JP2008279167A - Powder cassette and powder dividing and folding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder cassette which permits an appropriate powder to be chosen from among a variety of kinds of powders, and the amount of the powder corresponding to a pack to be precisely discharged, measured, and divided and packed, and a powder dividing and packing machine. <P>SOLUTION: The powder cassette 2 has a case 9 storing the powder A, a nearly cylindrical discharge portion 10 penetrating the case 9 from the inside 9a to the outside 9b and projecting to the outside 9b, and a transfer means 11 to discharge the powder A stored in the inside 9a of the case 9 from the discharge portion 10 to the outside 9b of the case 9. The tip portion 17a and the base end portion 17b of the discharge portion 10 are joined by a flexible jointing member 17c. The tip portion 17a is given vibrations by a vibrating means. The transfer means 11 is provided with screw shafts 20 and 21 as a transfer portion, and transmission portions 22 and 23, and a driving force is transmitted by a driving portion 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder cassette for storing various powders and a packaging machine including the powder cassette.

Conventionally, a series of sachets in which a suitable powder is selected from various types of powders, the amount of powder for one prescription is measured and collected, and one prescription powder is packaged as a single dose. Various devices have been proposed for work. For example, a powder supply device has been proposed that selects an appropriate powder from various powders stored in a plurality of powder containers, measures the amount of powder for one desired prescription, and discharges the powder (for example, (See Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). Moreover, the powder supply apparatus which provides a screw in the discharge part of the cassette which accommodates a powder, and discharges the required amount of powder has been proposed (for example, refer patent document 3).
JP-A-5-170202 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-170203 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-100188

  However, these powder supply devices discharge the amount of powder corresponding to one prescription from the powder stored in the powder container, and once again discharge this one prescription powder into the existing packaging machine. It is necessary to divide and package each dose. For this reason, it is necessary to measure and package at least two steps before packaging the powder into a predetermined amount and prescribing it to the patient. There was a problem that the space to do was needed. In addition, in the powder supply device provided with a screw in the discharge part, it is possible to discharge the powder in the cassette with a simple mechanism, but the powder is not absorbed by moisture or static electricity or by the pressure applied when transported. It may become a lump. For this reason, it is discharged in the form of a lump at the time of discharge, and as a result, there is a problem that the high-precision measurement required for the measurement of powder in a single package unit cannot be performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and selects an appropriate powder from various types of powders, and accurately discharges, measures, and packages powders corresponding to one package. A powder cassette and a sachet machine are provided.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The invention according to claim 1 is a case for storing a powder, a substantially cylindrical discharge portion penetrating from the inside to the outside of the case, and the powder stored inside the case from the discharge portion to the case. The powder cassette is provided with a conveying means for discharging to the outside, and the discharging portion or the conveying means is vibrated by a vibrating means for generating vibration.

  According to the powder cassette according to the present invention, the powder stored in the case is discharged from the discharge part by a predetermined amount from the discharge part, but in the process of passing through the discharge part, it passes through the discharge part or the transfer means. The powder is given vibration. For this reason, the powdered powder that has been lumped due to moisture, static electricity, or pressure is decomposed again into powder and discharged from the discharge portion to the outside of the case. Therefore, the amount discharged from the discharge portion is kept uniform according to the pressure applied by the conveying means, without the powdered powder being discontinuously discharged.

The invention according to claim 2 is the powder cassette according to claim 1, wherein the transport means includes a transport unit that transports the powder, and a transmission unit that transmits a driving force to the transport unit, It is characterized in that it is transmitted to the transmission unit from a drive unit provided outside.
According to the powder cassette according to the present invention, the transport unit can be driven by providing a drive unit for driving the transport unit outside the powder cassette and connecting to the transmission unit of the transport unit as necessary. For this reason, since it is not necessary to provide a drive part in each powdered cassette, it is possible to simplify the components related to the powdered cassette, and to provide a powdered cassette that discharges the powder stored with high accuracy with a simple structure. Can do.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the powder cassette according to the first or second aspect, the transport portion of the transport means is substantially cylindrical, and a spiral groove is formed at a constant interval on the outer peripheral portion. The screw shaft is configured such that one end of the screw shaft is rotatably inserted into the discharge portion.

  According to the powder cassette according to the present invention, the powder can be transported by a simple mechanism by using the screw shaft as the transport portion of the transport means. Moreover, the conveyance amount of the powder by a screw shaft can control a conveyance amount correctly with a rotational force and rotation speed. For this reason, by giving vibration to the screw shaft that is the discharge part or the conveying means, the amount of powder discharged from the discharge part per unit time can be kept constant, and even in a minute amount of measurement such as one package unit Can respond.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the powder cassette according to the third aspect, the outer diameter of the screw shaft, which is the conveying portion of the conveying means, is determined so that the screw shaft is inserted into the discharging portion. It is characterized in that it is set so that a gap of a predetermined dimension is formed between the inner surface of the part and the outer surface of the screw shaft.

  According to the powder cassette according to the present invention, since the gap is formed between the discharge portion and the screw shaft, the powder to be conveyed is rotated between the inner surface of the discharge portion and the screw shaft by rotating the screw shaft. There is no risk of crushing between the outer surface and fine graining. For this reason, not only can the quality of the powder be maintained, but also the flow characteristics and density of the powder do not change as the particle size is reduced, so that the amount of powder discharged can be kept constant.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the powder cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the discharge part penetrates from the inner side to the outer side of the tip part protruding outside the case. A base end portion which is a portion, and the vibration by the vibration generating means is given to the tip end portion of the discharge portion.

  According to the powder cassette according to the present invention, the powder discharged from the discharge part is vibrated immediately before discharge by giving vibration to the tip of the discharge part, and the lump-shaped part is again pulverized. To do. For this reason, there is no fear of becoming a block again during the conveyance, which is more effective.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the powder cassette according to the fifth aspect, the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the discharge portion are separated and coaxial with a flexible substantially cylindrical joining member. It is characterized by being bonded to the top.
According to the powder cassette according to the present invention, the tip of the discharge part to which vibration is applied is joined by the flexible joining member, so that the vibration generated by the vibration generating means is transmitted to the powder inside the discharge part. Can do.

  The invention which concerns on Claim 7 is a packaging machine using the powder cassette in any one of Claim 2-6, Comprising: The installation part which installs the said powder cassette, and the said powder cassette on the said installation part When installed, the drive unit capable of applying the driving force to the transmission unit of the conveying means of the powder cassette, and when the powder cassette is installed in the installation unit, the powder cassette is vibrated. And the vibration generating means that can be provided.

  According to the packaging machine according to the present invention, a powder cassette containing a type of powder that needs to be packaged is selected from a large number of powder cassettes containing various powders and installed in the installation section. For example, the driving unit is connected to the transmission unit of the conveying means of the powder cassette, and the vibration generating means abuts on a site to which vibration of the powder cassette is applied, so that the powder can be discharged. For this reason, in this packaging machine, if a desired powder is selected, a powder cassette containing the powder is installed in the installation section, and the exciter and the drive unit are operated, the accuracy required for one package unit. It is possible to always discharge a certain amount of powder and package it.

The invention according to claim 8 is the packaging machine according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of the powder cassettes can be installed, and a plurality of the installation section, the drive section, and the vibration generating means corresponding to the powder cassette are also provided. It is characterized by being able to.
According to the packaging machine according to the present invention, it is possible to install and discharge a plurality of powder cassettes, so that it is not necessary to replace the powder cassette every time the powder to be packaged is different. For this reason, it is suitable for the case where different powders are continuously packaged in order for each dose, or for the case where several predetermined types of powders are packaged continuously for several packages.

The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that, in the packaging machine according to claim 7 or claim 8, the vibration generating force of the vibration generating means is a vibration motor.
According to the packaging machine according to the present invention, vibrations can be effectively applied to the installed powder cassette by a small-scale vibrating means.

  According to the present invention, by applying vibration to the powder discharged from the powder cassette, the powdered powder that has become agglomerated during conveyance by the conveying means can be made into powder again. That is, the powder is not discharged discontinuously but in a lump, and is discharged with a constant discharge amount by the pressure of the conveying means. For this reason, if a conveying means capable of controlling a small amount of discharge with a simple structure such as a screw shaft is used, it is not necessary to measure one prescription from the powder cassette containing the powder, and directly into one package. Can be discharged, weighed and packaged.

  1 to 3 show an embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the packaging machine 1. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the powder cassette 2 and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the powder cassette 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment includes three powder cassettes 2 each containing an arbitrary type of powder A, an installation unit 3 for installing the powder cassette 2, and a powder cassette 2. A driving unit 4 for transmitting a driving force and an exciting means 5 for applying vibration to the powder cassette 2 are provided. Furthermore, the packaging machine 1 measures the powder A discharged from the powder cassette 2 for each package unit, and discharges the weighing means 6 and the powder A of one package unit discharged by the weighing means 6 in one place. A collecting hopper 7 to be assembled is provided, and packaging means 8 which is positioned below the collecting hopper 7 and wraps the powder A in a single unit assembled by the collecting hopper 7.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the powder cassette 2 accommodates powder A and is formed in a case 9 that forms the outer shell, and is located in the lower part of the case 9, and penetrates from the inner side 9 a to the outer side 9 b of the case 9. The substantially cylindrical discharge part 10 which protrudes to 9b, and the conveyance means 11 which discharges the powder A accommodated in the inner side 9a of the case 9 from the discharge part 10 to the outer side 9b of the case 9 are provided.

  The case 9 has an upper portion 9c opened, a storage portion 12 in which the powder A charged from the upper portion 9c is first stored, and a supply portion that is positioned below the storage portion 12 and is transported by the transport means 11 13 and a leg portion 14 projecting from the lower end 12a of the accommodating portion 12. The supply unit 13 is narrowed in the front-rear direction with respect to the storage unit 12, and a space in which the discharge unit 10 protrudes from the front 13 a of the supply unit 13, and is conveyed from the drive unit 4 described later to the rear 13 b. A space in which the rotational force is transmitted to the means 11 is provided. Moreover, the supply part 13 is provided so that it may not contact with an installation surface by the leg part 14, when the powdered medicine cassette 2 is installed. Further, a taper member 15 is provided between the accommodating portion 12 and the supply portion 13 on the inner side 9 a of the case 9. By this taper member 15, the powder A stored in the inner side 9a of the case 9 moves smoothly to the supply unit 13 whose width is narrowed from the storage unit 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the planar shape of the housing portion 12 of the case 9 has a convex shape forward, and the angle θ of the distal end portion 12 b of the housing portion 12 is set within 120 degrees. Yes. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1, even if three powder cassettes 2 are arranged radially, they do not interfere with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge unit 10 includes a first discharge unit 16 and a second discharge unit 17. The first discharge portion 16 and the second discharge portion 17 are both substantially cylindrical, and in the supply portion 13 located below the case 9, the first discharge portion 16 and the second discharge portion 17 penetrate from the inner side 9a of the case 9 to the outer side 9b and protrude to the outer side 9b. ing. Further, the second discharge portion 17 has a distal end portion 17a protruding from the outer side 9b of the case 9 and a proximal end portion 17b extending from the inner side 9a of the case 9 to the outer side 9b. Yes. The distal end portion 17a and the base end portion 17b of the second discharge portion 17 are externally fitted and joined by a flexible substantially cylindrical joining member 17c so as to be coaxial. Further, the inner diameter of the first discharge part 16 is set larger than the inner diameter of the second discharge part 17, and the first discharge part 16 is positioned above the second discharge part 17. As shown, they are arranged in the vertical direction. Furthermore, when the powder cassette 2 is installed so as to be engaged with an engagement portion 3a of the installation portion 3 described later, a transmission portion 35c of a transmission member 35 of the excitation means 5 described later, It is set so that the lower surface 17e of the front end portion 17a of the discharge portion 17 comes into contact.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the transport unit 11 includes a first transport unit 18 corresponding to each of the first discharge unit 16 and the second discharge unit 17 that are the two discharge units 10, and a second transport unit 18. It is comprised with the conveyance means 19. The first conveying means 18 and the second conveying means 19 respectively have screw shafts 20 and 21 having substantially different cylindrical outer diameters that are conveying portions, and rotational forces that are driving forces on the screw shafts 20 and 21. And transmission units 22 and 23 for transmission. The screw shafts 20 and 21 are inserted into the corresponding first discharge portions 16 and second discharge portions 17 at one ends 20a and 21a, respectively, and the transmission portions 22 and 23 are coaxially formed at the other ends 20b and 21b. It is joined. Here, the outer diameter of the screw shaft 20 of the first conveying means 18 corresponds to the magnitude relationship between the inner diameter of the first discharging portion and the inner diameter of the second discharging portion, and the screw of the second conveying means 19. The shaft 21 is set to be large. The transmission units 22 and 23 include shafts 22a and 23a that are joined to the screw shafts 20 and 21, respectively, and gears 22b and 23b that are joined coaxially with the shafts 22a and 23a.

  The screw shafts 20 and 21 that are the conveyance units constituting the first conveyance unit 18 and the second conveyance unit 19, the shafts 22 a and 23 a that are the transmission units 22 and 23, and the gears 22 b and 23 b are integrated with each other. ing. The shafts 22a and 23a pass through the rear wall 13d facing the front wall 13c of the supply part 13 of the case 9 where the discharge part 10 is formed, and the gears 22b and 23b are exposed to the rear 13b of the supply part 13. ing. Further, the shafts 22a and 23a are pivotally mounted by a rear wall 13d of the supply part 13 of the case 9 and a support plate 12c protruding from the lower end 12a of the housing part 12 of the case 9, respectively. . Furthermore, helical grooves 20d and 21d are formed at regular intervals on the outer peripheral portions 20c and 21c of the screw shafts 20 and 21, respectively.

  Further, the outer diameters of the screw shafts 20 and 21 are set such that the inner diameter 16d of the first discharge part 16 or the second discharge part 17 when penetrating into the corresponding first discharge part 16 or the second discharge part 17, A gap 24, 25 having a predetermined dimension is formed between 17d and the outer surfaces 20e, 21e of the screw shafts 20, 21. Here, the predetermined dimension in the gaps 24 and 25 means that the screw shafts 20 and 21 are rotated, and when the powder A is conveyed by the grooves 20d and 21d formed in the screw shafts 20 and 21, the conveyance efficiency is increased. Is a gap with an upper limit of a size that does not decrease. Furthermore, when the screw shafts 20 and 21 are rotated, the lower limit is a size that prevents the powder A located in the gaps 24 and 25 from being crushed by the screw shafts 20 and 21.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the installation part 3 is provided with an engaging part 3 a that positions and engages the powder cassette 2 at a predetermined position. In the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment, three sets of engaging portions 3a are provided so that three powder cassettes 2 can be installed. Moreover, three sets of the drive parts 4 are provided so as to correspond to each of the three powdered medicine cassettes 2 installed, and each of the driving parts 4 includes the first conveying means 18 and the second conveying means of the powdered cassette 2. 19, a first driving unit 26 and a second driving unit 27 are provided. The first drive unit 26 and the second drive unit 27 include motors 28 and 29 that generate a rotational force as a driving force, shafts 30 and 31 that transmit the rotational force of the motors 28 and 29, and a shaft 30, respectively. 31 and gears 32 and 33 joined coaxially. The shafts 30 and 31 are joined to the motors 28 and 29 at one end portions 30a and 31a, and are joined to the gears 32 and 33 at other end portions 30b and 31b. Further, the gears 32 and 33 are respectively connected to the first transport unit 18 and the second transport unit 19 corresponding to the powder cassette 2 when the powder cassette 2 is installed by being engaged with the engaging portion 3a of the installation unit 3. It arrange | positions so that it may mesh | engage with the gears 22b and 23b of the transmission parts 22 and 23 of this.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vibration generating means 5 includes a vibration motor 34 that generates vibration, a substantially plate-like transmission member 35, and a support portion 36 that supports the transmission member 35 to the installation portion 3 at one end portion 35a. It consists of and. The transmission member 35 includes a vibration receiving portion 35b provided with the vibration motor 34 and the support portion 36, a vibration transmitting portion 35c for transmitting the vibration transmitted from the vibration motor 34 to the vibration receiving portion 35b to the powdered medicine cassette 2, and a vibration transmitting portion 35c. It is comprised with the diagonal material part 35d which connects the vibration receiving part 35b. As shown in FIG. 2, when the powder cassette 2 is installed by being engaged with the engaging portion 3 a of the installation portion 3, the vibration generating means 5 has a distal end portion 17 a of the second discharge portion 17 of the powder cassette 2. The lower surface 17e of the oscillating member 5 and the vibration transmitting portion 35c of the transmission member 35 of the vibration generating means 5 are disposed so as to contact each other. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, three sets of the vibration excitation means 5 are provided so as to correspond to each of the three powdered powder cassettes 2 installed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the weighing means 6 has a weighing pan 37 for storing the powder A discharged from the discharge portion 10 of the powder cassette 2 and a substantially rod-like shape, and holds the weighing pan 37 at one end 38a. A load cell 38 that is fixed to the installation portion 3 at the other end 38b and that can measure the weight of the powder A stored in the weighing pan 37 is provided. The bottom plate 37a of the weighing pan 37 is pivotally attached at one side edge portion 37c of the wall portion 37b. When a predetermined weight is weighed, the bottom plate 37a can be turned downward to drop the powder A downward. In addition, the weighing pan 37 is disposed so as to be positioned immediately below the distal end portion 17 a of the second discharge portion 17 when the powder cassette 2 is installed by being engaged with the engaging portion 3 a of the installation portion 3. . Further, as shown in FIG. 1, three sets of measuring means 6 are provided so as to correspond to each of the three powdered cassettes 2 installed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the collecting hopper 7 has a funnel shape in which the lower opening 7b is set smaller than the upper opening 7a. The upper opening 7a has a size capable of collecting the powder A dropped from the weighing pan 37 of the three sets of weighing means 6. Moreover, the lower opening 7b has a size corresponding to the size of one package unit of the packaging roll paper 40 for packaging the powder A described later.

  Further, the packaging means 8 includes a rotation mechanism 39, a packaging roll paper 40 pivotally attached to the rotation mechanism 39, a guide portion 42 for guiding the packaging roll paper 40 to the dropping position 41 of the powder A, and a dropping position 41. Before and after the above, a welding mechanism (not shown) for welding the packaging roll paper 40 so as to become one package after the powder A is dropped on the packaging roll paper 40 is provided.

  Furthermore, the packaging machine 1 includes a setting unit (not shown) that sets a desired amount of powder in one unit, and a control unit that controls the operation of the drive unit 4, the vibration generating unit 5, the weighing unit 6 or the packaging unit 8 ( (Not shown), a power supply unit (not shown) for supplying power to the drive unit 4, the vibration generating unit 5, the weighing unit 6, the packaging unit 8, the control unit (not shown), and the like.

  Next, the operation of the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, first, a powder cassette 2 in which a predetermined powder A is accommodated is selected from various powders, and is engaged with and installed in the engaging portion 3 a of the installation portion 3. In the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment, up to three powder cassettes 2 can be installed. As shown in FIG. 2, when the powder cassette 2 is installed by engaging with the engaging portion 3 a of the installation portion 3, the lower surface 17 e of the distal end portion 17 a of the second discharge portion 17 of the powder cassette 2 and the vibrating means 5 The transmission member 35 of the transmission member 35 is in contact with the vibration transmitting portion 35c. Furthermore, the gear 22b of the transmission part 22 of the 1st conveyance means 18 of the powder cassette 2 and the gear 32 of the 1st drive part 26 will be in the state which mesh | engaged. Similarly, the gear 23b of the transmission part 23 of the second transport means 19 of the powder cassette 2 and the gear 33 of the second drive part 27 are engaged with each other. In addition, a weighing pan 37 of the weighing means 6 is disposed immediately below the distal end portion 17 a of the second discharge portion 17 of the powder cassette 2.

  In this state, a switch (not shown) of a power supply unit (not shown) is turned on to operate the packaging machine 1. The first drive unit 26 and the second drive unit 27 have a predetermined number of rotations so that the predetermined powder amount is discharged from the powder cassette 2 according to the powder amount set by the setting means (not shown). Rotate. The motors 28 and 29 are operated, and the rotation is transmitted from the shafts 30 and 31 to the gears 32 and 33. Further, here, the screw shafts 20, 21 are transmitted to the gears 22b, 23b of the transmission parts 22, 23 of the first conveying means 18 and the second conveying means 19 of the powder cassette 2, and via the shafts 22a, 23a. Rotate. Since the grooves 20d and 21d are formed in the screw shafts 20 and 21 at regular intervals and constant depths, the powder A inside and around the grooves 20d and 21d is proportional to the rotational speed. The first discharge unit 16 and the second discharge unit 17 are discharged. When sequentially transported and discharged, the powder A in the supply unit 13, the first discharge unit 16, and the second discharge unit 17 of the case 9 where the screw shafts 20 and 21 are located is lost, but the case is located above. 9 are sequentially supplied by the own weight of powder A and the guidance of the taper member 15.

  Here, since the outer diameter of the screw shaft 21 of the second conveying means 19 is set smaller than the outer diameter of the screw shaft 20 of the first conveying means 18, it is compared with the first conveying means 18. Thus, although the amount of powder A transported by the second transport means 19 is small, it is suitable for adjusting a very small amount of transport. Therefore, at the start of operation, after the powder A is transported and discharged by the first transport means 18, and after the measured powder amount reaches a certain amount that does not reach a predetermined one package by the weighing means 6 Then, switching to the transport by the second transport means 19 is performed. By doing in this way, it is possible to ensure both the discharge efficiency and the discharge accuracy for the discharge operation for one package. Moreover, since the 1st discharge part 16 and the 2nd discharge part 17 are arranged in the perpendicular direction, the range where the powder A is discharged from both can be reduced, the width of the powder cassette 2, It is not necessary to increase the size of the weighing pan 37 of the weighing means 6 more than necessary. In addition, if the vertical distance between the weighing pan 37 of the weighing means 6 and the discharge unit 10 is long, the time difference between the discharge from the discharge unit 10 and the measurement by the weighing means 6 becomes large, and the time difference Depending on the amount discharged, an error occurs in the amount of powder. However, this problem can be solved by providing the second discharge part 17 that finally adjusts the amount of powdered powder below the first discharge part 16. By the way, the powder A may be agglomerated by the pressure accompanying the rotation of the screw shafts 20, 21, the humidity around the packaging machine 1, static electricity, and the like. If powder A becomes a lump, even if it is accurately conveyed and discharged by the screw shafts 20, 21, it is discharged as a lump at the time of discharge, and the accuracy becomes lump. The powder A stays within the weight range. However, since the tip portion 17a of the second discharge portion 17 is vibrated by the vibration generating means 5, the powder A is subjected to vibration immediately before being discharged from the tip portion 17a of the second discharge portion 17. It is decomposed again and returns to powder. For this reason, the fall of the discharge | emission precision by the powder A becoming agglomerate is prevented, and according to the rotation speed of a screw shaft, discharge amount can be maintained uniformly. Further, by forming a lump, it is possible to prevent the drive unit 4 from being seized due to clogging or an increase in conveyance resistance. Further, in the second discharge part 17, the tip part 17a to which vibration is applied is joined to the base end part 17b by a flexible joining member 17c, so that only the tip part 17a effectively vibrates. Can be transmitted to powder A.

  Further, gaps 24 and 25 are formed between the first discharge unit 16 and the second discharge unit 17 and the screw shafts 20 and 21 of the first transfer unit 18 and the second transfer unit 19. Yes. For this reason, the powder A conveyed inside the 1st discharge part 16 and the 2nd discharge part 17 corresponds to the inner surfaces 16d and 17d of the 1st discharge part 16 and the 2nd discharge part 17, and the corresponding 1st. There is no fear of being crushed by the outer surfaces 20e and 21e of the screw shafts 20 and 21 of the conveying means 18 and the second conveying means 19 and becoming finer. By preventing the powder A to be transported from being finely divided, the inner surfaces 16d and 17d of the first discharge unit 16 and the second discharge unit 17 correspond to the first transfer unit 18 and the second transfer unit 19 respectively. It is possible to prevent clogging between the outer surfaces 20e and 21e of the screw shafts 20 and 21, further increase the conveyance resistance, and prevent the drive unit 4 from being seized. Moreover, the flow characteristics and density change of powder A itself can be prevented, accurate conveyance and discharge can be maintained, and the quality of powder A can be maintained.

  As described above, the powder A discharged from the powder cassette 2 is discharged to the weighing pan 37 of the weighing means 6 and weighed. Rotation is applied from the drive unit 4 to the transport means 11 so that the amount of powder for one package set by a setting means (not shown) is set, and the powder A is discharged from the powder cassette 2 and measured by the weighing means 6. When it is confirmed that there is no error, the driving unit 4 receives a stop signal from the control unit (not shown), and stops discharging from the powder cassette 2. Next, the control unit (not shown) rotates the bottom plate 37 a of the weighing dish 37 of the weighing means 6 to drop the powder A contained in the weighing dish 37 onto the collecting hopper 7. The powder A dropped onto the collecting hopper 7 is further dropped onto the packaging roll paper 40 located at the dropping position 41 below the collecting hopper 7. After it is confirmed that all powder A has been dropped, that is, after the measurement value of the weighing means 6 becomes zero, the bottom plate 37a of the weighing dish 37 of the weighing means 6 is closed again, and the packaging roll paper 40 is turned. The powder A that has been moved by one packet by the moving mechanism 39 and the guide part 42 and dropped is sealed into one package by a welding mechanism (not shown). This process is defined as one process, and one package is sequentially discharged from the powder cassette 2 and packaged.

  As described above, in the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment, three powder cassettes 2 can be installed. For this reason, in the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment, the following packaging operations are possible. For example, the powder A to be taken at one time is assumed to be three types of A1, A2, and A3, and these are prescribed so that they can be taken several times. In this case, one in which powder A1, A2, A3 are accommodated in three powder cassettes 2 is selected. Then, by inputting to the setting means (not shown) that a predetermined amount of powder A1, A2, A3 is to be taken one by one for each dose, and controlled by a control unit (not shown), A1, A2, By discharging and packaging A3 one package at a time, (A1, A2, A3), (A1, A2, A3), (A1...) Can be packaged for each dose. In addition, when prescribing 10 powders of A1, A2, A3 to multiple people, 10 powders of A1 are continuously packaged, 10 powders of A2 are continuously packaged, and 10 powders of A3 are continuously packaged. A method of packaging and starting again from powder A1 is also possible, etc. Of course, various methods can be applied without being limited to these packaging methods.

  As mentioned above, although the effect | action of the packaging machine 1 of embodiment which concerns on this invention was demonstrated, the powder shaft A discharged | emitted by the vibration excitation means 5 is achieved, and the screw shafts 20 and 21 are used as a conveyance part of the conveyance means 11. By using this, it is possible to realize precise conveyance and discharge of powder A by a simple mechanism. For this reason, the amount of powder for one package can be measured directly from the powder cassette 2 in which powder A is stored and packaged, thereby improving work efficiency, reducing the size of the device, and reducing the cost of the device. it can. Further, by using the vibration motor 34 as the vibration generating force of the vibration generating means 5, vibration can be effectively applied on a small scale. Further, by providing two discharge units 10 of different sizes and corresponding transfer means 11, it is possible to further improve transfer efficiency of powder A, discharge efficiency of discharge work, and discharge accuracy. Further, the drive unit 4 for driving the transport means 11 of the powder cassette 2 and the vibration generating means 5 for applying vibration to the powder cassette 2 are provided outside the powder cassette 2, thereby reducing the cost and weight of the powder cassette 2. be able to. By adopting such a powder cassette 2 and a packaging machine 1, it is necessary to store enormous kinds of powders, select necessary powders from the stored powders and package them according to the symptoms of the customer. In pharmacies, it is possible to reduce packaging work, save space, and reduce costs.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail with reference to drawings, the concrete structure is not restricted to this embodiment, The design change etc. of the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention are included.

  In addition, although the three powder cassettes 2 can be installed in the installation unit 3 of the packaging machine 1, the present invention is not limited to this. If the size of the apparatus is to be reduced, only one powder cassette 2 may be installed, or three or more powder cassettes may be installed. Moreover, although the conveyance part of the conveyance means 11 was used as the screw shaft, it is not restricted to this. Moreover, although the vibration by the vibration generating means 5 is given only to the tip part 17a of the second discharge part 17, it is not limited to this. For example, the same effect can be obtained even if vibration is applied to the first discharge unit 16. Further, not only the distal end portion 17a of the second discharge portion 17 but also the base end portion 17b may be vibrated, and the same effect can be expected even if the conveying means 11 is vibrated. Furthermore, only the second discharge portion 17 has the distal end portion 17a and the base end portion 17b separated and joined by the flexible joining member 17c. As a similar configuration, vibration may be applied to the tip. Moreover, although the conveyance means 11 of the powder cassette 2 and the drive part 4 provided outside are assumed to be transmitted by the gear mechanism, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, friction drive using rollers or the like may be used, or belt drive may be used. Moreover, although the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment shall be used only for powdered medicine, it is not restricted to this, It is good also as an apparatus used together with the packaging of a tablet.

It is a top view of the packaging machine of embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the powder cassette of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the powder cassette of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Packing machine 2 Powder cassette 3 Installation part 4 Drive part 5 Exciting means 9 Case 9a Inner 9b Outer 10 Discharge part 11 Conveyance means 17a Tip part 17b Base end part 17c Joining member 20, 21 Screw shaft (conveyance part)
22, 23 Transmitter 24, 25 Gap 34 Vibration motor A Powder

Claims (9)

A case for storing powder, a substantially cylindrical discharge portion penetrating from the inside to the outside of the case, and a conveying means for discharging the powder stored inside the case from the discharge portion to the outside of the case A powder cassette comprising:
The discharge cassette or the transport means is vibrated by a vibration generating means for generating vibrations. The powder cassette according to claim 1,
The transport means includes a transport unit that transports powdered medicine and a transmission unit that transmits a driving force to the transport unit, and the driving force is transmitted to the transmission unit from a driving unit provided outside. And a powder cassette. In the powder cassette according to claim 1 or 2,
The conveying portion of the conveying means is formed of a screw shaft having a substantially cylindrical shape and helical grooves formed at a constant interval on the outer peripheral portion, and one end of the screw shaft penetrates the discharge portion so as to freely rotate. A powder cassette. The powder cassette according to claim 3,
The outer diameter of the screw shaft, which is the conveying portion of the conveying means, is a gap having a predetermined dimension between the inner surface of the discharging portion and the outer surface of the screw shaft when the screw shaft penetrates into the discharging portion. A powder cassette, wherein the powder cassette is set to be formed. In the powder cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The discharge portion includes a distal end portion that protrudes to the outside of the case, and a base end portion that is a portion penetrating from the inside to the outside of the case,
The powder cassette according to claim 1, wherein the vibration by the vibration generating means is given to the tip of the discharge portion. The powder cassette according to claim 5,
The powder cassette according to claim 1, wherein the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the discharge portion are separated and are coaxially joined by a flexible substantially cylindrical joining member. A packaging machine using the powder cassette according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
An installation section for installing the powder cassette;
When the powder cassette is installed in the installation unit, the drive unit capable of applying the driving force to the transmission unit of the transport unit of the powder cassette;
A packaging machine comprising: the vibrating means capable of applying vibration to the powder cassette when the powder cassette is installed in the installation section. The packaging machine according to claim 7,
A packaging machine, wherein a plurality of powder cassettes can be installed, and a plurality of installation units, drive units, and vibration generators corresponding to the powder cassettes are provided. The packaging machine according to claim 7 or 8,
The packaging machine characterized in that the vibration generating force of the vibration generating means is a vibration motor.

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