Medicine packaging machine

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a medicine packaging machine capable of reducing the burden on cleaning workers without increasing the number of components. At least some of a plurality of medicine feeder storage parts 5A-5C are configured to be displaceable so that one or more chutes (21, 23, 33) are exposed in an upper area 3B of a housing 3 until being cleaned or removed through an opening 3A in the housing from the outside of the housing 3.

Description

Medicine packaging machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a medicine dispensing and packaging machine equipped with a plurality of medicine feeders.

[0002] The medicine packaging machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2023-68551 (Patent Document 1) includes a housing having an opening on the front, and a plurality of medicine feeder storage sections provided in an upper region of the housing for arranging therein a plurality of medicine feeders each having a container section for randomly storing a plurality of medicines and a sequential discharge mechanism section for dropping the plurality of medicines one by one from the container section and discharging them downward. The medicine packaging machine also includes a packaging device disposed in a lower region of the housing for receiving and packaging the medicines discharged from the plurality of medicine feeders, a plurality of upper medicine collection sections for dropping the plurality of medicines discharged from the plurality of medicine feeders stored in the plurality of medicine feeder storage sections downward, and a plurality of combined units each including a plurality of shuttered reservoir chutes for receiving the plurality of medicines that have passed through the plurality of upper medicine collection sections. In this conventional medicine packaging machine, a sliding mechanism is used to pull the entire unit including the pair of medicine feeder storage sections, the upper medicine collection section, and the reservoir chute toward the front of the housing for cleaning. Each unit, equipped with its own collection chute, is pulled out to the front of the housing for cleaning. Cleaning the collection chute of each unit places a significant burden on the worker. The collection chute and manual chemical dispensing device, both located in the lower area of ​​the housing, are then pulled out from the lower area of ​​the housing using a sliding mechanism to clean the collection chute.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-68551

[0004] The medicine packaging machine described in Patent Document 1 is suitable for cases where there are no restrictions on the number of parts, but the structure of the medicine packaging machine described in Patent Document 1 is not suitable for cases where there are restrictions on the number of parts and where there is a need to reduce the burden of cleaning work.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a medicine dispensing and packaging machine that does not require an increased number of parts and that can reduce the burden on cleaning workers.

[0006] The drug packaging machine of the present invention includes a housing having an opening on the front and a plurality of drug feeder storage units. The plurality of drug feeder storage units are provided in an upper region of the housing to accommodate a plurality of drug feeders, each of which includes a container unit for randomly storing a plurality of drugs and a sequential discharge mechanism unit for dropping the drugs one by one from the container unit and discharging them downward. The drug packaging machine of the present invention also includes a packaging device located in a lower region of the housing to receive and package the drugs discharged from the plurality of drug feeders, a plurality of upper drug collection units for dropping the drugs downward from the plurality of drug feeders stored in the plurality of drug feeder storage units, and one or more chutes for receiving and collecting the drugs that have passed through the plurality of upper drug collection units. Furthermore, the medicine packaging machine of the present invention includes a storage chute with a shutter supported by a support mechanism below the one or more chutes for storing the plurality of medicines that have passed through the one or more chutes, a drop path disposed below the storage chute with a shutter for dropping the plurality of medicines in the storage chute with a shutter into a packaging device, a plurality of medicine feeders, the storage chute with shutters, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the packaging device.Furthermore, in the present invention, at least a portion of the storage unit for the plurality of medicine feeders is configured to be displaceable so that the one or more chutes can be exposed in the upper region to a state where they can be cleaned or removed from the outside of the housing through an opening in the housing.

[0007] In the present invention, by providing one or more chutes and one shuttered reservoir chute in the lower region of the housing for the multiple drug feeder storage units and the multiple upper drug collection units, multiple drugs are supplied to the packaging device, thereby reducing the number of parts. Moreover, in the present invention, at least a portion of the multiple drug feeder storage units is configured to be movable in the upper region so that the one or more chutes can be exposed from the outside of the housing through the opening in the housing to a state where they can be cleaned or removed, thereby reducing the number of parts and the burden on the operator by reducing the number of places to clean.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable that the support mechanism for supporting one of the shuttered reservoir chutes is equipped with a slide mechanism that slides the shuttered reservoir chute from a state in which it is supported in a fixed position to a cleaning position, and that the slide mechanism is configured to allow the shuttered reservoir chute to be moved from its fixed position to a cleaning position where it can be cleaned outside the housing. In this way, it is only necessary to bring one shuttered reservoir chute, which has a movable part, outside the housing for cleaning, thereby enabling reliable cleaning to be performed in a short amount of time.

[0009] The plurality of drug feeder storage units include a first drug feeder storage unit that mounts some of the drug feeders and is positioned to block the opening, a second drug feeder storage unit that is positioned rearward of the first drug feeder storage unit and mounts some of the drug feeders, and a third drug feeder storage unit that is positioned rearward of the second drug feeder storage unit and mounts the remainder of the drug feeders. The plurality of upper drug collecting units include a first upper drug collecting unit that is provided between the first drug feeder storage unit and the second drug feeder storage unit and guides and drops the plurality of drug feeds discharged from the plurality of drug feeders disposed in the first drug feeder storage unit and the second drug feeder storage unit, and a second upper drug collecting unit that guides and drops the plurality of drug feeds discharged from the plurality of drug feeders disposed in the third drug feeder storage unit. The first drug feeder storage unit, the second drug feeder storage unit, and the first upper drug collecting unit combine to form a first unit that allows the first upper drug collecting unit to be cleaned. The third drug feeder storage section and the second upper drug collection section form a second unit that is combined to enable cleaning of the second upper drug collection section. The first unit is supported rotatably about a first imaginary center line extending vertically near the opening, and is normally in a closed position that blocks the opening of the housing, and is placed in an open position that opens the opening when cleaning the first upper drug collection section. The second unit is supported rotatably about a second imaginary center line diagonally opposite the first imaginary center line within the housing, and is normally in a rear position behind the first unit, and is placed in a forward position facing the opening when cleaning the second upper drug collection section. This structure allows the first to third drug feeder storage sections to be stored within the housing and easily moved to positions where they can be cleaned.

[0010] The second unit is preferably configured so that the container portions of the multiple drug feeders mounted thereon can be replaced when the first unit is in the open position, and so that the second upper drug collection portion can be cleaned when the second unit is in the forward position.

[0011] It is preferable that a lighting device be disposed within the housing to illuminate the interior of the housing when the first unit is placed in the open position, so that cleaning work can be carried out in a bright environment without any problems.

[0012] The one or more chutes preferably include a first chute and a second chute that receive the plurality of drugs discharged from the first upper drug collecting section and the second upper drug collecting section, respectively, and a third chute that guides the plurality of drugs discharged from the first chute and the second chute to the shuttered reservoir chute. The first chute unit including the first chute, the second chute unit including the second chute, and the third chute unit including the third chute are preferably disposed above the shuttered reservoir chute so as to be removable through openings. This structure allows the chutes to be easily cleaned, eliminating the need for a large work space.

[0013] The manual medicine dispenser may be disposed in the lower area so as to be retractable using a slide mechanism. In this case, if the shuttered reservoir chute is mounted on the slide mechanism so as to be retracted together with the manual medicine dispenser by the slide mechanism, cleaning of the shuttered reservoir chute can also be facilitated.

[0014] If a collection guide chute is arranged in the middle of the falling path to collect and guide to the packaging device a plurality of medicines falling from the shuttered reservoir chute and one or more medicines falling from the manual medicine distribution device, it becomes possible to use the manual medicine distribution device in combination.

[0015] A cyclone vacuum cleaner having a dust collection hose with a nozzle at the tip and a dust box connected to the hose may be provided inside or outside the lower area of ​​the housing. In this way, even if cleaning is performed more frequently, the burden on the worker required to carry the vacuum cleaner does not increase.

[0016] If the dust box is located outside the lower area, the collected chemicals can be easily disposed of by cleaning.

[0017] 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a medicine dispensing and packaging machine of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a state in which the first unit is rotated forward of the housing; FIG. 5 is a view of a state in which the first unit is in the open position and the second unit is in the forward position; FIG. 6 is a view used to explain a state in which the first unit is in the open position, the second unit is in the forward position, and the second unit is during cleaning; FIG. 7 is a view of a state in which the second unit is in the forward position; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a third medicine feeder storage section; FIG. 9 is a view with the back cover of the second unit opened; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which five general-purpose medicine feeders are mounted on a support structure and arranged in the first medicine feeder storage section; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an arrangement of the first and second units when they are in their normal positions; FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one general-purpose medicine feeder when it is in the normal position; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the support structure, on which five general-purpose feeders are mounted, is pulled out to a non-normal position; FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one general-purpose medicine feeder when it is in a non-normal position; FIG. 15 is a view used to explain a lid member guide mechanism of a general-purpose medicine feeder. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3, used to explain the first chute unit and the second chute unit. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 3, used to explain the third chute unit. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 3, used to explain the reservoir chute with shutter. A diagram showing the state in which the reservoir chute with shutter is pulled out. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a front view of a medicine packaging machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second embodiment.

[0018] A preferred embodiment of the medicine packaging machine of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the medicine packaging machine of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of this embodiment, and Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1.

[0019] [Overall Configuration of First Embodiment] The medicine packaging machine 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 3 having an opening 3A, a medicine feeder housing 5, a packaging device 11, and a control unit 13. A support mechanism for a display 15 is mounted on the top of the housing 3. The housing 3 includes an upper area 3B in which the medicine feeder housing 5 is housed and a lower area 3C in which the packaging device 11 and the control unit 13 are housed. The multiple medicine feeders in the medicine feeder housing 5 include multiple specialized medicine feeders 7 and five general-purpose medicine feeders 9. Note that in each figure, only one specialized medicine feeder 7 is shown as an example.

[0020] Each of the multiple specialized drug feeders 7 has a structure in which a container section 7A, which randomly stores multiple drugs, is detachably attached to a sequential discharge mechanism section 7B, which drops the drugs one by one and discharges them downward. The specialized drug feeders 7 are described in detail in JP 2022-164085 A, etc., so detailed explanations of the internal mechanism will be omitted. The five general-purpose drug feeders 9 have a container section 9A and a sequential discharge mechanism section 9B integrated into one unit, and have a structure that cannot be detached. The general-purpose drug feeders 9 used in this embodiment will be described in detail later. The basic structure of a conventional general-purpose drug feeder is described in JP 2022-106557 A (WO-A1-2022 / 124369), so detailed explanations of the internal mechanism will be omitted.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, a packaging device 11 and a manual medicine dispensing device 17 are disposed in a lower area 3C inside the housing 3. The packaging device 11 receives medicines discharged from the plurality of medicine feeders (7, 9) and packages them. A control unit 13 controls the operation of the plurality of medicine feeders (7, 9) and the packaging device 11.

[0022] [Configuration of the Upper Region of the Housing] As shown in Fig. 3, the medicine feeder storage 5 includes a first medicine feeder storage section 5A, a second medicine feeder storage section 5B, and a third medicine feeder storage section 5C. The first medicine feeder storage section 5A includes four shelves 51, the second medicine feeder storage section 5B includes six shelves 51, and the third medicine feeder storage section 5C includes six shelves 51. A plurality of specialized medicine feeders 7 are removably mounted on each shelf 51. In this embodiment, only one specialized medicine feeder 7 is shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and 8 for illustrative purposes.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 , the first medicine feeder storage unit 5A has four shelves 51 each containing some of the specialized medicine feeders 7. Five general-purpose medicine feeders 9 are mounted at the bottom (on the two lower shelves 51) and positioned to partially cover the opening 3A of the housing 3. In this embodiment, although not shown in FIG. 1 , a blind ( FIG. 4 ) is mounted in front of the four shelves 51 of the first medicine feeder storage unit 5A to cover the opening and can be opened and closed vertically. As shown in FIG. 3 , the second medicine feeder storage unit 5B is positioned behind the first medicine feeder storage unit 5A in combination with the first medicine feeder storage unit 5A so that the shelves 51 are exposed on the rear side. Some of the specialized medicine feeders 7 are also mounted on the shelves of the second medicine feeder storage unit 5B. 3, 7, and 8, the third medicine feeder storage unit 5C is arranged behind the second medicine feeder storage unit 5B with storage shelves 51 aligned toward the opening 3A of the housing 3. The third medicine feeder storage unit 5C stores the remaining portions of the multiple specialized medicine feeders 7.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, a first upper medicine collection section 6A is formed between a first medicine feeder storage section 5A and a second medicine feeder storage section 5B. The first upper medicine collection section 6A guides downward and drops the medicines discharged from the specialized medicine feeders 7 arranged in the first medicine feeder storage section 5A and the second medicine feeder storage section 5B. In this embodiment, a second upper medicine collection section 6B is formed on the back side of the third medicine feeder storage section 5C, guiding downward and dropping the medicines discharged from the specialized medicine feeders 7 arranged in the third medicine feeder storage section 5C.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first drug feeder storage section 5A and the second drug feeder storage section 5B are combined with their backs facing each other to form a first upper drug collection section 6A (Figure 3) between them, thereby constituting the first unit U1. As shown in Figure 4, a door 4 is provided to cover the opening 3A. Because the main part of this door 4 is transparent, the transparent part of the door 4 is shown in color in Figure 13 to indicate the presence of the door 4. The door 4 is rotatably provided to the opening 3A by two hinges and is opened by pulling a knob provided on the side opposite to the side where the hinges are provided.

[0026] 4 and 5, the first medicine feeder storage section 5A and the second medicine feeder storage section 5B are connected by two fasteners F and a hinge fitting H. By opening the second medicine feeder storage section 5B around the hinge fitting H, the first upper medicine collecting section 6A can be cleaned.

[0027] 9, the third medicine feeder storage section 5C, the second upper medicine collection section 6B, and the back cover 5Ca constitute a second unit U2, and the second upper medicine collection section 6B can be cleaned by opening the back cover 5Ca. When the first to third medicine feeder storage sections 5A to 5C constitute such a first unit U1 and second unit U2, cleaning can be performed by simply changing the position of each unit, thereby reducing the burden on the worker required for cleaning.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the first unit U1 is supported rotatably about a first imaginary line L1 extending vertically near the opening 3A of the housing 3. The first unit U1 is normally in a closed position that blocks the opening 3A of the housing 3, and when cleaning the first upper drug collection section 6A (Figure 3), it is placed in an open position in which a portion of the first unit U1 protrudes from the opening 3A, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this position, by releasing the engagement of the fastener F shown in Figure 4 and separating the first drug feeder storage section 5A and the second drug feeder storage section 5B about the hinge hardware H (Figure 5), the first upper drug collection section 6A becomes separated into two halves and can be cleaned.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second unit U2 is supported within the housing 3 so as to be rotatable about an axis S2, which is diagonal to the axis S1 along which the first imaginary line L1 passes and through which a second imaginary center line L2 extending vertically passes. The second unit U2 is normally located behind the first unit U1, as shown in FIG. 3 . When cleaning the second upper medicine collection section 6B, the second unit U2 is rotated forward through the opening 3A, as shown in FIG. 7 . As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , the back cover 5Ca located on the rear side of the second unit U2 is opened, allowing cleaning of the second upper medicine collection section 6B. This structure allows the first to third medicine feeder storage sections 5A to 5C to be stored within the housing and easily moved to positions where they can be cleaned.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, when the first unit U1 is rotated to a forward position and the second unit U2 is in a rear position facing the opening 3A as shown in Figure 3, the container sections 7A of multiple specialized drug feeders 7 in the third drug feeder storage section 5C can be replaced.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3, a lighting device 19 is attached to the underside of the top plate of the housing 3. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, this lighting device 19 automatically turns on when the first unit U1 rotates forward. The lighting device 19 illuminates the front of the third drug feeder storage section 5C, facilitating replacement of the container section 7A of the specialized drug feeder 7. As shown in Fig. 7, when the back cover 5Ca of the second unit U2 is opened to clean the second upper drug collection section 6B, the lighting device 19 provides a bright environment for cleaning.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, a first chute 21 that communicates with the first upper medicine collection section 6A when the first unit U1 is in the closed position and a second chute 23 that communicates with the second upper medicine collection section 6B when the second unit U2 is located behind the first unit U1 are provided on the bottom side of the upper region 3B within the housing 3. By providing such first chute 21 and second chute 23, medicines can be dropped toward the packaging device 11 without any special connection work. Note that, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first chute 21 and the second chute 23 can be cleaned when the first unit U1 is in the open position and the second unit U2 is in the forward position.

[0033] [General-Purpose Drug Feeder] As shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 10 to 14, five general-purpose drug feeders 9 are aligned in the width direction of first drug feeder storage section 5A (the direction in which storage shelves 51 extend) and are supported by support structure 25 and positioned at the bottom of first drug feeder storage section 5A. Support structure 25 positions five general-purpose drug feeders 9 in stationary positions (Figures 10 to 12, 15) so that multiple drugs discharged from five general-purpose drug feeders 9 are directed toward packaging device 11 during operation. Support structure 25 is configured to move (pull out) five general-purpose drug feeders 9 collectively from the stationary positions (Figures 10 to 12) to non-stationary positions (Figures 13 and 14) closer to opening 3A when drugs are discharged from at least one of five general-purpose drug feeders 9 to a predetermined discharge location (external) other than packaging device 11. As shown in FIG. 13, the support structure 25 is supported via a slide mechanism 25A so as to be movable back and forth.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 12, support structure 25 is provided with a first passage 27 for guiding a plurality of medicines discharged from sequential discharge mechanism 9B through discharge path 26 to first chute 21 when support structure 25 places five general-purpose medicine feeders 9 in the stationary position (Figs. 10 to 12). Support structure 25 is also provided with a second passage 29 for guiding medicines discharged from sequential discharge mechanism 9B through discharge path 26 to a predetermined discharge location (outside) when support structure 25 places five general-purpose medicine feeders 9 in the non-stationary position shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

[0035] By adopting this structure, by moving the support structure 25 of the five general-purpose drug feeders 9 to the non-steady position shown in Figures 13 and 14, it becomes possible to automatically discharge drugs from the container 9A of the five general-purpose drug feeders 9 to the outside, thereby significantly reducing the burden on the worker in the discharging operation. In addition, the worker can collect the discharged drugs by placing a collection container below the outlet of the second passage 29.

[0036] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, five general-purpose drug feeders 9 each have an opening 9C at the top of a container 9A for filling the container 9A with multiple drugs, and a lid member 9D for closing the opening 9C. The configuration of the sequential discharge mechanism 9B is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-10657 (WO-A1-2022 / 124369), and therefore will not be described here. In Figures 10 and 11, the lid member 9D of the rightmost general-purpose drug feeder 9 is in the open position, allowing the opening 9C to be seen from the outside. The lid members 9D of the other four general-purpose drug feeders 9 are in the closed position.

[0037] As shown in Figures 12, 14, and 15, this embodiment includes a lid member guide mechanism 9E for manually moving the lid member 9D. The lid member guide mechanism 9E includes a link mechanism 9F that moves the lid member 9D upward while maintaining a horizontal position between a closed position in which the lid member 9D blocks the opening 9C and an open position in which the lid member 9D opens the opening 9C. Figure 15 illustrates the link mechanism 9F in both the closed and open positions. The link mechanism 9F includes a pair of fixed revolving pairs RC1 and RC2, a pair of movable revolving pairs RC3 and RC4, one fixed link LK1, and three displaceable links LK2 to LK4. These four-link rotary chains are arranged at intervals in the width direction. The pair of four-link rotary chains are located on both sides of link LK3, to which the lid member 9D is fixed. By using this type of link mechanism 9F, the cover member 9D can be moved to the open position even in a narrow space. The link mechanism 9F can be manually moved by moving the link LK3 with a finger.

[0038] In this embodiment, five table units 31 are rotatably attached to the front end of support structure 25, which supports five general-purpose drug feeders 9, corresponding to the five general-purpose drug feeders 9. By providing such table units 31, when filling the container units 9A of the five general-purpose drug feeders 9 with multiple drugs, the boxes or bottles containing the refill drugs can be handled on table unit 31, making the filling operation easier for the operator. In addition, a handle 25C is provided at the front end of support structure 25, which the operator can grasp when pulling support structure 25 forward.

[0039] In this embodiment, with half of five general-purpose drug feeders 9 disposed within the housing 3, multiple drugs can be directly loaded into the opening 9 of the container 9A through the openings 3A and 9C provided on the front surface of the upper region 3B of the housing 3. Therefore, according to this embodiment, with five general-purpose drug feeders 9 disposed within the housing 3, drugs can be loaded into the container 9A through the opening 3A of the housing 3, significantly reducing the burden on the operator.

[0040] 3, below the first chute 21 and the second chute 23 is provided a third chute 33 that is supported by a support mechanism and collects the plurality of medicines that have passed through the first chute 21 and the second chute 23. Below the third chute 33 is provided a shuttered reservoir chute 35 that has a shutter 36 that collects the plurality of medicines that have passed through the third chute 33. Below the shuttered reservoir chute 35 are provided three chutes 37, 39, and 41 that form a drop path for dropping the plurality of medicines in the shuttered reservoir chute 35 into the packaging device 11. The movement of the shutter 36 of the shuttered reservoir chute 35 is controlled by the control unit 13 (FIG. 1).

[0041] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first to third drug feeder storage units 5A to 5C are configured to be movable so that the first chute 21 and the second chute 23 are exposed in the upper region 3B to a state where they can be cleaned or removed from the outside of the housing 3 through the opening 3A of the housing 3. This allows the first chute 21 and the second chute 23 to be cleaned without requiring a large working space. Specifically, the first chute 21 is provided for the first upper drug collection unit 6A associated with the first drug feeder storage unit 5A and the second drug feeder storage unit 5B, and for the first passages 27 ( FIGS. 3 and 12 ) provided in each of the five general-purpose drug feeders 9. The second chute 23 is provided for the third drug feeder storage unit 5C. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , a third chute 33 is provided to guide the drugs discharged from the first chute 21 and the second chute 23 to a shuttered reservoir chute 35.

[0042] As shown in Figure 16, the first chute unit 24A equipped with the first chute 21 has a handle 24B. In addition, the second chute unit 24C equipped with the second chute 23 is disposed below the first chute unit 24A. When an operator grasps the handle 24B and pulls out the first chute unit 24A, the entire second chute unit 24C becomes exposed. The operator can then pull out the exposed second chute unit 24C.

[0043] 5, when cleaning, with the first unit U1 moved to the open position and the second unit U2 in the rear position, first grasp the handle 24B of the first chute unit 24A and remove the first chute unit 24A to the outside through the opening 3A of the housing 3. Next, remove the second chute unit 24C located below the second unit U2 to the outside through the opening 3A of the housing 3. By removing the first chute unit 24A and the second chute unit 24C to the outside of the housing 3, the first chute 21 and the second chute 23 can be cleaned.

[0044] When the first chute unit 24A and the second chute unit 24C are removed, the third chute unit 34 equipped with the third chute 33 appears, as shown in Figure 17. The third chute unit 34 also has a handle 34A attached. The third chute unit 34 can be lifted using this handle 34A and removed to the outside through the opening 3A of the housing 3. By removing the third chute unit 34 to the outside of the housing 3, the third chute 33 can be cleaned.

[0045] When the third chute unit 34 shown in FIG. 17 is removed from the housing 3, the shuttered reservoir chute 35 equipped with the shutter 36 is exposed, as shown in FIG. 18. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the shuttered reservoir chute 35 is attached to a support mechanism 18 shared with the manual chemical dispenser 17, located in front of the shuttered reservoir chute 35. This support mechanism 18 is configured with a slide mechanism that slides the shuttered reservoir chute 35 from a fixed position to a cleaning position. This slide mechanism therefore enables the shuttered reservoir chute 35 to be moved away from its fixed position to a cleaning position where cleaning can be performed outside the housing 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shuttered reservoir chute 35 can be pulled forward of the housing 3 for cleaning, as shown in FIG. 19. The slide mechanism for pulling the manual chemical dispenser 17 forward is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-68551.

[0046] After pulling out the shuttered reservoir chute 35 forward and cleaning it, open the door 3D located in front of the lower region 3C of the housing 3 shown in FIG. 1 and remove the chute 37 below the shuttered reservoir chute 35 shown in FIG. 3. Removing the chute 37 exposes the collecting guide chute 39, which collects the multiple medicines dropping from the shuttered reservoir chute 35 and the multiple medicines dropping from the manual medicine distribution device 17, allowing for combined use of the manual medicine distribution device 17, as shown in FIG. 20. In this state, the collecting guide chute 39 can be cleaned. Removing the collecting guide chute 39 also allows for cleaning of the inlet chute 41 of the packaging device 11 below the collecting guide chute 39 shown in FIG. 3.

[0047] 21 and 22 are front and perspective views of a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a cleaner body (not shown) is provided inside the lower region 3C of the housing 3, and a dust collection hose 43 with a nozzle 42 at its tip and a cyclone cleaner 45 with a dust box 44 are provided outside the lower region 3C. By providing the cyclone cleaner 45 in this manner, even if cleaning frequency increases, the burden on the worker required to carry the cleaner does not increase. Furthermore, since the dust box 44 is provided outside the housing 3, chemicals collected during cleaning can be easily disposed of.

[0048] [Others] In the above embodiment, five general-purpose drug feeders are used, but the number of general-purpose feeders is not limited to five.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the general-purpose medicine feeder is provided with a lid member, but the lid member is not necessarily required.

[0050] According to the present invention, at least a portion of the multiple drug feeder storage sections is configured to be displaceable so that one or more chutes are exposed in the upper area to a state where they can be cleaned or removed from outside the housing through an opening in the housing.This reduces the burden on the worker without increasing the number of parts and also reduces the number of places to be cleaned.

[0051] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Medicine packaging machine 3 Housing 4 Door 5 Medicine feeder storage 5A First medicine feeder storage section 5B Second medicine feeder storage section 5C Third medicine feeder storage section 6A First upper medicine collection section 6B Second upper medicine collection section 7 Specialized medicine feeder 9 General-purpose medicine feeder 11 Packaging device 13 Control section 17 Manual medicine dispensing device 18 Support mechanism 19 Lighting device 21 First chute 23 Second chute 24A First chute unit 24C Second chute unit 25 Support structure section 27 First passage 26 Discharge path 29 Second passage 31 Table section 33 Third chute 34 Third chute unit 35 Reservoir chute with shutter 36 Shutter 37, 39, 41 Chute 45 Cyclone vacuum cleaner

Claims

1. A housing having an opening on a front side; a plurality of drug feeder storage sections provided in an upper area inside the housing for arranging a plurality of drug feeders, the plurality of drug feeders including a container section for randomly storing a plurality of drugs and a sequential discharge mechanism section for dropping the plurality of drugs one by one from the container section and discharging them downward; a packaging device arranged in a lower area inside the housing for receiving and packaging a plurality of drugs discharged from the plurality of drug feeders; a plurality of upper drug collection sections for dropping downward the plurality of drugs discharged from the plurality of drug feeders stored in the plurality of drug feeder storage sections; one or more chutes for receiving and collecting a plurality of drugs that have passed through the plurality of upper drug collection sections; a storage chute with a shutter supported by a support mechanism below the one or more chutes for storing the plurality of drugs that have passed through the one or more chutes; and a drop path arranged below the storage chute with a shutter for dropping the plurality of drugs in the storage chute with a shutter into the packaging device. A drug packaging machine comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the multiple drug feeders, the shuttered storage chute, and the packaging device, wherein at least a portion of the multiple drug feeder storage units are configured to be displaceable so as to expose the one or more chutes within the upper area to a state where they can be cleaned or removed from outside the housing through the opening.

2. The drug packaging machine described in claim 1, characterized in that the support mechanism is equipped with a slide mechanism that slides the shuttered storage chute from a state in which it is supported in a fixed position to a cleaning position, and the slide mechanism is configured to allow the shuttered storage chute to be moved away from the fixed position to the cleaning position where cleaning can be performed outside the housing.

3. The plurality of drug feeder storage sections include a first drug feeder storage section on which some of the plurality of drug feeders are mounted and which is positioned to block the opening, a second drug feeder storage section which is positioned behind the first drug feeder storage section and which mounts some of the plurality of drug feeders, and a third drug feeder storage section which is positioned behind the second drug feeder storage section and which mounts the remaining portions of the plurality of drug feeders; and the plurality of upper drug collection sections include a first upper drug collection section which is provided between the first drug feeder storage section and the second drug feeder storage section and which guides downwardly the plurality of drugs discharged from the plurality of drug feeders disposed in the first drug feeder storage section and the second drug feeder storage section and allows them to fall, and a second upper drug collection section which guides downwardly the plurality of drugs discharged from the plurality of drug feeders disposed in the third drug feeder storage section and allows them to fall, the first drug feeder storage section, the second drug feeder storage section, and the first upper drug collecting section constitute a first unit combined to enable cleaning of the first upper drug collecting section; the third drug feeder storage section and the second upper drug collecting section constitute a second unit combined to enable cleaning of the second upper drug collecting section; the first unit is supported rotatably about a first imaginary center line extending in a vertical direction near the opening, is normally in a closed position that blocks the opening of the housing, and is placed in an open position that opens the opening when cleaning the first upper drug collecting section; and the second unit is supported rotatably about a second imaginary center line located diagonally to the first imaginary center line and extending in the vertical direction within the housing, is normally in a rear position behind the first unit, and is placed in a front position facing the opening when cleaning the second upper drug collecting section.

4. A drug packaging machine as described in claim 3, wherein the second unit is configured such that the container portions of the multiple drug feeders mounted thereon can be replaced when the first unit is in the open position, and the second unit is configured such that the second upper drug collection portion can be cleaned when the second unit is in the forward position.

5. The drug packaging machine according to claim 3, further comprising an illumination device disposed within said housing for illuminating the interior of said housing when said first unit is placed in said open position.

6. The one or more chutes comprise a first chute which receives the multiple medicines discharged from the first upper medicine collecting section, a second chute which receives the multiple medicines discharged from the second upper medicine collecting section, and a third chute which guides the multiple medicines discharged from the first chute and the second chute to the shuttered reservoir chute, and a first chute unit having the first chute, a second chute unit having the second chute, and a third chute unit having the third chute are disposed above the shuttered reservoir chute so as to be removable through the opening. A medicine packaging machine as described in claim 1.

7. A drug packaging machine as described in claim 6, wherein a manual drug distribution device is arranged within the lower area so as to be withdrawn using the slide mechanism, and the shuttered storage chute is mounted on the slide mechanism so as to be withdrawn together with the manual drug distribution device by the slide mechanism.

8. A drug packaging machine as described in claim 7, further comprising a collecting guide chute disposed along the falling path for collecting multiple drugs falling from the shuttered storage chute and one or more drugs falling from the drug manual distribution device and guiding them to the packaging device.

9. A drug packaging machine as described in claim 1, further comprising a cyclone vacuum cleaner inside or outside the lower area of ​​the housing, the cyclone vacuum cleaner having a dust collection hose with a nozzle portion at the end and a dust box to which the hose is connected.

10. The drug packaging machine according to claim 9, wherein the dust box is disposed outside the lower region.

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