US20100237092A1 - Partition Plate For Use In V-Measure Of Medicine Packing Device - Google Patents
Partition Plate For Use In V-Measure Of Medicine Packing Device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100237092A1 US20100237092A1 US12/741,197 US74119708A US2010237092A1 US 20100237092 A1 US20100237092 A1 US 20100237092A1 US 74119708 A US74119708 A US 74119708A US 2010237092 A1 US2010237092 A1 US 2010237092A1
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- Prior art keywords
- partition
- plate
- partition plate
- opening
- auxiliary member
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B39/00—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
- B65B39/001—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers with flow cut-off means, e.g. valves
- B65B39/002—Pivoting plates
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B1/00—Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
- B65B1/30—Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B37/00—Supplying or feeding fluent-solid, plastic, or liquid material, or loose masses of small articles, to be packaged
- B65B37/02—Supplying or feeding fluent-solid, plastic, or liquid material, or loose masses of small articles, to be packaged by gravity flow
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B59/00—Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages, to handle different types of packaging material, or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
- B65B59/04—Machines constructed with readily-detachable units or assemblies, e.g. to facilitate maintenance
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to a partition plate for use in a V-shaped measure of a medicine packing device, and more particularly to a partition plate adapted to clean a medicine remaining in a V-shaped measure and smoothly slide in the V-shaped measure.
- a medicine packing device including a V-shaped measure wherein end plates are fixed to both ends of a side plate, and wherein an opening and closing plate is provided to allow its lower edge to contact the side plate and be spaced apart therefrom.
- a partition plate is provided in the V-shaped measure.
- the partition plate is reciprocated in a length direction of the V-shaped measure while being maintained parallel to the end plates and being abutted to the side plate and the opening and closing plate. Further, it is disposed at a position corresponding to a division number of a medicine to be received (a powdered medicine in particular).
- a medicine is received in the V-shaped measure and is divided through a dividing container by opening the opening and closing plate. The medicine is then packed one pack at a time in a packing device (see, e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).
- Patent Document 1 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1985-58136
- Patent Document 2 Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Registration No. 2577449
- the partition plate closely abuts the side plate and the opening and closing plate so that the medicine cannot leak out through a gap formed between the side plate and the opening and closing plate.
- the partition plate may be trapped to the side plate or the opening and closing plate due to a friction therebetween during reciprocating movement, thereby obstructing smooth reciprocating movement of the partition plate.
- it causes problems in that the partition plate is distorted when manually grasping the partition plate.
- the present invention provides a partition plate for use in a V-shaped measure of a medicine packing device, which is disposed in a V-shaped measure, wherein end plates are fixed to both ends of a side plate, and wherein an opening and closing plate pivots between an opened position and a closed position such that a lower edge of end plates can be brought into contact with and spaced apart from the side plate.
- the partition plate is reciprocated in a length direction of the side plate while being maintained parallel to the end plates by the handling of an operator to thereby adjust a division number of a medicine received in the V-shaped measure.
- the partition plate includes: a slide member attached so as to be reciprocated in the length direction of the side plate, the slide member including a guide receiving portion; and a partition member including a guide portion removably guided by the guide receiving portion of the slide member, the partition member being reciprocated together with the slide member while being maintained parallel to the end plates.
- a grasping portion for grasping the partition plate is integrally provided in the slide member.
- the partition member in case a medicine is received in the V-shaped measure, if the slide member is slid up to a predetermined position, then the partition member is also moved up to the predetermined position as the guide portion is guided by the guide receiving portion. Further, in case of cleaning up a medicine remaining in the V-shaped measure after the medicine drops from the V-shaped measure by opening the opening and closing plate, the partition member can be simply removed from the slide member by only separating the guide portion from the guide receiving portion. Further, when cleaning is completed, the partition member can be simply mounted to the slide member by only guiding the guide portion to the guide receiving portion.
- the guide receiving portion of the slide member may include a pair of guide receiving plates provided at a predetermined interval.
- the guide portion of the partition member may be slidably disposed between the guide receiving plates.
- the grasping portion may extend from an end edge of one or both ends of the pair of guide receiving plates to cover all or a portion of the partition member.
- the grasping portion provided integrally in the slide member covers all or a portion of the partition member, the operator grasps the grasping portion when sliding the partition plate.
- the partition plate is not distorted for the aforementioned reasons and can be slid smoothly.
- the grasping portion may be formed along a position where a hand of the operator is placed on the partition plate when the operator handles the partition plate.
- the partition plate since the operator grasps the grasping portion when sliding the partition plate, the partition plate is not distorted for the aforementioned reasons and can be slid smoothly. Further, since the grasping portion is formed only at a position where the operator handles, the grasping portion does not need to widen in vain. Furthermore, it is possible to minimize cases wherein the grasping portion approaches a section of the V-shaped measure where the medicine is received, thereby minimizing causes of packing error.
- the grasping portion may be formed along a position where fingers except for a thumb in any one of left and right hands of the operator are placed.
- the partition plate is not distorted for the aforementioned reasons and can be slid smoothly. Further, since the grasping portion is formed by considering which hand is used by the operator, it is possible to designate fingers to be handled and further prevent a waste with regard to forming the grasping portion. Thus, it is possible to minimize cases wherein the grasping portion approaches a section of the V-shaped measure where the medicine is received, thereby minimizing causes of packing error.
- the partition member may contact the grasping portion in a section opposite to the grasping portion.
- the partition member is supported as contacted to the grasping portion and is thereby reinforced.
- the grasping portion is difficult to bend.
- the partition member may include an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member.
- the auxiliary member may pivot according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate.
- the auxiliary member may include a protruding portion, which abuts an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
- the partition member can always be in an appropriate position with respect to the slide member, although the opening and closing plate is opened.
- the auxiliary member can be positioned to even a region uncovered by the partition member. Accordingly, when the medicine leaks out laterally through a gap formed between the partition member and the opening and closing plate by opening the opening and closing plate, the auxiliary member can prevent such leakage. Further, the protruding portion is provided in the auxiliary plate.
- the protruding portion can restrict the rotation of the auxiliary plate to a range wherein the auxiliary plate can return to the abutment state to the opening and closing plate. As such, it is possible to prevent a failure that a medicine is fed into the V-shaped measure by mistake when the partition member is mounted to the slide member with the auxiliary plate spaced apart from the opening and closing plate.
- the partition plate comprises the slide member and the partition member removable from the slide member. Accordingly, it is possible to easily clean up a medicine remaining in the V-shaped measure, which was difficult to be cleaned up in the prior art. Further, since the grasping portion is integrally provided in the slide member, grasping the grasping portion and handling the partition plate in the manual movement are not affected by a distortion of the partition plate caused by rattling in an engaging portion between the slide member and the partition member. Accordingly, the partition plate can be smoothly reciprocated in the V-shaped measure without any jam.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medicine packing device according to the present embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a V-shaped measure shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3( a ) is a perspective view of a partition plate and FIG. 3( b ) is a partially enlarged view of a slide receiving portion thereof.
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an opening and closing plate in a closed position.
- FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the opening and closing plate in an opened position.
- FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing that a partition member is removed from a slide member.
- FIG. 7 shows six views of a partition plate according to a first embodiment.
- FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a medicine packing device according to the present embodiment.
- FIG. 9( a ) is a front view showing a partition plate grasped by a hand and FIG. 9( b ) is another front view of the partition plate grasped by the hand.
- FIG. 10 is a front view showing a removed partition plate according to a second embodiment.
- FIG. 11 shows six views of the partition plate according to the second embodiment.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a medicine packing device according to the present embodiment.
- the medicine packing device generally includes the following: a V-shaped measure 1 ; a plurality of dividing containers 2 disposed below the V-shaped measure 1 ; and a hopper 3 for sequentially receiving a medicine from each of the dividing containers 2 , similar to a conventional packing device (not shown).
- the V-shaped measure 1 is provided at a left side of the medicine packing device.
- An input interface 35 such as a PC for inputting various data on a packing operation such as a patient's name, a dose, etc. is provided at a right side of the medicine packing device.
- an end plate 5 is fixed to both ends of a side plate 4 .
- An upper end portion 4 a of the side plate 4 protrudes obliquely backward, while a lower end portion 4 b thereof extends backward at a right angle (horizontally).
- a central portion of the lower end portion is formed with a protrusion claw 4 c .
- a back side of the side plate 4 is formed with a protrusion claw 4 d , which is opposed to the protrusion claw 4 c of the lower end portion.
- the end plate 5 is provided with an opening and closing plate 6 that is pivotable about a supporting shaft 6 a .
- the opening and closing plate 6 is pivoted about the supporting shaft 6 a between an opened position and a closed position by the drive of a motor (not shown). This allows its lower edge to be brought into contact with a lower edge of the side plate 4 and be spaced apart therefrom.
- the opening and closing plate 6 and the side plate 4 define a substantially V-shaped cross-section.
- a single partition plate 7 is disposed in the V-shaped measure 1 .
- Medicine is inputted into one side (in this embodiment, a left side of the device) of the V-shaped measure 1 , which is partitioned into two sections in a length direction by the partition plate 7 .
- the amount of the medicine may be adjusted according to a desired division number by freely changing a position of the partition plate 7 depending on how many equal portions the medicine must be divided into.
- the partition plate 7 includes a slide member 8 and a partition member 9 , as shown in FIGS. 3( a ) and 7 .
- the slide member 8 includes: a slide receiving portion 10 slidably movably guided along an upper edge of the side plate 4 ; and a guide receiving portion 11 extending from the slide receiving portion 10 forward of the side plate 4 (i.e., inwardly of the V-shaped measure 1 ).
- the slide member 8 is integrally formed using a material having a high stiffness such as stainless steel, etc.
- the slide receiving portion 10 has a U-shaped cross section.
- the slide receiving portion is reciprocated along the upper end portion 4 a that protrudes obliquely backward from the side plate 4 , while guided by the upper end portion 4 a .
- An extension portion 12 extends from one end portion of the slide receiving portion 10 (i.e., an end portion located at the back side of the side plate 4 ).
- two through-apertures 12 a to which a holding plate 13 is secured by means of screws, are formed at two places in a lower side of the extension portion 12 .
- the guide receiving portion 11 extends from the slide receiving portion 10 and gradually expands to occupy an upper side of the V-shaped measure 1 .
- An edge portion of the guide receiving portion 11 which faces toward the side plate 4 , is positioned with a little gap from the upper end portion of the side plate 4 along the front side thereof, thereby avoiding interference during a sliding movement (i.e., occurrence of friction resistance). Further, an edge portion of the guide receiving portion 11 , which is opposed to the side plate 4 , bulges in a circular arc shape.
- a grasping portion 8 a which extends from a lower edge of the guide receiving plate 16 b to cover a portion of the partition member 9 , is integrally formed on the guide receiving plate 16 b .
- the grasping portion 8 a is formed in such a manner that its edge portion extends to an approximately halfway point in a depth direction of the V-shaped measure 1 while facing toward the side plate 4 , and further extends down from the halfway point while curving toward an opposite side to the side plate 4 .
- the grasping portion 8 a is formed along a position where fingers 33 except for a thumb of an operator's left hand 31 is placed when the operator grasps the partition plate 7 to handle the partition plate 7 .
- the thumb 34 of the operators' left hand 31 is placed on the guide receiving plate 16 a .
- the guide receiving plate 16 a may be formed with a grasping portion on which the thumb 34 of the left hand 31 of the operator can be placed.
- the partition plate 7 is handled with the left hand 31 .
- the V-shaped measure 1 is disposed at the left side of the device and the input interface 35 is disposed at the right side of the device as shown in FIG. 8 .
- the operator necessarily manipulates the input interface 35 with the right hand 32 , while handling the partition plate 7 of the V-shaped measure 1 with the left hand 31 .
- the partition plate 7 may be configured to be dedicated for the right hand or correspond to the both hands.
- the partition member 9 is formed by molding a synthetic resin material in order to decrease any damage to the side plate 4 and the opening and closing plate 6 .
- An upper side of the partition member 9 is formed with the guide portion 18 , which is slidably disposed in the guide groove 17 .
- the guide portion 18 and the guide groove 17 are contacted to each other so that they can easily slide without rattling and without any interference.
- a section of the partition member 9 which is opposed to the grasping portion 8 a of the slide member 8 , is formed with a support portion 18 a that contacts the grasping portion 8 a and has the same shape as the grasping portion 8 a .
- a surface of the support portion 18 a is coplanar with the surface of the guide portion 18 .
- the support portion 18 a functions as a guide portion, which is guided by the grasping portion 8 a.
- a side-plate-facing edge portion 9 a of the partition member 9 is straight shaped and abuts the side plate 4 .
- a lower edge portion 9 b of the partition member 9 is inclined with respect to the side-plate-facing edge portion 9 a and defines a first abutment portion 19 that abuts the opening and closing plate 6 in the closed position.
- An edge portion 9 c (outer edge portion) of the partition member 9 which is joined to the lower edge portion 9 b and is opposed to the side-plate-facing edge portion 9 a , is formed with a second abutment portion 20 that abuts the opening and closing plate 6 in an opened position.
- the remainder of the outer edge portion 9 c is formed in a circular are or in a multi-tapered shape so as to conform to a rotation trajectory of the opening and closing plate 6 . Further, an occupation space in a height direction of the partition member 9 is sized such that partitioning of a medicine can be well performed even in case of a maximum amount of medicine for one pack.
- an auxiliary plate 21 is attached to the partition member 9 so as to be pivotable about a shaft portion 21 a .
- the auxiliary plate 21 is disposed through the shaft portion 21 a in such a manner that its one end side is superposed on the partition member 9 in a section of the V-shaped measure 1 where the medicine is not received and the other end side is exposed toward a section of the V-shaped measure 1 where the medicine is received.
- the shaft portion 21 a is positioned near the supporting shaft 6 a , which is a rotation center of the opening and closing plate 6 .
- the auxiliary plate 21 is thin-plate-shaped.
- One end of a lower edge portion 21 b of the auxiliary plate is located at a boundary between the first abutment portion 19 and the second abutment portion 20 of the partition member 9 . Further, an inclined edge portion 21 c inclined with respect to the lower edge portion is formed at the other end of the lower edge portion 21 b . Also, when the opening and closing plate 6 is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 4 , the lower edge portion 21 b abuts the opening and closing plate 6 together with the first abutment portion 19 of the partition member 9 so as to extend in the same line. On the other hand, when the opening and closing plate 6 is in the opened position as shown in FIG.
- the lower edge portion 21 b abuts the opening and closing plate 6 together with the second abutment portion 20 of the partition member 9 .
- the auxiliary plate 21 always maintains an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate 6 . As such, it covers a gap formed between the outer edge portion 9 c of the partition member 9 and the opening and closing plate 6 , thereby preventing the medicine from overflowing laterally (not down to the dividing container 2 ).
- a protruding portion 30 which protrudes perpendicularly to a surface of the auxiliary plate 21 where the medicine is received, is provided in the auxiliary plate 21 at the section of the V-shaped measure 1 where the medicine is received.
- the protruding portion 30 abuts the edge of the partition member 9 (i.e., the lower edge portion 9 b and the outer edge portion 9 c ) to restrict a pivotal range of the auxiliary plate 21 .
- the protruding portion 30 is positioned so as not to abut the partition member 9 while the opening and closing plate 6 operates from the opened position to the closed position. Further, the protruding portion is configured so as not to disturb the operation of the opening and closing plate 6 .
- the dividing containers 2 are disposed below the V-shaped measure 1 . Further, the dividing containers are configured such that at least as many ones as a pack number (the division number of a medicine received in the V-shaped measure 1 ) can be continuously arranged without any gaps.
- the dividing container 2 is supported by a supporting mount 22 . It is reciprocatingly movable along a length direction of the V-shaped measure 1 through an interposed rack 24 and a pinion 25 by the drive of a motor 23 . A revolution amount, a revolution angle, a revolution position, etc. of the motor 23 are detected by an encoder 26 . Further, a sensor 27 is provided in the supporting mount 22 to detect the detected portion 15 provided in the holding plate 13 .
- the medicine which drops from the V-shaped measure by opening the opening and closing plate 6 in a position where the sensor 27 detects the detected portion 15 , is equally partitioned by and received in the dividing containers 2 as many as the division number set through the partition plate 7 .
- a bottom plate 2 a which can be opened and closed, is provided at a bottom of each dividing container 2 . As the bottom plates 2 a are opened one after the other, the partitioned medicine is fed to a packing device and is then packed one pack at a time.
- the medicine packing device configured as described above equally partitions a medicine and packs the same as follows.
- the partition plate 7 is grasped and manually moved and is stopped at a position where a division number corresponds to a pack number for packing.
- a division number corresponds to a pack number for packing.
- the partition member 9 is made from a resin material, the partition plate 7 can flex overall and thus the partition plate 7 cannot smoothly move.
- the grasping portion 8 a which an operator can grasp, is provided in the slide member 8 . Therefore, during manual movement, grasping the grasping portion exerts a stress on the grasping portion 8 a which is made from a stainless material and has stiffness.
- the partition plate 7 becomes difficult to flex when compared to strongly grasping the partition member 9 , thereby rendering the movement of the partition plate 7 smooth.
- the partition member 9 is formed in the section opposite the grasping portion 8 a of the slide member 8 with the support portion 18 a , which has the same shape as the grasping portion 8 a and contacts the grasping portion 8 a .
- the support portion 18 a is supported and reinforced by contacting the grasping portion 8 a having a thin-plate-shape. As a result, when an operator grasps the grasping portion 8 a , the support portion is difficult to flex.
- the medicine is received in the V-shaped measure 1 .
- the partition member 9 of the partition plate 7 allows its first abutment portion 19 to abut the surface of the opening and closing plate 6 , which is inclined in the closed position, by means of its own weight. Also, a reaction force caused by such abutment allows the side-plate-facing edge portion 9 a to abut a surface of the side plate 4 . Thus, an excellent partition state can be accomplished. Further, the motor 23 is driven and each of the dividing containers 2 is moved so that all the medicines dropping from the V-shaped measure 1 can be collected by the dividing container 7 .
- the opening and closing plate 6 is pivoted about the supporting shaft 6 a by the drive of a motor (not shown) to thereby be opened as its lower edge portion is spaced apart from the side plate 4 .
- the partition member 9 gradually releases an abutment state of the first abutment portion 19 from a state where the first abutment portion abuts the opening and closing plate 6 is in the closed position, while the second abutment portion 20 approaches the opening and closing plate 6 .
- the second abutment portion 20 abuts the opening and closing plate 6 as shown in FIG. 5 and a further opening operation is prohibited.
- the auxiliary plate 21 is pivoted about the shaft portion 21 a while maintaining its abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate 6 . That is, no gap is formed in the partition position accomplished by the partition plate 7 , although the opening and closing plate 6 is opened. Further, since the weight of the partition member 9 maintains the abutment state between the opening and closing plate 6 and the side plate 4 during pivoting of the opening and closing plate 6 , a gap is difficult to form and an excellent partition state can be accomplished when compared to the prior art. Accordingly, all the medicines dropping from the V-shaped measure are collected by the dividing containers 2 located below without laterally overflowing and are equally partitioned.
- the dividing containers 2 are moved by the drive of the motor 23 and are situated above the hopper 3 one after another. Thereafter, the bottom plates of the dividing containers 2 situated above the hopper 3 are opened one after another and the medicine is packed one pack at a time.
- the medicine in the V-shaped measure is divided into the dividing containers 2 and is then packed one pack at a time in the packing device. Thereafter, cleaning of the inside of the V-shaped measure 1 is conducted before feeding the next medicine into the V-shaped measure. Such cleaning of the inside of the V-shaped measure 1 is performed such that a cleaner 28 (which is equipped in the medicine packing device) sucks in the remaining medicine. Before such cleaning, however, the partition member 9 of the partition plate 7 is removed as shown in FIG. 6 . Since the partition member 9 is situated with its guide portion 18 guided by the guide receiving portion 11 of the slide member 8 , it can be simply removed by grasping and obliquely upward sliding it along the opening and closing plate 6 . Accordingly, it is possible to simply and completely remove even a medicine remaining in a section concealed by the partition plate 7 , which was difficult to be cleaned in the prior art. In addition, cleaning of the partition plate 7 itself can be easily performed.
- the partition member 9 can simply return to its original state by guiding its guide portion between the guide receiving portions 11 of the slide member 8 while it slides along the opening and closing plate 6 .
- the auxiliary plate 21 is provided with the protruding portion 30 .
- the protruding portion can restrict the rotation of the auxiliary plate 21 to a range wherein the auxiliary plate 21 can return to the abutment state to the opening and closing plate 6 due to its own weight. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a failure that a medicine is fed into the V-shaped measure 1 by mistake in a state where the partition member 9 is mounted to the slide member 8 with the auxiliary plate 21 spaced apart from the opening and closing plate 6 .
- the partition plate 7 is manually reciprocated as described above. However, to cope with both the manual movement and the automatic movement, another drive motor (not shown) may be provided.
- FIGS. 10 and 11 show a partition plate 7 according to a second embodiment.
- the partition plate 7 is configured similarly to that of the first embodiment except that a leading end portion of the slide member 8 , namely, its guide receiving portion 11 side, is connected to the slide receiving portion 10 side so as to be pivotable about a hinge portion 29 .
- the partition member 9 can be easily removed from the inside of the V-shaped measure 1 by pivoting the guide receiving portion 11 side of the slide member 8 about the hinge portion 29 as shown in FIG. 8 .
- a portion of the slide member 8 which is placed inside the V-shaped measure 1 (including its upper side), can also be withdrawn. Accordingly, cleaning the inside of the V-shaped measure can be smoothly performed without any obstruction.
- the partition member 9 can be removed prior to pivoting a portion of the slide member 8 by being slidably moved along the opening and closing plate 6 similarly to the first embodiment.
Abstract
There is provided a partition plate for use in a V-shaped measure of a medicine packing device, which allows a medicine remaining in the V-shaped measure to be easily cleaned and is smoothly reciprocated in the V-shaped measure. The partition plate 7 comprises: a slide member 8 including a guide receiving portion 11 and being attached so as to be reciprocated along a side plate 4; and a partition member 9 including a guide portion 18 removably guided by the guide receiving portion 11 of the slide member 8, the partition member being reciprocated in the V-shaped measure 1 while being maintained parallel to end plates 5. A grasping portion 8 a for grasping the partition plate 7 is integrally provided in the slide member 8. Grasping the grasping portion 8 a and moving the partition plate 7 prevent the partition plate 7 from flexing and smoothly moves the partition plate 7 in the V-shaped measure.
Description
- The present invention generally relates to a partition plate for use in a V-shaped measure of a medicine packing device, and more particularly to a partition plate adapted to clean a medicine remaining in a V-shaped measure and smoothly slide in the V-shaped measure.
- There already exists in the art a medicine packing device including a V-shaped measure wherein end plates are fixed to both ends of a side plate, and wherein an opening and closing plate is provided to allow its lower edge to contact the side plate and be spaced apart therefrom. A partition plate is provided in the V-shaped measure. The partition plate is reciprocated in a length direction of the V-shaped measure while being maintained parallel to the end plates and being abutted to the side plate and the opening and closing plate. Further, it is disposed at a position corresponding to a division number of a medicine to be received (a powdered medicine in particular). Thereafter, a medicine is received in the V-shaped measure and is divided through a dividing container by opening the opening and closing plate. The medicine is then packed one pack at a time in a packing device (see, e.g.,
Patent Documents 1 and 2). - Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1985-58136
- Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Registration No. 2577449
- However, the above-mentioned prior art partition plates are not movable with respect to the side plate. Thus, when a medicine remains in the V-shaped measure, a removal operation for such remaining medicine is obstructed. If a medicine remains in the V-shaped measure, then it causes problems such as contamination (i.e., blending of different types of medicines) when the types of medicines to be received in the V-shaped measure are changed.
- Further, the partition plate closely abuts the side plate and the opening and closing plate so that the medicine cannot leak out through a gap formed between the side plate and the opening and closing plate. Thus, if the partition plate is slightly bent or distorted, then the partition plate may be trapped to the side plate or the opening and closing plate due to a friction therebetween during reciprocating movement, thereby obstructing smooth reciprocating movement of the partition plate. Particularly, it causes problems in that the partition plate is distorted when manually grasping the partition plate.
- Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a partition plate for use in a V-shaped measure of a medicine packing device, which allows a medicine remaining in the V-shaped measure to be easily cleaned and can smoothly reciprocate in the V-shaped measure.
- In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a partition plate for use in a V-shaped measure of a medicine packing device, which is disposed in a V-shaped measure, wherein end plates are fixed to both ends of a side plate, and wherein an opening and closing plate pivots between an opened position and a closed position such that a lower edge of end plates can be brought into contact with and spaced apart from the side plate. The partition plate is reciprocated in a length direction of the side plate while being maintained parallel to the end plates by the handling of an operator to thereby adjust a division number of a medicine received in the V-shaped measure. The partition plate includes: a slide member attached so as to be reciprocated in the length direction of the side plate, the slide member including a guide receiving portion; and a partition member including a guide portion removably guided by the guide receiving portion of the slide member, the partition member being reciprocated together with the slide member while being maintained parallel to the end plates. A grasping portion for grasping the partition plate is integrally provided in the slide member.
- According to such a configuration, in case a medicine is received in the V-shaped measure, if the slide member is slid up to a predetermined position, then the partition member is also moved up to the predetermined position as the guide portion is guided by the guide receiving portion. Further, in case of cleaning up a medicine remaining in the V-shaped measure after the medicine drops from the V-shaped measure by opening the opening and closing plate, the partition member can be simply removed from the slide member by only separating the guide portion from the guide receiving portion. Further, when cleaning is completed, the partition member can be simply mounted to the slide member by only guiding the guide portion to the guide receiving portion.
- Further, in case of grasping and sliding the partition plate in a manual movement, if an operator grasps the partition member, then the partition member is affected by rattling in an engaging portion between the guide receiving portion and the guide portion. It causes a problem in that the partition plate is distorted and then the partition plate cannot smoothly slide. However, in the present invention, since the grasping portion is integrally provided in the slide member, grasping the grasping portion and moving the partition plate are not affected by the rattling in the engaging portion between the guide receiving portion and the guide portion and thus allow the partition plate to smoothly move. Accordingly, a medicine remaining in the V-shaped measure, which was difficult to be cleaned up in the prior art, can be easily cleaned up and the partition plate can be smoothly reciprocated in the V-shaped measure.
- Further, the guide receiving portion of the slide member may include a pair of guide receiving plates provided at a predetermined interval. The guide portion of the partition member may be slidably disposed between the guide receiving plates. The grasping portion may extend from an end edge of one or both ends of the pair of guide receiving plates to cover all or a portion of the partition member.
- According to such a configuration, since the grasping portion provided integrally in the slide member covers all or a portion of the partition member, the operator grasps the grasping portion when sliding the partition plate. Thus, the partition plate is not distorted for the aforementioned reasons and can be slid smoothly.
- Further, the grasping portion may be formed along a position where a hand of the operator is placed on the partition plate when the operator handles the partition plate.
- According to such a configuration, since the operator grasps the grasping portion when sliding the partition plate, the partition plate is not distorted for the aforementioned reasons and can be slid smoothly. Further, since the grasping portion is formed only at a position where the operator handles, the grasping portion does not need to widen in vain. Furthermore, it is possible to minimize cases wherein the grasping portion approaches a section of the V-shaped measure where the medicine is received, thereby minimizing causes of packing error.
- Further, the grasping portion may be formed along a position where fingers except for a thumb in any one of left and right hands of the operator are placed.
- According to such a configuration, since the operator grasps the grasping portion when sliding the partition plate, the partition plate is not distorted for the aforementioned reasons and can be slid smoothly. Further, since the grasping portion is formed by considering which hand is used by the operator, it is possible to designate fingers to be handled and further prevent a waste with regard to forming the grasping portion. Thus, it is possible to minimize cases wherein the grasping portion approaches a section of the V-shaped measure where the medicine is received, thereby minimizing causes of packing error.
- Further, the partition member may contact the grasping portion in a section opposite to the grasping portion.
- According to such a configuration, the partition member is supported as contacted to the grasping portion and is thereby reinforced. Thus, when the operator grasps the grasping portion, the grasping portion is difficult to bend.
- Further, the partition member may include an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member. The auxiliary member may pivot according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate. The auxiliary member may include a protruding portion, which abuts an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
- According to such a configuration, the partition member can always be in an appropriate position with respect to the slide member, although the opening and closing plate is opened. In addition, the auxiliary member can be positioned to even a region uncovered by the partition member. Accordingly, when the medicine leaks out laterally through a gap formed between the partition member and the opening and closing plate by opening the opening and closing plate, the auxiliary member can prevent such leakage. Further, the protruding portion is provided in the auxiliary plate. Thus, although the auxiliary plate is unnecessarily pivoted to be spaced from the opening and closing plate when the removed partition member is mounted to the slide member, the protruding portion can restrict the rotation of the auxiliary plate to a range wherein the auxiliary plate can return to the abutment state to the opening and closing plate. As such, it is possible to prevent a failure that a medicine is fed into the V-shaped measure by mistake when the partition member is mounted to the slide member with the auxiliary plate spaced apart from the opening and closing plate.
- According to the present invention, the partition plate comprises the slide member and the partition member removable from the slide member. Accordingly, it is possible to easily clean up a medicine remaining in the V-shaped measure, which was difficult to be cleaned up in the prior art. Further, since the grasping portion is integrally provided in the slide member, grasping the grasping portion and handling the partition plate in the manual movement are not affected by a distortion of the partition plate caused by rattling in an engaging portion between the slide member and the partition member. Accordingly, the partition plate can be smoothly reciprocated in the V-shaped measure without any jam.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medicine packing device according to the present embodiment. -
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a V-shaped measure shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3( a) is a perspective view of a partition plate andFIG. 3( b) is a partially enlarged view of a slide receiving portion thereof. -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an opening and closing plate in a closed position. -
FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the opening and closing plate in an opened position. -
FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing that a partition member is removed from a slide member. -
FIG. 7 shows six views of a partition plate according to a first embodiment. -
FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a medicine packing device according to the present embodiment. -
FIG. 9( a) is a front view showing a partition plate grasped by a hand andFIG. 9( b) is another front view of the partition plate grasped by the hand. -
FIG. 10 is a front view showing a removed partition plate according to a second embodiment. -
FIG. 11 shows six views of the partition plate according to the second embodiment. -
-
- 1 . . . V-shaped Measure
- 2 . . . . Dividing Container
- 3 . . . . Hopper
- 4 . . . . Side Plate
- 4 a . . . . Upper End Portion
- 4 b . . . . Lower End Portion
- 4 c, 4 d . . . . Protrusion claws
- 5 . . . . End Plate
- 6 . . . . Opening and Closing Plate
- 6 a . . . . Supporting Shaft
- 7 . . . . Partition Plate
- 8 . . . . Slide Member
- 8 a . . . . Grasping Portion
- 9 . . . . Partition Member
- 9 a . . . . Side-plate-facing Edge Portion
- 9 b . . . . Lower Edge Portion
- 9 c . . . . Outer Edge Portion
- 10 . . . . Slide Receiving Portion
- 11 . . . . Guide Receiving Portion
- 12 . . . . Extension Portion
- 12 a . . . . Through Aperture
- 13 . . . . Holding Plate
- 14 . . . . Roller
- 14 a . . . . Circumferential Groove
- 15 . . . . Detected Portion
- 16 a, 16 b . . . . Guide Receiving Plates
- 17 . . . . Guide Groove
- 18 . . . . Guide Portion
- 18 a . . . . Support Portion
- 19 . . . . First Abutment Portion
- 20 . . . . Second Abutment Portion
- 21 . . . . Auxiliary Plate
- 21 a . . . . Shaft Portion
- 21 b . . . . Lower Edge Portion
- 21 c . . . . Inclined Edge Portion
- 22 . . . . Supporting Mount
- 23 . . . . Motor
- 24 . . . . Rack
- 25 . . . . Pinion
- 26 . . . . Encoder
- 27 . . . . Sensor
- 28 . . . . Cleaner
- 29 . . . . Hinge Portion
- 30 . . . . Protruding Portion
- 31 . . . . Left Hand
- 32 . . . . Right Hand
- 33 . . . . Fingers except for thumb
- 34 . . . . Thumb
- 35 . . . . Input Interface
- Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a medicine packing device according to the present embodiment. The medicine packing device generally includes the following: a V-shapedmeasure 1; a plurality of dividingcontainers 2 disposed below the V-shapedmeasure 1; and ahopper 3 for sequentially receiving a medicine from each of the dividingcontainers 2, similar to a conventional packing device (not shown). The V-shapedmeasure 1 is provided at a left side of the medicine packing device. Aninput interface 35 such as a PC for inputting various data on a packing operation such as a patient's name, a dose, etc. is provided at a right side of the medicine packing device. - In the V-shaped
measure 1, as shown inFIG. 2 , anend plate 5 is fixed to both ends of aside plate 4. - An
upper end portion 4 a of theside plate 4 protrudes obliquely backward, while alower end portion 4 b thereof extends backward at a right angle (horizontally). A central portion of the lower end portion is formed with aprotrusion claw 4 c. Further, a back side of theside plate 4 is formed with aprotrusion claw 4 d, which is opposed to theprotrusion claw 4 c of the lower end portion. - The
end plate 5 is provided with an opening andclosing plate 6 that is pivotable about a supportingshaft 6 a. The opening andclosing plate 6 is pivoted about the supportingshaft 6 a between an opened position and a closed position by the drive of a motor (not shown). This allows its lower edge to be brought into contact with a lower edge of theside plate 4 and be spaced apart therefrom. In the closed position, the opening andclosing plate 6 and theside plate 4 define a substantially V-shaped cross-section. - Further, a
single partition plate 7 is disposed in the V-shapedmeasure 1. Medicine is inputted into one side (in this embodiment, a left side of the device) of the V-shapedmeasure 1, which is partitioned into two sections in a length direction by thepartition plate 7. The amount of the medicine may be adjusted according to a desired division number by freely changing a position of thepartition plate 7 depending on how many equal portions the medicine must be divided into. - The
partition plate 7 includes aslide member 8 and apartition member 9, as shown inFIGS. 3( a) and 7. - The
slide member 8 includes: aslide receiving portion 10 slidably movably guided along an upper edge of theside plate 4; and aguide receiving portion 11 extending from theslide receiving portion 10 forward of the side plate 4 (i.e., inwardly of the V-shaped measure 1). Theslide member 8 is integrally formed using a material having a high stiffness such as stainless steel, etc. - The
slide receiving portion 10 has a U-shaped cross section. The slide receiving portion is reciprocated along theupper end portion 4 a that protrudes obliquely backward from theside plate 4, while guided by theupper end portion 4 a. Anextension portion 12 extends from one end portion of the slide receiving portion 10 (i.e., an end portion located at the back side of the side plate 4). As shown inFIG. 3( b), two through-apertures 12 a, to which a holdingplate 13 is secured by means of screws, are formed at two places in a lower side of theextension portion 12. - Pairs of
rollers 14, which are vertically juxtaposed, are rotatably attached to one side of the holdingplate 13. A peripheral surface of theroller 14 is formed centrally along its circumferential direction with acircumferential groove 14 a. Theprotrusion claws side plate 4, are placed on and guided by thecircumferential groove 14 a. Further, the holdingplate 13 is provided at its opposite side, which is not facing toward theside plate 4, with a detected portion 15 including a pair of vertically arranged permanent magnets. The detected portion 15 is detected by asensor 27, which will be described later, and is used for determining a position of thepartition plate 7. - The
guide receiving portion 11 extends from theslide receiving portion 10 and gradually expands to occupy an upper side of the V-shapedmeasure 1. An edge portion of theguide receiving portion 11, which faces toward theside plate 4, is positioned with a little gap from the upper end portion of theside plate 4 along the front side thereof, thereby avoiding interference during a sliding movement (i.e., occurrence of friction resistance). Further, an edge portion of theguide receiving portion 11, which is opposed to theside plate 4, bulges in a circular arc shape. Furthermore, a lower half section of theguide receiving portion 11 defines aguide groove 17, in which aguide portion 18 of the partition member 9 (as will be described later) is located, byguide receiving plates guide receiving plates guide groove 17 are parallel to the opening andclosing plate 6, which is in the closed position. The lower edge of theguide receiving plate 16 a (a right side in the front side of the device) is placed slightly below the lower edge of theguide receiving plate 16 b (a left side in the front side of the device). - A grasping
portion 8 a, which extends from a lower edge of theguide receiving plate 16 b to cover a portion of thepartition member 9, is integrally formed on theguide receiving plate 16 b. As shown inFIG. 4 orFIG. 7 , the graspingportion 8 a is formed in such a manner that its edge portion extends to an approximately halfway point in a depth direction of the V-shapedmeasure 1 while facing toward theside plate 4, and further extends down from the halfway point while curving toward an opposite side to theside plate 4. It then extends up with an approximately same curvature as that of said curving, and extends obliquely toward the opposite side to theside plate 4 to reach an approximately halfway point of the lower edge of theguide receiving plate 16 b in a length direction thereof. That is, when assuming that an operator handles thepartition plate 7 with his/herleft hand 31 as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9 , the graspingportion 8 a is formed along a position wherefingers 33 except for a thumb of an operator'sleft hand 31 is placed when the operator grasps thepartition plate 7 to handle thepartition plate 7. In this case, thethumb 34 of the operators'left hand 31 is placed on theguide receiving plate 16 a. Although not shown in the figures, theguide receiving plate 16 a may be formed with a grasping portion on which thethumb 34 of theleft hand 31 of the operator can be placed. - In this embodiment, it is assumed that the
partition plate 7 is handled with theleft hand 31. This is because the V-shapedmeasure 1 is disposed at the left side of the device and theinput interface 35 is disposed at the right side of the device as shown inFIG. 8 . Thus, the operator necessarily manipulates theinput interface 35 with theright hand 32, while handling thepartition plate 7 of the V-shapedmeasure 1 with theleft hand 31. Accordingly, according to the arrangement of the V-shapedmeasure 1 and theinput interface 35, thepartition plate 7 may be configured to be dedicated for the right hand or correspond to the both hands. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , thepartition member 9 is formed by molding a synthetic resin material in order to decrease any damage to theside plate 4 and the opening andclosing plate 6. An upper side of thepartition member 9 is formed with theguide portion 18, which is slidably disposed in theguide groove 17. Theguide portion 18 and theguide groove 17 are contacted to each other so that they can easily slide without rattling and without any interference. Further, as clearly shown inFIGS. 3 and 6 , a section of thepartition member 9, which is opposed to the graspingportion 8 a of theslide member 8, is formed with asupport portion 18 a that contacts the graspingportion 8 a and has the same shape as the graspingportion 8 a. A surface of thesupport portion 18 a is coplanar with the surface of theguide portion 18. Thesupport portion 18 a functions as a guide portion, which is guided by the graspingportion 8 a. - A side-plate-facing
edge portion 9 a of thepartition member 9 is straight shaped and abuts theside plate 4. Alower edge portion 9 b of thepartition member 9 is inclined with respect to the side-plate-facingedge portion 9 a and defines afirst abutment portion 19 that abuts the opening andclosing plate 6 in the closed position. Anedge portion 9 c (outer edge portion) of thepartition member 9, which is joined to thelower edge portion 9 b and is opposed to the side-plate-facingedge portion 9 a, is formed with asecond abutment portion 20 that abuts the opening andclosing plate 6 in an opened position. The remainder of theouter edge portion 9 c is formed in a circular are or in a multi-tapered shape so as to conform to a rotation trajectory of the opening andclosing plate 6. Further, an occupation space in a height direction of thepartition member 9 is sized such that partitioning of a medicine can be well performed even in case of a maximum amount of medicine for one pack. - Further, an
auxiliary plate 21 is attached to thepartition member 9 so as to be pivotable about ashaft portion 21 a. Theauxiliary plate 21 is disposed through theshaft portion 21 a in such a manner that its one end side is superposed on thepartition member 9 in a section of the V-shapedmeasure 1 where the medicine is not received and the other end side is exposed toward a section of the V-shapedmeasure 1 where the medicine is received. Further, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 , theshaft portion 21 a is positioned near the supportingshaft 6 a, which is a rotation center of the opening andclosing plate 6. Theauxiliary plate 21 is thin-plate-shaped. One end of alower edge portion 21 b of the auxiliary plate is located at a boundary between thefirst abutment portion 19 and thesecond abutment portion 20 of thepartition member 9. Further, aninclined edge portion 21 c inclined with respect to the lower edge portion is formed at the other end of thelower edge portion 21 b. Also, when the opening andclosing plate 6 is in the closed position as shown inFIG. 4 , thelower edge portion 21 b abuts the opening andclosing plate 6 together with thefirst abutment portion 19 of thepartition member 9 so as to extend in the same line. On the other hand, when the opening andclosing plate 6 is in the opened position as shown inFIG. 5 , thelower edge portion 21 b abuts the opening andclosing plate 6 together with thesecond abutment portion 20 of thepartition member 9. Thus, although the opening andclosing plate 6 is rotated, theauxiliary plate 21 always maintains an abutment state with respect to the opening andclosing plate 6. As such, it covers a gap formed between theouter edge portion 9 c of thepartition member 9 and the opening andclosing plate 6, thereby preventing the medicine from overflowing laterally (not down to the dividing container 2). - Further, a protruding
portion 30, which protrudes perpendicularly to a surface of theauxiliary plate 21 where the medicine is received, is provided in theauxiliary plate 21 at the section of the V-shapedmeasure 1 where the medicine is received. The protrudingportion 30 abuts the edge of the partition member 9 (i.e., thelower edge portion 9 b and theouter edge portion 9 c) to restrict a pivotal range of theauxiliary plate 21. The protrudingportion 30 is positioned so as not to abut thepartition member 9 while the opening andclosing plate 6 operates from the opened position to the closed position. Further, the protruding portion is configured so as not to disturb the operation of the opening andclosing plate 6. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , the dividingcontainers 2 are disposed below the V-shapedmeasure 1. Further, the dividing containers are configured such that at least as many ones as a pack number (the division number of a medicine received in the V-shaped measure 1) can be continuously arranged without any gaps. The dividingcontainer 2 is supported by a supportingmount 22. It is reciprocatingly movable along a length direction of the V-shapedmeasure 1 through an interposedrack 24 and apinion 25 by the drive of amotor 23. A revolution amount, a revolution angle, a revolution position, etc. of themotor 23 are detected by anencoder 26. Further, asensor 27 is provided in the supportingmount 22 to detect the detected portion 15 provided in the holdingplate 13. The medicine, which drops from the V-shaped measure by opening the opening andclosing plate 6 in a position where thesensor 27 detects the detected portion 15, is equally partitioned by and received in the dividingcontainers 2 as many as the division number set through thepartition plate 7. Abottom plate 2 a, which can be opened and closed, is provided at a bottom of each dividingcontainer 2. As thebottom plates 2 a are opened one after the other, the partitioned medicine is fed to a packing device and is then packed one pack at a time. - The medicine packing device configured as described above equally partitions a medicine and packs the same as follows.
- First, the
partition plate 7 is grasped and manually moved and is stopped at a position where a division number corresponds to a pack number for packing. In this case, when an operator grasps and moves thepartition member 9 of thepartition plate 7, it is difficult to eliminate rattling between theguide portion 18 and theguide groove 17 due to a slide movement therebetween. Further, since thepartition member 9 is made from a resin material, thepartition plate 7 can flex overall and thus thepartition plate 7 cannot smoothly move. In this regard, according to this embodiment, the graspingportion 8 a, which an operator can grasp, is provided in theslide member 8. Therefore, during manual movement, grasping the grasping portion exerts a stress on the graspingportion 8 a which is made from a stainless material and has stiffness. Thus, thepartition plate 7 becomes difficult to flex when compared to strongly grasping thepartition member 9, thereby rendering the movement of thepartition plate 7 smooth. Further, thepartition member 9 is formed in the section opposite the graspingportion 8 a of theslide member 8 with thesupport portion 18 a, which has the same shape as the graspingportion 8 a and contacts the graspingportion 8 a. Thus, thesupport portion 18 a is supported and reinforced by contacting the graspingportion 8 a having a thin-plate-shape. As a result, when an operator grasps the graspingportion 8 a, the support portion is difficult to flex. - Then, the medicine is received in the V-shaped
measure 1. In this case, as shown inFIG. 4 , thepartition member 9 of thepartition plate 7 allows itsfirst abutment portion 19 to abut the surface of the opening andclosing plate 6, which is inclined in the closed position, by means of its own weight. Also, a reaction force caused by such abutment allows the side-plate-facingedge portion 9 a to abut a surface of theside plate 4. Thus, an excellent partition state can be accomplished. Further, themotor 23 is driven and each of the dividingcontainers 2 is moved so that all the medicines dropping from the V-shapedmeasure 1 can be collected by the dividingcontainer 7. - Subsequently, the opening and
closing plate 6 is pivoted about the supportingshaft 6 a by the drive of a motor (not shown) to thereby be opened as its lower edge portion is spaced apart from theside plate 4. In this case, thepartition member 9 gradually releases an abutment state of thefirst abutment portion 19 from a state where the first abutment portion abuts the opening andclosing plate 6 is in the closed position, while thesecond abutment portion 20 approaches the opening andclosing plate 6. Also, when the opening andclosing plate 6 goes into the opened position, thesecond abutment portion 20 abuts the opening andclosing plate 6 as shown inFIG. 5 and a further opening operation is prohibited. Further, theauxiliary plate 21 is pivoted about theshaft portion 21 a while maintaining its abutment state with respect to the opening andclosing plate 6. That is, no gap is formed in the partition position accomplished by thepartition plate 7, although the opening andclosing plate 6 is opened. Further, since the weight of thepartition member 9 maintains the abutment state between the opening andclosing plate 6 and theside plate 4 during pivoting of the opening andclosing plate 6, a gap is difficult to form and an excellent partition state can be accomplished when compared to the prior art. Accordingly, all the medicines dropping from the V-shaped measure are collected by the dividingcontainers 2 located below without laterally overflowing and are equally partitioned. - Next, the dividing
containers 2 are moved by the drive of themotor 23 and are situated above thehopper 3 one after another. Thereafter, the bottom plates of the dividingcontainers 2 situated above thehopper 3 are opened one after another and the medicine is packed one pack at a time. - As such, the medicine in the V-shaped measure is divided into the dividing
containers 2 and is then packed one pack at a time in the packing device. Thereafter, cleaning of the inside of the V-shapedmeasure 1 is conducted before feeding the next medicine into the V-shaped measure. Such cleaning of the inside of the V-shapedmeasure 1 is performed such that a cleaner 28 (which is equipped in the medicine packing device) sucks in the remaining medicine. Before such cleaning, however, thepartition member 9 of thepartition plate 7 is removed as shown inFIG. 6 . Since thepartition member 9 is situated with itsguide portion 18 guided by theguide receiving portion 11 of theslide member 8, it can be simply removed by grasping and obliquely upward sliding it along the opening andclosing plate 6. Accordingly, it is possible to simply and completely remove even a medicine remaining in a section concealed by thepartition plate 7, which was difficult to be cleaned in the prior art. In addition, cleaning of thepartition plate 7 itself can be easily performed. - When such cleaning is completed, the
partition member 9 can simply return to its original state by guiding its guide portion between theguide receiving portions 11 of theslide member 8 while it slides along the opening andclosing plate 6. - Further, the
auxiliary plate 21 is provided with the protrudingportion 30. Thus, although theauxiliary plate 21 is unnecessarily pivoted to be spaced from the opening andclosing plate 6 when thepartition member 9 is mounted to theslide member 8 after cleaning, the protruding portion can restrict the rotation of theauxiliary plate 21 to a range wherein theauxiliary plate 21 can return to the abutment state to the opening andclosing plate 6 due to its own weight. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a failure that a medicine is fed into the V-shapedmeasure 1 by mistake in a state where thepartition member 9 is mounted to theslide member 8 with theauxiliary plate 21 spaced apart from the opening andclosing plate 6. - Further, the
partition plate 7 is manually reciprocated as described above. However, to cope with both the manual movement and the automatic movement, another drive motor (not shown) may be provided. -
FIGS. 10 and 11 show apartition plate 7 according to a second embodiment. - The
partition plate 7 is configured similarly to that of the first embodiment except that a leading end portion of theslide member 8, namely, itsguide receiving portion 11 side, is connected to theslide receiving portion 10 side so as to be pivotable about ahinge portion 29. - With the
partition plate 7 configured as such, in case of cleaning the inside of the V-shapedmeasure 1, thepartition member 9 can be easily removed from the inside of the V-shapedmeasure 1 by pivoting theguide receiving portion 11 side of theslide member 8 about thehinge portion 29 as shown inFIG. 8 . In addition, a portion of theslide member 8, which is placed inside the V-shaped measure 1 (including its upper side), can also be withdrawn. Accordingly, cleaning the inside of the V-shaped measure can be smoothly performed without any obstruction. - Furthermore, the
partition member 9 can be removed prior to pivoting a portion of theslide member 8 by being slidably moved along the opening andclosing plate 6 similarly to the first embodiment.
Claims (19)
1. A partition plate for use in a V-shaped measure of a medicine packing device, the partition plate being disposed in a V-shaped measure, wherein end plates are fixed to both ends of a side plate and an opening and closing plate pivots between an opened position and a closed position so that a lower edge thereof can be brought into contact with and spaced apart from the side plate, the partition plate being reciprocated in a length direction of the side plate while being maintained parallel to the end plates by an operator to thereby adjust a division number of a medicine received in the V-shaped measure, the partition plate comprising:
a slide member attached so as to be reciprocated in the length direction of the side plate, the slide member including a guide receiving portion; and
a partition member including a guide portion removably guided by the guide receiving portion of the slide member, the partition member being reciprocated together with the slide member while being maintained parallel to the end plates,
wherein a grasping portion for grasping the partition plate is integrally provided in the slide member.
2. The partition plate of claim 1 , wherein the guide receiving portion of the slide member includes a pair of guide receiving plates provided at a predetermined interval and the guide portion of the partition member is slidably disposed between the guide receiving plates,
wherein the grasping portion extends from an end edge of one or both of the pair of guide receiving plates to cover all or a portion of the partition member.
3. The partition plate of claim 1 , wherein the grasping portion is formed along a position where a hand of an operator is placed on the partition plate when the operator handles the partition plate.
4. The partition plate of claim 1 , wherein the grasping portion is formed along a position where fingers except for a thumb in any one of left and right hands of an operator are placed.
5. The partition plate of claim 1 , wherein the partition member contacts the grasping portion in a section opposite to the grasping portion.
6. The partition plate of claim 1 , wherein the partition member includes an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member, the auxiliary member pivoting according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate,
wherein the auxiliary member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion abutting an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
7. The partition plate of claim 2 , wherein the grasping portion is formed along a position where a hand of an operator is placed on the partition plate when the operator handles the partition plate.
8. The partition plate of claim 2 , wherein the grasping portion is formed along a position where fingers except for a thumb in any one of left and right hands of an operator are placed.
9. The partition plate of claim 3 , wherein the grasping portion is formed along a position where fingers except for a thumb in any one of left and right hands of an operator are placed.
10. The partition plate of claim 7 , wherein the grasping portion is formed along a position where fingers except for a thumb in any one of left and right hands of an operator are placed.
11. The partition plate of claim 2 , wherein the partition member contacts the grasping portion in a section opposite to the grasping portion.
12. The partition plate of claim 3 , wherein the partition member contacts the grasping portion in a section opposite to the grasping portion.
13. The partition plate of claim 4 , wherein the partition member contacts the grasping portion in a section opposite to the grasping portion.
14. The partition plate of claim 7 , wherein the partition member contacts the grasping portion in a section opposite to the grasping portion.
15. The partition plate of claim 2 , wherein the partition member includes an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member, the auxiliary member pivoting according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate,
wherein the auxiliary member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion abutting an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
16. The partition plate of claim 3 , wherein the partition member includes an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member, the auxiliary member pivoting according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate,
wherein the auxiliary member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion abutting an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
17. The partition plate of claim 4 , wherein the partition member includes an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member, the auxiliary member pivoting according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate,
wherein the auxiliary member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion abutting an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
18. The partition plate of claim 5 , wherein the partition member includes an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member, the auxiliary member pivoting according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate,
wherein the auxiliary member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion abutting an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
19. The partition plate of claim 7 , wherein the partition member includes an auxiliary member pivotably attached to the partition member, the auxiliary member pivoting according to pivoting of the opening and closing plate to maintain an abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate,
wherein the auxiliary member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion abutting an edge of the partition plate within a range not to obstruct the abutment state with respect to the opening and closing plate to thereby restrict a pivotal movement of the auxiliary member.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2007285935A JP4104161B1 (en) | 2007-11-02 | 2007-11-02 | Partition plate used for V-shaped medicine packaging machine |
JP2007-285935 | 2007-11-02 | ||
PCT/JP2008/069730 WO2009057681A1 (en) | 2007-11-02 | 2008-10-30 | Partition for use in v-measure of drug divider |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20100237092A1 true US20100237092A1 (en) | 2010-09-23 |
Family
ID=39608116
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/741,197 Abandoned US20100237092A1 (en) | 2007-11-02 | 2008-10-30 | Partition Plate For Use In V-Measure Of Medicine Packing Device |
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Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20100237092A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2216008A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4104161B1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100994893B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101842073B (en) |
TW (1) | TWI445650B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2009057681A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP4786002B1 (en) * | 2010-03-01 | 2011-10-05 | 株式会社湯山製作所 | Powder removal device for drug dispenser |
WO2015122541A2 (en) * | 2014-02-17 | 2015-08-20 | 株式会社湯山製作所 | Drug-accommodating container, drug packaging device using same, and drug leveling tool |
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US4693355A (en) * | 1984-11-12 | 1987-09-15 | Ishida Scales Mfg. Co., Ltd. | Automatic combinatorial weighting apparatus |
US5765655A (en) * | 1995-01-19 | 1998-06-16 | Ishida Co., Ltd. | Combinational weighing machine with a discharge chute having article guiding surface |
US5787678A (en) * | 1997-05-01 | 1998-08-04 | Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho | Drug packaging device |
US6825424B2 (en) * | 2001-12-13 | 2004-11-30 | Ishida Co., Ltd. | Combination weighing apparatus |
US20090255952A1 (en) * | 2006-10-16 | 2009-10-15 | Yuyama Mfg. Co. Ltd. | Partition plate usable for v-measure in medicine holding machine |
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JPS6058136B2 (en) * | 1981-09-17 | 1985-12-18 | 正二 湯山 | Powder division delivery device |
CA1242643A (en) | 1983-08-12 | 1988-10-04 | Eric T. Fossel | Nmr imaging utilizing chemical shift reagents |
JP2577449Y2 (en) | 1992-06-30 | 1998-07-30 | 正二 湯山 | Powder supply device |
JP3343010B2 (en) * | 1995-12-05 | 2002-11-11 | 株式会社湯山製作所 | Pharmaceutical division packaging device |
JP3404247B2 (en) * | 1997-03-21 | 2003-05-06 | 株式会社湯山製作所 | Pharmaceutical division packaging device |
JP4886301B2 (en) * | 1997-03-25 | 2012-02-29 | 株式会社湯山製作所 | Drug packaging device |
JP4189052B2 (en) * | 1997-03-25 | 2008-12-03 | 株式会社湯山製作所 | Drug packaging device |
JP4447748B2 (en) * | 2000-07-07 | 2010-04-07 | 高園産業株式会社 | Medicine packaging machine |
JP2002370714A (en) * | 2001-06-15 | 2002-12-24 | Yuyama Manufacturing Co Ltd | Packaging hopper |
JP3934401B2 (en) * | 2001-11-08 | 2007-06-20 | 株式会社湯山製作所 | Drug divider |
JP3479673B2 (en) * | 2002-03-22 | 2003-12-15 | 高園産業株式会社 | Packaging machine |
JP4431332B2 (en) * | 2002-12-09 | 2010-03-10 | 高園産業株式会社 | Partition plate unit for powder supply mechanism, end plate unit for powder supply mechanism, and powder distribution device |
JP2006248571A (en) * | 2005-03-10 | 2006-09-21 | Takazono Sangyo Co Ltd | Powder medicine feeder |
JP2007246114A (en) * | 2006-03-15 | 2007-09-27 | Yuyama Manufacturing Co Ltd | Medicine dispensing/packaging apparatus |
-
2007
- 2007-11-02 JP JP2007285935A patent/JP4104161B1/en active Active
-
2008
- 2008-10-28 TW TW097141468A patent/TWI445650B/en active
- 2008-10-30 EP EP08845820A patent/EP2216008A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2008-10-30 CN CN200880114302.4A patent/CN101842073B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2008-10-30 KR KR1020107009583A patent/KR100994893B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2008-10-30 WO PCT/JP2008/069730 patent/WO2009057681A1/en active Application Filing
- 2008-10-30 US US12/741,197 patent/US20100237092A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4693355A (en) * | 1984-11-12 | 1987-09-15 | Ishida Scales Mfg. Co., Ltd. | Automatic combinatorial weighting apparatus |
US5765655A (en) * | 1995-01-19 | 1998-06-16 | Ishida Co., Ltd. | Combinational weighing machine with a discharge chute having article guiding surface |
US5787678A (en) * | 1997-05-01 | 1998-08-04 | Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho | Drug packaging device |
US6825424B2 (en) * | 2001-12-13 | 2004-11-30 | Ishida Co., Ltd. | Combination weighing apparatus |
US20090255952A1 (en) * | 2006-10-16 | 2009-10-15 | Yuyama Mfg. Co. Ltd. | Partition plate usable for v-measure in medicine holding machine |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2216008A4 (en) | 2011-06-22 |
JP4104161B1 (en) | 2008-06-18 |
CN101842073B (en) | 2013-07-31 |
JP2009112370A (en) | 2009-05-28 |
CN101842073A (en) | 2010-09-22 |
EP2216008A1 (en) | 2010-08-11 |
TWI445650B (en) | 2014-07-21 |
KR100994893B1 (en) | 2010-11-16 |
TW200927606A (en) | 2009-07-01 |
WO2009057681A1 (en) | 2009-05-07 |
KR20100060027A (en) | 2010-06-04 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: YUYAMA MFG. CO., LTD., JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:YASUNAGA, ITSUO;KODAMA, TSUYOSHI;REEL/FRAME:024336/0818 Effective date: 20100428 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |