A Pulverizing Apparatus of Pills

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pill crushing device capable of performing a more uniform pill crushing operation by operating while considering the type, size, and strength of the pills, etc. It is characterized by having a structure that produces less noise and facilitates easy maintenance and repair of the device, and particularly by implementing a driving mechanism that prevents the problem of tearing of the pill pouch. More specifically, the pill crushing device of the present invention comprises: a power unit including a motor that provides power; at least one driving unit that reciprocates vertically in the up-and-down direction by means of power supplied by the motor; and a conveying unit disposed at the bottom of the driving unit, which places a pill pouch containing pills on its upper surface and conveys the pill pouch in either a horizontal direction. The driving unit is characterized by including a limit switch that operates the conveying unit according to a specific pattern of vertical movement of the cylinder.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pill crushing device that operates automatically and can uniformly crush a number of pills contained in a pill pouch, regardless of their type and strength. Background Technology

[0002] According to a doctor's prescription, a pharmacist prepares the medicine and packages it by distributing it into single-dose portions in multiple packets according to the dosage instructions. Oral medicine exists in various forms, such as pills, liquid medicine, and powder medicine. In the case of pills, which are relatively difficult to swallow, they may be ground into a powder and provided to the patient as oral medicine, taking into consideration the patient's preference, health condition, age, etc.

[0003] Conventionally, pills were crushed into powder using equipment such as a mortar and pestle and provided in medicine pouches. However, since medicines have a prescribed dosage, if a pharmacist directly crushes and packs the pills using equipment, it requires a significant amount of labor, and there are difficulties such as residual powder remaining in the equipment or distributing a large quantity of crushed pills into single-dose portions.

[0004] To solve this, a device was developed to crush a large quantity of pills and distribute them into pill pouches based on weight according to the dosage. However, since the medicine in powder form is easily lost, it is difficult to measure the correct dosage for a single intake, and various problems still exist, such as safety issues for workers due to scattering and maintenance and repair of the device.

[0005] To improve this, prior art, Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1311823, 'Pill Crusher,' is disclosed as follows. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pill crusher of the prior art, in which pills distributed in a pill pouch are fed between a driving roller (10) and a driven roller (20) that come into contact with each other, and a technology for pressurizing and crushing pills in a pill pouch is disclosed. However, in the case of the prior art, since crushing is possible only while the rollers are in contact and rotating, it is difficult to achieve uniform crushing due to the limitation that it crushes without considering the type or strength of the pills. In particular, due to the shape of the driving roller (10), which has an '8'-shaped cross-section, there is a problem of jamming occurring depending on the shape of the pills. Furthermore, the prior art has a problem in that the pill pouch may get jammed and torn due to the movement of the rollers coming into contact and rotating, which causes safety issues for workers or device failures caused by dust scattering. Prior art literature

[0006] Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 10-1311823 (Filed May 15, 2013) 'Pill Crusher' The problem to be solved

[0007] The present invention has been devised to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a pill crushing device capable of uniformly crushing all types of pills regardless of their size or strength. The device allows for automated operation by automatically transporting and crushing pill pouches containing pills, minimizes noise during operation to reduce operator fatigue, and, in particular, is configured to prevent the tearing of pill pouches during transport and crushing, thereby improving work convenience while preventing operator safety issues and device failure or damage caused by dust. means of solving the problem

[0008] The pill crushing device of the present invention comprises: a power unit including a motor that provides power; at least one driving unit that reciprocates vertically in an up-and-down direction by power supplied from the motor; and a conveying unit disposed at the bottom of the driving unit and having a pill pouch containing pills mounted on its upper surface and conveying the pill pouch in either a horizontal direction; wherein the driving unit includes a limit switch that activates the conveying unit when the vertical movement of the cylinder reaches a preset number of reciprocations and the cylinder is in an upward position during the reciprocating movement.

[0009] At this time, the driving unit is characterized by using a cam mechanism to convert rotational motion into linear motion and drive the cylinder.

[0010] Here, the limit switch is characterized by having a certain gear ratio with the driving unit, and an operating disk including a protrusion having a predetermined area of ​​its outer surface protruding outward rotates, and while the protrusion contacts the limit switch spaced a certain distance from the center of the operating disk, the limit switch is turned on to transmit an operating signal of the transfer unit.

[0011] At this time, the pill crushing device is characterized in that the drive shaft rotating the drive unit and the driven shaft rotating the operating disk are adjusted by a reduction gear to have a constant gear ratio.

[0012] And, the above-described operating disk is configured with a gear ratio that rotates once when the above-described driving unit rotates a times, wherein a is a number greater than 1.

[0013] In addition, the limit switch is characterized by controlling the operating time of the transfer unit by adjusting the area of ​​the protrusion on the operating disk.

[0014] In addition, the limit switch is positioned on one side of the operating disk, and is characterized in that the distance to the contact that turns on the limit switch is spaced apart from the center of the operating disk by a distance greater than or equal to the length from the center to the protrusion.

[0015] In addition, the above driving unit is characterized by including a first driving unit and a second driving unit arranged horizontally relative to each other along the direction in which the medicine packet is transported by the above transport unit.

[0016] Here, the power unit includes a single motor and is characterized by driving the first drive unit and the second drive unit in the same direction with the single motor through a gear coupling system.

[0017] In addition, the driving unit comprises: a cam positioned at the top of the cylinder and rotating by power supplied from the motor; a follower connected to the eccentricity of the cam and performing linear motion by the rotation of the cam; the cylinder connected to the follower and formed to extend downward by a certain length and reciprocating in the vertical direction; and a striking plate having a certain area in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder and connected to the bottom of the cylinder.

[0018] At this time, the cam is a flat cam having a circular cross-section and including a plurality of holes arranged along the edge, and is characterized in that the height of the striking plate is determined according to the position of the hole to which the follower is coupled.

[0019] In addition, the cylinder comprises at least one spring that provides elasticity in the vertical direction, and the spring of the first driving unit and the spring of the second driving unit are characterized by having the same or different elastic moduli.

[0020] In addition, the striking plate of the first driving unit is characterized by having a narrower area than the striking plate of the second driving unit.

[0021] In addition, the above-described pill crushing device is characterized by further including a dust collector that sucks in dust generated from a pill pouch mounted on the conveying unit. Effects of the invention

[0022] The pill crushing device of the present invention, configured as described above, can perform operations by finely adjusting the crushing intensity or speed considering the size or strength of the pills, thereby enabling effective and uniform crushing of pills. It can also automatically perform multiple operations, thereby improving work efficiency and productivity. Furthermore, it ensures accuracy and stability of the operation through a mechanism that prevents the tearing of pill pouches caused by the crushing motion while they are being transported. In particular, it has the effect of enabling efficient and precise crushing operations while guaranteeing safety in places where there is a need to crush large quantities of pills quickly and uniformly, such as hospitals, pharmaceutical factories, or pharmacies. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pill crusher of the prior art. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a pill crushing device of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a pill crushing device of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of a pill crushing device of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a pill crushing device of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partial view of the driving unit of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view of a limit switch of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram of the operation of an operating disk according to the gear ratio of the present invention according to one embodiment. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of the operation of a driving unit of the present invention according to one embodiment. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0024] Hereinafter, the technical concept of the present invention will be explained in more detail using the attached drawings. Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical concept of the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0025] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely one preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical concepts of the present invention, and that various modifications capable of replacing them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0026] Hereinafter, the technical concept of the present invention will be explained in more detail using the attached drawings. The attached drawings are merely examples illustrated to explain the technical concept of the present invention in more detail, and therefore the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to the form of the attached drawings.

[0027] The present invention is characterized by a pill crushing device (1000) that crushes a pill contained in a pill pouch (1) by striking the pill pouch (1) through a reciprocating motion in a direction perpendicular to the ground. Herein, the pill crushing device (1000) of the present invention is characterized by being able to adjust the intensity or speed of striking by taking into account the type, size, strength, etc. of the pill, thereby enabling more uniform crushing.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the pill crushing device (1000) of the present invention is characterized by comprising a power unit (100) including a motor (110) that provides power, at least one driving unit that reciprocates vertically in the up-and-down direction by means of power supplied by the motor (110), and a conveying unit (300) disposed at the bottom of the driving unit and having a pill pouch (1) containing pills mounted on its upper surface and conveying the pill pouch (1) in either a horizontal direction. Here, the driving unit is characterized by crushing the pills contained in the pill pouch (1) by striking the pill pouch (1) mounted on the upper surface of the conveying unit (300) through an up-and-down reciprocating drive in which the cylinder (230) strikes downward. At this time, the driving unit is characterized by including a limit switch (400) that operates the transfer unit (300) according to a specific pattern of vertical movement of the cylinder (230) (reciprocating movement according to a preset number of times). In other words, the driving unit is characterized by the transfer unit (300) operating according to a specific pattern of the cylinder (230).

[0029] The power unit (100) includes at least one motor (110) and is a device that drives the motor (110) to provide power to the pill crushing device (1000) when power is applied. The power unit (100) of the present invention is characterized by operating the driving unit and the conveying unit (300) using one motor (110). In other words, the power unit (100) is characterized by operating the driving unit through a gear coupling system of various types using power provided from one motor (110), while simultaneously operating the conveying unit (300) using a limit switch (400).

[0030] It is preferable that the position of the motor (110) be determined by a gear coupling system. The present invention is characterized by using an indirect power transmission device as the gear coupling system. More specifically, the present invention is characterized by being configured to drive a drive unit through indirect contact such as a chain, belt, or rope using the power generated by the motor (110). Accordingly, the motor (110) may be connected to the drive unit by a chain or belt, and to improve accuracy in repetitive operations, the present invention is characterized by the motor (110) and the drive unit forming a chain drive. This is explained in more detail below.

[0031] The driving unit is a device that performs the operation of reciprocating the cylinder (230) in the up-and-down direction. More specifically, the driving unit is characterized as a device that performs the operation of striking the cylinder (230) downward. It is preferable that the driving unit be provided with at least one or more cylinders (230) that move independently of each other, so that a plurality of cylinders (230) can be configured to strike the pill. Accordingly, the effect is to crush the pill more evenly by the cylinder (230) positioned at the front striking the pill, and then striking the pill again by the cylinder (230) positioned thereafter. Here, when a plurality of driving units are configured, it is preferable that the plurality of driving units be arranged horizontally along the direction of movement of the pill pouch (1). In other words, the plurality of driving units can be arranged parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the cylinder (230) and along the direction of transport of the transport unit (300). The driving unit can be configured without limitation as long as it is a device capable of performing up-and-down reciprocating motion.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit of the present invention is characterized by using a cam (210) mechanism to convert rotational motion into linear motion and drive the cylinder (230) in an up-and-down reciprocating vertical motion so as to generate and transmit sufficient force for impact while efficiently utilizing space. The driving unit of the present invention includes a motor (110) on the upper side of a pill crushing device (1000), and a cam (210) positioned adjacent to the motor (110) is connected to another gear structure via a chain drive from the motor (110), so that the shaft of the cam (210) rotates by power supplied from the motor (110), thereby operating the driving unit by causing the cylinder (230) connected to the cam (210) to move linearly in an up-and-down direction. That is, the cylinder (230) moves vertically by the rotation of the cam (210). Here, the cam (210) can be used without limitation on type or shape as long as it is configured to convert rotational motion into linear motion and operate.

[0033] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 for a more detailed description, the driving unit of the present invention may be configured to include a cam (210) which is positioned at the top of the cylinder (230) and rotates by power supplied from the motor (110), a follower (220) which is connected to the eccentricity of the cam (210) and performs linear motion by the rotation of the cam (210), a cylinder (230) which is connected to the follower (220) and extends downward for a certain length and reciprocates in the up and down direction, and a striking plate (240) which has a certain area in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder (230) and is connected to the bottom of the cylinder (230).

[0034] The cam (210) is positioned near the motor (110) at the top of the pill crusher (1000) and is characterized by rotating at the same speed through a chain drive with the motor (110). Additionally, the cam (210) may be a flat cam (210) with a circular cross-section, and is characterized by a follower (220) being connected to the eccentricity of the flat cam (210) and moving along the outer edge of the cam (210) to perform linear motion. At this time, the cam (210) may have a plurality of holes (211) arranged along the edge of the cross-section. The holes (211) are holes into which the follower (220) is inserted and coupled, and the height of the lower end of the follower (220), i.e., the striking plate (240), can be determined according to the position of the holes (211) into which the follower (220) is inserted. A plurality of the above holes (211) can be formed at regular intervals along the edge of the circular flat cam (210) in a number as needed.

[0035] The follower (220) is formed in a shape having a predetermined length along a straight direction, inserted into a hole (211) formed on the surface of the cam (210) and connected to the eccentricity of the cam (210), and is characterized by performing a straight movement in the longitudinal direction of the follower (220) as the cam (210) rotates. That is, the follower (220) is assembled such that one side in the longitudinal direction is inserted into and fixed in the hole (211) of the cam (210), and the other side is positioned downward. It is preferable that the follower (220) be in the form of a pin and inserted into and connected to the hole (211) of the cam (210).

[0036] The cylinder (230) is connected to the lower side of the follower (220) and is characterized by driving a reciprocating vertical motion in the up-and-down direction following the linear motion of the follower (220). It is preferable that the cylinder (230) has a certain length along the up-and-down direction and is configured to perform only up-and-down movement from a fixed position. One side of the cylinder (230) in the longitudinal direction may be fixed to the follower (220), and the other side may be fixed to the striking plate (240). Accordingly, the cylinder (230) is characterized by driving a motion in which the cylinder (230), while moving along the linear motion implemented by the follower (220), reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the ground, that is, in the up-and-down direction, and strikes a pill placed at the bottom. Here, to perform the movement of the cylinder (230) more stably, the pill crushing device (1000) may further include a cylinder (230) housing that fixes the position of the cylinder (230) and guides its movement in the up-and-down direction. The cylinder (230) housing may be formed without limitation on shape or type, provided that it is a device capable of accommodating a portion of the length of the cylinder (230) and guiding the cylinder (230) to reciprocate only in the up-and-down direction at a fixed position without deviating from its position.

[0037] The striking plate (240) is connected to the bottom of the cylinder (230) and is also characterized by being placed on the upper surface of the conveying unit (300). The striking plate (240) may be in the form of a flat plate having a certain area, and may have an area sufficient to make full contact with at least the area of ​​the pill pouch (1) containing the pill. It is preferable that the angle of the striking plate (240) be formed according to the angle of the conveying unit (300). That is, it is preferable that the striking plate (240) be connected to the cylinder (230) in a form in which the area is arranged in a direction horizontal to the conveying unit (300). The striking plate (240) may be formed in the form of a flat plate with a longer length in the direction in which the conveying unit (300) conveys the pill pouch (1), so that all the pills contained in the pill pouch (1) can be struck without missing.

[0038] Additionally, referring to FIG. 6, the driving unit may include at least one spring (250) that provides elasticity in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the cylinder (230) to smoothly perform the up-and-down movement of the cylinder (230). The spring (250) may be formed as one or more depending on the configuration of the cylinder (230), and if there are multiple springs (250), the constants (elastic moduli) of each spring (250) may be the same or different from one another. The elastic moduli of the spring (250) may be determined by considering the force to be struck.

[0039] The present invention is characterized by having at least one driving unit formed. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, in an embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit is characterized by including a first driving unit (200a) and a second driving unit (200b) arranged horizontally relative to each other along the direction of transfer of the medicine pouch (1) by the transfer unit (300). Furthermore, the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b) are driven by the same cam (210) mechanism, and the components performing the cam (210) mechanism are also configured identically to provide ease of maintenance and repair of the device. That is, the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b) each include a cam (210), a follower (220) cylinder (230), a spring (250), and a striking plate (240).

[0040] Here, the present invention includes a gear coupling system for driving a first drive unit (200a) and a second drive unit (200b), which are arranged parallel to each other, with a single motor (110). At this time, the present invention is characterized by using two chain drives as the gear coupling system. Referring more specifically to FIGS. 5 and 6, the second drive unit (200b) is arranged in a direction horizontal to the motor (110), and a gear (111) having a rotation axis concentric with the motor (110) is connected by a chain (131) to a gear (120) having a drive axis concentric with the second drive unit (200b), thereby forming the first chain drive and enabling them to drive together. Here, the motor (110) rotates by means of a driving shaft, and the second drive unit (200b) rotates in the same direction as the motor (110) by means of a driven shaft via a belt (131). In addition, the second drive unit (200b) constituting the chain drive with the motor (110) is arranged adjacent to the first drive unit (200a), and is characterized by the gears concentric with the drive shaft rotating each drive unit being connected to each other by a chain (132) to form the second chain drive. Accordingly, the driving force of one motor (110) can drive each first drive unit (200a) and the second drive unit (200b) in the same direction by two chains (131, 132). Here, by adjusting the gear ratio of the first drive unit (200a) and the second drive unit (200b), different number of reciprocating cycles can be achieved. That is, reciprocating motion in the up and down direction can be performed at different speeds. In one embodiment of the present invention, when the conveying unit (300) conveys the medicine pouch (1) in one direction, the first driving unit (200a), the second driving unit (200b), and the motor (110) may be sequentially arranged along the conveying direction of the medicine pouch (1).Accordingly, the motor (110) and the second drive unit (200b) can form the first chain drive (131), and the second drive unit (200b) and the first drive unit (200a) can form the second chain drive (132).

[0041] Also, the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b) can form different striking speeds and strengths. Referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first driving unit (200a) is a driving unit that strikes a pill first, and can be configured to drive a round pill in a press mode to first form a crack, and then drive it in a crushing mode by increasing the operating speed of the second driving unit (200b) to strike it. In addition, the spring (250) of the first driving unit (200a) and the spring (250) of the second driving unit (200b) may have the same or different elastic moduli, but by configuring them to have different elastic moduli, the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b) can achieve different striking strengths. At this time, the spring (250) strength (elastic modulus) of the first driving unit (200a) may be arranged such that it is smaller than the spring (250) strength (elastic modulus) of the second driving unit (200b), so that the first driving unit (200a) strikes with a weaker force than the second driving unit (200b). Additionally, referring to FIG. 6, the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b) may have different striking plate (240) areas, thereby enabling different striking forces based on the striking area. At this time, the striking plate (240) of the first driving unit (200a) may be formed with a smaller area than the striking plate (240) of the second driving unit (200b). This is because the round pills that first enter the pill crushing device (1000) are clustered together and have high strength, so the striking area (A1) of the first driving unit (200a) is formed narrower to concentrate the force, and the striking area (A2) of the second driving unit (200b) is formed wider so that the pills with cracks formed by the first driving unit (200a) can be crushed more uniformly and evenly.

[0042] The conveying unit (300) is a device that automatically performs a chain of pill crushing operations while conveying a plurality of pill pouches (1) in one direction. It is preferable that the conveying unit (300) has a mounting portion formed on its upper surface so that the pill pouches (1) can be mounted thereon, wherein the mounting portion has a length extended in the direction of conveying and its width can be formed to a size sufficient to accommodate at least the width of the pill pouches (1). In addition, since the driving unit strikes the pill pouches (1) mounted on the mounting portion, it is preferable that the conveying unit (300) be formed to support the striking force of the driving unit. The conveying unit (300) can be used without limitation as long as it conveys the pill pouches (1) in any one direction horizontal to the ground. The conveying unit (300) of the present invention is characterized by operating by receiving an operation signal electrically from a limit switch (400). That is, when the gear driving the above transfer unit (300) receives an operation signal from the limit switch (400), the transfer unit (300) can be operated by operating the gear by the amount of the signal.

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, the conveying unit (300) may be a conveyor belt. Accordingly, when the conveying unit (300) moves in one direction, the target pill pouch (1) may first be struck by the first driving unit (200a) and then moved to the second driving unit (200b) and struck by the operation of the conveying unit (300) by the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b). When the conveying unit (300) operates and moves while sequentially striking the pills by the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b), the pill pouch (1) that finally passes through the second driving unit (200b) may be provided with uniformly crushed powder. Here, depending on the characteristics of the pill, the process can be repeated by passing the pill packet (1) through the first driving unit (200a) and the second driving unit (200b) once, and then feeding it back into the first driving unit (200a).

[0044] The pill crushing device (1000) of the present invention is characterized by operating the conveying unit (300) in conjunction with the operation of the driving unit using a limit switch (400). This configuration is intended to prevent the problem of the pill pouch (1) tearing, which may occur when the pounding operation of the driving unit is performed simultaneously while the pill pouch (1) is being conveyed. To solve this, the present invention is characterized by implementing a mechanism for operating the conveying unit (300) according to a specific pattern of the cylinder (230) using a limit switch (400). The limit switch (400) is capable of detecting and controlling the movement of the machine, and can be used without limitation as long as it is configured to send an electrical signal when a specific timing is detected.

[0045] Here, the limit switch (400) of the present invention may be configured so that the conveying unit (300) operates by taking into account the number of reciprocating movements of the cylinder (230) when the cylinder (230) of the driving unit performs reciprocating vertical movement. Referring to FIG. 7 for a more detailed description, the pill crushing device (1000) of the present invention can perform one reciprocating movement in the up-and-down direction when the cam (210) of the driving unit rotates once. Here, in order to crush the pill more uniformly, it is preferable for the cylinder (230) to perform repeated vertical movement at the same position and strike the pill multiple times. Accordingly, the limit switch (400) of the present invention detects the timing (specific pattern) when the cylinder (230) performs a preset number of reciprocating cycles a and generates an operation signal for the transfer unit (300), thereby operating the transfer unit (300) for each preset number of reciprocating cycles of the cylinder (230) to perform a mechanism for transporting the crushed medicine packet (1) in one direction. In other words, when the cam (210) of the driving unit rotates a specific number of times (a times), the limit switch (400) turns on and transmits an operation signal for the transfer unit (300), thereby causing the transfer unit (300) to operate.

[0046] Additionally, the limit switch (400) of the present invention may take into account the position of the cylinder (230) along with the number of reciprocating movements of the cylinder (230) and a specific pattern of the cylinder (230). More specifically, the limit switch (400) is turned on at the corresponding timing when the cylinder (230) of the driving unit descends to strike the pill and then rises again, thereby generating an operation signal for the transfer unit (300) so that the transfer unit (300) can transfer the pill pouch (1). In other words, it is characterized by operating the transfer unit (300) while the striking unit is separated from the pill pouch (1). This is intended to implement a mechanism to prevent the problem of the pill pouch (1) being torn by the striking unit if the transfer unit (300) is operated while the striking unit is striking the pill pouch (1).

[0047] The limit switch (400) of the present invention can be configured to operate the limit switch (400) at a specific timing by using an operating disk (410) having a gear ratio related to the rotation of the cam (210) to set such timing. Additionally, the limit switch (400) may be positioned on one side of the operating disk (410), that is, at a distance spaced apart in the radial direction. At this time, the operating disk (410) is characterized by including a protrusion (411) in which a predetermined area of ​​the outer surface protrudes outward by a predetermined thickness. Accordingly, when the operating disk (410) rotates, the limit switch (400) is turned on only at the portion of the protrusion (411) to operate the transfer unit (300).

[0048] As described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, in one embodiment of the present invention, the pill crushing device (1000) of the present invention may include a gear (420) that rotates with the same gear ratio and has a drive shaft concentric with the drive shaft of the reference drive unit, based on either the first drive unit (200a) or the second drive unit (200b). That is, the rotation of the gear (420) and the rotation of the reference drive unit (200a) are performed identically. Furthermore, the device includes a reduction gear that operates an operating disk (410) that operates a limit switch (400) around the gear (420) with a certain gear ratio. In other words, the driven shaft that rotates the operating disk (410) that operates the limit switch (400) and the driving shaft that rotates the reference driving part are connected to transmit power to each other by a reduction gear, wherein the driving shaft and the driven shaft have a certain gear ratio by the reduction gear.

[0049] With reference to FIG. 8 for a more detailed explanation, the limit switch (400) of the present invention is spaced apart from one side of the operating disk (410) with a sufficient distance. At this time, the distance between the operating disk (410) and the limit switch (400) is such that the contact of the limit switch (400) is positioned at a distance further spaced from the radius of the operating disk (410) by the size of the protrusion of the protrusion (411), so that the limit switch is turned on at the portion of the protrusion (411). Accordingly, when the operating disk (410) rotates, the limit switch (400) does not come into contact at other parts, but only at the portion of the protrusion (411) of the operating disk (410) that the limit switch (400) comes into contact, and at this time, the limit switch (400) is turned on to generate and transmit an operating signal of the transfer unit (300). That is, when the operating disk (410) rotates once, the limit switch (400) is turned on for a time equal to the circumference of the protrusion (411) of the operating disk (410). Here, the present invention can control the operating time of the transfer unit by adjusting the area of ​​the protrusion on the operating disk, that is, the circumference length of the protrusion. In addition, the limit switch (400) can control the operating speed and time of the transfer unit (300) by adjusting the rotational speed of the operating disk (410) and adjusting the time during which the protrusion (411) and the limit switch (400) are in contact.

[0050] Here, the operating disk (410) has a certain gear ratio with respect to the gear (420) that rotates coaxially with the drive shaft of the reference drive unit. In one embodiment, the operating disk (410) is characterized by having a gear ratio greater than that of the gear that operates the drive unit. More specifically, the operating disk (410) may be configured with a gear ratio such that the operating disk (410) rotates once when the reference drive unit rotates a times. Here, it is preferable that a is a number greater than 1. Also, the reference for one rotation of the operating disk (410) may be the position of the protrusion (411), and it is preferable that the cylinder (230) at the position where the protrusion (411) and the limit switch (400) come into contact is in a position where it is moving upward. Accordingly, when the operating disk (410) rotates once, the cylinder (230) performs a reciprocating motion a time, and the driving part is manufactured so that the cylinder (230) moves upward after striking the pill at the position where the protrusion (411) of the operating disk (410) contacts the limit switch (400), thereby configuring the limit switch (400) operating mechanism.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, an embodiment of the present invention is described in more detail as follows: the pill crusher is configured such that the second drive unit (200a) and the operating disk (410) have a gear ratio of 8:1, and in particular, the protrusion (411) of the operating disk (410) comes into contact with the limit switch (400) at the timing when the cylinder (230) of the second drive unit (200a) moves upward. Referring to FIG. 9, the present invention is characterized in that the second drive unit (200a) and the operating disk (410) are connected by a reduction gear, wherein the reduction gear is configured with a gear ratio such that when the second drive unit (200a) rotates 8 times, the operating disk (410) rotates 1 time. That is, the cylinder (230) of the second drive unit (200a) performs reciprocating motion in the up and down direction 8 times, and the operating disk (410) rotates once. Accordingly, if one rotation of the operating disk (410) is divided into 8 parts, the operating disk (410) rotates 45˚ when the second drive unit (200a) rotates once. Here, the protrusion (411) of the operating disk (410) is located at a certain point along the outer surface, so that it comes into contact with the limit switch (400) at only one point during one rotation of the operating disk (410).

[0052] At this time, the present invention is preferably such that the position of the cylinder (230) moves upward in the vertical direction at the time when the protrusion (411) and the limit switch (400) come into contact. Referring to FIG. 10 for a more detailed explanation, the follower (220) is inserted and coupled into one of the holes (211) formed along the edge of the cam (210), and as shown in FIG. 10 (a), the cam (210) can perform clockwise rotation with the state coupled to the uppermost part of the hole (211) of the cam (210) as the reference position. Here, as the cam (210) rotates, the follower (220) coupled to the hole (211) located at the eccentric rotates together clockwise, and the follower (220) can transmit the rotational movement of the cam (210) to the cylinder (230) as linear movement. Based on this, when the cam (210) starts rotational motion from the reference position of FIG. 10 (a) and rotates clockwise, as shown in FIG. 10 (b) and (c), when the cam (210) rotates clockwise from 1 to 180˚, the cylinder (230) performs a vertical downward motion. Then, as shown in FIG. 10 (c), when the follower (220) is positioned at the bottom of the cam (210), the striking plate (240) connected to the cylinder (230) strikes the pill mounted on the conveyor (300). Afterwards, as shown in FIG. 10 (d) and (e), when the cam (210) continues to rotate and rotates from 181 to 360˚, the cylinder (230) performs a vertical upward motion. At this time, in the present invention, the protrusion of the operating disk (410) can be positioned by considering the position of the cylinder (230) according to the rotation angle of the cam (210).

[0053] In other words, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the operating disk (410) at an angle where the protrusion (411) contacts the limit switch (400) is configured to match the position with respect to the rotation angle of the cam (210). That is, referring to FIG. 9 and 10, as described above, during the 8th rotation after the cam (210) has rotated 7 times, the protrusion (411) of the operating disk (410) contacts the limit switch (400) and operates the transfer unit (300) at the part where the angle of the cam (210) is 181 to 360˚. That is, the medicine pouch (1) mounted on the transfer unit (300) is positioned so that the protrusion (411) of the operating disk (410) activates the limit switch (400) at the part where the cam (210) rotates at an angle of 181 to 360˚ during the 8th reciprocating motion after the cylinder (230) has performed 7 reciprocating motions in the up and down direction. At this time, the circumference of the protrusion (411) can be formed as a circumference having an angle of 22 to 25˚ from 45˚, which is one rotation angle of the cam among the circumferences of the operating disk (410), and more specifically, it can be 22.5˚.

[0054] Here, in a configuration for operating the limit switch (400) once every 8 rotations of the cam (210), the driven shaft that rotates the operating disk (410) and the driving shaft that rotates the reference driving unit are characterized by having a certain gear ratio between the driving shaft and the driven shaft by a reduction gear. At this time, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, in an embodiment of the present invention, the reduction gear may include a gear (420) connected to the driving shaft that rotates the reference driving unit and a plurality of gears arranged between the gear that rotates the operating disk (410), and may include a first gear, a second gear, a third gear, and a fourth gear sequentially, starting from the gear (420) connected to the driving shaft and including a gear that rotates in the same axis as the operating disk (410). Here, when the gear (420) connected to the drive shaft is the first gear, the first gear is connected to the meshing second gear with a gear ratio of 1:2, and the second gear and the third gear that rotates in mesh with the second gear can be connected with a gear ratio of 1:2. That is, the first gear, the second gear, and the third gear are connected with a gear ratio of 1:2:4. Also, the gear that rotates the operating disk (410) and rotates coaxially with the operating disk (410) rotates in mesh with the third gear, and the third gear and the fourth gear are connected with a gear ratio of 1:2. At this time, the number of teeth of the second gear, the third gear, and the fourth gear may be the same. Accordingly, by configuring the first gear, second gear, third gear, and fourth gear as a reduction gear having a gear ratio of 1:2:4:8, a configuration can be implemented in which the operating disk (410) connected to the fourth gear performs one rotation when the cam connected to the first gear rotates eight times.

[0055] The pill crushing device of the present invention is characterized by including a mechanism that prevents damage to the pill packaging caused by impact by operating the rotation angle of the operating disk (410) and the cam (210) in conjunction, so that a limit switch (400) that moves upward is turned on and the conveying unit (300) is operated, particularly after the cylinder (230) strikes the pill with the striking plate (240), thereby preventing the conveying unit (300) from operating when the cylinder (230) strikes the pill, and operating the conveying unit (300) when the pill is not struck.

[0056] The pill crushing device (1000) of the present invention may further include a dust collection device capable of removing dust generated from a pill pouch (1) mounted on a conveying unit (300). It is preferable that the dust collection device be formed near the conveying unit (300), and more specifically, it is preferable that it be formed at the bottom of the conveying unit (300) to immediately suck up the generated dust. In addition, the pill crushing device (1000) of the present invention may be provided in a suitable location according to its use, provided that it is other equipment for the maintenance of the device.

[0057] As described above, the present invention has been explained with specific details such as specific constituent elements and limited exemplary drawings; however, this is provided merely to aid in a more comprehensive understanding of the invention, and the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from this description.

[0058] Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all things equivalent to or having equivalent variations to the claims set forth below, as well as the claims set forth below, shall be considered to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0059] 1000 : Pill crusher 100 : Power unit 110 : Motor 200a : First driving unit 200b : Second drive unit 210 : Cam 220 : Followers 230 : Cylinder 240 : Hitting plate 250 : Spring 300 : Transfer section 400 : Limit switch 410: Working disk 411 : Protrusion

Claims

Claim 1 A pill crushing device comprising: a power unit including a motor that provides power; at least one drive unit that reciprocates vertically in an up-and-down direction by power supplied from the motor; and a conveying unit disposed at the bottom of the drive unit and having a pill pouch containing pills mounted on its upper surface and conveying the pill pouch in either a horizontal direction; wherein the drive unit includes a limit switch that activates the conveying unit when the vertical movement of the cylinder reaches a preset number of reciprocations and the cylinder is in an upward position during reciprocation. Claim 2 A pill crushing device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit uses a cam mechanism to convert rotational motion into linear motion to drive the cylinder. Claim 3 A pill crushing device according to claim 2, wherein the limit switch has a certain gear ratio with the driving unit and includes an operating disk having a protrusion in which a predetermined area of ​​the outer surface protrudes outward, and while the protrusion contacts the limit switch spaced a certain distance from the center of the operating disk, the limit switch is turned on to transmit an operating signal of the conveying unit. Claim 4 In claim 3, the pill crushing device is characterized in that the drive shaft rotating the drive unit and the driven shaft rotating the operating disk are adjusted to have a constant gear ratio by a reduction gear. Claim 5 A pill crushing device according to claim 3, wherein the operating disk is configured with a gear ratio such that when the driving unit rotates a times, it rotates once, and wherein a is a number greater than 1. Claim 6 A pill crushing device according to claim 3, characterized in that the limit switch controls the operating time of the conveying part by adjusting the area of ​​the protrusion on the operating disk. Claim 7 A pill crushing device according to claim 3, wherein the limit switch is disposed on one side of the operating disk, and the distance to the contact that turns on the limit switch is spaced apart from the center of the operating disk by more than the length from the center to the protrusion. Claim 8 A pill crushing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the driving unit comprises a first driving unit and a second driving unit arranged horizontally relative to each other along the direction in which the pill pouch is transported by the transport unit. Claim 9 A pill crushing device according to claim 8, wherein the power unit comprises a single motor and, through a gear coupling system, drives the first drive unit and the second drive unit in the same direction with the single motor. Claim 10 In claim 8, the driving unit comprises: a cam disposed at the top of the cylinder and rotating by power supplied from the motor; a follower connected to the eccentricity of the cam and performing linear motion by the rotation of the cam; the cylinder connected to the follower and formed to extend downward for a certain length and reciprocating in the up-and-down direction; and a striking plate having a certain area in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder and connected to the bottom of the cylinder; characterized in that it comprises a pill crushing device. Claim 11 A pill crushing device according to claim 10, wherein the cam is a flat cam having a circular cross-section and including a plurality of holes arranged along the edge, and the height of the striking plate is determined according to the position of the hole to which the follower is coupled. Claim 12 A pill crushing device according to claim 10, wherein the cylinder comprises at least one spring that provides elasticity in the vertical direction, and the spring of the first driving part and the spring of the second driving part have the same or different elastic moduli. Claim 13 A pill crushing device according to claim 10, characterized in that the striking plate of the first driving unit has a narrower area than the striking plate of the second driving unit. Claim 14 A pill crushing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pill crushing device further includes a dust collector that sucks in dust generated from a pill pouch mounted on the conveying part.

Images