Medicine supply device

Abstract

A medicine supply device comprising: a plurality of upper hoppers; a plurality of conveyance parts that convey, by means of rotation, medicine supplied from the upper hoppers; and a lower hopper that collects medicine supplied from the plurality of conveyance parts.

Description

Drug supply device

[0001] This invention relates to a drug supply device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a drug supply device that dispenses a drug specified by a prescription from a plurality of tablet cases containing drugs, collects the dispensed drugs in a hopper located below the tablet cases, and wraps them in packaging paper.

[0003] Japanese Public Gazette No. 57-2241

[0004] Incidentally, from the perspective of improving the efficiency of drug packaging operations, there is a demand for drug supply devices that can shorten the time required for drug supply operations.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a drug supply device that can shorten the time required for drug supply operations.

[0006] One embodiment of the drug supply device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of upper hoppers, a plurality of conveying units that convey the drug supplied from the upper hoppers by rotation, and a lower hopper that collects the drug supplied from the plurality of conveying units.

[0007] According to the present invention, a drug supply device can be provided that can shorten the time required for the drug supply operation.

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drug supply device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 is a front view of the inside of the drug supply device as seen from the front. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the shelf and upper hopper section. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the conveying section. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the conveying section. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the upper hopper, conveying section, and lower hopper. Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the storage cell and upper hopper. Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the storage cell and upper hopper. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the support section. Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating plate section and elastic support section. Figure 10 is a flowchart of the drug conveying control process. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the operating angle of the storage cell and the rotation speed in speed adjustment control. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the conveying section for explaining speed adjustment control. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the rotating plate section and support section in a drug supply device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the drug supply device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The information described below, along with the accompanying drawings, is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the only possible embodiment.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] A drug supply device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drug supply device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a front view showing the interior of the drug supply device. In the following description, the Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z) shown in each figure may also be used.

[0012] The X direction is the front-to-back direction of the drug supply device 1. The X-direction + side is the front side of the drug supply device 1. The X-direction - side is the rear side of the drug supply device 1.

[0013] The Y direction refers to the left-right and width directions of the drug supply device 1. The Y direction + side refers to the left side of the drug supply device 1. The left side of the drug supply device 1 refers to the left side when the drug supply device 1 is viewed from the front.

[0014] The Y-direction side is the right side of the drug supply device 1. The right side of the drug supply device 1 refers to the right side when the drug supply device 1 is viewed from the front.

[0015] The Z direction is the vertical and height direction of the drug supply device 1. The Z-+ side is the upper side of the drug supply device 1. The Z-- side is the lower side of the drug supply device 1.

[0016] First, an overview of the drug supply device 1 will be described. The drug supply device 1 has an upper section 1U and a lower section 1L. The drug supply device 1 also has a control unit 83 that comprehensively controls the operation of the drug supply device 1.

[0017] The drug supply device 1 supplies the drug stored in the upper section 1U to the lower section 1L based on the prescription information issued by the medical institution (hereinafter referred to as prescription information).

[0018] The chemical supplied from the upper section 1U passes through the upper hopper section 2 (specifically, the upper hoppers 21a to 21h) in the lower section 1L and is supplied to the conveying section 3. The conveying section 3 conveys the chemical supplied from the upper hopper section 2 (specifically, the upper hoppers 21a to 21h) by rotation.

[0019] The transport unit 3 then supplies the transported drug to the lower hopper unit 81. The lower hopper unit 81 holds one packet of drug. The lower hopper unit 81 then supplies the stored drug to the packaging unit 82 at a predetermined timing.

[0020] The packaging unit 82 sequentially packages the pharmaceuticals supplied from the lower hopper unit 81 with packaging paper. The user takes out the packaged pharmaceuticals from the dispensing unit 15. The specific configuration of the pharmaceutical supply device 1 will be described below.

[0021] The upper section 1U constitutes the upper part of the drug supply device 1. The upper section 1U includes a control panel 11, a plurality of shelves 12, and a plurality of tablet cases 13.

[0022] The control panel 11 (see Figure 1) is located on the front of the upper section 1U. The control panel 11 is operated by the operator. The control panel 11 includes, for example, a display and operation buttons.

[0023] The operator inputs various information to the drug supply device 1 by operating the control panel 11. Note that the position of the control panel is not limited to the position of the control panel 11 in this embodiment.

[0024] The shelf 12 stores multiple tablet cases 13 in its upper section 1U. The operator moves the shelf 12 in the forward and backward directions by operating a handle (not shown). Note that the number and arrangement of the shelves 12 are not limited to this embodiment.

[0025] In this embodiment, four shelves 12 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and two rows are provided in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, a total of eight shelves 12 are provided in the upper section 1U. The number of shelves 12 is not particularly limited.

[0026] One shelf 12 is located above one upper hopper 21a, which will be described later. One upper hopper 21a is provided for each shelf 12.

[0027] Each tablet case 13 is stored in its corresponding shelf 12. The tablet cases 13 store medications. Each tablet case 13 contains medications of the same type.

[0028] Each tablet case 13 has a drug dispensing section (not shown). The drug dispensing section dispenses the drugs stored in the tablet case 13 one tablet at a time.

[0029] Each collection of multiple tablet cases 13 housed in a single shelf 12 constitutes a tablet case unit 14a to 14h (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, the upper section 1U has eight tablet case units 14a to 14h.

[0030] Tablet case units 14a to 14d are provided on the left half of the upper section 1U, as shown in Figure 3. Tablet case units 14e to 14h are provided on the right half of the upper section 1U.

[0031] The medication discharged from the tablet case 13 falls down a passage (not shown) and is supplied to the lower section 1L. The passage is provided, for example, to penetrate the shelf 12 in the vertical direction.

[0032] The lower section 1L includes a dispensing section 15, an upper hopper section 2, a conveying section 3, a lower hopper section 81, a packaging section 82, and a control unit 83.

[0033] The dispensing section 15 is the part from which the worker removes the packaged (in other words, individually packaged) medication. The dispensing section 15 opens on the front of the lower section 1L. The worker removes the medication through the opening of the dispensing section 15.

[0034] The upper hopper section 2 has a plurality of upper hoppers 21a to 21h (see Figures 2 and 3). Each of the upper hoppers 21a to 21h receives chemicals from the upper section 1U. The upper hoppers 21a to 21h are square pyramidal in shape with their tips pointing downwards.

[0035] The upper hoppers 21a to 21d are located in the left half of the lower section 1L. The upper hoppers 21e to 21h are located in the right half of the lower section 1L.

[0036] The upper hoppers 21a to 21h are arranged as shown in Figure 3. Specifically, four upper hoppers are arranged in a row from right to left, and two rows are provided in the front-to-back direction.

[0037] The upper hoppers 21a to 21h are located below the tablet case units 14a to 14h. The upper hoppers 21a to 21h and the tablet case units 14a to 14h are in correspondence.

[0038] Specifically, the upper hopper 21a is located below the tablet case unit 14a, as shown in Figure 3. The upper hopper 21b is located below the tablet case unit 14b.

[0039] The upper hopper 21c is located below the tablet case unit 14c. The upper hopper 21d is located below the tablet case unit 14d.

[0040] Furthermore, the upper hopper 21e is located below the tablet case unit 14e, as shown in Figure 3. The upper hopper 21f is located below the tablet case unit 14f.

[0041] The upper hopper 21g is located below the tablet case unit 14g. The upper hopper 21h is located below the tablet case unit 14h.

[0042] The upper hoppers 21a to 21h have an upper opening 211 at their upper end that opens upward. The upper opening 211 is an inlet through which the chemical supplied from the upper section 1U passes when it enters the upper hoppers 21a to 21h.

[0043] The upper hoppers 21a to 21h have a lower opening 212 at their lower end that opens downward. The lower opening 212 is an outlet through which the chemical passes when it falls downward from the upper hoppers 21a to 21h.

[0044] The upper hoppers 21a to 21h have shutters 213 (see Figures 3 and 6) at their lower openings 212. The shutters 213 are switched between open and closed states under the control of the control unit 83, which will be described later. Note that in Figure 6, the shutters 213 are shown schematically.

[0045] When the shutter 213 is open, it opens the lower opening 212. Conversely, when the shutter 213 is closed, it closes the lower opening 212.

[0046] The chemical that enters the upper hoppers 21a to 21h from the upper opening 211 remains in the lower opening 212 when the shutter 213 is closed. When the shutter 213 is opened, the chemical is discharged downward from the lower opening 212. Note that the shutter 213 may be omitted. In this case, the chemical that enters the upper hoppers 21a to 21h from the upper opening 211 may be discharged downward from the lower opening 212 without remaining in the upper hoppers 21a to 21h.

[0047] Each upper hopper 21a to 21h receives the drug discharged from each tablet case unit 14a to 14h located above it. Each upper hopper 21a to 21h receives one or more types of drugs from the tablet case unit 14a to 14h.

[0048] The conveying unit 3 conveys the chemical supplied from the upper hopper unit 2. Then, the conveying unit 3 supplies the chemical to the lower hopper unit 81.

[0049] Such a transport unit 3 includes a left transport unit 4, a right transport unit 5, a support unit 6, and a drive unit 7.

[0050] The left-side transport unit 4 transports the medication supplied from the tablet case units 14a to 14d located in the left half of the upper section 1U.

[0051] The right-side transport unit 5 transports the medication supplied from the tablet case units 14e to 14h, which are located in the right half of the upper section 1U.

[0052] The left-side conveying unit 4 and the right-side conveying unit 5 are driven by the drive unit 7 under the control of the control unit 83. The left-side conveying unit 4 and the right-side conveying unit 5 simultaneously supply multiple types of drugs, each packaged in a single wrapping paper, to the lower hopper unit 81. The configurations of the left-side conveying unit 4 and the right-side conveying unit 5 are substantially the same.

[0053] The left-side transport section 4 is an example of the first transport section and is located in the left half of the lower section 1L. In other words, the left-side transport section 4 is located below the tablet case units 14a to 14d, which are located in the left half of the upper section 1U.

[0054] To put it another way, the left-side conveying section 4 is located below the upper hoppers 21a to 21d, which are provided in the left half of the lower section 1L.

[0055] The left-side transport unit 4 includes a left-side rotating plate unit 41, a left-side storage unit 42, and a left-side elastic support unit 43. The left-side rotating plate unit 41 and the left-side storage unit 42 are examples of the main body of the transport unit. The left-side elastic support unit 43 is an example of an elastic support unit in the transport unit.

[0056] The left rotating plate section 41 (see Figure 4) is an example of a rotating section. The left rotating plate section 41 rotates in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4) based on the power of the drive unit 7 described later. １ It rotates in the direction of ( ).

[0057] The left rotating plate section 41 is sometimes simply referred to as the rotating plate section 41. The left rotating plate section 41 moves in the second direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4) based on the power of the drive unit 7 described later. １ It can also rotate (in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation).

[0058] The left rotating plate portion 41 is a plate-shaped member with a circular shape in plan view. Plan view means viewing the drug supply device 1 from above.

[0059] The left rotating plate portion 41 is supported on the upper surface of the support portion 6, which will be described later, in a manner that allows it to rotate relative to the support portion 6. The left rotating plate portion 41 is elastically supported relative to the support portion 6 by the left elastic support portion 43. The left elastic support portion 43 will be described later.

[0060] The left rotating plate portion 41 has through holes 411 to 414 (see Figure 4) at multiple locations (four locations in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction. The through holes 411 to 414 are provided at 90° intervals in the radially intermediate portion of the left rotating plate portion 41.

[0061] The through holes 411 to 414 penetrate the left rotating plate portion 41 in the vertical direction. The shape of the through holes 411 to 414 in a plan view is rectangular. These through holes 411 to 414 constitute a part of the left storage cells 421 to 424, which will be described later.

[0062] Furthermore, the left rotating plate portion 41 has a central through-hole 415 (see Figure 9) in the center that penetrates the left rotating plate portion 41 in the vertical direction. The shape of the central through-hole 415 in plan view is circular.

[0063] The left-side storage section 42 is an example of the first storage section and stores the chemical supplied from the upper hopper section 2. The left-side storage section 42 has multiple (four in this embodiment) left-side storage cells 421 to 424. The left-side storage section 42 is sometimes simply referred to as the storage section 42.

[0064] Each of the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 stores the chemical supplied from the upper hopper section 2. Each of the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 stores one or more types of chemicals that will be packaged in the same packaging paper in the packaging section 82 described later.

[0065] The left-side storage cells 421 to 424 are provided at multiple locations (four locations in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction of the left-side rotating plate section 41, at equal intervals (90° in this embodiment). The left-side storage cells 421 to 424 are provided in the intermediate radial portion of the left-side rotating plate section 41.

[0066] These left-side storage cells 421 to 424 move sequentially below the upper hoppers 21a to 21d as the left-side rotating plate section 41 rotates.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4, the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 are composed of the aforementioned through holes 411 to 414 and vertical wall portions 421a to 424a.

[0068] Each of the vertical wall sections 421a to 424a is box-shaped with an open upper and lower end. The vertical wall sections 421a to 424a protrude upward from the upper surface of the left rotating plate section 41. The vertical wall sections 421a to 424a are provided on the upper surface of the left rotating plate section 41 so as to be along the upper edges of the through holes 411 to 414.

[0069] Left-side storage cell 421 is composed of a through hole 411 and a vertical wall portion 421a. Left-side storage cell 422 is composed of a through hole 412 and a vertical wall portion 422a. Left-side storage cell 423 is composed of a through hole 413 and a vertical wall portion 423a. Left-side storage cell 424 is composed of a through hole 414 and a vertical wall portion 424a.

[0070] The left storage cells 421 to 424 have openings at their upper and lower ends. The lower ends of the left storage cells 421 to 424 are blocked by the support portion 6, described later, at positions other than predetermined positions in the rotational direction of the left rotating plate portion 41.

[0071] The designated position is the position that overlaps vertically with the left-side discharge port 61 (see Figure 5) of the support unit 6. The lower ends of the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 are opened downwards at the position that overlaps vertically with the left-side discharge port 61 of the support unit 6.

[0072] When the left storage cells 421 to 424 and the upper hoppers 21a to 21d are stacked vertically, a vertical gap 44 (see Figure 6) exists between the upper ends of the vertical wall portions 421a to 424a and the lower ends of the upper hoppers 21a to 21d.

[0073] Figure 6 schematically shows the arrangement of the left storage cells 421-424 and the upper hoppers 21a-21d, and the arrangement of the right storage cells 521-524 and the upper hoppers 21e-21h.

[0074] Length L in the vertical direction of the gap 44 ４４ This is shorter than the length of the smallest drug among those contained in the tablet case 13. Therefore, none of the drugs contained in the tablet case 13 can pass through the gap 44.

[0075] Length L ４４ This may be determined appropriately depending on the size of the medication to be contained in the tablet case 13.

[0076] Length L ４４ Making it larger makes it easier to suppress interference between the vertical wall portions 421a to 424a of the left storage cells 421 to 424 and the upper hopper 21a.

[0077] On the other hand, length L ４４ Reducing the size makes it easier to prevent the chemicals contained in the left-side storage cells 421-424 from spilling out of the left-side storage cells 421-424. Length L ４４ For example, it may be 1.5 mm or less.

[0078] Furthermore, the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 (specifically, the vertical wall sections 421a to 424a) have an inclined section 425 (see Figures 7A and 7B) at their tip (in other words, the upper end). The inclined section 425 is provided around the entire circumference of the tip of the left-side storage cells 421 to 424.

[0079] The inclined portion 425 slopes downward so as to be lower as it moves away from the center C of the left storage cells 421 to 424. Here, the center C １ (see FIG. 7A) is the center of the left storage cells 421 to 424 in a plan view. １ is the center of the left storage cells 421 to 424 in a plan view.

[0080] Such an inclined portion 425 has a shape such that when the upper ends of the left storage cells 421 to 424 and the lower ends of the upper hoppers 21a to 21d come into contact, a downward force F １ (see FIG. 7B ) is applied to the left storage cells 421 to 424. <0000Z63> The left elastic support portion 43 elastically and rotatably supports the left rotating plate portion 41 (in other words, the left conveying portion 4) with respect to the support portion 6 described later.

[0082] The left elastic support portion 43 is provided at the central portion of the left rotating plate portion 41. In other words, the left elastic support portion 43 is provided on the first axis that is the rotation center of the left rotating plate portion 41. Here, the first axis is an axis parallel to the vertical direction.

[0083] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the left elastic support portion 43 has a shaft portion 431, a coil spring 432, and a fixing member 433.

[0084] Note that FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the configurations of the left elastic support portion 43 and the right elastic support portion 53 described later. For this reason, FIG. 9 is provided with reference numerals related to the left elastic support portion 43 and reference numerals related to the right elastic support portion 53.

[0085] FIG. 9 shows the left elastic support portion 43 and the right elastic support portion 53 in a disassembled state. Hereinafter, the configurations in the assembled state (the state shown in FIG. 4) of the left elastic support portion 43 and the right elastic support portion 53 will be described while referring to FIG. 9.

[0086] The shaft portion 431 extends in the vertical direction. The shaft portion 431 is inserted into the central through hole 415 of the left rotating plate portion 41. The lower end portion of the shaft portion 431 is located below the left rotating plate portion 41.

[0087] The lower end of the shaft portion 431 is fixed to the belt support portion 65d (see Figure 5) in the support portion 6. The shaft portion 431 rotates together with the belt support portion 65d.

[0088] The upper end of the shaft portion 431 is fixed to the fixing member 433, which will be described later. The rotation of the shaft portion 431 is transmitted to the fixing member 433.

[0089] The shaft portion 431 has a ring-shaped flange portion 431a in the middle of the shaft portion 431 in the axial direction (in other words, the vertical direction). The flange portion 431a protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 431 in the radial direction of the shaft portion 431.

[0090] The lower surface of the flange portion 431a abuts against the area around the central through hole 415 on the upper surface of the left rotating plate portion 41. Therefore, the flange portion 431a is positioned above the left rotating plate portion 41.

[0091] The coil spring 432 is provided so as to cover the portion of the shaft portion 431 that protrudes above the left-side rotating plate portion 41. In other words, the portion of the shaft portion 431 that protrudes above the left-side rotating plate portion 41 is inserted through the coil spring 432.

[0092] The lower end of the coil spring 432 abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 431a. Also, the upper end of the coil spring 432 abuts against the lower surface of the fixing member 433. The coil spring 432 is compressed vertically between the flange portion 431a and the fixing member 433.

[0093] The fixing member 433 is disc-shaped. The fixing member 433 has a central through-hole 433a in its center that penetrates the fixing member 433 vertically. The upper end of the shaft portion 431 is inserted through the central through-hole 433a.

[0094] The fixing member 433 is fixed to the left rotating plate portion 41 by a plurality of fastening components 433b (see Figure 4), such as screws. Therefore, the fixing member 433 rotates together with the left rotating plate portion 41.

[0095] The fixing member 433 presses the coil spring 432 downward. With this configuration, the left elastic support portion 43 elastically and rotatably supports the left rotating plate portion 41 relative to the support portion 6, which will be described later. Therefore, the left rotating plate portion 41 can move vertically and tilt relative to the support portion 6.

[0096] Now, let's explain the function of the left-side elastic support section 43.

[0097] Figure 7A schematically shows the cross-sectional shape of the left storage cells 421-424. When transporting the drug, the left storage cells 421-424 are in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figures 4 and 7A). １ It rotates in the direction of ( ).

[0098] As shown in Figure 6, when the left storage cells 421-424 and the upper hoppers 21a-21d are stacked vertically, there is a vertical gap 44 (see Figure 6) between the upper ends of the left storage cells 421-424 and the lower ends of the upper hoppers 21a-21d.

[0099] Length L in the vertical direction of the gap 44 ４４ This is shorter than the length of the smallest drug among those stored in the tablet case 13. In other words, the distance between the upper end of the left storage cell 421 and the lower end of the upper hopper 21a is short.

[0100] Incidentally, if the transport section 3 or the upper hopper section 2 deforms for any reason, the gap 44 will become smaller, and there is a possibility that the upper ends of the left storage cells 421 to 424 and the lower ends of the upper hoppers 21a to 21d will come into contact.

[0101] If the left storage cells 421-424 and the upper hoppers 21a-21d come into contact, the left storage cells 421-424 or the upper hoppers 21a-21d may be damaged, or the conveying unit 3 may malfunction.

[0102] Therefore, in this embodiment, the drug supply device 1 has an inclined portion 425 provided at the upper end of the left storage cells 421 to 424, and a left elastic support portion 43.

[0103] With the gap 44 reduced, as shown in Figure 7A, the left storage cells 421-424 move in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figure 7A). １ When rotated in the direction shown in Figure 7B, the upper ends of the left storage cells 421 to 424 (specifically, the inclined portion 425) come into contact with the lower ends of the upper hoppers 21a to 21d.

[0104] From this state, when the left storage cells 421-424 rotate in the first direction, the left storage cells 421-424 move while the inclined portion 425 and the lower end of the upper hopper portion 2 slide against each other. At this time, a downward force F is exerted on the left storage cells 421-424 from the lower end of the upper hopper portion 2. １ It takes effect.

[0105] As described above, the left rotating plate portion 41 is elastically supported by the left elastic support portion 43 relative to the support portion 6. Therefore, the left rotating plate portion 41 is subjected to a downward force F １ Based on this, it moves downward. As a result, the left storage cells 421-424 also move downward.

[0106] In this way, the left-side elastic support portion 43 absorbs the impact force acting on the left-side storage cell 421 when it comes into contact with the upper hopper 21a. As a result, damage to the left-side storage cell 421 or the upper hopper 21a, and malfunctions of the conveying unit 3 are suppressed.

[0107] In this embodiment, the drug supply device 1 has a detection unit 84L (see Figure 7B) that detects vertical movement of the left transport unit 4. The detection unit 84L may also detect deformation of the left transport unit 4. The detection unit 84L may also detect contact between the left storage cells 421-424 and the upper hoppers 21a-21d.

[0108] The detection unit 84L may be, for example, a contact-type sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor) or a non-contact-type sensor (e.g., a photosensor or proximity sensor).

[0109] The detection unit 84L is provided on the left rotating plate section 41. Specifically, the detection unit 84L may be provided on the upper and / or lower side of the left rotating plate section 41. The detection unit 84L sends detection information to the control unit 83.

[0110] The detection information may include information indicating that vertical movement of the left-side transport unit 4 has been detected. The detection information may also include information indicating that deformation of the left-side transport unit 4 has been detected.

[0111] The control unit 83 controls the operation of the left-side transport unit 4 based on the detection information obtained from the detection unit 84L. Specifically, the control unit 83 may stop the operation of the left-side transport unit 4 if it moves in the vertical direction.

[0112] Furthermore, the control unit 83 may rotate the left rotating plate 41 in the opposite direction when the left rotating plate 41 moves in the vertical direction. If the left rotating plate 41 is rotated in the opposite direction while the left storage cells 421-424 and the upper hoppers 21a-21d are in contact, the contact between the left storage cells 421-424 and the upper hoppers 21a-21d will be eliminated.

[0113] Furthermore, the control unit 83 may notify the user of warning information based on the detection information obtained from the detection unit 84. The warning information may include, for example, information indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the drug supply device 1.

[0114] The control unit 83 may, for example, display warning information on the display of the control panel 11. The user can recognize that there is a malfunction in the drug supply device 1 from the warning information displayed on the display.

[0115] In this embodiment, the inclined portion is provided only on the storage cell of the upper hopper. However, the inclined portion may also be provided on the lower end of the upper hopper. The inclined portion may also be provided on the upper end of the storage cell and / or the lower end of the upper hopper.

[0116] With the inclined sections provided at the upper end of the storage cell and the lower end of the upper hopper, the storage cell and the upper hopper can come into smoother contact. As a result, the impact on the storage cell when it comes into contact with the upper hopper can be reduced.

[0117] Furthermore, the inclined section may be provided in parts of the conveying section other than the storage cells. In other words, the inclined section may be provided in various parts of the conveying section that may come into contact with the upper hopper.

[0118] The right-side transport section 5 is an example of the second transport section and is located in the right half of the lower section 1L. In other words, the right-side transport section 5 is located below the tablet case units 14e to 14h, which are located in the right half of the upper section 1U.

[0119] To put it another way, the right-side conveying section 5 is located below the upper hoppers 21e to 21h, which are provided in the right half of the lower section 1L. The configuration of this right-side conveying section 5 is almost the same as that of the left-side conveying section 4.

[0120] Specifically, the right-side conveying unit 5 includes a right-side rotating plate unit 51, a right-side storage unit 52, and a right-side elastic support unit 53. The right-side rotating plate unit 51 and the right-side storage unit 52 are examples of the main body of the conveying unit. The right-side elastic support unit 53 is an example of an elastic support unit in the conveying unit.

[0121] The right-side rotating plate section 51 is an example of a rotating section. The right-side rotating plate section 51 rotates in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4) based on the power of the drive unit 7 described later. ２ It rotates in the direction of ( ).

[0122] The right-side rotating plate section 51 is sometimes simply referred to as the rotating plate section 51. The right-side rotating plate section 51 rotates in the second direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4) based on the power of the drive unit 7, which will be described later. ２ It can also rotate (in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation).

[0123] In this embodiment, the left rotating plate portion 41 is in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4). １ (direction A) and the first direction of the right rotating plate section 51 (arrow A shown in Figure 4) ２ It is the opposite direction to (the direction of).

[0124] The right-side rotating plate portion 51 is a plate-shaped member with a circular shape in plan view. The right-side rotating plate portion 51 is supported on the upper surface of the support portion 6, which will be described later, in a manner that allows it to rotate relative to the support portion 6.

[0125] The right-side rotating plate portion 51 is elastically supported by the right-side elastic support portion 53 relative to the support portion 6. The right-side elastic support portion 53 will be described later.

[0126] The right-side rotating plate portion 51 has through holes 511 to 514 (see Figure 4) at multiple locations (four locations in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction. The through holes 511 to 514 are located in the radially intermediate portion of the right-side rotating plate portion 51, spaced at 90° intervals.

[0127] The through holes 511 to 514 penetrate the right-side rotating plate portion 51 in the vertical direction. The shape of the through holes 511 to 514 in a plan view is rectangular. These through holes 511 to 514 constitute a part of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524, which will be described later.

[0128] Furthermore, the right-side rotating plate portion 51 has a central through-hole 515 (see Figure 9) in the center that penetrates the right-side rotating plate portion 51 in the vertical direction. The shape of the central through-hole 515 in plan view is circular.

[0129] The right-side storage section 52 is an example of the second storage section and is the part that stores the chemical supplied from the upper hopper section 2. The right-side storage section 52 has multiple (four in this embodiment) right-side storage cells 521 to 524. The right-side storage section 52 is sometimes simply referred to as the storage section 52.

[0130] The right-side storage unit 52 and the left-side storage unit 42 described above rotate synchronously to transport the chemicals. The right-side storage unit 52 and the left-side storage unit 42 described above simultaneously supply the chemicals to the lower hopper unit 81.

[0131] The right-side storage cells 521 to 524 are provided at multiple locations (four locations in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction of the right-side rotating plate section 51, at equal intervals (90° in this embodiment). The right-side storage cells 521 to 524 are provided in the intermediate radial portion of the right-side rotating plate section 51.

[0132] As described above, the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 move sequentially below the upper hoppers 21e to 21h as the right-side rotating plate section 51 rotates.

[0133] The right-side storage cells 521-524 move below the upper hopper 21e-21h in sync with the left-side storage cells 421-424. In other words, the right-side storage cells 521-524 and the left-side storage cells 421-424 are in a corresponding relationship with each other.

[0134] Specifically, the right-side storage cell 521 corresponds to the left-side storage cell 421. The medication stored in the right-side storage cell 521 is packaged in the same packaging paper as the medication stored in the left-side storage cell 421.

[0135] Furthermore, the right-side storage cell 522 corresponds to the left-side storage cell 422. The medication stored in the right-side storage cell 522 is packaged in the same packaging paper as the medication stored in the left-side storage cell 422.

[0136] The right-side storage cell 523 corresponds to the left-side storage cell 423. The medication stored in the right-side storage cell 523 is packaged in the same packaging paper as the medication stored in the left-side storage cell 423.

[0137] The right-side storage cell 524 corresponds to the left-side storage cell 424. The medication stored in the right-side storage cell 524 is packaged in the same packaging paper as the medication stored in the left-side storage cell 424.

[0138] As described above, the drug supply device 1 according to this embodiment has a pair of storage cells (for example, a left storage cell 421 and a right storage cell 521) for storing drugs contained in one packaging. Such a pair of storage cells is referred to as a corresponding cell. In this embodiment, the drug supply device 1 has four sets of corresponding cells.

[0139] The right-side storage cells 521 to 524 are composed of through holes 511 to 514 and vertical wall portions 521a to 524a (see Figure 4).

[0140] Each of the vertical wall sections 521a to 524a is box-shaped with an open upper and lower end. The vertical wall sections 521a to 524a protrude upward from the upper surface of the right-side rotating plate section 51. The vertical wall sections 521a to 524a are provided along the upper edges of the through holes 511 to 514.

[0141] The right-side storage cell 521 is composed of a through hole 511 and a vertical wall portion 521a. The right-side storage cell 522 is composed of a through hole 512 and a vertical wall portion 522a.

[0142] The right-side storage cell 523 is composed of a through hole 512 and a vertical wall portion 522a. The right-side storage cell 524 is composed of a through hole 514 and a vertical wall portion 524a.

[0143] The right-side storage cells 521 to 524 have openings at their upper and lower ends. The lower ends of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 are blocked by the support portion 6, described later, at positions other than predetermined positions in the rotational direction of the right-side rotating plate portion 51.

[0144] The designated position is the position that overlaps vertically with the right-side discharge port 62 (see Figure 5) of the support unit 6. The lower ends of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 are opened downwards at the position that overlaps vertically with the right-side discharge port 62 of the support unit 6.

[0145] When the right-side storage cells 521-524 and the upper hoppers 21e-21h are stacked vertically, a vertical gap 54 (see Figure 6) exists between the upper ends of the vertical wall sections 521a-524a and the lower ends of the upper hoppers 21e-21h.

[0146] Length L in the vertical direction of the gap 54 ５４ This is smaller than the length of the smallest drug among those contained in the tablet case 13. Therefore, none of the drugs contained in the tablet case 13 can pass through the gap 54.

[0147] Length L ５４ This may be determined appropriately depending on the size of the medication to be contained in the tablet case 13.

[0148] Length L ５４ Making it larger makes it easier to suppress interference between the vertical wall portions 521a to 524a of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 and the upper hoppers 21e to 21h.

[0149] On the other hand, length L ５４ Reducing the size makes it easier to prevent the chemicals contained in the right-side storage cells 521-524 from spilling out of the right-side storage cells 521-524. Length L ５４For example, it may be 1.5 mm or less.

[0150] In this embodiment, the length L of the gap 54 in the vertical direction. ５４ The length L in the vertical direction of the gap 44 is... ４４ It is equal to.

[0151] Furthermore, the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 (specifically, the vertical wall sections 521a to 524a) have an inclined section 525 (see Figures 7A and 7B) at their tip (in other words, the upper end). The inclined section 525 is provided around the entire circumference of the tip of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524.

[0152] The inclined portion 525 is center C of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524. ２ (See Figure 7A) The slope is such that it becomes lower the further it is from the center C. In other words, the inclined portion 525 is at the center C of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524. １ The slope is such that it gets higher as you approach it. Note that the center C １ This is the center of the right-side storage cells 521-524 in a plan view.

[0153] When the upper ends of the right-side storage cells 521-524 and the lower ends of the upper hoppers 21e-21h come into contact, the inclined portion 525 exerts a downward force F on the right-side storage cells 521-524. １ It has a shape that includes (see Figure 7B).

[0154] The right-side elastic support portion 53 elastically and rotatably supports the right-side rotating plate portion 51 with respect to the support portion 6, which will be described later.

[0155] The right-side elastic support portion 53 is located in the center of the right-side rotating plate portion 51. In other words, the right-side elastic support portion 53 is located on the first axis, which is the rotation center of the right-side rotating plate portion 51. The first axis is an axis parallel to the vertical direction.

[0156] Specifically, the right-side elastic support portion 53 has a shaft portion 531, a coil spring 532, and a fixing member 533, as shown in Figure 9.

[0157] The shaft portion 531 extends in the vertical direction. The shaft portion 531 is inserted through the central through hole 515 of the right-side rotating plate portion 51. The lower end of the shaft portion 531 is located below the right-side rotating plate portion 51.

[0158] The lower end of the shaft portion 531 is fixed to the belt support portion 65a (see Figure 5) in the support portion 6. The shaft portion 531 rotates together with the belt support portion 65a.

[0159] The upper end of the shaft portion 531 is fixed to a fixing member 533, which will be described later. The rotation of the shaft portion 531 is transmitted to the fixing member 533.

[0160] The shaft portion 531 has a ring-shaped flange portion 531a in the middle of the shaft portion 531 in the axial direction (in other words, the vertical direction). The flange portion 531a protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 531 in the radial direction of the shaft portion 531.

[0161] The lower surface of the flange portion 531a abuts against the area around the central through hole 515 on the upper surface of the right-side rotating plate portion 51. Therefore, the flange portion 531a is positioned above the right-side rotating plate portion 51.

[0162] The coil spring 532 is provided so as to cover the portion of the shaft portion 531 that protrudes above the right-side rotating plate portion 51. In other words, the portion of the shaft portion 531 that protrudes above the right-side rotating plate portion 51 is inserted through the coil spring 532.

[0163] The lower end of the coil spring 532 abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 531a. Also, the upper end of the coil spring 532 abuts against the lower surface of the fixing member 533. The coil spring 532 is compressed vertically between the flange portion 531a and the fixing member 533.

[0164] The fixing member 533 is disc-shaped. The fixing member 533 has a central through-hole 533a in its center that penetrates the fixing member 533 vertically. The upper end of the shaft portion 531 is inserted through the central through-hole 533a.

[0165] The fixing member 533 is secured to the right-side rotating plate portion 51 by a plurality of fastening components 533b (see Figure 4), such as screws. Therefore, the fixing member 533 rotates together with the right-side rotating plate portion 51.

[0166] The fixing member 533 presses the coil spring 532 downward. With this configuration, the right-side elastic support 53 elastically and rotatably supports the right-side rotating plate 51 relative to the support 6, which will be described later. Therefore, the right-side rotating plate 51 can move vertically and tilt relative to the support 6.

[0167] The operation of the right-side transport unit 5 will be described later. Furthermore, the function of the right-side elastic support unit 53 is almost the same as that of the left-side elastic support unit 43, which was explained with reference to Figures 7A and 7B.

[0168] Furthermore, the drug supply device 1 has a detection unit 84R (see Figure 7B) that detects vertical movement of the right-side transport unit 5. The detection unit 84R may also detect deformation of the right-side transport unit 5. The detection unit 84R may also detect contact between the right-side storage cells 521-524 and the upper hoppers 21e-21h.

[0169] The configuration and function of the detection unit 84R are substantially the same as those of the detection unit 84L, which were described with reference to Figure 7B. Therefore, the description of the detection unit 84R may be adapted from the description of the detection unit 84L, with appropriate modifications.

[0170] The support portion 6 is a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction. The support portion 6 elastically and rotatably supports the left rotating plate portion 41 of the left conveying portion 4 described above via the left elastic support portion 43.

[0171] The support portion 6 elastically and rotatably supports the right-side rotating plate portion 51 of the right-side transport portion 5 via the right-side elastic support portion 53.

[0172] The support section 6 has a left-side outlet 61 and a right-side outlet 62 (see Figure 8) in the central portion. The left-side outlet 61 and the right-side outlet 62 are each formed by through holes that penetrate the support section 6 in the vertical direction.

[0173] The left-side discharge port 61 is located in the support section 6 at a position that overlaps vertically with the rotational trajectory of the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 in the left-side transport section 4.

[0174] In the support section 6, the ring-shaped region that overlaps vertically with the rotational trajectories of the left storage cells 421-424 in the left transport section 4 is referred to as the left trajectory region 63. In Figure 8, the left trajectory region 63 is provided with an oblique grid.

[0175] The left-side discharge port 61 is located in a part of the left-side track area 63. Specifically, the left-side discharge port 61 is located at the right end of the left-side track area 63. The chemical transported by the left-side transport unit 4 falls downward through the left-side discharge port 61.

[0176] The right-side discharge port 62 is located in the support section 6 at a position that overlaps vertically with the rotational trajectory of the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 in the right-side transport section 5.

[0177] In the support section 6, the ring-shaped region that overlaps vertically with the rotational trajectories of the right-side storage cells 521-524 in the right-side transport section 5 is referred to as the right-side trajectory region 64. In Figure 8, the right-side trajectory region 64 is provided with an oblique grid.

[0178] The right-side discharge port 62 is located in a part of the right-side track area 64. Specifically, the right-side discharge port 62 is located at the left end of the right-side track area 64. The chemical transported by the right-side transport unit 5 falls downward through the right-side discharge port 62.

[0179] The support unit 6 has a plurality of belt support units 65a to 65f (see Figure 5) on its lower surface that support the transmission belt 71 in the drive unit 7, which will be described later. (In this embodiment, there are six.)

[0180] Each of the belt support sections 65a to 65f is composed of a pulley. The belt support sections 65a to 65f have teeth around their entire outer circumference. These teeth mesh with the teeth of the transmission belt 71.

[0181] The belt support portion 65a is located below the central through-hole 515 in the right-side rotating plate portion 51. The belt support portion 65a rotates based on the power of the drive unit 7, which will be described later.

[0182] When the belt support portion 65a rotates based on the power of the drive unit 7, the rotation of the belt support portion 65a is transmitted to the shaft portion 531 in the right elastic support portion 53. When the shaft portion 531 rotates, the right rotating plate portion 51 rotates.

[0183] The belt support portion 65d is provided below the central through-hole 415 in the left rotating plate portion 41. The belt support portion 65d is rotatable.

[0184] The belt support sections 65b, 65c, 65e, and 65f are provided around the left-side discharge port 61 and the right-side discharge port 62 of the support section 6. The belt support sections 65b, 65c, 65e, and 65f are rotatable.

[0185] A transmission belt 71 is stretched across the belt support sections 65a to 65f as described above. The transmission belt 71 is an annular, so-called endless belt. The teeth on the inner surface of the transmission belt 71 mesh with the teeth on the outer surfaces of the belt support sections 65a to 65f.

[0186] When the drive unit 7, described later, is driven, the belt support unit 65a rotates. When the belt support unit 65a rotates, the right-side rotating plate unit 51 rotates together with the belt support unit 65a, as described above.

[0187] The rotation direction of the right-side rotating plate section 51 when transporting the drug is the first direction of the right-side rotating plate section 51 (arrow A shown in Figure 4). ２ (In that direction.)

[0188] Furthermore, when the belt support portion 65a rotates, the transmission belt 71 moves based on the meshing of the teeth of the belt support portion 65a with the teeth of the transmission belt 71. When the transmission belt 71 moves, the belt support portion 65d rotates.

[0189] The shaft portion 531 of the right-side elastic support portion 53 is fixed to the belt support portion 65d. The shaft portion 531 is also fixed to the right-side rotating plate portion 51 via a fixing member 533. Therefore, when the belt support portion 65d rotates, the left-side rotating plate portion 41 rotates together with the belt support portion 65d.

[0190] The drive unit 7 rotates the left rotating plate section 41 and the right rotating plate section 51 in a synchronized manner under the control of the control unit 83.

[0191] The drive unit 7 includes a transmission belt 71 and an electric motor 72.

[0192] The transmission belt 71 is an example of a synchronization mechanism and is a ring-shaped, so-called endless belt. The transmission belt 71 moves based on the electric motor 72. The transmission belt 71 drives multiple conveying units (specifically, the left conveying unit 4 and the right conveying unit 5) in a synchronized manner.

[0193] The transmission belt 71 has teeth on its inner surface. The transmission belt 71 is stretched across the belt support portions 65a to 65f. In this state, the teeth of the transmission belt 71 mesh with the teeth provided on the outer surfaces of the belt support portions 65a to 65f.

[0194] The electric motor 72 is driven under the control of the control unit 83. The electric motor 72 may be, for example, a so-called brushless DC motor. In addition, the electric motor 72 may be various types of electric motors.

[0195] The electric motor 72 is located below the support portion 6 and below the center of the right-side rotating plate portion 51. The electric motor 72 is supported by the support portion 6 via a support (not shown) or the like.

[0196] The electric motor 72 is installed with its output shaft (not shown) facing upwards. A belt support 65a is fixed to the output shaft of the electric motor 72. The power from the electric motor 72 is transmitted to the right-side rotating plate 51 via the belt support 65a and the right-side elastic support 53. As a result, the right-side rotating plate 51 rotates.

[0197] Furthermore, the power from the electric motor 72 is transmitted to the left-side rotating plate section 41 via the transmission belt 71 and the belt support section 65d. As a result, the left-side rotating plate section 41 rotates.

[0198] The lower hopper section 81 is located below the central part of the support section 6. The lower hopper section 81 receives the chemical supplied from the conveying section 3. The lower hopper section 81 is a square pyramidal shape with its tip pointing downwards.

[0199] The lower hopper section 81 (see Figures 2 and 6) has an upper opening 811 at its upper end that opens upward. The upper opening 811 is an entrance through which the chemical supplied from the conveying section 3 passes when it enters the lower hopper section 81.

[0200] The upper opening 811 overlaps vertically with the left outlet 61 and the right outlet 62 (see Figure 5) of the support section 6. Therefore, the upper opening 811 receives the chemical supplied from the left outlet 61 and the chemical supplied from the right outlet 62.

[0201] Furthermore, the lower hopper section 81 has a lower opening 812 (see Figure 6) at its lower end that opens downward. The lower opening 812 is an outlet through which the chemical passes when it falls downward from the lower hopper section 81.

[0202] The lower hopper section 81 has a shutter 813 at its lower opening 812. The shutter 813 switches between an open state and a closed state under the control of the control unit 83, which will be described later. Note that the shutter 813 is shown schematically in Figure 6.

[0203] When the shutter 813 is open, it opens the lower opening 812. Conversely, when the shutter 813 is closed, it closes the lower opening 812.

[0204] The chemical that enters the lower hopper section 81 from the upper opening 811 remains in the lower opening 812 when the shutter 813 is closed. When the shutter 813 opens, the chemical is discharged downward from the lower opening 812.

[0205] A gap 814 (see Figure 6) is provided between the upper end of the lower hopper section 81 and the lower surface of the support section 6. The gap 814 prevents contact between the lower hopper section 81 and the support section 6.

[0206] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of preventing the chemical from spilling out from inside the lower hopper section 81, the length L in the vertical direction of the gap 814 is considered. ８１４ (See Figure 6) Preferably, the length of the tablet case 13 is shorter than the length of the smallest tablet among the tablets contained in the tablet case 13.

[0207] Length L ８１４The length L may be appropriately determined according to the size of the medication to be contained in the tablet case 13. ８１４ For example, it may be 1.5 mm or less.

[0208] The packaging section 82 (see Figure 2) packages the pharmaceuticals supplied from the lower hopper section 81. The packaging section 82 includes a conveying device 821, a printing device 822, and a sealing device 823.

[0209] The conveying device 821 is, for example, a device that unwinds a folded strip of wrapping paper from a roller (not shown) on which the wrapping paper is wound, and conveys the unwinded wrapping paper toward the sealing device 823.

[0210] The chemical supplied from the lower hopper section 81 is placed on packaging paper and transported together with the packaging paper toward the sealing device 823.

[0211] The printing device 822 is a printing machine that prints, for example, the patient's name, the name of the medicine supplied to the packaging, and the date and time of administration on the surface of the packaging paper fed out from the roller.

[0212] The sealing device 823 is a device for sealing the packaging paper in which the drug is wrapped.

[0213] The packaging paper containing the drug is, for example, cut at a predetermined time and then transported toward the dispensing section 15.

[0214] In this embodiment, the conveying device 821 seals one packet of medicine supplied from the lower hopper section 81 into packaging paper. In other words, the lower hopper section 81 supplies one packet of medicine to the conveying device 821 in a single supply operation.

[0215] Next, the operation of the drug supply device 1 will be described. In addition, the function of the control unit 83 will also be described in the following description of the drug supply device 1.

[0216] The control unit 83 is housed in the lower section 1L. The control unit 83 may, in substance, consist of a configuration in which a CPU, ROM, RAM, and HDD are connected by a bus, or a configuration consisting of a single-chip LSI. The control unit 83 executes a program to realize the functions of the drug supply device 1, which will be described later.

[0217] The control by the control unit 83 to control the drug supply device 1 and transport the drug is called drug transport control.

[0218] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the drug transport control process. The main component of each process shown in Figure 10 is the control unit 83. The drug transport control will now be explained with reference to Figure 10.

[0219] In step S101 of Figure 10, the control unit 83 acquires prescription information issued by a medical institution (hereinafter referred to as prescription information).

[0220] The drug supply device 1 acquires prescription information from a terminal (for example, a personal computer) that is connected to the drug supply device 1 via communication. In step S101, the control unit 83 acquires this prescription information.

[0221] Prescription information includes information about the type of medication. The medication specified by this information is referred to as the prescribed medication. Furthermore, prescription information also includes information about the quantity of the prescribed medication. The quantity of the prescribed medication specified by this information is referred to as the prescribed quantity.

[0222] Next, in step S102 of Figure 10, the control unit 83 controls the upper section 1U. Specifically, the control unit 83 controls the operation of the upper section 1U so that the drug is dispensed according to the prescription information.

[0223] In step S102, the tablet case 13 containing the prescribed medication discharges the prescribed number of medications. The prescribed medication discharged from the tablet case 13 is discharged downward from the upper section 1U. The prescribed medication is then supplied to the upper hopper section 2 in the lower section 1L.

[0224] Next, in step S103 of Figure 10, the control unit 83 controls the upper hopper section 2. Specifically, the control unit 83 discharges the chemical from the upper hoppers 21a to 21h in the upper hopper section 2 at an appropriate timing. This chemical is the same chemical supplied from the upper section 1U in step S102.

[0225] The control unit 83 controls the timing of discharging the drug from the upper hopper 21a by controlling the opening and closing of the shutters 213 of the upper hoppers 21a to 21h.

[0226] Here, we will explain the timing at which the control unit 83 discharges the drug from the upper hopper 21a.

[0227] Below the upper hopper section 2, the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524 in the conveying section 3 are rotating at predetermined timings.

[0228] Left storage cells 421-424 and right storage cells 521-524 stop for a predetermined time directly below upper hoppers 21a-21h, and then move toward directly below the adjacent upper hoppers 21a-21h.

[0229] The control unit 83 discharges the chemical from the upper hopper 21a when the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524 are stopped directly below the upper hoppers 21a-21h.

[0230] Furthermore, the control unit 83 discharges the drugs from the upper hoppers 21a to 21h so that the drugs stored in the corresponding cells (for example, the left storage cell 421 and the right storage cell 521) are packaged in the same packaging paper in the packaging unit 82.

[0231] Thus, in this embodiment, the drug packaged in a single wrapping paper is transported using only the corresponding cells (for example, the left storage cell 421 and the right storage cell 521).

[0232] With this configuration, the drug transport time can be shortened compared to a configuration in which the drug packaged in a single wrapping paper is transported by all the left-side storage cells 421-424 and the right-side storage cells 521-524. As a result, the time required for the drug supply operation can be reduced.

[0233] The timing of discharging the drug from the upper hoppers 21a to 21h as described above is controlled by the control unit 83 according to the prescription information.

[0234] Next, in step S104 of Figure 10, the control unit 83 transports the drug. Specifically, the control unit 83 controls the drive unit 7 to transport the drug via the transport unit 3.

[0235] The left-side storage cells 421 to 424 move sequentially below the upper hoppers 21a to 21d. Specifically, the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 stop for a predetermined time directly below the upper hoppers 21a to 21d, and then move toward the area directly below the adjacent upper hoppers 21a to 21d.

[0236] In the state shown in Figures 2 and 4, the left storage cell 421 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21a. Also, the left storage cell 422 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21b.

[0237] Furthermore, the left-side storage cell 423 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21c. Also, the left-side storage cell 424 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21d.

[0238] Furthermore, in the state shown in Figures 2 and 4, the right-side storage cell 521 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21e. Also, the right-side storage cell 522 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21f.

[0239] Furthermore, the right-side storage cell 523 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21g. Also, the right-side storage cell 524 is stopped directly below the upper hopper 21h.

[0240] The left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524 contain the chemicals (not shown) supplied from the upper hoppers 21a-21h in step S103 described above.

[0241] The control unit 83 drives the electric motor 72 (see Figure 5) of the drive unit 7 in the first rotation direction. As a result, the transmission belt 71 moves in accordance with the rotation of the electric motor 72. When the transmission belt 71 moves, the left rotating plate section 41 and the right rotating plate section 51 rotate as described above.

[0242] In this case, the left rotating plate portion 41 is in the first direction of the left rotating plate portion 41 (arrow A shown in Figure 4). １ It rotates in the direction of (A). Also, the right rotating plate portion 51 rotates in the first direction of the right rotating plate portion 51 (arrow A shown in Figure 4).２ It rotates in the direction of ( ).

[0243] When the left rotating plate section 41 rotates, the left storage cells 421 to 424 move together with the left rotating plate section 41 in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4). １ Move in the direction of ( ).

[0244] The control unit 83 stops the electric motor 72 when the left storage cells 421 to 424 have moved to directly below the adjacent upper hoppers 21a to 21d in the direction of travel. As a result, the left storage cells 421 to 424 stop.

[0245] Specifically, the left storage cells 421 to 424 move from the state shown in Figure 4 to the first direction of the left rotating plate section 41 (arrow A shown in Figure 4). １ Move 90° in the direction of ( ) and stop.

[0246] Then, the left storage cells 421 to 424 stop for a predetermined time, and the left rotating plate section 41 moves in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4). １ It moves 90° in the direction of and stops. The left storage cells 421 to 424 repeat this operation under the control of the control unit 83.

[0247] Furthermore, when the right-side rotating plate 51 rotates, the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 move in the first direction of the right-side rotating plate 51 (arrow A shown in Figure 4). ２ Move in the direction of ( ).

[0248] The control unit 83 stops the electric motor 72 when the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 have moved to directly below the adjacent upper hoppers 21e to 21h in the direction of travel. As a result, the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 stop.

[0249] Specifically, the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 move from the state shown in Figure 4 to the first direction of the right-side rotating plate section 51 (arrow A shown in Figure 4). ２ Move 90° in that direction.

[0250] Then, the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 stop for a predetermined time, and then the right-side rotating plate section 51 moves in the first direction (arrow A shown in Figure 4). ２It moves 90° in the direction of and stops. The right-side storage cells 521 to 524 repeat this operation under the control of the control unit 83.

[0251] When the left-side storage cells 421 to 424 move from directly below the upper hopper 21a to directly below the upper hopper 21b, they pass above the left-side discharge port 61 (see Figure 5).

[0252] With the left-side storage cells 421-424 overlapping the left-side discharge port 61 in the vertical direction, the lower openings of the left-side storage cells 421-424 are opened. The chemicals stored in the left-side storage cells 421-424 then pass through the left-side discharge port 61 and are supplied to the lower hopper section 81.

[0253] On the other hand, when the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 move from directly below the upper hopper 21e to directly below the upper hopper 21f, they pass above the right-side discharge port 62 (see Figure 5).

[0254] The timing at which the right-side storage cells 521-524 pass over the right-side discharge port 62 is the same as the timing at which the left-side storage cells 421-424 pass over the left-side discharge port 61.

[0255] With the right-side storage cells 521-524 overlapping the right-side discharge port 62 in the vertical direction, the lower openings of the right-side storage cells 521-524 are opened. The chemicals stored in the right-side storage cells 521-524 then pass through the right-side discharge port 62 and are supplied to the lower hopper section 81.

[0256] In this embodiment, the timing at which the left storage cells 421 to 424 discharge the drug to the left outlet 61 is the same as the timing at which the right storage cells 521 to 524 discharge the drug to the right outlet 62.

[0257] Therefore, the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524 simultaneously supply the drug to the lower hopper section 81. The drug discharged from the left storage cells 421-424 and the drug discharged from the right storage cells 521-524 are packaged in the same packaging paper in the packaging section 82.

[0258] Furthermore, as described above, the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524 rotate synchronously. Therefore, when the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524 rotate 90°, one of the storage cells passes above either the left discharge port 61 or the right discharge port 62.

[0259] If the left storage cells 421-424 move quickly as they pass over the left discharge port 61, the chemical supplied from the left storage cells 421-424 to the lower hopper section 81 via the left discharge port 61 will also move quickly. As a result, the chemical may collide with the lower hopper section 81 and cause damage.

[0260] Furthermore, if the chemical is moved at a high speed, it may repeatedly bounce in the lower hopper section 81. As a result, the time the chemical spends passing through the lower hopper section 81 may increase. These problems also apply to the right-side storage cells 521 to 524.

[0261] To address this problem, slowing down the movement speed of the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524 increases the drug transport time. A longer drug transport time also increases the time required for the drug supply operation.

[0262] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 83 performs speed adjustment control to adjust the movement speed of the left storage cells 421 to 424 and the right storage cells 521 to 524.

[0263] The speed adjustment control will be explained below. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the operating angle of the storage cell and the rotational speed in speed adjustment control. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the transport unit 3 for explaining speed adjustment control.

[0264] In Figure 11, the horizontal axis shows the operating angles of the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524. Also in Figure 11, the vertical axis shows the rotational speed of the left storage cells 421-424 and the right storage cells 521-524.

[0265] As shown in Figure 12, the left storage cell 421 is at position P ａ From position Pｂ We will explain speed control using the example of moving to position P. ａ This is directly below the upper hopper 21a. Also, position P ｂ This is directly below the upper hopper 21b.

[0266] Left storage cell 421 is in position P ａ The state in which the left storage cell 421 is located corresponds to the state in Figure 11 where the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is 0°. ｂ The state in which it is located corresponds to the state in Figure 11 where the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is 90°. In other words, the left storage cell 421 is in position P ａ From position P ｂ The angle of movement when moving is 90°.

[0267] The left storage cell 421 is located at position P ａ From position P ｂ When moving, it passes over the left-side discharge port 61. At this time, the left-side storage cell 421 discharges the chemical contained in the left-side storage cell 421 to the left-side discharge port 61.

[0268] Furthermore, as described above, the right-side storage cells 521 to 524 move in sync with the left-side storage cell 421.

[0269] In the state shown in Figure 12, the left storage cell 421 is stopped. The control unit 83 determines that the left storage cell 421 is in position P ａ From position P ｂ When moving, the initial rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 (in other words, the left rotating plate section 41) is set to V. １ Let's assume that.

[0270] Then, the control unit 83 determines that the left storage cell 421 is in position P １ The rotation speed of the left storage cell 421 is increased until it moves to position P (see Figure 12). １ In the state where it is positioned, in Figure 11 the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is D １ Corresponds to the ° state.

[0271] The control unit 83 controls position P １ In this case, the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 is the maximum speed V ２To reach that point, increase the rotation speed of the left storage cell 421.

[0272] Next, the control unit 83 determines that the left storage cell 421 is at position P １ From position P ２ The rotation speed of the left storage cell 421 is set to V until it moves to V ２ Maintain this position. The left storage cell 421 is in position P ２ In the state where it is positioned, in Figure 11 the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is D ２ Corresponds to the ° state.

[0273] Next, the control unit 83 determines that the left storage cell 421 is at position P ２ From position P ３ The rotation speed of the left storage cell 421 is gradually reduced until it moves to position P. ２ From position P ３ This is an example of the first position.

[0274] Left storage cell 421 is in position P ３ In the state where it is positioned, in Figure 11 the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is D ３ Corresponds to the ° state.

[0275] The control unit 83 controls position P ３ In this case, the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 is V ３ To reach this point, the rotation speed of the left storage cell 421 is reduced. Rotation speed V ３ is rotational speed V ２ It's slower than that.

[0276] The left storage cell 421 is located at position P ３ In this state, the left outlet 61 completely overlaps with the left storage cell 421 in the vertical direction. ３ In this process, the drug contained in the left storage cell 421 is discharged.

[0277] Thus, the control unit 83 controls the rotation speed V of the left storage cell 421 when the drug is discharged from the left storage cell 421. ３ The maximum speed V ２ Make it slower than that.

[0278] Such a configuration can prevent the drug from colliding with the lower hopper portion 81 and being damaged. Also, such a configuration can shorten the time it takes for the drug to pass through the lower hopper portion 81.

[0279] Next, the control unit 83 gradually increases the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 until the left storage cell 421 moves from position P ３ to position P ４ . The state where the left storage cell 421 is located at position P ４ corresponds to the state where the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is D ４ ° in FIG. 11.

[0280] At position P ４ , the control unit 83 increases the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 so that the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 reaches V ２ .

[0281] Next, the control unit 83 maintains the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 at V ４ until the left storage cell 421 moves from position P ５ to position P ２ . The state where the left storage cell 421 is located at position P ５ corresponds to the state where the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is D ５ ° in FIG. 11.

[0282] Next, when the left storage cell 421 moves from position P ５ to position P ｂ , the control unit 83 gradually decreases the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421. The state where the left storage cell 421 is located at position P ｂ corresponds to the state where the operating angle of the left storage cell 421 is 90° in FIG. 11.

[0283] At position P ｂ , the control unit 83 decreases the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 so that the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 reaches the final speed V １ .

[0284] After that, at position P ｂ , the control unit 83 sets the rotational speed of the left storage cell 421 to zero. That is, the control unit 83 is at position Pｂ Stop the electric motor 72.

[0285] After the control unit 83 stops the left storage cell 421 for a predetermined time, it repeats the above-described speed adjustment control.

[0286] As described above, according to the above-described speed adjustment control, the left storage cell 421 accelerates and decelerates repeatedly between the position P ａ and the position P ｂ As a result, the movement time of the left storage cell 421 can be shortened compared to the case where the speed of the left storage cell 421 is reduced overall. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the conveyance time of the drug.

[0287] Returning to the description of the operation of the drug supply device 1.

[0288] In step S105 of FIG. 10, the control unit 83 controls the lower hopper unit 81. Specifically, the control unit 83 closes the shutter 813 and closes the lower opening 812 of the lower hopper unit 81 until one package of the drug is stored in the lower hopper unit 81.

[0289] When one package of the drug is stored in the lower hopper unit 81, the control unit 83 opens the shutter 813 at a desired timing and releases the lower opening 812 of the lower hopper unit 81. Then, the drug stored in the lower hopper unit 81 is discharged from the lower opening 812 and supplied to the packaging unit 82.

[0290] In step S106 of FIG. 10, the control unit 83 controls the packaging unit 82. Specifically, the control unit 83 controls the packaging unit 82 to package the drug supplied from the lower hopper unit 81 to the packaging unit 82. Since the operation of the packaging unit 82 is the same as the operation of the conventionally known packaging unit 82, the description thereof is omitted.

[0291] (Operation and Effect of the Present Embodiment) According to the drug supply device 1 having the above-described configuration, the time required for the drug supply operation can be shortened.

[0292] Specifically, the drug supply device 1 according to this embodiment has a left-side transport section 4 and a right-side transport section 5. The left-side transport section 4 and the right-side transport section 5 each transport the drug by rotation. The lower hopper section 81 collects the drug supplied from the left-side transport section 4 and the right-side transport section 5 and supplies it to the packaging section 82. This configuration allows the drug stored in the upper section 1U to be packaged in a short time.

[0293] Furthermore, the left-side transport unit 4 and the right-side transport unit 5 transport the drug by rotation. This configuration allows for a lower height for the left-side transport unit 4 and the right-side transport unit 5. Therefore, even when the left-side transport unit 4 and the right-side transport unit 5 are incorporated into a drug supply device with large dimensions in the left-right and / or front-back directions, the height of the drug supply device can be reduced. As a result, the drug supply device can be made more compact.

[0294] Furthermore, the number of transport units is not limited to two. The number of transport units may be determined as appropriate depending on the configuration of the drug supply device. Also, the number of storage cells provided in the transport units is not particularly limited. The number of storage cells may be determined as appropriate depending on the configuration of the drug supply device.

[0295] Furthermore, the left transport section 4 and the right transport section 5 are supported from below by the support section 6. The lower openings of the left storage cells 421 to 424 are closed by the support section 6 at a position where they overlap vertically with the parts other than the left discharge port 61. The lower openings of the left storage cells 421 to 424 are then opened at a position where they overlap vertically with the left discharge port 61. This configuration is suitable for tablets.

[0296] Furthermore, the drug supply device 1 described above has a left-side elastic support section 43 and a right-side elastic support section 53. Therefore, as described above, when the left-side storage cells 421-424 and the right-side storage cells 521-524 collide with the upper hopper section 2, damage to the left-side storage cells 421-424, the right-side storage cells 521-524, and / or the upper hopper section 2 can be suppressed. The reason for this is as previously stated.

[0297] (Note) The drug supply device 1 according to the above embodiment is configured to synchronously control the left transport unit 4 and the right transport unit 5 by the control unit 83. For this purpose, the drug supply device 1 is equipped with a drive unit 7 that drives the left transport unit 4 and the right transport unit 5 in a synchronous manner.

[0298] However, the control unit 83 may independently control the left transport unit 4 and the right transport unit 5. In this case, the drug supply device may be equipped with multiple electric motors (not shown) provided for each of the multiple transport units (specifically, the left transport unit 4 and the right transport unit 5). The control unit 83 may then control the multiple electric motors to independently control the operation of each of the multiple transport units (specifically, the left transport unit 4 and the right transport unit 5). In this configuration, the transmission belt 71 in the drive unit 7 described above may be omitted.

[0299] [Embodiment 2] The drug supply device 1B according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the left rotating plate portion 41B, the right rotating plate portion 51B, and the support portion 6B of the drug supply device 1B.

[0300] The drug supply device 1B according to this embodiment has a configuration of the left transport unit 4B and the right transport unit 5B that differs from the configuration of the left transport unit 4B and the right transport unit 5B in the above-described embodiment 1.

[0301] Furthermore, the configuration of the support portion 6B is the same as that of the support portion 6 in the above-described embodiment 1. Therefore, the description of the support portion 6 in the above-described embodiment 1 may be appropriately applied to the description of the support portion 6B.

[0302] The left-side transport section 4B has left-side storage cells 421B to 424B. In this embodiment, the left-side storage cells 421B to 424B are formed by through holes 411B to 414B provided in the left-side rotating plate section 41B.

[0303] In other words, the left-side transport section 4B does not have the vertical wall sections 421a to 424a (see Figure 4) in the above-described embodiment 1. Therefore, the thickness dimension of the left-side rotating plate section 41B is greater than the thickness dimension of the left-side rotating plate section 41 in the above-described embodiment 1.

[0304] The left rotating plate portion 41B may have an inclined portion 425B on the upper edge of the through holes 411B to 414B. The inclined portion 425B may be provided around the entire circumference of the upper edge of the through holes 411B to 414B.

[0305] When the inclined portion 425B comes into contact with the upper end of the left storage cells 421B to 424B and the lower end of the upper hopper 21a to 21d (see Figure 3), a downward force F is exerted on the left storage cells 421B to 424B. １ It has a shape that includes (see Figure 7B).

[0306] Furthermore, the inclined portion 425B should be provided at the upper edge of the through holes 411B to 414B in a location where it may come into contact with the lower end of the upper hoppers 21a to 21d.

[0307] The configuration of the other left-side transport unit 4B is the same as that of the left-side transport unit 4 in the above-described embodiment 1. Therefore, the configuration of the left-side transport unit 4B in this embodiment is applicable to the drug supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment 1.

[0308] The right-side transport section 5B has right-side storage cells 521B to 524B. In this embodiment, the right-side storage cells 521B to 524B are formed by through holes 511B to 514B provided in the right-side rotating plate section 51B.

[0309] In other words, the right-side transport section 5B does not have the vertical wall sections 521a to 524a (see Figure 4) as in the above-described embodiment 1. Therefore, the thickness dimension of the right-side rotating plate section 51B is greater than the thickness dimension of the right-side rotating plate section 51 as in the above-described embodiment 1.

[0310] The right-side rotating plate portion 51B may have an inclined portion 525B on the upper edge of the through holes 511B to 514B. The inclined portion 525B may be provided around the entire circumference of the upper edge of the through holes 511B to 514B.

[0311] When the inclined portion 525B comes into contact with the upper end of the right storage cells 521B to 524B and the lower end of the upper hopper 21e to 21h (see Figure 3), a downward force F is exerted on the right storage cells 521B to 524B. １ It has a shape that includes (see Figure 7B).

[0312] Furthermore, the inclined portion 525B should be provided at the upper edge of the through holes 511B to 514B in a location where it may come into contact with the lower end of the upper hoppers 21e to 21h.

[0313] The configuration of the other right-side transport section 5B is the same as that of the right-side transport section 5 in the above-described embodiment 1. Therefore, the configuration of the right-side transport section 5B in this embodiment is applicable to the drug supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment 1. Furthermore, the configuration and operation / effects of the drug supply device 1B are the same as those of the drug supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment 1.

[0314] (Note) A reference example of the present invention provides a drug supply device which has a plurality of storage compartments for storing drugs supplied from an upper hopper, a transport compartment for transporting drugs by rotation, and a support compartment for supporting the transport compartment from below. The storage compartments have through holes that penetrate the transport compartment vertically, and the support compartments have passage openings through which drugs that fall from the storage compartments pass, with the parts other than the passage openings blocking the lower openings of the through compartments.

[0315] All disclosures in the specification, drawings, and abstract contained in the Japanese application No. 2024-156864, filed on September 10, 2024, are incorporated herein by reference.

[0316] The present invention is applicable not only to drug supply devices placed in pharmacies and the like, but also to drug supply devices placed in various locations.

[0317] 1, 1B Drug supply device 1U Upper section 11 Control panel 12 Shelf 13 Tablet case 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e, 14f, 14g, 14h Tablet case unit 1L Lower section 15 Dispensing section 2 Upper hopper section 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, 21f, 21g, 21h Upper hopper 211 Upper opening 212 Lower opening 213 Shutter 3 Conveying section 4 Left side conveying section 41, 41B Left side rotating plate section 411, 412, 413, 414, Through hole 411B, 412B, 413B, 414B Through hole 415 Center through hole 42 Left side storage section 421, 422, 423, 424 Left storage cell 421B, 422B, 423B, 424B Left storage cell 421a, 422a, 423a, 424a Vertical wall section 425, 425B Inclined section 43 Left elastic support section 431 Shaft section 431a Flange section 432 Coil spring 433 Fixing member 433a Central through hole 433b Fastening component 44 Gap 5 Right transport section 51, 51B Right rotating plate section 511, 512, 513, 514 Through hole 511B, 512B, 513B, 514B Through hole 515 Central through hole 52 Right storage section 521, 522, 523, 524 Right storage cell 521B, 522B, 523B, 524B Right storage cell 521a, 522a, 523a, 524a Vertical wall section 525, 525B Inclined section 53 Right-side elastic support section 531 Shaft section 531a Flange section 532 Coil spring 533 Fixing member 533a Central through hole 533b Fastening component 54 Gap 6, 6B Support section 61 Left-side discharge port 62 Right-side discharge port 63 Left-side track area 64 Right-side track area 65a, 65b, 65c, 65d, 65e, 65f Belt support section 7 Drive section 71 Transmission belt 72 Electric motor 81 Lower hopper section 811 Upper opening 812 Lower opening 813 Shutter 814 Gap 82 Packaging section 821 Conveying device 822 Printing device 823 Sealing device 83 Control unit 84L, 84R detection unit

Claims

1. A drug supply device comprising: a plurality of upper hoppers; a plurality of conveying units that convey the drug supplied from the upper hoppers by rotation; and a lower hopper that collects the drug supplied from the plurality of conveying units.

2. The drug supply device according to claim 1, wherein each transport unit has a disc-shaped rotating unit and a plurality of storage units for storing the drug and rotating together with the rotating unit, and the storage units have through holes that penetrate the rotating unit in the vertical direction.

3. The drug supply device according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit has a plurality of storage units that store the drug and transport the drug by rotation, and each of the storage units stores a plurality of types of the drug that are packaged in a single wrapping paper.

4. The drug supply device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of transport units simultaneously supply the plurality of drugs, each packaged in a single wrapping paper, to the lower hopper.

5. The drug supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit for synchronously rotating a plurality of the transport units, wherein the drive unit comprises one electric motor and a synchronization mechanism that moves based on the electric motor and drives the plurality of transport units in a synchronous state.

6. The drug supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electric motors provided for each of the plurality of transport units, and a control unit that controls the plurality of electric motors to independently control the operation of each of the plurality of transport units.

7. The drug supply device according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit comprises a first transport unit having a plurality of first storage units for storing the drug, and a second transport unit having a plurality of second storage units for storing the drug, and the first storage units and the second storage units rotate synchronously to transport the drug.

8. The drug supply device according to claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of first storage compartments and one of the plurality of second storage compartments store a drug packaged in a single wrapping paper, and the drug is simultaneously supplied to the lower hopper.

9. The drug supply device according to claim 1, wherein each of the transport units has a plurality of storage units for storing and transporting the drug, and each of the storage units moves along a circular track and stores the drug supplied from the upper hopper below the upper hopper.

10. The drug supply device according to claim 9, further comprising a support portion that supports a plurality of the transport portions from below, wherein the support portion has an outlet through which the drug that has fallen from the storage portion passes in a portion that overlaps with the track in the vertical direction, and the lower hopper collects the drug that has passed through the outlet.

11. The drug supply device according to claim 10, wherein the upper surface of the support portion closes the lower opening of the storage portion in a portion other than the discharge port.

12. The drug supply device according to claim 10, wherein the storage section decelerates at a first position above the discharge port, drops the drug into the discharge port, and then accelerates.

13. The transport unit has a plurality of storage units that store the drug and transport the drug by rotation, and when the storage units are located below the upper hopper, the vertical gap between the lower end of the upper hopper and the upper end of the storage units is smaller than the drug, as described in claim 1.

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