JP7795099B2 - Half-tablet dividing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tablet splitting device that splits tablets into halves.

Traditionally, tablet scissors and half-tablet cutters have been provided to divide tablets into halves so that they can be taken by children and the elderly, but these divide tablets one by one, which is a cumbersome and time-consuming process.

As a device capable of dividing multiple tablets, Patent Document 1 describes a tablet splitter equipped with a base member having a pair of alignment bars and a cover member having a cutting blade. This tablet splitter involves manually spreading the pair of alignment bars of the base member and placing multiple pills or tablets on the top wall. After aligning the pills or tablets in a line using the pair of alignment bars, the cover member is fitted onto the base member and pushed in, and the cutting blade of the cover member cuts and divides the multiple pills or tablets.

The tablet splitter in Patent Document 1 requires a large amount of force to cut multiple pills or tablets at once by fitting the cover member onto the base member and pushing it in. Furthermore, because the cover member is separate from the base member, when the cover member is fitted onto the base member and pushed in, the cutting blade of the cover member is misaligned with the center of the pill or tablet on the base member, making it impossible to accurately split the pill or tablet in half. Furthermore, because the pair of alignment bars are biased toward each other by a spring, various problems arise, such as the need to press the pair of alignment bars away from each other with one's fingers when placing tablets on them before splitting or when removing half tablets after splitting.

U.S. Patent No. 9,827,165

The objective of the present invention is to provide a tablet splitter that can accurately split multiple tablets into half tablets with little force and that makes it easy to place the tablets.

The invention according to the first means for solving the above problem is as follows:
(1) A half-tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets,
a lower part having a table for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade are rotatably connected,
The method is characterized in that the plurality of tablets are aligned on the mounting table , the upper part is rotated relative to the lower part, and the plurality of tablets aligned and placed on the mounting table are cut in order by the upper blade.
It is preferable that the table is provided with a pair of tablet pressing members that press the tablets from both sides to align them.
In this invention, the upper and lower parts are rotatably connected, and the upper blade of the upper part divides multiple tablets on the lower table one by one in order , so that tablets can be divided with little force. Also, because the upper and lower parts are rotatably connected, the position of the upper blade is less likely to shift relative to the lower table, and the upper blade can be placed at the center of the tablet, allowing the tablet to be accurately divided into half tablets.
The invention according to the second means is as follows:
(2) A half-tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets,
a lower portion having a table for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper portion having an upper blade,
A pair of tablet pressing members that press and align the plurality of tablets from both sides are provided on the mounting table,
At least the portions of the pair of tablet pressing members that press the tablets are capable of moving in a non-parallel state.
In the present invention, if the pressing force on the upper blade is uneven and some of the aligned tablets are cut by the upper blade, at least the portions of the pair of tablet pressing members that press multiple tablets move non-parallel, so that portions of the tablet pressing members on both sides of the tablet to be cut move away from the tablet, while the remaining portions of the tablet pressing members on both sides of the tablet that is not cut continue to hold the tablet. This allows the tablet to be divided with little force, and the upper blade can be placed at the center of the tablet to accurately divide it into half tablets.

(3) Each of the pair of tablet pressing members is
A first member movable in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction of the plurality of tablets;
A second member that holds the plurality of tablets from both sides;
It is preferable to include an elastic member that biases the second member toward the tablet relative to the first member.
When multiple tablets are placed on the table and the second member is moved toward the multiple tablets, the multiple tablets are clamped by the second member and aligned, so even if the multiple tablets are placed roughly on the table, they will be aligned by the second member, making the task of placing the multiple tablets easy.

(4) It is preferable that when the second member is moved in a direction to clamp the plurality of tablets, the first member moves toward the plurality of tablets in conjunction with the movement of the second member.
Since the first member moves in conjunction with the second member, a constant distance is maintained between the first member and the second member, and the elastic member always exerts the same elastic force when separated.

(5) It is preferable that when the tablet on the joining side of the lower and upper parts is cut by the upper blade, the joining side of the lower and upper parts of the second member moves away from the tablet by the thickness of the upper blade, and the second member is displaced in a V-shape when viewed from above the table.
When multiple tablets are divided in sequence , the second member moves away from the tablets and opens in a V-shape, allowing the tablets to escape to both sides by the thickness of the upper blade, allowing the tablets to be divided with little force. Furthermore, by opening in a V-shape, the side of the second member farther from the joined side of the lower and upper parts approaches the tablets, reducing the positional deviation of the tablets.

(6) It is preferable that the tablet pressing member is provided with a separation mechanism that moves to a predetermined position in a direction away from the plurality of tablets in conjunction with the upper part of the upper blade moving in a direction away from the table.
When the upper part is opened relative to the lower part to use the half-tablet dividing device, the pair of tablet pressing members are separated by the separating mechanism, so there is no need to manually spread the pair of tablet pressing members, and the tablets can be placed on the placing table immediately, allowing the tablet placing work to be carried out quickly.

(7) It is preferable that the tablet pressing member is provided with a linkage mechanism that links the first members of the pair of tablet pressing members with each other in directions approaching the tablet and moving away from the tablet.
When arranging tablets on the table before dividing or removing tablets from the table after dividing, simply by moving one of the first members via the second member in a direction away from the tablet, the other first member and second member will move in a direction away from the tablet due to the interlocking mechanism, so that the tablet can be arranged or removed quickly.
Furthermore, when aligning tablets on the mounting table, simply moving one of the first members in a direction approaching the tablet via the second member will cause the other first member and second member to move in a direction approaching the tablet due to the interlocking mechanism, allowing multiple tablets to be correctly aligned at the dividing position.

(8) A movable member having a slit through which the upper blade passes, the movable member being movable between a cutting position where the upper blade is exposed from the slit and a retracted position where the upper blade is retracted from the slit;
It is preferable to provide a locking mechanism that locks the movable member at a retracted position in response to movement of the upper portion in a direction away from the mounting table.
When the upper part is opened relative to the lower part to use the half-tablet dividing device, the movable member is locked in the retracted position and the upper blade of the upper part is retracted from the slit, so that the user's hands do not come into contact with the upper blade, making it safe.

(9) It is preferable that the mounting base be switchable between a state in which the portion facing the upper blade has a slit through which the lower blade passes and a state in which the mounting base has a protrusion with which the score line of the tablet engages.
When the mounting table is switched to a state in which the slit is formed, the tablet can be cut with the upper and lower blades to divide the tablet.
Furthermore, when the mounting table is switched to a state in which the protrusion is present, a tablet having a score line can be placed so that the score line engages with the protrusion, allowing the tablet to be divided accurately along the score line.

(10) It is preferable that a first plate having a slit through which the lower blade passes and a second plate having a protrusion with which the score line of the tablet engages are provided interchangeably.
By simply exchanging the first plate with the second plate, it is possible to divide both tablets without a score line and tablets with a score line.
The following are means for solving other problems.
(11) The means for solving the problem of cutting tablets in a stable state by holding the tablets aligned on the tablet placing table horizontally is as follows:
In a half-tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets,
A lower part having a table on which a plurality of tablets can be placed and an upper part having an upper blade are connected by a hinge,
A movable member that is elastically supported is provided on the upper portion, and the movable member has a hinge side and an anti-hinge side that can move independently.
(12) The means for solving the problem of preventing the tablets dropped onto the tablet placing table from aligning in two rows is as follows:
In a half-tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets,
a lower portion having a table for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper portion having an upper blade,
A pair of tablet pressing members that press and align the plurality of tablets from both sides are provided on the mounting table,
The tablet presser is characterized by having a gap adjustment scale for adjusting the gap between the pair of tablet presser members.
(13) The means for solving the problem of preventing too many tablets from being placed on the tablet placing table is:
In a half-tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets,
a lower part having a table for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade are connected by a hinge;
A pair of tablet pressing members that press and align the plurality of tablets from both sides are provided on the mounting table,
A limit line is provided to indicate the limit position of the tablet on the opposite side of the hinge to be placed on the table.
(14) A means for solving the problem of being able to align the score lines of tablets having score lines placed on a tablet placing table is:
In a half-tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets,
a lower portion having a table for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper portion having an upper blade,
A pair of tablet pressing members that press and align the plurality of tablets from both sides are provided on the mounting table,
The device is characterized by being equipped with at least one of a tablet alignment rod that presses and rotates tablets placed on the table, or a tablet alignment plate that has a tapered edge that fits into the score lines of multiple tablets placed on the table.

The present invention provides a tablet half-dividing device that can accurately divide multiple tablets into half tablets with little force and makes it easy to place the tablets.

1 is a perspective view of a tablet splitting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second movable member as seen from the back. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first plate and a second plate of the tablet-mounting plate. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tablet pressing member and the interlocking mechanism. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tablet pressing member and interlocking mechanism as seen from the back. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the upper locking member. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the lower locking member. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tablet splitting device showing the state before the tablet is cut. 1 is a plan view of the half-tablet dividing device showing the tablet placement, alignment, and initial cutting states. FIG. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the half-tablet splitting device showing the state after the tablet has been cut, and FIG. 1B is a view showing the state of the tablet being cut by the upper and lower blades as seen through the viewing window. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the tablet splitting device showing the state immediately before cutting the tablet. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a tablet splitting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tablet placing plate and a tablet pressing member. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the tablet mounting plate as seen from the back. FIG. FIG. 3A and 3B are perspective views of the upper movable member as seen from the front and rear, respectively. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing the action of locking and unlocking the upper movable member. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the tablet splitting device showing the state before the tablet is cut. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tablet splitting device showing the state before the tablet is cut. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tablet splitting device showing the state after the tablet has been cut. 10A is a perspective view of an upper movable member of a tablet splitting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the outside, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of an upper movable member of a tablet splitting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the inside. 30 is a cross-sectional view showing the upper movable member of FIG. 29 attached to the upper main body. 30 is a cross-sectional view showing the steps of cutting a tablet using the half-tablet dividing device having the upper movable member of FIG. 29. A plan view showing a means for preventing the spacing between the tablet pressing members from becoming too wide. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a means for preventing tablets from being placed in excess. (a) is an oblique view showing a tablet alignment member and its storage section for aligning the tablet's score line along the upper or lower blade; (b) is a partially cross-sectional front view of the tablet alignment rod; and (c) is an enlarged partially oblique view of the tablet alignment plate. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the state of aligning tablets using a tablet alignment rod; FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the state before the tablets are aligned; and FIG. 1C is a plan view showing the state after the tablets have been aligned. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the state of aligning tablets using a tablet alignment plate; FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the state before the tablets are aligned; and FIG. 1C is a plan view showing the state after the tablets are aligned.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment
Figure 1 shows a tablet half-splitting device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The tablet half-splitting device 1 splits multiple tablets into half tablets and includes a lower portion 2 having a mounting base 34a on which multiple tablets are placed and a lower blade 13 (see Figure 2), and an upper portion 3 having an upper blade 63 (see Figure 8), with the upper portion 3 rotatably connected to the lower portion 2 by a hinge 4. In this specification, the side opposite the hinge 4 is referred to as the "front" of the lower portion 2, the side on which the hinge 4 is provided is referred to as the "rear" of the lower portion 2, the left-hand side when viewed from the front to the back of the lower portion 2 is referred to as the "left," and the right-hand side when viewed from the front to the back of the lower portion 2 is referred to as the "right."

First, we will explain the lower part 2. As shown in Figure 1, the lower part 2 comprises a lower main body 10, a lower locking member 20, a lower movable member 30, a pair of tablet pressing members 40 (see Figure 6), and an interlocking member 50 (see Figure 6).

As shown in Figure 2, the lower body 10 has a rectangular shape with a longer front-to-rear dimension than left-to-right dimension when viewed from above. A lower hinge 11, which constitutes the hinge 4, is provided at the rear of the lower body 10. The lower hinge 11 consists of a hinge base 11a and a hinge shaft 11b fixed to the hinge base 11a and extending left-to-right. A cam 11c is formed on the outer surface of the hinge base 11a, and its distance from the axis of the hinge shaft 11b increases counterclockwise from directly below when viewed from the right side. A lower blade mount 12 is provided in the center of the upper surface of the lower body 10, and a lower blade 13 extending forward and backward is attached to the lower blade mount 12. A first stopper 14a is provided behind the lower blade mount 12 on the lower body 10, and a second stopper 14b is provided in front of the lower blade mount 12. The first stopper 14a and second stopper 14b are designed to receive protrusions 34d from the second plate (described later). Holes 15, through which support posts 35 of the lower movable member 30 (described later) are inserted, are formed in two locations on the front and two locations on the rear of the lower body 10, and springs 16 are arranged around these holes 15 to elastically support the lower movable member 30 (described later).

Guide walls 17 are provided around the periphery of the lower body 10, into which the lower movable member 30 (described later) fits. Two first guides 17a are provided on the front wall of the guide wall 17, two second guides 17b are provided on each of the left and right side walls of the guide wall 17, and four third guides 17c are provided on the inside of the guide wall 17 on the top surfaces of the left and right sides of the lower blade mount 12 to guide the vertical movement of the lower movable member 30. Additionally, support ribs 18 that support the lower locking member 20 (described later) from below and guide pieces 19 that, together with the guide walls 17, support the lower locking member 20 from both sides are provided on the inside of the left and right guide walls 17.

As shown in Figure 2, the lower locking member 20 is composed of a base 21 and two arms 22. The base 21 extends left and right, and two protrusions 23 with racks 23a are provided on the rear side of the base 21. The arms 22 extend forward from both side ends of the base 21, and two locking pieces 24 with engaging slopes 24a are formed on the upper edges of the arms 22. The lower locking member 20 is biased forward by two springs 25 located between the base 21 and the rear guide wall 17 of the lower main body 10. The lower locking member 20, together with teeth 61d of the hinge main body 61b (described below), constitute a locking mechanism.

As shown in Figure 3, the lower movable member 30 is composed of a first movable member 31, a second movable member 32, a lower blade penetrating member 33, and a tablet loading plate 34 shown in Figure 5.

As shown in the lower part of Figure 3, the first movable member 31 has a recess 31b extending in the front-to-rear direction, which is formed in the center by a step 31a that is one step lower. A rectangular hole 31c is formed in the recess 31b, through which the lower blade mount 12 passes. Ribs 31d protruding upward are provided on the left and right edges of the hole 31c, and a groove 31e is formed between the ribs 31d and the step 31a. Shaft holes 31f are formed in the front and rear of the hole 31c to support pinions 51a and 51b of the interlocking mechanism 50 (described below), and screw insertion holes 31g are formed on both sides of the recess 31b. Four support posts 35 are provided on the back surface of the first movable member 31, through which the springs 16 of the lower body 10 are inserted. Stopper screws 36 are provided on the support posts 35.

As shown in the middle of Figure 3, the second movable member 32 has a recess 32a formed in the center, one step lower, and extending in the front-to-rear direction. A rectangular hole 32b is formed in the recess 32a. The left and right edges of the hole 32b are formed with downward-protruding ribs 32c and mounting seats 32d for attaching the lower blade-piercing member 33. At the front and rear of the hole 32b are formed shaft holes 32e for supporting pinions 51a and 51b of the interlocking mechanism 50 (described below), and a positioning hole 32f for positioning the tablet loading plate 34 (described below). On both sides of the hole 32b are formed guide recesses 32g for guiding the movement of the first member 41 of the tablet pressing member 40 (described below). The guide recess 32g is provided with a guide hole 32h into which the third guide 17c of the lower body 10 fits, and a rail 32i for movably supporting the first member 41 of the tablet pressing member 40.

A guide wall 37 that fits into the guide wall 17 of the lower main body 10 is provided around the second movable member 32. The front wall of the guide wall 37 is formed with a guide recess 37a that engages with the first guide 17a of the lower main body 10, and a notch 37b through which the third rack 54 of the interlocking mechanism 50, described below, protrudes. The left and right side walls of the guide wall 37 are formed with guide notches 37c that engage with the second guide 17b of the lower main body 10. Openings 37d are formed between the left and right edges of the top surface of the second movable member 32 and the guide wall 37, through which the rack base 57 of the interlocking mechanism 50, described below, is inserted.

As shown in Figure 4, the back surface of the guide wall 37 of the second movable member 32 is formed with a locking portion 38 having an engaged slope 38a that engages with the engaging slope 24a of the locking piece 24 of the lower locking member 20. The back surface of the second movable member 32 is provided with a guide piece 39a that guides the rack body 58 of the interlocking mechanism 50 (described below), a protrusion 39b with an internal thread that engages with a screw (not shown) that is inserted into the screw insertion hole 31g of the first movable member 31, and a support shaft 39c that supports a roller 59 of the interlocking mechanism 50 (described below).

The lower movable member 30 can be moved between a cutting position in which the lower blade 13 protrudes from the slit 34b in the tablet loading plate 34 and a retracted position in which the lower blade 13 retracts from the slit 34b.

As shown in the upper part of Figure 3, the lower blade penetrating member 33 is attached to the mounting seat 32d of the second movable member 32 and has a slit 33a through which the lower blade 13 passes.

The tablet placing plate 34 is made up of a first plate 34A shown in the upper part of FIG. 5 and a second plate 34B shown in the lower part of FIG. 5, which are interchangeable with each other.
The first plate 34A is installed in the recess 32a of the second movable member 32 and has a mounting base 34a on its upper surface on which a tablet is placed. A slit 34b through which the lower blade 13 passes is formed in the first plate 34A. A regulating piece 34c is provided at the rear end of the slit 34b to regulate the hinge-side position of the tablet placed on the mounting base 34a. A positioning protrusion 34d that fits into a positioning hole 32f of the second movable member 32 is formed on the back surface of the first plate 34A.
The second plate 34B is substantially identical to the first plate 34A, except that it has a protrusion 34e that engages with the score line of the tablet instead of the slit 34b of the first plate 34A, and the positioning protrusion 34d is longer than the positioning protrusion 34d of the first plate 34A. The first plate 34A is used when placing tablets without a score line, and the second plate 34B is used when placing tablets with a score line.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, each tablet pressing member 40 is composed of a pair of first members 41, a pair of second members 42, and a coil spring 43 as an elastic member.

The pair of first members 41 are elongated in the front-to-rear direction and are mounted on the upper surface of the second movable member 32. They are movable along the rails 32i of the second movable member 32 in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction of the tablets placed on the tablet loading plate 34, i.e., in the left-to-right direction, along the rails 32i of the second movable member 32. The first member 41 has an engagement recess 41a formed between its upper and inner surfaces, a guide protrusion 41b formed on its lower surface that engages with the guide recess 32g of the second movable member 32, and engagement claws 41c formed on both side surfaces.

The pair of second members 42 are long in the front-to-rear direction and are supported by each of the pair of first members 41, sandwiching multiple tablets from both sides. The second members 42 have tablet contact surfaces 42a on their sides that face each other and are parallel to each other. A recess 42b is formed on the back surface of the second member 42 in which the first member 41 is housed. Because the first member 41 is located within this recess 42b, whether the second member 42 is moved inward (toward the tablets) or outward, the first member 41 contacts the wall surface that forms the recess 42a, so the first member 41 moves in either direction when the second member 42 is moved. The recess 42b is formed with an engaging protrusion 42c that engages with the engaging recess 41a of the first member 41, engaging holes 42d and 42e that engage with the engaging claw 41c of the first member 41, a through hole 42f and a non-through hole 42g into which the spring 43 is inserted, and a notch 42h that prevents interference with the restricting piece 34c of the tablet loading plate 34.

One end of the coil spring 43 is supported in a hole 56a in the mounting base 56 of the interlocking mechanism 50, which is attached to both ends of the first member 41, and the other end is supported in a blind hole 42g in the second member 42, biasing the second member 42 toward the tablet relative to the first member 41.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the interlocking mechanism 50 is composed of a first pinion 51a, a second pinion 51b, a left first rack 52a, a left second rack 52b, a right first rack 53a, a right second rack 53b, and a third rack 54.

The first pinion 51a and the second pinion 51b have vertical shafts 55, and both ends of the shafts are supported in shaft holes 31f provided on the front and rear sides of the first movable member 31 and shaft holes 32e provided on the front and rear sides of the second movable member 32, respectively, so that they are rotatable.

The left first rack 52a and the left second rack 52b are attached to both ends of the left first member 41 of the pair of tablet pressing members 40, and the right first rack 53a and the right second rack 53b are attached to both ends of the right first member 41 of the pair of tablet pressing members 40.
Each rack 52a, 52b, 53a, 53b has an attachment base 56, a rack base 57, and a rack body 58. The attachment bases 56 are attached to both ends of the first member 41 of the tablet presser member 40 and form part of the first member 41. The attachment bases 56 are formed with holes 56a that support the coil springs 43 of the tablet presser member 40. The rack bases 57 extend downward from the attachment bases 56 and are housed in the openings 37b of the second movable member 32 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The rack body 58 extends from the rack base 57 in a direction perpendicular to the first member 41 of the tablet presser member 40 and has teeth that mesh with the pinions 51a, 51b. A roller 59 is provided on the back of the rack body 58 and attached to the support shaft 39c of the second movable member 32 to maintain meshing with the pinions 51a, 51b.

The third rack 54 extends in the front-to-rear direction and has a rack portion 54a that meshes with the first pinion 51a and a rack portion 54b that meshes with the second pinion 51b. The front end of the third rack 54 protrudes forward from the notch 37b of the second movable member 32 and can be manually pushed by the user.

The rack body 58 of the left first rack 52a and the rack body 58 of the right first rack 53a are parallel, and their respective teeth mesh with the first pinion 51a. Similarly, the rack body 58 of the left second rack 52b and the rack body 58 of the right second rack 53b are parallel, and their respective teeth mesh with the second pinion 51b. Furthermore, the rack portions 54a and 54b of the third rack 54 mesh with the first pinion 51a and the second pinion 51b.

Therefore, when, for example, the left tablet pressing member 40 of a pair of tablet pressing members 40 is moved in a direction approaching the right tablet pressing member 40, i.e., in the direction of clamping the tablet, the teeth of the left first rack 52a and left second rack 52b drive the first pinion 51a and second pinion 51b to rotate counterclockwise, and this rotation of the first pinion 51a and second pinion 51b drives the teeth of the right first rack 53a and right second rack 53b, causing the right tablet pressing member 40 to move in a direction approaching the left tablet pressing member 40.
Similarly, when the left tablet pressing member 40 of a pair of tablet pressing members 40 is moved in a direction away from the right tablet pressing member 40, the right tablet pressing member 40 moves in a direction away from the left tablet pressing member 40.

Furthermore, when the front end of the third rack 54 is pushed backward, the teeth drive the first pinion 51a and second pinion 51b to rotate clockwise. This rotation of the first pinion 51a and second pinion 51b drives the left first rack 52a and right first rack 53a, and the left second rack 52b and right second rack 53b, causing the pair of tablet pressing members 40 to move away from each other.

Next, we will explain the upper part 3. As shown in Figure 1, the upper part 3 comprises an upper main body 60, an upper locking member 70 (see Figure 9), and an upper movable member 80.

As shown in Figure 8, the upper body 60 has a rectangular shape that is open on the side facing the lower body 3 and covers the lower body 3 from above. An upper hinge 61 is provided at the rear of the upper body 60, which constitutes the hinge 4 together with the lower hinge 11 of the lower body 10. The upper hinge 61 consists of an attachment portion 61a and two hinge bodies 61b into which the hinge shaft 11b of the lower hinge 11 fits. A hole 61c is formed in the attachment portion 61a to support the spring 73 of the upper locking member 70, which will be described later. Teeth 61d are formed on part of the outer periphery of the hinge body 61b, which engage with the rack 23a of the lower locking member 20 when the upper body 3 is closed against the lower body 2.

An upper blade mount 62 is provided in the center of the inner surface of the top wall of the upper main body 60, and an upper blade 63 extending in the front-to-rear direction is attached to this upper blade mount 62. Guide protrusions 64 protrude from two locations on the front side and two locations on the rear side of the upper main body 60, and springs 65 are arranged on these guide protrusions 64 to elastically support the upper movable member 80 (described below).

On both sides of the upper blade mount 62, a first guide wall 66a is formed, which supports the upper movable member 80 (described below) from the outside, and a second guide wall 66b is formed, which supports the upper locking member 70 from the inside. Between the first guide wall 66a and the second guide wall 66b, an elastic claw 67 is formed to prevent the locking member from coming loose.

The front wall 68 of the upper body 60 is formed with a notch 68a to prevent interference with the front end of the third rack 54 of the lower body 2, and a viewing window 68b. The inside of the front wall 68 is formed with two guide ribs 68c and an abutment portion 68d that abuts against the upper end of the first guide 17a of the lower body 10.

As shown in Figure 9, the upper locking member 70 is composed of a base 71 and two arms 72. The base 71 extends in the left-right direction, and a cam follower 71a that slides on the cam 11c of the hinge base 11a is provided on the rear surface of the base 71, and a protrusion 71b that supports the spring 73 is formed on the front surface of the base 71. The arms 72 extend forward from both side ends of the base 71. The arms 72 are formed with locking edges 72a that abut against the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80, notches 72b that allow the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80 to escape, a stopper 72c that engages with the engagement edge 87a of the upper movable member 80, and an engagement portion 72e that engages with the elastic claw 67 of the upper main body 60. The upper locking member 70 is biased rearward by a spring 73 located between the base 71 and the mounting portion 61a of the upper hinge 61. The upper locking member 70, together with the cam 11c of the hinge base 11a, constitutes the locking mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 10, the upper movable member 80 has a slit 81 in the center of its top wall, through which the upper blade 63 shown in FIG. 8 passes, and ribs 82 parallel to the slit 81 on both sides of the slit 81. Guide holes 83, through which the guide protrusions 64 of the upper body 60 pass, are formed at the four corners of the top wall of the upper movable member 80. As shown in FIG. 11, an upper blade penetrating member 84, having a hole 84a facing the slit 81, is attached to the center of the back surface of the upper movable member 80. On the front and rear sides of the back surface of the upper movable member 80, protrusions 85 are formed around the guide hole 83, against which the spring 65 abuts. Rectangular notches 86 are formed from both side edges of the upper movable member 80 to the side walls, and the edges of these notches 86 form engagement edges 86a with which the stoppers 72c of the upper locking member 70 engage. A locking portion 87 is formed on the inside of the side walls of the upper movable member 80. A guide recess 88 that engages with the guide rib 68c of the upper main body 60 is formed on the front wall of the upper movable member 80.

The upper movable member 80 can be moved between a cutting position in which the upper blade 63 protrudes from the slit 81 and a retracted position in which the upper blade 63 retracts from the slit 81.

Next, we will explain the operation of the tablet splitting device 1 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in Figure 12, when the upper part 3 is open relative to the lower part 2, the upper movable member 80 is biased toward the opening of the upper main body 60 by the spring 65, and the stopper 72c of the upper locking member 70 is engaged with the engagement edge 86a of the notch 86 and stopped. In this state, as shown in Figure 14, the upper blade 63 is not exposed from the slit 81 of the upper movable member 80. Also, as shown in Figure 12, the cam follower 71a of the upper locking member 70 abuts the cam 11c formed on the hinge base 11a at the lowest position from the hinge axis 11b, and the upper locking member 70 is biased toward the hinge by the spring 73. As a result, the notch 72b of the upper locking member 70 is retracted from the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80, and the upper movable member 80 is locked in the retracted position. Therefore, even if the user presses the upper movable member 80, the upper movable member 80 does not move, and as shown in Figure 14, the upper blade 63 is not exposed from the slit 81 of the upper movable member 80, ensuring safety.

Also, as shown in FIG. 13, when the upper portion 3 is open relative to the lower portion 2, the lower movable member 30 is biased upward toward the lower main body 10 by the spring 16, and as shown in FIG. 14, the stopper screw 36 attached to the support post 35 of the first movable member 31 is engaged with the hole 15 in the lower main body 10, thereby stopping the lower movable member 30. In this state, as shown in FIG. 14, the lower blade 13 is not exposed from the slit 34b in the tablet loading plate 34 of the lower movable member 30. Also, as shown in FIG. 13, the rack 23a of the lower locking member 20 is separated from the tooth 61d formed on the hinge body 61b of the upper hinge 61, and the lower locking member 20 is biased toward the opposite hinge side by the spring 25. As a result, the engaging inclined surface 24a of the locking piece 24 of the lower locking member 20 rides up onto the engaged inclined surface 38a of the locking portion 38 of the second movable member 32, and the lower movable member 30 is locked in the retracted position. Therefore, in Figure 14, even if the user presses the lower movable member 30 or the tablet mounting plate 34, the lower movable member 30 does not move, so the lower blade 13 is not exposed through the slit 34b in the tablet mounting plate 34, ensuring safety.

To divide multiple tablets into half tablets, first, with the upper part 3 open relative to the lower part 2, the pair of tablet pressing members 40 are spaced apart as shown in Figure 15(a). To do this, the second member 42 of one of the pair of tablet pressing members 40 is moved in a direction away from the other second member 42. This causes the other second member 42 to move in a direction away from the one second member 42 via the interlocking mechanism 50. The pair of tablet pressing members 40 can also be spaced apart by pushing the front end of the third rack 54 protruding from the notch 37b in the front guide wall 37 of the lower movable member 30.

Next, the tablet to be divided into halves is placed on the tablet placing plate 34. Here, we will explain how to divide a tablet without a score line. The tablet placing plate 34 uses the first plate 34A with a slit 34b.

The first tablet is placed on the tablet loading plate 34 so that it abuts the restrictor plate 34c, and the second and subsequent tablets are placed along the slit 34b in a direction away from the restrictor plate 34c. At this time, the tablets do not need to be aligned precisely. Once all the tablets have been placed, the second member 42 of one of the pair of tablet pressing members 40 is moved in a direction approaching the other second member 42. This causes the other second member 42 to move in a direction approaching the first second member 42 via the interlocking mechanism 50, and as shown in Figure 15(b), the tablets are clamped between the two second members 42 and aligned in a row.

Next, to cut the multiple tablets on the mounting table 34a, the upper part 3 is rotated relative to the lower part 2 around the hinge 4, as shown in Figure 17.

In Figure 12, when the cam follower 71a of the upper locking member 70 of the upper part 3 slides against the cam 11c formed on the hinge base 11a of the lower hinge 11 and reaches the highest position from the hinge axis 11b of the cam 11c, the upper locking member 70 moves away from the hinge 4 against the biasing force of the spring 73. This causes the notch 72b of the upper locking member 70 to move to a position facing the locking portion 86 of the upper movable member 80, and the upper locking member 70 is unlocked.

Also, in Figure 13, when the rack 23a of the lower locking member 20 engages with the teeth 61d formed on the hinge body 61b of the upper hinge 61, the lower locking member 20 moves toward the hinge 4 against the biasing force of the spring 25. As a result, the engaging slope 24a of the locking piece 24 of the lower locking member 20 moves away from the engaged slope 38a of the locking portion 38 of the second movable member 32, and the lower movable member 30 is unlocked.

As the upper part 3 approaches the lower part 2, as shown in Figure 14, the ribs 82 located on both sides of the slit 81 in the upper movable member 80 come into contact with the tablets placed on the tablet placement plate 34 of the lower part 2, and the resulting reaction force causes the upper movable member 80 to move toward the upper main body 60 against the biasing force of the spring 65. As a result, as shown in Figure 16(a), the upper blade 63 of the upper main body 60 penetrates the slit 81 in the upper movable member 80, becomes exposed from the upper movable member 80, and cuts into the tablet from above. Furthermore, as the upper blade 63 pushes the tablet, the lower movable member 30 is pushed down via the tablet placement plate 34. As a result, the lower blade 13 of the lower main body 10 penetrates the slit 34b in the tablet placement plate 34 of the lower movable member 30, becomes exposed from the tablet placement plate 34, and cuts into the tablet from below. As a result, the tablet is cut by the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13, dividing it into half tablets. The upper body 60 is prevented from moving further downward when the abutment portion 68d abuts against the upper end of the first guide 17a of the lower body 10. As shown in Figure 16(b), the gap between the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13 and the cutting status of the tablet can be confirmed through a viewing window 68b provided in the upper body 60. The viewing window 68b may be provided with a transparent cover or may be open. The entire upper body 60 may also be transparent.

When the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13 cut into the tablet, as shown in Figure 15(c), the half tablet closest to the hinge 4 is pressed in a direction perpendicular to the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13 (thickness direction of the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13) by an amount equal to the thickness of the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13. At this time, the second member 42 of the pair of tablet pressing members 40 moves away from the first member 41 against the biasing force of the coil spring 43. The tablet farthest from the hinge 4 remains clamped between the pair of tablet pressing members 40. Because the tablets are cut starting from the side closest to the hinge 4, the second member 42 is displaced in a V-shape when viewed from above the mounting table 34a. This allows the tablet to be divided with little force, and the upper blade can be placed against the center of the tablet to accurately divide it into half tablets.

When all tablets placed on the tablet loading plate 34 have been cut, the upper part 3 is rotated about the hinge 4 in a direction away from the lower part 2 to open, and the tablets on the tablet loading plate 34 are removed. When the upper part 3 is open relative to the lower part 2, as described above, the upper movable member 80 of the upper part 3 is locked by the upper locking member 70 with the upper blade 63 retracted, and the lower movable member 30 of the lower part 2 is locked by the lower locking member 20 with the lower blade 13 retracted.

In this embodiment, the upper part 3 and lower part 2 are connected by the hinge 4, and the upper blade 63 of the upper part 3 separates multiple tablets on the lower mounting base 34a one tablet at a time, starting from the side closest to the hinge 4, allowing the tablets to be separated with little force. Furthermore, because the upper part 3 and lower part 2 are connected by the hinge 4, the position of the upper blade 63 of the upper part 3 is less likely to shift relative to the mounting base 34a of the lower part 2, and the upper blade 63 can be placed at the center of the tablet, allowing the tablet to be accurately separated into half tablets.

When multiple tablets are placed on the table 34a and the second member 42 is moved toward the tablets, the tablets are clamped and aligned by the second member 42. Therefore, even if the tablets are placed haphazardly on the table 34a, they will be aligned by the second member 42, making it easy to place the tablets.

When the second member 42 is moved toward the tablet, the outer side of the recess 42b of the second member 42 directly presses against the outer side of the first member 41, causing the first member 41 to move in conjunction with the second member 42. This maintains a constant distance between the first member 41 and the second member 42, and the elastic member always exerts the same elastic force when separated. Alternatively, the first member 41 may be moved in conjunction with the second member 42 by placing magnets of the same polarity facing each other or inserting a compression spring between the outer side of the recess 42b of the second member 42 and the outer side of the first member 41.

When multiple tablets are divided in order, starting from the side closest to the hinge 4, the second member 42 moves away from the tablets, causing the tablets to escape to both sides by the thickness of the upper blade 63, allowing the tablets to be divided with little force.

When arranging tablets on the table 34a before dividing or removing tablets from the table 34a after dividing, simply by moving one of the first members 41 in a direction away from the tablet via the second member 42, the other first member 41 and second member 42 move in a direction away from the tablet by the interlocking mechanism 50, so that the tablet can be arranged or removed quickly.
Furthermore, when aligning tablets on the mounting table 34a, simply moving one of the first members 41 in a direction approaching the tablet via the second member 42 will cause the other first member 41 and second member 42 to move in a direction approaching the tablet via the interlocking mechanism 50, so that multiple tablets can be correctly aligned at the dividing position.

When the upper part 3 is opened relative to the lower part 2 to use the half-tablet splitter 1, the upper movable member 80 is locked in the retracted position and the upper blade 63 of the upper part 3 is retracted from the slit 81, ensuring safety by preventing the user's hands from touching the upper blade 63.

Next, when dividing a tablet with a score line, the tablet loading plate 34 is replaced with the second plate 34B, which has no slit but has a protrusion 34e, instead of the first plate 34A with a slit 34b.

Tablets without a score line can be cut using the first plate 34A regardless of how they are placed. However, tablets with a score line are designed to be divided along the groove-shaped score line. Therefore, when using the first plate 34A, if the score line does not align with the direction of the slit, the score line will remain on the half tablet, resulting in a poor appearance, and the half tablet may further break along the score line, which is a problem. For this reason, tablets with a score line must be placed with the score line aligned with the slit 34b, but this is difficult in practice.

In this embodiment, the first plate 34A with the slit 34b is replaced with the second plate 34B with the protrusion 34e. A tablet with a score line is placed so that the score line engages with the protrusion 34e, allowing the tablet to be accurately divided along the score line. The protrusion 34d of the second plate 34B rests on the first stopper 14a and second stopper 14b of the lower body 10. Even when the upper body 60 is pressed down during tablet division, the second plate 34B does not descend, preventing interference between the second plate 34B and the lower blade 13. Furthermore, because the protrusion 34d of the first plate 34A is shorter than the protrusion 34d of the second plate, the protrusion 34d of the first plate 34A does not rest on the first stopper 14a and second stopper 14b.

In the above embodiment, the pair of tablet pressing members 40 are separated by manually pushing the third rack 54, but the pair of tablet pressing members 40 can also be separated automatically when the upper part 3 is rotated around the hinge 4 relative to the lower part 2 to open it.

That is, in conjunction with the movement of the upper part 3 in the direction in which the upper blade 63 moves away from the mounting table 34a, the third rack 54 is moved, activating the interlocking mechanism 50, thereby providing a separation mechanism that moves the tablet pressing members 40 to a predetermined position in a direction in which they move away from the multiple tablets. As a result, when the upper part 3 is opened relative to the lower part 2 to use the half-tablet splitting device 1, the pair of tablet pressing members 40 are separated by the separation mechanism, eliminating the need to manually spread the pair of tablet pressing members 40; tablets can be immediately placed on the mounting table 34a, allowing for rapid tablet placement.

Second Embodiment
Figure 18 shows a half-tablet dividing device 101 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The half-tablet dividing device 101 divides multiple tablets into half tablets and includes a lower portion 102 having a mounting base 120a and a lower blade 135 (see Figure 22) on which the multiple tablets are placed, and an upper portion 103 having an upper blade 178 (see Figure 23), such that the upper portion 102 can be pushed into the lower portion 103. In this specification, the side of the mounting portion 120a on which the restricting piece 120c is provided is referred to as the "front" of the lower portion, the side opposite the restricting piece 120c of the mounting portion 120a is referred to as the "rear" of the lower portion, the left-hand side when viewed from the front to the back of the lower portion is referred to as the "left," and the right-hand side when viewed from the front to the back of the lower portion is referred to as the "right."

First, we will explain the lower part 102. As shown in Figure 1, the lower part 102 includes a lower main body 110, a tablet loading plate 120, a lower movable member 130 (see Figure 22), an interlocking mechanism 140 (see Figure 19), and a pair of tablet pressing members 150.

As shown in Figure 19, the lower body 110 has the shape of a rectangular container that opens upward. Support posts 111 that support the tablet loading plate 120 are provided on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the bottom of the lower body 110. Lower support sections 112 that have lower bearing sections 112a that support pinion shafts 145, 146 of the interlocking mechanism 140 (described below) are provided on the front and rear sides of the bottom of the lower body 110. Protrusions 113 are formed in two locations on the front side and two locations on the rear side of the lower body 110, and springs 114 that elastically support the lower movable member 130 (described below) are disposed on these protrusions 113. Recesses 115 are formed at the corners of the lower body 110, into which locking pieces 163 of the upper body 160 (described below) fit.

As shown in Figure 20, the tablet loading plate 120 has four legs 121 on its underside, and is attached to the lower body 110 by screwing the legs 121 to the support posts 111 of the lower body 110, thereby closing the open end of the lower body 110. The tablet loading plate 120 has a loading table 120a on its upper surface on which tablets are placed. A slit 120b through which the lower blade 135 passes is formed in the tablet loading plate 120. A restricting piece 120c is provided at the rear end of the slit 120b to restrict the rear position of a tablet placed on the loading table 120a.

The tablet loading plate 120 has four guide holes 122 into which the guide rods 172 of the upper part 103, described below, fit. The guide holes 122 have raised edges 122a that protrude upward around the periphery. Unlocking pieces 123 protrude upward from the four corners of the tablet loading plate 120. The unlocking pieces 123 have engaging slopes 123a that face the engaging slopes 183a of the locking members 183 of the upper part 103, described below. Around the periphery of the tablet loading plate 120, there are engaging walls 124 that fit into the opening of the lower main body 110. Notches 124a are formed between the left and right edges of the top surface of the tablet loading plate 120 and the engaging walls 124, into which the protrusions 148 of the interlocking mechanism 140, described below, are inserted.

As shown in Figure 21, the back surface of the tablet loading plate 120 is provided with two upper support portions 125 each having an upper bearing portion 125a that supports the pinion shafts 145, 146 of the interlocking mechanism 140 (described below). The upper support portions 125 are provided with buffer gears 126 that mesh with auxiliary gears 147 provided on the pinion shafts 145, 146 of the interlocking mechanism 140 to prevent the pinion shafts 145, 146 from easily moving. Attached to the back surface of the tablet loading plate 120 are a lower blade penetrating member 127 having a slit 127a that faces the slit 120b, and a pair of support members 128 that support this member.

As shown in Figure 22, the lower movable member 130 consists of a pair of link plates 131 and a lower blade mounting base 132.

The pair of link plates 131 are each a roughly rectangular plate with a support shaft 133 protruding from the front and rear ends, two arms 131a formed on opposing side ends, and a notch 131b formed on the opposite side. The pair of link plates 131 are rotatably supported by the support shafts 133 on the two upper support portions 125 of the tablet loading plate 120, and are connected to each other by inserting a connecting shaft 134 through oval cross-sectional holes 131c drilled in the front-to-rear direction in the two arms 131a at the opposing side ends.

A lower blade 135 is attached to the lower blade mount 132 so that it protrudes upward from the top surface, and a support portion 136 is attached to the bottom surface. The connecting shafts 134 of a pair of link plates 131 are inserted into holes 136a formed at the front and rear ends of the support portion 136, so that the lower blade mount 132 moves up and down in conjunction with the up and down movement of the arms 131a of the pair of link plates 131.

As shown in FIG. 19, the interlocking mechanism 140 is composed of a left first pinion 141a, a left second pinion 141b, a right first pinion 142a, a right second pinion 142b, a left first rack 143a, a left second rack 143b, a right first rack 144a, and a right second rack 144b.

The first left pinion 141a and the second left pinion 141b are connected to each other by a left pinion shaft 145, and are supported between the lower bearing 112a of the lower support part 112 and the upper bearing 125a of the upper support part 125, so as to be rotatable together. An auxiliary gear 147 is integrally provided on the rear side of the left pinion shaft 145, close to the second left pinion 141b.
Similarly, the right first pinion 142a and the right second pinion 142b are connected to each other by a right pinion shaft 146 and are supported between the lower bearing 112a of the lower support part 112 and the upper bearing 125a of the upper support part 125, allowing them to rotate together. An auxiliary gear 147 (not shown) is also integrally provided on the front side of the right pinion shaft 146, close to the right first pinion 142a, similar to the auxiliary gear 147 of the left pinion shaft 145. The auxiliary gear 147 meshes with the buffer gear 126 of the tablet loading plate 120, preventing the pinion shafts 145, 146 from easily moving.

The left first rack 143a and left second rack 143b are parallel to each other and mesh with the left first pinion 141a and left second pinion 141b, respectively. The left first rack 143a and left second rack 143b have protrusions 148 that protrude upward from the notches 124a in the tablet loading plate 120, and these protrusions 148 are connected to the left tablet pressing member 150, which will be described later.

Similarly, the right first rack 144a and right second rack 144b are parallel to each other and mesh with the right first pinion 142a and right second pinion 142b, respectively. The right first rack 144a and right second rack 144b have protrusions 148 that protrude upward from the notches 124a in the tablet loading plate 120, and these protrusions 148 are connected to the right tablet pressing member 150, which will be described later.

As shown in Figure 20, the pair of tablet pressing members 150 are long in the front-to-rear direction and are arranged parallel to both sides of the slit 120b in the tablet loading plate 120, clamping multiple tablets from both sides. Each tablet pressing member 150 has thickened portions 150a formed at both front-to-rear ends. Each tablet pressing member 150 has parallel tablet contact surfaces 150b facing each other on its inner side, and is formed with grooves 150c to prevent interference with the restricting plate 120c of the tablet loading plate 120. The outer side of each tablet pressing member 150 has notches 150d formed to prevent interference with the guide rod 172 of the upper portion 103 (described below), as well as recesses 150e to which the protrusions 148 of the left first rack 143a and left second rack 143b and the right first rack 144a and right second rack 144b are connected.

Therefore, when, for example, the left tablet pressing member 150 of a pair of tablet pressing members 150 is moved in a direction approaching the right tablet pressing member 150, i.e., in the direction of clamping the tablet, the teeth of the left first rack 143a and left second rack 143b drive the left first pinion 141a and left second pinion 141b, causing them to rotate clockwise when viewed from the front. This rotation of the left first pinion 141a and left second pinion 141b causes the right first pinion 142a and right second pinion 142b to rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the front, causing the right first rack 144a and right second rack 144b to move toward the left first rack 143a and left second rack 143b, and the right tablet pressing member 150 to move in a direction approaching the left tablet pressing member 150. Similarly, when the left tablet pressing member 150 of a pair of tablet pressing members 150 is moved in a direction away from the right tablet pressing member 150, the right tablet pressing member 150 moves in a direction away from the left tablet pressing member 150.

Next, we will explain the upper part 103. As shown in Figure 1, the upper part 103 comprises an upper main body 160, an upper blade mounting base 170 (see Figure 23), and an upper movable member 180.

As shown in Figure 23, the upper body 160 has a rectangular shape that is open on the side facing the lower body 102 and covers the lower body 102 from above. Six mounting seats 161 are provided on the inner surface of the top wall of the upper body 160, stoppers 162 that prevent the upper movable member 180 from coming loose are provided on the front and rear sides of the inner surface of the top wall, and locking pieces 163 are provided on the four inner corners of the side walls.

As shown in Figure 23, the upper blade mount 170 is composed of a mounting base 171, four guide rods 172, two pairs of link arms 173, and an upper blade fixing base 174. The mounting base 171 is attached to a mounting seat 161 on the inner surface of the top wall of the upper main body 160. The four guide rods 172 are cylindrical and attached to the mounting base 171 so that they protrude toward the opening of the upper main body 160. A large-diameter portion 172a is provided in the middle of each guide rod 172. The two pairs of link arms 173 have fixed shafts 175 at their fixed ends, rotatably attached to the front and rear of the mounting base 171, respectively. The upper blade fixing base 174, described below, is attached to a movable shaft 176 at their free ends. Each of the two pairs of link arms 173 has a torsion spring 177 that biases its free end away from the mounting base 171.

The upper blade fixing base 174 has an upper blade 178 attached to its top surface so that it protrudes toward the opening of the upper body 160, and both ends are attached to movable shafts 176 at the free ends of two pairs of link arms 173, allowing it to move up and down in conjunction with the up and down movement of the two pairs of link arms 173.

The upper movable member 180 is shown in Figure 24. Figure 24(a) is a view from the opening side, i.e., the front, of the upper main body 160, and Figure 24(b) is a view from the back. As shown in Figure 24(a), it has a rectangular shape that can be accommodated in the opening of the upper main body 160, and a slit 181 through which the upper blade 178 passes is formed on the surface. Notches 182 are formed on both side edges of the upper movable member 180 to prevent interference with the guide rod 172. As shown in Figure 26, locking members 183 that engage with unlocking pieces 123 at the four corners of the tablet loading plate 120 are provided on the four side edges of the upper movable member 180 so that they can move left and right, and are biased outward by springs 184. The locking members 183 are formed with engaged slopes 183a that face the engaging slopes 123a of the unlocking pieces 123.

As shown in Figure 24(b), protrusions 186 that support springs 185 are formed on both sides of the center of the back surface of the upper movable member 180. Rectangular cylindrical protrusions 187 protrude toward the top wall of the upper main body 160 on the front and rear sides of the back surface of the upper movable member 180. A locking portion 187a that locks onto the stopper 162 of the upper main body 160 is formed at the tip of this protrusion 187.

The upper movable member 180 can be moved between a cutting position where the upper blade 178 is ejected from the slit 181 and a retracted position where the upper blade 178 is retracted from the slit 181.

Next, we will explain the operation of the tablet splitting device 101 according to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 25, when the upper portion 103 is separated from or above the lower portion 102, the upper movable member 180 is biased toward the opening of the upper main body 160 by the spring 185, and the stopper 162 of the upper main body 160 engages with the engaging portion 187a of the protrusion 187 of the upper movable member 180, thereby stopping the upper blade 178. In this state, the upper blade 178 is not exposed from the slit 181 of the upper movable member 180. Also, as shown in FIG. 26, the locking member 183 of the upper movable member 180 is protruded outward by the spring 184 and is locked against the locking piece 163 of the upper main body 160. Therefore, even if the user presses the upper movable member 180, the upper movable member 180 does not move, and the upper blade 178 is not exposed from the slit 181 of the upper movable member 180, ensuring safety.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 25, when the upper part 103 is separated from or above the lower part 102, the lower blade 135 is not exposed from the slit 120b of the tablet loading plate 120. The tablet loading plate 120 is also fixed to the lower body 110. Therefore, even if the user presses the tablet loading plate 120, the lower blade 135 will not be exposed from the slit 120b of the tablet loading plate 120, ensuring safety.

To divide multiple tablets into half tablets while the upper portion 103 is separated from the lower portion 102, the pair of tablet pressing members 150 must first be spaced apart. To do this, one of the pair of tablet pressing members 150 is moved away from the other. This causes the other tablet pressing member 150 to move away from the first tablet pressing member 150 via the interlocking mechanism 140.

Next, the tablets to be divided into halves are placed on the tablet placing plate 120 along the slit 120b. The first tablet is placed so that it abuts the restrictor plate 120c, and the second and subsequent tablets are placed along the slit 120b in a direction away from the restrictor plate 120c. At this time, it is not necessary to align the tablets precisely. Once the tablets have been placed, one of the pair of tablet pressing members 120 is moved toward the other. This causes the other tablet pressing member 120 to move toward the first tablet pressing member 120 via the interlocking mechanism 140, and the tablets are clamped between the pair of tablet pressing members 120 and aligned in a row.

Next, to cut the multiple tablets on the mounting table 120a, the upper part 103 is placed over the lower part 102 from above, as shown in Figure 27.

As shown in Figure 26, the locking members 183 of the upper movable member 180 engage with the unlocking pieces 123 at the four corners of the tablet loading plate 120 and move inward against the biasing force of the springs 184, separating from the locking pieces 163 at the four inner corners of the upper body 160. This unlocks the upper movable member 180.

When the upper part 103 is pushed into the lower part 102, as shown in Figure 28, the guide rod 172 of the upper blade mount 170 enters the guide hole 122 of the tablet loading plate 120, guiding the upper part 103 relative to the lower part 102. The upper movable member 180 of the upper part 103 abuts against the tablet, and the resulting reaction force causes the upper movable member 180 to move toward the top wall of the upper main body 160 against the biasing force of the spring 185. As a result, the upper blade 178 of the upper main body 160 passes through the slit 181 in the upper movable member 180 and becomes exposed from the upper movable member 180, cutting into the tablet from above. The guide rod 172 of the upper blade mount 170 also presses against the outer side of the support shaft 133 of the pair of link plates 131 of the lower part 102. As a result, the lower blade 135 of the lower movable member 130 penetrates the slit 120b in the tablet loading plate 120, becomes exposed from the tablet loading plate 120, and cuts into the tablet from below. As a result, the tablet is cut by the upper blade 178 and lower blade 135 and divided into half tablets. Furthermore, as the tablet 103 approaches the lower portion 102 further, the large diameter portion 172a of the guide rod 172 abuts against the raised edge 122a of the guide hole 122, preventing it from moving any further down.

As shown in Figure 25, the upper blade mount 170 of the upper part 102 is attached to the link arm 173 and is biased by the torsion spring 177 in a direction away from the mounting base 171, i.e., toward the lower blade mount 132 of the lower part 102. Therefore, when the upper blade 178 cuts into the tablet, it moves away from the lower blade 135 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 177, thereby absorbing impact. Furthermore, the upper blade 178 is attached to a movable shaft 176 held by the link arm 173, and the upper blade 178 moves back and forth as it lowers, ensuring a clean cut.

When all tablets placed on the tablet loading plate 120 have been cut, the upper part 103 is pulled up away from the lower part 102 to separate it, and the tablets on the tablet loading plate 120 are removed. When the upper part 103 is separated from or above the lower part 102, as described above, the upper movable member 180 of the upper part 103 is locked relative to the upper main body 160 with the upper blade 178 retracted inside the upper movable member 180.

In this embodiment, the upper part 103 and lower part 102 are connected by fitting the guide hole 122 into the guide rod 172, and the upper blade 178 of the upper part 103 divides multiple tablets placed on the mounting table 120a of the lower part 102. This means that the position of the upper blade 178 of the upper part 103 is less likely to shift relative to the mounting table 120a of the lower part 102, and the upper blade 178 can be placed at the center of the tablet, accurately dividing the tablet into half tablets.

When multiple tablets are placed on the table 120a and one of the pair of tablet presser members 150 is moved toward the tablets, the tablets are clamped between the pair of tablet presser members 150 and aligned. Therefore, even if the tablets are placed haphazardly on the table 120a, they will be aligned by the pair of tablet presser members 150, making it easy to place the tablets.

Since one of the pair of tablet pressing members 150 moves in conjunction with the other, a constant distance is maintained between the pair of tablet pressing members 150.

When arranging tablets on the table 120a before dividing or removing tablets from the table 120a after dividing, simply by moving one of the tablet pressing members 150 in a direction away from the tablet, the interlocking mechanism 140 will cause the other tablet pressing member 150 to move in a direction away from the tablet, so that the tablet can be arranged or removed quickly.
Furthermore, when aligning tablets on the mounting table 120a, simply moving one of the tablet pressing members 150 in a direction approaching the tablet will cause the interlocking mechanism 140 to move the other tablet pressing member 150 in a direction approaching the tablet, so that multiple tablets can be correctly aligned at the dividing position.

When the upper part 103 is separated from the lower part 102 or moved upward to use the half-tablet dividing device 101, the upper movable member 180 is locked in the retracted position and the upper blade 178 of the upper part 102 is retracted from the slit 181, preventing the user's hands from touching the upper blade 178, ensuring safety.

In the second embodiment, each of the pair of tablet pressing members 150 is composed of a single part, but like the pair of tablet pressing members 40 in the first embodiment, they may also be composed of a pair of first members, a pair of second members, and a coil spring as an elastic member.

Third Embodiment
In the first embodiment already described, the upper movable member 80 is elastically supported against the upper main body 60 by a spring 65, and is guided by a guide protrusion 64 provided on the upper main body 60, moving parallel to the protruding direction of the upper blade 63. Therefore, it is not parallel to the tablets placed on the tablet placing plate 34, and the tablets are pushed in order starting with the tablet closest to the hinge 4.

In contrast, in the third embodiment shown in Figure 29, the upper movable member 80 has two coaxial support shafts 90 extending outward from the center of each side end parallel to the hinge 4, and is elastically supported by springs 65 at positions spaced apart from the support shafts 90 on the hinge side and anti-hinge side relative to the upper main body 60. As shown in Figure 30, the support shafts 90 are supported by two support members 91 attached to the top wall of the upper main body 60. The support members 91 consist of a base 91a fixed by screws 92 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the top wall of the upper main body 60, and a U-shaped guide portion 91b protruding from the base 91a toward the inner surface of the top wall of the upper main body 60. The support shaft 90 of the upper movable member 80 is housed in the U-shaped guide portion 91b of the support member 91, which restricts movement in a direction parallel to the cutting edge of the upper blade 63, but allows movement in a direction perpendicular to the cutting edge of the upper blade 63 and rotation around the support shaft 90. This allows the hinge side and anti-hinge side of the upper movable member 80 to move independently relative to the upper main body 60.

As shown in Figure 31(a), to cut multiple tablets on the table 34a, the upper part 3 is rotated relative to the lower part 2 around the hinge 4. As the upper part 3 approaches the lower part 2, the ribs 82 located on both sides of the slit 81 in the upper movable member 80 come into contact with the tablets closest to the hinge 4 among the multiple tablets placed on the table 34a of the lower part 2. The resulting reaction force causes the upper movable member 80 to rotate counterclockwise around the support shaft 90 in Figure 31(a), while moving along the guide portion 91b toward the upper main body 60. At this time, the spring 65 on the hinge side contracts, and the spring 65 on the non-hinge side expands. As a result, as shown in Figure 31(b), the upper movable member 80 becomes parallel to the tablets placed on the table 34a, allowing it to simultaneously hold multiple tablets in a horizontal position, allowing all of the tablets to be cut cleanly.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 29-31, the upper movable member 80 is provided with a support shaft 90, and the support member 91 attached to the upper main body 60 is provided with a U-shaped guide portion 91b. However, a U-shaped guide portion may be provided on the upper movable member 80, and the upper main body 60 may be provided with a support shaft. Furthermore, the position of the support shaft 90 is not limited to the center of the upper movable member 80, and it may be offset toward the hinge side or the anti-hinge side. Furthermore, the spring 65 that elastically supports the upper movable member 80 may be provided between the support shaft 90 and the inner surface of the top wall of the upper main body 60.

<Other Embodiments>
In the following embodiment, instead of using a tablet mounting plate 34 as in the first embodiment, the upper surface of the lower movable member 30 serves as a tablet mounting table 30a, and this tablet mounting table 30a has a slit 30b through which the lower blade 13 passes.

FIG. 32 shows a means for preventing the tablet pressing members 40 from being spaced too far apart.
When dropping multiple tablets onto the tablet table 30a, if the spacing between the tablet presser members 40 is wide, the tablets may end up lined up in two rows. In this case, as shown in FIG. 32(a), even if the tablet presser members 40 press the tablets from both sides, the two tablets will be sandwiched between the tablet presser members 40, making it impossible to separate the tablets. To prevent this, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 32(b), a sheet 94 with a spacing adjustment scale 93 printed on it is affixed to the tablet table 30a. As shown in FIG. 32(c), the spacing adjustment scale 93 is provided on both sides of the slit 30b of the table 30a, with a first line 93a for tablets with a diameter of 5 to 8 mm, positioned a first predetermined distance S1 (9 mm) apart, and a second line 93b for tablets with a diameter of 8 to 14 mm, positioned a second predetermined distance S2 (14 mm) apart. The first line 93a and the second line 93b may be formed by grooves or protrusions. When the tablet placing plate 34 is provided as in the first embodiment, a distance adjustment scale 93 may be provided on the upper surface of the tablet placing plate 34 .

When placing a tablet on the tablet placing table 30a, if the tablet diameter is known and a tablet less than 8 mm is being cut, the outside of the tablet holder 40 is aligned with the first line 93a. If a tablet 8 mm or larger is being cut, the outside of the tablet holder 40 is aligned with the second line 93b. If the tablet diameter is unknown, first place one tablet on the tablet placing table 30a, narrow the gap between the tablet holder members 40 to accommodate the tablet, and move the tablet holder members 40 to align with the closer of the first line 93a or the second line 93b. In this state, by dropping multiple tablets between the tablet holder members 40, even if the gap between the tablet holder members 40 is narrowed to align the tablets, the tablets will not be arranged in two rows, but will be reliably aligned in a single row.

FIG. 33 shows a means for preventing overloading of tablets.
When multiple tablets are placed on the tablet placing table 30a, tablets located far from the hinge 4 cannot be cut. Therefore, a limit line 95 indicating the limit at which tablets can be placed is provided on the upper surface of the tablet pressing member 40 in a direction perpendicular to the slit 30b of the tablet placing table 30a, and the word "LIMIT" 96 is displayed near the limit line 95. In addition, a notch 96 is provided in a part of the tablet contact surface 40a of the tablet pressing member 40 beyond the limit line 95, so that the tablet pressing member 40 cannot clamp a tablet.

FIG. 34 shows a means for ensuring that the score line of the tablet is aligned.
When dividing a tablet having a score line along the score line, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the first plate 34A having the slit 34b is replaced with the second plate 34B having the first protrusion 34e. However, the direction of the score line may be manually aligned using a score line alignment rod 97 and a score line alignment plate 98 shown in FIG.

As shown in Figure 34(b), the dividing line alignment rod 97 has a rod-shaped main body 97a with a small diameter portion 97b at one end and a large diameter portion 97c at the other end, with a first pressing portion 97d and a second pressing portion 97e, each made of silicone rubber and tubular, being attached to the small diameter portion 97b and the large diameter portion 97c. The first pressing portion 97d and the second pressing portion 97e are attached so as to protrude from the tips of the small diameter portion 97b and the large diameter portion 97c, respectively.

The score line alignment plate 98 is formed from a long, thin, ruler-shaped plate. As shown in Figure 34(c), one of the two longitudinal edges of the score line alignment plate 98 has a tapered alignment portion 98a that fits into the score line of the tablet, while the other edge has a thick portion 98b that can be pressed down by hand, and both longitudinal ends have protruding support portions 98c.

As shown in Figure 34(a), the scoring line alignment rod 97 and scoring line alignment plate 98 can be stored in a storage compartment 99 formed on the bottom surface of the lower main body 10. The storage compartment 99 is formed with clamping portions 99a and 99b that clamp both ends of the scoring line alignment rod 97, a hole 99c into which one support portion 98c of the scoring line alignment plate 98 is inserted, and an engaging portion 99d that engages with the other support portion 98c. The scoring line alignment plate 98 also serves as a cover for the storage compartment 99.

For tablets with score lines, multiple tablets are placed on the tablet placing table 30a and aligned using the tablet pressing member 40, and then the score line orientation is manually aligned using the score line alignment rod 97 and score line alignment plate 98.

First, as shown in Figure 35(a), the pressing portion 97d or 97e of the score line alignment rod 97, which is appropriate for the size of the tablet, is pressed against the tablet closest to the hinge 4. Then, as shown in Figure 35(b), the score line alignment rod 97 is rotated to align the score line of the tablet parallel to the tablet contact surface 40a of the tablet presser member 40. Next, with the score line alignment rod 97 still pressed against the tablet, the tablet is moved along the slit 30b and brought into contact with the restricting plate 34c. The next tablet is rotated in the same way to align the score line parallel to the tablet contact surface 40a, and is then brought into contact with the previous tablet, narrowing the gap between the tablets. When all the tablets are aligned, the score lines of each tablet are not precisely aligned, as shown in Figure 35(c).

As shown in Figure 36(a), the alignment portion 98a of the score line alignment plate 98 is pressed against each score line of the aligned tablets. As a result, as shown in Figure 36(b), the alignment portion 98a of the score line alignment plate 98 enters the score lines, and the tilted score lines gradually rotate to follow the alignment portion 98a. As a result, as shown in Figure 36(c), the score lines of each tablet are aligned precisely in a straight line. Therefore, when the tablet is cut with the upper blade 63 and lower blade 13, it is accurately divided into half tablets along the score lines. Note that the spacing between tablets can be narrowed by moving the score line alignment plate 98 toward the restriction plate 34c while it is pressed against the tablets, without having to narrow the spacing between tablets with the score line alignment rod 97.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Half-tablet dividing device 2 Lower part 3 Upper part 4 Hinge 10 Lower body 13 Lower blade 20 Lower locking member 30 Lower movable member 34 Tablet placing plate 34a Placement base 34b Slit 34c Protrusion 34A First plate 34B Second plate 40 Tablet pressing member 41 First member 42 Second member 43 Coil spring 50 Interlocking mechanism 60 Upper body 63 Upper blade 70 Upper locking member 72a Locking edge 80 Upper movable member 81 Slit 86 Locking part 101 Half-tablet dividing device 102 Lower part 103 Upper part 110 Lower body 120 Tablet placing plate 123 Lock release piece 130 Lower movable member 135 Lower blade 140 Interlocking mechanism 150 Tablet pressing member 160 Upper body 163 Lock piece 170 Upper blade mounting base 178 Upper blade 180 Upper movable member 183 Lock member

Claims (3)

In a half-tablet dividing device for dividing a plurality of tablets into half tablets,
a lower part having a table for placing the plurality of tablets and an upper part having an upper blade are rotatably connected ,
A pair of tablet pressing members that press and align the plurality of tablets from both sides are provided on the mounting table,
The pair of tablet pressing members each include:
A first member movable in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction of the plurality of tablets;
A second member that holds the plurality of tablets from both sides;
an elastic member that biases the second member toward the tablet relative to the first member,
A half-tablet dividing device characterized in that when the tablet on the side closer to the joint between the lower and upper parts is cut by the upper blade, the side of the second member closer to the joint between the lower and upper parts moves away from the tablet by the thickness of the upper blade, and the second member displaces into a V-shape when viewed from above the table . The half-tablet dividing device described in claim 1, characterized in that when the second member is moved in a direction to clamp the multiple tablets, the first member moves toward the multiple tablets in conjunction with the movement of the second member. The half-tablet dividing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a linkage mechanism that links the first members of the pair of tablet pressing members with each other in directions approaching the tablet and in directions away from the tablet.