JP2004168493A - Article distribution storage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article distribution storage capable of individually blocking and of easily and certainly performing separating storage and selecting delivery by handwork. <P>SOLUTION: This article distribution storage comprises: a plurality of storage containers 30, 20 capable of carrying-in and -out articles 8 such as medicine by hand from the outside through openings 32, 23 which comprise opening/closing members such as a door 31 or a drawer 22 and which are opened/closed by the members; the plurality of opening drive means (70) which are attached to the storage containers and which have the opening/closing members make opening operation; a control device 40 which selects one of, or the plurality of the opening drive means (70) and which has them make operation, based on article delivery information obtained by reading an indication recipe 9 by a bar code reader 52. Thus, location of desired articles is observed at a glance, and such a state that the articles can be carried out can be achieved, because steps from the selection to the opening operation of the separating storage articles are automatically performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article storage device, and a delivery box such as a storage, an article shelf, an article stand, a distribution apparatus, and a dispensing apparatus. The present invention relates to an article storage that is provided and that can selectively take out articles therefrom based on article dispensing information. Such an article storage with separate storage and dispensing function / article storage with distributive function is referred to as an article storage in this specification.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a typical example of the article storage having the sorting and storing function, a general-purpose locker or an equipment article stand having a storage section divided into a number of compartments and each compartment having a door is mentioned.
There is also known an article storage device in which articles such as medicines are arranged and stored in a cassette and can be taken in and out with one touch (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Further, there is also known a medicine storage device in which a cassette to be taken in and out is indicated by an LED or the like (for example, see Patent Document 2).
In addition, a medicine dispensing device for dispensing which has an automatic dispensing function in addition to a sorting storage function is also known (for example, see Patent Document 3).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-199508 A (page 1)
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2001-198194 A (FIG. 5)
[Patent Document 3]
JP 2000-167023 A (page 1)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such a conventional article storage has the advantages that, with a door, it can be concealed and locked and has few restrictions on the form of the article, etc., but if the door is not opened, the article can be taken in and out. I can't. On the other hand, in the case of one-touch insertion / removal, the entrance / exit of each storage container is open, so that it is possible to easily perform the input / output, but it is difficult to conceal and lock each storage container. Even if the guide display function is added to make it easy to find the selection target, it is the same that concealment and locking are difficult. Also, in the case of automatic payout, it is concealed and stored, but the form of the article is limited.
[0005]
For this reason, items that are not suitable for automatic dispensing or one-touch access, or for which automatic dispensing or one-touch access is possible but that are not handled in operation, are to be provided with a door when concealed and stored separately. It is said that the workability is good because it is housed in many compartments that can be closed and closed, and at the time of dispensing, the doors and drawers of the selected compartment are opened and articles are taken out manually. There was no situation.
Therefore, separate storage in multiple storage containers that have doors and drawers that can be closed individually, so that they can be easily taken out even when dispensing by hand when needed, It is a technical challenge to improve the storage space so that mistakes are less likely to occur.
The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to realize an individually closable storage that can perform separate storage and selective dispensing easily and accurately even by manual operation.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage cabinet having an opening / closing member such as a door or a drawer, which is opened and closed by an opening and closing member. A plurality of storage containers from which articles such as medicines can be manually taken in and out, a plurality of opening driving means attached to the storage container and allowing the corresponding opening / closing member to perform an opening operation, and internally generated or obtained from an external device. And a control device for selecting and operating one or more of the opening drive means based on the article dispensing information.
[0007]
In such a distribution box, it can be separated and stored in a plurality of storage containers, can be closed / closed by closing the opening / closing member, and can pay out articles by opening the opening / closing member. In addition, at this time, an object to be taken out is automatically selected based on the article dispensing information, and the opening / closing member is automatically operated to open the opening of the selected storage container. Therefore, the worker can easily and quickly perform the removal operation by removing the required article from the opened storage container without opening the opening / closing member. Further, since the opening of the storage container storing the articles not to be taken out is closed, there is no or little possibility that an inappropriate article is taken out by mistake.
[0008]
As described above, in addition to the selection of the sorted storage articles, the opening operation can be automatically performed, so that the location of the desired article becomes clear at a glance and the article can be taken out. Therefore, the operator can easily take out a desired article easily with almost one-touch feeling without misunderstanding or getting lost.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an individually closable distribution warehouse that can easily and accurately perform separate storage and selective payout even by manual operation.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A description will be given of some embodiments for carrying out the storage of the present invention achieved by such a solution.
[0010]
In the first embodiment, as described in claim 2 at the beginning of the application, the storage container of the above solution means, wherein open / close detection means for detecting the open / close state of the open / close member is attached to each of the storage containers. The control device is configured to determine the completion of the payout operation for the one of the openable members that has been opened based on the detection of the close operation by the open / close detection means.
Accordingly, if the opening / closing member is manually closed after the article is taken out of the storage container, the completion of the dispensing work on one set of articles is detected by the automatic determination of the control device, so that the article related to the next dispensing work is detected. Appropriate automatic management can also be performed by the control device for the start of processing such as acquisition and selection of payout information.
[0011]
A second embodiment of the present invention is the distribution warehouse according to the first embodiment as described in claim 3 at the beginning of the application, and a recording unit that records the open / close state of the open / close member together with time information, A tallying unit for performing a tallying process based on the record and a display unit for displaying the tallying result are provided in the control device.
Thereby, automation of inventory management and the like is also possible.
[0012]
The third embodiment of the present invention is the distribution box of the above-described solution and embodiment, wherein one or both of a reading device for instruction sticks and a receiving device for instruction data are provided, and the control device is The article dispensing information is prepared based on information input by the reading device or the receiving device.
This eliminates or reduces mistakes in inputting the payout instruction, and reduces the work load.
[0013]
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is the distribution storehouse of the above-described solution means and the embodiment, wherein the opening drive means controls switching of a permanent magnet, an electromagnetic coil with a fixed core, and a drive current thereof. The electromagnetic coil and the permanent magnet are arranged such that the core and the permanent magnet face each other in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet when the opening / closing member is closed, The main body of the container and the opening / closing member are separately mounted, and the drive circuit controls the switching of the driving current so as to generate a repulsive force on the core when the opening / closing member is opened. It is what you do.
[0014]
As described above, the mechanism is simplified by directly opening the electromagnet and the permanent magnet, so that the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing member is performed separately from the relative movement of the opening / closing member and its attachment as well as the storage container body. In addition, since there is no relative movement of the mounted object, cost reduction and reliability improvement can be achieved at the same time. In addition, since the electromagnet has a fixed core, this core attracts the permanent magnet when not energized, so use the electromagnet for all storage containers except when dispensing and for storage containers not selected even when dispensing. Nevertheless, the closed state is reliably maintained without wasting power.
[0015]
A specific mode for carrying out the distribution warehouse of the present invention achieved by such a solution and an embodiment will be described below by way of an example.
In the drawings, for simplicity and the like, fasteners such as bolts and coupling tools such as hinges are omitted from the drawings, and those necessary and related to the description of the invention are mainly shown.
[0016]
【Example】
A specific configuration of an embodiment of the distribution warehouse according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the entire distribution warehouse, in which (a) is an initial state and (b) is a dispensing state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main structure of the drawer box unit, but the box is omitted. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part structure of the compartment unit, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system.
[0017]
The distribution warehouse 10 (see FIG. 1) is, for example, an improvement of an equipment table, and includes an upper shelf 11 and a lower platform 12. The shelves 11 are partitioned vertically and horizontally. For example, in the illustrated case, the shelf 11 is partitioned into a matrix of three rows vertically and eight rows horizontally to form a large number of partitioned chamber units 30 (storage containers). Each compartment room unit 30 has a large opening at the front, and the shelf 11 of the distribution warehouse 10 has an opening at the front of the compartment room unit 30 by an operator standing outside the warehouse with the article 8 in hand. It is easy to put in and out from 32. Each of the compartment units 30 is provided with a door 31 (opening / closing member) for opening and closing a front opening 32 thereof. In the illustrated example, the door 31 is supported by a hinge on one side thereof so as to be able to rotate bidirectionally by 90 ° or more, so that the door 31 can be opened rightward. Further, an electromagnet unit 70 (open drive means) and a switch unit 61 (open / close detection means) are also mounted on the compartment unit 30, which will be described later in detail.
[0018]
The table 12 also serves as a work table, on which several drawer box units 20 (storage containers), about three in the illustrated example, are placed. A bar code reader 52 (reading device) for reading a bar code printed on the instruction sheet 9 and a touch panel 55 (operation input means and display means) for manually inputting and displaying information and the like are also mounted. I have. A programmable controller 40 (control device) composed of a personal computer, a microprocessor system, or the like is stored inside the base unit 12 below. In each of the drawer box units 20 in this example, the drawer 22 (opening / closing member) is housed in a box 21. When the drawer 22 is pulled out, an upper surface opening 23 appears, and the drawer 22 is placed in the box 21. When it is returned, the upper surface opening 23 is hidden. Such a drawer box unit 20 also allows articles to be taken in and out from the outside via an upper surface opening 23 that is opened and closed by the advance and retreat of the drawer 22.
[0019]
The magnet unit 70 (see FIG. 2) includes an electromagnet in which an iron core 72 is fixedly combined with an electromagnetic coil 73 and a permanent magnet 71 separate from the electromagnet. The iron core 72 is, for example, a bar formed by laminating soft iron plates having little residual magnetism. The iron core 72 is magnetized strongly when the coil 73 is energized, and is magnetized even when the permanent magnet 71 is approached. A power supply line extending from the driver 60 (drive circuit) is connected to a lead (lead line) of the coil 73. The driver 60 includes a power supply unit 61 that generates a DC voltage, for example, 15 V or 24 V, necessary for magnetization of the coil 73, and a switch unit 62 that switches between a cut-off state and a conductive state according to control of the controller 40. Are provided. When the switch 62 is turned on, a drive current is supplied to the coil 73, so that the coil 73 and the iron core 72 are strongly magnetized with their magnetic poles oriented in the longitudinal direction of the iron core 72.
[0020]
Such a magnet unit 70 is attached to each of the drawer box units 20, and the coil 73 and the iron core 72 are fixed to the back plate of the box body 21, respectively, and the permanent magnet 71 is fixed to the back plate of the drawer 22. You. Further, in addition to such separate mounting, when the driver 60 energizes the coil 73, a repulsive force is generated between the iron core 72 and the permanent magnet 71, and a attracting force is generated during non-energization and reverse energization. Such an arrangement is also made. That is, in a state where the drawer 22 is pushed into the interior of the box 21, the magnetic poles (N pole or S pole) of the permanent magnet 71 face one end surface of the iron core 72, and most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 71 Is placed where it reaches As a result, the magnet unit 70 pushes the permanent magnet 71 forward by energization, and pulls it backward when power is not applied, and when activated, causes the drawer 22 of the drawer box unit 20 to be attached to open.
[0021]
The magnet unit 70 is also attached to each of the compartment units 30 (see FIG. 3). In this case, in order to make the front door 31 perform an opening operation, a permanent magnet 71 is attached to the door 31 by bonding or the like. Therefore, the iron core 72 also comes to the front side and is fixed to the partition plate 33 (container main body) or the like. And it is concealed by a lining board or the like so as not to disturb the storage of the articles. Also in this case, the permanent magnet 71, the iron core 72, and the coil 73 are arranged such that the permanent magnet 71 and the iron core 72 face each other in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 71 when the door 31 is closed. It is installed separately from the main body. The compartment chamber unit 30 is also provided with a sensor 63 (open / close detecting means) for selectively detecting the open / closed state of the door 31 by selectively contacting the inner surface of the compartment 31 in accordance with the open / close of the door 31. The sensor 63 is not limited to such a contact type, and may be a non-contact type as long as it can detect the open / closed state. However, the detection result is notified to the controller 40 by signal transmission or communication as needed. Although not shown, a similar sensor 63 is also attached to each drawer box unit 20 so that the open / close state of the drawer 22 can be detected.
[0022]
The controller 40 (see FIG. 4) operates the coil 73 via a driver 60 communicably connected, for example, via a LAN, and collects detection results from the sensor 63. In addition to the barcode reader 52 and the touch panel 55 described above, the controller 40 is also provided with an external or built-in communication unit 51 (receiving device). Data and other payout instruction containing information (instruction data) can also be received. Further, in addition to these or in place of the barcode reader 52, a character reader 53 for reading printed characters of the instruction sheet 9 and a card reader 54 for reading information of a magnetic card or an IC card may be provided. In any case, the information obtained by the receiving device 51 and the reading devices 52 to 54 is input to the controller 40 and used for preparing the article dispensing information.
[0023]
In the controller 40, a selection routine 41, an opening / closing routine 42, a determination routine 43, a recording routine 44, and a totaling routine 45 are installed in a program memory or the like, and a code pair type table 46 and a type The counter unit table 47 is set up on a hard disk or the like. The area of the log data 48 accumulated with the execution of the program is also secured on a hard disk or the like. The code-to-type table 46 is a database such as an array from which a type number corresponding to an article number or the like can be obtained by searching with a code such as an article number. When the code specifies a number of medicines and medical materials collectively, such as a surgical set number, all of these product numbers can be obtained. The type-to-type table 47 is a database such as an array that, when searched by the type number, obtains the address of the drawer box unit 20 or the compartment room unit 30 storing the corresponding item and the number of stored items 8. When there are a plurality of storage containers 20 and 30 storing the same article 8, the address of a non-empty container is obtained preferentially.
[0024]
When the instruction data received via the communication unit 51 or read from the instruction sheet 9 by the barcode reader 52 is input to the controller 40, the selection routine 41 extracts a valid code from the instruction data, and The table 46 is searched to determine the type of article to be paid out. The number is determined by the same extraction or by extraction and retrieval. Then, by searching the kind counterpart table 47 and obtaining the address of the drawer box unit 20 or the compartment room unit 30 in which the articles 8 to be dispensed are stored, preparation of article dispensing information and preparation of the article extraction target storage container are performed. Make a selection.
The opening / closing routine 42 opens the drawer 22 or the door 31 by energizing the attached magnet unit 70 for all the drawer box units 20 or the compartment units 30 selected in the selection routine 41. ing. At this time, the processing for the next payout is awaited by a flag operation or the like.
[0025]
The determination routine 43 monitors the open / close state of the storage containers 20 and 30 by repeatedly collecting the detection results of the sensors 63, and also stores the storage containers 20 and 30 selected by the selection routine 41 and opened by the open / close routine 42. It is determined whether or not all the items have been closed, and if all of them have been closed, a flag operation or the like opposite to the opening / closing routine 42 is performed to cancel the waiting for the start of the processing related to the next payout. .
The recording routine 44 adds log information by attaching a time stamp (time information) each time the article dispensing information is prepared by the selection routine 41, and furthermore, when the magnet unit 70 is operated by the opening / closing routine 42. Also, when a completion determination is made by the determination routine 43, a time stamp is added to the detection result of each sensor 63 to generate log data, and the log data is additionally recorded in the log data 48 in chronological order. I have.
The tallying routine 45 processes the log data 48 in accordance with the menu selection or the like of the touch panel 55, calculates the number of payouts or the number of stocks for each type, and displays it in a table format or a graph format on the screen of the touch panel 55 so as to be visible. It is supposed to.
[0026]
The mode of use and operation of such a storage cabinet will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A shows the state of the distribution warehouse before selection, and FIG. 1B shows the state of the distribution warehouse after selection.
[0027]
In each of the drawer box units 20 and the compartment units 30, the articles 8 are stored separately for each product type in advance. The article 8 is, for example, a tablet, a powdered medicine, an injection in an ampoule, or a liquid medicine in the case of a medicine, and an application tool such as an injection needle or a catheter in the case of a medical material. It should be something that can be handled by.
In the initial state in which they are stored (see FIG. 1A), all the compartment chamber units 30 have their doors 31 closed, and all the drawer box units 20 have their drawers 22 pushed in.
[0028]
In this state, when the instruction 9 is delivered, the worker in charge of the payout operation causes the barcode reader 52 to read the instruction 9. Then, the barcode printed on the instruction sheet 9 is read by the barcode reader 52, and the code is input to the controller 40 as payout instruction information. The instruction sheet 9 also lists the names of articles to be paid out and the number of articles to be taken out in clear characters so that the operator can read them. Since possible equivalent information is entered, the drawer box unit 20 or the compartment unit 30 in which the target article is stored is selected by the selection routine 41 of the controller 40, and the corresponding magnet unit 70 is energized by the opening / closing routine 42. Thus, in the target drawer box unit 20, the drawer 22 is pushed forward, and the open upper surface opening 23 appears in front of the worker, and is in an open state. In the target compartment unit 30, the door 31 rotates forward and opens, and the front opening 32 is exposed in front of the operator to be in an open state (see FIG. 1B).
[0029]
With respect to the storage containers 20 and 30 in the opened state, the operator sequentially takes out the specified number of the specified articles 8 while checking and confirming the instruction sheet 9 and then closes the drawer 22 and the door 31 after taking out the specified articles 8. Then, when all of the selected and opened storage containers 20 and 30 are closed, all of the articles 8 specified by the instruction sheet 9 are aligned on the base 12 and the delivery storage 10 returns to the initial state. The next payout becomes possible. When the payout instruction data is obtained through the communication unit 51, the controller 40 executes the above-described series of automatic processing based on the data, and also displays the name of the article to be paid out and the number of pieces to be taken out on the touch panel 55. Are displayed in a list, and the worker performs the payout operation in the same manner while watching the list.
[0030]
In this way, the manual payout of various articles 8 sorted and stored in the delivery storage 10 in a closed state is performed easily and quickly.
In addition, the log data 48 is accumulated along with the payout operation, and the remaining number and the frequency of use can be displayed on the touch panel 55 by a tallying process based thereon, so that the use status and the stock status can be easily and accurately grasped. . Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine the time of replenishment of articles in the distribution warehouse 10, the number of additional orders for purchased articles, and the like. Although the data structure of the log data 48 is not shown in the figure, it may be a general structure, for example, a sequential file having fixed-length records or a commercially available data logger. The tallying method may use general-purpose spreadsheet software or a commercially available statistical program or may be modified. Further, the log data 48 may be uploaded to a medical management computer or an inventory management computer (not shown) periodically or irregularly in response to a request or the like.
[0031]
[Other]
In the above-described embodiment, the door and the drawer are described as examples of the opening / closing member. However, the opening / closing member is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a shutter or a sliding door.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, medicines and medical materials are described as examples of the articles. However, the articles are not limited to these, and may be, for example, keys such as keys of each hotel room.
Further, in the above embodiment, the compartment and the drawer box are described as examples of the storage container, but the storage container is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a vertically moving container or a rotating container. good.
[0032]
Further, in the above embodiment, the program of the controller 40 is divided into a plurality of routines 41 to 45. However, the program configuration is not limited to this. For example, the program may be combined into a single program. Any number of routines may be divided and linked.
In the above embodiment, the driver 60 is provided for each electromagnetic coil 73, and a number of drivers 60 are connected to the controller 40 via the LAN. However, the configuration and connection method of the drive circuit are not limited to this. For example, the driver 60 may control the switching of the plurality of coils 73, and the controller 40 and each driver 60 may be connected one-to-one. A flywheel diode, a protection diode, or the like may be connected to the coil 73 or the switch unit 62 for protection from back electromotive force. A nonmagnetic material such as a plastic or a stainless steel plate may be provided between the permanent magnet and the electromagnet. The time when the switch 62 is turned on and the coil 73 is energized may be, for example, about 100 ms, but cannot be said unconditionally because it depends on the specifications of the magnet unit and the opening / closing member.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, in the storage of the present invention, in addition to the selection of sorted storage articles, by allowing the automatic operation up to the opening operation, the location of the desired article becomes clear at a glance. Since the article can be taken out, there is an advantageous effect that it is possible to realize an individually-closable distribution box that can easily and accurately perform separate storage and selective payout even by manual operation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an embodiment of a distribution store according to the present invention, in which (a) is an initial state and (b) is a dispensed state.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main structure of the drawer box unit.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main structure of the compartment unit.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system.
[Explanation of symbols]
8 articles (medicine, medical materials, separated storage and dispensed objects)
9 Instructions (prescription, dispensing instructions, payout list, goods payout information)
10 Delivery storage (storage device, storage, article shelf, article stand, distribution device, dispensing device)
11 shelves (compartment room unit row setting section)
12 units (drawer box unit mounting part)
20 drawer box unit (storage container)
21 Box (container body)
22 Drawer (opening / closing member)
23 top opening 30 compartment room unit (storage container)
31 Door (opening / closing member)
32 Front opening 33 Partition plate (container body)
40 Controller (control device)
41 Selection Routine (Article Delivery Information Preparation Means, Selection Means)
42 opening / closing routine (opening / closing control means)
43 judgment routine (judgment means)
44 Recording Routine (Recording Means)
45 Aggregation routine (aggregation means, display means)
46 Code vs. product table (selection means)
47 Product Type Table (Selection Means)
48 log data (recorded data)
51 communication unit (instruction data receiving device)
52 Barcode reader (reading device for instruction sheet)
53 Character reader (OCR, instruction reader)
54 Card Reader (Magnetic Card, IC Card, Instruction Sheet Reader)
55 touch panel (input device, operation means, display means)
60 driver (drive circuit, etc.)
61 Switch section (semiconductor switch, switching control circuit)
62 Power supply unit (drive current supply circuit)
63 sensor (open / close detection means)
70 magnet unit (open drive means)
71 Permanent magnet 72 Iron core (soft iron fixed core)
73 coil (electromagnetic coil)

Claims (5)

A plurality of storage containers having an opening / closing member, through which an article can be taken in and out through an opening that is opened and closed, and a plurality of opening drive means attached to the storage container and allowing the corresponding opening / closing member to perform an opening operation; And a control device for selecting and operating one or more of the opening drive means based on the article dispensing information. Open / close detecting means for detecting the open / close state of the open / close member is attached to each of the storage containers, and the control device detects the completion of the dispensing work for the open / close member that has been opened. 2. The storeroom according to claim 1, wherein the storage is performed based on detection of a closing operation by the means. Means for recording the open / close state of the opening / closing member together with time information, means for performing a tallying process based on the record, and means for displaying the result of the tallying, are provided in the control device, 3. The distribution warehouse according to claim 2, wherein An instruction reading device or an instruction data receiving device is provided, and the control device prepares the article payout information based on information input by the reading device or the receiving device. Item storage according to claim 1 to claim 3. The opening drive means includes a permanent magnet, an electromagnetic coil with a fixed core, and a drive circuit that performs switching control of the drive current, and the electromagnetic coil and the permanent magnet are closed when the opening / closing member is closed. The core and the permanent magnet oppose each other in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet, and are separately mounted on the main body of the storage container and the opening / closing member, and the drive circuit performs an opening operation of the opening / closing member. 5. The distribution cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the drive current is switched so as to cause the core to generate a repulsive force on the permanent magnet. 6.

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