JP2002186658A - Tablet feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tablet feeder which prevents dropping of tablets from the pocket arranged around the outside of the rotor in tablet storage case of the tablet feeder when the storage case is operated and put on and off. SOLUTION: This tablet feeder consists of tablet storage case 1 and supporting stand 2. At inner bottom 3 in the storage case 1, a rotor 4 is arranged so that freely rotated. Around outer of the rotor 4, pockets 5 is equipped at fixed intervals. This rotor 4 is rotated by the power from a motor 13 send through a gear 12. At inner bottom of the storage case 1, there is an elastic engaging material 10 which has teeth-like parts at its tip. Due to this elastic engaging material 10, when the storage case 1 is put off from the supporting stand 2, the rotor is prevented from rotating by the teeth-like parts biting with the gear at lower tip of the rotor. This engaging material 10 is arranged so that its teeth-like parts engages and makes the rotor to rotate in reverse, compared to the direction when tablets are paid and served.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a tablet feeding mechanism of a tablet feeder for supplying tablets (including capsules).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tablet feeder is known as a device for supplying tablets to a tablet packaging device. Various types of tablet feeders are known. As an example, a rotor is rotatably mounted at the bottom of a tablet storage case, and the storage case is detachably fitted to a support table from a horizontal direction. Some of the support bases are provided with a motor for driving the rotation of the rotor.

[0003] The support base of the tablet feeder is provided with a discharge path for discharging tablets obliquely downward, and the rotor is provided with pockets for dropping tablets on the outer periphery thereof. When the upper end position is matched, the tablet in the pocket falls and is discharged downward.

[0004]

The tablet feeder has a dove-shaped rotor at the bottom of the case and a rotatable disk-shaped rotor rotatably fitted around a rotating shaft. Is mounted with a driven gear, and a motor for rotating and driving the rotor is mounted on the support base. The drive gear at the output shaft end of this motor engages with the driven gear when the storage case is assembled into the support base. It has become.

On the other hand, tablets fall into pockets provided on the outer periphery of the rotor, and when any of the pockets matches the discharge path, the tablets in the pocket are discharged to the discharge path.
Therefore, when a tablet is placed in the storage case, the tablet simply enters the pocket.

When tablets stored in such a tablet feeder are to be refilled at an intermediate stage or at the final stage of the amount of stored tablets, the tablet storage case is generally separated from the support base to form a tablet storage case. Tablets are replenished. However, in the path for transmitting the rotational power from the motor via the gears of the rotor to separate the storage case from the support base, when the storage case is separated or assembled, the teeth of the driven gear and the drive gear may have a slight contact with the teeth. And the rotor may rotate slightly.

[0007] If the rotor is slightly rotated before the rotor has stopped just before discharging the tablet from the pocket to the discharge path, the position of the pocket completely matches the discharge path due to this slight rotation, The tablets are dropped and discharged without any discharge command, and the number of tablets in the storage case is slightly changed. This is due to the fact that there is no means for preventing the rotation shaft of the rotor lower portion provided on the storage case side of the conventional tablet feeder from rotating when the storage case is attached or detached.

In view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional tablet feeder rotor described above, the present invention eliminates unexpected tablet supply from the rotor by providing a means for preventing rotation on the rotary shaft of the rotor, and ensures that a predetermined number of tablets are supplied. It is an object to provide a tablet feeder capable of supplying a number of tablets.

[0009]

According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, a tablet storage case in which a rotor is rotatably mounted on an inner bottom portion is provided on a support base for supporting a motor for driving the rotation of the rotor. A plurality of pockets are provided at predetermined intervals on the outer periphery of the rotor, and when any of the pockets matches a discharge path provided at a predetermined position, tablets can be discharged freely, and the lower part of the tablet storage case A rotation prevention means for engaging a drive gear provided on a rotation shaft at the lower end of the rotor to prevent rotation of the rotor when the storage case is removed, and engaging the rotation prevention means with a drive gear of the rotor rotation shaft. The elastic engagement member is configured such that the direction in which the drive gear of the elastic engagement member engages with the drive gear when the storage case is removed is set to rotate the drive gear in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor when dispensing tablets. It was a tablet feeder in which a engaging member.

[0010] The tablet feeder of the present invention is used by detachably mounting a tablet storage case on a support base. A predetermined amount of tablets is stored in the storage case in advance, and the tablets are sequentially and sequentially discharged one by one from a discharge path by rotating the rotor. If you try to remove the storage case from the support base during tablet supply or at the last stage for tablet replenishment or inspection, the tablet in the pocket may stop just before falling into the discharge path. is there.

When the storage case is removed in this state, the gears for transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the rotor are separated from each other, but if no means is taken, the gears are engaged at this time. Is slightly changed, the gear on the rotor side rotates, and the tablet in the pocket falls to the discharge path.
However, in the present invention, since the rotation preventing means for preventing the rotation of the rotor is attached to the lower bottom of the storage case to which the rotor is attached, unexpected rotation of the rotor is completely prevented,
The tablet does not fall from the rotor pocket with such a slight rotation. In this case, the rotation preventing means using the elastic engagement member uses the elasticity to engage the engagement member with the drive gear, and when the engagement imparts rotation to the drive gear, the direction is driven. Rotation preventing means is provided so that the gear is in the opposite direction to the rotor rotation direction during tablet dispensing. Therefore, even if the drive gear rotates during the engagement, the tablet is not discharged to the discharge path.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the tablet feeder of the embodiment. Since the basic configuration of the tablet feeder of this embodiment is known, the necessary configuration will be briefly described below. As shown in the figure, the tablet feeder comprises a tablet storage case 1 and a support table 2 which are detachably combined.

In the tablet storage case 1, a central portion of the inner bottom portion 3 is formed as a dove hell-shaped concave portion 3 a, and the rotor 4 is provided with a rotating shaft 4.
It is provided rotatably via a. On the outer periphery of the rotor 4, an entire circumferential groove 5 r for dropping the tablet T and pockets 5 thereunder are provided at predetermined intervals, and are provided at predetermined positions on the support base 2 side as shown in FIG. An L-shaped holding plate 6 is attached only to the back surface of the bottom of the case at a position corresponding to the discharge path 8. 7 is an opening, 1a is a cover plate.

A rotating gear 9a is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 4a of the rotor 4, and another gear 9b meshing with the rotating gear 9a is provided on the case inner bottom plate 3a. FIG. 2 is a plan view in which the bottom of the storage case 1 is viewed upward. 1
Numeral 0 denotes an elastic engagement member, as shown, a tooth-shaped portion 10a is formed at the distal end of the L-shaped elastic member, and the base end 10c is fixed to the lower bottom of the storage case. An L-shaped engagement release arm 10b is formed at the base of the distal end side of the elastic engagement member 10. The arm 10b comes into contact with a member on the support base 2 side as described later to release the meshing of the teeth.

A guide plate 11 is provided on the support base 2, and arms 11a for engaging the storage case 1 at both ends thereof.
Is provided. The arm 11a is partially provided with a concave portion. As shown in FIG. 2, projections 1B and 1B are provided on the inner bottom of the storage case 1 so as to sandwich the arm. The storage case 1 is engaged with the support base 2 by fitting into the concave portions.
A shoulder 11x is formed on the guide plate 11 at a position facing the disengagement arm 10b. When the disengagement arm 10b is pushed back when the storage case 1 is assembled, the meshing of the tooth profile is released. You.

A driving gear 12 is provided at one corner of the guide plate 11, and the power from a motor 13 in the support table is transmitted through a rotation shaft of the drive gear 12. The rotating gear 9b is engaged with the gear 12, and the rotor 4 is rotated. Reference numeral 14 in FIG. 1 denotes a mounting block on the guide plate 11, in which a discharge path 8 is provided, and a sensor S for detecting the passage of the tablet is provided.

The tablet feeder according to the embodiment having the above-described structure operates as follows. When a required amount of tablets is supplied into the storage case 1 of the tablet feeder and the rotor 4 is driven to rotate with the lid plate 1a closed, and the pocket 5 matches the discharge path 8 at the position of the opening 7, the pocket 5 One of the two tablets falls into the discharge path 8. Blank pocket 5
When the plate is further rotated, the holding plate 6 disappears, so that the upper tablet T fills it. Then, the tablet T in the pocket 5 immediately after the position where the tablet has fallen (behind the rotation direction) coincides with the discharge path 8 and falls, and thus the tablets T in the pockets 5 are successively connected to the discharge path 8 one after another. To fall.

The storage case 1 is removed from the support table 2 in order to check the tablet feeder or replenish the tablets in the middle of the process of continuously discharging and supplying tablets as described above or at the final stage. (Just before that, the motor is stopped).

When the rotor is stopped before the above-mentioned removal, the tablet 5 remains in the pocket 5 of the rotor 4 with the tablet still in the pocket 5.
Stops at a position slightly nearer to the discharge path 8, the tablet in the pocket 5 is not dropped and discharged, and is held at a position slightly further away.

When the storage case 1 is detached from the support base 2 in this state, both of the gears 12 and the rotor 4 on the motor output shaft are connected.
Is disengaged from the gear 9a at the lower end thereof. At this time, the disengagement arm 10b, which has been pushed by the shoulder 11x of the guide plate 11 until immediately before and has been forcibly disengaged, returns to its original position because the pressing force from the shoulder 11x disappears,
The toothed portion 10a at the tip of the elastic engagement member 10 meshes with the gear 9a at the lower end of the rotor 4 to prevent rotation of the rotor.

Therefore, when the storage case 1 is removed from the support table 2, the rotor 4 does not slightly rotate, and the tablet in the pocket 5 is securely held even immediately before falling into the discharge path 8. You.

The elastic engaging member 10 pushed back in a state where the storage case 1 is incorporated in the support table 2
When the gear 9a is removed, it is attempted to return to the original state. At that time, however, the tooth profile 10a at the tip returns slightly obliquely with respect to the gear 9a.
For this reason, the base end 10c of the elastic engagement member 10 is provided on one side of the lower bottom of the storage case so that the rotation direction of the slight rotation of the gear 9a is opposite to the rotation direction of the rotor at the time of dispensing tablets.

The disengagement arm 10b of the elastic engaging member 10 cooperates with the shoulder 11x of the guide plate 11 to push the elastic engaging member 10 back. It is sufficient that 11x abuts on any part of the guide plate 11 without any particular requirement.

The elastic engaging member 10 of the above embodiment is
Although it is formed by the letter-shaped member, the meshing of the tooth profile portion 10a with the gear 9a is performed in conjunction with the removal of the storage case 1,
When assembling the storage case 1 to the support 2, a member having another shape or a functional member may be used as long as the engagement can be released.

For example, a straight rod is provided on the bottom wall of the case on the center line in the direction of attaching and detaching the storage case passing through the center of the rotor 4, and a head portion which can move in parallel with the rod at the rod tip is provided inside the head. The head may be elastically mounted via a provided coil spring, a toothed portion may be provided at the tip of the head, and an engagement release arm may be formed on the side of the head.
Alternatively, a brake for preventing the rotation of the rotor rotating shaft 4a is provided directly on the rotating shaft behind the concave portion 3a on the inner bottom surface of the storage case 1, and the brake is loosened when the storage case is mounted. You may make it do.

[0026]

As described above in detail, the tablet feeder of the present invention is provided with the rotation preventing means using the elastic engaging member at the lower bottom of the storage case, and the rotation preventing means when removing the storage case from the support base. Is engaged with the gears of the rotor to prevent the rotation of the rotor, and the direction in which the drive gear of the elastic engagement member engages with the drive gear when the storage case is removed is the direction in which the drive gear is rotated in the opposite direction to the rotor rotation direction during tablet dispensing. Since the elastic member is provided so that the tablets in the rotor pocket at the position immediately before the discharge do not discharge the tablets even if the meshing state of the gears changes during the attachment / detachment work of the storage case, the tablets are in an unexpected state. Has the advantage that the tablet is prevented from being ejected from the pocket.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a tablet feeder according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view seen from the back of the storage case.

FIG. 3 is a main sectional view of the tablet feeder.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Storage case 2 Support base 3 Case inner bottom part 4 Rotor 5 Pocket 5r Full circumference groove 8 Discharge path 10 Elastic engagement member 10a Tooth profile part 10b Disengagement arm 11x Shoulder part 13 Motor

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3E054 AA05 AA07 BA01 DD08 EA01 FA01 FA02 3E118 AB07 BB04 BB09 BB12 EA02 FA05

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A tablet storage case in which a rotor is rotatably mounted on an inner bottom portion is removably mounted on a support base for supporting a motor for rotating the rotor, and a plurality of pockets are provided on the outer periphery of the rotor. When any one of the pockets matches the discharge path provided at a predetermined position, the tablet can be discharged freely, and the lower part of the tablet storage case is connected to a drive gear provided on the rotation shaft at the lower end of the rotor. A rotation preventing means for preventing rotation of the rotor when the storage case is removed is provided. The rotation prevention means is an elastic engagement member that engages with the drive gear of the rotor rotating shaft. The elastic engagement member is used when the storage case is removed. A tablet feeder provided with an elastic engaging member such that the direction of engagement with the drive gear is opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor during tablet dispensing. 2. The tablet feeder according to claim 1, wherein said elastic engaging member has a toothed portion at its tip for engaging with a driving gear. 3. The tablet feeder according to claim 2, wherein the elastic engagement member is an L-shaped elastic member, and an L-shaped projection as the disengagement member is provided at a base end of the elastic engagement member.