JP7629134B2 - Medication support device and lock device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a medication assistance device and a locking device .

When taking medicine on a daily basis, there is a good chance that a person will "forget to take", "take too much", or "take the wrong medicine", which may impair the effectiveness of the medicine. Therefore, various devices have been proposed to prevent such "forgetting to take", "taking too much", or "taking the wrong medicine". For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a medicine taking support device for avoiding "forgetting to take", "taking too much", or "taking the wrong medicine". This medicine taking support device stores one week's worth of medicine cases, i.e., seven medicine cases, in each of four cassettes, and when the preset designated medicine taking time arrives, the cassettes are rotated to a position where the medicine case containing the designated medicine can be ejected, and the medicine case to be taken is ejected from the cassette. The four cassettes are provided to correspond to the four designated medicine taking times: "morning", "afternoon", "evening", and "sleep".

JP 2019-10597 A

By using a medication support device like the one described above, it is expected that people will be able to prevent forgetting to take their medicine, taking too much, or taking the wrong medicine. Because medication support devices must always be handled properly, there is a need for them to enable the person taking the medicine and the person assisting them to take the medicine to take the specified medicine within the specified time with simple operations. However, while the medication support device notifies the user by voice or other means when the specified time to take the medicine arrives, there is an issue in that the user cannot receive the medicine case unless the user performs the medication acceptance operation of pressing the input button. In other words, if the user forgets to press the input button, the user cannot take the medicine.

In addition, when setting the medicine case in the cassette, the user must open the lid of the device body, remove the cassette that has already been set, store the medicine case in the cassette, set the cassette in the device body, and then close the lid, which is a hassle in the preparation stage for taking the medicine. Also, there are four types of cassettes corresponding to the time periods during which medicine can be taken, and each cassette must be set in a specific opening in the device body, which means that the user must select from the four cassettes the cassette that fits the opening when the lid is opened, and then set it, which is a hassle.

Furthermore, since the medicine case that has been emptied after taking the medicine must go through the same medication preparation work described above one week later before it can be set in the cassette, there is a risk that it may be lost during the period until the medicine is placed in the medicine case, and there are also hygiene issues if it is left as is. Furthermore, since the above-mentioned medication support device has only one position for ejecting the medicine case, when the designated medication time arrives, the four cassettes must be rotated to a position where the medicine case to be taken can be ejected. The drive device and control system required for this are complex, which increases costs and creates the problem of difficulty in introducing it easily.

The present invention has been made to solve at least one of these problems, and aims to provide a medication support device with a simple structure that allows the user to store the medication case in a cassette with a simple operation, and to take the designated medication case without fail at the designated medication time slot without performing any special operations.

[1] The medication support device of the present invention comprises a plurality of medicine cases for storing medication, a plurality of cassettes for stacking and storing the plurality of medicine cases, each of which corresponds to a plurality of preset medication time periods and is arranged in a straight line, and a medicine case delivery mechanism for delivering the medicine case stored in the lowest level of each cassette from the cassette based on the medication time period, the cassette having a medicine case insertion opening on the front side of the upper end through which the medicine case can be inserted, and a medicine case removal opening on the front side of the lower end through which the medicine case can be removed.

[2] In the medication support device of the present invention, the medicine case is stored in the cassette so that it can fall naturally, and the medicine case delivery mechanism has a medicine case support plate that supports the medicine case and transports the medicine case from an initial position in the cassette to a position where it can be removed, and is preferably configured to return the medicine case support plate to the initial position after the medicine case has been delivered from the cassette and the medication-taking time period has passed.

[3] In the medication support device of the present invention, the medicine case support plate has a front position regulating portion that regulates the front position of the medicine case in the case sending direction, and a rear position regulating portion that regulates the rear position, and during the medication-taking time period, the rear position regulating portion is located near the center of the plane of the medicine case stored in the cassette, has a height of at least 1/2 the thickness of the medicine case, and is preferably configured so that its upper tip is lower than the upper edge of the medicine case removal opening.

[4] In the medication support device of the present invention, the medicine case is formed integrally with a case body having a medicine storage section connected by a hinge section and a case lid, and a knob that can lift the medicine case protrudes from the side of the case lid, and it is preferable that the knob protrudes outward from a slit provided in the cassette when the medicine case is stored in the cassette.

[5] In the medication support device of the present invention, the medicine case further has an engagement portion that fixes the case body and the case lid so that they can be opened and closed, and the engagement portion preferably has an engagement force that prevents the case lid from opening when the medicine is contained therein when the knob portion is pinched to lift the medicine case, but allows the case lid to be easily opened when taking the medicine.

[6] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that the case body has a plurality of partition plates that divide the medicine storage section, and that the partition plates are detachable from the case body.

[7] In the medication support device of the present invention, at least one of the four possible medication time periods, "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," is preset as the possible medication time period, and the device further has a mode changeover switch that selects the cassette corresponding to the possible medication time period, and it is preferable that the mode changeover switch is provided with an openable/closable cover.

[8] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that the medicine case is color-coded for each of the cassettes corresponding to the four possible medication time periods.

[9] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that a tray is placed on the upper surfaces of the multiple cassettes, and the tray fixes the upper parts of the multiple cassettes.

[10] The medication support device of the present invention further comprises a time control system including a display unit that displays the current time and a time setting unit that sets the time, and a drive system including a motor and a motor control unit that drives the medicine case delivery mechanism, and a power source that supplies power to each of the two systems, the time control system and the drive system, and the power source is preferably a primary battery or a secondary battery.

[11] The medication support device of the present invention comprises a plurality of medicine cases for storing medicines, a plurality of cassettes for stacking and storing the plurality of medicine cases, each of which corresponds to a plurality of preset possible medication time periods and is arranged in a horizontal line when viewed from the front, and a medicine case delivery mechanism for delivering the medicine case stored in the lowest level of each cassette from the cassette based on the possible medication time period, the cassette having a medicine case insertion port on the front side of the upper end through which the medicine case can be inserted, and a medicine case removal port on the front side of the lower end through which the medicine case can be removed, the medicine case insertion port being a medicine case insertion port that is located on the front side of the upper end of the cassette. the shutter that can open and close the medicine case insertion opening; a shaft member that extends horizontally and can advance and retreat in the axial direction and engage with the shutter; a position restriction shaft made of a magnetic material that can advance and retreat vertically upward from the shaft member and engage with a step of the shaft member to restrict the position of the shaft member to a position where the shutter can be maintained in a state where the shutter closes the medicine case insertion opening; a magnet key that magnetically attracts the position restriction shaft and releases the engagement between the step and the position restriction shaft; and a coil spring that moves the shaft member to a position where the engagement between the shaft member and the shutter is released when the engagement between the step and the position restriction shaft is released.

[12] In the medication support device of the present invention, it is preferable that the magnetic key can be stored separately from the medication support device.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily store the medicine case in the cassette, and it is possible to take out the designated medicine case without fail and take the medicine at the designated time slot without performing any special operations, and it is also possible to realize a medicine taking support device with a simple structure.

1 is a perspective view of the medication support device 1 viewed from above on the front side. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a controller 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an operation panel unit 13. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mode change switch 22; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a medicine case delivery mechanism 15. FIG. 13 is a simplified diagram for explaining a state in which a medicine case 7G is removed from a cassette 3. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state after the medicine case 7G has been removed from the cassette 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a medicine case 7. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a medication method using the medication support device 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medication support device 1A viewed from above on the front side. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a locking device 81. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the shutter 80 is locked. 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views showing a method for unlocking the shutter 80.

The following describes the medication support device 1 and medication support device 1A according to the embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figures 1 to 13. Note that the drawings described below are schematic diagrams that explain the functions and actions and are different in scale and enlargement from the actual ones.

(Configuration of medication support device 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the medication support device 1 as seen from above the front side. The medication support device 1 is composed of a controller 2 in which a drive unit and a control unit are stored, and cassettes 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D aligned and fixed to the upper part of the controller 2 in the horizontal direction in the figure. The cassette 3A stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken in the "morning" are stacked in the height direction. Similarly, the cassette 3B stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken in the "afternoon". The cassette 3C stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken in the "evening", and the cassette 3D stores medicine cases 7A to 7G in which medicines to be taken before going to bed (displayed as "sleep"). The cassettes 3A to 3D are fixed to the upper plate portion 6 of the controller 2. Note that the cassettes 3A to 3D may be referred to as cassette 3 when they can be commonly described. In addition, when the medicine cases 7A to 7G can be described in common, they may be referred to as medicine case 7.

The medicine cases 7A to 7G correspond to one week's worth of medication, and the medicine cases 7A to 7G housed in each cassette have the same configuration and can be used in common. However, if the type of medication to be taken differs in the four possible medication time periods of "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep", it is preferable to change the color of the medicine case 7 for each cassette in order to make it easier to identify the medication and the medicine case for each of the four possible medication time periods. The possible medication time period here refers to the time during which the medicine case 7 can be removed from the cassette 3, for example, up to two hours after the time the medicine case 7 is sent out from the cassette 3 (designated medication time). Even if the person taking the medicine is not in front of the medication support device 1 at the designated medication time, they can remove the medicine case 7 from the cassette 3 somewhere during the possible medication time period and take the medicine.

General examples of designated times for taking medicine are set in advance to match the daily life pattern of the person taking the medicine, with "morning" set at 7:00 AM, "afternoon" set at 11:00 AM, "evening" set at 5:00 PM, and "sleep" set at 9:00 PM. Therefore, the possible time periods for taking medicine are "morning" from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM after breakfast, "afternoon" set at 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM after lunch, "evening" set at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM after dinner, and "sleep" set at 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. These possible time periods for taking medicine are general examples, and are set in advance as part of a program in accordance with the daily life of the person taking medicine, particularly meal times. The person taking medicine only needs to take medicine during these possible time periods, and no special operation of the medicine taking support device 1 is required. The medicine case 7 is set to a size and shape that allows it to fall naturally while it is set inside the cassette 3.

In this example, four cassettes 3A-3D are provided for "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep", but it is also possible to provide three for "morning", "afternoon" and "evening" or just one of them depending on the type of medicine and the method of taking the medicine. It is also possible to provide four cassettes 3 and select one of them for use. The cassette 3 to be used is selected in advance at the stage of deciding the method of taking the medicine. The method of selecting the cassette 3 to be used will be explained with reference to Figure 4.

Each cassette has a medicine case insertion port 10 at the front side of the upper end, through which the medicine case 7 can be inserted, and a medicine case removal port 11 at the front side of the lower end, through which the medicine case 7 can be removed. Figure 1 shows the state in which the medicine case 7G at the bottom of the cassette 3A has been moved to a position where it can be removed from the medicine case removal port 11. The front-to-rear position of the medicine case 7G relative to the front wall 3a is regulated by the medicine case support plate 9.

A slit 12 is formed in the front wall 3a of the cassette 3, connecting the medicine case insertion opening 10 and the medicine case removal opening 11. Each medicine case has a knob 8, which protrudes outward from the front wall 3a within the slit 12 and is configured to be able to pass freely through the slit 12. Therefore, while the medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette 3, the knob 8 can be pinched to move the medicine case 7 up and down. In other words, the medicine case 7 located midway through the cassette 3 can be removed from the medicine case insertion opening 10 by pinching the knob 8, and the medicine case 7 can be inserted from the medicine case insertion opening 10 and moved downward into the cassette 3.

A tray 70 is fixed to the top of the cassettes 3A to 3D. In other words, by fixing the cassettes 3A to 3D together with the tray 70, it is possible to reinforce the fixing of the cassettes 3A to 3D. For example, reading glasses or a patient registration card can be placed on the tray 70, and it can also be used as a storage space for empty medicine cases 7. If there are three cassettes 3, a tray 70 of a size corresponding to the three cassettes is fixed. An operation panel unit 13 is disposed on the front side of the controller 2. The configuration of the operation panel unit 13 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main components of the controller 2. The controller 2 has a time control system 20 including a time setting unit 21, a mode changeover switch 22, a display unit 23, a memory unit 24, and a timer 25. The time setting unit 21 has the function of setting and correcting the current time. The mode changeover switch 22 is a changeover switch for selecting the cassette to be actually used for taking medicine from the cassettes 3A to 3D. The display unit 23 is an optical display means such as a liquid crystal display that displays the current time, and displays "hours and minutes." The memory unit 24 stores any or all of the designated times for taking medicine, "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," as well as the time periods when medicine can be taken (the range from the time when medicine can be taken to the time when medicine stops). The timer 25 controls the time and time periods when medicine can be taken of the controller 2.

The drive system includes a motor control unit 26, motors Mo corresponding to each of the cassettes 3A to 3D, and limit switches 48, 49. The motor control unit 26 drives the motor Mo to be driven among the cassettes 3 set by the designated medication time and available medication time period stored in the memory unit 24, and the mode changeover switch 22. The motor Mo drives the medicine case delivery mechanism 15 (see FIG. 5) provided for each of the cassettes 3A to 3D. The limit switches 48, 49 regulate the reciprocating position of the medicine case support plate 9, i.e., the transport position of the medicine case 7. The configuration of the mode changeover switch 22 will be described with reference to FIG. 4, and the configuration and operation of the medicine case delivery mechanism 15 with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

The time control system 20 and the drive system each have a dry cell 27, 28 as a power source. In addition to primary batteries such as dry cells, secondary batteries can be used as the power source. The battery life can be extended by using dry cells 27, 28 of a standard that is appropriately compatible with the time control system 20 and the drive system. In the drive system, when there are four cassettes 3, the motor Mo drives the medicine case support plate 9 back and forth four times a day. In the time control system 20, the time display can be made invisible under normal circumstances and displayed only when the time is set, thereby extending the battery life. In this example, it was confirmed that a single dry cell battery does not require battery replacement for more than two years when taking medicine in four possible time periods every day. When using a commercial AC power source as in the conventional medication support device, an outlet and a power cord are required, which limits the location where the medication support device can be installed. However, by using dry cells or the like as the power source, the location where the medication support device 1 can be installed is not limited.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the operation panel unit 13. The operation panel unit 13 is disposed on the front side of the controller 2. On the operation panel unit 13, a mode change switch 22, a display unit 23, and a time setting unit 21 are arranged in this order from the left side in the figure. The mode change switch 22 is used to select one of the possible time periods for taking medicine, "morning," "afternoon," "evening," or "sleep," and is normally prevented from being switched by an opening/closing cover 31. The display unit 23 is composed of an "hour" display unit 32 and a "minute" display unit 33, and displays the current time. The time display/setting button 34 is a button that allows the current time to be set or corrected, and by pressing the time display/setting button 34, the "hour" and "minute" flash, allowing the user to recognize that time setting is possible.

When the hours and minutes are flashing, pressing the time down button 35 will delay the displayed time, while pressing the time up button 36 will advance the displayed time. When the current time is reached, pressing the confirm button 37 will confirm the current time. To correct the current time again, press the time display/set button 34 and then the confirm button 37 as described above. Once the current time has been confirmed, you can extend battery life by programming the display unit 23 to turn off. If the clock that displays the current time is a radio-controlled clock, there is no need to set the time.

The operation panel 13 is equipped with a motor operation lamp 38 and a battery replacement lamp 39. The motor operation lamp 38 lights up when the motor Mo is running. This motor operation lamp 38 is provided for confirmation during normal operation and for operational inspection. On the other hand, the battery replacement lamp 39 notifies that either the dry batteries 27, 28 has fallen below a specified voltage and that it is nearing the time to replace the batteries.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mode changeover switch 22. Figure 4 shows the state in which the opening and closing cover 31 (see Figure 3) is open. The mode changeover switch 22 is composed of four switches 40A to 40D. Each switch is provided for each possible time period of taking medicine, namely "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep". It is preferable to use a switch such as a rocker switch or a slide switch that allows the switch to be recognized at a glance as being in the "on" state or the "off" state. Figure 4 shows an example in which all four possible time periods of taking medicine are "on" and it is possible to take medicine during the four possible time periods of taking medicine. Next, the configuration and operation of the medicine case delivery mechanism 15 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the medicine case delivery mechanism 15. Note that Figure 5 shows a part of the lower side when all medicine cases are stored in the cassette 3, and shows the initial state before the designated time for taking the medicine. The medicine case 7G in the lowest layer is supported by a medicine case support plate 9 inside the cassette 3. The medicine case support plate 9 has a front position regulation part 9a on the front side of the cassette 3 and a rear position regulation part 9b on the back side, and together they regulate the position of the medicine case 7G. The medicine case support plate 9 can move along the upper plate part 6 of the controller 2, and since the top surface of the medicine case 7G is in a position lower than the upper edge part 11a of the medicine case removal port 11, it can move to the outside of the cassette 3 together with the medicine case support plate 9.

Between the cassette 3 and the medicine case 7, there are gaps 14a and 14b through which the medicine case 7 can naturally fall while maintaining its set position. The gap 14a on the back side is sized to allow the rear position regulating portion 9b to enter. The height of the rear position regulating portion 9b is set to be at least half the thickness of the medicine case 7 and lower than the upper edge 11a of the medicine case removal opening 11. A medicine case delivery mechanism 15 is provided below the upper plate portion 6.

The medicine case delivery mechanism 15 has a motor Mo, a screw shaft 50 connected to the motor shaft of the motor Mo, a columnar nut 51 screwed onto the screw shaft 50, and a motor plate 52 supporting the motor Mo and the end of the screw shaft 50. The motor plate 52 is fixed to the base plate 42. A drive shaft 45 facing the nut 51 side is fixed to the medicine case support plate 9, and the drive shaft 45 passes through a long hole 6a provided in the upper plate portion 6 and a long hole 41a provided in the plate 41, and the recess 45a fits into the nut 51. When the screw shaft 50 is rotated in one direction, the nut 51 moves to the front side, and the medicine case support plate 9 moves to the front side via the drive shaft 45. When the screw shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, the nut 51 moves to the back side, and the medicine case support plate 9 moves to the back side via the drive shaft 45.

Shaft members 46, 47 are fixed to the medicine case support plate 9, passing through the long hole 6a of the upper plate portion 6 and the long hole 41a of the plate 41. The shaft members 46, 47 move together with the medicine case support plate 9, and the motor Mo is stopped when the shaft member 46 moves to a position where it turns on the limit switch 48 (a position where the medicine case 7G can be removed). The motor Mo is stopped when the shaft member 47 moves to a position where it turns on the limit switch 49 (initial position). Next, the situation in which the medicine case 7G is removed from the cassette 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

Figure 6 is a simplified diagram explaining the situation when the medicine case 7G is removed from the cassette 3. The explanation will be made with reference to Figure 5. Figure 6 shows the shaft member 46 moving to a position where the limit switch 48 is turned ON and then stopped, and the medicine case support plate 9 is in a state where the rear position regulating portion 9b has moved to near the center of the cassette 3 (medicine case 7F), and about half of the length of the medicine case 7G is protruding from the cassette 3. Then, by holding the knob portion 8 or the side of the medicine case 7G and pulling it in the direction of the arrow, the medicine case 7G can be removed from the cassette 3 and the medicine can be taken.

Until immediately before medicine case 7G is removed, medicine cases 7F to 7A remain on medicine case 7G and do not change position. When medicine case 7G is removed from cassette 3, medicine case 7F falls to a position where it abuts against rear position restriction portion 9b. Each medicine case above medicine case 7G follows suit and falls. This will be explained with reference to Figure 7.

7 is a diagram showing the state after the medicine case 7G is removed from the cassette 3. That is, the state shown in FIG. 7 is the state during the time period during which the medicine can be taken. During the time period during which the medicine can be taken, the rear position restricting portion 9b of the medicine case support plate 9 is in the center of the medicine case 7F stored in the cassette in the planar direction, and the height of the rear position restricting portion 9b is set to be 1/2 or more of the thickness of the medicine case 7 and lower than the upper edge portion 11a of the medicine case removal opening 11. Therefore, it is impossible to remove the medicine case 7F from the cassette 3, and even if the medicine case 7F tilts with the rear position restricting portion 9b as a fulcrum, the medicine case 7F will not be locked between the cassette 3 and unable to fall. If the medicine case support plate 9 is moved to its initial position in the cassette 3 after the time period during which the medicine can be taken (shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure), the medicine case 7F will fall between the front position restricting portion 9a and the rear position restricting portion 9b of the medicine case support plate 9. Therefore, when the medication-taking time period arrives, the medication in the medication case 7F becomes available for taking. Next, the configuration of the medication case 7 will be explained with reference to FIG. 8.

8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the medicine case 7. FIG. 8(a) is a plan view of the case body 60 and the case lid 61 in an expanded state, FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the case lid 61 in a closed state, and FIG. 8(c) is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged detailed view of the fitting portion 68 in FIG. 8(b). The medicine case 7 is formed by integrally molding the case body 60 and the case lid 61 connected by the hinge portion 62 with a translucent material. A knob portion 8 protrudes from the side of the case lid 61 to lift the medicine case 7 or to open or close the case lid 61 from the case body 60 using the hinge portion 62 as a fulcrum. If the medicine case 7 is formed of a transparent or translucent plastic resin, it is possible to check whether medicine is contained in the medicine case 7.

The case body 60 is a container with an open top, and the space surrounded by the bottom 60a and the side wall 60b is the medicine storage section 63. A convex rib 64 is formed on the inner upper edge of the side wall 60b. A partition plate support section 65 protrudes inward at the same position on the inner side of two opposing sides of the side wall 60b. A groove is formed in the partition plate support section 65 in the vertical direction (thickness direction), and a partition plate 66 can be inserted into this groove. The partition plate 66 does not protrude from the convex rib 64. The example shown in Figure 8 is an example in which three partition plates 66 can be inserted, and the medicine storage section 63 is divided into four medicine storage sections 63A, 63B, 63C, and 63D. The partition plates 66 are configured to be easily attached and detached from the case body 60.

When one day's worth of medicine is stored in one medicine case 7, the partition plate 66 is not necessary. When two days' worth of medicine is stored, one partition plate 66 is attached to the center of the medicine storage section 63. In such a case, after taking the medicine stored in one of the partitions, the medicine case 7 is returned to the medicine case insertion port 10 of the cassette 3. In this way, it is possible to store two weeks' worth of medicine in one cassette 3. Similarly, if the medicine storage section 63 is divided into four, it is possible to store four weeks' worth of medicine in one cassette 3.

The case lid 61 has a convex rib portion 67 formed on the outer upper edge of the side wall portion 61b protruding from the bottom portion 61a. When the case lid 61 is closed, the convex rib portion 67 of the case lid 61 and the convex rib portion 64 of the case body 60 fit together to prevent dust and the like from entering the medicine storage portion 63. Between the case body 60 and the case lid 61, there is provided a fitting portion 68 that can be opened and closed with a sense of moderation (sometimes called a clicking sensation).

As shown in FIG. 8(c), the fitting portion 68 is composed of a protrusion 60c provided on the case body 60 and a protrusion 61c provided on the case lid 61. As shown in FIG. 8(c), the protrusions 60c, 61c form a kind of hook structure at the same position when the case body 60 and the case lid 61 are overlapped, and a sense of moderation is obtained when opening and closing the case lid 61 by utilizing the elasticity of the protrusions 60c, 61c. The fitting portion 68 has a fitting force that prevents the case lid 61 from opening when the knob 8 is pinched and lifted up while the medicine is contained therein, and allows the case lid 61 to be easily opened when taking the medicine. The fitting force here is the force when the knob 8 is pinched to open the case lid 61. Since the weight including the medicine case 7 when the medicine is contained in the medicine containing portion 63 is 20 grams, the fitting force may be, for example, in the range of 30 grams to 50 grams. The tip of the knob 8 has a claw 8a that protrudes downward, making it easier to open the case lid 61.

Next, the method of taking medicine using the medication support device 1 will be explained with reference to FIG. 9.

Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of taking medicine using the medication support device 1. The medication support device 1 has a preset time period during which medication can be taken. The following description will be given with reference to the medication support device 1 shown in Figure 1. An example will be described in which the medication time period is set to "morning" on the first day. When the designated medication time for "morning" (7:00 a.m.) arrives, the medicine case 7G is pushed out of the cassette 3A. The medication time period (two hours until 9:00 a.m.) is a time period during which the medicine case 7G can be removed. The person taking the medicine then checks whether the medicine case 7G has been pushed out to a position where it can be removed from the cassette 3A (step S10). If the medicine case 7G is in a state where it can be removed (YES), the person taking the medicine removes the medicine case 7G from the cassette 3A (step S11), opens the case lid 61, and removes the medicine (step S12). If the medicine case 7G is not in a state where it can be removed (NO), the person taking the medicine or the medication supporter waits until the medication time period arrives. However, there is a two-hour window during which medication can be taken, so you can simply remove the medicine case 7G within that time frame.

Then, the patient takes the medicine (step S13) and returns the empty medicine case 7G from the medicine case insertion port 10 to the cassette 3A. The same procedure is followed for taking medicine from "afternoon" onwards. Note that the medicine case 7G after taking the medicine cannot be returned to the cassette 3A during the available time slot for taking medicine because the medicine case 7A is in the medicine case insertion port 10. Therefore, the medicine case 7G may be temporarily placed on the tray 70 and returned to the available time slot for taking medicine in the "morning" period, for example, when the available time slot for taking medicine in the cassette 3B has passed. If the medicine case 7G is not removed during the available time slot for taking medicine, it will be returned to the cassette 3A at the end of the available time slot for taking medicine. If there is medicine remaining when refilling each medicine case one week later, it will be possible to recognize that a dose was missed.

The medication support device 1 described above has medicine cases 7 (7A-7G) that contain medication, and cassettes 3 (3A-3D) that store the medicine cases 7A-7G in a stacked manner, are provided to correspond to each of a number of preset possible medication time periods, and are arranged in a horizontal line when viewed from the front. The medication support device 1 has a medicine case delivery mechanism 15 that delivers the medicine case 7 stored in the bottom row of each cassette from the cassette 3 based on the possible medication time period. The cassette 3 has a medicine case insertion port 10 on the front side of the upper end, through which the medicine case 7 can be inserted, and a medicine case removal port 11 on the front side of the lower end, through which the medicine case 7 can be removed.

According to the above-mentioned medication support device 1, when a preset medication time slot (designated medication time) arrives, the medicine case delivery mechanism 15 transports the medicine case 7 from the cassette 3 to a position where it can be removed. The person taking the medicine can remove the medicine case 7 from the cassette 3 and take the medicine. In other words, if the medicine case 7 is in a position where it can be removed, the person taking the medicine can remove the designated medicine case 7 without fail and take the medicine during the designated medication time slot without performing any special operations. In addition, the medicine case 7 can be easily stored in the cassette 3 through the medicine case insertion port 10.

The medication support device 1 has cassettes 3A-3D for each of the four possible medication time periods: "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," and each cassette has a corresponding medicine case delivery mechanism 15. Therefore, in the conventional technology, there is only one position for ejecting the medicine cases, and when the possible medication time period arrives, the four cassettes must be rotated to a position where the medicine case for the medication target can be ejected, resulting in a complex structure and making it difficult to reduce costs. By reducing costs with a simple structure, however, it is possible to realize a medication support device 1 that is easy to introduce.

The medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette 3 so that it can fall naturally. The medicine case delivery mechanism 15 has a medicine case support plate 9 that supports the medicine case 7 and transports the medicine case 7 from an initial position stored in the cassette 3 to a position where it can be removed, and is configured to return the medicine case support plate 9 to its initial position after the medicine case 7 is delivered from the cassette 3 and the time period during which the medicine can be taken has passed.

The medicine case delivery mechanism 15 transfers the medicine case 7 from its initial position in the cassette 3 to a position where the medicine case 7 can be removed. Since this state is maintained during the available time slot, the patient can take the medicine at any time during the available time slot (2 hours). If the patient forgets to take the medicine, the medicine supporter can find that the medicine case 7 remains and remind the patient to take the medicine. When the available time slot has passed, the medicine case support plate 9 returns to its initial position. If the medicine case 7 has been removed, the system is automatically prepared to transfer the medicine case 7 to be taken the next day. Even if the medicine case 7 is still on the medicine case support plate 9 when the available time slot has passed, the medicine case support plate 9 returns to its initial position while holding the medicine case 7. This makes it possible to prevent the patient from taking the medicine outside the designated available time slot.

The medicine case support plate 9 also has a front position regulating portion 9a that regulates the position of the medicine case 7 on the front side in the case sending direction, and a rear position regulating portion 9b that regulates the position on the rear side. During the time period when medication can be taken, the rear position regulating portion 9b is located near the center of the plane of the medicine case stored in the cassette 3, has a height of at least half the thickness of the medicine case 7, and is configured so that its upper end tip is lower than the upper edge 11a of the medicine case removal port 11.

When the medicine case 7 is removed during a time period when medicine can be taken, the next medicine case 7 to be removed will fall until it abuts against the rear position restricting portion 9b. At this time, the medicine case 7 is supported by the rear position restricting portion 9b near the center, and tilts with the rear position restricting portion 9b as a fulcrum. However, by configuring the height of the rear position restricting portion 9b to be at least half the thickness of the medicine case 7 and lower than the upper edge portion 11a of the medicine case removal opening 11, it is possible to prevent the medicine case 7 from tilting and becoming locked between the cassette 3 and not falling. In addition, during a time period when medicine can be taken, the medicine case 7 above the medicine case 7 that has been removed cannot be removed, which prevents overdosing on medicine.

The medicine case 7 is formed integrally with a case body 60 having a medicine storage section 63 connected by a hinge section 62 and a case lid 61. A knob section 8 that can lift the medicine case 7 protrudes from the side of the case lid 61, and this knob section 8 protrudes outward from a slit 12 provided in the cassette 3 when the medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette.

The case body and the case lid 61 are integrally molded from resin such as plastic. Although a typical medicine case is often made up of two bodies, the case body and the case lid, integral molding makes it possible to reduce costs. In addition, since the case body 60 and the case lid 61 are integral, the case lid 61 can be easily opened and closed, and it is also possible to prevent one from being lost. In addition, since the knob 8 protrudes outward from the slit 12, the medicine case 7 can be moved up and down by pinching the knob 8 when the medicine case 7 is stored in the cassette 3. This makes it easy to move the medicine case 7 stored in the cassette 3 downward from the medicine case insertion port 10, and to remove the medicine case 7 stored in the cassette 3 from the medicine case insertion port 10. Therefore, it is possible to set the medicine case 7 in the cassette 3 without the troublesome work required for conventional medication support devices.

The medicine case 7 further has a fitting portion 68 that fixes the case body 60 and the case lid 61 so that they can be opened and closed. The fitting portion 68 has a fitting force that prevents the case lid 61 from opening when the knob portion 8 is pinched and lifted up while the medicine is contained therein, but allows the case lid 61 to be easily opened when taking the medicine.

The mating force is the force used when pinching the knob 8 to open the case lid 61. By setting the mating force appropriately, it is possible to prevent the case lid 61 from opening unintentionally and dropping the medicine, and to easily open and close the case lid 61 when taking the medicine.

The case body 60 also has multiple partition plates 66 that divide the medicine storage section 63, and the partition plates 66 are detachable from the case body 60. If the medicine storage section 63 is divided into two by the partition plates 66, in this example, two weeks' worth of medicine can be stored in the cassette 3, and if it is divided into four, four weeks' worth of medicine can be stored in the cassette 3, reducing the effort required for preparing to take medicine. Because the partition plates 66 are detachable from the case body 60, it is possible to divide the medicine storage section 63 appropriately depending on the medication conditions, amount of medicine, and the health condition of the person taking the medicine.

The medication support device 1 is preset with at least one of four possible medication time periods: "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," and further has a mode change switch 22 that selects a cassette 3 corresponding to the possible medication time period, and the mode change switch 22 is provided with an openable/closable cover 31.

The time period when medicine can be taken can be set to one of four times: "morning", "afternoon", "evening" and "sleep". The designated time period when medicine can be taken can be set by the mode change switch 22. For example, if medicine is taken three times, "morning", "afternoon" and "evening", by setting the switches 40A to 40C of the mode change switch 22 to "on", medicine can be taken during the time periods when medicine can be taken, "morning", "afternoon" and "evening". Alternatively, if medicine is taken twice, "morning" and "evening", by setting the switches 40A and 40C to "on", medicine can be taken during the time periods when medicine can be taken, "morning" and "evening". This switching can be set when starting to take medicine, and does not need to be set each time. Therefore, by keeping the opening and closing lid 31 closed until switching is required, it is possible to prevent unexpected mode switching.

It is also preferable to color-code the medicine cases 7 according to the cassettes corresponding to the four possible time periods for taking medicine. In other words, by changing the color of the medicine case 7 for each possible time period for taking medicine, "morning," "afternoon," "evening," and "sleep," it is possible to store medicine cases 7 corresponding to each of the four possible time periods for taking medicine. Of course, the color of all medicine cases 7 may be the same.

In addition, in the medication support device 1, a tray 70 is placed on top of the multiple cassettes 3, and the tray 70 secures the upper parts of the multiple cassettes 3. As shown in FIG. 1, each cassette 3 is a vertically long column, and a configuration in which only the lower end is secured to the controller 2 is unstable. Therefore, by securing the upper parts of the tray 70 to a set of cassettes 3A-3D (or 3A-3C), it is possible to reinforce the securing of the cassettes 3A-3D. For example, reading glasses or a patient registration card can be placed on the tray 70, and it can also be used as a storage space for empty medicine cases 7, etc.

The medication support device 1 further includes a time control system 20 including a display unit 23 that displays the current time and a time setting unit 21 that sets the time, and a drive system including a motor Mo and a motor control unit 26 that drives the medicine case delivery mechanism 15. The device also includes power sources 27 and 28 that supply power to the time control system 20 and the drive system, respectively, and the power sources are preferably primary or secondary batteries.

The time control system 20 and the drive system each have a dry cell 27, 28 as a power source. In addition to primary batteries such as dry cells, secondary batteries can be used as the power source. By using dry cells 27, 28 with specifications corresponding to the time control system 20 and the drive system, respectively, it is possible to extend the battery life. When using commercial AC power as in conventional medication support devices, an outlet and power cord are required, limiting the installation location of the medication support device. However, the use of dry cells etc. has the advantage that the installation location of the medication support device 1 is not limited.

In the medication support device 1 described above, the time periods during which medication can be taken are preset as part of the program, but it is also possible to configure the device so that the user (the person taking the medication or the medication supporter) can set the time period of their choice.

(Configuration of medication support device 1A)
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the medication support device 1A as seen from above the front. The medication support device 1A is the medication support device 1 described in Figs. 1 to 9, equipped with a shutter 80 capable of opening and closing the medicine case insertion port 10, and a locking device 81 that restricts the medicine case insertion port 10 between a state in which it can be opened and a state in which it is closed. Note that the same components as those in the medication support device 1 are given the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 1.

The shutter 80 has a generally U-shape in plan view, and is composed of a shutter section 82 that covers a part of the medicine case insertion port 10 of each cassette 3A to 3D, and a support section 83 that extends from the left and right ends of the shutter section 82 along the left and right sides of the tray 70. The shutter 80 is attached to the tray 70 by a support shaft 84 at the support section 83. The shutter 80 is configured so that when it is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the paper side of the figure with the support shaft 84 as the rotation axis, it is possible to open the medicine case insertion port 10, and when it is rotated clockwise from the released state, it is possible to close the medicine case insertion port 10. Note that when the shutter 80 is closed, the opening area of the medicine case insertion port 10 is reduced, so that it is no longer possible to insert or remove the medicine case 7. The shutter section 82 is provided with an opening 85 for each cassette, so that the time periods for taking medicine, "morning", "afternoon", "night", and "sleep", can be recognized. The configuration and operation of the locking device 81 will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 13. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the locking device 81 is located in one place, but it is possible to place it in two places, on both the left and right sides of the tray 70.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the locking device 81. Note that Figure 11 shows the initial state in which the shutter 80 is not locked, the shutter 80 shown by the two-dot chain line shows the initial state, and the shutter 80 shown by the dotted line shows the state in which it has been rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure. In the following explanation, the right side of the figure is the front side (front side) of the medication support device 1A, the left side is the rear side, and the cassette 3A is explained as a representative example. The locking device 81 is composed of an axis member 90 that can be advanced and retreated in the front and rear directions, a frame body 91 that supports both ends of the axis member 90, a position regulating shaft 92 that regulates the axial position of the axis member 90, and a coil spring 93 that urges the axis member 90 rearward. A washer 94 is fitted to the axis member 90, and the coil spring 93 urges the axis member 90 until the washer 94 abuts against the wall 91a of the frame body 91.

The position restriction shaft 92 disposed in the insertion hole 91b of the frame body 91 rides on a step portion 95 in the axial center of the shaft member 90, and does not impede the movement of the shaft member 90. The position restriction shaft 92 is made of a magnetic material and falls through the insertion hole 91b by its own weight until it abuts against the shaft member 90. An elastic member may be disposed between the frame body 91 and the position restriction shaft 92 to bias the position restriction shaft 92 against the shaft member 90. The frame body 91 is fitted into a recess 96 provided in the bottom of the tray 70. The shaft member 90 is biased rearward by the coil spring 93, and therefore the front end 90a is located away from the locking hole 97 provided in the shutter section 82, and does not impede the operation of the shutter 80. When the shutter 80 is rotated counterclockwise by hand from the initial position, the medicine case insertion opening 10 is released, making it possible to insert the medicine cases 7A to 7G into the cassette 3A or remove them from the cassette 3A.

12 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the shutter 80 is locked. In the initial state shown in FIG. 11, when the rear end surface 90b of the shaft member 90 is pushed forward (in the direction of the thick arrow in the figure) with a finger or the like until the position restriction shaft 92 overcomes the step portion 95, the front end portion 90a of the shaft member 90 is inserted into the locking hole 97 of the shutter part 82. The position restriction shaft 92 falls through the insertion hole 91b by its own weight and engages with the rear side of the step portion 95. Since the rear side of the step portion 95 is biased against the position restriction shaft 92 by the elastic force of the coil spring 93, the shaft member 90 cannot be returned to the initial state shown in FIG. 11 (a state in which the medicine case insertion port 10 can be released). Note that when the position restriction shaft 92 overcomes the step portion 95, there is a sense of moderation, so it is possible to recognize that the shutter 80 is locked. In such a state, it is not possible to insert the medicine case 7A into the medicine case insertion port 10, let alone remove it. The unlocking method will be explained with reference to Figure 13.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a method for unlocking the shutter 80. The explanation will be given with reference to Figures 11 and 12. The shutter 80 is unlocked using a magnetic key 100. The magnetic key 100 is composed of a key body 101 and a rod-shaped magnet 102 that protrudes from the key body 101. The key body 101 has a protrusion 103 on the opposite side to the magnet 102 that is shaped to be easily grasped with fingers, etc.

When the shutter 80 is in the locked state (see FIG. 12), the magnet 102 is inserted into the through hole 104 that communicates with the insertion hole 91b of the frame body 91. Since the position control shaft 92 is a magnetic body, it is attracted upward by the magnet 102, and the engagement between the step portion 95 of the shaft member 90 and the position control shaft 92 is released. The shaft member 90 is returned to the initial position (see FIG. 11) by the coil spring 93. This releases the engagement between the shaft member 90 and the locking hole 97 of the shutter 80 (shutter section 82), making it possible to rotate the shutter 80. If the magnet key 100 is removed, the position control shaft 92 falls under its own weight and rests on the outer periphery of the step portion 95 of the shaft member 90 shown in FIG. 11, maintaining a state in which the medicine case insertion port 10 can be released. In addition, in a configuration that uses an elastic member to bias the position restriction shaft 92 downward, the biasing force of the elastic member is set to be smaller than the attractive force of the magnet 102.

When not in use, the magnetic key 100 can be stored separately from the medication support device 1A. For example, the magnetic key 100 may be placed on the tray 70, or may be stored by the medication supporter.

The medication support device 1A described above includes medicine cases 7A-7G for storing medicines, cassettes 3A-7D for storing the medicine cases 7A-7G in a stacked manner, which correspond to each of a plurality of preset medication time periods and are arranged in a horizontal line when viewed from the front, and a medicine case delivery mechanism 15 for delivering the medicine case 7 stored in the bottommost level of the cassettes 3A-3D from the cassettes 3A-7D based on the medication time period. The cassettes 3A-3D have a medicine case insertion port 10 on the front side of the upper end through which the medicine cases 7A-7G can be inserted, and a medicine case removal port 11 on the front side of the lower end through which the medicine cases 7A-7G can be removed. The medication support device 1A has a shutter 80 that can open and close the medicine case insertion port 10, an axis member 90 that extends horizontally and can advance and retreat in the axial direction and engage with the shutter 80, and a position restriction shaft 92 made of a magnetic material that can advance and retreat vertically upward from the axis member 90 and engage with a step 95 of the axis member 90 to restrict the position of the axis member 90 to a position where the shutter 80 can be maintained in a state in which the shutter 80 closes the medicine case insertion port 10. Furthermore, the medication support device 1A has a magnet key 100 that magnetically attracts the position restriction shaft 92 and releases the engagement between the step 95 and the position restriction shaft 92, and a coil spring 93 that moves the axis member 90 to a position where the engagement between the step 95 and the position restriction shaft 92 is released.

The medication support device 1A configured in this way has a shutter 80 and a locking device 81 that close the medication case insertion port 10, making it possible to prevent the medication case 7 from being removed from the medication case insertion port during times other than the designated medication time period, and to prevent a medication case that is not for designated medication from being removed from the medication case insertion port 10.

The locking device 81 can lock the shutter 80 by pressing the shaft member 90 with a finger while the shutter 80 is closed, and can be unlocked by simply inserting the magnetic key 100 into the frame 92. This allows anyone to lock and unlock the shutter 80 with a simple operation.

The magnetic key 100 can also be stored separately from the medication support device 1A. For example, the magnetic key 100 can be placed on the tray 70, or the medication supporter can store it. Alternatively, the medication user or medication supporter can lock the shutter 80 after setting one week's worth of medication cases 7A-7G, and the medication supporter can store the magnetic key 100 in a fixed location away from the medication support device 1A, thereby reducing the risk of taking the wrong medication.

The locking device 81 described above is adapted for the medication support device 1A, but it can also be used for furniture, storage boxes, boxes, and other items that have a single- or double-leaf door or lid using a hinge, and where it is convenient to be able to easily lock and unlock the door or lid at times.

1, 1A...medication support device, 2...controller, 3, 3A to 3D...cassette, 7, 7A to 7G...medicine case, 8...grip, 9...medicine case support plate, 9a...forward position regulation section, 9b...rearward position regulation section, 10...medicine case insertion port, 11...medicine case removal port, 11a...upper edge, 12...slit, 13...operation panel section, 15...medicine case delivery mechanism, 20...time control system, 21...time setting section, 22...mode change switch, 23...display section, 26...motor control section, 27, 28...battery (power source), 31...opening/closing cover, 32...hour display section, 33...minute display section, 34...time display/setting button, 35 ...Time down button, 36...Time up button, 37...Confirm button, 38...Motor operation lamp, 39...Battery replacement lamp, 60...Case body, 61...Case lid, 62...Hinge section, 63...Drug storage section, 66...Partition plate, 68...Fitting section, 70...Tray, 80...Shutter, 81...Lock device, 82...Shutter section, 83...Support section, 84...Support shaft, 85...Opening, 90...Shaft member, 91...Frame body, 91b...Through hole, 92...Position control shaft, 93...Coil spring, 95...Step section, 97...Latching hole, 100...Magnetic key, 102...Magnet, 103...Protrusion, 104...Through hole, Mo...Motor

Claims (2)

a plurality of cassettes for stacking and storing the plurality of medicine cases, the cassettes being provided corresponding to a plurality of preset possible time slots for taking medicine and arranged in a horizontal line as viewed from the front; and a medicine case delivery mechanism for delivering the medicine case stored in the lowest level of each of the cassettes from the cassettes based on the possible time slots for taking medicine, the cassettes having a medicine case insertion opening at the front side of an upper end portion through which the medicine case can be inserted and a medicine case removal opening at the front side of a lower end portion through which the medicine case can be removed,
a shutter capable of opening and closing the medicine case insertion opening;
a shaft member that extends horizontally, is movable forward and backward in an axial direction, and engages with the shutter;
a position regulating shaft made of a magnetic material, which is movable vertically upward of the shaft member and engages with a step of the shaft member to regulate a position of the shaft member at a position where the shutter can be maintained in a state where the shutter closes the medicine case insertion opening;
a magnet key that magnetically attracts the position restriction shaft and disengages the step portion from the position restriction shaft;
a coil spring that moves the shaft member to a position where the shaft member and the shutter are disengaged when the engagement between the step portion and the position regulating shaft is released;
It has
A medication support device characterized by: The medication support device according to claim 1,
The magnet key can be stored separately from the medication support device.
A medication support device characterized by:

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