JP2020044168A - Cassette and article feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cassette capable of taking out one by one a stick package.SOLUTION: A bottom part 12 has a marginal part 13 on a position separated from a front wall part 14. A recess 22 recessed to the bottom part 12 is formed between the marginal part 13 and the front wall part 14. Such a constitution is adopted that a movable member 30 is moved upward along the front wall part 14 from a position where an upper end 33 is arranged in the recess 22 up to a position where the upper end 33 reaches an upper edge 14A of the front wall part 14, and allows a stick package to get over the upper edge 14A of the front wall part 14, to thereby take it out from a cassette 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a cassette capable of storing articles and an article supply device that supplies the articles.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-324309 (Patent Document 1) discloses an apparatus for supplying ampules.

JP-A-10-324309

  Although the device disclosed in the above document may be suitable for supplying cylindrical articles such as ampules, it surely supplies flat cylindrical articles such as stick packages one by one. It is difficult to do.

  The present disclosure provides a cassette from which stick packages can be taken out one by one, and an article supply device that can supply stick packages one by one.

  According to the present disclosure, there is provided a cassette having a storage space capable of storing one or more stick packages. The cassette includes a bottom portion that forms a bottom surface of the accommodation space, and a wall portion that rises with respect to the bottom portion and forms one wall of the accommodation space. The bottom has an edge away from the wall. A recess is formed between the edge and the wall so as to be recessed with respect to the bottom. The cassette further includes a movable member. The movable member has an upper end. The movable member moves upward along the wall from the position where the upper end is located in the concave portion to at least the position where the upper end reaches the vicinity of the upper edge of the wall, and moves the stick package body to the upper edge of the wall. And take it out of the cassette.

  In the above cassette, the movable member has a facing surface facing the wall and a facing surface opposite to the facing surface. The movable member has a recessed portion whose lower surface is recessed below the upper end so that the thickness of the movable member is smaller than the thickness of the movable member at the upper end.

  In the above-described cassette, the opposite surface has an inclined surface portion connected to the depression portion below the depression portion. The inclined surface portion is inclined so that the thickness of the movable member increases downward from the recessed portion so that the thickness of the movable member at the lower edge of the opposite surface is greater than the thickness of the movable member at the upper end.

  In the above cassette, the thickness of the movable member at the upper end is less than 0.5 times the width of the stick package, and is 0.5 times or more and less than 1.5 times the thickness of the stick package.

  The above-mentioned cassette is provided with a restricting portion for restricting the movement of the stick package body accommodated in the accommodation space toward the concave portion in the vicinity of the edge.

  In the cassette described above, the arrangement of the restricting portion can be changed so as to allow the stick package to move toward the concave portion.

  In the cassette described above, when the movable member is at the position where the upper end is located in the concave portion, the restricting portion restricts the movement of the stick package toward the concave portion. When the movable member is at the position where the upper end reaches the vicinity of the upper edge of the wall portion, the restricting portion allows the stick package to move toward the concave portion.

  In the above cassette, when the movable member is at a position where the upper end reaches the vicinity of the upper edge of the wall portion, the movable member regulates the movement of the stick package toward the concave portion.

  According to the present disclosure, there is provided an article supply device including the cassette according to any of the above aspects, and a container that opens upward and receives a stick package to be removed from the cassette.

  In the above article supply device, the container moves to a position adjacent to the wall of the cassette and receives the stick package removed from the cassette. The cassette is arranged so that the wall portion is inclined toward the container as the wall portion approaches the upper edge.

  In the above-mentioned article supply device, the cassette is arranged so that the bottom is inclined downward as approaching the edge.

  In the above article supply device, the driving force for moving the movable member is transmitted from the container to the movable member.

  In the above article supply device, the stick package is mounted on the upper end of the movable member that moves toward the upper edge of the wall, and the stick package moves over the upper edge of the wall and moves from the cassette to the container.

  The cassette and the article supply device according to the present disclosure can take out and supply the stick packages one by one.

It is a perspective view which shows a stick packaging body typically. It is a schematic front view which shows the schematic structure of an article supply apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a cassette. It is a perspective view from a different angle of a cassette. It is a perspective view of the cassette which changed the bird's-eye view angle. It is the perspective view which omitted illustration of the movable member from FIG. It is a perspective view showing composition of a movable member. It is a perspective view from a different angle of a movable member. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a conveyance container. It is the perspective view which arranged the conveyance container side by side in front of the cassette. It is a 1st figure which shows operation | movement which moves an article from a cassette to a conveyance container. It is a 2nd figure which shows the operation | movement which moves an article from a cassette to a conveyance container. It is the 3rd figure which shows the operation | movement which moves an article from a cassette to a conveyance container. It is the 4th figure which shows the operation which moves the article from the cassette to the conveyance container. It is a 5th figure showing operation which moves an article from a cassette to a conveyance container.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[Stick package 100]
First, a stick package 100, which is an example of an article stored in a cassette according to the embodiment and supplied by the article supply device according to the embodiment, will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the stick package 100.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the stick package 100 has a flat cylindrical shape. The stick package 100 has a main body 101 and a seal 102. The main body 101 has a long shape extending in the length direction (X direction shown in the drawing). Seal portions 102 are provided at both ends of the main body 101 in the length direction. The seal portion 102 is formed by heat-sealing the packaging material constituting the stick package 100 and thereafter cutting the heat-sealed portion. The seal portion 102 extends in a width direction (Y direction shown in the drawing) orthogonal to the length direction.

  The dimension of the stick package 100 in the width direction, which is denoted by the symbol w in FIG. 1, is referred to as the width of the stick package 100. The direction orthogonal to the length direction and the width direction (the Z direction shown in the drawing) is referred to as the thickness direction. The dimension of the stick package 100 in the thickness direction, which is denoted by the symbol t in FIG. 1, is referred to as the thickness of the stick package 100.

  The stick package 100 has a vertical seal portion (not shown in FIG. 1) extending in the length direction in addition to the seal portion 102 extending in the width direction. The stick package 100 is formed as a bag having a closed space inside the main body 101, and the contents are stored in the internal space of the main body 101. The content of the stick package 100 is, for example, a drug or food and drink. When the content of the stick package 100 is a drug, the dosage form may be a granule, powder, tablet, liquid or the like.

  In the present specification, a stick in which the length and width directions of the stick package 100 extend in a direction substantially parallel to the mounting surface on which the stick package 100 is mounted, so that the flat shape is along the mounting surface. The posture of the package 100 is referred to as the posture in which the stick package 100 is lying. A stick package 100 in which the length direction of the stick package 100 extends substantially parallel to the mounting surface, the width direction extends substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface, and the flat shape is substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface. Is referred to as a posture in which the stick package 100 stands.

[Article supply device 1]
FIG. 2 is a schematic front view illustrating a schematic configuration of the article supply device 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the article supply device 1 includes a housing 2. A plurality of cassettes 10 accommodating the articles (stick package 100) are vertically arranged (six in the embodiment) and a plurality of (four in the embodiment) are arranged in the left-right direction and housed in the housing 2. Have been. The cassette 10 is configured to be detachable from the housing 2. A user using the article supply device 1 can take out the cassette 10 and manually store the stick package 100 inside the cassette 10.

  The housing 2 also houses a transport container 60 and a relay container 80. The transport container 60 and the relay container 80 are provided separately from each other, and are separately attached to the housing 2. The transport container 60 is configured to be movable in the vertical and horizontal directions at a position forward of the cassette 10. The relay container 80 is located below the cassette 10.

  A payout tray 90 is arranged below the relay container 80. The payout tray 90 is transported from outside the housing 2 to a predetermined position inside the housing 2 below the relay container 80. The payout tray 90 is transported to the outside of the housing 2 from a predetermined position inside the housing 2 below the relay container 80.

[Cassette 10]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the cassette 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the cassette 10 has a rectangular box-like schematic shape with an open top, and has a housing space 20 inside. The cassette 10 can accommodate one or more stick packages 100 in the accommodation space 20.

  The cassette 10 includes a bottom 12, a front wall 14, side walls 16 and 17, and a rear wall 18. The bottom portion 12 has a substantially flat plate shape, and forms a bottom surface of the housing space 20. The front wall portion 14, the side wall portions 16, 17 and the rear wall portion 18 are provided so as to rise with respect to the bottom portion 12. The front wall portion 14, the side wall portion 16, the side wall portion 17, and the rear wall portion 18 each constitute one wall of the accommodation space 20.

  The front wall portion 14 and the rear wall portion 18 are arranged with the accommodation space 20 interposed therebetween. The side wall 16 and the side wall 17 are arranged with the housing space 20 interposed therebetween. The front wall portion 14, the side wall portion 16, the side wall portion 17, and the rear wall portion 18 form four side surfaces of the cassette 10 having a substantially rectangular box shape. The direction in which the front wall portion 14 and the rear wall portion 18 extend and the direction in which the side wall portions 16 and 17 extend are orthogonal to each other.

  In this specification, a direction perpendicular to the bottom 12 of the cassette 10 is referred to as a vertical direction. The direction in which the front wall portion 14 and the rear wall portion 18 are arranged, that is, the direction in which the side wall portions 16 and 17 extend, is referred to as the front-back direction. The direction in which the side wall 16 and the side wall 17 are arranged, that is, the direction in which the front wall 14 and the rear wall 18 extend, is referred to as the left-right direction. The up-down direction, the front-back direction, and the left-right direction are orthogonal to each other.

  In the vertical direction, the direction from the bottom 12 toward the accommodation space 20 is defined as an upward direction, and the direction opposite to the upward direction is defined as a downward direction. In the front-rear direction, the direction from the rear wall 18 to the accommodation space 20 is the front direction, and the direction from the front wall 14 to the accommodation space 20 is the rear direction. In the cassette 10, the front wall portion 14 is disposed at the frontmost position, and the rear wall portion 18 is disposed at the rearmost position.

  The front wall 14 has an upper edge 14A. An outlet inclined portion 15 is provided on an upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. The outlet inclined portion 15 is inclined so as to protrude forward from the front wall portion 14 to the outside of the cassette 10 and downward from the upper edge 14A.

  The cassette 10 further includes a movable member 30. The movable member 30 is arranged along the front wall portion 14 and is arranged inside a space surrounded by the front wall portion 14, the side wall portions 16, 17 and the rear wall portion 18. The movable member 30 is configured to be able to reciprocate up and down. The detailed configuration and operation of the movable member 30 will be described later.

  The cassette 10 further includes a regulating portion 40 and a shaft portion 41. The shaft portion 41 extends in the left-right direction from the side wall portion 16 to the side wall portion 17. The shaft portion 41 is rotatably attached to the side wall portions 16 and 17. Concentric through holes are formed in the side wall portions 16 and 17. The shaft portion 41 is disposed so as to pass through these through holes, and the vicinity of the end portion is supported by the side wall portions 16 and 17.

  A regulating portion 40 is provided at a central portion of the shaft portion 41 in the left-right direction. The restricting portion 40 is attached to the shaft portion 41 so as to be rotatable integrally with the shaft portion 41. For example, the shaft portion 41 may be formed in a shape having a two-sided width, and the regulating portion 40 may be attached to the shaft portion 41 so as to sandwich the two-sided width from both sides. The restricting portion 40 is attached to the shaft portion 41 so as to extend outward in the radial direction of the rotation of the shaft portion 41. The restricting portion 40 shown in FIG. 3 extends downward from the shaft portion 41. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, the distance between the restricting portion 40 and the bottom 12 is smaller than the distance between the shaft 41 and the bottom 12.

  A pinion 42 is attached to an end of a shaft 41 that penetrates the side wall 17 and projects outside the cassette 10. The pinion 42 is fixed to the shaft 41 so as to be rotatable integrally with the shaft 41. The pinion part 42 has a partial shape of a circular gear.

  The cassette 10 further includes a rack section 44. The rack portion 44 is disposed outside the side wall portion 17 with a gap between the rack portion 44 and the side wall portion 17. The rack portion 44 extends in the front-rear direction parallel to the side wall portion 17. The rack portion 44 is configured to receive a driving force from the outside (in the article supply device 1 of the embodiment, from the transport container 60) and to reciprocate in the front-rear direction. The rack portion 44 is urged forward by an urging member (not shown). Long holes 45, 46 extending in the front-rear direction are formed in the rack 44. Pin portions 47 and 48 projecting outward from the cassette 10 are fixed to the side wall portion 17. The pin portion 47 is engaged with the elongated hole 45, and the pin portion 48 is engaged with the elongated hole 46. The rack 44 reciprocates in the front-rear direction relatively to the side wall 17 as the long holes 45, 46 move relative to the pins 47, 48, respectively.

  The rack portion 44 has linear gear teeth formed to extend in the front-rear direction. The gear teeth of the rack 44 mesh with the pinion 42. The reciprocating movement of the rack 44 in the front-rear direction causes the pinion 42 to rotate. With the rotation of the pinion part 42, the shaft part 41 and the regulating part 40 also rotate integrally.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cassette 10 from different angles. In FIG. 4, for clarification of the illustration, the configuration behind the rack portion 44 is shown through the rack portion 44. As shown in FIG. 4, the cassette 10 further includes an engagement member 50. The engagement member 50 is disposed so as to face the movable member 30 with the front wall portion 14 interposed therebetween. The engagement member 50 and the movable member 30 are configured to move in the vertical direction as a unit.

  The engaging member 50 has an engaging groove 51 extending in the left-right direction. An external member (in the article supply device 1 of the embodiment, an engagement horizontal bar 65 described later of the transport container 60) is engaged with the engagement groove 51, and the external member moves in the vertical direction. The engaging member 50 and the movable member 30 reciprocate integrally in the vertical direction.

  A lock release section 52 is arranged inside the engagement groove 51. When an external member is not engaged with the engagement groove 51, the engagement member 50 and the movable member 30 are locked, and the vertical movement of the engagement member 50 and the movable member 30 is restricted. An external member is engaged with the engagement groove 51, and the external member presses and displaces the unlocking portion 52, whereby the locking of the engaging member 50 and the movable member 30 is released, and the engaging member 50 is released. And the movable member 30 can be moved in the vertical direction.

  A notch 17 </ b> A is formed at the front end of the lower edge of the side wall 17. An external member (in the article supply device 1 of the embodiment, a hooking portion 67 described later) of the transport container 60 is engaged with the notch portion 17 </ b> A to apply a force in the front-rear direction to the cassette 10. 10 moves in the front-back direction. The cassette 10 moves in the front-rear direction between a storage position inside the housing 2 and a removal position, which is located when the stick package 100 is removed from the cassette 10 in front of the housing 2 with respect to the storage position. Reciprocable.

  An unlocking portion 17B (not shown) is arranged in the notch portion 17A. When the cassette 10 is attached to the housing 2 (FIG. 2) and the external member is not engaged with the notch 17A, the cassette 10 is locked and the movement of the cassette 10 in the front-rear direction is restricted. Is done. An external member is engaged with the notch portion 17A, and the external member presses and displaces the unlocking portion 17B, so that the cassette 10 is unlocked and the cassette 10 can move in the front-rear direction. Become.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cassette 10 in which the bird's-eye view angle is changed. As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom 12 has an edge 13 that forms a front edge of the bottom 12. Edge 13 is arranged at a position distant from front wall 14. The edge 13 is disposed behind the front wall 14. In the front-back direction, the edge portion 13 and the front wall portion 14 are arranged with an interval.

  A recess 22 is formed between the edge 13 and the front wall 14. The recess 22 is formed in a shape recessed downward from the bottom 12. The movable member 30 is arranged between the edge 13 and the front wall 14. The movable member 30 is arranged in the recess 22.

  The restricting portion 40 and the shaft portion 41 are arranged near the edge 13 in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the regulating portion 40 and the shaft portion 41 are arranged at a position slightly behind the edge portion 13.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view in which the illustration of the movable member 30 is omitted from FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom depth of the concave portion 22 gradually increases from the edge portion 13 toward the front, and the concave depth of the concave portion 22 near the front wall portion 14 slightly increases. It is curved so that it becomes smaller. The concave portion 22 has a maximum concave depth between the edge portion 13 and the front wall portion 14, specifically, at a position near the front wall portion 14 between them.

  A hole 24 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the recess 22 in the left-right direction. By forming the hole 24, a through-hole penetrating the cassette 10 in the up-down direction is formed between the edge 13 and the front wall 14. The movable member 30 is arranged in the hole 24. Steps 25 and 26 are formed on both edges of the hole 24 in the left-right direction, respectively. The steps 25 and 26 are formed so as to be recessed one step with respect to the bottom surface of the recess 22. The left and right ends of the upper end 33 (FIG. 5) of the movable member 30 are accommodated on the steps 25 and 26, respectively.

  A slit 14B extending in the up-down direction is formed in the front wall portion 14. The movable member 30 has a portion extending forward via the slit 14B and projecting from the front wall portion 14 to the outside of the cassette 10, and an engaging member 50 is attached to the projecting portion.

[Movable member 30]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movable member 30. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the movable member 30 from different angles. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the movable member 30 has an opposing surface 31, an opposing surface 32, and an upper end 33.

  The facing surface 31 is a part of the surface of the movable member 30 that faces the front wall portion 14 (see also FIGS. 3 to 5). The facing surface 31 has a planar shape. As shown in FIG. 8, the movable member 30 has a through rib 38 and a fitting portion 39. The penetrating rib 38 stands upright from the facing surface 31 and extends in the up-down direction. The fitting portion 39 is provided at a distal end of the through rib 38 farthest from the opposing surface 31 and has a substantially flat plate shape extending in parallel with the opposing surface 31. The penetrating rib 38 is disposed so as to penetrate a slit 14B (FIG. 6) formed in the front wall portion 14 in the front-rear direction, and the fitting portion 39 is disposed forward of the front wall portion 14. The fitting portion 39 is fitted to the engaging member 50, and the movable member 30 and the engaging member 50 are integrally attached by this fitting.

  The opposite surface 32 is a partial surface of the movable member 30 opposite to the opposite surface 31. The opposite surface 32 has a curved shape, unlike the opposite surface 31. Specifically, the opposite surface 32 has a recess 34, an inclined surface 35, and an upright surface 36. Immediately below the upper end 33, the opposite surface 32 is recessed to form a recess 34. The concave portion 34 is formed by recessing the opposite surface 32 so that the thickness of the movable member 30 is smaller than the thickness of the movable member 30 at the upper end 33 (the thickness T1 shown in FIG. 8). Note that the thickness of the movable member 30 refers to a dimension of the movable member 30 across which the dimension in the front-rear direction when the movable member 30 is accommodated in the hole 24 (FIG. 6).

  The inclined surface 35 is connected to the depression 34 and is provided below the depression 34. The inclined surface portion 35 is inclined such that the opposite surface 32 moves away from the opposing surface 31 as going downward from the recessed portion 34. The inclined surface portion 35 is inclined so as to increase the thickness of the movable member 30 downward from the concave portion 34.

  The upright surface 36 is connected to the inclined surface 35 and is provided below the inclined surface 35. The upright portion 36 has a planar shape and extends in parallel with the facing surface 31. When the movable member 30 is housed in the hole 24, the upright surface 36 extends in the vertical and horizontal directions. The lower edge of the upright portion 36 forms the lower edge 37 of the opposite surface 32. The thickness (thickness T2 shown in FIG. 8) of the movable member 30 at the lower edge 37 of the opposite surface 32 is larger than the thickness (thickness T1) of the movable member 30 at the upper end.

[Transport container 60]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the transport container 60. The transport container 60 has an opening 61 at the top. The transport container 60 has a hollow box shape that opens upward. The inside and the outside of the transport container 60 communicate with each other via the opening 61. The transport container 60 receives the stick package 100 taken out of the cassette 10. The transport container 60 includes an engaging horizontal bar 65, a pressing roller (not shown), a hook 67, a first drive mechanism 70, and a second drive mechanism 71.

  The first drive mechanism 70 transmits the driving force generated by the drive source to the engaging horizontal bar 65, and moves the engaging horizontal bar 65 in the vertical direction. The vertical movement of the horizontal engaging rod 65 in the engagement groove 51 of the engaging member 50 causes the engaging member 50 and the movable member 30 to reciprocate in the vertical direction.

  The first driving mechanism 70 also transmits the driving force generated by the driving source to the pressing roller, and moves the pressing roller in the vertical direction. When the pressing roller moves up and down in a state where the pressing roller is in contact with the rack section 44, the pressing roller presses the rack section 44 and moves the rack section 44 backward. Along with the movement of the rack 44, the pinion 42 rotates, so that the shaft 41 and the regulating part 40 rotate integrally.

  The second driving mechanism 71 transmits the driving force generated by the driving source to the hooking section 67, and rotates the hooking section 67. The hook portion 67 is engaged with the notch portion 17A of the side wall portion 17 by rotation, or the engagement with the notch portion 17A is released. The cassette 10 reciprocates when the hook 67 applies a force in the front-rear direction to the cassette 10 in a state where the hook 67 is engaged with the notch 17A.

  The first drive mechanism 70 transmits a driving force to move the movable member 30 in the vertical direction to the movable member 30. The first drive mechanism 70 also transmits a driving force for rotating the regulating unit 40 to the regulating unit 40. The driving force is transmitted from the same first drive mechanism 70 to the movable member 30 and the restricting portion 40, so that the restricting portion 40 operates in conjunction with the movable member 30.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view in which a transport container 60 is arranged adjacent to the front of the cassette 10. In FIG. 10, the configuration behind the rack portion 44 is shown through the rack portion 44 for clarity of illustration, and therefore, a state in which the hook portion 67 is engaged with the notch portion 17A. It is shown.

  When the hook portion 67 applies a force in the direction of pulling the cassette 10 to the cassette 10, the cassette 10 moves forward and is arranged at a position adjacent to the transport container 60 shown in FIG. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 10, the stick package 100 can be moved from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60 by reciprocating the movable member 30 in the vertical direction.

  In the arrangement shown in FIG. 10 in which the stick package 100 can be taken out from the cassette 10, the cassette 10 is arranged such that the front wall portion 14 is inclined so as to approach the transport container 60 as it approaches the upper edge 14A. ing. The cassette 10 is arranged so that the bottom 12 is inclined downward as it approaches the edge 13.

[motion]
The operation of the article supply device 1 having the configuration described above will be described below. FIG. 11 is a first diagram illustrating an operation of moving an article (stick package 100) from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60. In addition, in FIG. 11 and subsequent FIGS. 12 to 15, for the sake of simplicity, the cassette 10 viewed through the side wall 17 in the left-right direction is illustrated, and the transport container 60 is not illustrated.

  In the arrangement shown in FIG. 11, the movable member 30 is at a position where the upper end 33 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. Most of the movable member 30 is out of the hole 24. Most of the opposite surface 32 of the movable member 30 except for the lower edge 37 is disposed above the bottom 12. The rising surface 36 of the movable member 30 faces the edge 13 of the bottom 12.

  The upright surface 36 and the inclined surface 35 of the movable member 30 regulate the movement of the stick package 100 toward the recess 22. Since the bottom 12 is inclined, the stick package 100 mounted on the bottom 12 tends to move toward the recess 22 by its own weight. The stick package 100 that has reached the edge 13 is arranged so as to be blocked from moving toward the concave portion 22 and lean on the movable member 30 as shown in FIG. 11.

  At this time, the restricting portion 40 is separated from the bottom portion 12 by rotating around the shaft portion 41 in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing. Thereby, the stick package 100 can pass between the regulating portion 40 and the shaft portion 41 and the bottom portion 12. When the movable member 30 is arranged at a position where the upper end 33 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14 shown in FIG. 11, the regulating portion 40 moves the stick package 100 toward the concave portion 22. And the movement of the stick package 100 is allowed.

  FIG. 12 is a second diagram illustrating an operation of moving an article from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60. The movable member 30 shown in FIG. 12 moves downward along the front wall portion 14 from a position where the upper end 33 shown in FIG. 11 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. A part of the movable member 30 is accommodated in the hole 24, and the recess 34 faces the edge 13 of the bottom 12.

  With the movement of the movable member 30, the stick package 100 moves so as to be hooked and rotated by the recessed portion 34 and is drawn into the recess 22. The stick package 100 may move into the concave portion 22 by its own weight even if it is not hooked on the concave portion 34.

  FIG. 13 is a third diagram illustrating an operation of moving an article from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60. The movable member 30 shown in FIG. 13 has moved further downward along the front wall portion 14 from the arrangement shown in FIG. The movable member 30 shown in FIG. 13 is at the lower limit position of the movable range. The upper end 33 of the movable member 30 is arranged in the recess 22. The stick package 100 is mounted on the upper end 33 in a standing posture. By hooking and rotating the stick package 100 by the concave portion 34, the stick package 100 pulled into the recess 22 can be set in a standing position, and the stick package 100 can be mounted on the upper end 33 in the standing position. Have been.

  The thickness T1 of the movable member 30 at the upper end 33 is less than 0.5 times the width w of the stick package 100 (FIG. 1). This prevents the stick package 100 from being mounted on the upper end 33 in the lying position shown in FIG. The thickness T1 of the movable member 30 is 0.5 times or more and less than 1.5 times the thickness t of the stick package 100. Thus, it is avoided that two or more stick packages 100 in the standing posture are mounted on the upper end 33. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, a configuration is realized in which only one stick package 100 is mounted in a posture standing on the upper end 33 of the movable member 30.

  At this time, the restricting portion 40 has approached the bottom portion 12 by rotating 90 ° counterclockwise in the figure around the shaft portion 41 from the position shown in FIG. At this time, the restricting portion 40 suppresses the stick package 100 from passing between the restricting portion 40 and the bottom portion 12. When the movable member 30 is disposed at a position where the upper end 33 is disposed in the concave portion 22 as shown in FIG. 13, the restricting portion 40 restricts the movement of the stick package 100 toward the concave portion 22. I have.

  FIG. 14 is a fourth diagram illustrating an operation of moving an article from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60. The movable member 30 shown in FIG. 14 has moved upward along the front wall portion 14 from the arrangement shown in FIG. The stick package 100 mounted on the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 moves upward along with the movement of the movable member 30 while maintaining a standing posture so as to lean on the front wall portion 14. Approaching the upper edge 14A.

  FIG. 15 is a fifth diagram illustrating an operation of moving an article from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60. The movable member 30 shown in FIG. 15 moves further upward along the front wall portion 14 from the arrangement shown in FIG. 14, and the upper end 33 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14 as in FIG. It is arranged in the position to be. The movable member 30 shown in FIG. 15 is at the upper limit position of the movable range.

  The stick package 100 that has been moved upward while being mounted on the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 has been taken out of the cassette 10 over the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. The stick package 100 is guided by the outlet inclined portion 15 and moves into the transport container 60 through the opening 61 shown in FIG. The transport container 60 receives the stick package 100 taken out of the cassette 10.

  By repeating the operation shown in FIGS. 11 to 15, the stick package 100 moves from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60 one by one. When a desired number of stick packages 100 are removed from the cassette 10 and stored in the transport container 60, the removal of the stick packages 100 from the cassette 10 is stopped.

  Thereafter, the transport container 60 moves to a position above the relay container 80 (FIG. 2), drops the stick package 100 in the transport container 60 from the transport container 60, and supplies the stick package 100 to the relay container 80. In this way, an operation of supplying a desired number of stick packages 100 to the relay container 80 is performed.

  If it is necessary to further supply another type of stick package 100 to the relay container 80, the transport container 60 moves to the front of the corresponding cassette 10, and the transfer of the stick package 100 from the relevant cassette 10 is performed. The removal is performed in the same manner. When the removal of the desired number of stick packages 100 is completed, the transport container 60 moves to the relay container 80, and the removed stick packages 100 are supplied to the relay container 80.

  Thereafter, the stick package 100 is supplied from the relay container 80 to the payout tray 90 at a predetermined position below the relay container 80. When the stick package 100 is supplied from the relay container 80 to the payout tray 90, the payout tray 90 is transported to the outside of the housing 2.

[Action and effect]
Although there is a part that partially overlaps with the above description, the characteristic configuration of the present embodiment, and its operation and effects are listed as follows.

  In the cassette 10 of the embodiment, the bottom portion 12 has an edge portion 13 at a position away from the front wall portion 14, as shown in FIGS. A recess 22 is formed between the edge 13 and the front wall 14 so as to be depressed with respect to the bottom 12. The movable member 30 extends from the position where the upper end 33 shown in FIG. 13 is disposed in the concave portion 22 to the position where the upper end 33 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14 shown in FIG. The stick package 100 is moved upward along the upper wall 14A of the front wall portion 14 and taken out of the cassette 10.

  The stick package 100 is moved into the recess 22, and the stick package 100 is mounted on the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 disposed in the recess 22. The stick package 100 is taken out of the cassette 10 by moving the stick package 100 upward to a position where the stick package 100 reaches the upper edge 14A. The stick package 100 can be reliably taken out of the cassette 10 by a simple operation of reciprocating the movable member 30 up and down.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the movable member 30 has a facing surface 31 facing the front wall portion 14 and a facing surface 32 opposite to the facing surface 31. The movable member 30 has a recessed portion 34 in which the opposite surface 32 is recessed below the upper end 33 so that the thickness of the movable member 30 is smaller than the thickness T1 of the movable member 30 at the upper end 33. When the movable member 30 moves downward, an operation is performed in which the stick package 100 is hooked by the concave portion 34 and the stick package 100 is moved to the concave portion 22. Therefore, the stick package 100 can be more reliably moved into the recess 22.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the thickness T <b> 2 of the movable member 30 at the lower edge 37 of the opposite surface 32 is larger than the thickness T <b> 1 of the movable member 30 at the upper end 33. This thickness difference creates a space in the recess 22 between the edge 13 of the bottom 12 and the opposite surface 32 of the movable member 30 when the movable member 30 moves downward into the recess 22. The stick package 100 can be moved to this space, so that the stick package 100 can be more reliably moved into the recess 22.

  The thickness T1 of the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 is less than 0.5 times the width w of the stick package 100. By defining the dimensions in this way, it is possible to prevent the stick package 100 from being mounted on the upper end 33 in a lying posture. The thickness T1 of the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 is 0.5 times or more and less than 1.5 times the thickness t of the stick package 100. By defining the dimensions in this way, it is possible to prevent two or more stick packages 100 from being mounted on the upper end 33 in a standing posture, and it is possible to take out the stick packages one by one.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the regulation unit 40 regulates the movement of the stick package 100 accommodated in the accommodation space 20 toward the recess 22. By appropriately adjusting the number of the stick packages 100 that move into the concave portion 22, the operation of mounting the stick package 100 on the upper end 33 in the standing position in the concave portion 22 can be executed more reliably.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the arrangement of the restricting portion 40 can be changed so as to allow the stick package 100 to move toward the concave portion 22. The state in which the movement of the stick package 100 is restricted and the state in which the movement of the stick package 100 is allowed are switched by the change in the arrangement of the restricting portion 40, and the number of the stick packages 100 moving into the concave portion 22 is appropriately adjusted. Can be adjusted.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, when the movable member 30 is arranged such that the upper end 33 is located in the concave portion 22, the restricting portion 40 restricts the movement of the stick package 100, and the upper end 33 is positioned on the front wall. When the movable member 30 is arranged so as to be located at the upper edge 14 </ b> A of the portion 14, the restricting portion 40 allows the stick package 100 to move. By changing the arrangement of the regulating portion 40 in accordance with the arrangement of the movable member 30, the state in which the movement of the stick package 100 is restricted and the state in which the movement of the stick package 100 is allowed can be switched.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the movable member 30 is arranged so that the upper end 33 is located at the upper edge 14 </ b> A of the front wall portion 14, the movement of the movable member 30 toward the concave portion 22 of the stick package 100 is restricted. I do. By regulating the movement of the stick package 100 by the regulating unit 40 and restricting the movement of the stick package 100 by the movable member 30, the number of the stick packages 100 in the recess 22 is appropriately adjusted. be able to.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the article supply device 1 of the embodiment includes a cassette 10 and a transport container 60 that opens upward and receives the stick package 100 removed from the cassette 10. According to such a configuration, the stick package 100 taken out of the cassette 10 can be received by the transport container 60 and the stick package 100 can be paid out.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the cassette 10 is arranged to be inclined so as to approach the transport container 60 as the front wall portion 14 moves toward the upper edge 14A. With this configuration, when the stick package 100 is mounted on the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 and the movable member 30 is moved upward, the stick package 100 leans against the front wall portion 14 so that the stick package 100 Can maintain a standing posture. Therefore, the stick packages 100 can be taken out of the cassette 10 one by one.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the cassette 10 is arranged so as to be inclined so that the bottom 12 is directed downward as it approaches the edge 13. By doing so, the stick package 100 can be moved toward the recess 22 by its own weight, and the stick package 100 can be more reliably moved into the recess 22.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the driving force for vertically reciprocating the movable member 30 is transmitted from the first drive mechanism 70 of the transport container 60 to the movable member 30 via the engaging member 50. With the configuration in which the transport container 60 includes the first drive mechanism 70, there is no need to separately provide a configuration for transmitting the driving force for moving the movable member 30 to the movable member 30. Therefore, the configuration of the article supply device 1 can be simplified.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13 to 15, when the stick package 100 is mounted on the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 and the movable member 30 moves upward until the upper end 33 reaches the upper edge 14 </ b> A of the front wall portion 14. The stick package 100 moves from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60 over the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. In this way, the stick package 100 can be reliably moved from the cassette 10 to the transport container 60.

  In the description of the above embodiments, as shown in FIG. 15, the movable member 30 moves to a position where the upper end 33 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14, and the stick package 100 is removed from the cassette 10. The example of taking out was explained. The upper limit of the movable range of the movable member 30 does not necessarily have to be the position where the upper end 33 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14.

  The movable member 30 may be configured such that the upper end 33 moves further upward beyond the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. Alternatively, even if the upper end 33 does not reach the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14, if the upper end 33 reaches a position below the upper edge 14A by less than half of the width w of the stick package 100, The weight of the stick package 100 allows the stick package 100 to move outside the cassette 10 over the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. In this manner, the movable member 30 may be moved upward at least to a position where the upper end 33 reaches the vicinity of the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. In consideration of the possibility that the content of the stick package 100 is shifted inside the main body 101 and the position of the center of gravity of the stick package 100 fluctuates, at least the upper end 33 of the movable member 30 reaches the upper edge 14A of the front wall portion 14. It is desirable to move it to a position where it does.

  In the cassette 10 shown in FIG. 10, the entire bottom 12 is inclined, but the entire bottom 12 is not necessarily inclined. If the bottom 12 is inclined at least in the vicinity of the edge 13, the action of moving the stick package 100 mounted on the bottom 12 toward the recess 22 by its own weight is similarly achieved. For example, the bottom 12 may be inclined in a range from the position facing the shaft 41 to the edge 13 in the front-rear direction.

  The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  A drug supply device used in a dispensing pharmacy includes a plurality of cassettes accommodating one or more stick packages for each type of drug. If necessary, one or more types of stick packages need to be removed from the drug supply device in the number specified in the prescription. Therefore, the cassette and the article supply device according to the present disclosure, which can surely realize the removal of the stick packages one by one, can be particularly advantageously applied for dispensing medicine according to a prescription in a dispensing pharmacy.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Article supply apparatus, 2 housing | casing, 10 cassettes, 12 bottom part, 13 edge part, 14 front wall part, 14A upper edge, 14B slit, 15 exit inclined part, 16, 17 side wall part, 17A notch part, 18 rear wall Part, 20 accommodation space, 22 concave part, 24 hole part, 25, 26 step part, 30 movable member, 31 opposing surface, 32 opposite surface, 33 upper end, 34 dent part, 35 inclined surface part, 36 upright surface part, 37 lower edge , 38 penetrating rib, 39 fitting portion, 40 regulating portion, 41 shaft portion, 42 pinion portion, 44 rack portion, 45, 46 long hole, 47, 48 pin portion, 50 engaging member, 51 engaging groove, 52 lock Release unit, 60 transport container, 61 opening, 65 engaging horizontal bar, 67 hooking unit, 70 first drive mechanism, 71 second drive mechanism, 80 relay container, 90 payout tray, 100 stick package, 1 01 body part, 102 seal part, T1, T2 Thickness of movable member, thickness of t stick package, width of w stick package.

Claims (13)

A cassette having a storage space capable of storing one or more stick packages,
A bottom portion forming a bottom surface of the housing space,
A wall that rises with respect to the bottom and constitutes one wall of the accommodation space,
The bottom has an edge at a position away from the wall, and a recess is formed between the edge and the wall to be recessed with respect to the bottom,
An upper end that moves upward along the wall from a position where the upper end is located in the recess to a position where the upper end at least reaches a vicinity of an upper edge of the wall; A cassette further comprising a movable member configured to move a body over the upper edge of the wall and out of the cassette.   The movable member has an opposing surface opposing the wall portion and an opposing surface opposite to the opposing surface, and the thickness of the movable member is made smaller than the thickness of the movable member at the upper end. The cassette according to claim 1, wherein the cassette has a recessed portion on the opposite surface below the upper end. The opposite surface has an inclined surface portion connected to the depression portion below the depression portion,
The inclined surface portion is inclined so as to increase the thickness of the movable member toward the lower side from the recessed portion so that the thickness of the movable member at the lower edge of the opposite surface is larger than the thickness of the movable member at the upper end. 3. The cassette according to claim 2, wherein   The thickness of the movable member at the upper end is less than 0.5 times the width of the stick package, and is 0.5 times or more and less than 1.5 times the thickness of the stick package. A cassette according to any one of the preceding claims.   The cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a regulating portion that regulates movement of the stick package body accommodated in the accommodation space toward the concave portion near the edge.   The cassette according to claim 5, wherein the arrangement of the restricting portion is changeable so as to allow the stick package to move toward the concave portion. When the movable member is at a position where the upper end is disposed in the concave portion, the restricting portion restricts movement of the stick package toward the concave portion,
The cassette according to claim 6, wherein when the movable member is located at a position where the upper end reaches the vicinity of the upper edge of the wall portion, the restricting portion allows the stick package to move toward the concave portion. .   The cassette according to claim 7, wherein the movable member regulates movement of the stick package toward the recess when the upper end reaches a position near the upper edge of the wall. . A cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A container that opens upward and receives the stick package removed from the cassette. The container is moved to a position adjacent to the wall of the cassette and receives the stick package taken out of the cassette;
The article supply device according to claim 9, wherein the cassette is arranged so that the wall portion is inclined so as to approach the container as the wall portion approaches the upper edge.   The article supply device according to claim 10, wherein the cassette is arranged so that the bottom portion is inclined downward as approaching the edge.   The article supply device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein a driving force for moving the movable member is transmitted from the container to the movable member.   The stick package is mounted on the upper end of the movable member that moves toward the upper edge of the wall, and the stick package moves from the cassette to the container over the upper edge of the wall. The article supply device according to any one of claims 9 to 12.