JP4286985B2 - Drug metering device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medicine fixed amount supply apparatus that supplies medicines such as tablets and capsules one by one.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a medicine fixed quantity supply device that supplies medicines such as tablets and capsules one by one to a medicine packaging part, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-47041, the upper surface is arranged in the outer periphery A rotor with a downward slope is provided, and a plurality of pockets of a size capable of storing one medicine are provided on the outer periphery of the rotor, and the medicine stored in these pockets is conveyed in the circumferential direction by rotation of the rotor. And the thing of the structure which discharged | emitted one by one downward from the discharge port formed in the baseplate in a chemical | medical agent storage container is known.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this type of conventional device, it is necessary to design the size of the pocket provided on the outer peripheral portion of the rotor in accordance with the size of one medicine so that two or more medicines do not enter the pocket. Yes, if the type (shape and size) of the medicine to be supplied changes, another supply device with a different pocket shape must be prepared, and a large number of types of supply devices are required for each medicine type, resulting in high costs. In addition, there is a problem that the work for storing the medicine in the supply device corresponding to the medicine becomes necessary when the medicine is stored, and the work is extremely complicated.
[0004]
Further, in the rotor structure in the conventional apparatus, it is difficult to securely store the medicines that are put in the medicine storage container and are not aligned in the pockets one by one in the pocket. There is a high possibility that a clogging will occur between the peripheral wall and supply failure.
[0005]
The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and can supply a wide variety of drugs with a common device regardless of the shape of the drug, and can be used without causing clogging. It is an object of the present invention to provide a medicine fixed-quantity supply device that can reliably supply one by one.
[0006]
[Means for solving the problems and actions / effects]
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a pharmaceutical metering device according to the present invention comprises:
A medicine storage container for storing a large number of medicines, a substantially conical rotor that is provided in the medicine storage container and has radially-divided storage pockets radially outward, and an outer periphery of the rotor At least one agitating blade provided in the medicine storage container so as to project on the surface, a medicine discharge path radially arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rotor so as to communicate with the storage pocket of the rotor, and the storage pocket A plan-view arc-shaped partition wall provided between the medicine discharge path and a plan-view arc-shaped drop regulation wall provided on the outer peripheral side of the drug discharge path so as to close the opening of the partition wall And the partition wall has a curtain-like member that can swing at least in the discharge direction of the medicine at an end on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the rotor.
[0007]
In the present invention, when a large number of drugs are stored in the drug storage container and the rotor is rotated, the rotor rotates relative to the fixed stirring blade, whereby the drug in the drug storage container is brought into the stirring blade. In the storage pocket formed on the surface of the rotor without clogging, they are stored one by one in the radial direction while being stirred. Thus, the medicines stored in the storage pocket are separated one by one by the partition wall provided between the storage pocket and the medicine discharge path when falling outward from the storage pocket. The discharged medicine is rotated with the rotation of the rotor in a state where the tip in the transport direction is in contact with the drop regulating wall, and is dropped and supplied one by one through the opening portion of the drop regulating wall. Here, the partition wall has a curtain-like member that can swing at least in the medicine discharge direction at the upstream end in the rotation direction of the rotor, so that the storage wall and the medicine discharge path are arranged in tandem. The medicines before and after being stored can be reliably separated by the curtain member without contacting the end of the partition wall when the rotor rotates.
[0008]
According to the present invention, since the storage pocket provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor is shaped to spread toward the outer peripheral side, even if the shape of the drug changes slightly, each drug is securely stored in the storage pocket. can do. Further, since the curtain member is swingable in the medicine discharge direction, the medicine can be separated one by one in accordance with the change of the size of the medicine. In this way, it is possible to provide an apparatus that can separate and supply many kinds of medicines with a common device regardless of the shape of the medicine.
[0009]
In the present invention, it is preferable that the curtain member is composed of a large number of bars whose upper ends are elastically supported, and the most upstream bar has a larger diameter than other bars. With such a curtain-like member, it is possible to more reliably separate the front and rear medicines stored in tandem in the storage pocket and the medicine discharge path. Moreover, even if the discharge direction length of the medicine slightly changes, it can be accommodated.
[0010]
In the present invention, it is preferable that an annular adjusting member that is detachable according to the type of the medicine is provided on the inner peripheral side of the drop regulating wall. In this way, when the length of the medicine is short and it is difficult to separate each one by the partition wall, the separation can be reliably performed by attaching the adjustment member. Therefore, by preparing several types of adjustment members, it is possible to deal with many types of drugs with one supply device.
[0011]
In the present invention, the storage pocket is preferably configured such that a second pocket portion for storing a small-diameter drug is connected to a bottom portion of a first pocket portion for storing a large-diameter drug. By doing so, the large-diameter medicines are stored and aligned in the first pocket portion, and the small-diameter drugs are stored and aligned in the second pocket portion. It is possible to reliably prevent the supply from becoming impossible. Thus, it is possible to share a plurality of types of medicine supply apparatuses having different diameters.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, a specific embodiment of the medicine fixed amount supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
1 is a partially broken perspective view of a medicine fixed amount supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drug fixed amount supply device, FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 (b) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3 (a), and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a medicine discharge mode.
[0014]
This embodiment is particularly applied to an apparatus for quantitatively supplying a medicine such as a capsule. This fixed quantity supply device is rotatably arranged on a gantry 2 on which a motor 1 and the like are supported, a drum-type drug container 3 placed and fixed on the gantry 2, and a bottom portion in the drug container 3. The substantially conical rotor 4 is provided.
[0015]
The medicine container 3 has an inner wall surface 3a inclined in a funnel shape, and the medicine (capsule) 5 introduced from the upper opening is collected in the central portion by the shape of the inner wall surface. An opening is formed in the bottom surface of the medicine container 3, and the rotor 4 is disposed so that the head protrudes from the opening, and the rotor 4 is moved around the vertical axis with respect to the gantry 2 by the motor 1. It can be rotated in the direction of arrow P.
[0016]
A plurality (five in this embodiment) of stirring blades 6 are attached to the inner wall surface 3a of the medicine container 3. The stirring blade 6 has a portion on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the rotor 4 protruding toward the rotor 4 and has a substantially triangular shape in plan view, and the side facing the rotor 4 is the side of the rotor 4. The shape is gradually increased toward the downstream side in the rotation direction.
[0017]
On the other hand, the rotor 4 has a plurality of (eight in this embodiment) groove-like storage pockets 7 in the radial direction from the center at the head protruding into the medicine storage container 3. The storage pocket 7 has a semicircular cross section and is formed in a divergent shape toward the outer peripheral side of the rotor 4. As the rotor 4 rotates, the medicine 5 enters the storage pocket 7 and radiates the medicine 5. It has sufficient width and depth to align in the direction.
[0018]
Thus, when the rotor 4 is rotated in a state where a large number of medicines 5 are stored in the medicine storage container 3, the medicines 5 thrown into the periphery are collected in the center by the funnel-shaped inner wall surface 3a, and the center The medicine 5 thrown into the part is stored in an aligned state in the storage pocket 7 while changing the direction in the radial direction while moving to the outer peripheral side of the rotor 4 by the rotation of the rotor 4. At this time, the medicine 5 that has not been able to enter the storage pocket 7 is scraped up by the stirring blade 6 that rotates relative to the rotor 4 and once placed on the inner wall surface 3a, and then again on the inner wall surface 3a. It is brought onto the rotor 4 by the inclination, and it is surely aligned in the storage pocket 7 by repeating this operation.
[0019]
In the outer peripheral portion of the rotor 4, a medicine discharge path 8 communicating with the storage pocket 7 of the rotor 4 is provided on the extended line of the inclined surface of the rotor 4, and is stored in the storage pocket 7 and along the storage pocket 7. The medicine 5 that slides down toward the outer peripheral side is received. Further, an arc-shaped partition wall 9 is integrally attached to the medicine container 3 in plan view between the storage pocket 7 and the medicine discharge path 8. As shown in FIG. 5 (partially enlarged view (a) in FIG. 4 and front view (b) of the partition wall), the partition wall 9 is aligned by the storage pocket 7 and sent out in a column state. In order to perform the division smoothly, it is configured to have a large number of curtain-like members. That is, the partition wall 9 is composed of a large number of metal rods (brushes) 9b and 9c whose upper end is held and suspended by a holding body 9a made of an elastic member such as rubber. It can be swung at least in the discharge direction of the medicine 5. Of these rods, the rod 9c at the most upstream portion in the rotational direction of the rotor 4 has a larger diameter than the other rods 9b, and in this way, separation of the drug 5 in the longitudinal state is separated. It can be done more reliably.
[0020]
Further, an annular body 12 having a medicine storage portion 11 communicating with each medicine discharge path 8 is provided on the outer peripheral side of each medicine discharge path 8 so as to rotate integrally with the rotor 4, and passes through the medicine discharge path 8. The medicine 5 that slides down toward the outer periphery is received by the medicine storage portion 11. Further, between the medicine discharge path 8 and the medicine storage portion 11, a first fall regulation wall 14 having an arc shape in plan view is attached to the medicine storage container 3 at a position where the opening portion 13 of the partition wall 9 is closed. It has been. The first drop restriction wall 14 serves to restrict the medicine 5 from dropping downward until the separation of the front and rear medicines 5 is completed by the partition wall 9. Therefore, after one medicine 5 is stored in the medicine supply path 8 by the partition wall 9, the medicine 5 in the medicine supply path 8 is released from the restriction by the first drop restriction wall 14, and the annular body 12. One medicine is stored in the medicine storage unit 11.
[0021]
Further, on the outer peripheral side of the medicine container 11, a second drop regulation wall 16 having a circular arc shape in plan view having a drop opening 15 as a notch in a portion facing the first drop regulation wall 14 is a medicine container. 3 is attached integrally. The second drop regulating wall 16 serves to regulate the downward movement of the medicine 5 until the medicine 5 separated into one by one and accommodated in the medicine accommodating portion 11 reaches the opening 15 for dropping. do. In addition, a chute 17 is attached to the opening 15 for dropping, and the medicine 5 which has reached the opening 15 for dropping and whose restriction is released is sent to a packaging part such as a medicine bottle by the chute 17.
[0022]
The medicine fixed quantity supply device having the above-described configuration operates as follows.
[0023]
When the medicine 5 to be supplied in a fixed amount is put into the medicine container 3 and the motor 1 is driven to rotate the rotor 4, the medicine 5 put into the peripheral part is collected at the center by the funnel-shaped inner wall surface 3a. At the same time, the medicine 5 put in the center moves to the outer peripheral side of the rotor 4 because the rotor 4 is formed in a conical shape. Then, the medicine 5 on the rotor 4 is changed in its direction along with the rotation of the rotor 4 and stored in the storage pocket 7. On the other hand, the medicine moved to the outer peripheral portion of the rotor 4 without being stored in the storage pocket 7. 5 is agitated by the agitating blade 6 that moves relative to the rotor 4, and is again oriented and placed again on the rotor 4, and finally accommodated in the accommodation pocket 7 in the radial direction. The Thereafter, the medicine 5 stored in the storage pocket 7 slides down the medicine discharge path 8 along the storage pocket 7 as the rotor 4 rotates, and the tip of the medicine 5 is brought into contact with the first drop regulation wall 14. Reach up to.
[0024]
Next, with the rotation of the rotor 4, a partition is formed between the medicine 5 located in the medicine discharge path 8 and the tip of which is in contact with the inner surface of the first drop regulating wall 14 and the medicine 5 adjacent to the rear side thereof. The leading end of the wall 9 intervenes (see FIG. 5A), and the leading medicine 5 is separated from the succeeding medicine 5 by the partition wall 9. At this time, since the partition wall 9 is constituted by a swingable curtain-like member, the front and rear medicines 5 and 5 are not brought into contact with the end of the partition wall 9, in other words, it is impossible for the medicine 5. Separation can be ensured by the curtain member without applying force.
[0025]
Thus, the medicines 5 separated one by one and stored in the medicine discharge path 8 are rotated with the rotation of the rotor 4 with the leading end in the transport direction in contact with the first drop regulating wall 14. When the opening of the first drop restriction wall 14 is reached, the restriction is released, and the drops are supplied one by one into the medicine container 11 communicating with the medicine discharge path 8.
[0026]
Subsequently, the medicine 5 stored in the medicine container 11 is rotated with the rotation of the rotor 4 while the tip of the medicine 5 is regulated by the second drop regulating wall 16, and when the medicine reaches the drop opening 15, the regulation is performed. Is released and supplied to the next process via a chute 17 attached to the opening 15 for dropping. In the next step, a process is performed in which the number of medicines 5 sliding down on the chute 17 is counted and filled into a medicine bottle or the like arranged at the lower end of the chute 17 in a fixed amount.
[0027]
According to the medicine fixed amount supply apparatus of the present embodiment, since the storage pocket 7 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 4 has a shape spreading toward the outer peripheral side, the medicine 5 can be used even if the diameter or length of the medicine changes slightly. Can be reliably stored in the storage pocket 7 and sent out into the medicine discharge path 8. Further, the partition wall 9 inserted between the storage pocket 7 and the medicine discharge path 8 is constituted by a curtain-like member, and this curtain-like member is swingable in the medicine 5 discharge direction. Even if the size of the medicine 5 changes slightly, it is possible to separate the medicines one by one correspondingly. In this way, there is an advantage that many kinds of drugs can be separated and supplied by a common apparatus regardless of the size of the drugs.
[0028]
In this embodiment, when the length of the medicine 5 ′ is too short compared to the width of the medicine discharge path 8 and it is difficult to separate each one by the partition wall 9 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6A). For the medicine 5 ′), an annular adjustment member (adjustment ring) 18 as shown in FIG. 6B is prepared, and this adjustment member 18 is attached to the inner peripheral side of the first drop regulating wall 14. You can do that. By doing so, regardless of the length of the medicine, it is possible to deal with many kinds of medicines with one supply device.
[0029]
7 (b) and 7 (c) show modified examples of the storage pocket 7 'of the rotor 4. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7 (a), when a medicine 5 "having a small diameter is handled, two medicines 5" and 5 "are contained in the storage pocket 7 in the normal storage pocket 7 size. In order to avoid this, in this example, as shown in Fig. 7B and Fig. 7C, the storage pocket 7 'has a large diameter. The first pocket portion 7a for storing the medicine 5 and the second pocket portion 7b for storing the small-diameter medicine 5 ″ provided at the bottom of the first pocket portion 7a are connected to each other, and the small-diameter medicine 5 is formed. ”Is inserted into the second pocket portion 7b and aligned. With such a configuration, an apparatus that can be applied to any medicine from a small diameter to a large diameter is provided. can do.
[0030]
In the present embodiment, the stirring blade 6 is configured as a separate component from the medicine container 3, but the stirring blade 6 'is integrated with the inner wall surface 3a of the medicine container 3 as shown in FIG. It may be molded.
[0031]
In the present embodiment, since the medicine container 11 of the annular body 12 is made to correspond to the medicine discharge path 8 on a one-to-one basis, the annular body 12 is not an essential configuration. Therefore, an embodiment in which the annular body 12 is omitted and the chute 17 is directly communicated with the opening of the first drop regulating wall 14 is also possible.
[0032]
In the present embodiment, the annular body 12 is rotated integrally with the rotor 4. However, the medicine container 11 is arranged on the annular body 12 without a gap, and the annular body 12 is connected to the rotor 4. May be driven separately and rotated at a higher speed than the rotor 4.
[0033]
In the present embodiment, as a curtain-like member constituting the partition wall 9, a large number of metal bars 9b, 9c are suspended from a holding body 9a made of an elastic member. The rods 9b and 9c can be made of a soft material, and the same effect as the present embodiment can be expected by such a configuration. In the present embodiment, the curtain member is provided over the entire range of the partition wall 9. However, the curtain member is provided on the leading end side of the partition wall 9 (the end on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the rotor). ).
[0034]
In the present embodiment, the capsule has been described as an example of the medicine, but the present invention is not limited to the capsule but can be applied to other tablets.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view of a medicine fixed amount supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the medicine fixed amount supply device of the present embodiment.
3A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a discharge mode of a medicine.
5 (a) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 (b) is a front view of a partition wall.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are explanatory views of a mode in which the adjustment member is mounted.
7A is an explanatory diagram of a bridging phenomenon between small-diameter drugs, and FIGS. 7B and 7C are a cross-sectional view and a plan view showing a storage pocket shape according to a modification of the present embodiment, respectively. It is.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment in which a stirring blade is formed integrally with a medicine container.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Motor 2 Base 3 Chemical | medical agent storage container 4 Rotor 5, 5 ', 5 "Chemical | medical agent 6, 6' Stirring blade 7, 7 'Storage pocket 7a First pocket part 7b Second pocket part 8 Drug discharge path 9 Partition wall 9a Holder 9b, 9c Bar 11 Drug storage part 12 Annular body 13 Opening portion 14 First drop regulating wall 15 Drop opening 16 Second drop regulating wall 17 Chute 18 Adjustment member

Claims (4)

A medicine storage container for storing a large number of medicines, a substantially conical rotor that is provided in the medicine storage container and has radially-divided storage pockets radially outward, and an outer periphery of the rotor At least one agitating blade provided in the medicine storage container so as to project on the surface, a medicine discharge path radially arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rotor so as to communicate with the storage pocket of the rotor, and the storage pocket A plan-view arc-shaped partition wall provided between the medicine discharge path and a plan-view arc-shaped drop regulation wall provided on the outer peripheral side of the drug discharge path so as to close the opening of the partition wall And the partition wall has a curtain-like member that can swing at least in the discharge direction of the drug at an end on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the rotor. 2. The medicine fixed-quantity supply device according to claim 1, wherein the curtain-like member is composed of a large number of bars whose upper ends are elastically supported, and a bar on the uppermost stream side has a larger diameter than other bars. . The medicine fixed quantity supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an annular adjustment member that is detachable according to the kind of medicine is provided on the inner peripheral side of the drop regulating wall. The medicine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage pocket is configured such that a second pocket part for storing a small-diameter medicine is connected to a bottom portion of a first pocket part for storing a large-diameter medicine. Metering device.

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