remove the movable lid part 134, the elastic part 235 is bent in the opposite direction to reduce the distance between the left and right shaft pieces 197, and the left and right shaft pieces 197 are detached from the bearing parts 140a and 140b.

[0138] The lid member 118 is attached to the container body 5 as shown in Figures 23 and 24. When the lid member 118 is attached to the container body 5, as shown in Figure 24(a), the engaging plate (engaging piece) 192 of the lid member 118 enters the internal space through the front opening 239 of the swing lid (swinging member) 237, and the engaging members 166a and 166b of the swing lid 237 engage with the engaging holes 193 of the engaging plate 192.

[0139] In other words, the engaging plate (engaging piece) 192 of the lid member (rocking member) 118 is located in the low ceiling portion (recess) 161 formed on the outer circumference of the container body 5. When the lid member 118 is closed and covers the low ceiling portion 161, the engaging plate (engaging piece) 192 of the lid member (rocking member) 118 engages with the engaging plate (engaging piece) 192 of the lid member (rocking member) 118, fixing the lid member 118 to the container body 5.

[0140] As shown in Figure 24(b), when the swing lid 237 is opened, the engagement between the engaging members 166a and 166b of the swing lid 237 and the engaging holes 193 of the engaging plate 192 is released. Therefore, as shown in Figure 24(c), the lid member 118 can be easily removed from the container body 5.

[0141] In this embodiment, when the movable lid 134 is closed, the small projection 199 of the engaging piece 149 engages with the portion of the leaf spring 185 above the corner 188, as shown in Figure 23(a), and the movable lid 134 is stabilized in the closed position. When opening the movable lid 134, the gripping portion 147 of the movable lid 134 is pressed. As a result, the movable lid 134 swings around the shaft piece 197. At this time, the small projection 199 of the engaging piece 149, which was engaged with the corner portion 188 of the leaf spring 185, moves against the elastic force of the leaf spring 185 as the movable lid 134 swings. Then, as shown in Figure 23(b), the small projection 199 of the engaging piece 149 overcomes the corner portion 188 of the leaf spring 185, and the movable lid 134 stabilizes in the open position.

[0142] The embodiments described above mainly use a sealed drug container 2,170, and describe an example in which the drug container 2,170 is inserted through a door portion 130 provided on the housing 101 and the drug container 2,170 is moved by a container moving means 110. However, the drug container 2,170 may also be manually carried into the housing 101. In particular, when using a drug container 81 with an open drug input port as shown in Figure 17, the drug container 81 is manually carried into the housing 101 and placed on the desired container placement device 3. In this embodiment, multiple container placement devices 3 are provided inside the housing 101, and each container placement device 3 is provided with an alert member 19 (Figures 10 and 20). The alert member 19 indicates that it is a container placement device 3 on which a drug container 2 should be placed. When using a drug container 81 with an open drug input port, either the manual loading door 180a or 180b is opened and the drug container 81 is placed inside the housing 101. At that time, the notification member 19 of either container placement device 3 lights up to indicate which container placement device 3 the drug container 81 should be placed in.

[0143] The following explains further. The open-type drug container 81 is used when packaging drugs that are used relatively infrequently. More specifically, it is used when there are no drug containers filled with the prescribed drug in the container storage device 106 of the drug dispensing device 100 or in the sealed drug containers 2,170 stored externally. In such situations, a message prompting the user to take action will be displayed on the operation display unit (not shown), such as "Please place a manual dispensing cassette (meaning a chemical container 81 with an open chemical input port)" or "A missing cassette has occurred. If it is a manual dispensing cassette, please place it on the feeder (meaning a container placement device 3)." Then, on the touch panel or other control panel (not shown), the options "Open," "Close," and "Start Distribution" appear for the manual loading door A (meaning the manual loading door section 180a).

[0144] At the same time, the notification member 19 of one of the container placement devices 3 lights up. When the operator presses "Open" on the touch panel or the like, the manual loading door section 180a opens automatically by the power of the motor. In other words, the manual loading door 180a, which is closest to the illuminated container placement device 3, opens. The worker inserts the drug container 81 with an open drug input port by hand through the manual loading door 180a and places the drug container 81 on the illuminated container placement device 3. At this time, an information reading operation is performed to read the information stored in the information recording member 90 such as RFID of the drug container 81, and a verification operation is performed to confirm whether the drug container 81 to be used is correctly placed on the container placement device 3. Then, when the worker presses "Start Distribution" on the touch panel, the manual loading door section 180a is closed by power. Once it is confirmed that the drug container 81 is correctly placed on the container placement device 3, the message display on the operation display unit ends. The notification member 19 also turns off.

[0145] In this embodiment, since the notification member 19 uses lamps of multiple colors, various messages can be conveyed to the user through changes in color and the way the lights illuminate (whether they are continuously lit or flashing). In principle, if the placement of a drug container 81 (or a weight if calibration or verification is required) is required, the notification member 19 will flash a specific color. For example, a green light will flash.

[0146] When any operation is being performed, a specific color light will illuminate continuously. For example, the green light will illuminate continuously. For instance, the green light will illuminate continuously when drug is being dispensed from drug container 81. In addition, the green light will illuminate continuously when drug is being dispensed from the normal drug container 2, when calibration or verification is being performed using weights, or when the vibration frequency of the vibration table 50 is being tuned.

[0147] When a task is completed, a specific color light will illuminate continuously. For example, a blue light will illuminate continuously. For instance, the blue light will illuminate continuously when the drug has finished being dispensed from the drug container 2 81, when calibration using weights is completed, or when the vibration frequency tuning is complete. When dispensing drug using a drug container 81 with an open drug input port, a green light will illuminate continuously, and the color of the light will change to blue when the dispensing work is completed. The operator will see this indicator to know that the task is complete and will remove the drug container 81 from the container mounting device 3.

[0148] If any error occurs, a specific color light will illuminate continuously. For example, a red light will illuminate continuously. For instance, if calibration fails when weights are placed on the container mounting device 3, a red light will illuminate continuously.

[0149] Next, we will explain the recommended control method. A configuration that allows the vibration pattern of the vibration platform 50 to be changed according to the type of drug, the timing of discharge, and the total amount discharged is recommended. The particle size and hygroscopicity of the drugs vary depending on the type. Therefore, when the vibration table 50 is vibrated, the behavior of the drugs in the drug container 2 will differ depending on the drug. When subjected to vibration, some chemicals become more easily rectified and flow more easily, while others do not. Furthermore, the amount of material moved by a single vibration varies depending on the type of chemical. Furthermore, there is a problem in the initial stages of drug excretion, where the amount of drug excreted is unstable.

[0150] Therefore, the system is configured to allow changes in the frequency per unit time and the amplitude, and the frequency and amplitude are changed according to the type of drug, the timing of excretion, and the total amount of excreted. For example, the ease of discharging the drug is tested in advance, and all the drugs to be discharged by drug feeder 1 are divided into multiple stages. This is called the "flow coefficient," and the drugs are divided into flow coefficients 1 to 3. Furthermore, the total amount of drug released will be divided into multiple levels. For example, the release amount will be divided into 20-gram increments and referred to as "release 20, release 40, release 60," and so on. Furthermore, the vibration level is divided into multiple stages depending on the frequency and amplitude of the vibration. These may be referred to as, for example, "vibration level 1, vibration level 2," and can vary from, for example, vibration level 1 (minimum vibration) to vibration level 20 (maximum vibration).

[0151] Then, an appropriate vibration level is selected based on the "flow coefficient" and "emission rate." Furthermore, the vibration level is differentiated between the vibration level during the initial emission phase and the vibration level during the stabilization phase. For example, if the drug is easily discharged, such as with a "flow coefficient of 1," and the total discharge amount is small, such as "discharge amount of 20," the vibration starts with a slow vibration, such as vibration level 3, and after a certain period of time, it switches to a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10. Alternatively, the system switches to a feedback control method that uses a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10, to maintain a constant discharge rate h per unit time by adjusting the vibration intensity of the vibration table 50.

[0152] Furthermore, if the drug is difficult to discharge, as indicated by a "flow coefficient of 3," and the total discharge amount is high, as indicated by a discharge amount of 80, the vibration is started with a stronger vibration level, such as vibration level 11, and after a certain period of time, it is switched to an even stronger vibration level, such as vibration level 15. Alternatively, feedback control is used, centering on a stronger vibration level, such as vibration level 15, so that the discharge amount h per unit time remains constant.

[0153] Furthermore, if the amount of drug stored in the drug container 2 is small, it is desirable to increase the vibration level until the drug reaches the drug discharge section 13 at the tip. In other words, in this embodiment, the drug container 2 is stored in the container storage device 106 in an upright position. Therefore, during storage, the drugs are concentrated in a location far from the drug discharge section 13. Furthermore, in this embodiment, immediately before placing the drug container 2 on the container mounting device 3, the drug container 2 is tilted so that the drug discharge section 13 side is facing upwards, as shown in Figure 26. This action causes the drug inside the drug container 2 to be moved to a position farther away from the drug discharge section 13.

[0154] If the amount of drug stored in drug container 2 is small, then immediately after drug container 2 is placed on the container placement device 3, the drug inside will be concentrated in a location far from the drug discharge section 13. The vibration platform 50 is then vibrated to move the drug inside the drug container 2 towards the drug discharge section 13. However, if there is only a small amount of drug stored in the drug container 2, it takes time for the drug, which is concentrated at the back, to reach the drug discharge section 13.

[0155] In this embodiment, as a countermeasure, a configuration is adopted in which the vibration level is increased until the drug reaches the drug discharge section 13 at the tip. In addition, it is determined whether or not the drug has reached the drug discharge section 13 by monitoring the weight of the drug container 2. More specifically, at the initial stage of starting the vibration, the vibration table 50 is vibrated with a stronger vibration than the initial value determined by the flow coefficient, etc. Then, the weight of the drug container 2 is monitored, and if even a slight decrease in the weight of the drug container 2 is detected, it is determined that the drug has reached the drug discharge section 13. The vibration is then reduced, and the vibration table 50 is vibrated at the initial value determined by the flow coefficient and the like. Furthermore, when it detects that the weight of the drug container 2 has decreased by a certain amount, the vibration of the vibration platform 50 is switched to a stronger vibration.

[0156] For example, immediately after the vibration starts, the vibration platform 50 is vibrated with a strong vibration, such as vibration level 12. Then, when only a very small amount of drug, such as 0.3 grams, is discharged, the vibration level is reduced to vibration level 3 as described above. Then, when a certain amount of drug is discharged, the vibration is switched to a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10. Alternatively, the system can be switched to a feedback control method that centers on a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10, and controls the vibration intensity of the vibration platform 50 so that the discharge rate h per unit time remains constant.

[0157] Therefore, the timing for switching from an initial vibration level such as level 3 to a normal vibration level such as level 10 should preferably be based on the amount of drug discharged. For example, if the vibration platform 50 is vibrated with a strong vibration, such as vibration level 12, and only a very small amount of drug, such as 0.3 grams, is discharged, the vibration level is reduced to vibration level 3 as described above. If, for example, 0.8 grams of drug is discharged, the vibration is switched to a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10. Alternatively, the system can be switched to a feedback control method that centers on a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10, and controls the vibration intensity of the vibration platform 50 so that the discharge rate h per unit time remains constant. The timing for switching from an initial vibration level, such as level 3, to a normal vibration level, such as level 10, may be based on time.

[0158] The control method described above is recommended when only a small amount of drug is stored in drug container 2, but it may also be implemented regardless of the remaining amount of drug stored in drug container 2.

[0159] Furthermore, if the amount of medication stored in medication container 2 is always small, such as with medications prescribed in small quantities, it is also effective to raise the bottom of medication container 2. For example, as shown in Figure 25, a partition plate (raised base member) 150 is provided inside the drug container 2, intentionally narrowing the space inside the drug container 2. As a result, the distance between the innermost part of the drug container 2 (the raised bottom member 150) and the drug discharge section 13 is reduced, allowing the drug to reach the drug discharge section 13 sooner.

[0160] The drug container 151 shown in Figure 25 has a container body 5 that is almost entirely covered and has an internal space 155, and a partition plate (raised bottom member) 150 is provided at a position behind the drug discharge section 13, based on the orientation in which it is placed on the container mounting device 3. Therefore, even when the drug container 151 is in an upright position, the drug inside does not reach beyond the partition plate (raised base member) 150. In the drug container 151 shown in Figure 25, an opening 152 is provided in the wall surface that corresponds to the bottom when the container is in an upright position. By inserting a rod or the like through the opening 152 and pushing the partition plate (raised bottom member) 150, the position of the partition plate (raised bottom member) 150 can be changed. Furthermore, by providing the partition plate (raised bottom member) 150, the effective space can be narrowed, and it is expected that the risk of the drug becoming damp will be reduced even when a small amount of drug is stored in the drug container 151.

[0161] Next, other variations of the drug container will be described with reference to Figures 27 to 33. The drug container described below is a drug container 300 with an open drug inlet. As shown in Figure 30, the drug container 300 is composed of a storage space forming member 301 and a bottom forming member 302. The storage space forming member 301 has a main body portion 303 whose four sides are completely covered by side walls 304 and whose top and bottom surfaces are open. In other words, the main body 303 is rectangular in plan view. The main body 303 has an opening 305 at the top, through which the drug can be introduced. Furthermore, there is an opening 306 at the bottom of the main body 303, as shown in Figure 29. The lower opening 306 is smaller than the upper opening 305. The two are connected by a sloping side wall 304. An information recording member 90, such as an RFID, is attached to the side wall 304 of the main body 303. In this embodiment, the information recording member 90 stores symbols or the like that which identify the drug container 300.

[0162] Guide pieces 309 are provided on a pair of sides of the main body 303. The guide pieces 309 are located on the long side wall 304 of the main body 303 and protrude horizontally from the side wall 304 (relative to the orientation when placed on the container mounting device 3). The guide pieces 309 also extend along the long side of the side wall 304. A stopper 307 is formed at one end of the guide piece 309. The stopper 307 is located at the end of the guide piece 309 and has a large cross-sectional area. A lid 308 is fitted to the opening 305 at the top of the main body 303.

[0163] The bottom forming member 302 has the same cross-sectional shape as the fixing iron plate portion 6 described above, and is a steel plate containing magnetic components such as ferrite. As shown in Figures 29 and 30, the bottom forming member 302 is bent upward on both sides with the bottom 310 as the center, forming an inclined wall 311. Furthermore, one end of the bottom forming member 302 in the longitudinal direction is open and constitutes a drug discharge section 315. The other end of the bottom forming member 302 in the longitudinal direction has a vertical wall 316 and is closed off. Multiple protrusions 325 are provided in the area of ​​the bottom 310 of the bottom forming member 302 that is close to the drug discharge section 315. As shown in Figure 27, the total length of the bottom forming member 302 is longer than the total length of the storage space forming member 301.

[0164] A guide receiving member 313 is provided on the outer periphery of the inclined wall 311 of the bottom forming member 302. As shown in Figure 31, the guide receiving member 313 is composed of a receiving portion forming member 317 and an elastic member (elastic body) 320. The guide receiving member 313 has a roughly rectangular box shape. The top surface of the guide receiving member 313 has a cover portion 318, and a slit portion 319 is formed between the top surface of the box-shaped portion and the cover portion 318, into which the aforementioned guide piece 309 engages. The drug discharge portion 315 side of the slit portion 319 is open, while the vertical wall 316 side is closed.

[0165] Inside the guide support member 313, there are two pins 324 that hang down from the ceiling.

[0166] The elastic member 320 is provided on the inclined wall 311 of the bottom forming member 302 and is attached to a support base 321 that protrudes outward in a shelf-like manner. Specifically, it is provided on the inclined wall 311 of the bottom forming member 302, and there is a support base 321 on its outer circumference, from which two elastic members 320 are erected. The elastic member 320 is specifically a spring. A receiving member 322 is provided on the upper part of the elastic member 320. A recess 323 is formed in the receiving member 322.

[0167] The receiving portion forming member 317 covers the elastic member 320, and the internal pin 324 engages with the recess 323 of the elastic member 320.

[0168] Furthermore, the aforementioned storage space forming member 301 is attached to the bottom forming member 302 via the guide receiving member 313. In other words, the guide piece 309 of the storage space forming member 301 engages with the slit portion 319 of the guide receiving member 313, and the two are integrated together. Since the guide receiving member 313 has an elastic member 320, the storage space forming member 301 and the bottom forming member 302 are connected with the elastic member 320 interposed between them. As described above, since the drug discharge portion 315 side of the slit portion 319 is open and the vertical wall 316 side is closed, the storage space forming member 301 can be removed from the bottom forming member 302 by moving the storage space forming member 301 along the longitudinal direction of the bottom forming member 302 toward the drug discharge portion 315 side.

[0169] The lower opening 306 of the storage space forming member 301 is not in contact with the bottom 310 of the bottom forming member 302, and there is a gap between them.

[0170] The drug container 300 of this embodiment can be used in the same way as the drug container 81 with an open drug input port described above. That is, the drug is put into the storage space forming member 301, the drug container 300 is manually carried into the housing 101, and installed in the desired container mounting device 3. Then, the vibrating platform 50 of the container mounting device 3 is vibrated to discharge the drug from the drug discharge section 315. In this embodiment, the drug container 300 has an elastic member 320 between the storage space forming member 301 and the bottom forming member 302. Therefore, the bottom forming member 302 of the drug container 300 vibrates and moves the drug, but the amount of vibration of the storage space forming member 301 is smaller than that of the bottom forming member 302. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the storage space forming member 301 and the weight measuring means 55 is high. In addition, the movement of the drug is smooth. In other words, according to this embodiment, there is an elastic member 320 between the storage space forming member 301 and the bottom forming member 302, creating a structure that effectively separates the two. As a result, the bottom forming member 302 vibrates significantly due to the direct vibration from the vibration table 50, while the storage space forming member 301, located on the upper side, vibrates less. Thus, in this embodiment, the vibration of the storage space forming member 301 and the vibration of the bottom forming member 302 are not synchronized. Therefore, the drug in the storage space forming member 301 falls from the lower opening 306 into the bottom forming member 302, moves smoothly through the bottom forming member 302, and is discharged from the drug discharge section 315 at the tip.

[0171] In this embodiment, the drug feeder 1 and drug dispensing device 100 weigh the drug to be discharged to the downstream distribution tray 116 etc. by a weight measuring means 55 built into the drug feeder 1. However, exceptionally, the drug may be weighed using an external weighing device, filled into drug containers after weighing, and then distributed by a powder dispensing device. In such cases, the drug container 300 is placed on the table, and the measured drug is poured into the storage space forming member 301.

[0172] Here, the aforementioned drug container 300 has a bottom forming member 302 at its base, but the cross-sectional shape of the bottom forming member 302 is groove-shaped, and the area of ​​the part that contacts the desk surface is small. Therefore, if the drug container 300 is placed directly on the desk, it is unstable and there is a concern that the drug container 300 may tip over.

[0173] To solve this problem, the drug dispensing device 100 of this embodiment is provided with a temporary storage stand 340 for temporarily placing drug containers. The temporary stand 340 is a stand having an installation groove 341 that fits the bottom surface of the bottom forming member 302 of the drug container 300. The installation groove 341 has an open section 345 on one side and a vertical wall section 342 on the other side. Furthermore, the installation groove 341 is slightly inclined so that the open portion 345 side is facing upwards. The inclination angle is approximately 3 to 10 degrees, and in this embodiment, it is 5 degrees. In this embodiment, an information reading device 346 is provided on the vertical wall portion 342.

[0174] In this embodiment, the drug container 300 is placed on the temporary stand 340 to stabilize it, and the drug can be poured in through the opening 305 of the main body 303. More specifically, the inclined wall 311 of the bottom forming member 302 of the drug container 300 is aligned with the inclined surface of the installation groove 341 of the temporary stand 340, and the drug container 300 is placed on the temporary stand 340 in a position where the vertical wall 316 of the bottom forming member 302 is in contact with the vertical wall portion 342 of the temporary stand 340. As a result, the bottom forming member 302 of the drug container 300 is in an inclined position, and the drug discharge section 315 faces upward. Therefore, the drug will not spill out of the drug discharge section 315. Furthermore, information identifying the drug container 300 is read by the information reading device 346.

[0175] In the embodiments described above, a rectifier section 20 is provided in the drug container 2, and the rectifier section 20 mainly consists of a fixed rectifier coil 25 and a movable rectifier coil 26. However, when filling with drugs that have poor fluidity, such as rhubarb powder, the fixed rectifier coil 25 and the movable rectifier coil 26 can actually get in the way. Therefore, when filling with drugs that have poor fluidity, such as rhubarb powder, it is preferable to use a drug container without the coils.

[0176] Figures 34, 35, and 36 show the lid member 156 that is attached to the modified drug container. The difference between the lid member 156 and the lid member 8 shown in Figures 5, 6, and 9 is that it does not have a fixed rectifier coil 25 and a movable rectifier coil 26. Furthermore, while the lid member 8 shown in Figures 6, 9, and 19 had an opening 43 in the central part of the canopy cover 35, the lid member 156 shown in Figures 34, 35, and 36 does not have this opening. Furthermore, while the lid member 8 shown in Figures 5, 6, and 9 was provided with a tip-closing wall 33, the lid member 156 shown in Figures 34, 35, and 36 lacked the tip-closing wall 33, leaving that portion open.

[0177] In the lid member 156 shown in Figures 34, 35, and 36, a height limiting member 157 is provided in place of the movable rectifier coil 26. The height limiting member 157 is a partition that limits the amount of drug introduced into the lid member 156, and is attached to the movable coil holding wall 32.

[0178] The height limiting member 157 is a groove-shaped member in plan view, as shown in Figure 35, with a partition wall 158 in the center and mounting pieces 159 on both sides thereof. The mounting piece 159 of the height limiting member 157 is in contact with the movable coil holding wall 32. The upper edge of the partition wall 158 is in contact with the canopy cover 35. There is a gap between the lower edge of the partition wall 158 and the bottom 46 of the container body 5. As the drug passes through this gap, fluctuations in the drug's height are smoothed out, making the height uniform, and the amount of drug discharged is optimized. The drug is then guided appropriately by the vibrations and proceeds towards the drug discharge section 13.

[0179] As another measure when using a drug with poor fluidity, it is also conceivable to improve the bottom 46 of the container body 5 of the drug container 2 to improve the sliding of the drug. For example, as shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, a sliding plate 250 is attached to the bottom 46 of the container body 5. The sliding plate 250 is made by bending a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate or an aluminum plate. The sliding plate 250 has a shape along the shape of the bottom 46 of the container body 5. Specifically, the sliding plate 250 has a groove-shaped cross-sectional shape, and has a bottom matching portion 251 that matches the shape of the bottom 46 of the container body 5, and a side matching portion 253 that matches the side surface 252 of the container body 5 near the bottom 46. The side matching portion 253 is longer than the bottom matching portion 251. Also, the sliding plate 250 is shorter than the entire length of the container body 5 and is attached near the opening of the container body 5.

[0180] In this embodiment, the sliding plate 250 is made of a metal plate that has been surface-treated to improve non-stickiness. For example, a material that has been surface-treated by eutectic nickel and fluororesin for iron, stainless steel, or aluminum alloy is suitable as the material of the sliding plate 250. It is desirable that about 30 percent by volume of a non-sticky resin (for example, fluororesin) is uniformly distributed in the surface film.

[0181] The material of the sliding plate 250 is not limited, and a resin itself with excellent non-stickiness such as fluororesin may be used as the material. The shape of the sliding plate 250 is not limited, but it is desirable that it covers the bottom 46 of the container body 5 and the vicinity of the opening of the container body 5. The reason for this is that the vicinity of the opening of the container body 5 is a portion that protrudes from the vibrating table 50 of the container placement device 3 as shown in FIG. 1, for example, and the vibration of the vibrating table 50 is relatively difficult to transmit, and there is a concern that the flow of the drug becomes somewhat worse than other parts. It is desirable that the sliding plate 250 covers a wider area of ​​the bottom 46 of the container body 5. Specifically, the sliding plate 250 may completely cover the bottom 46 of the container body 5. For example, a sliding plate may be made by bending a metal plate surface-treated with fluororesin into a groove shape, with an outer shape that conforms to the shape of the bottom 46 of the container body 5, and whose total length is comparable to the total length of the bottom 46 of the container body 5. Alternatively, instead of the sliding plate 250, the inner surface of the container body 5 may be coated with a resin that has excellent non-stick properties.

[0182] The drug feeder 1 of the embodiment described above has a container placement device 3 comprising a vibrating table 50, an excitation means 51 for vibrating the vibrating table 50, a container holding means (magnetic member 62) for fixing the drug container 2 to the vibrating table 50, and a weight measuring means 55 for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container 2. The drug container 2 is placed on the vibrating table 50, the drug container 2 is fixed to the vibrating table 50 by the container holding means, the vibrating table 50 is vibrated to discharge small amounts of drug from the drug container 2, and the amount of drug discharged can be detected by the weight measuring means 55. The drug feeder 1 is characterized in that the vibration of the vibrating table 50 decreases as the total amount of drug discharged from the drug container 2 approaches the target amount.

[0183] The drug feeder 1 of the embodiment described above has a container placement device 3 comprising a vibrating table 50, an excitation means 51 for vibrating the vibrating table 50, a container holding means for fixing the drug container 2 to the vibrating table 50, and a weight measuring means 55 for directly or indirectly measuring the weight of the drug container 2. The drug container 2 is placed on the vibrating table 50, the drug container 2 is fixed to the vibrating table 50 by the container holding means, the vibrating table 50 is vibrated to discharge small amounts of drug from the drug container 2, and the amount of drug discharged is detected by the weight measuring means 55. The drug feeder 1 is characterized in that the vibration of the vibrating table 50 increases when the total amount of drug discharged from the drug container 2 is less than the target amount and the amount of drug discharged per unit time falls below a certain amount.

[0184] The drug feeder 1 of the embodiment described above is configured to store the total amount of drug discharged to date, stop the vibration of the vibration table 50, and remove the drug container 2 from the vibration table if the amount of drug discharged per unit time remains below a certain amount even when the vibration of the vibration table 50 increases.

[0185] The drug feeder 1 of the embodiment described above is configured such that when the drug container 2 is fixed to the vibrating table 50 again, the vibration of the vibrating table 50 is restarted to discharge small amounts of drug from the drug container 2, and the vibration of the vibrating table 50 is stopped when the total amount of drug discharged from the drug container 2 reaches the target amount.

[0186] In the embodiment described above, only one wire holding member 73 is provided, but there may be multiple wire holding members 73. Figure 18 shows an example in which two wire holding members 73 are provided.

[0187] In the above-described embodiment, the top surface of the desiccant insertion section 15 and the upper part of the fixed rectifier coil 25 in the coil housing space 28 are closed by the inner lid 22, and the upper part of the movable rectifier coil 26 in the coil housing space 28 is closed by the canopy cover (canopy member) 35. However, as shown in Figure 19, the rear end of the lid body 10 may be sealed with a full lid 23 that integrates both.

[0188] In the above-described embodiment, a container holding means utilizing magnetism was disclosed, but other actuators such as motors may also be used as container holding means.

[0189] In the embodiment described above, control using a coefficient called the "flow coefficient" was introduced. Further explanation of the "flow coefficient" is provided below. In the drug feeder 1 of the above-described embodiment, the vibration table 50 is configured to allow changes in the vibration frequency per unit time and the amplitude, enabling it to change the frequency and amplitude according to the type of drug, the timing of discharge, and the total amount discharged.

[0190] More specifically, the vibration table 50 in this embodiment has a structure that allows the magnitude of vibration to be varied according to a preset value (the vibration frequency and amplitude are variable). A "flow coefficient" is assigned according to the target set value (hereinafter also referred to as the vibration value) when operating the vibration table 50 to discharge each chemical. In the embodiment described above, the flow coefficient was divided into three stages from "flow coefficient 1" to "flow coefficient 3," but more preferably, it is divided into nine stages from "flow coefficient 1" to "flow coefficient 9."

[0191] To explain this "flow coefficient" in more detail, it is a value set for each drug feeder 1 being shipped, and it is assigned after conducting experiments to test the ease of drug discharge using the drug feeder 1 in actual use. Specifically, first, a standard drug (for example, magnesium oxide) is used, and the vibration value required to dispense a predetermined amount in a predetermined time is obtained and classified as "flow coefficient 1". Then, for each drug, the vibration value required to dispense the same amount as the standard drug in the same amount of time is obtained, and a "flow coefficient" is assigned according to that vibration value. Note that the higher the flow coefficient value, the greater the vibration of the vibration table. In short, the "flow coefficient" is the target vibration setting value for discharging each chemical in the same way as the standard chemical. Furthermore, since a larger "flow coefficient" value indicates a chemical that is more difficult to discharge, it also represents the ease of discharging the chemical.

[0192] The appropriate vibration level is then selected based on the "flow coefficient" and "discharge amount." Furthermore, the vibration level is distinguished between the vibration level at the initial stage of discharge and the vibration level during the stable stage. For example, if the chemical is easily discharged, such as with a "flow coefficient of 1," and the total discharge amount is small, such as "discharge amount of 20," the vibration starts with a slow vibration at vibration level 3. When a certain decrease in the amount of chemical is detected (when a certain weighing value is reached), it switches to a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10. Alternatively, the system switches to a feedback control method that centers on a stronger vibration, such as vibration level 10, and controls the vibration intensity of the vibration table so that the discharge amount h per unit time remains constant.

[0193] In the embodiments described above, the drug feeder 1 was used to supply the powder to the dispensing tray 116 of the drug division area (powder dispensing device) 103. However, the powder may also be supplied directly from the drug feeder 1 to the drug packaging device 122. It is also conceivable that tablets or capsules could be supplied using the drug feeder 1.50 of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0194] 1: Chemical feeder 2,170: Chemical container 3: Container mounting device 6: Fixing iron plate section 7: Transport iron plate section 8,118: Lid member 13: Chemical discharge section 19: Notification member 20: Rectifier section 25: Fixed rectifier coil 26: Movable rectifier coil 27: Rectifier coil holder section 28: Coil housing space 35: Canopy cover (canopy member) 43: Opening 50: Vibration table 51a,51b: Excitation means 52: Intermediate table 53: Vibration isolation table 55: Weight measuring means 56: Base member 62a,62b: Magnet member 65: Magnet power supply wire 66: Installation plate 68: Excitation means power supply wire 70: Measurement means power supply wire 71: Fastener 72: Connector 73: Wire holding member 76: Wire fixing section 81: Chemical container 100: Chemical dispensing device 103: Drug division area (powder dispensing device) 118: Lid member (rocking member) 130: Door section (door for automatic loading) 150: Partition plate (raised bottom member) 151: Drug container 161: Low ceiling section (recess) 180a,180b: Door section (door for manual loading) 192: Engaging plate (engaging piece) 300: Drug container 301: Storage space forming member 302: Bottom forming member 304: Side wall 306: Opening (lower side) 315: Drug discharge section 320: Elastic member (elastic body) 340: Temporary storage stand

Claims

1. A drug feeder having a drug container and a container placement device, The drug container is detachable from the container mounting device, and the drug container has a drug discharge section for discharging the drug. The container placement device comprises a vibrating table and a container holding means for temporarily fixing drug containers to the vibrating table. The drug container is placed on a vibrating platform, the drug container is fixed to the vibrating platform by a container holding means, and the vibrating platform is vibrated to discharge the drug from the drug discharge section. The drug container has a storage space forming member and a bottom forming member. The storage space forming member has at least a side wall covering the sides and an opening at the bottom. The bottom forming member is partially or entirely made of a magnetic material. The storage space forming member is detachable from the bottom forming member. The container holding means has a magnetic member which is an electromagnet. Magnetic components generate or cease generating magnetic force depending on whether or not power is supplied. A drug feeder that attaches and detaches drug containers from a container mounting device based on whether or not a magnetic force is generated by a magnetic component.

2. Based on the orientation of the container mounting device when placed on the vibrating platform, the total length in the longitudinal direction of the bottom forming member is longer than the total length in the longitudinal direction of the storage space forming member, and the tip of the bottom forming member becomes the drug discharge section. A drug feeder according to claim 1, which includes the operation of placing a drug container on a vibrating table, fixing the drug container to the vibrating table with a container holding means, and vibrating the vibrating table, causing the drug that has fallen from the opening of the storage space forming member to the bottom forming member to move along the bottom forming member, and the drug being discharged from the drug discharge section.

3. A drug feeder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drug container has an opening on the upper side of the drug container, based on the orientation in which it is mounted on the container mounting device, and a drug can be put into the drug container through the opening.

4. A drug feeder having a drug container and a container placement device, The drug container is detachable from the container mounting device, and the drug container has a drug discharge section for discharging the drug. The container placement device comprises a vibrating table and a container holding means for temporarily fixing drug containers to the vibrating table. The drug container is placed on a vibrating platform, the drug container is fixed to the vibrating platform by a container holding means, and the vibrating platform is vibrated to discharge the drug from the drug discharge section. The drug container has a storage space forming member and a bottom forming member. The storage space forming member has at least a side wall covering the sides and an opening at the bottom. The bottom forming member is partially or entirely made of a magnetic material. The storage space forming member is detachable from the bottom forming member. The container holding mechanism has a magnetic member and secures the drug container by magnetic force. The storage space forming member is positioned above the bottom forming member. An elastic member is further provided between the storage space forming member and the bottom forming member. The storage space forming member and the bottom forming member are separated by an edge. A drug feeder in which the vibration amount of the storage space forming member is smaller than the vibration amount of the bottom forming member.

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